The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-05 00:00:00

FRANK FAIRLEIGH. No. I.

This serial tale, which excited so much interest in
the readers of Sharpe's Magazine, is now appearing
in monthly numbers for the benefit of those persons
only acquainted with its merits by hearsay. This
first number, which is adorned with two of Cruik-
shank's spirited illustrationF, relates the scrapes and
misadventurf s which befell the hero on his first entry
on his scholastic career.

THE QUARTERLIES.

THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. No.CLXXIX.

Variety of theme and solidity of thought are the
principal characteristics of the current number of the
Edinburgh for January. One reviewer weighs a
history in the balance of criticism—Kemble's " Saxons
in England"—and takes occasion to write, in so
doing, a paper abounding with evidence of great
antiquarian erudition. Another places the merits
and demerits of a novel in the scales—Senior's
Charles Vernon"—and while analysing the con-
struction of a single fiction, defines what may be
called the true physiology of romance. For the
satisfaction of certain members of the Church of
England there is a severe article condemnatory of
the ecclesiastical dogma of the " Indelibility of Holy
Orders" as recently discussed in reference to the
treatment of Mr. Shore by the Right Reverend
Father in God, Henry of Exeter; while for the
delectation of the upholders of Roman Catholicism
there is an elaborate review of Valery's Correspon-
dence inedite de Mabillon et de Montfaucon, in which
the writer pens a most eulogistic narrative of the
celebrated order of the Benedictines. Several of the
Parliamentary documents published during the
course of last session have suggested to one contri-
butor an essay on that inexhaustible topic, " The
Relief of Irish Distress;" and another has, in no-
ticing the voluminous productions of Mignet and
Grinablet, taken a rapid survey of the diplomatic
tactics of " William 111. and Louis XIV." Those
who feel in a particular manner interested in the fate
of the superb territories surrounding the cities of
Lahore and Moultan will peruse with avidity
the historical chapter devoted to the consideration of
" The Punjaub ;" while those who sympathise in the
panegyrics deservedly pronounced over the tombs of
renowned statesmen will derive a particular but me-
lancholy gratification from the eulogium of the
Edinburgh upon the memory of "Lord Melbourne."
Varied and striking as are the articles already enu-
merated, there is yet another and one of a very novel
and attractive character, which we have abstained
from mentioning until the last, because to our mind,
it appears to be the most deserving of a serious an
prolonged attention. This remarkable contributio 1
is entitled " The Progress of Mechanical Invention,"
and has emanated from the reflections excited in the
imagination of the reviewer by the casual perusal of
the last few volumes of the Patent Journal and the
Mechanics' illagazine. It will prove, no doubt,
a subject of curiosity not only to Mr. Robertson
and Mr. Carprneal, but to the vast majority of the
reflecting portion of the population; and this because,
although we may not all be inventors or patentees,
we have each of us an interest, more or less, in the
development of mechanical science, and in the
successful or rein-successful issue of mechanical
ingenuity. It is so deplorably true, moreover, that
the passion of gambling has penetrated even into the
temples of philosophy, that it were well for a very
considerable number of the more speculative members
of the community if some restriction could be put
upon the reckless expenditure resulting from
the game of hazer(' practised in the chambers of
the patent agent. So much valuable money
is squandered upon inventions not worth a single
snap of the fingers, and so many persons are reduced
to beggary by the extravagance flowing from the
sanguine temperament of the inventors, that it be-
comes a question of public importance to inquire
whether the pitfalls cannot be filled up otherwise than
by " the fortunes and the minds of those who have
fallen into them and been ruined." Humanity should
prompt the Legislature to see if it would not be
possible to prevent the daily recurrence of the dismal
catastrophes bewailed so many years ago by Jeremy
Bentham. Towards the attainment of this most
desirable object, the reviewer makes the fol-
lowing proposition : That certain boards of
examiners should be appointed, " whose ap-
proval should be secured first before any invention,
purporting :to:110 novel, should be admitted to
the expensive't.honours of a patent "—in England
the first expenses- of a patent for the three kingdoms,
being 343/ in fc;es.tilone, those fees being required to
be paid down in hard cash " beforehand." While
propoundingthis remedy, however, the reviewer hien-
aelracknowledgr that its introduction into our sys-
tem of affairs is'-opposed by several insuperable obe
structions, foremost amongst which are the tyrannical
"blunders ' that - might result from such precautions,
and the inconquerable repugnance of inventors them-
, selves to submit their ideas to the decision of members
of their own profession. As to the." popular sugges-
tion" nu ntioned by the Edinburgh (p. 55), to the
effect that " every patentee should be required
to deposit in some public museum an accurate model
or specimen cf his invention," the reviewer seems to
be ignorant of the fact that this arrangement has been
long adopted in the French capital, and that amongst
the most interesting and certainly amongst the most
eccentric of all the exhibitions of Paris, is that in
which are aecurnulated an extraordinary number of
the most beautiful models of patent inventions. The
adoption of such a scheme by the English Govern-
ment would be productive, according to our thinking,
of a twofold advantage—first, that of warning inven-
tars and patentees from some disastrous undertaking
before they have adventured too far into it for with-.
drawal ; and, secondly, the addition of another depart-
ment to the noble establishment in Great Russell-street.
When we hear Mr. Babbage relating '"that in the
construction of his calculating machine, not one
single portion of the works, although these were of
extraordinary complication, required any alteration
after it was once made, owing to the admirable care
which had been bestowed upon the drawings," we
may calculate_ the advantages which would result
from a system which would render the preliminary
construction of a. model compulsory. In - the very
act of producing the model the inventor would dis•
cover betimes whether or not his ideas were practi-
cable. How profound is the infatuation of some
of the many thousands who imagine themselves
capable of achieving what have been hitherto found
by men of indisputable genius to be impossibilities,
may be conjectured from the fact that many who
have seen or heard of the suspension tunnel and the
electric telegraph, are still wasting years !in a search
for the perpetual motion ! " One such machine, at
least," says the Edinburgh Review (p. 47), "may
even now be seen in London, by those who have more
ou-
faith than knowledge, pursuing its eternal r I
flops." The accuracy of this assertion vrellcanevour
selves in a manner, corroborate—for we
"li' ai n roads of the
remem-
ber, our-
selves,
scarcely eight months ago,
the moonlight along one of the subuorther p
edestrian,
metropolis, we were accosted byfaan
machine of this
who mingled his description o. h Christ, hands),
kind (which he had fabricated wit
„eery of and eja-
with blasphemies to the
are men,
eenvye itihien
exthisetemncieddolie
hineegenius of Thomas Paine.
1 ilewewal king in
culations of homage to t
tloief
halmcinations and Atheism its
superstitien. There a
Philosophy has its
the nineteenth century,
thepaltry • •
And yet worship joints, arid
Divinity, an • of some miserable '
I eels and pistons ,Eureka of
cog-wheels, i i
construction. Sir Bulwer Lytton •
their own c might,
without any violation of truth, have delineated Adam
Warner a, a contemporary not onlyofthe King
Maker, .
Maker, but also of Mr. Copperas, or of Sir
Sedley Beaudesert. Friar 13
ungays are still
striving to concoct the elixir vitce, and Sir Epicure
Alammons are still sanguine of discovering the durum
potabile. As a clear and comprehensive treatise upoe
the progress which has been made in mechanical in-
vention, this admirable paper will amply repay pe-
rusal. Upon the biographical contribution respecting
Lard Melbourne, we have already commented in a
ending article ; yet we cannot but seize the present
opportunity for the purpose of commending one in-
cidental portion of the memoir—an estimate of the
genius and ..116racter of Daniel. O'Connell, which
appeal% to us singularly felicitous. In comment-
ing ourselves upon the Ministerial career of
Lord Melbourne, at the period of his decease, we

,-.-117 I `• -T
• '77r7 T -rx, t
maintained' that 'his prineipal clathi 6 - the.recol-
yr
iection and respect of posterity coh tditilbe.cir-
cumit'ance of his having V 461116 one'w'ho'instiucted
QUeen Yictoria in the art of finiiernment. The vieis of
the Edinburgh upon this ponit are so, entirely WiPci--
(lent with our own, that we should have a.peculiar sa-
tisfactionin reproducing thetremarks of our contempo-
rary, but that we are unfortunate.restrictedzi.by, the
'length to which our own observationihrive horeialready
extended. But -for the same reason ' .we should, in
like manner, have transferred to our colunittra-
-1 graph -extracted from . the article on the 4., ‘nch
Benedictines"—beind an impassioned: and ",goquent
apostrophe of admiration to the 4i4iyerieslif-Alcuin
and
01,
otherr,a nfr
renownedanc,y ,A nms ielnm ,
o f
amongstl ii'd.ntilai : - at 'cili eta t. eii ct 1 esi-
astics of the Roman Catholic religion. Most.of the
other papers, already mentioned by Tamer are'_worthy
of simultaneous publication with the three,- to which
we have here particularly'directe6 public attention.