The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-04 00:00:00

HOOD'S MAGAZINE.

This periodical is more of a poetical melange, than of
ordinary magazine articles. " The Avenger" is brought
to a conclusion, by the publication or the fifth act, and
with a miscellaneous assortment of cuttings, emendations,
sentiments, sonnets, and curiosities of prose and poetry,
an agreable, though cloying, banquet is provided for the
subscribers.

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE REVIEW.
We observe that this Ut iversity organ has a more
substantial appearance now than heretofore. Under iir,
second editor it is apparently, and if so, not unde-
servedly, prospering. Some of the articles have latterly
been remarkable for their elaboration, and, as an exam-
ple of this, we may mention the paper upon " Westmin-
ster Abbey." To those who are most familiar with that
magnificent relic of midceval architecture, it will be as
interesting as to those least acquainted with its antique
beauties. Whatever may be said in depreciation of the
gothic style of architecture as a mongrel style, a barba-
rous and florid style, the superb minsters and abbeys
scattered so plentifully about England attest sufficiently
well the genius of their fabricators, while they render
sarcasm futile and derision dumb by their magnifold
graces and exquisite proportions. Of these buildings,
Westminster Abbey is among the most splendid ; one
portion of it being of matchless beauty (we mean, of
course, King Henry the Seventh's Chapel). But that
the 0 Sacrifice of Cracow" can scarcely be spoken of too
frequently, inasmuch as it is associated with the liberties
and safety of all the lesseo principalities of continental
Europe, we should regard the article under that heading
as rather stale and profitless. With a silly and insigni.
ficant vituperation upon Sir E. L. Bulwer Lytton and
his'" Lucretia," the minor criticisms form but a con
temptible group. Otherwise, the Oxford and Cambridge
Review is praiseworthy.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY.
A more appropriate theme could scarcely have been
selected for the opening article in a political periodical
than that, afforded by the " Character and Career of M.
G,iizot." And it is appropriate in a lamentable manner,
seeing that it is elicited by the odium excited against the
Prime Minister of France by his dishonourable and un-
principled conduct. Never had a statesman risen from the
people with fairer opportunities to render himself the idol
of his fellow-countrymen by his patriotism and the ad-
miration of foreign nations by the decision and rectitude
of his policy. Those opportunities have been squandered
away. Guizot is now utterly beggared in reputation. As
an historian, as a journalist, as an orator, he possesses a
deserved. fame ; as a statesman, as a diplomatist, as a
minister, he has, acquired a note very little removed
from the infamoUS. So let it be Let the ruins of that
once enviable celebrity be the everlasting beacon of his
successors ; let the opprobrium with which he is now
universally regarded be a warning to the selfishly ambi-
tious. From the masterly contrast given by M. Corme-
nin, under the soubriquet of Timon, of Guizot and Thiers,
we would, did an opportunity present itself, give copious
extracts, but we shall content ourselves with reviewing
the recollection of that final and mournful exclamation
in the "Lure des Orateurs"—" Both" (meaning
Guizot and Thiers) " humiliating spectacle ! fought
furiously for the dry bones of office, concealed
within the red morocco portfolio, and then after
this noble struggle, the victor goes and licks the
feet of his master !" It is this deplorable subserviency
to the wishes of Louis Philippe, however much those
'wishes may be opposed to the interests of the nation
that have rendered both of these eminent and gifted
men so little honoured abroad, and so feebly seconded
in France. William Carleton commences another story,
now that his powerful fiction of the " Black Prophet,"
is completed. The present is entitled " O'Sullivan's
Love ; a Legend of Edenmore." Remembering the mag-
nificent Homeiic Hymns, as rendered by the poet Shel-
ley, we are somewhat amazed at the temerity of Mr.
Kenealy in attempting another translation of " Homer's
Hymn to Hermes." The learning of this admirable
classical student, and his graceful facility as a metrical
translator, have redeemed him, however, from the simple
charge of rashness. Mr. Kenealy has drunk deep
draughts of poetry from the numbers of the old Grecian,
and he chaunts the story of Mercury and his wily doings
in melodious rhythm, with a cadence of full and beau-
tiful melody. " Irish Records," being a national subject
of peculiar importance, will be perused with interest. We
cordially rejoice in the tone of the critical article upon "Sir
Edward Bulwer Lytton's Lucretia," ansl we do so from
the peculiar honesty and vigour with which the review
is penned. The writer stigmatises with indignation the
attempt which is beit,g made just now to "run down"
Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, and expresses his conviction
that the press in so doing is in error. One passage we
must quote. "We have," sap the reviewer, " all our
countrymen's love of fair play ; and if his (Sir E. B. L.'s)
literary reputation is to. be run down, let it be in fair
and manly combat, by men of education, thoughtful,
serious men, who are competent to form an opinion, and
not by the random stroke of insignificant scribblers, and
the senseless vituperation of mercenary critics, whose
daily bread, perhaps, depends upon the countenance of
the journal, in the columns of which they are paid so
much a line for their venal abuse." Strong as this lan-
guage is, it is in a very great measure justified by the
monstrous and indecorous course taken by certain
divisions of the press in regard not merely to Sir
Edward Bulwer Lytton but to another illustrious and
extraordinary writer, we allude to Mr. Charles
Dickens. In the very zenith of their fame, while
their intellects are most vigorous, and their
genius is acknowledged not merely by multituoes
in England, but throughout Contit.ental Europe, and
beyond the Atlantic, a sudden onslaught is made upon
the literary reputation of each. We have all heard of
Aristides. The inference is obvious. It is satisfactoryto think that these abusive attacks, even iftripled in
volume and frequency, would prove altogether ineffectual
million
in diminishing the admiration of the judicious
for Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton. and especially for
Charles Dickens, than whom no writer ever enlisted or
deserved more of the affections of the people. With a
hideous likeness of Mrs. James
.Gray, and one or two
biographi,al sketches, the magazine is completed.

:-_-_-_-----
THE ECCLECTIC REVIEW.
To those who have not paid scrupulous attention to
the involutions and sinuosities of the French diploma-
tists in their recent peninsular contrivances, the paper
called " The whole Truth on the Spanish Marriages,
will prove a convenient remembrancer. To every one
else it will be worse than superfluous. We are heartily
fatigued with the repetitions of the old disgusting story
which have been published again and again usque ad
nauseum. It was remarked by one of the Parisian press,
that the articles written on ono day about a single docu-
ment of the Spanish correspondence, would form three
octavo volumes. We believe the calculation to have been
c
no exaggeration, and regarding it as only partially corn ct,
we .must come to the conclusion that all that has been
written upon the question since the famous midnight in ter-
viewbetween Isabella and the Afrancesl dominis.ters,would.
Notwithstanding
this, a very respectably sized library.otwahstanding
this, another article and another comes
like the spectral
kings before Macbeth, until w
as the Thane of Cawdor and
Biography and writings," is .
it almost soars into the lively
paper upon " Railways,use arc nearly asdcmentecl
laromis. "South :—his
a c tango so agreeable that
their by comparison. The
Consolidation and Govern-