The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

LIFE OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCO7' S.
Whittaker, London, 1840.
A re-publication of a work written about a dozen
3 ears since by a gentleman named Bell, and originally
published in " Constable's Miscellany." It now forms
one of the Numbers of the " Popular Library of
Modern Authors," and is brought out in a commodious
form, at a very cheap price.

WOMAN AND HER MASTER.
Colburn, London, 1840.
1V e are glad to meet with Lady Morgan again in
print, for she is one of the pleasantest writers of the
day ; a little flighty, perhaps, at times, but always
amusing, and very frequently instructive. Few
but must remember her admirable tale of " O'Don-
nell," and her " fearless and excellent work"—
as Lord Byron called it —on Italy ; her
" Book of the Boudoir," too, notwithstanding
the conceits and crochets that defaced some portions of
it, was deservedly popular, if only for the versatile
talent and curious spirit of research that it manifested.
In her present production, her Ladyship has furnished
us with brief biographical sketches of the most illus-
trious women of antiquity ; with particulars of the
social influence they ex,rcised over their times ; and of
the condition of the sex from the earliest recorded
periods. The first volume is devoted to the considera-
tion of the social state of women among the Hebrews ;
and at Athens, during the brilliant administration of
Pericles, wh.n Aspasia----of whom Mr. Lundor has
written so eloquently—was in all her glory. In her
second volume, Lady Morgan describes the condition
of the sex at Rome under the empire, in the
course of which she introduces short, pertinent me-
moirs of Livia, the notorious Messalina—whom Ca-
therine the Second of Russia more than equalled in
her dissoluteness—Julia, and the celebrated Agrip-
pina, the mother of that imperial scoundrel
Nero. This last female, who appears to lave
possessed a mind of quite a masculine character, was
still more remarkable, for her uncommon cunning. Her
affectionate son made many ingenious attempts to put
her quietly to death, but she almost always foiled him
by her superior craft. On one occasion he administered
poison to her, but was horror-struck on finding that it
produced no effect, for, like Mitbridates of Pontos, she
.had provided herself previously with antidotes. An-
other time, he tried to entrap her into a naval excur-
sion, and to stab her while on board, but she thanked
ldui for his politeness, and declined the dangerous
honour, on the plea that she was apt to be sea-sick.
On a third occasion, he prevailed on her to take a row
in his barge close alongshore, with the intention of
sinking the vessel when she was fairly afloat ; but alas,
be was again disappointed, for the instant she
sAw the ship beginning to sink, the shrewd Agrip-
pina plunged into the water, and swam like an
otter to land. Disgusted with his mother's
obstinato refusal to be put to death, quietly and
comfortably, like a gentlewoman, and, resolved to stand
no more nonsense, Nero at length sent a freed slave to
her, with his compliments and an invitation to a dinner
party; and while the brisk old dame was chirping out.
her acceptance of the invitation, the slave knocked her
on the head, whereupon she pitched into him with all
the science and energy of Bill Gibbons the boxer ; but
being overpowered, she gave in after the third round;
and was dispatched in—what Duberley would call—
" the twinkling of a bed-post." In her future volumes,
Lady Morgan proposes to carry the history of the social
condition of women down to the present times ; and
judging from her present attempt, we cannot doubt that
her work will be generally popular.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND QUAR-
TERLY REVIEW.
Painter, Strand.
The fourteenth number of this Church-and-State pe-
riodical has just come out, and we are pleased to find
that, as the work proceeds, it improves. The articles
in the number before us are better written, display more
learning, and, with an exception or two, we think a
better spirit than those in any of its predecessors. The
first article, which is entitled " Documentary Annals of
the Anglican Church," discusses a question of
some importance in an Ecclesiastical point of view.
The object of the writer is to apportion the
different degrees of authority possessed by the books
which have at various times been set forth under the
sanction of the Church of England. The works in-
cluded in this category, taken in the order of their im-
portance, are-the Homilies, the Paraphrase of Erasmus,
Jewel's Apology, Jewel's Defence, Nowel's and other
Catechisms, and Fox's Martyrology. Having adjusted
the relative position of these books, the reviewer enters
upon other knotty points, such as the supposed ap-
pointment by the Church that candles be placed
on the Communion Tables, and the separation
of the Morning Prayer, Litany, and Communion into
distinct services, and shows that there is no authority
for either of those practices. " Antient Christianity"
is a review of a work lately published by Mr. Taylor,
the author of " Spiritual Despotism," and other justly
admired works, in which, while justice is done to the
genius of that distinguished writer, his contradictions
are severely animadverted upon. Mr. Taylor, in his
observations on the Oxford Tracts, has advanced
the doctrine, that the farther back we go,
the more corrupt we find the Christian
Church, and draws from these premises the natural
conclusion, that the Oxford-tract men, in attempting
to return to early Christianity, are, however well-in-
tentioned, pursuing a wrong course. He asserts, too,
that this was the object of the Anglican Reformers of
the sixteenth century, and that the tract-men are there-
fore only following out and finishing off what the Re-
formers did not or could not accomplish. The article
is smartly written, and the Fathers are called in to de-
cide the dispute as to certain doctrines of " Catholic
antiquity ;" but a sentence picked out here and there
from an author cannot tell for much either way ; and it
will be found, after all, that the differences attempted to
be shown between ancient and modern Catholicism are
more verbal than real. We are surprised at the
inaccuracy with which the Latin quotations in
this article are printed, and at the frequent recur-
rence of Anti-Nicene for Ante-Nicene. " Milman s
Poetical Works " is a somewhat discursive article. The
poet, however, has no reason to complain of the position
assigned to him on Parnassus, which is next to
James Montgomery. This, we think, is fully
as lofty a station as he can justly claim.
He is not deficient in imagination, has written
many passages imbued with the tenderest pathos,
and has a lively perception of the beauty both
of phssical and moral nature. But elegance, rather
than power, is the character of his mind, and his style
is too florid and artificial. " Ireland under Papal Go-
vernment," is a review of certain documents reflecting
on the Catholics, lately published by the notorious
Forgery-M‘Gnee. We are sorry to see that the
reviewer has imbibed a not inconsiderable
portion of the venomous hostility which that contempti-
ble creature has so often manifested towards the Catho-
lics of Ireland. Well does it become such persons to
turn up their eyes at the Jesuitical maxim which looks
to the end without regard to the means, while they them-
selves are habitually exemplifying it in their conduct.
Where is there a human being so simple as to put
faith in any document published by M‘Ghee
" The Country Gentleman" is a lamentation over the
lost popularity of the rural Squires. This class of
men, the Reviewer asserts, is, next to the Clergy, the
object of popular enmity. The assertion is, in some
measure, true, and the reason is, that the country gen-
tleman treads too closely in the steps of the country
parson. He is too regardless of the feelings of the
people—too often found in opposition to their best in
terests to excite in their minds either affection or
respect. The Reviewer admits, indirectly, that this is
the root of the evil which he deplores, in recommending
as a remedy that the Country Gentleman must " show
that he feels an interest in the amusements, the
pursuits, the occupations, the labours, and,
above all, the wants and necessities, the sorrows
and afflictions, of his poorer neighbours. We will
venture to say that the Country Gentleman who
acts thus will have no reason to complain of
disrespect from any sect, party, or portion of the commu-
nity. " Mores Catholici, or Ages of Faith," is an in-
quiry whether "the former times were better than these."
The writer, who puts, for form's sake, the title of the
learned and interesting work of Mr. Kenelm Digby be-
fore his paper, seems inclined to answer the question in
the affirmative. The middle ages—from 1,000 to 1,500
—are the period selected for the comparison, and the
various subjects of chivalry, political wisdom, conven-
tual schools, universities, fine arts, and religion, are sue
cessively treated of. On all these points the reviewer
is eloquent, even to enthusiasm, but, like other enthu-
siasts, he limits his vision within a very narrow sphere.
The great object of all national institutions, and of
all Government,the happiness of the people, he overlooks.
It never once occurred to his mind that during almost
the whole of the period in question, the mass of the pc-
pulation of England were literally slaves—fixed and fet-
tered to the soil, if not as much as the trees which grew,
at least as much as the cattle that fed, upon it, and
like them transferred along with it from one purchaser to
another. During no small portion of this period, too,
both conventual and university education was confined
classitit.
could Learning
eabren availedn
tsth
ne themselveso A
t r it
hs toeofnc
theirrai cn y,oa pnpdo
demand,fretwun eiatvni
eedsn
gt oonf
oorbtahtnaacitne
ac-
counted no shame when Bishops knew not the art and
mystery of signing their own names.
There are several other articles in the Review which
will repay perusal, but which our space will not allow I-4s
to notice.