The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-02 00:00:00

MONTHLY CHRONICLE.

The polit;cal tone of the Monthly Chronicle is cal-
culated to ensure it the suffrages of a numerous body of
readers, for it is calm, sagacious, and decided, preserving
a happy mean between the two extremes of Chartism
on the one hand, and of ultra-Toryism on the other.
The article headed " Progress and Present State of
Parties," is throughout emued with this spirit, and
whether written by Mr. Fonblanque or not, is not un-
worthy of his pen. It justly maintains the opinion that
Minister, are stronger now than they have been at any
period since Lord Melbourne's last resignation, but
urges at the same time the necessity of their advancing
steadily and energetically in the work of Reform. In
the course of this article we find a brief but clever
sketch of Sir Robert Peel, whose capabilities as a
statesman are assessed at a proper valuation. The
Right Hon. Baronet is just now placed in a position
that cannot but be peculiarly annoying to one of his ambi-
tious temperament. Too liberal for his own party, not
enough so for his opponents—his conventional notions
of consistency keeping hint with the Tories, his convic-
tions inclining him to the Whigs, we can conceive no
statesman placed in a more awkward and embarrassing
situation. But it is not difficult to fusee the result. The
force of circumstances will goad him on, whether he
will or no. He has not moral energy enough to eman-
cipate himself, but events will emancipate him, from
the trammels of Toryism ; and, as sure as to-morrow's
sun shall rise, so surely will Sir Robert Peel—though
not for some time yet—take a prominent place in the
ranks of the movement party. This decision, which he
would never come to of his own accord, imperative
circumstances will wring from him. " Legend of
Florence" is a clever analytical criticism on Leigh
Hunt's tragedy of that name. But, though clever, it
is too lavish of its compliments ; and when we find the
Reviewer stating of one scene that " it might have been
owned with pride by Shakspeare in his bloom of power,"
and of the play generally, that it is equal to any of
Beaumont's and Fletcher's, we feel that, by such
un-
warrantable flattery, a positive injury is done to the
dramatist. We have already spoken in high terms of
of praise of the " Legend of Florence ;" but were we
Mr Hunt's dearest and oldest friend, we should never
dream of so far sacrificing truth to compliment, as to tell
him that his drama was equal to the " Maid's
Tragedy," or the " Two Noble Kinsmen ;" and, least
of all, would we gravely declare that any one of its scenes
was worthy to vie with the best and most effective of
the author of Lear and Othello. The great merit of
the Legend is not its poetry—as the Reviewer would
seem to think—but the singular skill and subtlety with
which the one character of Agolanti is developed.
This, which is in some respects an original creation,
and, from its peculiar idiosyncracy, very difficult to deal
with, is forcibly and consistently ma'ntained through-
out ; but still it will not place the author in the same
rank with Beaumont and Fletcher. We must have
many more fine dramas from him before we can admit
his claims to such equality. " Recent Novels" is a
review of several works of fiction that have lately ap-
peared. Among them is " Jack Sheppard," which is
shown no mercy, but scalped and tomahawked in the
most scientific style possible. From the " Sketches of
Spanish Generals," we quote a character of that Royal
scoundrel the late Ferdinand of Spain, who is dealt
with just according to his deserts :
" It may be well doubted if history can produce a
character more thoroughly base than that of Ferdinand
VII. of Spain. Viewing him in all the relations of life,
we shall scarcely discover a single point on which our re-
gards can dwell with pleasure or esteem. Throughout
almost the whole of his wayward and eventful career, he
appears equally unworthy of sympathy. In prosperity he
was insolent, and in power cruel to ruthlessness. In ad-
versity, -and when the hand of misfortune was heavy upon
him, he was mean, cowardly, and crouching. As a son
ho was rebellious and unnatural, guilty of repeated attempts
not only to dethrone but even to take away the life of
his good-natured but weak_minded father. As a subject,
he was disloyal and perjured. The consort of his youth
was treated with brutality. The imputed infidelity of his
second wife was revenged on the amiable but fanatic
Amelia, whose gentle heart was broken by neglect and
ill-treatment. As a man, he was devoid of honesty ; and, as
a gentleman and a Castilian, he knew not what. was honour.
In the gratification of his passions he was low, grovelling,
and selfish. Ills manners were abrupt and vulgar; and with
him exterior elegance did not thinly gild, as in the case
of our George IV., the baseness and corruption of the
heart. In persor, he bore, it is said, a striking resem-
blance to another detested tyrant of antiquity ; and his
features, as well as his vices, recall to us the memory of
Nero. His fanaticism—the name of religion must not be
polluted—was gloomy and ferocious, sympathising' wit:
the revengeful frenzy of the zealot, but uninspired by the
unworldliness which oftentimes stamps on it an almost sa-
cred and redeeming character. He was terrified at the
retributive dispensation of another life, not from an hum-
bling conviction of the weakness of our common nature, by
which the best and wisest are unfitted to partake in the
purer happiness of a higher and mere perfect state of ex-
istence, but from fear, the offspring of remorse, under
which its victim suffers by anticipation the hell it trem-
bles at. Tyrannical to those who existed only in his fa-
vour, and who prospered only by his will_crawling in the
dust before those who became for the time his masters. A
thousand times perjured, the obligation of the most sacred
oath was to him a mockery. Though mean in intellect,
yet his acts of cruelty were characterised by occasional
snatches of that low cunning by which vice is still more
degraded. Grossly sensual in his passions; repulsive in
his manners ; slavish in his superstition ; unnatural as a
son ; infamous as a man ; false and tyrannical as a king ;
unfeeling and cruel, or mawkishly uxorious, as a husband,
we may search history in vain for many counterparts."

METROPOLITAN MAGAZINE.
There are usually some interesting papers on Italian
subjects in the Metropolitan, and the present number
contains one of the best we have yet seen—namely, one
on Dante and his times, which is written evidently
con more, and displays a highly creditable, if not a very
profound acquaintance with its t
theme. The picture of
the great Italian poet's age is strictly in accordance with
history ; and the well-known factions of the Guelphs
and Ghibellines are sketched hastily, but with much
animation of manner. " Lord Killikelly," is too
lengthy ; some of the dialogues, however, are clever
enough. " Public Punishments and Police Reports,"
though there is little novelty in the subject, deserves
praise, inasmuch as it takes a considerate and humane
view of the question. In the " Note-Book of an
Irish Barrister," we have a biographical memoir of
Anthony Malone—a contemporary of Flood and Grat-
tan. The memoir would be more acceptable if it were
lets generalised. There is not enough of discrimination
or individuality about it. The" Pillar of Seva" is a
tale by no means, deficient in stirring incident. As for
the poetry of the number, it is neither better nor worse
than usual.