The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-01 00:00:00

MAGAZINE DAY.

BLACKWOOD'S MAGA ZLVE.
The essay on " Style," which is the first article in
the present number of Maga, is written in nervous,
idiomatic English, but not without those occasional
negrgences of expression, which the author points out
as among the prevailing faults of our current literature.
He laments, it seems, the decadence of all good style
in the productions of the present day ; but he forgets
that the reading public are chiefly to blame for this,
who, by their importunate demand for novelty, prevent
a writer from devoting sufficient time to his subject.
This was not the case fifty years ago, and will not, we
suspect, be the case fifty years hence, when the absurd
rage for mere novelty shall have fairly worn itself out.
In reference to the general demand for cheap literature,
and the bookish character of the present day, the
author relates the following diverting anncdote
" To mark in what degree this contagion of bookishness
has spread, and how deeply it has moulded the habits of
expression in classes naturally the" least likely to hove
been reached by a revolution so artificial in its character,
we will report a single record from the memorials of our
own experience. Some eight years ago, we had occasion
to look for lodgings, id a newly-built suburb of London.
The mistress of the house (with respect to whom we have
nothiag to report more than that she was in the worst
sense a vulgar woman, that is, not merely a low• bred per-
son-39 much might have been expected from her occupa-
tion—but morally vulgar by the evidence of her own coin.
plex precautions against fraud, reasonable enough in so
dangerous a capital, but not calling for the very ostenta-
tious display of them which she obtruded upon us) was in
regular training, it appeared, as a student of newspapers.
She had no children—the newspapers were her children.
There lay her studies, that branch of learning constituted
her occupation, from morning to night, and the following
were amongst the words which she--this semibat barian—
poured from her cornucopia during the very few minutes
of our interview, which interview was brought to an ab-
rupt issue by mere nervous agitation upon our part. •The
words, as noted down within an hour of the occasion, and
after allowing a fair time for our recovery, were these :
first, " Category ;" secondly, " predicament ;" (where, by
the way, from the twofold iteration of the idea—Greek
add Roman—it appears that the old lady was 6 twice
armed ;') —thirdly, • individuality ;' faurthly, • procrast
notion ;' fifthly, 'speaking diplomatically, would not wish
to commit herself;' sixthly, • would spontaneously adapt
the several modes of domestication to the reciprocal inte-
rests,' &c. ; and finally, (which word it was that settled
us; we heard it as we reached the topmost stair on the se-
cond flour; and, without further struggle against our in-
stincts, round we wheeled, rushed down fortj-five stairs,
and exploded from the house with a fury causing us to im-
pinge against an obese or protuberant gentleman, and call..
log for mutual explanations ; a result which nothing could
account fur, but a steel bow, or mustachio; on the lip of an
elderly woman ; meantime the fatal word was) seventhly,
• anteriorly.' Concerning which word we solemnly depose
and make affidavit, that neither from man, woman, nor
book, had we ever heard it before this unique rceontre
with this abominable woman on the staircase,"
The observations on Newspaper style, though some-
what severe, are founded in truth ; though we have
occasionally read political articles in daily Journals
which would have done no dishonour to the ablest pens
in the ablest age of English literature. But these, it
must be confessed, are the exceptions to a general rule.
" A Chapter of Turkish History" is one of those inte-
resting historiettes for which Black wood has alway been
celebrated. " Carmen Triumphale" is a song
of congratulation on the Queen's late fortunate
escape from assassination. We would quote it
entire, but that our limits forbid. It is by
Mr. Simmons, who sings from his perch on the mid-
slopes of Parnassus with much spirit and sweetness.
" On Personification" is an intelligent essay, marked by
strong sense and shrewdness of criticism. The " To-
bias Correspondence" sets out into a spirit of broad,
riotous drollery, which reminds us of O'Doherty. We
hope this amusing correspondence will be continued,
for the present specimen is capital. The " History of
Europe" is a notice of Mr. Alison's late volume on this
subject. As we have already reviewed this volume in
T/e Sun, we need here say nothing more, than that
the present favourable notice of it in Maga is no more
than the work deserves. " Circassia" reveals some of
the intrigues of Russia for the possession of this im-
portant country.. " Ten Thousand a-Year" describes,
in a minute and forcible manner, the behaviour of
Titmouse after his acquisition of the Yatton estates.
The story is carried on with unflagging vigour, though
it is now and then too diffuse in point of description.

BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.
By a notice affixed to the title-page of this Number,
W 3 perceive that Mr. Hood is engaged to contribute a
series of articles to the Misccllaay, which, by way of
adding to their attractiveness, are to be illustrated by
himself. We arc glad of this, for Hood is one of the
most popular writers of the day, and peculiarly adapted,
by the force, pungency, and general conciseness of his
style, to excel in periodical literature. As regards his
powers of design, though he has little knowledge of art,
and makes strange work at times with the human figure,
and not unfrequently also with perspective, yet he has
abundant humour, and enough of grotesque fancy, to
make up for all his d,ficiencies. He will, therefore, be
a decided acquisition to the Miscellany—more particu-
larly if he will furnish a set of such truthful prose arti-
cles, as his " Sketches on the Road," which were the.
gems of the " Comic Annual." Meantime, to drop
Hood, and proceed to " business," as they say in the
City. The Number before us commences, as usual,
with " Guy Fawkes," in which there is a vigorous sketch
of the well-known quack Dr. Dee, whose resuscitation
of Guy, by means of an elixir as (g incomparable " as
Rowland's Macassar, is described with considerable skill.
One of that redeeming merits of Mr. Ainsworth's fic-
tions, is the sufficing acquaintance he always shows with
the character and domestic usuages of the times of
which ho treats. In this respect, even Scott has not
equalled him, though Scott makes a less ostentatious
parade of his reading. We consider " Guy Fawkes "
the most readable story its author has yet attempted,
and the present chapters among the most effective, at
least as respects incident. The " Contrabandista "is a
passable tale, reasoned, of course, with a murder--
" his neat plebecula gaudet"—from the pen of Captain
Medwin. An " Aspiration for Place "is a lively epi-
gram, of the old-fashioned Chesterfield school of com-
. pliment. We subjoin it accordingly
If kisses be the coin of Love,
The die sweet woman's rosy mouth,
Found still on earth, where'er we rove,
Or east, or west, or north, or south,
Let Statesmen on to glory plod,
And climb Ambition's paths of flint;
I only wish the little God
Would make me master of his mint.
The " Jolly Miller" is sad stuff, crammed full of puns
as excruciating as the tooth-ache. ' " A Visit to the
Organ Mountains in Brazil" gives some cleverish de-
scriptions of Brazilian manners, in the more seques-
tered parts of the country. " Harkaway Sketches" is
an account of a day's shooting in the preserves of an
English sportsman of tl.e old school. It is pleasantly
and unaffectedly written by a gentleman named Mills.
An essay on Beaus and Dandies, past and present,
is quite as good as its subjects, which is not saying
much for it. " Father Mathew" details some particu-
lars respecting the progress that tea-totalism is making
in Ireland. Fifteen hundred thousand individuals have,
it seems, already taken the pledge! The " Sleeping
Beauty in our Time" is a sprightly article by Mr. Jer-
den, whose good-natured, racy sketches we always read
with pleasure. " Stanley Thorn" is light and rambling
as usual, but without any pretensions to originality.

• FRASER S MAGAZINE.
We generally calculate on one or two sound scholar-
like essays or criticisms in this Magazine, and the pre-
sent number has not d;sappointed us. The first article,
headed '° Occult Science," exhibits some curious reading
on ti ,e subject of the elixir of life, of which so many al-
chemists and phik”ophers of the middle ages were in
quest, and which was supposed to confer the boon of
perpetual youth and health on those who were fortunate
enough to discover it. It is on this popular delusion, it
may be remembered, that Godwin has founded his ce-
lebrated romance of St. Leon. "II Bondoeani" is an
oriental tale, translated—or professing to be translated
—f.om the German. The incidents are ingeniously
contrived, and well put together. " Here or There" is
a desultory article on a variety of subjects, all strung
together' without rhyme or reason. The opening re-
marks on the "Sorrows of Wcrter" are excellent. The
writer justly observes that this overrated tale is far bet-
ter to call -forth laughter than tears ; and adds that
" Wester's vagaries bear the stamp, not of passion, last
of that peculiar state of hobbedelloyish gabyhood called
in England calf-love." We quote from this amusing
paper an anecdote of Sheridan, which we do not remem-
ber to have met with before :
" The following anecdote of Sheridan's vinous elo-
quence we bad from the lips of one of the oldest surviving
friends and followers of Fox. and himself a highly influ-
ential Whig of the old'szhool. This gentleman and She-
ridan had dined together at Bellamy's; and Sheridan
having taken his allowance, gave his accustomed signal for
a move. This signal consisted of the words, " Now I
shall go down, and see what's doing in the House;" which
in reality meant, and was always so interpreted by who.
ever dined in his company, " I have drank enough ; try
share of the business is done, now do yours : call for the
bill and pay it." On this occasion the usual course was
pursued ; and the bill having been settled by Sheridan's
friend, the latter, hearing that Sherry was " up," felt
curious to know what be could possibly be at, knowing the
" glorious" state in which he had just departed. Accord
ingly, ha entered the House, and, to his no small astonish.
ment, found Sheridan in a fit of most fervent oratory,
thundering forth the following well-knovvn passage
" Give them a corrupt House of Lords; give them a venal
House of Commons; give them a tyrannical prince; give
them a truckling Court ; and let me have but an unfettered
press, and I will defy them to encroach a hair's breath upon
the liberties of England 1" This outburst, at first sight,
weuld seem to tell against our argument in the text • but,
in truth,' it does no such thing. Moore, in his " Life of
Sheridan," has shown that the greater number of his start-
ling passages were very carefully prepared in his sober
moments, and let offaftrrwards with an air of impromptu,
as opportunity presented itself."
" Rabelais" is an essay that shows no small amount of
the lighter and pleasanter order of scholarship. The
theme is a tempting one, for who is there that is not au '