The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-06 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY.

Albeit the poem by Horace Smith, with which
this number opens, which is entitled " The Mur-
derer's Confession" is (to make use of the three pet
participles of the writer) a " staring," " flaring,"
" glaring," example of the manner in which pathos
may degenerate into bathos, and a good subject be
spoiled by injudicious treatment, yet on the whole
the present is an excellent number of the New
Monthly. " The Vision of Carl Van Quiet," by
Charles Hooton, is a sketch of which Washington
Irving might be proud. Carl Van Quiet is an old
Dutch American backwoodsman, who, somewhat
after the manner of Rip Van Winkle, retires to
the mountains and meets a mysterious old gentleman,
and has a wondrous vision. We will not deprive
the reader of the pleasure he will derive from the
perusal of the story by stating who the gentleman
was, and what the vision was about, suffice it to say
that Carl Van Quiet is even a more amusing fellow
than the immortal Rip Van Winkle himself. This
is succeeded by the following graceful sonnet :

THE WESTMINSTER PLAY—DEc. 1845.
BY MR SERGEANT TALFOURD.
Not from the youth-illumined stage alone
Is gladness shed : it breathes around from all
Whose names, imprinted on each honour'd wall,
Speak deathless boyhood ; on whose hearts the tone,
Which makes each ancient phrase familiar grown
New by its crisp expression, seems to fall
A strain from distant years; while striplings, still
In careless prime, bid younger bosoms thrill
With plaudits such as lately charm'd their own—
While richest humour strangely serves to fill
Worn eyes with childlike tears; for Memory lifts
Time's curtain from the spirits' holiest stage,
And makes even strangers sham the precious gifts
Which clasp in golden meshes Youth and Age.
We have then the continuation of Captain Maryatt's
"Privateer's Man ;" we have also continuations of
the "Lights and Shades," the "Life of a Gentleman on
Half- pay," of " Beauchamp," of the " Lives of Lords
Stowell and Eldon," of" Mr. Jolly Green," and of the
" Revelations of London," and we are happy to say
the conclusion of the "Robertses on their Travels."
entitled,gives
u
s
Captain Levinge commences a series,
"Echoes from the Back Woods;' in which he
some spirited sketches of life in Nova Scotia, and
Mr. Oxenford contributes some exquisite translations
of old Spanish romances concerning Bernardo del
Carpio. The present number is embellished with a
portrait of Mr. Ainsworth, beautifully engraved
by Finden from a painting by Maclise.

THE UNION.
This is a new candidate for public favour, and,
judging from the first number, we are inclined to
think it will be a very successful one. The editor
evidently understands his craft, and knows that the
true secret to success in magazine editing is variety.
There is something in this number of the Union to
suit every taste. Is the reader a metaphysician,
he will find an admirable paper on the "/Esthetics of
Milton's Comus," exactly suited to his taste; is he a
literary lounger, " Easy Chairs " Rill just suit him.
The admirer of our classical essayists will revel in
the " Letter from the Ilindoo Gentleman travelling
in England." It reads like a stray paper from the
" Citizen of the World " The letter describes an
"Evening Party " in London, and, as a specimen of
the author's style, we give the following extract from
the conclusion of the paper :
" There was a species of dancing performed different
from the ordinary dancing, culled waltzing,'
.in which
a man and a woman take each other round the waist,
and turn round and round as fast as they can, until they
are each so giddy that they can continue the process no
longer. You will say that this account does not agree
with the common opinion which is entertained of the
strict morality, propriety, and grave manners of the
English people; but you wrong them if you suppose
that there is Toady anything improper in the pertiirm-
anee; you have only fo look at their faces, when you
would at once be convinced, that so far from there being
any levity in their thoughts, they are evidently exe-
cuting a grave, and, in their opinion, an important re-
ligious ceremony. I did not venture to attempt this per-
formance, though repeatedly solicited to do so, for I felt,
that however ridiculous the religious ceremonies of this
people might appear to me, I bad no right to make light
tu
of them in their presence, which I certainl y should have
done by joining in this particular one, for I felt I could
not possibly summon up that devout but sober en-

thusiasm with which the performers were evidently en-
dued; and, though exercised in a wrong spirit, I could
not help feeling respect for such a display of piety and
perseverance, especially when it is considered that the
weather, and particularly the room, were very hot.
" The strange mixture of barbarism and refinement
perceivable in these meetings has induced me to make
inquiries respecting their origin and object; but I have
experienced great difficulty in getting my questio.ns
candidly answered. There seems to be some mystery
with which I, as a stranger, am not trusted, or else there
is a feeling of shame which they cannot help expe-
riencing when talking to a foreigner upon a practice
which they are aware must be looked upon by him as
ridiculous and barbarous. The consequence is, that I
I am invariably told that the object of the meeting is
mere amusement; this my foregoing description will
enable you to perceive is not the case, though I believe
that in it amusement is in some measure mixed up with
the religious observances.
" The following is, however, the conclusion I have
arrived at, after much thought and study. These people,
as you very well know, have (comparatively speaking)
suddenly emerged from a state of utter barbarism; in a
time when our countrymen were highly civilised, they
viere savages. In those days of darkness great religious
meetings occasionally took place, at which human beings
were sacrificed; and while the devouring flames were
ccnsuming the miserable wretches, the crowd danced
frantically round their funeral pile, drowning their
death-cries with the sound of barbarous music: now, it
is these horrible rites which, in my opinion, are still
kept up in a mild form in the modern ' Evening Parties.'
It is true the human sacrifices are no longer considered
necessary, but the other observances are still similar,
although refined as much as it is possible to refine any
practice in itself so barbarous and repugnant to common
sense or decency; and it is not surprising, and, indeed,
may be considered excusable, that some traces of their
original state should remain amongst a people so recently
emancipated from the degraded condition of savages,
but it is to be hoped that the practice will gradually re-
cede before the march of civilisation and improvement."
We have two excellent historical disquisitions, the
one on the Crusades and the other on the Inquisition ;
an excellent biographical sketch of the reigning Pope,
illustrated by a vignette portrait ; and the best con-
densed account of General Rosas, and of the state of
affairs in Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, that we
have yet seen. The sportsman will be delighted with
"A Sporting Excursion in Canada ;" as will the lover
of light literature find the "Adventures of a Stick "
exactly to his taste. There is, moreover, some very
good poetry in this number. " The Scholar's Death
Summons" is a beautiful ballad, and " The Baron of
Puffendorf " stamps its author at once as the legiti-
mate successor of poor Barham. If he have not the
blood of the Ingoldsbys running in his veins, certain
the mantle of Thomas Ingoldsby has fallen upon him.
The Union, if it continues as it has begun, cannot but
prosper.