The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-22 00:00:00

author. but is admirable, for the nonce, as a teller of
travels.

HISTORY 017 CIVIL! ;I9 ByWilliam Alex-

ander Maekirthon, F. roll Sgrt

This is in many respects a very remarkable w it
is the first art,isipt that has been ma-t 4 it the English
language " to delineate front the roost authentic sources,
and the best records of foregone days the gradual pro-
gress of civilisation, and the results on its social rela-
tions of En, okind," and although the author has long
been an active and. influential member of the gri at Con-
servative party, yet he may fairly boast that in the com-
position of this work, he has not only avoided, but abso-
lutely divested himself of all party bias and political
feeling. Mr. Mackinnon considers that civilisation and
public opinion do not co-exist:in 6qual proportion, but
that the latter depends so much on the former
that the history of one includes in some
degree that of the other. He says that
"civilisation is famed and gains strength accordine
to the information, moral principle (based on religious
faith), facility of comtnunication, and amount of wealth
possessed by indtviduals composing a given eonininnity."
['hese elements he styles the" I-, quisites of civilisation"
and he proceeds to show that " the form of any Govern-
ment and its mea.-urea becomes adapted to the interests
and wants of a people as public opinion grows and is
disseminated " He defines public opinion to be •' the idea
,mterttlined on any subject by the best informed, most
intelligent and moral persons, which opinion is
„sadually understood and spread among the pe:-.ple
and adopted as their sentiments." For the ior-
mation of public opinion he considers e middle
;lass as the m •st impottant, the upper not being
sufficiently numerous, and the lower not sufficiently in-
ormed. Indeed, without the existence of a preponder-
atine. middle cla.,s, the existence of public opinion, which
is what nigicians call an esset,tial rude of civilisation,
would be impossible. " Popular clamour" (which is de-
ified to be an "excitement, created by and exercising in-
fluence on the passions of the multitude, who usually
orm rash re.,olue,, and act without reflection, judgmeet,
or regard for consequence:,") would usurp its place, and
popular clamour is et influential in proportion as the
iower class is numerous, ignorant, poor, and fanatical."
" Wherever," continues Mr. Mackinnon, "civilisation,
oad a middle class are spread over a community, public
pinion will he all powerful, and popular clamour
impotent." Ho proceeds to trace the history of mankind
hrough various stages of society as they advance
towards civilisation, and proves that in all countries a*
Avilisation and public opinion advances liberty and the
s'elfare of the pncple are incre-tsed, and that, as a nation
of unacquainted with the rit quisites of civilisation, no
natter what institutions may be tormcd, its Government
-oust be insecure if not arbitrary; and that- in proportion
is the middle class has increased, at,d commerce and
nanutactureA are the great elements of middle class
nerement, so hascivilisation progressed, and so has public
--pinion become omnipotent He then proceeds to
,insider the state of civilisation amnia the ancients,
and contends that it had not made any
:rear progress among either the Egyptians, the Greeks,
r the Romans. as among all these- nations 111,-re was
,n atter absence of moral principle, that great important
lement in the formation of public opinion. He admits
hat human genius shone with great lustre in Greece,
-tut he adds, " genius in a few individuals does not imply

[nformation and prosperity in a people." The pyraniida
,f Egypt, the temples, and thvatres of Greece and
dome, and the cathedrals of the middle ages, have, by
nany writers, been ad lured as proof of a high state of
ivilisation. Mr Nlacicinnon, on the contrary. contends

hat they prove a low stile of civilization. He consider)
shat these great works o iginati d from a despotic power,
"Itemised over an ignorant and unciYili,e I population. He
einarks that "as nations advance in civili,ation, and as the
wealth of communities increases, useless monuments
iessen in proportion. The reason is evident. In a
•sivilised and free country the energies and wealth, or
.command of labour, is employed by individuals for their
rwn convenience, comfort, or luxury ; in forms r days,
vhere the command of the labour of a nation, or the
neans for payment of that labour depended on one
min, there the population was forced to apply their
neans and energies to gratify his wishes. In those days
he stupendous edifices we see were the labour of slaves,
sr of a conquered people." And he arrives at
he conclusion that they " denote deficiency of
.sivilisation and public opinion, certainly not
to improved state of society." He then pro-
seeds to trace the gradual rise of the middle classes
to England, and the consequent progress of civi.
osation from the period of the Conquest up to the pre-
ent time. He afterwards traces its rise and progress in
he different states of Europe, and consid:Ts the state of
civilisation in Asia and America, concluding by showing
•ts influence on social life, and its evils and benefits.
gr. Mackinnon avows himself to be a follower of
Malthus ; and although on some points we differ
(rpm him (not having quite that reverence for the doe
trines which he professes), yet we consider that his book
will henceforth be a standard authority in all matters of
political philosophy. His style is clear, concise, and
flowing; he is in general sound, and never dull; and he
nas, in this work on civilisation, produced " something
which the world sail' not willingly let d e." There are
two circumstances, however, to which we think he has
,carcely given due weight—the invention of printing
and the discovery of America. The first may
•se said almost to have given rise to public
,pinion by enabling it to diffuse itself, in-
lependently of popular clamour ; and the second,
by aff,Tding a peaceful owlet for surplus popu•
ation, tendered wars and other violent checks less fre-
quent, thus giving tine to the middle class to consoli-
late itself ; and by giving an immense impetus to com-
uerce, contributed largely to the creation and the
more equal diffusion of wealth, without which a middle
'lass could not subsist. In a second edition (and
this
work is destinel to go through many editions) we hop*
err. 311,ekinunn will give us chapters on each of these
important subjects. -

THE PLEASURES OF HOME; or, Domeaic
Scenes and iffectiong of the Circle round` lie Hearth
By Stuart Farquharson,
Had this poem been published fifty years since it
would have rapidly passed through at least tin editions
nd Dr. Farquharson would have been haikd as th,
poet of the age. But now, alas !
" We are fallen uron gloomy hays,"
and in this titiiitarian age the poet Lutist " bale his time,"
—nevertheless, if he " throw his bread upon the waters
c,e will tin 4 it after many days." Dr. Farquharson has
done this, and he has produced a work that the world
will not willingly let die. When we say the world we
mean the quiet world of the domestic hearth ; and wEils
many a poet. who enjoys high conteteporary fame.
laving risen like the rocket will go down like its stick,
the author of" The Pleasures of Home" will for ages yet
.0 come be gratefully remembered in the quiet homes of
England by those who circle roun I the h. arth. Thr
po-tn is written in the Spenserian stanza. We cannot
better describe it than in the words of its girtrd author,
"The scenes are simple, and the moral plain ;
No pompous language of the eumber'd line;
Such would deface and rende7 doubly vain
My task uf homely thoughts, a theme like mine,—
But with sweet melody and just design,
Bring to the eye and picture to the soul,
The spot where virtues dwell and brightly shine;
Where holiness and love the heart controul
Not lays of martial might, or Bacchanalian bowl."
It is a series of beautifully painted interiors of th,
Hornes of England, and as such must commend it.el
to all those who love and appreciate homes. In thi
construction of his stanza, in the high moral feeling in-
cu'cate.i, in the trutlit'ulness by its descriptions of this
sublime and beautiful as found in Nature, " The Plea•
.ures of Home" reminds us nut untrequently of "TEL
Minstrel," but Dr. Farquharson is a truer poet than
Beattie. The p..etry of Beattie was the poetry of *chola,.
ship; the poetry of Farquharson is the poetry of Nature.
and we shall range " The Pleasures of 11.. me " of
Farquharson on the same shelf in our librar3
with the " Task" of ,Jovvper. But while this,
according high but deserved praise to the
poetry of Dr. Fai-qharson, we must protest against
his criticism. In a preface, which extends over sixty•
six pages, he has thought proper to revive and elaberati
the malicious libels of a " rancorous renegado," and to
drivel oceans of nonsense in vituperation of " the Sa-
tanic school of poetry." The sublime is as essential al
element of poetry as the beautiful; and while aceording
the palm 01 the poet to the author of "The Pleasures of
Home," we cannot refuse it to those on whom the wot
has not smiled as it has on Dr. Farquharson, who, like
the preacher of old, having found " that all is vanity,'
have,

!' in words that burn,"
gi‘2n utterance to their thoughts, and who, unhappiest
among the unhappy, have become the laureats of de-
spair. True poets are they—greater perchance than
those who paint life like Dr. Farqharson, caldeur de rose.
and wiser too, for Solomon was the first of them. It
this be " the Sataide school" of poi try, he WkS
" The wisest man the world e'er knew,"
the founder of that school. Let 1)1.. Farquharson stick to
poetry, and leave fruch criticism as that which he dis
plays in his preface to " The Cottt rs," and such smal•
fry. That they should seek to revive the forgott• n
slanders of the late laureate is according to the fitness
of things, but it is uttt-rly unworthy of a man of genius
and a true poet like Dr. Farquharson.

ANOTHER CONFLAGRATION AT BERMONDSEY WALL
Soon after Cite o'clock on Friday morning a most alarmlug the was
discovered in the warehouses belouiping to Mr. J. Glendining, com-
pile/chant, lierniondsey• wall. Within the walls of the warehouse of
Mr. Gleudining the fire' burn .d until the whole of the cornetts, con-
sisting of stock, machinery, and valuable stores, were entirely de-
stroyed, and the building rendered comparatively valueless. The
proprietor is insured in the Sun both for the contents and building.
THE LATE ACCIDENT IN THE TowER.---Sa, urtiny
an inquest was held before Mr. Payne, at St. Thomas's Hospital, on
the body of William Ilolints, aged 35, who died yesterday morning
in the above hospital, from injuries received on Tuesday by the fall-
ing of the wall which forms a portion of the Old ..Map,oflice h the
Tower. Ap st mor em examination was made, and it ,as found that
the deceased hat received several contused wounds on the torehead, .
and Its ribs were also fractured. One of the sufferers, named
Thomas, still remains in the hospital in a ve.y precarious state. The
other three :ire g lag on favourably. The jury returned a verdict of
" Accidental death."
THE EMPia:SS MARIE LOUISE.
pa,is Mu :bes ing {irony Trieste of the Arc —Referring to the
s of Panne, the Courier
Francais says, that " the eonmiander of the Duke's troops, Colonel
Schwing, for_nerly an officer in the Austrian army, had resignedhis
po,t, and taken service once more in that of the Emperor, receiving,
at the same time, the oat rof St. George. Ills succe sor is said to
28 of age,
• eeneral Count Neipperg. He is a young matt, years. te a son of the ex-Em, press, the issue of her left-handed marriage
with ~ ...
and at present known a .
mot of All
, I UNA fa OF T •
111 E ' ~ALE —On Friday
ctestoN ,iF TUE ~ .ount 11.outeutiovo, and is 3lnJor us a regl-
HF LATE W. UPCOTT, ESQ. —Col/.
Messrs. SotheV concluded the
strian driagectoit:'
sale o the rare em
London InStittition. The books sold yesterday re-
of the Lout nt(cif book, the property of the late W. tip-
cott, Esq..
'Med prii,cd),•-, ,•,,,e of notice :—" Graphic Illustrations of
following being .
ap,serY.-- ~, drawingS, and 1,215 prints of churches,
Oxfordshire,"consisling of t?., ~
1 'Lilts &c., which occupied the late
i ii, to the counties of Oxford and Northampton, the
old houses, and antiquitiea. Or r ,
.. Qx.ford Alinatiack," front
containing ne4ly a e.Anplete set of
fir 2il. Ps. Acollec-
' of ihom,atida of advertisements ami
the cominememkot to the present time, Sold ..,
tlon sting of many hundreds,.
proprietor twenty-four years hi cOlicettiiiliek, itold for .?.3,51.; a portfolio,
''f at cuttlir.fs in packets, COll,l to aveills 01
i great public lottrost, &c. sold for 8/. 155. ld were
The other lots, so _ _
, I equally curious, and the'il d 4 ,gt wily has No I,)etNr WU 2,09Q1.
WA 3,0091. Ine j paragraphs reliiiing