The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-15 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

SCENERY and POETRY of the ENGLISH
LAKES. By Charles Mackay, LL.D.
i•Totwithstanding the derision cast upon the " Lake
Poetry" by Lord Byron, and likewise by Horace and
James Smith, in their inimitable " Rejected Addresses,'
the writings of Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Southey
have assumed a very eminent position in the world of
metrical literature. From that position they cannot
very speedily be shaken ; at least the two former have
acquired a popularity which appears only tc be inces-
santly on the increase. No poem within our recollec-
tion possesses such an enthralling character, or elevates
and seizes the imagination of its reader so effectually, as
that mysterious and eccentric legend of the " Anciente
Illarinere." How exquisite, moreover, is the mural
sentiment which it inculcates!
" He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God that loveth us

He made and loreth ail."
No poem again—not even excepting the tenderest son-
nets of Petrarch, or the divinest passages of Romeo and
Juliet, or those exquisite poems in prose, the letters
between Heloise and Abelard—no poem whatever to
our thinking is more radiant with a chaste and touch-
ing love than Coleridge's " Geneviene." What a subtle
knowledge of that master passion is revealed towards
its conclusion:—

" She wept with pity and delight,
She blushed with love and virgin shame ;
And like the murmur of a dream
I heard her breathe my name.
Her bosom heaved, she stept aside ;
As conscious of my look she stept—
Then suddenly, with timorous eye,
She fled to me and wept.
She half enclosed me with her arms,
She pressed me with a meek embrace,
And bending back her head, looked up
And gazed upon my face.
'Twas partly love, and partly fear,
And partly 'twas a bashful art,
That I might rather feel than see
The swelling of her heart."
In the sonnets and fragments of Wordsworth, as well
as in his more elaborate performance, "The Excursion,"
there are again indications of such a holy reverence for
Nature, and of such a consummate appreciation of her
beauties, as cannot fail to sustain him among the bards
who have devoted themselves to her laudation. Despite
certain undoubted puerilities, and despite certain mean
vagaries of expression, as for instance where thickets
are described as

"Little strips of naked wood run wild,"
the owner of " Rydal Mount " has created a school of
poetry which his books will always perpetuate. It is in
admiration of these intellects, and still more in admira-
tion of the scenery by which these treasures have been
evoked, that Dr. Mackay has written his present volume.
It is a work eminently worthy of its subject. In its
pages the author has condensed an universe of poesy,
and that poesy, consisting both of quotations and of
original descriptions, has been exquisitely embellished
by the artists. We can neither designate the book as
an album of the choicest cullings, because we cannot
perceive in it any ephemeral characteristics ; neither
can it be called a guide-book to the lakes and dells of
Cumberland and Westmorland, because it is altogether
a work of a more elevated stamp. Every real lover of
this beautiful world—and who is not ?—every one who
can derive pleasure either from the glories of our insu-
lar landscapes, or from the splendours of our insular
poets, will partake with ourselves in the gratification of
reading this most charming volume. It conducts us in .
imagination to every nook and dingle in the neighbour-
hood of those superb lakes, " no.velied in the forest," as
Childe Harold expresses it, Windermere, Ulleswater.
l3uttermere, Derwentwater, Grassmere, and their com-
panions. Charles Mackay has beheld those scenes and
has perused those poets with a poetical enthusiasm, es-
sentially his own, and he has described the one and
commemorated the other with something of that same
enthusiasm for material and spiritual loveliness. The
nine artists, whose pencils have illustrated most of the
views recorded by the author's pen, have shown a cor-
responding capacity. As specimens of wood engraving,
the embellishments, which are plentifully scattered
among the letter-press, are masterly, both for distinct-
❑ess and delicacy. We must, in justice, particularise
the vignette, by Harvey, which charmingly embodies the
intention of the whole work, associating medallion
likenesses of the triumvirate (Wordsworth, Coleridge,
and Southey) with the scenery celebrated by their genius.
The sketches from the pencil of Mr. E. Gilks, are also
especially entitled to commendation, as they are inimi-
table semblances of the original. Gilbert, and the
rest, have likewise contributed their quota to the adorn-
ment of the several chapters, and their drawings have
been excellently delineated on wood by the graver of
Mr. Thomas Gilks. This volume is a beautiful tribute
to nature and poetry; it is a book not to be perused
casually, but to be resorted to again and again. Charles
Mackay has acquitted himself admirably in its com-
position.

INTERESTING TO GEOLOGISTS.—A discovery has
within the last few days been made on Raploch farm, which
adds another to the many proofs that the now fertile fields
of the Carse were at some remote period covered by the
ocean, and Stirling, Abbey Craig, Craigforth, and other
basaltic rocks, washed by its turbulent waves. Workmen
have been engaged for some time past in removing the cur-
face soil from a bed of freestone rock, intended for the con-
struction of the new bridge over the Forth for the Scottish

Central Railway, and while prosecuting their labours, they
came upon a stratum of shells, within a very few feet of the
surface, which consists entirely of those shells common to the

sea-shore of the present day, and amongst which we per-
ceived numerous specimens of the mussel, oyster, cockle, and
other shell-fish.— Stirling Journal.
EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF JEWELLERY, &c.—Yester-
day information was forwarded to the various metropolitan
and city police-offices and stations, that on the evening of the
9th instant a pane of glass was cut (supposed with a diamond)
out of the show case outside the shop of Mr. Jacobson, jew-
eller, No. 322, Oxford-street, and therefrom was taken three
trays, containing in all about 240 gold and other rings; a
variety of gold seals, keys, and brooches ; several silver pen-
cil cases; two silver pickle forks, and 100 gold and other
breast pins of great value.
CHARGE OF KILLING.—BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY
EVENING.—J. B. Davies, Esq., borough coroner, is now en-
gaged at the house of Mr. Charles Cheshire, Lower Temple-
street, investigating a case which excites considerable inte-
rest in the town. It appears that the deceased, Martha,
Minors, 18 years of age, was an unfortunate girl, who lived
in a house of ill-fame, kept by a woman named Emma Had-
dock, in Vale-street. Yesterday evening deceased and a
young man, named Thomas Soirs, a horse-dealer, were in
company with two other persons at a public-house, and after
they left the place and were proceeding up Pinfold-street,
Soirs, it is alleged, struck the unfortunate girl a blow under
her right ear, from the effects of which she fell to the ground,
and expired almost instantly. The examination is being
proceeded with, and will, no doubt, occupy many hours.
COUNT MONTHOLON.—HiS Majesty the King cf the
French, on the report of the Minister of Justice, has, by a
decision of the 10th instant, remitted the remainder of the
term of imprisonment of General Montholon. A letter, ad-
dressed to Count Montholon by the Minister of War on the
Ist ult., had led that General, as well as his friends, to be-
lieve that his pardon had been granted to him at the end of
May last. It was not, however, the case. To the Minister
of Justice alone belongs the right of making a report on
the subject, to countersign the pardon, and to give the ne-
cessary orders for its being carried into execution. No mea-
sures could be otherwise taken for setting Count Montholon
at liberty, as the latter had never solicited his pardon, which
was indispensable before any decision could be come to on
his fate.
ROYAL HUMANE SOClETY.—Yesterday the half-
yearly meeting of the supporters of this society, which was
founded in 1774 for the recovery of persons apparently
drowned, was held at the society's rooms, Trafalgar-square,
B. B. Cabbell, Esq., V.P., in the chair. Mr. Charlier read
the report for the last six months. In that period 122 cases
were treated by the society's officers, of which 109 were suc-
cessful, and 13 were beyond recovery. Of the gross number,
46 were attempted suicides. Since the formation of the so-
ciety it has been instrumental in rescuing 5,000 fellow-
creatures from a watery grave. During the present season
upwards of 630,000 bathers frequented the Serpentine. The
report was adopted, and silver medals were aw_ar.lo
tolLieut.
' Warner R.N., Lieut. R. A. Newman, R.N., Mr. W. A.
Fisher, R.N. (Son of our harbour master), Mr. Charles Sar-
e n of Melton, and Mr, Hughes,jun., of Cornhill, who, at
Fa 4
he imminent risk of their own lives, saved the lives of
others. Besides those rewards, 70 other medals were distri-
buted, exclusive of pecuniary rewards, since December last.
THE MURDER OF THE POLICEMAN AT DAGENHAM..
The inquest in this case was again resumed yesterday, and
again adjourned for a fortnight, without eliciting any facts
tending to criminate any person. A man, who stated that
he with another had been pointedly alluded to, attended
voluntarily with that other to hear and answer anything
that might be brought against them. Previous to commenc-
ing the inquiry the Coroner took two jurymen to wait on a
woman in the neighbourhood, but what passed between
them did not transpire. Immediately after the adjournment
of the inquiry a long interview took place with the Coroner
and the principal police authorities, chiefly relating, it was
understood, to a letter received from Bristol, accusing certain,
persons of the crime.
AN INTRUDER.—A circumstance occurred last evening
at the grand fete which took place at Ashburnham House, in
celebration of the birth-day of the Empress of Russia, which
it may be as well to mention as a warning to any other in-
dividual who may attempt to intrude himself into society
to which his position does not entitle him. When
the guests were entering very rapidly. an individual
passed through the outer hall, aunty-di:icing his name
in a sort of confidential whisper to ttie attendant as "Mr.
Herbert Player." Though no such visitor was expected to
present himself, Mr. llerbert Ply.yer was allowed to pro-
ceed into the inner hall, and due time he mounted the
staircase. On reaching the reception saloon, however, a
more formidable ordeal had to be passed through by Mr.
Herbert Player. The individual appointed to announce the
company had a tolerably extensive knowledge of the aris-
tocracy, but, unfortunately for Mr. Herbert Player, his
features were not familiar to the party in question. After
having asked the individual his name, and received the
same reply as had been addressed to the servant in the hall,.
the announcer felt satisfied that Mr. Herbert Player was an
impostor, and as such, took the liberty of immediately hand-
ing, him over to the custody of Mr. Inspector Aggs, who was
in attendance at the Legation. To Mr. Aggs Mr. Player de-
scribed himself as of Benton-hall, Northumberland; but
further inquiries satisfied the inspector that his proper locale
was the station- house, and to that lodging he was ignomi-
niously consigned.
EXTRAORDINARY FLIGHT OF BUTTERFLIES,..—One of
the largest flight of butterflies ever seen in his country
crossed the Channel from France to England, on Sunday
last. Such was the density and extent of the. cloud formed
by the living mass, that it completely obscured the sun from
the people on board our continental steamera, on their pas-
sage, for many hundreds of yards, while the insects strewed
the decks in all. directions. The flight -reached England
about 12 o'clock, at noon, and dispersed themselves inland
and along shore, darkening the air as they went. During
the sea pa.'ssage of the butterflies the weather was calm and
sunny, -with scarce a puff of wind stirring; but an hour or
so after they reached terms firma, it came on to blow great
guns nom the S.W., the direction whence the insects e-,ame•
—Canterbury Journal.
unt
A letter from Naples, of June 27, states that
st
V rseor
Vesuvius was in full eruption, and vomiting forth
lava with great noise. During the night thertl
sented a magnificent spectacle. The,-heat was 24
Reaumur (86 Fahrenheit). dsamnive.seepsreo-f