The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-04 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.

~~. --

BLACKWOOD. _
Several of the contributions for April are particu-
larly apposite. Those in reference to the revolu-
tionary movements on the Continent are of course
imbued with the high Conservative characteristic of
the political sympathies of Blackwood. With the
historical chapter on the " Fall of the Throne of the
Barricades" we, of course, entertain scarcely two
sentiments of coincidence. The writer sarcastically
observes of the members of the Provisional Govern-
ment, that " they have adopted the ideas of Ro-
bespierre without his blood,—the visions of Rousseau
without his profligacy." Well so : it is true. Hap-
pily, the first Republican Government of the France
of 1848 have adopted those ideas and those visions,
and as happily they have repudiated that blood and
that profligacy. We say "happily" advisedly, for the
ideas of Robespierre were at the outset of his political
career such as would, if properly sustained, enforced,
and promulgated, have ensured the happiness of
society, for they were inspired by those very visions
of Rousseau which were clothed, with the beauty of
truth and benevolence. Of this man—Maximilian
Robespierre—it has been most bravely and eloquently
said—" There is a design in his life, and that design
is vast—the reign of reason by the medium of
democracy. There is a momentum, and that mo-
mentum is divine—it was a thirst after truth and
justice in the laws. There is an action and that
action is meritorious—it was the struggle for life and
death against vice, lying, and despotism. There is a
devotion, and this devotion is as constant and
absolute as an antique immolation—it was the
sacrifice of himself, his youth, his repose, his
happiness, his ambition, his life, his memory,
and his work. Finally, there is a means, and that
means is, in turn, execrable or legitimate—it is ppu-
larity." The inspired lips from which these thrilling
words of vindication have emanated are the lips of
Alphonse de Lamartine (see his .Histoire des
Girondins, Tome VIII., Liv. 61.), of that poetic,
but exact historian, who loves the visions of Rousseau,
while he execrates his profligacy, who reveres the
lofty aspirations of the republican Robespierre, while
he loathes and abhors the stupendous crimes of the
Monster Dictator, and who now, as the leader, the
orator, and the statesman of the Third Revolution,
will be enabled to realise those visions by virtue, and
to proclaim those ideas with dignity. Again, we
say, happily, the Provisional Government "have
adopted the ideas of Robespierre without his blood—
the visions of Rousseau without his profligacy."
"How we got possession of the Tuileries,' a fantastic
paper, half banter, half earnest, half historic, and half
fictitious, penned in seven burlesque chapters, is one
of the most delightfully impertinent effusions we ever
recollect perusing. It is quite an insult to one's un-
derstanding from the first sentence to the last—
violating, as it does (intentionally), all the pos-
sibilities of time, place and circumstance. Through-
out it is remarkable for an air of ridiculous
extravagance. We have
literary tidbit. It opens w
Mr. Cobden, as one who has " borne the banner of
regeneration
from the Baltic to the shores of the
thoroughly
a gmhlaygor
magnificent
td
sneer it a s
a a t
assertionßosphorus,"that
nevern
a ed
unrevolutionary epoch" than the present. (The
aconsnarrator is, we must remark in parenthesis, the illus-
trious Dunshunner.) Lord Minto is not spared by
ly a
moret his
peaceful
eaoreeipuortei o
reported
our Rabellais of Maga, who, in allusion to the Lord
Privy Seal, speaks of " the good feeling which seemed
to prevail between the British unaccredited Minister
and the scum of the Ausonian population." Dun-
shunner encounters M. Alexandre Dumas in Paris,
under the assumed title of Monte Christo ;
and therefore he reveals in a laughable manner the
secret of the intellectual fruitfulness of the illustrious
feuilletonist. The revelation is so rich in its way
that we must transcribe it. Le voila!

"For some years (says Monte Christo) I have paid the
utmost attention to the science of animal magnetism, an
art which undoubtedly lay at the foundation of the an
cient Chaldean lore, and which, though now revived, has
been debased by the artifices and quackery of knaves. I
need not go into details. After long search, I have suc-
ceeded in finding a being which, in its dormant or
spiritual state, has an entire affinity with my own.
When awake, you would suppose Leontine Deschap-
penes to be a mere ordinary though rather interesting
female, endowed certainly with a miraculous sensibi-
lity for music, but not otherwise in any way remark-
able. But, when asleep, she becomes as it were the
counterpart or reflex of myself. Every thought which
passes through my bosom simultaneously arises in hers.
Ido not need even to utter the words. By some
miraculous process, these present themselves as vividly
to her as if I had bestowed the utmost labour upon
composition. I have but to throw her into a magnetic
sleep, and my literary product for the day is secured. I
go forth through Paris, mingle in society, appear idle
and insouciant; and yet all the while the ideal person-
ages of my tale are passing over the mirror of my mind,
and performing their allotted duty. I have reached
such perfection in the art, that I can compose two or
even three romances at once. I return towards evening
and the❑ I find Leontine, pale indeed and exhausted,
but with a vast pile of manuscript before her, which
contains the faithful transcript of my thoughts. Now,
perhaps, you will cease to wonder at an apparent ferti-
lity, which, I am aware, has challenged the admiration
and astonishment of Europe."

If we are to believe our delightful Ebony, the
cause of the Revolution of February was a freak on
the part of Dumas, and the Albert ouvrier, who
figures so conspicuously in the Provisional overn-
meat as an artizan-statesman is none other than my
Lord Brougham in disguise! Here is the descrip-
tion of M. Albert, and we ask if there can be any
mistake that the sketch is intended for any other per-
son than the Noble Lord of Cannes and Brougham
Hall ?

" The individual thus accosted (namely as M. Albert)
was of middle height, advanced age, and very plainly
dressed. lie wore a rusty gray surtout, trousers of
plaid check, and the lower part of his countenance was
buried in the folds of a black cravat. The features were
remarkable ; and, somehow or other, I thought that I
had seen them before. The small grey eyes rolled rest-
lessly beneath their shaggy pent-house ; the cheek-
bones were remarkably prominent ; a deep furrow was
cut on either side of the mouth ; and the nose, which
was of a singular conformation, seemed endowed with
spontaneous life, and performed a series of extraor-
dinary mechanical revolutions. Altogether the appear-
ance of the man impressed me with the idea of strong-
ill-regulated energy, and of that restless activity which
is emphatically the mother of mischief."

The really Simon Pure will be rather surprised to
find that, as Mrs. Malaprop says, he is two gentlemen
in one. " The Caxtons—a Family Picture," in six
chapters, is one of the most beautiful magazine tales
published for a considerable time. Augustine Caxton
is a fine, manly, original, and right natural creation ;
he might have been fathered by Laurence Sterne,
for the character is conceived in that spirit of racy
and spontaneous wit which is the charm of "Tristram
Shandy." The little episode about a flowerpot, in
the fourth chapter, is exquisitely told. "A German
Ditty" is a pretty chinking rhyme—nothing more;
and the two sonnets on the back of
.the same leaf are
indifferent. "My Route into Canada" is the second
instalment of a descriptive contribution, and is fol-
lowed by an agreeable narrative of "The Conquest of
Naples, by the brother of St. Louis." " Travelling
in Taffyland". would be welcome, if only for the in-
genious catalogue at the close, entitled Triads for
Travellers. The other article in the number for
;April, viz., " Life and Times of Lord Hardwicke,"
,is a clever criticism, or rather epitome of the bio-
graphy, by Mr. George Harris.