The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-13 00:00:00

THE QUARTERLIES.

2HE WESTMINSTER AND FOREIGN
QUARTERLY REVIEW. No. Cvii. and
XCH.
A rather scrambling, but brilliant and animated
criticism on " Spanish Literature" opens the current
number of the Westminster. The paper has been

principally suggested by the work recently published
from the pen of Mr. George Ticknor. Calderon's
_ _

Arabic wealth of invention is especially celebrated by
the reviewer, and due regard is of course had to the
satiric humour of Cervantes. Certain " rhetorical

anecdotes of Al Harii of Basra," lately translated
into English by Mr. Theodore Preston, and entitled
" Makarnat," is examined with a very judicious dis-
crimination ; the merits and demerits of the work
being alike clearly recognised. Mr. Philip James
Bailey, the author of the remarkable poem of
" Festus," receives a most eulogistic notice of his
" Angel World." Among the various quotations
made by the critic from the latter effusion is the fol-
lowing exquisite mention of the change wrought in
the stream of Time by the Angel Saviour :
" Descending to the shore, he stooped, and dipped
Into the stream his hand; which, filling full,
He tasted, and thus spoke. 'Ye waters—once
Of death—but now of life eternal, take
Back the libation I have made of ye;
And be ye changed for ever.' Uttering this,
lie cast the dark remainder in the flood,
That instant changed into a flood of life,
Flashing with light celestial to its depths
Of bottomless infinitude; and straight,
Grasping the bright branch of an olive tree,
Which bowered with verdant gold the peaceful shore,
He therewith sprinkled, one by one, the band
Who him accompanied; with these pure rites
Making them free, initiate into Heaven,
And death the lesser mysteries of life."
Mr. Robert William Mackay next obtains an atten-
tive consideration from the Westminster, his narra-
tive of" The Progress of the Intellect, as Exemplified
in the Religious Development of the Greeks and He-
brews," being closely scrutinized by one of the re-
viewers. Our hopes for sanitary reform are encou-
raged by the next contribution, a carefully compiled
statement in regard to " Drains, Rivers, and Water
Supply ;" and our aspirations for the diminution of
the amount of national ignorance are sustained by the
subsequent article relating to the " Educational
Movements." All anxieties experienced in reference
to the interests of royalty or republicanism
throughout Europe may be appeased, in some
measure at least, by following with the next re-
viewer the thread of probabilities leading through
the labyrinth of " Continental Prospects ;" and
in the paper coming immediately afterwards, another
comment is added to the numerous ones already
printed in reference to the agitation about the
Catholic Hierarchy in England. The last men-
tioned contribution is headed very significantly " The
Battle of the Churches," and the tendency of the
writer is to cast discredit upon all priests indiscrimi-
nately. Two criticisms, embellished with copious
extracts from Moritz Wagner's " Journey to Colchis
and the German Colonies beyond the Caucasus," and
from Adam Oehlenschliiger's "Recollections of My
Life," make up the number of the Foreign Quarterly
appended to the Westminster, and these are followed by a
variety of miscellaneous notices, in which due regard
is paid to both writers and musicians.

THE BRITISH QUARTERLY REVIETV.

iv). XX V.

Ten remarkably attractive themes have been chosen
by the writers in the pre sent number of the British
Quarterly for their contributions. The opening
article, being a narrative of " Bem's First Campaign
in Transylvania," is invested with a peculiar and
melancholy interest by the death of that unfortunate
adventurer in his exile in Turkey. A beautiful
chapter, extracted as it were from another " Kosmos"
is the next paper, a paper poetically entitled "The
Chemistry of the Sunbeam." Dr. Mayo's " Berber"
is noticed in the subsequent criticism, being an article
called after the second title of his volume, " The
Mountaineer of the Atlas." " Egypt under the
Pharaoh's" is the title of a review on the work of
Mr. John Kenrick, relating to that ancient people
and that remote period. A masterly biography fol-
lows of " Buffon," the Naturalist—a great man, who
is happily designated by the British Quarterly "the
artist," and Linnaeus " the artizan of Nature !"
Tribute, and deserved tribute of eulogium, is offered
to the memory of Buffon for his wonderful powers of
description. Take the following brief but suggestive
paragraph:—

" His description of the swallow has something, as it
were, inspired and hymn-like about it: ' Venit venit
hirundo pulchra adducens tempera et pu'chros annos!'
He paints thus the sad amours of the cat:—' Clamando
rirandoque misere amat.' His description of the horse is
very beautitul:—' Animal generosum, superbum, fortissi-
MUM, cursu jurens,' &c. And what a thought is this:
U quani contemta res est homo, nisi supra humans se
erexerit.'"
Further on the reviewer remarks—

" Nothing is better known nor more frequently quoted
than the beautiful pages wherein Buffon describes the
two men which are found in man—the homo duplex, or
double man. Buffon admits two species of memories, as
Descartes two species of sensibilities: the first, which is
the trace of our ideas; the second, which is but the
renovation of our lenses; the first emanating from the
soul, the second the only one which can be accorded to
the animal. We have, then, a physical sensi-
bilitity and an intellectual sensibility ; there is the
memory which is but the renovation of our senses, and
the memory which is the trace of our ideas. There
ure two species of passions; the passions which
belong but to the man, and the passions which he pos-
sesses in common with animals.' There are two species
of intelligences; the intelligence allied to matter, and the
intelligence which is spirit, which is the soul. The
elephant,' says Buffon, approaches man by his intelli-
ligeuco—as closely, at least, as matter can approach to
spirit.' There are, in fine, two active principles, two
sovereign powers of the nature of man, the material prin-
ciple, and the spiritual principle. The inner man,' says
Buffon, is double; it is composed of two principles,
differing in their nature, and antagonistic in their action.
The soul, this spiritual principle, this principle of all
knowledge, is ever in opposition with this other prin-
ciple, which is an animal and purely material one.'
The whole of this admirable contribution is emi-
nently deserving of perusal. One division of the
educational movement is touched upon in the article
headed " The Universities Commission ;" an interest-
ing paper is contributed respecting " Quekett on the
Microscope ;" a geographical account of " The Cen-
tral States of America" will be found no less agree-
able as a means of whiling away an hour both plea-
santly and instructively; and a political inquiry of
some importance has particular reference, as its title
indicates, to " Italy, Germany, and England." The
article on the Catholic Hierarchy—headed " England
and the Papacy "—has been evidently compiled with
much labour. This, the last, and we presume the most
arresting of the principal contributions, is followed by
a batch of twenty-nine various criticisms, with which
the current number of the British Quarterly is
brought to a conclusion.

TAXES ON CARRIAGES.--A deputation of coach-
makers, representing the trade in the United Kingdom,
waited on the Chancellor of the Exehequer yesterday, for
the purpose of obtaining ;a modification of the taxes upon
carriages. After alluding to the depressed state of the
trade, and showing the decreasing revenue to be annually in
a greater proportion, they proposed instead of the present
high rate of taxation levied on upwards of twelve classes,
to place all carriages under three classes only, at reduced
rates, commencing with 31. for the highest, 21. for the next,
and 1/. for the lowest, exempting none, as at present, but
charging them with the lowest rate. This arrangement, if
adopted, it was shown, would not materially decrease the
revenue. The deputation, consisting of Mr. J. Leslie Lewis,
master of the Coachmakers' Company:, and upwards of thirty
members of the trade, was accompanied by Sir James Duke,
Bart., M.P., Mr. Muntz, M.P., Mr. Seholefield, M.P., Mr.
Divett, M.P., Mr. Bright, 31. P., Mr. 11. Berkeley, M.P., Mr.
fleadlam, M.P., and Alderman Humphery,
APPROACHING MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.---We
understand the preliminaries are already arranged for a mar-
riage between Viscount Goderich, eldest son of the Earl of
Ripon, and Miss Vyner, eldest daughter of Mr, and Lady
Mary
Vyner, and granddaughter of the Earl de Grey.