The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Out on, the World. By Henry Owgan, LL.D.
3 vols. Hurst and Blackett.
The title of this work suggests a being isolated
and poeu;i3r, set apart from social ties and home
retirement, and sti,l is exactly the cans with the
subject of these memoirs. He had no fixed place
or settled employment ; he possessed few friends,
and his intercourse with them was not of that con-
stant kind which insures a resource, ready and
available, in difficulty and distress. He was also
tried by the fluctuation of his fortunes—alternatink
poverty and wealth—and again he was left desti-
tute. It may not be an ordinary instance that is
here traced, as far as regards circumstances, but the
character of Richard Neville is a natural one. The
isolation of his position rendered him careless and
indifferent concerning many points which, under
happier auspices, would have engrossed his atten-
tion. When the fortune so unexpectedly bequeathed
him placed him in an independent state he did not
seek to better hit prospects, or even to guard
against their not being injured by any chance
casualties. The same carelessness characterised his
intercourse with the two accomplished foreigners
whom he met with in the society of Clifton. The
unfortunate Marguerite was not to be classed in
the same category with the base De La Roche; but
they were the cause of great mischief to his reputa-
tion. • The after life of the supposed Count is 'a
striking episode in the story. The way in which
he contrived to escape in a coffin from prison is
very ingenious, and the horror of the unsuspecting
Neville, when he meets in a gaming-house with the
man whom he supposes to have seen interred, may
be imagined. .
The tragic end of the Countess,
Neville's first wife, a painful incident, though the
event that gave rise to it was not an uncommon
one at the period of the Revolution. Ormsby and
Emily Hautourale were the truest friends of the
wanderer. He could always meet with sympathy
from them, but, unhappily, he did not always
meet them when in most need of help, and he was
averse to looking out for assistance of any sort.
This feeling, which was false pride rather than
praiseworthy independence, made him a great suf-
fArer, at one time, when, after a shipwreck, in
whi6h he had lost everything, he found himself
nearly destitute of the means of living. Ormsby,
who would gladly have .befriended him, did not
even know that he was not then beyond the seas,
as ho had purposed being. It was then that
Neville encountered a new trouble in the persecu-
tion of an old enemy ; and the evil deeds wrought
by intolerance and pretended piety are ably exposed
in the delineation of the Rev. Josiah Fitzglosa. One
of the greatest troubles of the life of N eville was
his estrangement from his father. He had left the
paternal roof when a boy, in consequence of a
quarrel with his father, and had never since been
able to find out what had become of him. He was
fortunate enough to render a service to a melan-
choly recluse, and on subsequent acquaintance he
discovered him to be his long-lost father. But his
pleasure was not of long duration, for the next
morning the relative, too late found, was no more.
Surprise and excitement had hastened his end.
After trying an immense variety of occupations, in
several different phases of society, the hero takes
leave of his readers with the determination of going
abroad on a foreign appointment of considerable
importance. He has previously been a member of
Parliament, having become this on his return to
affluence. The story includes many exciting scenes,
amusing anecdotes, and well-sketched personages
among its pages. There is almost every shade of
gradation from the romantic to the prosaic, the
last scion of an ancient line, the wealthy plebeian,
the crafty adventurer, the ruined artisan, all com-
bine to form a contrast, besides the difference ex-
hibited by the selfish nature and the generous
mind, which constitutes the most distinctive and
insurmountable barrier of any. Although the
career of Neville was not a smooth or sunny one
there is much life and vivacity in the detail, and
energy of spirit evinced in the description of his
experiences. Those who wish for a straightforward
style in composition and expression, neither
meagre nor over-ornamented, will be satisfied with
this work.

Stars and Stripes; Or, American Impressions. By
Ivan Goloyal. W. Freeman.
With a verbal alteration or two, and 'the omis-
sion of all charge, the item in his lawyer's bill
which excited the author's indignation on his re-
turn to England, may be applied by us to his book.
"Receiving letter from you, and not having under-
stood same ; answering accordingly." For " let-
ter" read book, and for "answering" wondering,
and the thing is done. The strangest spelling, the
motliest idioms, everywhere apparent, are infinitely
less puzzling than to discover what this free and
easy citizen of the world—this half Russian and
half Frenchman—would be at. The only conclu-
sion we can arrive at with any sort of satisfaction
is•that, mortally offended with the ascendancy of
the Know-nothings; iihO would exclude foreigners
from the rights and privileges of American citizen-
ship, he has kept his resolution " to take it out of
them" in abuse of their country. To be sure, ho
now and then vindicates the claims of the old
country, which might entitle him to our gratitude,
were it not evident this is not from regar'd for
us, but the better to ventilate his spleen.
Now we aro not going to pretend the citizens of
the United. States are not fairly chargeable with a
good' deal of what he attributes to them—but
deeply grieved and' mortified as we are at the in-
jury they have inflicted and are inflicting on the
cause of liberty, we cannot so far outrage
common sense as to assent to the author's
summary description of them—" Swindlers in
the North, Slaveholders in the South, and bor-
der ruffians in the West, constitute the white po-
pulation of ' the glorious and great country' which
beasts to be the leader of mankind." It may be, as
he tells us, that the Union will not last eight years,
but if the United States were thus constituted
common sense will tell the reader they could not
have held together eight months I Swindling,
slaveholding, and ruffianism there is in startling
abundance, but to no such extent as this. Tue
Anglo-Saxon and Norman blood never could so
, frightfully degenerate, and the present internal
commotion is proof of it. Slavery and the eager
pursuit of the "almighty dollar," have, doubt-
less, been productive of a low level of ceinmer-
cial and political morality, of much tyranny and
fraudulent dealing, but by no means of a state
of society to whic the author's description can
with propriety be applied. Still, we trust and
believe, there are left many millions who have not
bowed the knee unto Baal. Notwithstanding this
I monstrous exaggeration, the work is by no means
i unentertaining. The author's naivete, though
now and then provocative of indignation, is gene-
rally amusing, and some of his impressions bear
the stamp of originality. Much as we respect the
character of Washington, we are disposed to
agree with him in thinking this hero of
American independence an over-rated man,
just as we believe with him the victories our cousius
vaunt over us were no such great matters for
boasting. It does not, it must be confessed, take
much to make a military demi-god in the States,
and provided an enemy be licked, it is of little mo-
ment to Uncle Sam how. We find him here and
there robukingour Transatlantic friends for abusing
us, by reminding them of their common origin.•
"As to the competition between America and
England," ho remarks, "I cannot help laughing
at it, for at every step you meet records of the
mother country." We Are somewhat grieved, to.
learn the Yankees have acquired the bad habit
acquired by our army in Flanders, to wit, of
" swearing awfully," and this despite their puri-
tanic observance of " the. Sabbath," which natu-
rally enough surprises him. He complains of "a
general mistrust," everybody suspecting everybody
of a design on his purse or entertaining such design.
The American ladies do not please him, while the
American cookery and sherry cobler to some ex-
tent do. What he has to say in connection with
the fair sex-is pretty much what might be expected
from a citizen of the world. One hardly knows whether
to laugh or.be "riled" at his illustrative anecdotes,
which, without being exactly prurient, are indi-
cative of au easy morality and a coxcombical con-
ceit. The following is curious. Penn, we are told,
though the founder of the State bearing his name;
a State in which imprisonment for debt is un-
known, was imprisoned in -this country for debt
contracted by or for his friends. Life he describes
'as of little account in the States—but living as
being expensive, " because nearly everything comes
from Europe." America, "it is a fact, is ruled by
quite young men. Ago is less respected here than
in Europe." This is philosophically accounted for.
It is not from want of feeling, but because Ame-
rica is a young country, and only young men are
capable of the- sustained energy its development
demands. A comparison instituted between Ame-
rican slavery and Russian serfdom is said to be in
favour of the former, because of the distinction of
race. The Union, he believes, will owe its dis-
solution to slavery. Eight years, however,
as affairs aro at present, seems a long lease.
"Heads," he tale us, "are as much wanted in
America as hands, and an exclusion of incapacities,
Irish know-nothings, from voting, rather than the
' exclusion of intelligent foreigners from the rights
of citizenship." We do not find much admiration
exprtssed fur American laws, nor commendations
of the administration of them. Hatred to Great
Britain is said to be the mainTeason of American
sympathy sympathy for the Russians, and "to
object to their good feeling towards ie those
C.ara
at des-
• answer that Napoleon 111. is still as gra._ a harm.
I
pot." Otherwise their sympathies are of z they

1?-ss nature, The form adopted for the communi-
cation of his impressions is that-of letters' to emi-
nent personages here and abroad. Thus nue is
addressed to Victor H'igo, another to Louis-Dane, ._.
a il.ird to Richard Cebdon, -a fourth to Fclice‘Qr-
Rini, in Modena, a fifth to Et:lpin •Sue,.a.sixth to
Alioll3l Chevalier, and the remainder of the thirty-
two letters to various individuals of a certain stand-
ing in Europe and America. With all it faults
and philosophy the book is worth reading.

The Westminster Revicw.—Often as the subjects
Of " Alchemy and Alchemists" have been treated,
the writer of the opening article has contrived to
invest them with considerable interest, if not to
contribute much to the common stock of informa-
tion. "Budhism, Mythical and. Historical," may
lie recommended to the perusal of those whose,ideas
respecting this form of paganism are of a vague
description. The claims of married women to a
control over their own property find a ullampiOn
in one of the contributors, who adduces a variety
of argument and illustration by way of vindication,
and meets the various objections offared,.as wears
disposed to think with success. " George Forster,"
a German enthusiast, who, at' a boy with-44ljg
father, accompanied Captain Cook in one of
his voyages round the world; • is introduced
we Suspect for the first time to the reader. One of
the German Werati, his fate appears to have been
strange and gloomy, though he acquired the love
and esteem of men whose affectionate regard was
in itself high praise. The rock on which he
split was politics. " Edinburgh:Fifty Years Ago,"
we fancy, will be the most popular article in
,the
number. The writer inquires, " Will anybody
givens a history of Scotland from the year 1745
to the present time ?" and adduces abundant res-
eons why such history should be written. Altoge.-
ther the article is one which, irrespeptive of the
galaxy of literary stars which it causes again' to flit
before us, is Well deserving of a thoughtful peruse.
"Silly Novels by Silly Women" is, as• its title
would imply, a pitiless dissection, if not butchery,:
which doubtless will stir up much indignation in
some circles. " France before the Revolution of
'B9" is au able review of the work par Alexis d,e-
Talueville. The opinion of the reviewer may be
gath'ered from the conclusion : " All men-who-love
truth must earnestly wish that the author
may, be able to finish his work." ." Emerson's Eng-
lish Traits" meets with a favourable reception.
"Ho has given us a book," we are told, " from
which we may learn many things—much about
ourselveo, about what we' hair() and about what we
have not, and, still more from which we may learn
that the nobleness of spirit which gives praise as
well as blame where it is due, may be relied on as
etistiog across the Atlantic." Again—" With all
its faults of exagi;bration and indefinite aim it is a
book we most heartily welcome, glad to read our-
selves in a picture drawn by a skilful artist, and
still more glad to have so much friendliness ayd,
generosity displayLd towards us by an American.
-It is a book which will, we feel sure, do good on
both sides the Atlantic, and .tend to promote that
cordial understanding between all. sections of the
Anglo-b'axou race, on which., in these days of des4,,.
potism•and confusion, the welfare of mankind so
largely depends." High, but not wholly unme-:
rited, praise: As usual, the space devoted to con-
temporary literature claims, and to a certain extent
will reward, the reader's attention.