The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-02 00:00:00

Celburn's New Montkly Magazine.

" The French in Abyssinia," is the title of a
lengthened paper which opens this number, and
gives some interesting particulars of that region.
The tale of " East Lynne" is continued with spirit,
and the plot is greatly developed. The story of
the murder is told to us, and we are led to suppose
that the unfortunate Richard Hare is unjustly sus-
pected. The narrative displays all the writer's ac-
customed vigour and skilful sketchings of minor
incidents. " Sir Nathaniel" contributes a paper on
Wallenstein in his " Notes on Note-worthies," and
cites, as is his wont, the opinions and epigrams
of many celebrated writers. His acquaiatanee
with literature is evidently extensive, and he varies
the article by his frequent quotations. Sir J. Em-
merson Tennant's able work on Ceylon receives a
commendatory notice. Mrs. Bushby furnishes a
wild and gloomy story, whose incidents are painful
and repulsive. The veteran contributor Cyrus
Redding gives us an interesting memoir of
Washington Irving. Arctic Exploration is
discussed, and it is remarked, at the con-
clusion, that probably the Russians, E.EI they
advance in knowledge and in enterprise will
explore the vast extent of land that has been seen
north of Behring's Straits. A paper on the Spe-
cial Services at Westminster Abbey contains much
suggestive matter, The writer advocates strongly
the necessity of plain, forcible preaching on these
occasions, in language which is clear and compre-
hensible to the uneducated, and which points
directly at the faults and vices of their everyday
business life with vigour and simplicity. With re-
gard to the " vehement movement in favour of
congregational devotion," as he terms it, which has
lately taken place, he expresses, with justice, a
strong dislike of religious frenzy. He says—" We
should view with more hope a solitary gleam of
pensiveness passing over the countenance in a quiet
movement than we should the most frantic excla-
mations of alarm and regret. The sorrow which
Heaven would send would find no vent in shrieks,
the peace which God would whisper would not be
shouted to the world amid uproar and confusion."
Though there is much truth in his general remarks
we think he carries some of his doubts a little too
far, as surely it is a first step towards something
better to gather this motley congregation together
for professedly sacred purposes. Where there is
nothing to excite or to amuse, there is surely some
chance of awakening serious thought in some of the
hearers, and we cannot coincide with his opinion
that those who listened carelessly or indifferently
went out worse than they came. The article en-
titled "Will There be a Congress," will certainly
have the advantage of surprising the reader, as it is
a truly astonishing production to meet with in the
pages of an English magazine. We should imagine
it must proceed from the pen of an Austrian,
who has made himself familiar with our lan-
guage, though certainly not with our sentiments.
We are told of sympathy " with the wrongs of the
Pope ;" " the Pope would be equally powerful
were he not to govern a rood of land ; but we
protest against the spoliation as a dangerous pre-
cedent.' Ihe " sacred cause of legitimacy" is
upheld; "the condition of Central Italy is a peril-
ous example to the rest of Europe ;" and " the
rights. of legitimacy are trampled under foot."
After all this we need not be surprised,
though we may be indignant, at the conclusion
at which so clear-sighted and liberal a politician
arrives. "While Austria exercised a wise surveil-
lance over the demagogues all went on tolerably
well; but since her expulsion from Italy matters
have gone on from bad to worse. Believing that
Italy can never remain tranquil unless the people
are kept in subjection by foreign bayonets, we can-
didly confess that we should prefer the return of
the Austrians to the entrance of French or Sar-
dinian troops." We should scarcely have thought
such sentiments would have found utterance among
us, but we are sure they will be indignantly re-
jected by the majority of their readers. The only
poetical contribution in the number is the follow-
ing genial and graceful tribute to the popular
poetess :

TO ELIZA COOK.
BIRTIIDAY GRERTING, 24T11 DRCEMBER, 1859.
(With a coloured Picture of a .Robin singing among snow.
laden ifolly-boughs.)

BY W. CHARLES KENT.
" This trivial leaflet—type of love
As true as that once borne by dove,
The love of friends who prize the worth
That sprang to being with thy birth--
Reveals (apt symbol of thy art)
The bird of winter, whose warm heart
So throbs with love among the snow,
That all his breast is in a glow I
Both bore for song in frosty days,
His hymned 'mid holly, thine 'mid bays,
Each sings with joy, and still shall sing—
Blithe voices ' prophesying spring.
Aye thus below th' undying shade,
For each th' appropriate covert made,
Sweet bird, sweet bard, this eve of eves,
Sing under ever fresh green leaves."

The Universal _Review of Politics, Literature, and

'Social Science.

There is an able article here on Charles Kingsley.
This remarkable man has written much of late
years, and his writings are of that nature that one
cannot pass them heedlessly by. Striking as is the
power displayed in his works it is more the views
set forth therein that arrest the attention ; but
they derive additional weight from the brilliant
and vigorous style which is conspicuous in his
luminous pages. Ample praise is rendered in this
paper to the Rector of Eversley, while the writer
states that had he the power his space would not
yield. him the opportunity to do justice to Mr.
Kingsley's varied faculties and extensive erudi-
tion." Deserved praise is awarded to this author
for his strenuous efforts to further the work of
sanitary reform, and this is the more praiseworthy
it is here truly stated, because at one time many of
his professional brethren were enemies to that
cause. The Rector of Eversley stands out as a
shining example to those priests who :Ire here re-
presented as regarding the eholera as a heaven-sent
scourge, because there are more dissenting chapels
than churches in a town, or because the theatre is
better filled than the church. In one of Mr.
Kingsley's best works--" Two Years' Ago "—this
subject is treated in a most able manner, and forms
one of the most noticeable passages of
the story in the way of social im-
provements. All impartial judges will agree
in the truth of the concluding remarks, that what-
ever some of his extreme opinions may be, Charles
Kingsley has dime great good im his generation.
‘
He is not the kind of politician for wise and
good men of any party to quarrel with." After
observing that such a combination as is presented
in his works is rare even in theimproving widening
thought of the country, it is suggested that the
only danger that menaces Mr. Kingsley is the speed
of his productions. Ile should be more deliberate.
"lie has great powers hardly yet matured, and he
may leave a great name behind him in the death-
less literature of England." We commend this
admirable article to the earnest attention of
those who _appreciate the peculiar attain-
ments of a man who is decidedly one of the
bright and particular stars in the sphere of
literati. " Sir Everard's Daughter" is continued, and
it is a story that evinces some knowledge of life in
its quiet touches, that are replete with graphic force