The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-03 00:00:00

MAGAZINES.

Blackwootl.—Nothing in the December number
of Blackwood that we can trace from the hand of
any one of Blael:wood's chial coatribntors. Mr.
Warren reviewed, we very' Well remember, and
reviewed very a‘fanirably too, at the time of its
first appearance, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's
Uncle Tom's Cabin. But—or we aro much mis-
ta;icen—his is not the hand which has written the
criticism in the present number of Maga upon
" Uncle Tom's'' double, his alter ego, his fetch—
"Dred." Altogether a criticism, be it said, rather
depreciative than commendatory. Anything but
in the spirit in which The Times declared I)red to
be a second shot right in the Bull's Eye ! Nothing
—that we can recognise—from Bulwer Lytton, the
latest as he is also (mais cela va sans dire) one
of the very greatest of the glories of Blackwood !
Nothing that we can confidently father upon Alison
—who may be called the "Political" of Maga !
Nothing—that we can detect—from the pen of
Aytoun—the "Arch Wag" and the Poetic Jupiter-
Tonans of the old Edinburgh ! Yet, with all these
apparent deficiencies, the number before us is read-
able thoroughly ! There for one thing
is a seventh instalment of Mrs. Oliphant's
delightful " Athelings." The principal incidents
in which instalment are—the betrothal of Marian
the Beauty to Louis the Prince ! and the rupture
between the humble mercantile family at the Old
Wood-lodge and the corpse-like, sardonic Lord
Winterbourne ! Charlie, the Big Boy, is expected
for a few days down at the pretty sylvan retreat in
Banburyshire—so that we may expect some obstacle
to be thrown betimes, through his instrumentality,
in the way of the proud peer's claim to the bequest
of Aunt Bridget. " Our Indian Empire" is the
title of a rather pompous treatise upon Hindostan.
" A Recent Confession of an Opium Eater" is a
facetious extravagance, in noway comparable to the
famous, dreamy, ecstatic lucubrations of De Qaincy.
" Respectability—A Dialogue," proves to be a
dialoguo upon that very suggegtivo and reputable
theme between Irenoens and Tlepoletn us—sprinkled
with a few apposite remarks from the lips of Mr.
and Mrs. Celsus Then follows the somewhat
captious notice of " Dred" already mentioned.
It, in turn, being succeeded by a disquisition upon
" The English Ecclesiastical Courts," anything but
as entertaaning as the memorable incidental allu-
sions to the same topic introduced in the exquisite
nazrative of Mr. Dickens's noblest fiction of all—
to our thinking—David Copperfield ! "The Food
of London" is the subject of the last contribution
but one in this December number of Blackwood—.
a contribution recalling to mind a series of brilliant
articles published in Maga some years back from
the pen of a very clever writer—one Mr. Murray,
if we recollect accurately--a series of papers relat-
ing to our metropolis, which we should marvel-
lously like to see republished in a popular form.
Finally, there is a political chapter, bringing
Maga for 1850 to a close as with a sort of premoni-
tory growl of thunder. " The Political Lull, and
what will break it" is the title. Here is the writer's
explanation of the monetary crisis in France :
"The astonishing development of industrial enterprise
in France, under the fostering administration of Napo-
leon 111., has brought with it perils as well as advantages.
The old hoarding habits of the people have been broken
down—the scattered savings and small capitals, formerly
uselessly locked in drawers or hid in corners, have been
embarked in industrial undertakings; and, crowning the
whole, the gigantic Credit Mobilier has assumed to itself
the execution of all the great works in Europe. The
Austrian railways are in its hands ; through au affiliated
company at Madrid, it has advanced large sums to the
Spanish Government, and succeeded in exciting a railway
mania even among the staid and immobile population of
the Peninsula ;—and besides a thousand minor dindertak-
ings, it has contracted for the execution of the great Rus-
sian railways, a work involving the expenditure of at least
forty-five millions sterling. This outburst of enterprise
and development of the credit system, eminently desirable
in itself, has been carried to a critical height; because the
magnitude of the undertakings is such that nothing but a
combination of favourable circumstances will allow of
their being conducted to a successful close. The progress
of this grand speculative scheme is like that of a boat sunk
to the water's edge with a load of gold. Of course the
more gold that is placed in the boat, the more profitable
the enterprise, if it succeed ; but nothing but calm seas,
and fair weather will carry the bark to its haven. The
occurrence of a Continental war at present would cause
those vast speculations to miscarry; and their fall would
probably drag down the whole financial fabric of France,
entailing great suffering upon tho people and utterly ruin-
ing the prestige of the Napoleonic. Government.";

Hence (it is not unnaturally insisted) Napoleon 111.
is incited by self-interest as well as by more ele-
vated and humane motives to his great work—the
work of his life just now—that of pouring oil upon
the troubled waters of Europe ! Nevertheless, in
spite of all his strenuous efforts to preserve yet a
little while longer the p resent most precarious P,ace,
Napoleon M.—Maga fully anticipates—will find
that the signs everywhere visible just now (signs of
trouble and apprehension) will not pass away with-
out producing convulsion. May not the beginning
of the end of this hollow and preposterous Peace
be already recognised in various directions ?—at
Venice in the sullen reception, by his Italian sub
jests, of the young Austrian Emperor—at Neuchatel
in the clashing claims of the Prussian King and
the Swiss Confederation—at Palermo in the sudden
apparition in the face of day of the swords and
banners of a Sicilian Insurrection !

Fraser.--A facetious, caustic, and scholarly con-
tributor (R. L.), who amused the readers of Fraser
some time back with a humorous treatise upon
" Humbug," takes in hind this month, in a some-
what similar strain, the congenial subject of
" Popularity." In justification of hi§ adopting
which as a sequel to his earlier essay, R. L.
maintains, comically enough, that one is a
sort of offshoot of the ether, precisely as Aris-
totle has said of rhetoric and dialectics—WO'TE
avitil3aevEt Pgropticnv otov 7rapaovEc it nig
taXEicrucqc twat. The paper is a capital bit of dry
banter, pleasantly and sagaciously setting forth the
shams of Popularity. Shirley gives us a sixth and
last " Sketch on the North Coast," in his capacity
as a Naturalist. There is a brief but sufficiently
attractive letter upon "The Denison Case," ad-
dressed to the editor by a no less notable
Nonconformist than the Rev. F. D. Maurice.
A few sweet, delicious " Gleanings from Uhland"
introduce T. Westwood to our favourable notice,
as a skilful poetical translator. .As for the light
article for the month, the magazine story in Fraser
for December " The Friends," an episode of
Italian life—the gist of it may be readily enough
conjectured from the headings of the three chaptersl
—ch. i., 1847 ; ch. ii., 1848-1849 ; ch. iii.
while its style may be imagined no.liessusmmB
r night
easily
froma
the opening phrases—"in the year 1847. The moon vasolns rahonellbrightly on the
Piazza del Duomo, at Florence. It lit with a pale
glory the Campanile"—and all that sort of thing !
We really wonder that this kind of
Rosa-Matilda
romancing has not been long since banished
from pages as pretentious as those of Fraser's
Magazine. The thing is nauseating. There is
a rather interesting article in the December.h num-
ber of Regina, by the way, upon " Pau's History
of England "—a history of England by Reinholt
Pauli, already favourably known by his " Life of
Alfred the Great." Dr. Pauli being, in fact, the
continuator of Dr. Lappenberg, as David Hume
found a continuator of his History in Tobias
Smollett. Half-a-dozen other contributions of a
most diversified character lend their charm, just
as they chance to have any, to this new number of
Fraser for December. The whole contents of it
winding up with a political paper, ‘‘ Foreign and
Domestic"—a contrast to the article on the same
theme in Blackwood, inasmuch as it is upon the
very face of it rather retrospective than anticipa-
tory.

Dublin University.—" The Fortunes of Gleneore"
are still continued, bit no great events are recorded
in the present portion.
.The unhappy recluse,
Lord Glencore, continues to involve himself in new
difficulties, in spite of the care of his friends ; in-
deed this time rather serious ones, as he went to
the pavilion and offended the King in some im-
portant transaction then going on. The youthful
hero is not mentioned except briefly—he is still
left in prison. The most. curious thing apparent in
these chapters is the account of Sir Horace Upton,
whose affectation of ease and nonchalance is won-
derful. Having invited seventeen people to dinner
was not an affair of sufficient consequence to dwell
in his memory, and when reminded of it he did not
disturb himself,
.but allowed the company to sit
down without him. The astonishment of the
straightforward Colonel Harcourt when he arrived
and found the host in his solitary chamber may be
imagined. The most interesting article in this
number is the biographical sketch of Talma,
subject attractive in itself from intrinsic merit, and
rendered
is treated.
more so from the superior manner in
which it treated. It is truly said that "Francis
Joseph. Talma ranks amongst the most remarkable
men of the ago and country in which he lived."
He was not alone in his glory, for he flourished in
a time that saw many great in his own profession.
He was not appreciated in his talents only by those
who were lookers-on, but those of his own craft
recognised his powers. " Tho applause of ap-
plauded men " was the crowning triumph of his
success. His friendship with John Kemble was a
circumstance that is creditable to both. He
became acquainted with Edmund Kean also,

but not to such an extent as with his gifted
rival. The most remarkable event men-
tioned in tlie bet*een 'Palma and
Napoleoh ; it is to the honour of both that the
friendship survived even the test of a throne: Some
went so far as to say that the rlatiperor was indebted
to Talm'a rot lessons in regal deportment and de-
livery. Napoleon was amused, and observed that
he considered the rurnolir as a compliment. 66 Had
i not perfcrP.l.eci hay part well they could not have
supposed you had been my teacher." A singular
occurrence is narrated here concerning the early
early career of the 2alperor. When he was in
great pecuniary distress, it was said that Talma
had rendered him assistance ; but instead the fol-
lowing anecdote is related :--
'1 Napoleon had successively pledged wly,tever trinkets
he possessed, rings, brooches, and watches, and his re-
sources were entirely exhausted. Tke man of destiny was
reduced to despair, and resolved to end all by a plunge in
the Seine. On his way to the Pont Neuf he ran against
some one in his abstraction, and, raising his head, recog-
nised an old schoolfellow of Brienne. The latter had just
received from his notary the sum of twenty thousand
francs; the former was intent on suicide because he had
no longer the price of a dinner. They divided the money
between them, and Napoleon returned to his lodging. If
that warm-hearted comrade of the college had accidentally
passed down another street, the history of the next twenty
years would have been written without the names of Lodi,
Marengo, Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, Moscow, Leipsig,
and Waterloo."

The admirers of Shakspere will bo shocked to
peruse the dramas of Duels, which differ so much
from their prototype that they are nearly unrecog-
nisable. Sufficient of the spirit remained, however,
to give life to the animation, and fire to the genius
of Talma. Altogether this retrospect of the great
man's life is worthy of attention. A long disserta-
tion on " Slavery" is among the contents, in the
course of which Mrs. Stowe's recent work, "bred,"
is criticised. It is said that the fame of that lady
resembles that of Miss Burney, she having as sud-
denly sprung into notice. It is added that the
similarity is continued still further, for that
" Dred" is as inferior to " Uncle Tom's Cabin" as
" Evelina" is superior to "Cecilia." The curious
paper, entitled " John Twiller," is again net with.
The hero does not make progress, however, in his
stupendous undertakings. " The Doctor of Philo-
sophy" is a new story, in the first chapter of which,
called "A Morning Walk in Calcutta," a pleasing
description is given of the " City of Palaces." It
is mentioned that in a city of the West all hours
of the day are alike when once business has begun,
but that in the far East the hour of the day may
be known by the appearance of the town. " The
Rides and Reveries of Mr. 2Esep Smith" are ludi-
crously narrated. The political subjects are, " Our
Antipodean Neighbours" and " Our Political Re-
lations with Persia."

Bentley's Miscellany.—Dudley Costello narrates
the " Adventures of Professor Dummkoph at the
Bal Mabille" in his characteristic style, more at-
tracsive to the lovers of the ludicrous than to those
who seek refinement. Financiers will be interested
in a notice on the work of M. Capefigue, on the
" grandes operations financieres" of the Revolu-
tion. It is followed by a paper on some volumes
recently published on Naples, giving 'a very un-
favourable picture of Neapolitan society. The
second part of " Thanatos Athanatos," a medley,
continues its reflections on the same solemn sub
ject. It is one scarcely in keeping with the pages
of a magazine, but the writer appears to have care-
fully considered it in its,different aspects. A notice
of Mr. Morley's " Life of Cornelius Agrippa "
renders full justice to its merits. Mr. Harrison
Ainsworth's story of the "Spendthrift" occupies a
considerable portion of the number, and is evi-
dently advancing to its conclusion. The death of
Clare, and the consequent remorse and restitution
of Fairlie to Gage, are among the incidents that
occur in the part bofore us. The twelfth number
of Monkhood's " Prosings about the Essayists and
Reviewers" is devoted to Cardinal Wiseman, taking
for subject his three volumes of essays.

Colburn's United Service.—Now that subscrip-
tions for the purchase of 100 guns for the ramparts
of Alessandria are being received, " Some Account
of the Fortress" is acceptable, and the more so for
the description appended to it of " The Position of
Genoa." The stronghold does not appear to be in
an advanced state of defence. The contributor of
a paper on " The Commissariat" attributes the
failure of the British Treasury in this department
to an ignorant economy, in which no calculation is
made for circumstances which may render a pur-
chase at a low rate extravagant in the end. "The
Maritime condition of France" is shown to have
been vastly improved during in last thirty years,
and to be sufficiently formidable to merit respect-
ful consideration. " The General's Hut in the
Trenches,' " Crimean Sketches," and " Remi-
niscences of the War in the East," are continued,
and furnish both entertaining and in-tructive
matter. " Our Refuge Harbours" points out the
condition and importance of Alderney, which ren-
der its being strengthened and improved a, measure
of wise precaution. " The Occupation of the Prin-
cipalities, and the Diplomatic Crisis relativa to the
Lower Danube" are the subjects of an article deser-
ving of perusal, though not of unqualified assent.
"The Seven Grenadiers" is one of a series of
" Legends of the Black, Watch," and is charged
with as much Celtic diablerie as could be desired.
" The present Organisation and Force of the Royal
Artillery, with Observations on the Corps and the
Arm generally," is the title of a paper likely to be
interesting to more than professional readers. In
connection with the advocacy in previous numbers
of the opening of both the route to India by the
Suez Canal and the Euphrates Talley Railway, we
have a short account of " The Indus," and the
natural facilities it affords for navigation. Like
the Euphrates, we are told, the Indus can be easily
navigated by steamers, but, like the boats of the
country, they must be flat bottomed—no vessel with
a keel being able to navigate the river with safety.
The editor, notwithstanding all contradictions,
maintains the correctness of his announcement of
" the approaching retirement of Sir Charles Yorke,
the Military Secretary." If we remember
natu
rightly,
re
the announcement was of a more positive nature
of the
than is implied by these words. T
Duke of Cambridge at the Lord Mayor'she p
augurs well, in his opinion, for
the career of the
s banquet
new Commander-in Chiefbeing characterised by
Further evi-
dence substantial reforms.
the failure of the
deuce is adduced to show thatrose
creditable reci
final assault on the Randtla disst
tate advance of part, le ,an. -
still afterwards of all, of the troops engaged. in. it.
However discreditable to our arms, the editor is of
opinion the true history of the assault should be
ma
de known to the public—there being an adequate
set-off of glorious achievements. " The monument
to Sir Charles J. Napier," now mounted on its
pedestal in Trafalgar-square, is, both as a work of
art and an expre3sion of feeling, the subject of
I unqualified commendation.

The New Monthly Magazine.--The opening paper
in the present number takes for its subject the
discovery of the North-West Passage. It gives a
succinct and interesting account of the struggles
and sufferings of the enterprising band, founded on
the recent works of Commander Osborn and Dr.
Kane. It is followed by a simple domestic story,
by tho author of " Ashley," who has now become
a regular contributor to this magazine. The story,
though without much striking merit, is told in the
writer's usual effective style. "Notes on Note-
Worthies," by Sir Nathaniel, gives us a sketch of
some of the characteristics of Anne, Duchess of
Brittany, and twice Queen of France. Miss Cos-
tello has already written a life of this lady, which
was published some years since, but those who have
not met with that interesting work will gather
from the present brief memoir an outline of her
career. " Mr. Joshua Tubbs" still occupies a
prominent position in this serial. It, must, we
should think, be a satisfaction to its readers to see
signs of a catastrophe. Mr. Andrews' elaborate
and ingenious, though somewhat tedious, " His•
tory of the Newspaper Press " has more matter of
interest than usual. It brings us down to the time
of Dr. Johnson and Cave, the founder of the Gen-
tleman's Magazine, and we find an account of the
difficulties he encountered in publishing a report
of the proceedings in Parliament. At length his
energy and determination conquered, and it is
satisfactory to know that his efforts for the public
benefit were not unrewarded, for he made his for-
tune by his magazine. Mrs. Bushby, as usual, fur-
nishes a translation from Scandinavian literature ;
the continuation of "A Swedish Voyage round the
World" being the present instalment. "Eu trapelia"
is the curious title of a curious paper, chiefly in
praise arid defence of laughter. A retrospect of
" Social Life in past Centuries" is founded on a work
Mr. George Roberts who
recently published by
appears to have displayed patience and ingenuity
in his researches. The p'a'tty tyranny of the time
of the Protectorate is forcibly illustrated. "An
Italian Sketch," by Florentia, detailing some
continental experiences, concludes the number.