The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-20 00:00:00

THE QUARTERLIES.

Though I do not find much variety in the London Quar-
terly, it is, nevertheless, a number of great merit. its
eight articles are almost entirely devoted to theology and
kindred subjects, or criticisms on the collective works of
imaginative writers, but some of them will repay atten-
tion. The paper on William Blake is a meritorious
attempt to increase the popularity and appreciation of a
little known but remarkable genius. This sketch of the
idealist, poet, and artist is very well done, but a perfect
illustration of the mind of Blake requires what the review
could not furnish—a few facsimiles of his drawings.
Acquaintance with them out of London is, I believe, very
rare. " The Plymouth Brethren and the Christian Minis-
try " is an uncompromising, indeed fierce, attack upon
the former on behalf of the latter. The leading
doctrine of the Brethren—that the privilege of Ministers
is now common to the whole body of believers, and that
all the Christian offices of the New Testament times have
passed away, as well as the inspired Apostles, is made the
subject of controversy. There can be little doubt that
the reviewer is successful in his detailed refutation fr.•m
Scripture of this prominent article of the Plymouth creed.
But his opening tirade against the policy of this sect is
far too vehement, especially as the Brethren are neither
numerous nor important, whilst their common right of
ministry doctrine is accepted in a mild form by other
denominations of much greater strength, and whose
policy is not markedly " aggressive and sectarian," and
whom it would be unfair to charge with " propagating
their doctrines in a disingenuous manner." This is not
the age for hard words to make impression. The attack
upon the Plymouth Brethren is followed by an onslaught,
not less vehement, but more feeble, upon the Positivists.
Here, too, the writer weakens his case by overshooting
the mark. Nothing could be more legitimate than to
institute a comparison between morality with God and that
form of morality without God which is called Positivism ;
and nothing more certain than to decide such a contro-
versy against Comte. But why enter into the question
of whether virtue can exist without God? The writer
stops in the midst of his charge upon Comte, and turns
aside to break a lance with the Rev. R. W. Dale, who
believes that, " apart from the recognition of God, how-
ever, virtues lose their purest grace and their perfect
beauty, but they are virtues still." Without deciding
between this writer and the reviewer, I may observe that
the subject is a very large and thankless one, and involv-
ing not remotely the great question of the heathen, and,
further, that it has but a general connection with Posi-
tivism. But the reviewer goes farther : demands to know
how the Positivists claim to be a philosphical sect at all,
and after a few pages assumes that they are not a philoso-
phical sect. Surely Positivism may claim to be a
philosophy, and surely it is unworthy of a defender
of the Christian religion to deny the followers of Comte
the poor bati,factiou of regarding themselves as a
philosophical sect. After the Plymouth Brethren and
Positivism, an article on social and religious progress
in India is a refreshing change. Indian affairs are
assuming greater importance in the eyes of people at home
than they were wont to do, but we are still far from being
able to claim the credit of giving our vast possession the
consideration which they require. It is satisfactory, how-
ever, to find from this, as from other sources, that British
rule progresses steadily, though slowly. Those who have
not read Miss Carpenter's work will find some valuable
information in this article. It shews, for instance, that
the influence of British rule has been felt in nothing
so much as in improving the position of the weaker
sex in India. The abolition of the suttee was
the first of a series of reforms which is now bearing sub-
stantial fruit. Women in India are not now regarded in
the light of chattels ; they have acquired many of the
better habits of European life; and education, though still
far behind, is not at all stationary. The subject is exceed-
ingly interesting. I must not, however, omit to warn the
reader of Miss Carpenter's work that some of her informa-
tion applies to only a portion of India, and that some of
her deductions are upon insufficient evidence. She has
committed the common fault of English travellers in look-
ing at a question " through her eye-glass," and then
writing about it ; nevertheless, I see nothing in this
paper to which objection may be taken. The
article on Swinburne is good a fair estimate
of the genius of the writer, and a fair expose of his
great fault. The criticism on George Macdonald is less
appreciative and liberal. It is true that the author of
" Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood" addresses himself
chiefly to an audience of young ladies ; but is the securing
the attention of such an audience an achievement to be
despised? As the religious teacher even of one class,
Mr. Macdonald does not labour in vain. An article on
" The Mythical and Heretical Gospels," and another on
" Tertullian, the African Divine," make up a very good
issue.

The December number of the North British is marked
by accustomed ability, and by a wider range of subjects
than is usual with this Review. There is less of the theo-
logical and didactic element, which has sometimes unduly
preponderated in its pages, and more that will find its
way to the tastes and sympathies of readers south of the
Tweed. Lady Minto's animated and graphic memoirs
of her grandfather, the Right Hon. Hugh Elliot,
occupy the first place, and the critic very happily sum-
marises the substance of the work, giving at the same
time ample evidence of its brilliant and vivacious style by
frequent quotations. Mr. Elliot was for some years
British Representative at Berlin, where the redoubtable
Frederick then ruled with unflagging will, though with
failing strength. By an act which was undoubtedly highly
indiscreet the Ambassador contrived to embroil himse!f
with the King, and an external reconciliation did not prevent
Frederick from seizing every opportunity for aggravating
and insulting the envoy. This was playing with edged
tools, for the most pointed shafts of the King were turned
aside by the ready wit of the assailed. Some amusing
instances of this war of words are given. On one occasion
"an ill-conditioned fellow" was sent to the London
Embassy merely_to spite the English Cabinet. " What do
they say of - in London ?" asked Frederick, tauntingly.
" Digne rePresentant de votre Majeste," replied Mr. Elliot,
bowing to the ground. Again, when questioned by Frede-
rick as to the antecedents of Hyder Ali, who had been
ravaging the British territories in the Carnatic, Mr.
Elliot curtly described him as "an old despot who had
greatly pillaged his neighbours." The defeat of Hyder
Ali by the British arms, and the official expression of
gratitude to Providence, drew from the spiteful King the
remark that he did not know before that England counted
Providence among her allies. "The only one, sire, that
she does not pay," was the cutting and well-merited retort.
Two poets, one English and the other French, are dis-
cussed in separate essays. The life of Alfred de Musset
forms but a melancholy and unsatisfactory page in
the history of genius, exhibiting as it does one of those
painful and striking instances in which the capacities and
aspirations of the intellect are utterly at variance with the
achievements of the life. The copious extracts given from
his poems will enable the reader, if they arc new to him,
to form a tolerably accurate idea of their character and
tendency. The poet undoubtedly escaped many of the
drawbacks which cramp ordinary French verse, but the
spirit and morality of his principal poems is
only too French in its morbid sentiment. Very
different is the nature of the other writer, whose literary
career is discussed in a succeeding essay. Robert Brown-
ing belongs to an entirely opposite school, and his poems,
if too obscure to influence the multitude, have at least no
evil tendency. The author of the article upon him is an
enthusiastic admirer, notwithstanding he tempers his
admiration with occasional censure. But the enthusiasm
which a write so involved and so unmelodious can'