The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-27 00:00:00

Five ran.

JULY 27, 1868.

LITER ATURE.

Novas and Novelists from, Bli7:abeth to Victoria.
By J. Cordy J anieson, author of " Crttve
Rise," ko. 2 vols. Ilur•t and Black'.tt.

The subject of this work is an attractive one ;
it introduces to our consideration one of the
most sparkling fields of our national litera- '
tune ; it shows us a list of names that are
net only held as trophies of distinwitn ly •
ourselves, but are familiar to most cultivated
anti educated minds in Europe. The name's
of Defoe, Fielling, Goldsmith, and Scott, besides I
a crowd cf followers, are sufficient to refute the
old assertion that novels are frivolow, contemp-
tible f.jintts, unwoTtLy the notice of pereons of
sense and principle. Yet, though the subject is
well selected, and though the author has favourably-
dittinguished himself by his former works, the re-
sult is very disappoiruing. In the first place, the
author has att, mpted too much. Taking in such
an extent of time, he had lo,ret,,r have confined his
atfentiou to a few eminent names, instead of crowd-
iog his clnvas with minor figures, which, in true
pre-Raphielite fashion, appe r out of all relative
proportion. Trio volumes would have ben much
more agreeable had they been cons, ctu ively writ-
ten—had they formed a sort of running common-
tat 37, comparing the merits of one ago oil
epoch with another ; no icing hew the charge
of manners anti the speed of education effecti.d
litoature ; when plays and novels led, and whin
th y followed, the t.o,tn of the day; how time
and taste refined, purified, strengthened till the
jest and scorn of the wise and wary grew into a
mirror of social existence, and an instructor whose
t-achingt ihe truths of life the best and greatest
need not always despise. fesread of tins gene:al
history, Mr. Jeaffrrs n has given us nething but, a
at riot of memoirs, t ome of them mere outlines, and
few offering much that is novel except in the way
departinen , certainly, none
of creicisni. It, this
need complain of Mr. Jeafft esen's wieinally, and
it is on this point that he is niost set-4-'llBly at fault.
It is difficul to believe that a writr of any degroe
of taste or ability, who hAS even formed a slight
acquaietance with the writers whom hi t• eas of,
should be serious in his authoritative denunciations
or rbirpsedical eulogi,s. Leaving the earlier volume,
which seems to be. mot fdrly written, we need but
instance a few of his c•itrcisms on our Most
eminent writers. It is not too much to say
that the terms in which he speaks of Charles
Dickens would b applicab-e to Slurkspeare.
Great es is our admiration for Mr. Dickens's
unquestionable abi ity, we earn t allow him
a rank above the author of " Ivanhoe," • r
admit that " wherever tie-re are non of Eoglish
origin, se,aking the is nglish t Ague, flu re the
genius f Charl, a Dickens is one of the important
facts of life." He proceeds to tl-scribe the marvel-
, loin avidity with which his works are " read in all
regions of tl,e earth wher e tare is a literature
to translate them into," a very necessary proviso !
This style of adulation, we can hardly call it criti-
cism, might have beet' expected from an enthusias-
tic youth just intr; duced to the marvels of Mr.
Pickwick arid Nicholas Nickieby, but cowing from
4i wriier of Mr. Jeaffresoe's experience we are at
least surtrised. Mr. Thackeray is nt xt in rank
to Mr. Dickens, two such writers of fiction ne
previous age produced ;" and as Mr. Jeaffres ,n's
temple of tame has fewer pedes'als than that of
Pope's vision, rio room is left for the author of
" The Cax•ons." " He is eni,led to foremost rank
ansoug,t writers of talent, as dislingui.hed from
writers of genivs ; he is a carefol end w
artist cletlee ofe .tive tactrity. All that good
eoinno.nEngli,hintelligence, applied to belles lettres,
can achieve, he has accomplished, but more he has
not." It will prcb bly strike the ri.adet. that the
intelligence of Mr. Jeaffresoe's common acquaint-
ance. is about as ordinary in its character as the
existence of that very rare quality—common seusc.
He may possiblyne s ,rnewriat surprisA, too, after
reading the above delicate istiuction, to come to
the following passage—though, it is tate, surprise is
early 1 ft behind in Mr. Jeaffreson's pages :—" It is
needless to say that Mr. Wilkie Collins is generally
regarded as a mail of commaudina• genius, and one
destined to occupy a principal place in the
Republic of Letters." Mr. D sraeli s novels are
spoken of with a kind of pious horror, with the ex-
ception of " Henrietta Temple," which is ranked
far above its more brilliant and distingui-hed suc-
cessors. But we have said enough to display the
taste, moderation, rand judgmene of one from %shorn
we should certainly have expected batter things.
If it be true that

"Tan censure wrong for one who writes amiss,"

Mr. Jeaffreson had beter resume his old profession,
where at le ''at he has the chance on his side. He
has proved, very cer.ainly, that he is not one cf
those who are " born t judge,' and that an
au:hor who has writ-n very entertaining novels is
decidedly unfitted. for the arduous task of weighing
the meri s of his predecessors and contemporaries.

National -Airs and other Songs: Harmonized Airs.
By Thomas Moore. Longman and Co.
Moore's Melodies are so frequently ou our lips,
both orally and vocally, that no formal introduc-
tion is repured for these charming volumes,
wherein Apollo brilliantly displays his fascioating
duality, and blends the truest of poetry with the
choicest of music. Wore rendered a great
benefit to his f, llow-creatures when he exercised
his genius in giving words to the delicious airs
which have been hummed and trolled, time out of
mind, l,y every man, woman, and. chill possesAng
"au ear." " A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,"
and the reprcductiou of these mellifluous themes
in such attractive form, proves that they
legitimately belong to the imperishable, as
far as mortal duration can reasonably
extend. The first book, containing the Irish
Melodies, issued some time :ince, reckivei our
commendations in warm terms of eulogy, and we
can only assert that thee present publications,
completing the series, are in uniform style and
excellence, claiming the admiration of all
who appreciate the combination of elegance
and coavenience. The portable Ei ze of these
tr,lumei is a great advantage, and a lady
can convey tly,m to a neighbour's for the purpose
(f enjoying a friendly morning practice, or delight-
ing an evening circle, without the expense of a cab
or the attendance of a "button boy." The harmonic
arrangements are perfect ; as the names of Sir John
Stevenson and Sir Fleury B-shop folly testify ;
and the adaptation of " The last rose of sum-
mer," and " Rich and pare wL re the gems
she wore," for four voices, are among the
most entrancing specimens of concerted
strains we ever met. " Sing, sing ! Mu,rie
was Given ;" " Has Sorrow Thy Young Days
Shaded ;" "The Young May Morn," and
numerous others of our olden favourites, claim
especial notice ; but where all are enchantng,
it is difficult to select. We most cordially
recommend this beautiful edition of some of
the most beautiful lyric poetry and melody
extant ; to the patronage of our readers ; for the
volumes constitute a perfumed musical bouquet
calculated to set the spir:t dreaming,
in thQ Elysium of sweet sounds." and "lap it

Spinal reformity : Cases and Observations.
By Samuel 'lure, F.R.C.S. Second ed►tion.

Churchill.
The miserable deformities cured by his humane
and aagaci.Jus treatment au:hoi ise us in every way
to designate the write: of this very curious pam-
phlet as professionally, and, in the truest sense of
the word..., a practical philanthropist. Mr. Hare's
record of "Cases and Observat.ons" coming within
the ranee of his own practice, are directly illus-
trative of the benefit el results obtain&blo by close
'
attention and perseverance in some of the most un
promising instances of Spinal a formily_,esul s
obtained, moreover, it should be observed, witlicut
the use of steel stays or any other similar con-
trivancep. The cases are carefully given, end ren-
deredsei-
Set more comprehensible by a series of terrible
engravings. engravings. They ourstiute the record of a rie
of successe s in many respects very remarkable.'s
They re'er variously to cases of later-1 cu va ure,
of excurvation, of inter va; ion' and of anguhr m
pro-
jection. Besides the pamphlet under no. ice, Mr.
Hare is the wri. er of an aut rorita; ive work on the
elicited the comm.:Jd.i
Curvature of the . t ti„en—s
of a
the t
volumean
cwet: .aicnlad has
Medical Gazette, as well as of other profes4onal
journals, besides ru • nuing to a third edition within
a comparatively time short line from the date of its
original publication.

GALE AT LIVERrOOL.—LIYERP OL, July 26.--During
the whole of Saturoay night and early on Sunday morn-
ing a severe sale visited this town and port, the wind
blowing
in heavy squalls from the north-west. In the
town trees sere blown down, and some damaze was
caused in expo,•ed positloni t) the roots of houses, but
no case of personal injury has been reporteri. A number
of casualties to the coasting shipping have been reponed
at the UNd,rwriters' rooms, including the following

The schooner Mineral, from Barrow for Ellesmere-port, '
laden with iron, was driven on shore near Southport,
and became a wreck, the hands being saved by the
Southport lifeboat. A vessel called the Thornton ran
ashore opposite the Clarence-dock, but came off at the
flood tide. A sloop has been reported as having dis-
appeared near the West Hoyle Bank. The schooner
Sally and Ann, from WLitehaven, arrived this morning,
reports that two of her bands were washed overboard
and lost. The steamer Mona's Queen, from Douglas
for Liverpool, reports having seen a piece of %reek, ap-
parently part of a paddle-box, floating near the Bell
Buoy. A schooner was seen to strike the banks inside ;
of the Bell Buoy yesterday, and she became a total
wreck. The Mona's Queen also reports having seen
three mast-heals upright about five miles north-Ivolt of
the Bell Buoy.