The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-04 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.

FRASER.—" Sixty-nine years ago," says the
writer of the first article iu Fraser, " the inhabi-
tants of Paris might have been seen repairing to the
Champ de Mars—at that time a,plain entirely separ-
ated by waste places from the French capital."
Their object in this expedition was " a small
wooden structure composed of rough planks,
scarcely watertight, badly lighted, rude and incon-
venient for the purposes for which it was con-
structed." Yet this poor and insignificant building
was the prototype of all those wonderful accumula-
tions of art, science, beauty, wealth, and industry,
which we now celebrate as international exhibitions.
Yet the writer reminds us also that the humble
exhibition of 1798 could bosst three objects which
cannot be equalled among a 1 the gorgeous displays
of 1867. General Bonaparte had just returned front
his first Italian campaign, and the Apollo Belvedere,
the Venus de Medici, and the Laocoon trophies of
his brilliant victories were among the treasures of
the first French Exhibition. Au interesting account
of the wonders at present to be seen in the Champ
de Mars is succeeded by an essay on " The Irish
Church in the time of Queen Elizabeth" by W.
Maziere Brady. To this succeeds a further instal-
ment of the story of " The Merstons," which
affords a favourable contrast to some of the sensa-
tional, romances of the day. Two critical papers
are well written and worth reading. The 3110
examines the poetical achievements of Mr.
Browning—the other discourses very pleasantly
respecting Miss Thackeray's novels.
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.--The indefatigable edi-
tor continues his new romance, and the adventures
and misadventures of Mr. Myddleton Pomfret, for-
merly Mr. Julian Curzon, and his associates are
duly chronicled. "Little Lappmark" has reached
the fifth number, and gives a pleasant account. of
the simple and primitive people. Francis Jacox dis-
courses respecting the unpleasant, but not uncom-
mon, position of finding one's:occupation gone; of
which he finds numerous examples. " A Glance at
New York" shows us American life at home in an
animated manner.
COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.--" TitO
Campaign in Abyssinia" is the first thing we 'nest
with in this month's number, and although the sub-
ject has already been pretty amply discussed, the
reader will find it very ably and comprehensively.
treated. The resume of the early career of Theo-
dorus, and of the painful story of the captives, wit
be found useful. " Peter Bell and the Primroses'
is the title of a sketch on unimpressible and unima-
ginative mortals, and there are other topics of genera]
interest discussed, besides a plentiful supply of
stories of various merits. " The Deepdale Mystery,'
which is certainly startling and original, if painful
and repulsive in some of its features, is continued.
The search for the body of the supposed suicide, and
the horror of the murderers when its failure betrays
that their guilty secret is no longer theirs alone, are
powerfully described.
COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE MAGAZINE.—The
absorbing question of the day—the war with
Abyssinia—forms the principal topic in this num-
ber. Like most things of which little is known
presumption is ever too ready to put forward its
" vain imaginings" of the great unknown as matters
of fanciful "fact." The public is accordingly very
much bewildered in the discussion of a subject too
grave to be trifled with ; but still the tide of
ignorance rolls on, and new corners seem only to
make confusion worse confounded. Abyssinia was
once considered to be the happy valley for poor
mortality, but now it is made to contain "more
devils than vast hell can hold." Common sense
cannot understand what all this bugbear means.
Certain it is that people contrive to live in that most
" unhealthy climate," notwithstanding all its draw-
backs of poisonous reptiles, roaring lions, and fiery
dragons; and we shall be much surprised if the
public will not be very agreeably disappointed in
their expectations before long when the army has
once unfurled the banner of St. George from the
mountain tops of the Abyssinian Pisjah. British
enterpriSe has overcome greater obstacles than can
be encountered in that region, and the public will
do wisely to bide the event. " Berberah and
Somaliland," by Lieut. C. K. Low, 1.N., is an in-
teresting paper penned by a sailor who has passed
some time on the coast, extending from Mas-
sowah on the Red Sea to Zanzibar while
serving in the Indian navy. Then we have " Notes
on Abyssinia," a paper in which the subject
is discussed in full. Due credit is given to the King
or Emperor for bravery on the battlefield, and other
virtues common to most savages. But Theodore is
politic as well, and turns the superstition of the
people to good account with the aid of the priests,
who maintain a very occult influence over the native
mind. Still there is great dissension prevalent
throughout the country, which an army may turn
to good account. The other articles in this number
are varied and practical. That on " The National
Portrait Exhibition" gives an interesting account
of General Monk, the restorer of our Royalty.
" The Story of the War Ships of the Past and
Present" exemplifies the pregress of the boy into
the man in the art of shipbuilding, and is to be
continued, so that we may expect to see him mani-
pulated in due time into a man of war with the Iron
Mask We hope they will make him go a little
faster in proportion to his strength, for that seems
to be his chief necessity.
SAINT PAULS.—A magazine edited by Anthony
Trollope. No. 1. Virtue and Co.—A new maga-
zine under the auspices of Anthony Trollope can
hardly fail to secure a very wide circle of readers.
The natural curiosity with which the reading public
turns to examine the claims of every fresh competitor
in the field is considerably enhanced by the popu-
larity and the reputation of the brilliant and accom-
plished editor of St. Pauls. Although the literary
arena is Well nigh crowded with rival claimants for
fame and fortune, though the ranks are so full that
they jostle one another, and the muster roll has
scarcely been fully answered before the list of names
must be cried once more there is little doubt that
there is room enough for St. Pauls, and the
chronicler of Barset, even if older favourites lose
ground and are thrust aside, and a fair field and no
favour is all that our modern Sir Christopher asks
for himself and his associates. He believes the
public demand for periodical literature to be well
nigh insatiable, and the attempts to satisfy it so far
as his magazine is concerned by widening his range
of subjects and excluding nothing that may excite
the popular interest or concern the public welfare.
" What matter," asks the maestro in his intro -
duction, " may not be discussed with profit and
delight if the mind of the writer be full and his
hand be light ?" and in pursuance of this theory he
turns a deaf ear to the counsels of cautious friends
who would judge all men's tastes by their own
standard. " Don't have any poetry," says one
eager adviser. " You may put in what you like, so
that you steer clear of politics," says another,
who is quite certain of the results of his own expe-
rience. " Confine yourself to novels and syllabubs.
The world does not want to be taught wisdom by
you" is the dictum of a third. " Get your padding
cheap," says a fourth, " because no one ever reads
it." In face of all these contradictory counsellors,
Mr. Trollope resolves to think and act for himself,
and to admit freely to his pages the politician, the
novelist, the syllabub maker, provided only they
come with good material. The novelist, from
wheresoever he may come, will find a formidable
rival in the editor himself. " Phineas Finn, the
Irish member," will very shortly become one of the
recognised members of the best English society,
despite all his accidents of birth and fortune.
Already the young adventurer has obtained a seat
for the borough of Loughshane, already he is the
hero of an admiring family, already he is making
love to pretty Mary Jones in Killaloe, and pay-
ing devoted court to Lady Laura Standish,
in Portman-square, after a fashion, truth to tell, not
very uncommon in Mr. Trollope's heroes. Mr.
Finn is not, we are told by his biographer, to be
remarkable for his virtues or his vices ; if he were,
he would break the spell of that faithful and life-like
portraiture which so accurately shows us in, Mr.
Trollope's pages the men and women, not of Ar-
cadia or of the Inferno, but of London in the year
of grace 1867. " All for Greed," the commence-
ment of another nose], takes us to the french town