The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-04 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.

Blackwood's Magazine.
It will be remembered by the readers of
Maga that in the last number some severe cen-
sures were passed upon Lord Macaulay for
stereotyping in his brilliant pages some unjust
attacks upon the conqueror of Blenheim. The
same writer now proceeds to censure the eminent
historian on very- opposite grounds, though the
error he charges him with arises probably from the
same cause—a strong personal bias, and a tendency
towards the rhetorical pleadings of an advocate
rather than the calm impartiality of a judge. He
who weighs the actions and criticises the motives
of the dead, should bring to his task something of
the sense of responsibility, the careful deliberation
and the patient investigation of both sides, that we
look for in him who adjudicates upon the destinies
of the living. It is no light thing to disparage or
degrade an eminent name, though its owner has
mingled with the dust ; neither is it a matter of
indifference that the State crimes of kings and

governors should be disguised or plausibly excused
to gratify a personal admiration. The charge
which the critic brings against Lord Macaulay is
that in his partisanship of William the Third, he has
endeavoured to explain away his sanction of the
Glencce massacre. The gifted essayist does not indeed
degrade his eloquence or insult his readers by at-
tempting to palliate the treachery and massacre it-
self. On the contrary, lie speaks of it in terms of the
strongest indignation ; but he turns his wrath upon
secondary actors in the tragedy, and resolutely
tries to defend the King's signature of the order
which says " If M'lan of Glencoe and that trybe
can be well separated from the rest, it will be a
proper' vindication of the public justice to extir-
pate that sect of thieves." Leaving, this paper,
we come to a mystical story, entitled " The
Lifted Veil." The idea is somewhat original,
and, if clothed in a simpler and more practical
form, might have carried an effective moral with
it. The hero of the story is afflicted with the
mysterious power to foresee certain scenes and
crises in .his own life, and also to know what is
passing in the minds of others. These faculties,
so often wished for, bring to him nothing but deso-
lation and despair. He sees the littleness and
selfishness of all about him—he sees his wife's
evil nature and hatred of himself, and life be-
comes a misery to him. He . knows the coming
events, but cannot alter them, and he has at length
the bitter consolation. of foreseeing his lonely
death. Had the story been less dreamy and
rhapsodical, had the poisoning and resuscitation
been omitted, and the wife made a mere ordinary
selfish, heartless woman, the story would have teen
more life-like, and we think more effective. How-
ever, it will doubtless please readers who admire
the abstruse and the horrible, and it carries a warn-
ing with it to those who would add the weight of
to-morrow to the burden of to-day. " The Luck
of Ladysmede" continues, and the story advances.
" Sentimental Physiology" is the title given to a
criticism on Michelet's work, " L'Amour' " which
truly deserves the name. Physiology and Psycho-
logy appear likely to add to the list of those sub-
jects which are analysed with such absurd minute.;
ness, and discussed with such elaborate exaggera-
tion, that the real truths which underlie the extra-
vagant superstructure are lost sight of, and few un-
initiated people have quite as clear ideas on the topic
as they had when the torrent of discussion began. The
novels of Jane Austen are reviewed at some length,
the critic affording her a high place in her art,
though he does not rank her among the first
novelists. The perfection of the art with which
she pourtrayed ordinary and commonplace indivi-
duals is, he thinks, her Feat claim to admiration ;
and though all may not. agree with his estimate of
her powers, few will deny that in this respect her
delineations are wonderful. A political article on
the change of Ministry need not be, expected to
show much mercy to the Coalition Cabinet. When
their own partisans and followers cannot conceal
the dissensions in the camp, it is not to be ex-
pected that their opponents will 'be more generous.
But, in truth, this article in Blackwood is not re-
markable for its advocacy of the late Government.
It expresses the opinion very generally felt among
impartial and clear-sighted observers—an opinion
which we ourselves, though of opposite politics to
have not hesitated to declare—that the pre-
sent Government, without a connected party or a
declared code of principles, displaced the late Ad-,
ministration on untenable grounds. After recalling
with succinctness and correctness the events of the
late crisis, the author concludes with a prophecy
which is just now somewhat general :
This new Coalition cannot last, It contains within
itself the seeds of its own speedy dissolution. The two
years which, to its own great detriment and humiliati an, the
nation accorded to the Coalition of 1852, will with this new
Coalition be considerably shortened. The Russian war was
; the naturalsfose2e2wlio can
factions in December, 1852, the Czar Nicholas rejoiced, sent
his congratulations to his ancicn 0101 the Premier, and be-
gan to get his troops in hand for the invasion of Turkey.
When the factions again triumphed, three weeks ago, the
French and Russian ambassadors openly rejoiced as they
deScended from the gallery of the house; and Louis Napo-
leon has already, doubtless, sent his congratulations to the
author of the Conspiracy Bill on his restoration to power.
But the British public regard the new regime with coldness
and suspicion. The new Ministry, it is true' are Liberals'
and their predecessors were Conservatives ; but it is some-
thing deeper than party-politics that now occupies the mind
of the nation. On the memorable night of the 10th ultimo,
when the Ministry had been defeated and the house was
breaking up—even at that late hour crowds thronged every
avenue- to the house ; and for 'whom did ' those crowds re-
serve their special marks of favour? Disraeli, the fallen
Minister, the representative of the defeated Government,
was loudly and warmly cheered : while Lord John Russell
was hissed I The time has gone by when the public will be
blindly led by party-names ; and a critical period has com-
menced in the history of this country, when the nation will
refuse to tolerate the triumph of heterogeneous factions at
the expense of the public good. Lord Derby retires from
office honoured by an extraordinary mark of his Sovereign's
favour, and two others of the Cabinet have been justly dis-
tinguisled by unusual proofs of the Royal esteem. The
country ratifies that verdict of approval. The Factions
triumphed by a stolen success. The Ministry was expelled
without being heard. But:the truth is already becoming
better known ; and we are confident that ere a year elapse
the Coalition will havo ended in disgrace."

Dublin University MaTJazine.
A new story, under the title of " Artist and
Craftsman," is commenced in this number. Its
author appears to possess a sincere love of art,
, and a full appreciation of its high aim and
purpose. The heroine is a young girl, the
child of an English father and an Italian mother,
who, possessing unusual musical abilities and force
of character, resolves to devote herself to an artistic
career. Bunsen's Egypt" with
career. The Rev. Dr. Hoicks criticises the meritc
his assertions, disproving
ecrointstraodficting
andseN. e r
idt eym,
his statements, and refuting 1 •
hislogic. The fifth
of the series of University Essays is by the Ven.
Archdeacon Rowan, and selects the .
curious
subject
of " Luther's Devil-Talk." The writer takes some
pains in answering the ridiculous charges brought
against the memory of the great Reformer by Bos-
suet, Ulenberg, and others. He gives
i copious ex-
tracts from the work referred to bGerman and in English. In ot lin the original
discussing the sub-
ject, he observes that the form
threw his arguments was
scarcely
linto which Luther
his
of irony was probably
apprehensions of the age in
which it appeared, while
the calumniators of every
age since have grasped at the pretext for repre-
senting the writer as having been literally ' the
ji,,
devil's scholar." remarks, however, that
allegory and veiled
satire was the style of the time
in which he wrote. Archdeacon Rowan enters
upon the question " as a point of literary inquiry
rather than of theol •
ogic controversy," and argues
without the acerbity too often found in discussing
such subjects. A new volume of poems, by Mr.
James Orton, author of the
' ' E ntliusiast," receives
an encouraging, but at the same time a discrimina-
tive, criticism. " Volanteering—New and Old"
is the title of an entertaining paper on the rifle
corps,moveinent of the present day, and similar pro-
ceedings fifty or Sixty years ago. "An address, to
the people of the British Isles, which is given, is
cited as "strangely applicable to the circumstances
of the present moment. With the alteration of a
couple of lines it might have appeared in the Times
a week ago ; and as a historical parallel, a com-
modity just now so much in vogue, it is highly in-
teresting." Among the numerous letters and rhymes
and reasons, some of which show more patriotism
than literary ability, we find one which appeared
in The Sun newspaper on the 29th of September,
1798. It was signed " A Loyal Volunteer," and
cast invidious reflections on " The First Batta-
lion of Liverpool Independent Volunteers." Great
was the wrath which this epistle excited in
the colonel, major, and other officers of the corps,
and we commend the reader to learn from the
article in.question the direful effects 'of their indig-
nation upon the offending Junius. A sketch of the
private and personal career of the first Duke of
Buckingham is worth perusal. It leaves the con-
sideration of his career as a statesman, for details of
his private life. The writer; admitting his errors,
submits that he is not to be entirely judged from
the verdict of the contemporaries who were full of
envy at the success of the court favourite, and con-
siders that he had smie noble qualities, while the
circumstances of his education and bsu sequent
career may plead some excuse for his errors. The
thirty-sixth exhibition of the Society of British
Artists is noticed at some length; but
the general
opinion of the critic is not very favourab7e.
Charles Lever's story of " Gerald
Fitzgerald, the
Chevalier," is brought to an abrupt termination.
The concluding instalment consists of
which relate an interview between Marietta
Fitzgerald and the Fin, who is proved to be O'Kelly,
e,
the associate of the Chevalier's
unfortunate father.