The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-10 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN REVIEW, No. I.

Ridgway. London. 1835.
Like most first Numbers, this is got up with consi-
derable care, especially as regards the selection of arti-
cles, which are very skilfully varied, and some of which
are said to be the production of writers well known by
their political and philosophical acquirements. The

principles of the Review, as laid down at some length
in the prospectus, are decidedly liberal. " Through-
out Europe," observes the writer, " an anxious struggle
is going on between liberal and anti-liberal opinions,

or, if we may so describe it, between the voluntary and.
compulsory principle of Government. After what we
have already expressed, it is scarcely necessary for us

to declare our warm attachment to the former. INT

should be glad to see England take a more generous
view of the contest, which is shaking the throne of the

despot, and encouraging the hopes of every sincere
lover of freedom. Her insular position cannot now, as
formerly, protect her from foreign interference. The

power of steam has thrown a bridge over the channel.
which separates her from the Continent—a bridge •
which no storm can shatter. Her liberty can no
longer exist alone. If sympathy with others be Avant- .
ing, self-defence should awaken her to the necessity of
taking unequivocally one side or the other, iil a con-
tention of principle, where the crisis is not ;nay
inevit-
able, but fast approaching." In this manly and en-
lightened spirit, all the articles that have reference to
the Continental policy of Great Britain are written,
especially the one on Russia, in which, without being
an alarmist, the writer endeavours to impress on his
countrymen the necessity of keeping a close and con-
stant watch on even the slightest movements of this
most crafty and ambitious of all European States. We
recognize in this essay the reasoning of one who is a.
thorough master of his subject. " France," though:
not so ably written, is yet far above the ordinary run
of such disquisitions, and advocates the opinion that
the " tendency of the public mind among our neigh-
bours is towards a purely popular Government."
None can wonder that such should be the case, in a
country where a Citizen Monarch, raised to power on
the shoulders of the republicans of the barricades, is
daily endeavouring to encroach on the principles of the
Constitution, and establish a system of Government as
despotic as ever was consolidated by Napoleon. The
article on " Poland" does justice to the characters of
the traduced patriots who figured in the last revolution ;
but the Reviewer writes, as if in despair of the resur-
rection of that oppressed kingdom. We have no such
apprehensions, The day of the restoration of Polfisit
independence may indeed be far distant, but cornt it
will, as surely as that to-morrow's sun shall rise.
" Corporation Reform" was written previotl3
to the
introduction of Lord John Russell's Bill
observes
sub-
ject ; but alluding to it in a postcript, serves that
'
" it is based on sound principles, and appears well cal•
culated to reform the abuses of which so many exam-
ples have been shown in the preceding pages; In. the
" Taxes on Knowledge," the question of a Rer,eal of
these obnoxious imposts is ably argued, and Vae Re-
viewer expresses himself favourable to their removal.
" State of English Literature" is amusing, though,
somewhat superficial. We cannot ho)d with the,
writer's estimate of 'Wordsworth, who, as a poet, un-
questionably possesses more originality than he seems;
willing to accord him. There are few more impreFe.
sive things in the language, than Eis lines " on re-
visiting the banks of the Wye ;" on the " old critic
of Loch-Awe ;" and that masterly sonnet address ,ed to
Sir W. Scott, just previous to his departure for Italy,
which, for the propriety of its imagery, and the feli-
city of its diction, is unsurpassed by any pcsem of the
same length with which we are acrainted. The allu-
sion, in this last gem, to " the setting sun's pathetic
light," is quite in the Shakspearian vein of descrip-
tion. In his essay on the " Quadruple Treaty," the
Reviewer indulges in some preliminary remarks on the
general character of the foreign wars of England, which
betray marks of considerable haste and negligence.
Speaking of our policy in this respect, he says, " It
has been directed with invariable success, to prevent
the preponderance of any one State ; fortunately suc-
cess, from geographical causes, has never led us into
schemes of incorporation,or foreignEurop€.an dominion."'
If this be so, how is it that we have so often, under thf.:
reigns of the Henries, watered with our best blood the
plains of France ? Not surely in self-defence, but
from a principle of wanton aggression—that same prin-
ciple to which we so tenaciously clung, even wien jus-
tice and common-sense against us, that it is o►.tly the
other day we have made, and acted on, the diF icovery,
that the King of England is not, " by th e Grace
of God," King of France also ! In another part -
of his essay, the Reviewer, following •up the same
notion, which seems to be a favourite., with him,
observes, " England has had foreign wars, bat
they have not been wars of invasion ;"- forget-.
ting, apparently, the wars waged against Fran-
cis the Pirst, by Henry the Eighth, at the in
stination of Charles the Fifth, for no other rr..asf jn
than that, by engaging in them, he might, tl.irly agh
the influence of Charles with the Vatican, pro cure
a divorce from his third wife. Again, thr, Rey: jewel