The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-01 00:00:00

TAIT'S MAGAZINE.

" The Church of England and the Dissenters'
is a question argued at considerable length, in a
very temperate and satisfactory spirit. It has
the merit of being penned at the right season,

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•

" Some late passages in the Life of John Bull"is'
an allegorical sketch, continued from the last two
numbers. It does not, however, like wine, im-
prove as it grows older. The writer, we are
sure, never imbibed his coarseness from Ar-
buthnot, whose " John Bull " is a master-piece
of quiet, gentle humour, running over in every
sentence, without the slightest tincture of pert-
ness or grossness. "The History of a Stone of
Taxed Flour" is meant to be stinging and
ironical, but is simply prosing and elaborate.
Mr. Elliott should stick to poetry. There he
shines a meteor, here he glimmers a rush-light.
Characteristics of the genius of Scott" is the
most acute metaphysical analysis of this master-
mind we have yet met with. Miss Martineau is
the writer—a lady who has lately distinguished
herself by her tracts on Political Economy.
Though a staunch Utilitarian, she has yet fancy
and feeling enough to enter deeplyinto the spirit
of Scott's writings. Our readers will be pleased
with this specimen of Miss Martineau's powers :

" The genius of Scott was not only innocent as the
imagination of a child•—all genius is so in itself—it was
also pure ; that is, it did not bring into combination with
itself any thing which could deteriorate its power, or defile
its lustre. His purity of thought and feeling was not of
the still and cold, but of the active and genial character.
It was not like the mountain snow, which is all whiteness
under common circumstances, but which, if by chance
melted, may be found to have held many dark specks con-
gealed within it; but rather like the running stream,
which catches light, warmth, and colouring, from all
substances through which it passes, and sweeps away, or
buries, all with which it has no affinity. No one can
dispute Sir Walter Scott's knowledge of life, and his in-
sight into the mysteries of society. He could have told,
more than most men, of the intrigues of Courts, the
licentiousness of Nobles, the secret revels of divers classes
of men, and the excesses which follow close on both the
gratification and disappointment of the stronger passions.
No one had a warmer sympathy with the stirrings in
men's bosoms, or could make larger allowance for frailty,
or feel more genially the pleisures of conviviality and other
social excitement ; yet no man was ever more remarkable
for• combining perfect purity of conception with truth and
freedom of delineation. He was himself temperate in his
habits as genial in his temperament; and his works are
like himself. The Templar, Varney, Mike Lambourne.
Christian Dalgarno, find each their place in his pictures of
life—they are not made the text of a sermon, but rather
allowed to speak for themselves in a not very sermon-like
style ; and the issue is, that they leave on the mind of
the reader not a single impression which can defile, but
instead, a conviction that, as respects the mind of the
author, they came and went, leaving no spot or stain
behind.

" Closely allied with the purity of Scott's genius was its
modesty—a modesty as astonishing to his distant admirers
as it ever was amusing to his near friends. It is scarcely
possible to imagine how, with his quick sense of the good
and the beautiful, he should have remained so innocent of
all suspicion of how touch there was of both in his own
works. If the ingenuousness of his mind had been less
remarkable than it was, there would have been a pretty
general suspicion that he was not above the common afftc.
tation of pretending to dispute the decision of the public;
but the entire simplicity of his speech and conduct place
his ingeniousness beyond question."

" Percy Bysshe Shelley" is passable, but tells
us nothing new respecting the peculiarities of
this gifted poet. The extracts are by far the
most interesting portion of the criticism.
" Aristocratics" is a clever, pungent notice of a
stupid novel bight the " Reformer," which, if
we mistake not, already sleeps with its predg-
cessor " Massenburg." " Spontaneous Com-
bustion" is a dull dialogue on board the Adelaide
Edinburgh steam-boat, between an Oxonian
and the C aptain of the vessel, on the subject of
the late semi-conflagration of Blackwood's and
Tait's Magazines. " Tait's Common-place
Book" is lively and miscellaneous.