The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-24 00:00:00

LITERAT&E.

- *t4%

TO tilt OF A GERMAN PRINCE.
FOUR VOLUMES. LONDON, 1832.
Having been furnished. with an early copy of
Prince Puckler Muskati's concludin volumes
of travels, we take the opportunity of offering
a few cursory observations on them. They are
penned in the same free, reckless, off-hand spirit
as the two former ones, and exhibit the same
iniXtiire of acute observation anti droll carita-
ture. In one respect, however, they are mate-
rially different from their predecessors, inas
Much as they deal less in exuberant scenic de-
scriptions, and more in sketches (for they are
seldom any thing else) of men and mariners.
The Prince is nti blind) obtuse traveller lie Is,
what his portrait in the frontispiece betokens
him to be, a shrewd, caustic observer, fond of
novelty and enterprise) and sufficiently a man of
the world to make himself at home in whatever
country, or among whatever class of people -he
may chance to find himself. In his politics he
Is a Liberal on a broad scale ; though every
now and then we detect an aristocratic bias,
which almost induces us to suspect that in ad-
vocating liberal principles, Prince Puckler Mus-
kau is consulting rather fashion than inclination.
Another of his hobbies is the profession of a
perfect freedom from all the frivolities of cant and
'dandyism : he perpetually apes the philosopher ;
yet has chosen to have his portrait taken in full
military uniform, emblazoned with a gorgeous
profusion of stars, medals, ribbons, epaulets, &c.
distinctions which he would fain have us believe
he looks down on as being. beneath the
notice of a philosopher ! As a touch of
character this is very amusing. One of the
chief faults we find with these volumes, is the
repeated sneers that the author indulges in
against our English habits and society. No
doubt many of our peculiarities (arising for
the most part from our secluded and insular po-
sition) must appear deserving of ridicule in the
eyes of a foreigner, still we may safely assert,
that there are more serviceable hints to be de-
rived by foreigners from Englishmen, than Eng-
lishmen are ever likely to derive from foreigners.
We do not, however, lay any very great stress
on the Prince's prejudices in this respect, for
though an active and sagacious traveller, he is
evidently one of those whose lively fancy is apt
to get the better of their discretion. His mind
is ever on the wing, hopping from subject to
subject, like a swallow from spray to spray,
without ever dreaming of, or even seeming to
require, halt or rest. The consequence of this
excursive, desultory habit, is a want of sobriety
of thought, and strict attention to facts, without
which no professed volumes of travels, however
amusing they may be, can possess a permanent,
settled interest with the public. With cooler
habits of reflection, with less haste, and less
zealous adherence to first impressions, the author
would have made a more valuable, though per-
haps a less entertaining, work. However, even
as it is, we are well off; having been much
gratified by the perusal of volumes, which would
deserve approbation, were it only for the masterly
analytical spirit in which they pourtray the park
scenery of England. We subjoin an extract re-
lative to the well-known Lady Hester Stanhope :
" In the evening, after wandering to four or five places
in search of something interesting, I at last fixed myself
at Lady —'s, where I was riveted by the conversation
of a Captain --, a half-German who is just returned
from the East, and gave a very interesting account of his
travels. Among other things he told me the following
strange anecdotes of Lady !hater Stanhope, a niece of
Pitt's, who left England many years ago, turned Arab,
and has established herself in Syria.
" She is now honoured by the Arabs as a prophet, lives
with all the state of a native Princess, and seldom allows
Europeans to see her.
" After a great deal of trouble Captain gained ac-
cess to her. The first thing she required was his promise
that he would not write anything about her. This vow
being made (luckily I am bound by none such), she was
cheerful and conversable, and talked with equal ease and
cleverness. She made it no secret that she had renounced
the Christian faith, and at the same that she still looked
for the appearing of the true Son of God, before whom
she was appointed to prepare the way. Hereupon she
shewed the Captain a noble Arab mare, which had a
curious bony excrescence on the back, exactly in the form
of a saddle. This horse,' said she,—with a look of which
Captain declared he was still in doubt whether to
a'crihe to madness or to a desire to hoax him,—' This
horse God has saddled for his own Son, and woe to the
man who shall dare to mount it ! Under my protection
it awaits its true master.'
" She afterwards assured him, en passant,' that Adam
was still living, and that she knew perfectly the place of
his concealment, but would not reveal it.
" The lady of the house listened to his narration, and
assured him that Lady Hester had been only quizzing
him; for that she had known her well, and that never
had woman a clearer, more determined, and at the same
time more astute mind. For a person of such a character,
she has made a good exchange in renouncing Western for
Eastern life. She rules; she is free as bird in air; while
in the centre of civilization she would never have been able
to subtract herself from the slavery which must ever re-
main, mote or less, the dark side of civilized life."

HINTON'S HISTORY AND TOPOGRA-
PHYOF THE UNITED STATES OF
NORTH AMERICA.
PLATES'. PARTS 26,
27, 28, 29, 30, 31. LONDON. 1832.
If there is one country in the world. that
should above all others more especially awaken
the curiosity, stimulate the enquiry, and interest
the sympathies of Englishmen, that country—
from its original and present and peculiar re-
lationship with Great Britain—its manners, its
language, its literature, its laws, and its probable
future destinies—that country is the United
• States of North America ; and yet, unaccount-
able and incredible as it may seem, almost every
thing relating to that wonderful country and its
enterprising people, is received by the majority
of English readers in every class of life with in-
difference at least, if not with absolute apathy.
The paltry intrigues and movements of the most
petty Courts of Europe are daily translated for
the columns of our newspapers, while the gigantic
undertakings and the increasing grandeur of a
mighty nation, bound to us by every tie of
similarity and relationship, are scarcely deemed
worthy of remark. Indeed, the comparative igno-
rance of otherwise well-informed people in this
country, with. regard to the United States, is
beyond belief ; and we have often times been
highly amused, as well as astonished, at observa•
tions and questions on the subject, which would
have made the authors themselves blush did they
refer to any European State.
These remarks were suggested on glancing
over the new numbers of the work of Mrs.
Hinton, which have just issued fivm the press ;