The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 3, 1859.

THI111) EDITION.

THE _MAGAZINES.

Blackwood's Magazine.

Fraser's Magazine.

"A Week in Florence" is an animated sketch of
a residence in that fair city, and many descrip-
tions are ably given. The first day was rendered
remarkable by a fog. A ludicrous picture is
drawn of the contrast presented between the com-
forts of an English home, and the ,defective ap.
pliances that there exist to defend one from the
outward atmosphere. The following days are fully
occupied with various visits to the chef d'oeuvres of
art, some of which are related in an impressive
manner. The four chapters of the Luck of Ladys-
mede" advance the story considerably, and are more-
over full of adventure, and display many exciting '
passages. The reader feels interested in the un-
fortunate old abbot, Martin, whose kindness of
heart redeems in some degree his laxity of dis-
cipline in the government of his monastery. The
clouds begin to gather darkly over his head, and
his existence goes far to prove that the calm of the
cloister consisted more in words than reality, since
all the passions and prejudices of the outer world
were sown broadcast in the retreat, and flourished
the more vigorously, as they had nothing from
without to rival them in the thoughts of the brothers.
The bold awl unscrupulous temper of Sir Godfrey
at last seems to burst through all restraints, and to
be determined to give vent to all its fierce feelings
whoever might stand in the way. In the next
division of this tale it is most likely that many
More important occurrences will be registered.
There is an elaborate criticism on the "Idylls of
the King," which is in its general tone distinguished
for discrimination and taste, though of the two the
writer is rather too favourably disposed
towards Tennyson. It is a most interest-
ing paper to study, as the most important
points of the books are described, and the
characters of the poems subjected to a careful
analysis. There is nothing to differ from in the
general purport of the opinions expressed regard-
ing the superiority of the two last Idylls over the
former ones. It is said that Tennyson is a poet
who dwells more with contemplation than action ;
his story seems often a trouble to him to tell, there-
fore it is better that it should be simple, Concluding
with these remarks—
Even his best characters do not stand alone, and reveal
themselves wholly to us by their own words and deeds—
the rare prerogative or ',no c.catioaaof the greatest masters
of song; he is forced to eke them out by much description,
mediate or immediate; and therefore they rather resemble
sonic of those works of early Italian art, where much dra-
pery oonceals the defects of the figure, while the head looks
forth on us with almost angelic beauty, than the men and
women, instinct throughout with life, of Italian art in its
perfection. He rises very high sometimes, but he has not
strength of wing for very long flights. Therefore he has
done most wisely not to attempt an Epic, in which he must
have failed (the names of those who, in any age or country,
have succeeded in that truly great attempt are soon counted),
but to devote instead four short poems to tho earliest tradi-
tions of his country. Of these, we wish we could say that
all are worthy alike of their subject and of their author;
but at least the two last will spread the renovated renown
of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, far as the English
language extends; and (far different from their ancient
prose predecessors, the reading of which the unhappy Fran-
cesca remembers in the shades below to deplore as the in-
strument of her destruction), will by the pure and lofty
sentiments which they tend to foster, as well as by the de-
light they cannot fail to give, make no inconsiderable addi-
tion to the great debt of gratitude which his country al-
ready
owes to her worthy son, Alfred Tennyson.

Captain Speke's discovery of the Victoria
Nyanza Lake, the supposed source of the Nile, as
recorded in his journal, is one of those publications
all must feel a wish to become acquainted with:
There is always something attractive in the descrip-
tion of that river whose source has for so long been
a mystery, and the mention of the problem being
solved is sufficient to arouse curiosity and excite
interest to the highest degree. It is,' therefore, to
be expected that few will leave this journal of
Nilotic adventnre unperus....d. There is an article on
the "Future of India," that contains some very wise
remarks on the state'of affairs. It is said that" the
whole question of Indian government has become a
military question." Further on the writer adds
that they are sadder and wiser men than they
were, feeling the burden of a terrible nightmare
clinging to them. Hence arises the ardent desire
so universally felt to get home, while most married
men will consider that India is no longer. a place
for women and children, and therefore a
life there will comprise more hardships than
before. The paper concludes by observing that
the " greatest danger that lies before us at
present is the discontent Which is convulsing not
the native but the European mind." These are
solemn facts to dwell upon, and it would be well if
they were more generally regarded, as all are too
prone to think when the victory is gained that all
danger is over, and neglect needful preparations
until a new difficulty arises and a new stormbursts
forth. The papers on " The French on Queen
Mary," and Vaughan's " Recollections in English
History," are well written, and present. a variety
to the more heavy ones on political subjects of the
tour. The former is the most noticeable, and
claims attention.

Dublin University.
" Artist and Craftsman " is continued in a very
long instalment. The story is well written, and
presents us with many varied phases of character.
Clara Jerningham is a strange yet attractive being,
who, notwithstanding all her endeavours to keep
herself as retired as possible, is continually be-
coming mixed up with momentous affairs, and at
last is obliged to quit the country where she had
earned so much applause. On the whole, this tale
is a very exciting one. There is a paper on " The
Marshals of Napoleon the Great," which is well
worthy of perusal. It is only a short sketch, but
replete with stirring records, as it tells of men who
were suddenly called from a humble station to fill
a place in history. They are here described as
"Children of Mars, baptised in fire and blood—a con-
stellation of war-stars. What a halo, ruddy with
the reflections of the battle fields, gleams around
the grim warrior-heads of Napoleon and his mar-
shals ! What a master, and what men !" There
is an article on " W. M. Thackeray—Satirist
and Humorist" —"which is most interesting and
entertaining. This is the first part, which treats of
his earlier miscellaneous writings. Few will hesi-
tate to accord the subject of this memoir a high
place among the literati of his age, and it will be
acknowledged by the readers who can appreciate
his excellencies that ample justice has been ren-
dered in these pages to his brilliant talents and
estimable qualities. One of Thackeray's most en-
thusiastic admirers was the late lamented Charlotte
Bronti: and mention is here made of his portrait
being installed as the most cherished of all her
household gods, where it even now remains " upon
the wall of a little old-fashioned sitting-room, on
the ground floor of:a mourn ful-looking house upon the
borders of a churchyard hid away among the wild
moors of Yorkshire." One of the most noticeable
incidents here recorded is that which chronicles
the turning point in the career of this eminent man,
when he relinquished the day-dreams of his youth
and turned his thoughts to letters—abandoning
art. Mr. Thackeray himself gave an account of it
when speaking at the National Gallery on the sub-
ject of Literature :
" Had it not been," he said, " for the direct act of my
friend who has just sat down, I should most likely have
never been included in the toast which you have been
pleased to drink ; and I shsuld have tried to be, not a writer
but a painter or designer of pictures. That was the object
of my early ambition ; and I can remember when Mr.
Dickens was a very young man, and had commenced de-
lighting the world with some charming humorous works,
of which I cannot mention the name, but which were
coloured light green, and came out once a month ; that this
young man wanted an artist to illustrate his writings ; and
I recollect walking up to his chambers with two or three
m
drawings in y hand, which, strange to say, he did not
find suitable. But for that unfortunate blight which came
over my artistical existence, it would have been my pride
and my pleasure to have endeavoured one day to find a
glace on these walls for one of my performances."
An eighth number of the " Season Ticket" fur-
nishes a fund of amusement by its spirited style
and satirical comments. Its title this time is " Our
Neighbours and Distant Relations." The sketches
of Heinrich Heine and Jaques van Artevelde are at-
tractive in their different ways. The great
German poet is sufficiently celebrated
for
his name to secure attention, and it is
satisfactory to follow his career as it is hero
traced before us. It is observed that till the appear-
ranee of Mr. Bowring's translations, of his works
the productions of Heine were not familiar to Eng-
lish readers, but it is to be hoped they will now
rank with English classics. In the eventful life of
J. Artevelde there is enough to form material for
an exciting article, and such is the one now before
us. The Flemish patriot shared the fate of many of
his race in his life of turmoil, his violent death, and
in the misrepresentations of his enemies which sur-
vived himself. The career of this man is—one
among many of the mediaeval records that are en•
compassed with perils and replete with strife.

A very able paper on two' of the great chiefs of
modern Parliamentary warfare arrests the attention
of the reader of Fraser. It is entitled " Pitt and
Canning—Fifty Years of Parliamentary History,"
and is from the pen of the writer who signs him-
self " Shirley," and whose productions are generally
distinguished by moderation and refinement. It is
not difficult to discover in the present instance to
which side his predilections incline him. The two
great Tory leaders are the owners of his political
allegiance, though his criticisms 'are often fair and
unbiassed. The fifty years which terminated with
the death of Canning are those which he
passes in review—that eventful half century which
saw the French Revolution and the European war,
the :close of the life of the great Commoner, the
political warfare of Pitt and Fox, and the career