The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-03 00:00:00

Dublin University Magazine.

The first story is called "Artist and Craftsman."
It is well written, and the author evidently has
some purpose to work out in the details of the nar-
rative. Some effective scenes are introduced, and
the description of Mark Brandling is a good one ;
and there is also. discrimination displayed in the
account of Digby, who is a fine specimen of his
class, and reflects as much credit on his patrician
order as a man like Mark is an honour to the
middle station. Clara's character is as yet hardly
developed, but she gives promise of being some-
thing more than a mere singer, inasmuch as she has
feeling to understand the influence, and spirit to
enter into the higher beauties of her profession.
"Our Foreign Policy" contains reflections on Mr.
Stapleton's new work on " George Canning and his
Times." It is an article that well repays perusal.
It presents a spirited review of the policy which
distinguished Canning, and the general state of
affairs during the momentous epoch when he shone
so bright a star in the political constellation. It
is truly said " that no minister will ever play false
to England who represents her to foreigners as she
is. This was the distinction of Canning's policy ;
it stands out for this reason alone in the history of
the last half century. His likes and dislikes were
intelligible ; he liked what was English and dis-
liked what was unlike." Further on, it is stated
that the present day can see no successor to
Canning in his high and brilliant attainments, but
that if "we cannot have the great man, we can
have the same policy that he so distinctly marked
out for others to pursue." If the reader does not
altogether agree with the eulogiums passed'on the
subject of this criticism. He must be impressed
with the skill and ability which distinguish its
pages and the lofty spirit of independence which
characterises its language. This is not a tithe when '
the statesmen or the writers of the day should
depart from the old established rules that have
guided the course of enlightened rulers in carrying
out the principles of our constitution, in which, as
is here stated, " the great political problem of
maxima and minima has been solved, if it ever can
be solved on ;earth, given the greatest amount of
personal liberty to allow the least amount of public
license." There is a new story called " A Woman's
Sacrifice," which is effectively writen, and which
in its next instalment will probably contain a tragic
denouement. We are presented with a fifth num-
ber of that smart series of sketches called the "Season
Ticket," which is admirably adapted to the taste of
the admirers of wit and humour ; this division is
named " John Bull and his Diggin's." The anec-
dote about Dr. McNeill is very entertaining, and
gives a fair specimen of the style of this paper.
" The Royal Academy" takes a retrospect of the
works of art whose merits ,and demerits have en-
gaged the contemplation of so many during the
last few months. It is, on tke whole, written
fairly, and conveys a good. general impression of
the exhioition to those who have not seen it. In
the observations on the final paper, " Growling at
Peace," general dissatisfaction is.expressed at the
recent occurrences ; but the writer seems to imply
that no advantage could finally have been gained
to the cause of freedom by any interference on, the
~
part of a despot. Dr. M'Cosh's article on Sir
William Hamilton's Metaphysics" is carefully
written, and will interest the studious, who
will agree with what is here said, that in these
volumes "a master spirit has spoken, and will com-
mand attention."

Fraser's _Magazine.
" Shirley " contributes an interesting paper on
"The Boons of Buchan"
wanieh was famous of old in
"a title borne by the
Comyns. It is a name
ancienth
family who claimed it,
whose greatness in Sthe north; and the
cotland, says Buchanan, was
never equalled before or since, numbered
amongits
members many historical names. All their glory
and authority are now things of the past. " For
two centuries the chiefs of this great house were
among the Magnates Scotice. Not many families
of the same importance have' been more utterly
swept away. Some chance reference in an old
chronicle, a brief and confused page of the Scottish
peerage, a few crumbling ruins along the shores of
the northern sea, is all that remain to us of a house
that was once more powerful than the Crown.''
Leaving these records of olden days, we come to an
essay especially adapted to the toil and harass of
modern life. It is by the author whose discursive
meditations have often Appeared in Fraser. He
takes for his subject "llurry and Leisure," and
there is much truth and sound sense in his obser-
vations. The little time''really gained by over
exertion, the refreshment and inv',,goration of occa-
sional leisure, the food for thought and feeling
gained by relaxing a little the forced march so
many of us keep up, are all set forth ; and though
he strongly advocates the necessity of work in order
that we may enjoy leisure, he feels that at the pre-
sent day the opposite caution is the more needed.
The hie-pressure system so generally kept up among
professional men and men of business, has produced
many sad results in the breaking down of gifted
minds, or the premature decay of physical-powers.
There is much truth in the advice given, by the
writer to a young friend beg-inning. his parochial
life :—" Consider for how many hours of the day
you can labour without injury to body or mind;
labour faithfully for those hours, and, no more.
Don't pretend that you are always working ; it
would be a sin against God and nature if you were.

Say frankly, there is a certain amount of work
that I can do ; and that I will do ; but I must have
my hours of leisure." Many pleasant reflections
on various branches of his subject are interwoven
with these remarks, and the essay will well repay
the reader's perusal. " Holmby House" continues,
and brings us to the flight of the Queen and the
battle of Naseby. Another story, " Sword and
Gown," is proceeded with, and strews some
thorns on the lovers path of roses. Grave compli-
cations appear to be likely to arise in the plot, and
as each of the chief characters is pursued by an
avenging Nemesis, the reader has not much right
to expect a pleasant conclusion. "Alpine Litera •
ture" is the title of a very agreea'qe paper on some
of the volumes of travels which have lately re-
corded the wonders of the Alps. "A Candid
Man" furnishes us with some " Thoughts on Re-
served People," in which he sets forth the advan-
tages and superiority of a controlled and reticent
nature, frankly admitting that he does not belong
to that class. There may, however, be a difference
of opinion on this point; for, however, great the
advantages of self-possession and reserve on some
occasions, there are attractive qualities inseparable
from a frank and open nature. There are articles
of varying merits on other subjects, and the number
is on the whole an interesting one.

Colburn's United Service Magazine.
At the present moment, when .the subject of the
national defences is so much under discussion, the
contents of this magazine possess unusual interest.
"The Defence of London," " Our Military Orga-
nisation," and " The Admiralty—Old and New,"
are among the articles which treat most directly of
the topics of the day. A comparison of the cha-
racters and careers of the two Napoleons will pro-
bably attract many readers. From Camp to
Quarters," relates some of an officer's experiences
of life in India. "Notes on Military Science" are
continued, and give some details of the battles of
Agincourt and Bosworth. The fourth chapter of
" The History of the Campaign of 1848 in Lom-
bardy" records the repulse of the ,Austrians at
Goito, the storming of the Monti Berici, the
loss of Rivoli and the subsequent pause in the cara-
paign. A paper entitled "A Professional Visit to
Portsmouth "is well worthy of perusal. It sets
forth strongly .the necessity of our naval efficiency,
and traces the evils and defects at present existing
to two primary causes—prejudice and ignorance,
" prejudice on the part of the officers and those
officially connected with the service, and ig-
norance—but too often the offspring of indif-
ference—on the part of the public." Other
questions of national importance are discussed
in this magazine, which presents the reader with
a considerable amount of practical and authorised
information on topics which at this time are press-
ing much upon public attention. The editor's port-
folio and the military and naval intelligence, to-
gether with a list of the stations of the army and
navy, are as usual, given at the conclusion.

Colburn's New Monthly Magazine.
" Coming Again," by the author of " Ashley," is
a continuation of those tales that have represented
so forcibly the sad destiny that waited on the for-
tunes of the Lord of Ponameroy. The present
instalment is not quite so effective as the others ; it
chiefly relates to the terrors experienced by certain
of the inmates of the Abbey on beholding the ghost
of the murdered master. Alice cannot attract
much interest in consequence of having been so
weak as to consent to a union with one so repul-
sive as Guy, and also her faith in Rupert could not
have been very secure, or she would not have be-
lieved what was told her against him. " Notes on
Noteworthies" has for subject this time Christina
of Sweden, which is, as may be supposed, a very
interesting one, and which, it will be found, is well
done. This is one of the best features of this
magazine—the custom of chronicling every month
tile details of the life of some distinguished per-
sonage. The accounts are for the most part given
in a manner which displays considerable
research and ingenuity. The interesting series
entitled " Stereoscopic Glimpses," has for its
sixth number " Johnson at Streatham.'
The verses are remarkable for their descriptive
power of the place, and for the thoughts which the
twilight suggests of other scenes and forms of long
ago, whose shadowy presence haunt the hours of
'evening. The article on the Treaty of Villafranca
is the political one of the number, but it does not
throw much light on the subject, and appears to
disagree with the neutrality policy, which, it re-
marks, has deprived us of a glorious opportunity of
keeping France in check; but we are not informed
as to the particulars of the lost chance, which will
puzzle many readers to discover for themselves.
Some stories are continued as the tale of the
Princess Sophia and " My friend Pickles," and the
paper on " Frederick the Great and Voltaire" is
full of information and enlivened with anecdote.

Miscellang.

" Abroad and at Home," is the title of the open-
ing paper, which gives a brief sketch of the present
aspect of affairs on the Continent and in England.
" Onida" contributes another of his love stories, of
average merit and interest. It must be confessed
that he always maintains the superiority of honest
affection over the mere accumulation of wealth.
Monkshood, in his " Mingle-mangle," treats of the
Didactic novel. He objects to the intrusive pre-
sence of the moral, and recommends that it should
be inferred rather than forced upon the reader to
the injury
of injury of the artistic construction or natural
flow the
tale. Thenumerous quotations which
author introduces,
this
and his pleasant and
cultivated style, render his articles attractive
to
many readers.
Apaper on " Honore de
Balzac," traces ` his literary career, and dis-
cusses his capabilities. " The Barred-up Rooms"
is the title of the continuation of the story of
Blanche Level. The mystery, of the attempted
murder is explained, and the affair is satisfactorily
arranged, but the story is not a pleasing one. " The
story of Francesco Novello da Carrara" is continued,
but the real subject of the memoir is not reached as
the writer is occupied by a preparatory description
of the troubled state of Italy, torn by internecine
conflicts and distracted by the plots and intrigues
of her rival rulers. The life of the subject of this
memoir is an interesting episode in the history of
" The Italian Peninsula," and is well worthy of
reproduction in this form. Dudley Costello pro-
ceeds with his story of " Gurney, or Two Fortunes,"
A paper on ," Armes de Precision,' discusses the
merits of various descriptions of fire-arms. An
article on " Alexandre Dumas in the Caucasus,"
contains some amusing accounts of that executive
writer's adventures among the vild tribes of the
Cossacks. Walter Thornbury contributes a ballad
on Madame de Pompadour which, we regret to say,
has little to recommend it.

The Universal Review.

There are some excellent articles met with in this
magazine, that on " Alpine Books and Alpine
Travelling," is most appropriate at the present time
when so many are hastening away to enjoy the
luxury of change of scene and respite from toil, in
the far famed regions of the Alps. In the course
of these remarks many books are referred to, which
have lately appeared on the subject, conspicuous
among which is an admirable one which has
recently been published, entitled " Peaks, Passes,
and Glaciers,',' in which no ordinary opportunities
occur to the traveller who seeks information, or the
stay-at-home who desires amusement. Other
works of a superior class are mentioned, and the
general style of this paper is such that there is
every reason to suppose that the hope expressed at
the conclusion will be realised, that " some out of the
Multitude who in the course of a few weeks will oe
scattered over the mountains and valleys of that mag-
nificent land, may derive from the perusal of these
pages, hints by which the pleasure or profit of their
journey may be increased." The article on Mr.
Gladstone is an excellent one, and it is emi-
nently distinguished for a high standard of prin-
ciple, which, at the present time, it is so desirable
to see inculcated. When so remarkable a man
as Mr. Gladstone displays not only indifference to
public opinion, but indifference to that consistency
of conduct which places a man on such a vantage
ground as enables him to direct and control the
community, it is a subject of general regret, and
his late actions have certainly not redounded to his
credit as a statesman. It is truly stated that the
Conservative party has a right to be indignant
with the conduct of Mr. Gladstone. He defended
their Reform Bill, and " after having declared, by
his last vote of all, that he considered them en-
titled to the confidence of the country, he turns
round immediately and joins a set of men whose
conduct, if Lord Derby did merit the confi-
dence of the country, is simply infamous,
who are only to be vindicated from the grossest
and most reckless selfishness on the supposi-
tion that Mr. Gladstone was totally in the wrong
both in his support of the Reform Rill and his op-
position to the vote of censure." It is subsequently
stated that "'common fairness demands that Mr.
Gladstone should speak out like an Englishman,
and let us know what are' his real reasons ; for
that, as no sacrifice that can be seen was required
of him in taking offipe under a Conservative Go-
vernment, and innumerable ones exist in his doing
so under a Liberal one, his conduct towards his
quondam friends and associates is not just. The
writer concludes this forcible article by declaring
that " the unpopularity of Gladstone at Oxford is
not to be wondered at, and that the instincts of
seven or eight hundred cultivated and high-spirited
young men are not to be despised." This is true ;
and that conduct is seldom to be admired which
cannot attract the sympathies of the young, who
regard little the conventional auperiorities of life,

but whose highest impulses are kindled by the dis-
play of generous feelings, and who can always,
appreciate the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the noblest
actions that adorn and elevate humanity, with
more fervour than is to be met with in the time-
worn wayfarer of the crooked paths of the world.
Among other subjects noticed, there is Tennyson's
new work, of which a favourable impression is re-
corded ; and a criticism of the Musical Season pre-
sents a paper worthy of attention.