The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-02 00:00:00

LONDON,

THE MAGAZINES.
BLACKWOOD.

Little enough is there congenial to the merry
month of May in the pages of Blackwood, yet as ever,
in some sort, is Maga delectable. The most remark-
able contribution after that of dear old Christopher,
No. VII. of " Dies Boreales," is the paper written by
Professor Gregory on "German Popular Prophecies ;"
wherein the Professor seems to intimate with a de-
lightful credulity that some such realisation of pro-
phecy as the following may he expected to take
place before the expiration of the present year :-
1, A great war concluded by a battle, in which the
East and the North shall be conquered by the South
and the West; 2, The appearance of a powerful
Prince, who shall arise as the conqueror, being
thereupon constituted the Emperor of Germany ;
3, A terrible massacre of the priests ; 4, The
dethronement of the King of Prussia ; 5, Absorption
of all the churches of Christendom into the one Ca-
tholic religion. Remembering how our venerable Ebony
was bewildered somewhile back by the Previsions
of Orval, afterwards proved to be fabrications,
we are not surprised to find that this strange and
all-believing article should be accompanied by the
name of its writer, Professor Gregory, thereby re-
moving the responsibility of its credulousness from
Blackwood. N orth and Talboys have a delightful
discussion between three and six o'clock A.M., while
Seward and Buller are still snoring—their
confab being only brought to a close by the
sounding of the breakfast gong l Mingled with
the most bewitching facetiousness, their
dialogue is characterised by the most subtle analyses
in the way of poetical criticism, Christopher himself
growing unusually eloquent. Mr. " Alison's Political
Essays,' collected recently from the pages of this
eminent publication, are noticed in terms befitting the
magazine which has been illustrated by his genius
and industry. Dissenting as we do, of course, dia-
metrically from the commercial faith of Blackwood,
we yet say that the paper entitled " Tenor of the
Trade Circulars" is deserving of a careful examina-
tion. Nor do we shrink from acknowledging the
amusement with which we have perused the hu-
morous lines headed " The Penitent Free-Trader."
Surely " Tuffnell" himself will laugh, an he have
any powers of risibility. " The History of a Regi-
ment during the Russian Campaign" is a genuine
Blackwood paper, nervous, eloquent, arresting, and
powerful. It affords another awful illustration of the
woes and calamities of that most wonderful enter-
prise when the modern Sesostria, with kings and
emperors as his satellites and lieutenants, penetrated
into the deserts of Russia, with the largest army
ever collected together by man, and took up his
abode in the castellated palace of the Kremlin. The
article has been suggested by Lieut.-General de
Fezensac's recently published work descriptive of the
destiny which befell his own regiment. Part six of
" My Peninsular Medal" reveals yet more visibly the
boisterous hilarity of disposition peculiar to the con-
tributor, a liveliness and esprit that would have made
him welcome to the table of Major Monsoon, the
home of Captain Blake, or the stable of Lieutenant
Hinton. "Free Trade Finance" is a Protectionist
nut which Sir Charles Wood will, of course, relish
amazingly • and " Greece Again," being a diatribe
upon his Athenian policy, will be equally delightful
to Lord Palmerston. " The Modern Argonauts" is
little better than the most ordinary of political pas-
quinade ; but the nzorceau from " Ovid's Spring-
time," rendered by Mr. Ay toun, the gifted author of
the "Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers," is deliciously
seasonable. Such are our pencilled annotations on
turning over the pages of the May number of Black-
wood.