The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-16 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
THE PALLADIUM: No. I.
An ingenious periodical under this title has just
been issued from the press, in the form of a monthly
publication. Like many of its predecessors and con-
temporaries, iti appearance is simultaneously made at
London and Edinburgh. Its abilities evidence the
judicious fusion of the intellects of the two countries.
The selection, moreover, of the subjects of criticism
for the initial number demands our fullest commen-
dation, according as those subjects do so fully and
entirely with the spirit of the age and with the pre-
dilections of our generation. After a sententious
introduction in the form of a sonnet, celebrating the
establishment of the Palladium, we have a shrewd
and admirable estimate of Carlyle's "Latter Day
Pamphlets," those eccentric effusions which have
already passed periodically under our own scrutiny.
Tee
.critic of the Palladium so far agrees with
ourselves in otjecting to Mr. Carlyle, that he can pull
down vigorously enough, but that he Jacks the capa-
bility of building up again afterwards, and that con-
sequently his labours as a political censor are rathiir
barren and unsatisfactory. He can show the
faults of the existing system plainly enough, but he
fails altogether in suggesting any plan for their ewer:-
dation. The narrative of the " Invasion of Nepaul,"
coming next, is particularly well-timed, considering
the recent arrival of the Napaulese Ambassador.
After this chapter from our oriental history, we have
an earnest and eloquent panegyric on Gilfillan's
" Literary Portraits "—the encomium upon that
author being energetic even to the extent sometimes
of being irnpasioned.! The writer of the article
is manifestly of a congenial temperament with the
subject of his eulogium—ready to descend at will
into the abysses of contemplation, or to soar into the
regions of enthusiasm. The following passage is a
noble, and, in :many respects, a correct and beautiful
commendation pronounced over the head of George
Gilfillan by a critic who is not afraid to warm into
eloquence:—

" Here is an author who has written con more of
;hirty-six characters; from Hall to Keats, from Dawson
;o Bailey, from Moore to Milton, from Cobbett to Shel-
ey, ff.(•m Pollok to Hood, from Jeffrey to Byron, from.
Brougham to Coleridge, from Bulwer to Carlyle. Here
is a clergyman who regards Cain not only as Byron's
noblest production, but as one of the finest poems in this
or any language. It is such a work as Milton, had he
been miserable, would have written.' Here is a critic
boldly renouncing his infallibility, 'Rosamond Gray,
that beautiful story of Lamb's, on which,, we once, we
regret to say, presumptuously passed an unfavourable
opinion, but which has since commended itself to our
heart of hearts.' Here is a poet believing that scientific
culture is sure to beget scientific calm,' and preaching
from the fulness of the belief. Here is the laborious
student, standing side by side with the poet, and 'so
listening to the melodies of nature, to the march of the
eternal hours, to the severe music of continuous thought,
to the rush of his own advancing soul, that he cannot
complacently lend an ear to the minstrelsies, however
sweet, of men however gifted.' Here is the essayist,
writing in five golden lines the noblest recipe of history,
a history forming a transcript, as if in the shorthand of
a superior being of the haling events of the age; solemn
in spirit, subdued in tone, grave and testamentary in lan-
guage, profound in insight, judicial in impartiality, and
final as a Median law in effect.' Here is the keen
censor who will resist the temptation of a great guilty
corpse, and feeling that 'mere criticism over such dread
dust is impertinent, mere panegyric impossible,' turn
from it sighing. Here is the genial sympathiser who
can place ' the Psalm of Life' among those odes by which
the children of Israel might have tuned their march
across the wilderness,' and listen to Tennyson's ' Two
Voices' till 'Death seems the one thing lovely in the
universe.' Here is an orthodox divine who proclaims
that' a powerful cause of our recent refined scepticism
may he found in the narrow, bigoted, and unworthy notions
of Christianity which prevail, in the obstinacy•with which
they are retained, and in the contrast thus presented
to the liberal and fluent motion of the general age.'
Here is a man, reverend and grown, who,l seeing
that never yet there was an age with so many young,
ardent, and gifted spirits,' can look without jealousy_ on
the youth he has left, and apostrophise the infant Her-
cules,' that young mind of the time,' with attesting love
and hope, and pride and prophecy. Here is a Celt who
speaks Scotch, and thinks British, and asks 'at' his Ca-
ledonian soul questions which it answers from either
side the Tweed. Here is a philosopher, the friend of
Carlyle, the panegyrist of Emerson, sitting, and in his
right mind,' at the feet of Christ. Here is a man, burn-
leg iu zeal, adamantine in faith, but who steps out to
spiritual combat with the difficulties of the day,
crying, It will not do now to skulk from
the field under a flight of nicknames. It will
not do to call our opponents miscreants and :mon-
sters. While we state their doubts let us pity the pain
and sorrow, amounting almost to distraction and despair,
which attended them; and let us inquire, if we have no
difficulties, may it not be because we have never thought
at all.' Here is the speculative enthusiast who can yet
turn from the ideal to the real, with eyes in which ' a
meek and humble disciple of Jesus,' is that noble moral
poem sublimer far than the ' Paradise Lost.' Ay, this
is the true Paradise Regained.' Here is a trained
theologian, who, looking at the religious authorship of
the day,' which represents the Deity as a dreadful king
of furies, whore dominion is oNershadiesed by ven-
geance, whose music is the cries of victims, and whose
glory requires to be illustrated by the ruin of his crea-
tion'—that authorship which would sacrifice ail the
!words of Cr' ation to the arbitrary interpretation of a
Hebrew particle,' or 'to prove Christianity the moat
acellent of the sciences, raves like a maniac against all
science, and cares less for sun, moon, and stars, than for
a farthing candle glimmering in the corner of a conven-
ticle,' cries out in indignant reprobation, This, indeed,
thank God, is not religion. Hero is one who has been
on the heights, tied into the depths of doubt, and every-
where finds them peopled by men and brothers; who
has dived into the mines of di:belief, wl ere the eye of
the indweller has lost capacity for sunshire—has stood
on that mount of confufsion where the sight is blinded
with bare light, and with the calm clear voice of sym-
pathy, lays bare the hearts of their inhabitants—the
sceptic of the eighteenth and the sceptic of the nine-
teenth centuries. Here is a comprehensive believer in
God and in man, who asks in hope, and hails in love
every human t ff,,rt to solve the great problems of tee
earth —who feels that to believe in man is an indispen-
sable requisite to a proper conception of the Deity'—
but looks for their highest resolution to that ' unearthly
advent, for which the weary world and wearier church
are beginning to pant with unutterable groanings.' Here
is the metaphysician, theologian, philosopher, censor,
student, poet, and critic, walking forth in his vocation,
with this maxim on his lips, his forehead, and his phy-
lacteries—' LOVE, AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.' "
Although differing diametrically from Mr. Gilfillan
in many of his opinions we gladly give insertion to
this recognition of his finer qualities, havir g been our-
selves among the very first to acknowledge his genius
and to welcome his advent. After a paper on the
" Scottish Educational Question," we find a trankla •
tion from the German of Wilhelm !huff, of "The
.Minister of Finance," which, with one or two other
contributions and miscellaneous notices, make up an
excellent first number of the Palladium.

LIEUT. GALE AND HIS BALLOON

AGAIN !

All London poured forth its denizens yesterday
along the banks of the Tnatnes, to witness the transit
from Lambeth to Cremorne-gardens of the Royal
Cremorne, now re-christened Royal Normandy 13a1-
loon, in the Citizen steamer A (or Mercer), Captain
Cud well, who had the honour of conveying his Roy al
Highness Prince Albert to the Coal-Exchange. The
sight was a most exciting one. The balloon was in-
flated at the London gas-works, and at five o'clock
was launched from the wharf on to the steamer, hav-
ing in the car the Gallant Lieutenant (who, from his
recent unexpected trip across the Channel, was an
object of extreme interest to the spectators), .Me.
Goulston Mr. Van Buren, and Mr. Dean. The boat
was tastefully decorated with flags, and accompanied
by Lewis's celebrated brass band, led by Mr. Chap-
man. The first grand effort was the partial ascent
from the steamer over Vauxhall-bridge, and descent
again into the steamer, in the performance of which
the venturous occupants of the car narrowly escaped
a ducking. After some trouble, amid the vociferous
remonstrances and instructions of Mr. Gale, the
balloon was again on the deck of the steamer,
pursuing its steady passage along the Thames,
and acting as a foresail to the vessel, the engine
remaining passive unless for steering purposes
all through the voyage. Having played at leap-
frog, as it were, with Battersea-bridge, the next task
was the invasion of the gardens, one of no ordinary
difficulty, the ornamental entrance and large trees
presenting obstacles to a triumphant undamaged
entree into the gardens. Nor were these obstacles
surmounted without slight injury to the baboon and
material damage to the entrance. The car struck one
of the lamp-posts, and bent it as if it were a sugar
cane. Tfe Lieutenant then threw out some ballast,
and obtained an ascending power, at the expense of
an entanglement amongst the branches of the lofty
trees on the Cremorne-lana side of the grounds.
Eventually a landing was effected amid the cheers of
the multitude, whose exclamations were accompanied
by the band [laying " Rule Britannia." On board
the boat were Mr. Simpson, the director of the gar-
dens ; Mr. Burney, the superintendent of the City
Steam, boat Company ; Mr. Ebenezer Landelle, the
ai:
et i
literary a a
worldnumber
rri ol
The arrangements
gentlemen
adopted
with
tl
Nlr. Burney were admirable, and too much praise
cannot be awarded to that gentleman fee his activity,
politeness, and perseverance. The gallant aeronaut
ascended past ten o'clock, di'charging a
shower ottrevi- half
fireworks from the car. The gardens were
greatly rigout
thronged.

PANORAMA OF CONSTANTINOPLF.—Iiis Excellency
the Turkish Arnbasador and suite honoured!, with a visit
yesterday the panorama of the Dardanelles, Constantinople,
and the Bosphorus, now being painted by Mr. Allom, at the
gallery adjoining the Polytechnic Institution. Ills Excel.
leucy expressed himself highly delighted with the fidelity
and beauty of the portion of the work which has been com-
pleted.

SIR ROBERT PEEL'S PAPERS.—We are informed,
on good authority, that the late Sir Robert Peel has left hi,
papers to Lord Mahon and Mr. Edward Cardwell, :cr.—
Liverpool XLion.