The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE MAGAZINES, &c.
BLACKWOOD.. _

A ljnit,fluenced by the genial effects ariaing from the
'awil of a beautiful summer, we regret to find that
dear old Christopher is rather crusty. The " leafy,
month of June" seems to have dropped a little bitter-
sess into his temperament by anticipation. His first
outpouring is altogether acrid in its flavour, being a
14°St sarcastic torrent of sneers and sarcasms, poured
out with an unstinting hand upon the devoted head
Air. Thomas Carlyle. The opportunity for so do-
,ng is seized in the way of a criticism upon the
• Latter Day Pamphlets." And certainly we must
confess that no writer ever held out so many irresist-
ible temptations to ridicule as the author of these
them
eccentric productions. Unless the reader of
-is prepared at the very outset to make large
allowances for a rugged mannerism that has grown
Into a sort of uncouth second-nature, the lucubrations of
the
publicist must appear simply an accumulation of
extravagances. It has been thus with Blackwood, who
comments upon the work in the most irate and
scornful mood imaginable. " Mr. Thomas Carlyle,"
deal of his leisure time to the denunciation of shams
and of all the shams in existence this same critic seems
to conceive that Mr. Thomas Carlyle is himself the
fiOSt egregious. The paper is worth reading—if
tanlY as a specimen of ironical and satirical composi-
s• Equally amusing is the metrical " skit" en-
"tied the " Hungarian Joseph," in which Mr. Hume
13 apostrophised as—
" Our solitary Joe!"

lay Peninsul;.r Medal" proceeds in dashing style,
and indicates a sound digestion in the old
Peninsular. Mr. Albert Smith's recent book,
:4 Month at Constantinople," is reviewed
'er7 favourably, and affords the materials
the subject for a most interesting article. Mr.
'amith ought assuredly to enshrine in a supplement
t 0 the next edition of the work that most facetious
personage,
bight " undecided Mr. Parker," whom he
al SO quaintly and graphically described in his re-
rot monologue. A most entertaining chapter fol-
°wB this, upon the vicissitudes of the Opera of late
Years in London, and upon the artistic resurrection
Of the celebrated vocalist Madame Sontag. From
this contribution we cannot resist quoting the follow-
tag amusing anecdotes upon a great maestro :
b" Rossini's desperate idleness and hitbits of procrasti-
‘tion are proverbial. On more than one :occasionpersonal restraint was resorted to, to compel the. fulfil
meat cf his engagements. Thus, at Milan, sentinels
Zero placed at his door 'and no exit allowed him, until
'3 had completed an opera of which the two first acts
viere already in rehearsal. Barbaja, the celebrated
im-
presario, kept him for some time prisoner in his palace
°II the Naples It Toledo, refusing him liberty until he
eulti have composed l long-promised opere
a of
rnanstrances were disregarded by thflexible
manager so Rossini set to work, and, with his usual
fseility, soon sent clown a portion of the score, headed
4htreduzione. This was transmitted to the copyist; but
the same evening Rossini applied for it again, on pretext
iinalteration. Next morning another MS. reached Bar-
ti:Ja, inscribed Carolina. It fpllowed its predecessor t 3
0 copyist, and, in like manner, was re-demanded for
ec'rre • correction.Barbaja gleefully rubbed his hands at tind-
lug that these revisions did not delay. Rossini, who sent
d ~°%e page after page of copy, to the extent of an entire
4 „..stli"en. But the irritable manager was like to go distracted
"
fo on applying to the copyist for the whole score, be
9atl the introduction was all that Lai 'been composed.
had been travelling to and fro between Rossini and the
eatre, and, at each journey, the incorrigible composer
tad headed it with a different title. The trait is charac-
'zistic and strictly authentic. The same story is told,
at greater length, and with some embellishments, in one
el Alexander Dumas' volumes of Italian travellieg
i etches. Managers, however, found compensation
o Rossini's rapidity for his provoking idleness.
"ell he did set to work, he got over the
taPer at a gallop; and, when driven to the la,t minute,
8 fertility and invention were wonderful. Same
0f
his finest things were composed on the spur of the
113 °lnent, and in breathless haste. The celebrated air Di
, • '144 Pal 1. is one of these. dinner hour was at
hand P" •
when, driven to the wall he by urgent citatns,
one day sat down to compose it. Hui cook,soli learning
that the maestro was really about to work—no very
common occurrence—thrust his head in at the door, and
oe
attired a supposition that he had ' Letter not put the
lie° to boil.' On the contrary, boil it directly,' replied
48inis. who was hungry. Before the rice, that India-
tiras:ble preface to an lialian dinner, was fit for table,
he tilr and its introduction were composed. Di Jana
4-Qlpiti is still familiarly known as the Aria dei
The " Short yarn" of " The Green Hand" is yet
ilZtin out to a tenth part, without any immediate
Kee of its termination. " Palace Theatricals,"
. very vivacious " day-dream," gives us the
finite felicity of an introduction to the Prince of
the-napselzerhausen. Mr. Aytoun—we can't mistake
sound of his voice—not content with assailing the
brie-traders on the platforms of London, must needs
furl his animosity at Mr. Bright in the shape of a
puling oddity called " The Quaker's Lament."
e pasquinade, though over-long, is humorous. The
"t article in the June number of Blackwood, being
nlere reprint in extenso of the proceedings at the
c4te Protectionist meeting in London, requires no
l t°enent from us, seeing that we have already cri-
eised in our leading columns that most extravagant
exhibition.

BENTLEY.
The interest of Mr. Robert Bell's admirable
English Story, " the Ladder of Gold," is wrought up
.
(;. the most intense pitch in the present number.
imehard Rawlings insists on Margaret's marriage
.itith Lord Charles .Eton; the poor girl herself has
rQti her heart to Henry Winston,'whom the father
savagely orders from his house. Clara—the noble-
s inded Clara—stands between her father and her
'ter) and comforts the disconso
iste late Margaret. The
character of the two srs is finely developed in
th_
14;ztie chapters, and the dark points of the character of
Vehard Rawlings are brought out with great force.
The recollections of Madame Catalani, by Mrs.
th eat, are interesting, as contributing towards
e history of the opera in the early part of
the
li present century. The 16 Galerie du
ourreau" by the ex-Hanger-on of Royalty,
Vaiseswell; it is a tale of the Court of Louis
I. In the " Pen and Ink Gallery " we have
thirtrait of the Rev. G. C. Gorham, with a memoir of
'ill life, from which it appears that the Rev. Gentle-
ati while at Jesus College, Cambridge, obtained
the
mathematical, classical, and theological prizes,
1111. cl Was third wrangler of his year. At the time of
ls ordination the Bishop (Dampier) of Ely, wished
t 0
impose on the candidate his own private expositions
'll'll. Ile effects of baptism, instead of those of the Thirty
articles, Mr. Gorham resisted, and Bishop Dam-
e`"r, wiser than Bishop Pbillputts, did not insist. The
~i,
titer of the memoir thus alludes to the contest
t4"IIZ on between Mr. Gorham and the Bishop of

The Bishop of Exeter found Mr. Gorham a more
:arned and sble theologian than he had expected to
11.Qounter; the Bishop put forth all his powers to im-
. o:,,ate the clrrk, by what the Judicial Committee have
ji" ' intricate, perplexing, and difficult questions."
1414 the Presbyter was resolute, firm, cautious, and not
b° be shaken in the maintenance of his doctrine. Thus,
bh parties became committed to a struggle from which
Oither could with honour retreat, and the result has
011 a trial—as both sides allow—of immense itn-
. tt;ttance to the Church of England—probably of greater
ktio,rtalntieutitoTttir any which has taken place since the -Re-
' have besides several reviews of new works,
Lanther batch of " Horace Walpole's Letters to
NY''eus," and several tales of more than average

TAIT'S.
7:l;his is a more than usually excellent number of
he
The first article on The Causes of Crime in
ttel Metropolis " is deserving of attentive perdsal.
hesei " causes" are very justly divided into three
etisseB—" the prejudicial influences upon children,
icing from the neglect or misconduct of their
„lents; similar influences arising from evil example
fu-,,teroptation without the domestic circle ; and the
4-41,stion of bad habits, which is often the immediate
ti.'l4't of such influences, and the :forerunner of actual
th..1e21 Under these comprehensive beading are
14-4raerated a multitude of seemingly trivial, but
f„„?ek lamentably fertile, sources of crime,
of most among which, by common consent
most competent judges, is ranked th,e,
'Ll:celaed condition if the dwellings of the poor..
toe ithout an attempt at impravement in that di-
v,,,11,e.,u," was the testimony of Mrs. Fry, "vain
be the attempts in pris ons to instruct or re-
ef. the rom vice," and Mr. Chesterton, the governor
t House of Correction, rAtes as his conviction
shatl,, this " constitute 3 the monster mischief"
nv,antasies of Walpurgis Night," translated from
te4-arrkke, possesses all the horrible charm of a Ger-
a romance, with the additienal value of enforcing
wh Moral lessor, which tends to prove that
tua;t appears to be virtue is frequently oc-
St:n_Tued by the absence of temptation. Mr. J. A.
an John's " There and Back Again" is as charming
tire interesting as ever, which happy characteristics
illineh,iqly the result of the beautiful thoughts inter-
(vileiltiirg4.rie:edwith the traveller's reminiscences and the
rtt.gbtful manner in which even trivial incidents are
upon. Thus, in one, place, a casual group
Witt; the natural observation, " a mother
look,o a child on her lap can seldom be
yet upon with perfect indifference," and again,
t,,,42, ^re beautifully, in allusion to that love of nature's
it which clings to almost every human heart,
%.,t suggrsted that, as it was in a garden that God
ti()CE) 2ced tho paren's of our race, "it is perhaps
tut.
preininis.-cence of this primitive truth that links
b,wancy FO closely to flowers, and green alley, and
han,3rs, and fruits of a thousand h.ars." On the oiler
,cst. T4B an evidence of the felicity with which Mr.
ant d.picteri wha7c:vrr was peculiar or
el; stteg in character or ncideat among the
ittjs,,eeeittiary
swhich
iattracted attention. in his
Wanuerings, we pupt_a cite the

pathetic little incident at the inn, where the generous
waiting-maid Maria enlists the traveller's sympathies
in behalf of another lodger, an English widow, watch-
ing over a dying • child. The traveller has ordered
some coffee; and the good heart of the little waiting-
maid is thus charmingly exemplified :
" Presently the girl, whose name was Maria, returned
bringing the coffee apparatus. with two cups, which
made me fancy that she intended to invite herself to take
coffee with me. She took up the coffee-pot, held it
doubtfully in her hand, locked first at it, then at me, as
if debating some important matter in her mind. At
length she said in a gentle, deprecating tone, Sir, I
wish you would let me take a cup of this coffee to the
lady in the next room;' then lowering her voice almost
to a whisper, she added, She is very poor.'"
The exquisite naturalness and the genial kindliness
which pervades this article, as evidenced by the above
casual passages, renders it peculiarly interesting.
Many other valuable contributions adorn the pages of
Tait. The poetical contents. are hardly so good as
usual.

NOTES FROM NINEVEH.

By the Rev. J.

P. Fletcher. 2 Vols. -
To the general reader this work will recommend
itself by the number of subjects of which it treats,
and with all it will gain approbation by the happy
and able manner they are in turn considered. Still,
we must at once say, that ancient biblical history is
the topic mostly kept in view by the author,
and that all others are made subservient to his
evident purpose of collecting from the most
authentic sources, the data upon which he frames
new suppositions, corroborates statements previously
deemed uncertain, or refutes long-established errors
in connexion with scriptural history ; and after a
careful perusal of these volumes, we can but say that
the writer is entitled to the thanks of all who take a
real interest in that all-important subject, for having
conveyed the result of his unwearied labours and
deep research, in such a form, as to make it ac-
ceptable to all readers, by connecting with it the
incidents and daily views of his journey. Equally
pleased were we to find, that though engaged in
an enterprise which might be deemed sectarian, with
regard to the localities Le had to visit, his opinions
evince that unbiassed freedom and coolness of judg-
ment requisite to prove their soundness, while he
seems to have been animated by that kindly feeling
of brotherhood to all men which we deem to be the
true spirit of a Christian seeking after truth. How
far the records before us may be the ultima ratio of his
labours, we are not prepared to say, but so far as they
go, and as a literary production, we pronounce
them to be profound in their views, frequently
entertaining, always interesting and instructive. We
were indeed surprised to find that in a work aiming
at carrying the light of research into deep and abstruse
subjects, the writer had so succesfully contrived to
introduce so much of travelling incidents and road-
side episodes as to relieve the otherwise too serious
effect of its more elaborate and scientific parts. We
will attempt to follow him neither through his long
and oftentimes perilous journey, nor through the
main subject of his patient investigations during
that journey ; such a course would lead us too
far. Suffice it to say, that during a period of
two years the author pursued steadily and
dauntlessly the purpose of exploring the remotest
parts of Assyria, that we possess in these volumes the
result of his persevering labours, and that no small
praise is due to him for having fairly judged men and
manners. Upon one more point we would offer him
our meed of praise, and congratulate him upon the
courage, both moral and physical, of which he must
have given ample proofs in the course of a journey
which no doubt exposed him to many personal hard-
ships and real dangers, and upon his happy issue out
of them ; but, much to his credit, the writer has had
the good sense to keep himself in the back ground,
and our sympathy is rather the result of inference
drawn from the internal evidence of his work, than
from any direct appeal made by himself. To attempt
selecting any part out of sueh a work, in support of
our observations, were useless, if intended to give an
adequate notion of the whole; yet we cannot resist
giving a slight specimen of the author's style in those
moments when, laying aside the learned historian's
pen, he takes up the travellers pencil to note down
his impressions on a wayfaring casualty :
" During our journey from Mardin to Diarbekir, we
received the intelligence that a band of mounted robbers
were in pursuit of us, and were lurking on the ether side
of a low range of hills which skirted the road to the
right. This piece of information caused us to halt and
prepare for the onset of the marauders, as our horses
would have been of little service in tha event of a flight.
Giorgio, who was in his element, took the command of
the surrtdAs and other attendants, by whose aid he
constructed with the baggage a species of barricade, be-
hind which we were to shelter ourselves, and discharge
our fire. arms. _ _

" The crisis was felt to be momentous. A fat merchant
cf Mosul, crouched in agonies cf terror behind a heap of
saddle-bags, while his trusty sabre, which he had dis-
played before with no small amount ef ostentation, lay
unsheathed Leside him. One of our Christian servants
was invoking the aid of the Virgin and Saints, while a
black dependant observed, that if we were fated to have
our throats cut, no efforts of ours could avert it. This
assurance, was not very satisfactory or consolatory, but
we determined to do our best, and loading our guns and
pistols, we looked very dstermiaed and warlike behind
our defences, while Giorgio volunteered to reconnoitre,
and mounting his horse, galloped up the bill before us.
" We watched his movements with some anxiety, ex-
pecting, at each moment, to see the white smoke of the
enemy's guns rising above the summit of the eminence.
Giorgio galloped along the broad ridge of the hill, and
then disappeared on the other side. After a quarter of
an hour, we again discerned him riding leisurely towards
us: he brought the intelligence that no robbers were in
the neighbourhood, and that all our warlike preparations
were is vain.
" This announcement reassured those of the party who
had been looking forward with no slight tremor to the
probable conflict. The stout merchant in the heat of his
enthusiasm mounted his steed, and flourishing his sabre,
rode to the foot of the mountain, but was suddenly
brought back by a shot which Giorgio fired in that di-
rection. Those who had been most terrified handled
their sabres and pistols, and boasted of the feats of va-
lour which they would have performed.
" It stems strange to recall now the sensation which I
experienced when news was brought that no attack was
to take place; I confess I felt somewhat disappointed,
although I am not fond of fighting, and would at any
time, in the language of Sliakspere—‘ Walk rather with
Sir Priest than Sir Knight' Yet there seems to be
something stirring stud exciting in the prospect of a
tray, which kindles the warm blood in our veiny, and
makes us feel that as far as the animal instinct is con-
cerned, we are all lovers of ttrifa. Philosophy may
soften, and religion tame these impulses, but they exist
in the breast of every child of Adam, and are liable to
be only too easily called into action.
66 On one occasion two travellers were traversing a
dangerous part of the wild country on the borders of
Persia. One of them held tenets most averse to warlike
proceedings of any kind, and averred that it was not
lawful, even in self-defence, to take any measure which
would endanger human life, The other endeavoured to
rebut his companion's arguments, and convince him of
the futility of his reasoning, but he failed in producing
any impression on his friend's mind. While they were
engaged in conversation, one of the attendants who had
been dispatched on before, made his appearance, gallop-
ing bard, and breathless with haste sad fear. He in-
formed the travellere that eight mounted Kurds were
advancing, who had fired at him as he rode on, and who
were in tact close at his heels. The man of peace
seemed somewhat disconcerted, but when the clattering
~f the Kurds' horses was heard, his hand stole towards
his holsters, from which he extracted two well-polishe d
pistols, and, when the attack was made, signalized him-
self by the valour with which he joined in beating off
the assailants.
" We proceeded on our way in safety. and met with
no farther interruption from, the sons of Ishmael, or the
equally marauding Kurds. When we were in sight of
Diarbekir, an individual of our party'who had hitherto
maintained the most profound silence, gave me the fol-
low iug recipe for obtaining the protection of the Arabs,
which for its originality I deem worthy of insertion
here. 'lf you are at any time attacked by these sons
of dogs,' said my instructor, 6do not resist, for if you
lift sword or gun against them, they will slay you with-
out mercy. Endeavour to touch them, and if you suc-
ceed you are safe; but if you are unable to do this, spit
at them.

'•' And get my throat cut to a certainty,' continued I.
"' No, on my head,' he replied, you may save your
life, for if anything that proceeds from you, even saliva,
touches their pers.on or clothes, it is as though you
touched them, and you have then a sacred and imperative
claim upon their hospitality. lam telling you no false-
hood, for a brother of mine, who did this, escaped out
of their hands, and is still living at Baghdad.' "

COURT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, JUNE 4.

The Queen and Prince walked early this morning in
°shortie Perk. The younger members of the Royal
Family walked and rode as usual.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and his
Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen, attended by
Lady Anna Maria Dawson, and Sir George Couper,
are expected at Osborne this afternoon.

Hcr Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, amia-
panied by his Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen,
and attended by her Lady in Waiting, and Sir George
Con per, left her residence, Frogmore House, yesterday,
for Osborne.
A deputation, including Mr. Brocklehurst, Mr. Law-
rence Heyworth, Mr. Bass. and Mr. Williams, had an
interview with Sir George Grey yesterday, at the Home-
office, respecting the Factory Bill.
Mr. John Wood (Chairman of the Board of Inland
Revenue) had an interview with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in Down-
ing-strec t.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a
committee meeting yesterday, at their office in White-
hall-place.
The Marquis of Salisbury and the Earl of Verulam
had an inter view yesterday with Sir George Grey.
his Excellency General Yung Bahadoor, with his
brothers and suite, honoured the establishment of
Mesas. Hunt and Roskell, in Bond-street, with a visit
yesterday,
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governors of the North American
colonies.
A deputation, consisting of Sir John J. Guest,
M.P., Mr. W. Crawshay, Mr. Anthony Hill, and
Bart., M.P.,
Maynard, had an interview with Earl Granville en
Monday, at the office of the Board of Trade.
Mr. Baxter and Mr. Denison, M.P., had an interview
with tt e Curnmissioners cf Railwa) s on Monday, at their
office in thb Board of Trade.
Due of R)xburgh had an interview on Monday
with Sr George Grey.
Baron (1'1,,01a has left Londtn for Brussels, having
been appointed First S<cretary of the Sardinian Legation
there.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—Tne Observer of Sunday,
June '2, gave the Board of Health's (official) Report on
Water-supply of the Metropolis; also (official) Report on
Removal of Smithfield-market—the two reports making
altogether 11 folio columns.. The Observer is regularly pub-
lished at 1 o'cloM; t.;rtithty mon-,iags, in timi• for the ally
Sunday morning railways. Monday's Ob:errer best for the
country and abroad, at 4 Monday afternoon. Price of the
Observer, 40 folio columns,