The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Bart.

SOUTIIEY'S LIFE AND CORftESPON.
DENCE. Vol. V.

Another instalment of this voluminous biography
will bring it to its completion. Within the pre-
sent volume the narrative is continued by the
reverend editor down to the fifty-fifth year
of the late Poet Laureate's existence, namely,
down to the winter of 1827-1828. During the
period which elapsed in the interval between that
season and the spring of 1820, with which the fifth
volume commences, much was accomplished by
Southey to extend and elevate his literary reputation.
Much reason also was unhappily afforded by him to
his political assailants during those same years—
reason, namely, to charge him with the most flagitious
tergiversation. As if to afford a testimony that there
really was some ground for these accusations, Mr.
Charles Cuthbert Southey, the editor of this
biography, observes, with a view to their refutation
(p. 2), " It has been the fashion with many of those
persons whose opinions were opposed to those my
father held in later life " (thereby implying that he
had held different opinions in earlier life) "to main-
tain that he had veered round like a weathercock
upon a gusty day,' that he was a renegade, an apos-
tate, and a hireling.' " These are the expressions re-
pudiated by his son as unjust in their application to
Robert Southey. Yet, as the previous sen-
tence sufficiently demonstrates, the filial de-
fender of Southey in the very act of
extenuating his conduct indirectly confesses, in
the manner we hare previously intimated, that his
sentiments as a politician were different at different
periods of his career. While we persist in arguing
that the accusers of Southey were justified in in-
veighing against his shameless inconsistency, we
must at the same time protest that there was nothing
whatever in his character which could empower any
one to charge him with having forsaken the cause of
ultra-democracy, and with having become thereupon
the champion of ultra-conservatism, for the sake of a ,
pitiful pension granted to him by a Tory Government.
Those who can at all estimate the nature and the

genius of Robert Southey can never have supposed
for an instant that he was actuated, in his political
variations, by a miserable regard to mere pounds,
shillings, and pence. Lucre was not, we are satis-
fied, the cause of his abandonment of liberal princi-
ples. Yet, while acknowledging thus much, we are
perforce necessitated to attribute that disgraceful
apostacy to motives scarcely less deplorable—namely,
to a wretched subserviency to the authoritative,
a contemptible sycophancy to tbe great and powerful.
Gladly, however, do we let these bygones be bygones
now that the gifted subject of our remarks has de-
parted. Nor should we have reverted to matters so
fraught with painful considerations but that the son
of Southey, from a mistaken and blundering affection,
has revived a discussion which he might have done
better in abandoning to forgetfulness. Scarcely less
objectionable in tone is the reference made by this
same descendant to Lord Byron, in allusion to the
well-known " Vision of Judgment." The whole
manner of these remarks upon Lord Byron, but for
its being intensely absurd, would give cause for seri-
ous reprehension. Thus, for example, what can be
possibly said of the observation, that from 1 813
" Lord Byron became year after year more noto-
rious," but that it is at once coarse and ridiculous?

•
Or again, how can we hear without derisive laughter
that Southey regarded Lord Byron "as a man
of the highest talents"—that wonderful genius
in whose resplendent presence the little glow worm
intellect of Dr. Southey " paled its ineffectual fires."
Making all allowances, however, for these errors of
judgment on the part of the editor, who must of
course be supposed to be liable sometimes to be car-
ried away by his filial predilections, the life and cor-
respondence before U 4 progresses with very consider
able ability, and with an interest that enlarges as we
proceed in our perusal. As embellishments, we find
in the volume just published a charming group re-
presenting Isabel, Bertha, and Catherine Southey, at
an age when they were children, as also a rather

sombre view ofnassenthw4ite Lake, near IVhinlatter.

THE STUD. By Hurry Hieover.
A capital little volume, has been penned under this
title, by Harry Hieover, as a sort of supplement to
the " Pocket and the Stud," a work already noticed by
ourselves. The present effusion is addressed particularly
to practical men, being, moreover, according to its
very title-page, designed for strictly practical pur-
poses. No writer upon stable economy could be more
admirably qualified to proffer the pertinent and
wholesome advice compacted into these six chapters ;
no one, we maintain, could he better qualified than
our hilarious and indefatigable author, who draws all
his facts from personal observation and all his de•.
ductions from personal experience. Besides this, he is
ever in such good humour as to render his hints and
his gossip at all times acceptable. This latter cha-
racteristic, be it observed, is no slight advantage to
one who, like Harry Hieover, is anxious to inculcate
truths upon a subject peculiarly fraught to most
people with irritating recollections. As a pleasant
token of the constitutional hilarity of the author we
would commend our readers just to glance for a
moment at the two engravings prefixed to this
volume of the " Stud," copied by the hand of
Hacker from original paintings by Hieover ;
one being entitled " Rayther a bad sort for any pur-
pose," and the other, " A pretty good sort for most
purposes." As to the practical nature of the sugges-
tions offered in the letter-press, that can be readily
perceived by a cursory " skim" through the leaves. For
instance, it will then be perceived that the diseases of
the horse, its imperfections and its propensities, are con-
sidered under separate heads and in separate divisions.
Among the diseases are particularly mentioned such
internal diseases as inflammation of the lungs, cholic,
inflammation of the bowels, megrim, staggers, and
bleeding at the nose, together with permanent
diseases, such as glanders, defective wind, defective
sight, chinked back, roaring, and whistling. Among
the external imperfections, again, are especially par-
ticularised, stringhalt, swollen or capped hocks,
swollen necks, windgalls, spavines, and a variety of
others subsequently enumerated. One of the
most felicitously written portions of the book is
that dedicated to the ill-habits of the horse, such
as biting, kicking, starting, shying, and jibbing.
Best of all, however, is the close of the volume, in
which are specified those points in the make and shape
of the horse which are more or less desirable. This
section of the " Stud" is to some extent a prose ver-
sion of the celebrated passage in " Venus and
Adonis," and with some reason may Harry Hieover
pique himself on having therein unintentionally illus-
trated the comprehensive truthfulness of Shakspere.
PRA

CTICAL HORSEMANSHIP. By Harry

Hieover.
Encouraged by the success of his previous volumes
relating to the selection and treatment of horses, Harry
Hieover has here undertaken to give tyros in eques-
trianism some practical suggestions on horsemanship.
Like all his former production, the present book re-
veals at once the b•nhomnie of the author and hisinti-
mate acquaintance with the subject of his lucubrations.
Mare lecturing he sedulously eschews, all his ad-
vice being conveyed to the reader in a manner most
delightfully conversational. It is more like a friend
and boon companion giving one hints upon the
matter under discussion, than like the dogmatic
instruction proffered by -an elementary writer.
Nothing can be more tho.oughly pleasant and
agreean:e than the tone in which Harry Hieover
pens his chapters. If we had space sufficient just
now ter the purpose we would afford a capital illus-
tration of this by transcribing his facetious account
of the conversation which occurred some years ago
between Mr. Jessanly and himself, Master Harry
Hieover. The passage is indicative of his keen ap-
preciation of fuu and his skill in the employmeot of
irony. Better, however, even than the anecdotes
scattered through the pages before us are the practi-
cal hints given by the writer, himself a proficient in
the science of horsemanship, such hints as those re-
ferring to good nerve and good temper, to long riders
and short riders, to firm seats and long stirrup lea-
thers. As to equipment, again, his ideas are emi-
nently useful relating to bits, curbs, snaffles, bridles,
reins, lip-straps, neck-straps, forehead-bands, throat-
latches, saddles, stirrups, buckles, and all such para-
phernalia. Nor is the closing chapter the least valu-
able in its instructiveness, we mean whereour author
is discoursing alternately on rearing, kicking, plung-
ing, trotting, cantering, and galloppuig. Altogether,

GODOLPHIN. By Sir Edward Bawer Lytton,

A particular interest attaches itself to this cele-
brated novel from the circumstance of its authorship
having continued so long a matter of uncertainty.
Unaided by the reputation of its illustrious writer, it
rose, more slowly, it is true, than his other fictions,
but quite as steadily into popularity. That circum-
stance alone is a sufficient attestation of its peculiar
merit as a contribution to our light literature. Now
that it has achieved for itself a place among the mas-
ter-pieces of our poet•romancist, it is, of course, in-
teresting to find it at length acknowledged by him in
the dedication addressed to his friend Count Alfred
D'Orsay, who is designated by Sir Edward, with
perfect justice, "the most accomplished gentleman
of our time." That panegyric, coming as it does
from the author of " Pelham," is peculiarly
splendid, and, in a twofold respect, appro-
priate. It is only discovering another illustra-
tion of the astonishing versatility and fruitfulness of
Sir Bulwer Lytton's genius., when we find from the
Preface to the present cheap edition of Godolphin"
that it was compcked " almost simultaneously with
Eugene Aram,' " works of as contrary character
almost as could be found within the range of our
romantic literature. From the healthy moral diffused
thr,ughout " Godolphin" we are rejoiced to think
that by its present popular republication its influ-
ence will be diffused mire generally thrcughcut the
community than was hitherto practicablo.