The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-04 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

TIME VERSUS LlFE.—Sherwood, London, 1844.
The author. of this skilful treatise observes, in his:
preface, "the following pages, though the result of
long practical observation, are presented in a form
rather popular than professional •, not because they
are-destitute of obiervations which may be useful to
the practitioner, but because I consider that impor-
tant medical truths, where they are sufficiently
simple, should be made to enlighten that public they are
meant to benefit, rather than suffer refraction through
any medium, however bright and pure." The great.
fault in most treatises of this sort is, that they are.
penned in too profest•ional a spirit, and abound in:
technicalities intelligible only to the faculty ; but
this is not the case with the work before us, which
Rives in simple and perspicuous terms such directions
for the preservation of health as are likely to be most
serviceable to the community. The chapters on the
effect of "Atmospheric Changes," on "Diet," and
the best method of regulating it, and.on the influence
which age exercises on the "Digestive Organs," may
be perused with great advantage by the reader, for
they are evidently the result of long practical experi-
ence, and are wholly free from the crotchety theories
in which medical treatises so often abound:.

MAGAZINES--CONTINUED.
HOOD'S MAGAZINE.
We received this Magazine at so late an hour, that
we were unable .to include' it among our usual
periodical notices of the month. Among the poetical
contributor 3, we find Mrs. Norton, Messrs. Monck-
ton Milnes, Wood, Mackay, and Lover. The lady's
poem is the best ;. it is intitled. " How lately the Joy
bells were ringing ;" and pourtrays in simple and.
touching- language the death of a young and beautiful
woman shortly.afterher marriage. We subjoin the
closing lines :
But an awful and glorious meeting
Remaineth to comfort us yet,
In a world'where our hopes are not fleeting,
Where the sunshine of joy shall not set.
There night shall be turned into morning, • -
And Darkness give place unto Day,
The bruising, the weeping, the scorning,
The turmoil of life pass away.
There, gladly that innocent Spirit
• (Renewed by a Heavenly birth)
Whole ages of bliss- shall inherit
For an hour of sorrow on Earth !
Yet hard is the Parents' deep anguish •
Though by Faith, and Religion beguiled ;
• Long, long raust they sorrow and languish
And yearn for their beautiful child.
And long,—for his heart is but human,—
' The desolate bridegroom shall grieve,
AM that sweet face, half child and half woman,
Still haunt hi* at morning and eve
At the sound of her light footsteps falling
He shall murmur and smile in his sleep
In dreams he shall hear her voice calling
And wake, to remember and weep !
The " Ship-breaker's yard" is a prose tale, or legend,
in which there is some good description mixed with
much that is fantastic. A " Receipt for the Manu-
facture of Marriages" is a lively story, the dialogue
portions of which are neat and pointed, and appa-
rently without effort. The " Matchmaker" is one of
Mrs. Hall's, knowing and goodrnatured sketches of
character. The Editor contributes an allegorical
poem on the " Workhouse Clock," but it is not in
his most successful manner.

UNITED SERVICE MAGAZINE.
'We find here, among other articles, a private Jour--
nal of the late Sir Thos. Picton, kept with great regu-
larity during 1809 and the four following years. We
looked into it with some curiosity, but were greatly
disappointed in our expectations, for it contains not
one single trait of character, being, in fact, a mere
dry, dull summary of proceedings from month to,
month, to which not the slightest public interest is
attached. The account of the " t.;onspiracy of the'
Russian Nobility," on the accession of the present
Emperor to the throne, is related in a most careful
and circumstantial manner. We quote the following
passage, which corroborates what we stated yesterday
in The Sun, respecting the conduct of the Emperor
Nicholas when the news of the breaking out of the
conspiracy first reached him :
" The Marquis de Custine, in his recent book On Rus-
sia, gives. us a dialogue between himself and the Em-
peror Nicholas, in which the former alludes to those
events, as having famished an occasion on which the
latter had distinguished himself in the eyes of all _Europe
by his firmness . and. his courage. It is difficult to tell
how much per cent. of the unmeasured flattery which
the Marquis showers on his Imperial host is intended as
. waggery, AS undoubtedly, from the subsequent portions
of his book, we must judge a large portion of. it to be ;
but it appears that the Emperor took all this adulation
as genuine. His behaviour on this occasion is the sub-
ject on which Nicholas is said to be most accessible to
flattery, and we may therefore readily imagine the one
on which he is most generally flattered. It is cited both
by his admirers and his detractors, and not, perhaps,
inaptly by either, as he found here the opportunity of
displaying the most salient features of his character,—
both good and bad. We shall leave to the reader the
appreciation of which predominates. The resolute firm-
ness, the energetic activity, which he displayed, saved
not only his absolute crown, but his life ; uncertain as
he was what mines might explode beneath his footsteps,
he disdained all compromise, and boldly cast the die for
unlimited power or utter ruin. On the other hand, in
the face of his army, this man, who for years has never
quitted his uniform, who idolises all that is martial,
wko looks in stature and in port a Cceur-de-Lion, as
soon as his faithful, force began to act, retired thus far
from the scene of action as to place himself in indivi-
dual safety,—thus affording us .a spectacle of moral
courage and firmness, and physical timidity, not inse-
parable, though seldom united. From this day's beha-
vious his friends and foes deduce arguments to assert
his courage or his cowardice. but it would appear that
he is endowed with that species of the former which s
really valuable in a leader of men, but deficient in that
personal valour which is .quite unconnected withthe for-
mer, but which men are apt to prize, both in themselves
and others, as if it were a quality lets common."

SPORTING MAGAZINE.
The present, month's Number of this periodical is
embellished with two engravings, one representing,
a " Gamekeeper on duty"—that is to say, keeping a
sharp look-out with his gun in
_his hand and his dogs
behind him, in the centre of a thick woodland pre-
serve—arid the .other representing a view of •" head
Walton's Cottage," which is a snug, unassuming,
thatched farm-house, shaded with loftv trees; The
literary contents are all, as usual, taken up with
sporting themes.

BRITISH FARMER'S MAGAZINE.
- A Magazine exclusively devoted to the consideration
of agricultural subjects, which it discusses in a true,
practical manner. The Observations on "-Grasslands
are full of useful suggestions for farmers.

SIMMOIVDS'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE:
The details of the recent " Operations of our Indian
army in Gwallior," will be read at thii particular sea=
son with great interest, more particularly as they are
penned in a dispassionate spirit, and wholly free from
anything like a party bias. Of the remaining articles
the .most entertaining one is an essay " On the Intel-,
lectual Powers . of the Negro," of which the author
is disposed to think more favourably than the--gene-
rality of people. •

FREEMASON'S QUARTERLY REVIEW.
Under 'the head of " Masonic. ‘Chit-chat" this
number contains a variety of amusing anecdotes,
chiefly relative to freemasonry, which will serve the-
purpose of whiling away an idle half-hour very agree-
ably. • The statements respecting " Freemasonry in
Europe during the past century " furnish,some curi-
ous 'matter; but decidedly the
,best article in the
Number is an " Essay on Education,". from the pen.
of Dr. Slade.

,BRITISH MAGAZINE.,
An article entitled " Some Notices of the Early
Colonial Church" leads off this Number, but, we fear,
it will be attractive to few but clerical readers. The
" Two Claudes" is a passable poem ; and the digest
of . ecclesiastical intelligence for the past month is
drawn up with skill and succinctness. -