The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-14 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

QUARTERLY REVIEW.—No. LXXV.

This is a very intelligent and amusing number ;
full of pleasant miscellaneous information, put
forth with the greatest simplicity, and abounding
in light, airy, and original criticism. Asa whole,
it has more knowledge but less good writing
about it than the Edinburgh ; and although all
its papers (with one exception) are above medio-
crity, yet it has no one article equal in point of
style and comprehensiveness to that of " His-
tory" in the present number of its rival. The
first review, entitled " Psahnody," gives au ani-
mated detail of the Rise and Progress of Psalm-
writing in England ; and laments, with many
others, the wretched ebb at which it had arrived
till lately, when Montgomery, Millman, and,
better still, the accomplished Bishop Heber, took
it under their fostering patronage. Throughout
this instructive and eloquent article, a great and
familiar acquaintance is shown with the quaint
old literature of our country—a literature so
rich in thought, poetry, and expression—that we
wonder it is not more generally studied. There
are few finer things in the language than old
Chapman's translation of Homer. It has the
rough strong spirit of good port wine in every page.
" Ireland, its Evils, and their Remedies," is on a
trite subject and tritely treated, just in the way
that might be expected from a Quarterly Reviewer.
There is little or no attempt at novelty; the
whole article is nothing more nor less than a re-
capitulation
and enforcing of acknowledged
truths; for the express purpose evidently of
having something to say on a topic now fast
pressing itself into tremendous importance.
" Travels of John Ledyard" details with spirit
and intelligence the travels, voyages, and nume-
rous adventures of this mariner, who was pre-
sent at Captain Cook's death at Owhy-liee,
(which lie describes differently from the authentic
narration of that catastrophe) and had previously
accompanied him through most of his South
Sea Discoveries. "On the Present State of the
Jews" urges rather too much, we conceive, in
the spirit of a Puritan, the necessity of their
conversion ; it is however a most instructive
article, and well worth an hour's attention.
" Epistles in Verse, Italy," &c. is a favourable
notice of Mr. Rogers' poems on that tempting
subject. The great defect in this accomplished
versifier is the, utter absence of all character in
his productions ; his fancy seems to want
stamina ; it has nothing tangible in its composi-
tion ; nothing to be laid hold of and remem-
bered. The " Pleasures of Memory," though
abounding in graceful and elaborate beauty,
leaves no decided impression on the mind ; it is
an elegant petrifaction of feeling ; faultless but
feeble ;is read and admired to-day ; laid aside
and forgotten to-morrow. The chief reason
of this is, that Mr. Rogers trusts solely to art
and refinement for success ; nature he leaves
wholly out of the question—hence he is intel-
ligible only to the upper classes of society.
To this criticism the Reviewer very pertinently
appends some cursory remarks on travelling, of
which the following arc a specimen ; they are
very useful and judicious :
" Our opinion on this matter is, that the residence of
young Englishmen abroad at the present day, for the cons-
pletion, as it is termed, of education, is, generally speaking,
somewhat too early in date, and very often much too long
in time. Travelling raises a superstructure rapidly, but
there must be a fair and sufficient basis to build it upon, or
the edifice soon falls to decay. The character should be in
some degree determined, the understanding advanced, and
knowledge attained, otherwise there is much risk in pro-
, portion to the benefits acquired. The aptitude for turning
knowledge to account mainly depends on that already pot-