The Sun.
London, England, 1828-01-22 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 22, 1828.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

LITERATURE.

FOREIGN REVIEW.—LoNnoN, 1828.

We gave a slight notice some few days sine('
of this Review, and are tempted to introduce it ;
second time, from the very superior nature of
contents. Great talent is visible through all the
articles, and in some there are no faint or equi-
vocal indications of first rate ability. The leading
paper, by Dr. Southey, (as we arc given to under.
stand) is full fraught with his various and appro-
priate information, but is too ambitious, and aim.
❑ot so much at illustrating the excellencies of the
subject of its Review (Barante's History of the
Dukes of Burgundy) as its own. This
unfair : a critic has a right—if so inclined—to
show himself off; but assuredly not to the annihi-
lation of his subject. In other respects the
article is satisfactory, but. heavy; we suspect it is
a castoff from the Quarterly. The " Treatise on
Castilian Poetry" is showy, florid, and super-
ficial. There. is little in its analysis of
Spanish poetry with which ordih4ry schplars
are hot acquaintet ac'Coutit of Lope
de Vega, in particular (after Lord Hollamri
instructive and amusing quarto on the same sub-
ject) might well have been dispensed with. It
has, however, one redeeming trait, namely, in its
brief but pertinent sketch of Garcilasso ; the
translation of one of his pastorals is really beau-
tiful, we suspect that Mr. Wiffen is its author ;
if so, it reflects far more credit on him than
elegant but feeble transfer of Tasso. Mr. Croly's
article on " Jacobins and Jesuits" is marked by
all that versatile writer's vigorous and rapid elo-
quence. It is a strong caustic diatribe against the Je-
suits; and exhibits a splendid instance ofpower well
applied. If it dwelt less on generalities, and en-
tered more minutely into details, it would have
been rendered, we think, more acceptable,
certainly more intelligible to its readers. We
quote the following cursory remarks for their
truth and energy :

" We cannot help thinking that a new era is about to
begin in France. They have now, for the first time, begun
to feel the due working of a representative system. The
absolute domination of the old regime has passed ; the
horrors of the revolution have taught them that mobs and
massacres, and clubs and demagogues, are much more
likely to lead to tyranny than to freedom. They hare be-
gun to see that a great and restless conqueror is not the
man from whom they are to expect the blessings of equal
rights ; they are gradually forgetting the empty and feverish
aspirations after universal dominion ; and they have lately
shown that they are determined to resist intrigue and
Jesuitism levelled against their liberties. Containing in
herselfall the elements of greatness, her financial affairs un-
encumbered, her agriculture, commerce, and manufactures
improving, her rural population comfortable and contented,
her resources undamaged, her people active, intelligent,
energetic, and brave—she has, if properly governed, not
much to seek, little to fear from abroad : her enemies are
in her own bosom, and they are the Jacobins and the
Jesuits."

" The Life and Writings of Werner," is truly
a superior article ; with this besetting sin, that the
author,_even from the specimens adduced, is not
worthy of so accomplished a critic. For do-
quence=--fancy—sprightliness, and a certain de-
lightful turn of thought—tender, if not profound,
we have not often met with its equal. " Foy's
History of the Peninsular Wur" is ''an able but,
somewhat hackneyed subject for analysis; the
public mind has now been some time made up
on the subject of this General's merits ; it awards
him due credit for his peculiar readiness and
ability on military matters—goes far to sympa-
thize with him in his admiration' of Napoleon,
but resents with just indignation his shameless
abuse of the Duke of Wellington; his mis-state-
ments whenever the English army is concerned ;
and, above all, his absurdities on the galling
subject of Waterloo. The comments of
his Reviewer, therefore, on these subjects
are superfluous. " Swedish Poetry" is an
elaborate and well digested article, and sets
out with the 'remark, that the Icelandic is the
primitive language of Northern Europe, from
which modern German and English are both (how-
ever remotely) derived. Gibbon, if we remember
rightly, has a different theory on this subject ;
but ". who shall decide when doctors disagree ?"
The Reviewer traces the Northern—especially
the Swedish—poetry, from its earliest origin,
and brings it hastily and abruptly down to the
present day: Stagnelius, he adds, is the Sir Walter
Scott of Sweden.* The most exuberant epoch
in Scandinavian literature he assigns to the reign
of Gustavus 111. of Sweden, a monarch who
flourished somewhere about the middle of the
18th century. In alluding cursorily to the dif-
ferent dialects, the Reviewer instances the fol-
lowing curious relation which exists between
the Icelandic, English, German, and Swedish
languages :

ICELANDIC. SWEDISH. GERMAN. ENGLISH.
fraendi ft ande freund friend
draumr driim traum dream
fadir fader vater father
sok sak sack sick
smidr smed schmid smith
hey ho heu hay
'gras gras gras grass
I unga lungs lunge lungs
hjarta hjerta hers heart
eyra bra ohr ear
steinen sten stein stone
konungr konung ktnig king
auga oga auge eye
brenna brenna brenuen burn
stitja sitta sitzen sit
rida rids reiten ride
rinna rinna rinnen run
fylja tolja folgen follow
hangs hangs hingen hang
sverja svara schwiiren swear
slippy slippa schliipfen slip
We have neither space nor leisure left to com-
ment on the remaining articles of this Review,
suffice it to say, that all are worth reading—and
that some will afford unmixed gratification, whe.
ther as regards amusement or instruction. With
respect to the work generally, we do not doubt
of its popularity ; it possesses variety—knowledge
..—just principles of taste—sound notions on the
score of religion and ethics, seldom or never runs
wild, and is only in one instance unintelligible.
Can the Reviewers of Wordsworth in the Edin-
burgh, 'or of Keates in the Quarterly, say as much ?
C A highly-spirited translation of a fragment of Swedish
poetry may be met with in the notes to Polywhele's
Theocritus.

ENCROACHMENT OF THE SEA.--A con-
stant encroachment of the sea is visible on the cliff between
Bridlington and Barmston, estimated at about 60 feet per
annum. In some places 15 feet, in others 20 and even 30
feet from the cliff, the carriage road along this part of the
country has passed away within the last month. The ap-
pearance, at present, is as that occasioned by an earthquake.
A temporary road is made between the undisturbed points ;
and a new road is in a forward state of preparation.—
Wdrtuick Advertiser,