The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-12 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

GLANCE of BELGIUM and the RHINE. By
Thomas Ramsay, Esq.
There is, perhaps, no part of the. Continent about
which more ha, bee:i written than that which is the sub-
ject of the work b. fore us : yet, in justice to the author,
e inn t ompletely acquit him if having put f firth what
is either or supetthious. Mr Bautsay's " Glance"
has nresi-inted many new points of beauty and interest,
which could scarcely be observed by the aid of any mere
guide-bo k. We shall hest.- xpl lin the distinctive features
of this work and guide-book by comparing thehtter to an
ordinary snap—the former to a bird's eye view—the one
may be accurate and u,e'ul, but the other is, in addition,
striking and picturesque. The guide-book, with tabular
precision, fixes your route—tells you what, when, where,
and how you may see, and eat, or sleep, to the best
advantage ; but our author gives you truthful
tableaux ef himself and his party of friends at all the
ever-varying positions into which such a group can be
thrown ; and whether we have them in the "solemn
temples" of religion, the rich galleries of art at Antwerp,
the vagaries of the royal inauguration fete at Brus-els,
"on an empire's dust" at Waterloo, among the musty
relics at Aix-la• Chapelle and Cologne, whirling by the
Belgian railroad, or treading the deck of the Rhine
steamer, climbing Ehrenbreitstein, or strolling on the
margin of the " blue Moselle," we must say that they
seem to have bean a most enviable set of happy fellows,
and our author the very pink of ciceroni, save and except,
perhaps, when he runs away from them in order to reach
the summit of Ehrenbreitstein, which he saw they would
not attempt under a broiling sun.
We certainly do not approve of all the writer's senti-
ments, particularly as respects religion and church
matters. Mr. Ramsay does not conceal that he is a high
churchman and something more. Anglo-Catholicism is
the key-note upon which all the moral of his book seems
to turn, and he takes frequent occasion to bring in well-
'med remarks upon the forms of the Anglican, as con-
Isted with those of the Roman Church. He says of
Visit to Antwerp Cathedral on a week day :
" Early morn though it was, not only did we find the
doors of the cathedral open, but its aisles crowded with
worshippers. Two or three priests were officiating in
the chapels ; but it was far more solemn and impressive
to behold the groups of people, of all ranks and condi-
tions, young and old, rich and poor, one with another,'
all mingled together in acts of devotion. No pews, no
fixed beats of any kind encumbered the vast expanse of
aisle. Low chairs there were in countless piles, ready
to be brought out when required ; and there is a useful
contrivance upon them, by which they can conveniently
be appropriated either to kneeling or sitting, though the
lermer was the use to which we saw them mainly de-
voted.

The place is holy to the breath

Of awful harmonics, of whispered prayers.'
And with great propriety the accommodations are
strictly in accordance with it all. The people were
mostly on their knees, in silent prayer; and many a
deep•drawn sigh we heard, the emission, we would fain
have persuaded ourselves, of a contrite heart. Some
were standing, others seated here and there, apparently
in serious meditation. All wore the appearance of deep
so!emni•y, as though the sanctity of God's more imme-
diate pre,ence did indeed

.`
Brood with a voiceless inßuence on the air ;
Stern, yet serene ; —a reconciling spell,
E..ch troubled billow of the soul to quell.' "

So mach for R.anau•Catholicisrn at Antwerp. Of
AnJo-Catholicism at Brussels, Mc. Ramsay says—
•• There are two English P, otestant, or, we would rather
say, Anglo-Catholic chapel:, at Brussels ,• one of them,
situated near the Palace. is attended by King Leopold
when he is in his capital. There being a great many
English residents in Brussels, both these chapels, at:-
learned, were well filed on Sundays; but they are closeo
all the week, or nearly Si), whilst the Roman Cathotic
churches are open day by day. And eer;.ainly, in
resp. et, the cony ivq anythine but favourable, either
in what is rpal or eppar, nt, to the English Protestant
system. Our tism, in fact, wherever it shows
itselt Contliivnt, is by this very contrast made all
he more cold and repulsive. That there is religious
peace in Brussels, if not religi! conc,rd, we saw much
to assure us. The great bulk of the people are of what
is virtually the Established Church—that is, the Church
of Rome ; and ev,r)thing we saw ccnvini.ed us that
'hey aro devotedly attached to their church.'

Tf7e.,e extracts' are sufficient to show the leaning of
the work. Its principles cannot be readily adopted by
the general rt ader ; but they are asserted with so much
sincerity, clnsistency, and good taste, that even those who
hold opposite views cannot take offence. When Mr.
Ramsay gets into Germany, he seizes the opportunity
a viewing the Anglican Church in another light—con-
trasted with Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Rationalism.
He makes the most of the recent exhibition of the
Holy Tunic at Treves, of the consequent secession of
John Rouge, a priest in Silesia, from the Romish com-
munion, and his exertions in forming a German Catholic
Church. But we cannot follaw this portion of the book
further; nor would we wish, indeed, to convey the idea
that its pages are surcharged with such grave and weighty
matters; they form, as we have said, the key-note of
the work ; but many intermediate passages run into the
merriest allegro, while the general style is so unaffected
and easy, that the author is soon claimed by the reader
as an agreeable acquaintance, and carries him along with
him right heartily, whether the places traversed inspire
the meditative or the mirthful mood. Take, for instance,
his " Morning at Coblentz," than which, he tells us, " a
lovelier never smiled upon the favoured Rhine, than
that which revelled o'er its majestic stream and banks"
upon that occasion.
" So, then, methought, when rising to resume the
march of life, here is morning at Coblentz ! I do, in-
deed. breathe the air wafted from the wedded waters of
the Rhine and Moselle ! What magic has there ever
been to me in the names of these rivers ! The one
embodying all that i mik stic and grand—the other all
that is gentle and lovely I How, when my schoo! ac-
quaintance with Cesar de belle Gallic°, told me of the
Roman legion on the banks of the Rhine, has the inspir-
ing hope arisen that I might one day behold the river
which rolled before the mighty conqueror of the world !
This was my first association of the Rhine. The Rhine
and Caesar ever met in my mind. Later years have
added the softer tints of legend, poetry, arid romance.
German diablerie and English poesy have each added
charms to the picture. The confluence of the Rhine
and the Moselle has long been a fairy spot in my imagina-
tion, and here am I about to realise the wish of years."
Here, then, we conclude our notice of a book, which
we are sure will meet with many readers and admirers,
especially among those who are about to "order their
wings" for a flight to Belf.num and the Rhine during
this tempting weather. The traveller will find this
volume both interesting and useful.

SAFETY OF THE APOLLO TROOP SHIP. The
gratifying intelligence of the safe arrival of the Apollo troop
ship at Quebec, on the 14th of June, was received at Lloyd's
yesterday.
l'ilD CAMBRIDGE AND NORWICH RA `LWAY.—in
consequence of an accident on the line below Ely—the Prick--
willow bank —occasioned by a slip in the earth, the opening of the
line from Newport is postponed until the 19th inst., but it is not
certain that it will even then be in a condition to be opened. It
hail been arranged for the ope.aing to base taken place yesterday,
on which day the Directors intended to have made a tour of inspec
troll throughout the line, and would have dined afterwards in a
marquee erected at the Cambridge station. This design is now of
course a•ostponed. The line from London to Cambridge's. we are
able to state from authority, in a state of perfect readiness for
the immettate transit of passengers, &c., but General Pastry,
Government Inspector of Railways, declines to sanction the open-
ing of part of the hue until the whole is completed.— Cambridge
Advertiser.

OF LADY LOUISA FORBES with feel.
ings of the deepest regret we have to announce that Lady Louisa
Antoinette, second daughter of the Earl of %Vernyss and March,
and wife of William Forbes, Esq., of Callendar, Member for the
county, di d on Wednesday morning at Callender House. The
melancholy event has caused deep and general sorrow in the dis •
triet where Lady Louisa's many virtues, and gentle and 'tillable
disposition, made her beloved by all, while her unremitting acts of
kindness and charity were extended with a generous and liberal
hand to all in poverty or di, tress. And sure we are that in the sad
and irreparable bereavement which has deprived Mr. Forbes and
his lovely young family of one so dear, precious, and beloved, they
have the universal and sincere sympathy of all classes.—Slirling
Journal.

THE LATE FATAL DUEL AT GOSPORT.—GOSPORT,
WEDNESD►Y.—lndependent of the prosecution of Lieutenants
Hawkey and Pym. on the part of the Crown, by Mr. John Howard,
town.clerk and clerk of the peace of Portsmouth, those gentlemen
will also be prosecuted by Mr. James Hoskins, attorney, of Gos-
port, on behalf of the widow and executors of the late Mr. .ieton.
Mr. Hoskins received his instructions to that effect this day. The
trial is not expected to come on before Monday next. The friends
of Lieutenants Hawkey and Pym are confident of a favourable
result to the trial.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ON THE HUNGERFORD SUS.
PENSION-BRIDGE.—At the Lambeth Police-court Ann Adley,
a middle aged female, was charged with attempting to throw her.
self off the suspension-bridge On the preceding evening the pri-
soner's appearance attracted the attention of one of the officers on
the bridge, and having watched her for some time, he removed her
when about to throw herself over the bridge. He took her on
shore on the Surrey side, when she promised to go home; but,
having made a second attempt to throw herself off a barge, she was
taken to the station-house. Drunkenness, it appeared, was the
cause of the prisoner's conduct ; and Mr. Norton, after reading her
a severe lecture on the impropriety and wickedness of her conduct,
discharged her.
WILFUL DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.--Dtaing the
last few days information has been forwarded to the metropolitan
police stations respecting the wilful sinking of several barges
which were lying off the premises of Messrs. Hoppe and Co.,
Blackfriars, on Friday night. The barges were heavily laden with
property, which is totally destroyed. A large reward is offered for
the apprebenalon of the miscreants.

Im.f.):e.RLAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, July 11.
The Loan CsiaNcELLoa took his seat on the Woolsack at
Five o'clock.
LAW OF LIBEL ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
The Law of Libel Act Amendment Bill was mead a second
time.