The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-02 00:00:00

MAGAZINR DAY.

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

Mr. Campbell's letter to the Students of Glas-
sow, on the course necessary to be.: adopted for
attaining proficiency in literature, and in which
he speaks incidentally of the powers and versa-
tility of the Greek mind, is of course the chief
object of attraction in. the present Number of
this Magazine. If there be any one thing which
Campbell does better than another, it is his occa-
sional delightful little criticisms on Greek lite-
rature. He seems—indeed we all know that he
is—thoroughly imbued with a love (which. im-
plies a knowledge) of his subject, and when he
comes to speak of the Poets, Homer in parti-,
cular,. he does it with all the. fire and eloquence
of a kindred genius. There is nothing remark-
able in this : for the Greek mind, no matter to,
what department of thought it devoted itself,
was the most extraordinary that the world ever
yet saw. Its language, too, was the very
soul of Music ; copious, graceful, and ener-
getic ; whether as evinced in the flexible
sweetness of the lonic, the grave majesty of
the Doric, or the correct simplicity of the
Attic dialect. It must necessarily, therefore,
warm the feelings and elevate the fancy of
whoever attempts to dissert on it. We shah
hope to see more of Mr. Campbell's observations
on this prolific subject ; but only hope that he
will not again (as we have a faint recollection of
his having done before), set Euripides above the
all but perfect Sophocles. The " Dominican'.
is a very impressive insidious tale, and one whose
object cannot possibly be mistaken : it is to throw
an indirect slur on Catholicism, which need
no additional enemies, and the abuse of which
flthough, perhaps, not unmerited) is " weary,
at, stale, and unprofitable." " Tales of Indian
Life," is a good Review—we can guess tht
gifted mind from which it proceeds—of Chateau.
briand's quack tale of the " Natchez," and
Cooper's vigorous American Narratives. We are
glad to find that the Reviewer does justice to the
fine conception and execution of old " Nato
Bumpo "—the most convincing of realities.
" Daughters to Introduce," is a lively sketch b\
Horace Smith, from which we give the following
diverting extract. Even topography is not with-
out its jealousies.
On entering the central part of Portman-square, we en
countered a decent-looking young man coming forth fron
the iron gate, who nodded familiarly to the girls, bu
whom they honoured in return with a more distant salu
tation. " Who is that ?" said I. " Oh! only young Eg
gars."—" And pray, who may young Eggars he ? " Oh
we have nothing particular to say against him, except a
to where he lives." Indeed ! and pray what has his resi
dente done to offend you?" " Red-Lion-square ! ejacti
calated AMelia, with a look of horror. " I understan,
the case," said I ; " Red Lion-square might assimilate wit'
Clapton, but it won't do with Baker-street." I was gla4:
to find the family such able proficients in the science o
cutting. The fact is, that the streets and squares of Lou
.don are remarkably nice as to whom they allow to corn,
near them. No inviting home to supper the devil knows
who, like Dou Giovanni in the Italian Opera. Grosvenor-
square dubs Portman-square the suburbs; and accordingly
slights " all which it inherit." Portman turns up it•
nose at Cavendish, and CaVendish revenges itself upoi
Soho. Soho, notwithstanding its dingy antiquity, hold,
its head 'above Russell. Russell slights Bedford ; who, ii
return won't speak to Bloomsbury. Bloomsbury hold:
itself immeasurably superior to Red-Lion; whose Cal)
consolation, in return, is to call itself the West-end of th.
Town, and to dub the inhabitants of Ely-place .‘ Cit,
people." Neither does the conflict end here. In the
Cit
the Friars are, notwithstanding their holy brotherhood,

a state of continued hostility. Black-friars won't COMMUCIi
with White; White-friars undervalues Austin-friars; and
Austin-friars looks upon Crutched-friars as the loWest deei
of low-life. In what a woeful dilemma all these pool
streets and squares would be, in the event of an earthquake
I vztily believe that the cheek-by-jowl consequence. 0.
such a catastrophe would more annoy them than tie., dange,
of dissolution. From all this episode I 'infer, that th
Willoughby SCraggses could not ty.
expected to notit..
young Eggars, until he had chap .d his lodgings.