The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-02 00:00:00

FOREIGN QUAUERLY REVIEW.

We mentioned a few days sines, that we
should, return .to the consideration of this very
ikethorie periodical, which, independently of its
tize, contains as much condensed and well di-
gested information as we have seen for some time.
.It professes to give an abstract of the passing
literature of the Continent, on which, after the.
manner of the Edinburgh and Quarterly
Review's, it contrives to' hang .an appropriate
Dissertation. But though professedly devotee,
to Foreign Literature, it is in reality no 'more so
than its great English prototype's. The most
interesting portions, for '.-astance, of either
ancient or modern I;istory, are, alid must
be, Continental; so that in this respect, the
Review hi question can claim little superiority
over the historical dissertations of its predeces-
sors. 'Again, with respect to voyages and travels
in which the Quarterly Revietu has ever been
unrivalled—it can put forth few opportunities of
improvement ; it is from criticism and philoso-
Chical analyses of the more obscure writers of the
ontinent (particularly of Germany) that lts
greatest advantages must be derived. As far,
however, as considerable elegance of writing,
striking powers of thought, copious learning and
versatility of talent can make a ReVialli opular, this
possesses everyclaim on publiectention. Itsopen-
ing article, entitled the " Arabs and Moors in
Spain," though lengthy is amusing and learned;
its subject, however, (the finest in the svor/d)'
has donee more for its author, than he has for it.
Nevertheless, it eanuot be iota without the
-deepest interest. The' second pater, "on the
Works of Hoffmann," a well known GerYnan
writer, but so devotedly wedded to the marvel-
lous and onus in romance, that he can scarcely.
be tolerated in Englandstsputs forth some judi-
cious hints on the use of the superneteral,
.showing where, and under what circbenstances,
it may be employed without Violence to good
taste. This Essay, which is, we under-
stand, from the pen of Scott, is the most
metaphysical composition that has ever proceeded
from his versatile fancy. All scholars will, of
course, peruse it; for there is no one person
living so well calculated to define the " super-
natural" as the creator of the goblin page end;
the author of the Scotch novels. The third ar-
ticle, " The Campaigns of 1799," is interesting,'
though ant new. " Italian Tragedy" furnishes
some novel specimens of the modern Italian dra-
matists, and seems, in part, compiled from recol-
lections of Up Foscolo, as well as of some in-
genious papers on the same subject, which ap-
peared about a rear or two since in " Black-
-wood's Magazine.' It is well worth reading,
and will open to the general reader itew sources of
information,while it will whet his appetite for Ita-
lian literature. Among the lighter articles, we
find one upon the, " Science of Gastronomy,"
reduced to a system, and treated with befitting
importance. Should a gentleman want appetite
for his dinner, we recommend him by all means
to peruse this appropriate treatise, just ten
minutes before he sits down to table; and most
assuredly it will act upon his digestion as a safe
and satisfactory Provocative. An Alderman may,
perhaps, find seine , few of the words too big for
his mental " swallow ;" but as we scarcely think
he would be rash enough to undertake
any reading above the intellect of a News-
paper, without a Johnson's Dictionary by
his side, we recommend a frequent applica-
tion to that " most complicated of love tales"—
as an innocent Highlander once. called it. On
the whole, we are delighted with this opening
Number of the " Foreign Quarterly Review,"
and if talent, chastised by judgment, be a test of
success, we do not hesitate to predict its po-
pularity.
The following (from the Review of Hoffmaun's
Works, is a creditable specimen of the analytical
powers of the Reviewer. Did our limits per-
mit, we might give other passages equally me-
ritorious:—

We cannot here avoid eontrasting the character of Hoff-
mann with that of the highly imaginative poet Words-
worth, many of whose smaller poems torn upon a sensibi-
lity affected by such small incidents as that above-mentioned,
with this remarkable difference--that the virtuous, and
manly, and well-regulated disposition of the author leads
him to derive pleasing, tender, and consoling reflections
from those circumstances which induced Hofmann-to anti-
cipate consequences of a different character. Such petty
incidents are passed noteless over by men of ordinary minds.
Observers of poetical imagination, like Wordsworth and
Hoffmann, are the chemists who can distil them into cor-
dials or poisons.
We do not mean to say that the imagination of Hoff-
mann was either wicked or corrupt, but only that it was
ill-regulated, and had an undue tendency the horrible
'end the distressing. Thus he was followed, especially in
his hours of solitude and study, by the apprehension of
mysterious dangeC to which he conceived himself exposed ;
and the whole tribe of demi-gorgons, apparitions, and
fanciful spectres and goblins of all kinds with which he
has filled his pages, although in fact the children of. his
awn imagination, were no less discomposing to him than if
they had had a real existence and actual influence upon
him. The visions which his fancy excited are stated often
to be so lively, that he was unable to endure them ; and
in the night, which was often his time of study, he was
accustomed frequently to call his wife tip from ,bed, that
she might sit by him while he was writing, and protect him
by her presence from the phantoms conjured up by his
own excited imagination.

MISS STEPHENS AND MISS KELLY.-
These truly, deservedly popular and moat interesting
actresses are at prsent plunged in poignant grief—M►ss
STEPHENS by the death of her father, and Miss Kzus by
the decease of her mother. This melancholy event will,
consequently, prevent the latter Lady from performing at
the English Opera-house for a short time.

EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE. ---On
Thursday morning, immediately after breakfast, a
family in Dorset-street were thrown into a dread-
ful state of alarm, by the sudden indisposition of
the members, consisting of seven. On medical
aid having been applied, they were in the
course
of the day pronounced out of danger. It is sup-
posed that the cause of this alarming circum-
stance arose from the water used at breakfast
having received an impregnation from the gas-
pipes lately altering, or front some noxious in-
gredient in the breakfast materials, but as yet it
has not been ascertained.—Dublin Evening
Mail.

Yesterday morning, about half-past ten o'clock
as two decent-looking females, one of them named
Gibson, were walking along the south side of St.
Paul's churchyard, in passing the shop of Mr.
Woolfit, the cabinet-maker and upholsterer, a
quantity of melting hot lead came pouring down
upon them from the roof of the house, upon
which it appeared some men were at work. For-
tunately fur the two females they had strong Dun-
table bonnets on their heads and thick stuff
gowns, which protected them in a great measure
from the injuries which the metal was calculated
to produce. Their terror was very great, and
having entered the shop for the purpose of com-
plaining of the culpable neglect of the workmen,
they exhibited their dresses, which were streaked
down with the lead ; but they were very improperly
ridiculed by some of the inmates, and sent away
without any redress.

roREIGN INTULIGEisiCE.

FRENCH PAPERS.

(Prom the Gazette de France, dated Tuesday, July 81.)
" PARIS, JULY 30.—The Dial° di Roma of the
18th of July dedarea that there is no foundation
whatever for the assertion of some journals, that his
Holiness had appointed Cardinal Guistiniani legate
a latere in Spanish America.
" M. William Danfort, Secretary to his Britannic
Majesty's Consul-General at Algiers, passed through
Perpignan tm the 19th instant, on his way to Paris
and London. It is supposed that he is the bearer
of despatches to his Government, relative to the late
events. He had left Algiers only ten days before,
The port was very strictly blockaded by thy Frtncl-,
fleet.

It A letter trot 'Bucharest of the 11th July says—
.'An Lbglish courier coming from Constantinople
passed through this city the day before yesterday.
A report had since been spread, that, notwithstand-
ing the Adel assurances previously given, Al: de
Bibeaupierre is making every preparation for his de-
parture.'—Augsburg Gazette,
" The affair of the Nuncio, in Spain, with respect
to the American bishoprics, has taien a more fa-
v*abli turn, and, reflection calming the first dissatia-
tadion, the Government has, shown an inclination to
pursue a different Course. There is rftion to believe
that M. de Pournas; Captain-General of Biscay,*ex-
Ceedeil his instructions, the first intention of the
Ministry being to induce M. Tiberi to defer his
entrance into Madrid, but not to make him turn
back. Several journals have &mounted, therefore,
that M. de Fournas had r'ecei'ved orders to come .to
an understanding with the Nuncio; and that that
Pretate nifty proceed to Madrid, but that this is not
to affect the subject of the differenCe.

" We much wish fors conciliation so desirable.
It is affirmed that the Councils of Castile and the
Indies have given their opiniOn on the institution of
bishops in America, and that they consider this
measure-as necessary for the good of religion, and
even as a means ,of Promoting the interest f the
King of Spain. What has impressed the Councils
is, the reading of the despatches of the Pope, espe-
cially a letter which calls to mind, that ever since
1822 the Holy See has constantly endeavoured to
induce the Cabinet of Madrid to make arrangements
which might save religion from total overthrow in
those , countries. It is added that a commission of
Bishops, Heads of Orders, and Magistrates, has
been formed.. When this commission has drawn up
its report, it will be sent to the Council of State,
which will finally decide. The wisdom and piety of
the king authorize the hope that a subject of joy
and triumph will not be given to the enemies of
religion, by a quarrel which cannot but have a fatal
inflsence on the public mind in Spain.
" The Protestants of Nerac had long been in
possession of their church, when, in March, 1825,
the Council of. the Prefectuie of the Lot and Ga-
ronne decided that the hospital at Nerac had a prior
right to this church% The Consistory of Nerac ap-
plied to the Minister of the Interior, and then ap-
pealed to the Council of State. It has succeeded,
and the following ordinance has been issued in this
affair, which was much discussed in the journals at
the time, and several times mentioned in the Chain-
bey of Deputies.