The Sun.
London, England, 1827-12-01 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

This is one of the most entertaining numbers we
have met with for some months. It contains fifteen
articles—all, more ,or less, original—of which one is
first rate, and six others worth reading. The first
rate one is entitled " The Shyness of Scholars,"
and abounds in a certain pleasant reflection, (the
result evidently of personal and acute obtervation)
which is but rarely to be met with in a modern
periodical. In its metaphysical tendency it reminds
us of Mr. Hazlitt, but we doubt whether he could (or
would) supply the polish. There is hardly one. sentence
throughout this elegant little gem with which we do
not most cordially coincide.. Its professed object
is to analyze the causes which in nine out of ten
cases, shut out the scholar from all but one class
of society, and to prove by a perfectly natural para-
dox that his very pride has its origin in humility.
But we feel ourselves wholly unable to reuder ade-
quate justice to its merits, we therefore refer the
reader (should we have the good fortune to whet
his curiosity) to the article itself. The following
note, appended to a sentence on the subject of ma-
thematicians—those in general pedantic bores—has a
pleasant smack of metaphysical conceit about it :
" I have heard it said that carpenters, who do every
thing by the square and line, are honest man, and I
am willing to believe it. Shakspeare, in the Mid-
summer Nights' Dream, makes Snug the Joiner
the moral man-of the piece." The " Narrative of a
Student at Law " is peculiar but entertaining. It
gives an account of a young Templar, Yastly
praiseworthy by his own account, who suffered
inconceivable afflictions from having been mistaken
for another individual, whose notions on the im-
portant subject of meant and taunt, were more to
be admired for their liberality than their justice.
The poor Templar was imprisoned in consequence
of this unlucky circumstance—a hard case, especially
when a man is in love. The biographical sketch of
the robber Spatolino, is light reading enough, but by
no means novel. Mrs. Graham, in her sketchy vo-
lume, " On the Mountains East of Rome," has al-
ready glutted us with Italian banditti; and Mr.
Washington Irving's " Tales of a Traveller," has
completed the surfeit. The" Portraits of the French
Players," we allude more particularly to that of
Potier—are good and correct likenesses. We ques-
tion, however, if they will interest generally our En-

glish reader. " Travelling Sketches in Russia," is
a make-weight, and rather of the lumbering order ; it
adds little to our stock of knowledge on the subject;
and takes up serious stowage in the Magazine; it should
be clapped behind in the boot; that is at the end of the
number. "London Lyrics, or Magog's Prophecy"is
tame,but short. A real Lord Mayor's broken head de-
serves a more impassioned laureate. The illustrious
historian of his Lordship's " Voyage to Oxford"
should have taken it in hand. At present the
" First City Magistrate's" misfortune stands a fair
chance of being in the same predicament with the
brave gentlemen who lived before Agamemnon, and
who have all died off the rolls of fame, forgotten and
!unwept for want of some poets to record their ex-
istence. Dinner Conversation" is sociable and
piquant ; it breathes the flavor—the aroma—of
Guildhall, and gives one an appetite to read it. The
following observations are useful and judicious :
" If you feel the god within,you,' and cannot submit
to this system, just cast a glance around, and you must be
a queer chap indeed, if you don't find some latitude in time
great city that suits your calibre. A good song will en-
sure success at the Three Compasses or the Cat and Bag-
pipes ; a talent for conundrums is a marketable commo-
dity among the Les bleux of Tower-hill and East-cheap :
a general acquaintance with Joe Miller is (in the language
of cribbage) good for' a dinner in Guildhall ; circuit
anecdotes and bar jokes make good society in the inns of
court ; smut is wit in the common-rooms of our univer-
sities ; scandal is proverbially adapted to our tea-tables, es-
pecially to those of the more serious cast; and Bubb Dod-
dington and Horace Walpole will carry you through a ca-
binet dinner in Downing-street. A safe company for a
Mashing experiment at all in the ring,' is that of a set of
plain matter-of-fact men, if you can catch them in the ha-
, incur. They have no ambition to shine themselves, no
desire but to get rid of their own stupidity, and they are
very easily pleased. Good animal spirits, ease, and a
tongue that never ceases, with them is sufficient to earn
the reputation of a merryjfellow. But beware of all grave
subjects ; on politics, no price-currents, or they'll set you
down at once for a nincompoop. Talk of every thing
they know nothing about, and you are safe. Set them
staring, and you are sure of success. I remember passing
a rambling summer among the country gentlemen' very
agreeably, and came off with the name of an uncommonly
learned and pleasant companion, only by dint of interest-
ing my audience with marvellous common-places, concern-
ing every thing that they had never heard of before. In
stage-coaches, persiflage with the female passengers makes
excellent society ; especially if interspersed with a history
of all the country-seats and anecdotes of their proprietors ;
all of whom, be sure, are your most intimate friends.—
In the company of cheerful people, however humble and
uniutellectual, this sostenuto style won't answer at all.—
You must-turn your blockade into a bush-fight, and let
somebody else talk, as well as yourself. In such a society,
wait your opportunity patiently (you will not have long to
wait,) and then plant your hit. Any old pun, quotation,
or clinch, tolerably applied, will raise a laugh ; and in
raising a laugh, you encourage your neighbour to follow
your example ; and thus you gain credit with him for your
own joke and for his also. In this mode of carrying on
the war, I have seen two very opposite modes of proceed-
ing equally successful ; the one by means of an accomplice,
the other by that of a butt. The former method has,
indeed, one disadvantage, namely—that you must be con-
tented with sharing the reputation. It is a sort of ride
and tie transaction ; and unless, like Archer and Aimwell,
you agree with your confederate to wear the livery on al-
ternate days, you must consent to give and take, and make
up your mind, like the two Kings of Brentford, to smell
at the samb nosegay. A single wit has, however, so bad
a time of it in a company of common-places, there is such
a necessity of a chorcegus to lead the laugh, that the price
is not too much to pay for an able-bodied coadjutor, who
knows the extent of your capital (jokes), is watchful to
administer occasion for planting an hit, and who can 'crow
like chanticleer,' when it is necessary to insinuate the
plot' of your mirth to a heavy and inapprehensive audi-
tory. But if you be of a jealous disposition, and can
bear no rival near the throne,' then you have nothing for
it but to provide yourself with a dupe,—a led captain per-
haps,—or still better, a dull unsuspicious gudgeon, who
will both endure your persiflage and pay your reckoning
afteewards. He must stand possessed of a reasonable pre-
judice in favour of your wit ; but he must at least have
an equally strong prepossession in favour of his own talent
and respectability; so that the remotest idea shall never
reach him that it is possible he can be ridiculous. While
the company are shouting at your palpable hits,' rendered
still more sensible by the waggish curling of that side of
your face which is not within his sphere of vision, be must
reply with grave argument to all your hoaxing absurdities,
without the slightest suspicion of your earnestness ; and
supply more matter for a May morning,' every time you
trot him out as a coxcomb and blockhead for the benefit of
your friends. With such an adjutant, it is surprising how
much a man can do with a small stock -in trade. Your
professed wit should never be without them."
The Revievir of the

O'Briek. - _

and O'Flaherty's.7- is
in parte. Every
one must perceive that it is a good literary advertisement of
Mr. Colburn's publication. The " Drafts on La Fitte,"
are this month heavy enough for a dray-horse • there is a
good steady qupidity aboat them, not much unlike that
animal. Oa the whole, however, the Magazine—a. we
said before—is an excellent one; and as we are now on
give our testimony
toth the subject
Very soufpeptriaoie— may
superior, aiais well
dbusiness-like manner in
whieh the odds and ends of the volume--its politics—
lleyiews—Obituary, &c. are got up.