The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-01 00:00:00

COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY.

Mr. Harrison Ainsworth is now the editor of this
magazink, and he opens the number with an admirable
tale, " Cecco del Orso." The hero is an Italian Con-
dottiere, and the scene is laid in Forli in 1448, and in
the space of nine pages and a half we have a romance
which, in the hands of ordinary scribes, would have been
dilated into a three volume tale of " intense interest."
Short as it is it is Mr. Ainsworth's masterpiece. The
author of " Hillingdon Hall" gives us his " Thoughts
upon Inns," and most quaint and amusing thoughts they
are; and Mr. Francis Ainsworth gives us a most in-
teresting account of the " Principality of the Captive
Jews in the Valley of the Euphrates." Then follows
one of the best occasional poems we have ever read:—
WRITTEN AFTER WITNESSING THE PER-
FORMANCE OF A YOUNG AMERICAN ACTRESS,
CHRISTINE OF SWEDEN.'
BY CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN.

In sooth a queen ; a gentle, loving queen !
So true to nature, as to cheat the will
From all observance of the mimic scene,
To bow in reverence of thy matchless skill.
Thy brow, which well the diadem became.
Bearn'd with the light and purity of truth ;
While the clear eye flash'd well and wild the flame,
From the soul's altars, fed by hope and youth.

And then, the high-wrought tales of woman's love.
Shackled by chains of custom and of state,
Which the fond heart strives vainly to remove,
Preferring to be loved than to be great.
From thee, the tale came like a pleasing dream,
Cheating the heart, and robbing it of care—
Alas T. that this all bright and glorious theme
Should wild Delusion's fleeting raiment wear.
M.
We may observe thy course, and watch thy star,
Brighten with years along the Drama's heaven,
No envious clouds thy onward fame to mar,
All threatening tempests from thy pathway driven.
With such rare powers to cultivate the Muse,
Genius to model, judgment to refine ;
Who may behold thy flight, and yet refuse
To crown thee champion of the Sacred Nine ?'

This delightful tribute to the excellencies of a rival
proves that whatever may be said of the envious nature
of actresses there is at least one, and she the greatest, in
whose bosom that passion has no place. " The Ass
Eating Thistles" is a tale illustrative of one of /Esop's
fables. It is from the pen of the author of " Peter
Priggins," upon whom the mantle of Theodore
Hook appears to have fallen. " The Robertses
on their Travels" are as amusing as ever, and
the author of the " Stories of Waterloo" continues
his "Lights and Shades of a Gentleman on Half-pay."
"Recreations in Natural History " consist of some most
amusing anecdotes illustrative of the sagacity of
elephants. These are followed by an exquisite lyric,
entitled " Beauteous little Mary," from the pen of Ed-
ward Kenealy. The " Chest of Cigars," by Lancelot
Wagstaff, is a quaint and humorous story, told in excel-
lent style—the sort of story that we are wont to expect
in the New Morekly. Dudley Costello contributes a tale
entitled " The Fiddler of Frankfort," and Thomas
Miller contributes a poem entitled " The Grey Old Ash
Tree." Mr Oxenford is doing good service in the cause
of literature by giving us selections from Jean Paul Frie-
derich Richter. Jean Paul is one of the most original,
and certainly the most witty, of German writers. With
the exception of M. Heine, he is, perhaps, the only really
witty writer that Germany has produced ; but he is not
merely witty—there is an under-current of deep and
thoughtful philosophy running through all his writings
—take, for instance, " The Molucca, aid Spice Islands in
Scheeran," which Mr. Oxenford has given us in the
present number. It is one of the most biting satires
ever written upon monopolies, and as such we recom-
mend it to the attention of the League. It is too long
to extract, but as a specimen of Jean Paul's style, we
cannot resist giving the following, on Body and Soul:—
"'TT'