Star.
London, England, 1830-07-02 00:00:00

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

The commencement of the month has brought round its usual
supply of periodical literature. Magazine day is a red-letter day in
the caleader of every one given to intellectual indu as
)long as we can recollect, so we have always considered it. The
feast is a luxuriant one, at present in this country ; and,
to our promise, we shall attempt to amuse our readers withacalltit2
of it, and enrich our humble bawl with a 'temple of such delicacies
as we may venture to appropriate.
The New Monthly Ma aline has always been a favourite with
us, except in the name. The adjective new is one of the most ha.
pendent that can be attached to any literary production, calculated,
like this, to hold a permanent place in the library ; but the Miscel-
lany is known too well now, to make the title of any material im-
portance. The first article in the present number, "on Modern Na-
tional Improvements," is, in a high degree, satisfactory to those who
can rejoice in the peweess of the different members of the great
European Family. We think the author a little incorrect in the fa-
vourable view he has taken of our commercial situation ; and cannot
but condemn the contemptuous tone with which he has alluded to Mr.
Waithman—a gentleman whose talent, integrity, and consistency
conduct cannot be injured in public estimation by allusions to his shop,
of which he and his fellow-citizens should both he proud. Such a
character as Robert Mraithman, we think, peculiarly British—and
we wonder the author of this article, with such good sense, should
display such bad taste. We have no private knowledge of Mr.
Waithman ; we are not partisans—we offly speak of him as we
have observed.
The next Essay on " Living with the Great." cannot be read
without profit; almost all its remarks are judicious, and pone
the author to have an accurate discernment of the human charac-
ter.—" lily Cousin's Toilet" is a most amusing and successful sa-
tire on some of the follies—we might almost say, as they ate destruc-
tive to health and beanty—vices of modern female attire; not omitting
the most prominent of than all.—Wc recommend this article to the
careful perusal of our female readers.—" The Memoirs of the hap-
piest fellow alive," is another lively sketch - in a style familiar to
the readers of this Magazine;—and " The Land o' Cakes" cannot
fail to amuse all but those whose partialities may lead them to
think the author unfair towards " Aberdeen awa." We happen lobe
among that number ; for altho' having no claim to it as a native spot,
the place and people are dear to our hearts; for we have some claim
to call it an alma mater; and the author of this essay must excuse
us for holding forth a little in support of its fame, and in correction
of what we think his error.
No city, or town, perhaps, in Great Britain, could make a more
creditable display of literary yank than could our " guld town of
Aberdeen." We shall not attempt the task at present of producing
a catalogue of its worthies; but sure we arc, that if we had time, we
should be able to produce a list of celebrated literati in continuity
of succession, *Vont Barbour and Hector Bocce, down to the present
day, that might perhaps astonish our author, who may not have applied
his mind to the research. We hope, however, he will recollect the
Gregswies and many others no one can forget. We conceive he
has not done justice even to the names he has mentioned. We shall
not dwell on the respectable Dr. Gerrard (by error of the press,
we presume, called Gerald in this essay ;) nor shall we refer to
Dr. Beattie, whom we consider more of a poet than a philoso-
pher : but we think that the learning and ability of Dr. Campbell
merits some more notice; and we should blush indeed for our times,
could we conceive that such writers as we have just named, were
really not to the " taste of the age," because they are " too
!Veal." Can any one, instructed in the important subject
our our religion, be ignorant of the merit of the only
good reply to Hume on miracles, that ever was written ? Can
any student on the evidences of Christianity be ignorant of the
great merit of Dr. Campbell's translation of, and dissertations on,
the four gospels; or, if divinity be not the " taste of the age,"
we would wish to ask our author, whether any work is more pro-
found and mote ontioereally read, than the truly philosophical work
of the writer in question, on rhetoric. Nor is it fair to say, that
modern times in Aberdeen has displayed a poverty of literary
merit. We decline to speak of the living ; but the
biographer of Beside was a resident, we believe, of
this town • and the late Lords Gardenston and Mont:odd°,
would probably have not rejected their connection with " Aberdeen
awa ?" We have not room to say more, as the attachment to the
subject is leading us too deep in our columns.
We shall now close our notice of the New Monthly by saying,
it is of a pia,* with its mors, as to affording a store of intd.
lectual amusement ; and as a proof, we shalrtake the liberty to
" borrow awa," as they say in the Land o'Cakes, the following
extract s

LUNATIC LAYS.
4' I must and will an actress wed."
I must sad will an actress wed,
Still smile away all shadows,
The voice of Love is eloquent
In green-rooms—not green meadows :
Talk not of rural hills and vales,
They suit my optic sense ill,
The only scenery Iprise
Is tkat of Stanfield's pencil !
The Earl, my father, storms at me,
And says it is a queer age,
When comic first appearances
At last lead to the Peerage :
And my maternal Countess vows
That nothing can console her,
If I disgrace the family,
By marrying a stroller !
But, oh ! scorn such prejudice,
Although 'tense universal,
For I have been behind the scenes
At night and at rehearsal :
No titled heiress will I ask

To be my benefactress ;
I'd rather elevate my wife,
So I will wed an actress.
Oh, first I burnt for tragic queens.
Ily passion scarce is cool yet,
I teased each Mrs. Beverly,
Ruphrasia and Juliet;
And if by Belvidera's frowns
A little disconcerted,
I Sew to Mrs. Haller's side,
And at the wings I flirted.
But Colonel Rant, (the gentleman
Who's always asnateuring,)
Behind the scenes cause every night
With language most alluring : ,
And be had such a way with him,
He won their harts by magic,
So I resign'd Melpomene,
And Rant reign'd o'er the Tragic !
And then I sigh'd five the soubrettes
In aprons made with pockets,
Who frisk about the stage like squibs,
And then go off like rockets :
But at their beck I always found
Some beauteous Bob or Billy,
With whom they lightly tript sway
And left me looking silly.

• •••••I1
0.111,

But ROW a love for figurants
Within my bosom rankles,
I dust upon extended arms,
And sigh for well tuned ankles:
Enchanting girls ! how dark their hair !
How white and red their skin is !
I love them an though wicked wits
May call them "spinning Jennies."
In Peter Wilkins I have sigh'd
For sylph-like forms, whose trade is
To hang suspended by the waist,
And act high-flying ladies :
The Country Curate may abuse
My loves because they lack dress,
Melt choose a wife from private life ;
But I will wed an actress.

His Majesty William IV. it is said, will continue his
residence at Bushy for some time, preferring that and
Kew to the half-finished residence of Windsor Castle ;
even the celebrated terrace, on which George 111. and
the public used to walk, is, and long has been, partially
stopped against the public.
THE ROYAL UNION PENSION FUND.—The Annual
Meeting of Subscribers to this Institution was held pea se& at the
Crown and Anchor Tavern, when the past Atlas were y
elected, and after a report was made of the rapid imam el t
of
he
fund/, ten more aged passes were added to the list of
whom Mere an now ninety provisioned fir life. This limi is sap-
potted by the contributions of the Nobility sad fiewley, and was es.
tablishrd by Act of Parliament, be memory tithe late Osesmawdm-
in.Cttlef, his Royal Highness the Du
of York. The WM ndsed
in the room exceeded that of any former oassiso, sad the MINN
were unanimously thanked for tisk pest atavism. The ameemihi
amdidaus were literary Nathan, aged OS )1 Ma
aged 74 ; Jam kinnay, wd 74 ; Mary so el=
Thatcher, aged N; Smib Boaelem, atO J4olllllll_
aged 76 ; Ann Slater, aged II ; AllrLTroika
nute Pft milid sit
and May Samoa, aged N. Among the oases at dag,
were nearly 100 of the Nobility. • •