The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-18 00:00:00

VICTORIA IN TEE HIGHLANDS

(FROM " POEMS: SACRED AND MISCELLANEOUS," BY HENRY
GRAZEBROOK, OF LIVERPOOL.)
Deep in the stillness of a Highland glen,
Far, far removed from common haunts of men,
Where rocks o'erhanging, pinnacled and bare,
Seemed lightly poised, or floating in mid-air,
And mountains rose, till many a fleecy cloud
Wrapped round their lofty summits, as a shroud :
A female form stood, pensive and alone,
With eyes upturned, as if her soul would own
A Godlike presence in the silent air,—
An awful majesty abiding there!

She felt her nothingness !—the mighty hills
Paid her no homage I—and the dried-up rills
Would sparkle not, nor flow at her command,
Though called the Queen of this, and many a land

Her heart confessed 't was good, 't was very good,
For her to be alone,—where none intrude,
To turn the soul, with heavenward sail un
Away from God, and back into the world

furled,

She knew full well the glitter of a court,
The gaudy pomp, where mighty ones resort,
Fit not the spirit for that peace serene,
And holy calmness of a higher scene.

Nor did she seek, in that lone hour, to hide,
That human power engenders human pride,,
And, in her halls, whence adulation springs,
She might forget her Chief—the King of Kings!

A fitting spot—by nature's wall hemmed in,
The world- shut out, with all its load of sin;
The heavens above, beneath the verdant sod,—
For earthly Queen to commune with her God I

Two specks descending from the rocky height
Appeared, as eagles swooping in their flight;
At length drew near the husband and the son
To claim a smile from that beloved one.
Her smile was ever sweet, but on that day
It seemed illumined by a heavenly ray,
A ray rejoicing in its own release;—
'T was the reflection of a soul at peace

LITERAT-URE.

Booxs FOR REVIEW, &T.—Books, New Prints, Music, &c.
intended for review, may be left at Mr. C. Mitchell's, Red-
lion-court, Fleet-street, London, addressed " to the Editor
of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD," when they will be forwarded
and receive attention.

Poems : Sacred and Miscellaneous. By Henry
Grazebrook. Liverpool : Deighton & Laughton.

Outwardly the volume before us is " a thing of
beauty"; and to the poet who has here collected
the thoughts of a cultivated mind and the pious
impressions of a God-loving soul—as well as to
his numerous readers—we trust the book will prove
" a joy for ever." The fact that it is inscribed, by
permission, to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of
Chester, is in itself a guarantee that the work seeks
to achieve a good purpose. It would further indi-
cate that the execution is at least above mediocrity,
and in some measure worthy of the author's aim.
And the hope naturally enough excited by the
dedication will not, we believe, be disappointed by
a perusal of the contents, whether that perusal be
confined to the first department, which is allotted
exclusively to the poetical illustration of Scripture
texts, or extended to the pleasing miscellaneous
poems which follow. Mr. Grazebrook apparently
writes with fluency and ease ; and, what is of higher
import, he enforces the fervency of a loving spirit
into all that he writes. And so, as he speaks the
real language and embodies the genuine emotions
of a human soul, his utterances will assuredly
awaken a kindred chord in the hearts of his readers.
Mr. Grazebrook merits especial commendation for
the correct and elegant manner in which he has
pourtrayed in verse the scenes of the Bible. He
draws near to the hill of Calvary and approaches
the Sepulchre with a holy awe; and in striving to
delineate the events in the life of our blessed Lord
and Saviour, he ever preserves the severely simple
grandeur of the New Testament narrative. To the
lovers of the sacred muse we cordially commend
the volume of our townsman.

Guizot's History of Representative Governments.

London : fl. G. Bohn.

Among the many valuable services which Mr.
Bohn has rendered to the reading public of Eng-
land, there are few of more importance than the
publication of a translation of this excellent work,
which forms one of the series known as " Bohn's
Standard Library." It is true that the author is a
Frenchman, but he is one of the few of that nation
who is imbued with constitutional principles, and
whose administration as a statesman reflected a
lustre on the reign of Louis Philippe. In the work
before us he has traced the rise of representative
governments in Europe from the earliest times,
showing the peculiar changes which took place from
the decay of the Roman Empire and the incursions
of the Northern Germans, through the various
succeeding revolutions resulting in our own times.
In the latter part he has confined his attenion to
England, France, and Spain ; and in giving a sy-
nopsis of their respective histories, treated of those
changes in government, and their causes and effects,
which have in general been passed over by ordinary
historians. In his comments upon this subject,
unlike the majority of French writers, he does full
justice to England, while he admits that in his own
country the struggles for constitutional freedom
which animate every country in Europe have been a
failure. In his sketch of this country he traces
many of our institutions from the ancient Saxons
and Normans, and throws much light on the
doubtful question of the origin of Parliaments,
though we should be rather inclined to accept the
theory of Lord Erskine, that our present House of
Commons is the virtual representative of the an-
cient Barons of England. He combats the absurd
dogma of Rosseau, that " No one is bound to obey
laws to which he has not given his consent," by its
absolute impossibility, as, in order to constitute re-
cognised authority, the wills of the minority must
submit to those of the majority. He might, how-
ever, have gone further, and stated that man, in
order to escape from a tyrant majority, has in every
well-constituted government surrendered his own
will to that of a third power recognised as the
sovereignty. We obey Queen Victoria, not be-
cause she was made so by the will of the majority,
but by right of succession ; and we elect represen-
tatives, who have a share only in making new laws.
The student will here find much valuable informa-
tion on the history of England, as well as of France,
and a highly-important study for serious reflection.

The Church of England Quarterly Review. London
Painter.
As there are many subjects in connection with
the Church which require more deliberative dis-
cussion than is usually accorded to themes of less
moment, so the dignity of a Quarterly Review is
more suited to such subjects than to most others.
There are many questions suited neither to the pul-
pit nor the newspaper which require such a me-
dium, and even controversies of a theological cha-
racter are better conducted when they come before
the public with the gravity which usually charac-
terises the pages of a quarterly publication. The
Church of England Quarterly Review has been be-
fore the public for above sixteen years, and has done
much service in directing public attention to im-
portant subjects, and also in restraining the exube-
rance and exposing the fallacies in which pam-
phleteers are too often prone to indulge. The num-
ber just published opens with an article entitled
`a‘ Was Peter Bishop of Rome ?" being a review of
recently published work by T. C. Simon, Esq.,
under the comprehensive title of " The Mission
and Martyrdom of St. Peter • containing the ori-
ginal text of all the passages in ancient writers
supposed to imply a journey from the East ; with
translations and Roman Catholic comments,
show-
ing that there is not the least sign in antiquity of ' THE MISERIES OF A LEGACY.
the alleged fact, nor even of there having been a What was it you wrote at the end of your letter about
tradition to that effect." The value of this work is Jones M'Carthy ? I can't make out the word, whether
in the proof which is afforded of the utter absence it is his " death," or his " debts ; " though, my
r
Of all truth in the statements upon which the experience of the family, I surmise it to be the latter. If
Church of Rome grounds its title to supremacy, and it's dead he is, I suppose we'll come in for that blessed
this the author has shown from indubitable testi- legacy that Mrs. D. has been talking about every day for
moray. The actual poverty in the English Church the last twenty-five years, the history of which I have
, heard so often that I actuall know nothing about it,
and the necessity of doing something more effectu- except that it was. the only bityof property possessed by
has been done for the support of my wife's relations they couldn't make away with. It
ally than hitherto
wnaso strictly "tied up," as they call it in law, that
the poorer clergy and their families, is shown in a
Silver nobody
sixpence
ever get the use of it—pretty much like the
succeeding article, most of the facts quoted being
taken from the reports of the " Poor Pious Clergy. given to a schoolboy, with the express sti-
pulation that he is never to change it. I am rather curious
man's Society," established in Birmingham chiefly tsoioknnier
ofwhheart Mrs. D. will think of. these " wise provi-
To. tell you thefor
through the philanthropic exertions of Miss Lamb.tors if she succeeds to the bequest.
palarni na truth,n tha Tom,has
mlardroine
d' t
a know
wife a
withoutgreater
An article on " Crime and its antidotes" shows by misfortune
official returns the increase of crime in this country, I money, than to discover end of some fifteen or
notwithstanding the extension of education. This 1 twenty years that somebodyat theas leftc .her a.few hundred
ets
allvions of un-
the writer attrihutes not only to the inert mass of pounds ! It is not only that she con
bounded extravagance, and raves abolvu
ignorance, and the want of a really religious educa-manner of
tion where instruction is afforded the expense, but she begins to fancy herself an heiressi
that
was thrown away, and imagines wonderful
inefficiency of the detective fore' i but also to the
destinies she
e, and above all to might have arrived at, if she hadn't bed the bad luck to
the uncertainty of punishments, A hich vary so ma- meet you. For a real crabapple of discord, I'll back a
terially in extent and severity according to the dis. fewhundreds in the Three per Cents, against all the
position of the judge who passes the sentence. family family jars that ever
were invented. Save us then from
roe so th a t Mrs.
eDbny.
adrogoeeusrunp'st7ilillielaarll oif
On this point we quite agree with the writer ;ence,i 1 this, if you can, Tom. There must surely be twenty ways
believe it would tend materially to the improvementan- to avoid the legacy ;
of our criminal judicature, and operate beneficially it, I'd rather you'd pe her llegnmt atel, than allow her
to succeed to this bequest. 11l
in the repression of crime, if offences were more
clearly defined, and punishment awarded without hoping thato
subject,
rmre of it; buty I tell you,and
feelad r
eabout this subj
any chance of mitigation or remission. The writer franklys,wle'dmfaaycenetvheer smallpox with a stouter heart than
of an article on " Progress during the last half theT news of succeeding to the 11'Cirthy inheritance. * *
century," attributes most of our present immunity
from evil to the improvements in science and the shapeercfv. Mrs. the
m. received a strange-looking, square-
t-hseuisPect that mischief is done, Tom—l mean about
labours of literary men, promoted by the general tents of which,otiy
tired to peruse it in
not being a demand for money, she did
peace which has prevailed for nearly forty years. not communicate-addressed epistle this morning, the con-
labours
undervaluing these - -
advantages, we may •
1 and self-possessiont ra
w i
ng-rnn%;
n the d ' secret, and when they again appeared
to me. She and Mary Anne both re.
remark that on such a subject much may be said
o you, the aitt
on both sides. With no wish to justify the horrors ownsmackedwa was l ith
terriblya emir of
oconsciouspride t
.
prospect alarms me; it may be that my

I wish any physiologist would explain why the English,
that are so proverbial for a cold and chilling demeanour
at home, grow at once so cordial when they come abroad.
Whether it be the fear of the damp, or the swell mob. I
can't tell, but everybody in England goes about with his
hands in his pockets, and only nods to a friend when he
meets him ; whereas, here, you start with a grin at fifty
yards off, then off goes your hat with a flourish, that, if
you have any tact, what with shaking your head, and
looking overcome with delight, occupies you till you
come up with him, when your greeting grows more en-
thusiastic—lucky if it does not finish with a kiss on both
cheeks.

A PLEASANT MISTAKE.
I suppose it was the influence of habit betrayed me,
for, in a fit of abstraction, I took the charming widow
into my arms, and saluted her as if she were Mrs. Dodd.
if this was in London, Tom, or even in Dublin, there's
no saying what mischief might not have grown out of it.
I might have been fighting duels every day for the last
week, not to mention still more formidable encounters of
a domestic nature ; but, just to show you what the Con-
tinent does for us—bow instinctively, as it were, we rise
above the little narrow prejudices of our insular situation
—she threw herself into a chair and laughed immode-
rately. Aye, and droller again, so did Mrs. D.! To tell
you the truth, Tom, I couldn't well believe my senses
when I saw it. It would seem to be the same in morals
as in murder—you can dignify the offence by the rank of
your victim ; for if it had been one of the maids at borne,
Mrs. D. would have left my face like a piece of music-
paper !