The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-25 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES.

The British and Foreign Review. October, 183 G.

Whether we regard the variety and importance of the
articles selected, or the address and ability with which
they are discussed, we are equally gratified and instructed
by the happy and erudite skill displayed in the present
number of the British and Foreign Review. The first
article presents us with a compendious view of the
" Trade and Consular Establishments of the Levant," in
which the-speech of P. M. Stewart, M.P, in the House
of Commons, on Wednesday, April 20, 1.836, in support
of his motion on the subject of the aggression of Russia,
and other contemporaneous and correlative works, are
faithfully examined, and the several arguments found in
them pursued to practical conclusions—the whole evin-
cing comprehensive knowledge, sound judgment, and
deep penetration. The second article, on " Persia," is
replete with that information which goes to form the ac-
complished scholar, who desires to lay his foundation
upon sound historical facts, and to build an intellectual
structure which will bear the minutest examination;
much that is novel, and more that is interesting will be
found in every page. We next come to the article on the
" British Association at Bristol;" and here we should be
glad to enter, and expatiate on the probable results of
these periodical concentrations of learned and scientific
men, if our limits would allow ; but self-denial is the ex-
ercise to which we are called; and we the more readily
submit to it, because a thousand times more than what
may be deficient from our forbearance, is supplied by the
writer of the present article. He enters very fully into
the consideration of existing arrangements, and suggests
improvements, some of which would, doubtless, serve to
promote the objects of the association. We think so in-
teresting, and, altogether, a nineteentli-eentury institu-
tion, ought to be governed according to the best laws;
and since what is said in morals, "new repente turpis-
simus"—no one becomes suddenly desperately wicked—
is equally true of all constitutions, they are not perfect
at once ; every hint offered, as these are, in the spirit of
candour, ought to receive due consideration ; they do
not spring into being, like Minerva, completely armed at
all points. We are, we believe, to be honoured next
year, with this Assemble des Savans—they who read at-
tentively the present paper, will have an opportunity of
judging of its practical application. We could thus pro-
ceed to notice the same display of ability in several of
the succeeding articles, each equally important, but "the
limits of our space" forbid us; we therefore pass on to
the article on "National Education," because that topic
has occupied our leading columns of to-day, and also be-
cause we find in it allusions of local interest to Liver-
pool. The first sentence seems to be fully justified by
the late proceeding of our Town Council :—" It is not
universally admitted in these enlightened islands," says
the writer, "that a good education is a good thing."
After a very eloquent apostrophe to the condition of Ger-
many, we find these words immediately applicable to
ourselves:—" Every one had the privilege of falling into
as many errors as he chose, and of groping out of them
as he could, on the important matter of his 0W74 and his
children's instruction"—to wit Liverpool—and he adds,
very pertinently, in a subsequent page, that such instruc-
tion is " worse than no instruction at all." So far we
accord our sentiments to the writer of the article before
us, but with him we can proceed no further. His object
is to educate the mind only ; we feel it to be of equal
importance, a permanent duty, to educate the heart also.
There is no system of education that can be considered
complete that excludes religion, and morals founded upon
religion. You may make, by secular education, the dex-
terous sharper—the subtle politician—the skilful artist—
the philosopher; but we will never make that noblest of
all creatures the moral and religious man. There will
be found in the paper now under consideration much
thinking, many clear views, and every where the choicest
composition.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRAVELLING.

We may most of us recollect, that when we were ail

tlren our mothers would make us stand against a wall
and measure our height, and would on that day twelve-
month take us to the same spot to ascertain how much
we had grown ; and but for this test, our increase of sta-
ture would hare been imperceptible. It is so with na.
tional growth and national improvement : our ideas ex-
pand in just proportion with every thing around us; and
unless we fix upon some distinct points of comparison,
we fancy that we are the same people, and enjoying the
same advantages, as thirty years ago. Take, for in-
stance, the (lady press. We are not aware that a news-
paper is at all different from the same publication at all
times of our life; but upon a reference to an ancient
file, we shall discover, that except being "a folio of four
pages," there are few other points of resemblance.—
Again, look to the modes of conveyance from place to
place. We may now travel in any of the public vehicles
a hundred miles, almost without the necessity of taking
refreshment ; whereas in our boyhood a similar journey
would have occupied two days. We have been led into
this train of reflections by an inspection of a new steam-
vessel, called the Clarence, which trades between Edin-
burgh and London, and which we saw at Blackwall two
or three days ago. Our recollection places before us a
voyage which we took from Edinburgh to London i❑
early life. We remember the solemn leave we took of
our friends, and our promise to write to them on our ar-
rival in London, which might be in a period of a fort-
night or three weeks. Our imagination then conducts
us to the vessel,—a Leith smack, totally destitute both
of comfort and ornament; its dark cabin, smoky, and
,badly ventilated ; the dirty pallet upon which we lay for
More than a fortnight ; and the salt provisions with which
we were regaled during the voyage. What a contrast
is now presented to us I A vessel nearly the size of a
frigate, the cost of which we were told exceeded £30,000 ;
a cabin which might be mistaken for a splendid drawing
room, cased with mahogany and hung with looking-
glasses, with accommodations of all sorts, not merely
• answering the purposes of comfort but of luxury, and,
in fact. rivalling in every respect the elegant comfort of
a modern club-house. It may be asked whether this ex-
pense is not superfluous, and whether more homely ac-
commodations might not answer the purpose ? We
think not. By combining pleasure with business—by
holding out invitations to the inhabitants of the sister
countries to visit each other, as much for the sake of
pleasure and health as of convenience and traffic—by
making a voyage from Edinburgh to Londo❑ a most
agreeable summer excursion—and by softening the ri•
gours of it when performed in winter—we are surely
conferring upon the inhabitants of both cowaries the ad 7
vantages of travel which they would not otherwi,e be
tempted to avail themselves of; we are uniting them
closer in feelings of cordiality and unanimity ; and we
are sugc.r,estin;.: to each country the improvements which
may be adopted from the other.—Courier.

COURTESIES OF THE TA IS LE.—Among the many choice spirits
Who figured in the convivial circles of Ayrshire, about the close
of the last century, no one, perhaps, was a greater favourite
than Mr. H--. of S—. In person and manners he was
quite the beau ideal of an accomplished tableman. Along with
a fund of good humour he had superabundance of pleasantly ,
which rendered his company particularly attractive; while his
countenance borel amply testimony- to his social propensities,
for, as it iyas t
a redder nos."i'oy reniarkablf, " a wider mouth for a laugh, or
votaries of BacChansl):)ttle, was not to be found among all the
Logan, Mr. 1-1 -: Dining one day with the Laird of
after his 11,1 k—a e„:ar
which
to help hi7r.self to a little brandy
hospitable boards in that very is still kept up at some of the
hospitable country. When hold-
ing up the glass between tii:?,
addressing Logan, " this is raatin, the light, " Laird," said be,
some of your dark brandy." „
Iratale fur me; I would prefer
iano contradict you,
lbave sent you is the dark brandy.,:nir,t-ru, Mr. H what
laird, in your ain house, but it looks
contradict you, Mr. Il , out of your aittto?,nouse; but ou
e." " I'll no
should consider that your red nose and muckle mouth would
ony man's brandy took pale."—Laird ~f Lo,a gar'