The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-20
From the Southern Literary Messenger.
..The Rattle Summers

elk. Marvel" our esteemed friend and contribu-
tor has written another book. II lies before US In
the clean Typography of an excellent publishing
| house Of New York and we have read it, from the
little scrap of Montaigne which Us stuck by way of
motto the title page, to the fragment OF recon
dite Latinity which he cites at the conclusion we
need scarcely say that the whole book has given us
| great delight sensation which we propose to
Communicate to our readers by means of that priv
ieee of unlimited quotation accorded to the mod
| ern reviewer, who site like an intellectual Jack
Horner at the board of literature, appropriatng the
pums which garnish the puddings OF the pubnsners
I-ertrahens prunun police, the "Arundines
CANT has it--with equal ease and satisfaction.
! 1t is a critical moment with the young author
who has produced one work oil recognised merit,
when he comes forward with a second volume ior
| public approval This second volume is TO estab-
iish him as an able writer, to dash to the ground
the little reputation he has already built up
and it may fairly be assumed that the author
\ fully conscious Of the issues that await upon
the work itself, has put forth all his powers to
ensure favorable sentence. No allowance Is
therefore made for haste or inconsideration; ana
although the Frenchman tells US Ce NEST que
premier pas qui coufe, we are not sure that tne
second step is not even more difficult. Cpnsid.
ering this fact, confess to have looked forward
with some anxious interest TO the appearance OF
" The Battle Summer" lk. Marvel's second htera-
ry effort Our apprehensions, such as they were,
have been happily quieted as to Its merit; and,
while il is not all we could wish, (or we shall have
word or two Of gentle complaint to utter by and
lby.) have hesitation IN ocCidrlng udi III
our Judgment, il fixes its authors position as one
Of the most graphic and spirited writers OF the day
The gentleman who figures under the domino Of
ok Marvel" made tour of Europe, after taking
his degree at a northern college, and upon his re-
! turn-nearly three years since-like many OF his
I peripatetic predecessors, wrote book oil travels
! There something in the appearance OF the vol.
ume TO attract observation. IL did not look hike tht
mass of continental diaries and Alpine albums that
had been kept by the herd Of former tourists IN
7 Europe and, what was ore,'it did not read hike
them. II seemed TO be- ON the contrary, Just sucl
Sentimental Journal as Laurence sterne wooio
have written in IS47--if he had gone flying over
the face of Picardy by the rail, instead OF travelling
in the chasc from Calais with the lady whose "fac
: Of about six x-and-twenty-of clear Transparent
: brown" is so fresh in our recollections. Iher
were passa here and there scarcely less deepl,
c pathetic than the story Of Maria touches OF tha
! | peculiar humor that one else than Sterne eve
= displaysd and views Of life and character indica
I, ting intellect Of rare strength and acuteness
y The book was generally read. Every body began
INQUIRE about Tx. Marvel" and whether that wa
], his real name not. Meanwhile our pseudony
'e NOUS author had commenced the study OF the laS
in an Office in Wall street, leaving ms literary rep
utation TO take of itself
But very soon the news came across the waite
that strange events had occurred in Ia belle riHe
Republic had been proclaimed for France, and tn
fat old king had taken flight by back staircase
without even carrying with him the famous cotto
umbrella, the ifdrd royal, 10 shelter him from tn
driving rains Of the Channel, and altogether with
out protection against the still more cruel tempes
- Of popular rebuke, Paris was now to be seen IN
= new phase and although IL might not wear as ga
y an air as under the fallen monarchy, though fewe
:, dashing equipages were 70 be met in the Bois
= Boulogns, and les Anglaises had fled, we do nc
y wonder that those Americans who had lived ther
II during the ancient regime, and who sti retaine
> delightful recollections of very's should desire
see the great metropolis under republican rule. w
are not surprised, therefore, that Tx. Marvel gre'
y weary Of my Lord Coke, and sighed for glimps
tt,t he fla
ylonian vesture. Our author expresses this desir
somewhat differently, in the dedicaory letter who
serves as preface:
ID "To me, with whom the memories Of courts an
monarchic spcndors we're still fresh and green
nc sudden news was startling. ] tortured my brai
with thinking how the prince OF cities was mo-
4 looking and how the shops, and how the gaietJ
conjurcd up images Of the New Order, and N
images dogged me in the street and at my desl
! and made my sleep nightmare, They blurre
~ the type Of Blackstone, and made the mazes
~ Chitty tcnfod greater The New Statutes Wet
- = dull and dead letter, and the New Practice won
. than new For while struggled manfully wit
my work, but il was heavy school-boy task
was like the knottiest of the Tusculan Question
with vacation in prospect.
"The Office was empty day. had bee
:, breaking ground in Puffendorf-onc pagc--tw
!" pares-threc pages-very dull, but illumined hei
., and there with magical illustration OF Kin
." Louis, or stately poet Lamartine; when on sue
den as one Of these illustrations came in, with u
n old Paais de Justice in the background, slamme
A. together the heavy book lids, saying TO myself,
he not the time Of PufIcndorf and Grotius, and eve
amiable, aristoc ratio Blackstone gone by' And Al
there not new kingdom makers, and new Law
makers, and new code makers astr, mustcrin
with ali their souls and voices such measures
government viii by and by make beaoons an
eo maxims' And not these new men making
=. and doing, and being what the old men only wro
,s ~ off
ut care not thoee people Of France and wde-skirt'
:. German land lit up by hatred and aggression, ar
y, love of something better, putting old law, ar
nv maxim, and jurisprudence into the crucible OF n
" =. man right, and heating them over the hre OF D.
o o' man feeling, and pouring them into the mould
m mnh human Judgment, TO make up new casting OF COZ
,i n- stitutonsl order'
IL "And az for the New Practice, is there not ne
W practice evolving scas-not very precise, Pc
on haps about costs and demurrers, and bills OF e
ception--but practice OF new gained rights, ne'
organized courts, new made authorities, new-w
kcncd mind--in short, the whole practice, not on
II. of Courts, but of Human Nature, and Passion, nj
ia, Power
nd "Arethcy not acting over there in France, in I
N - e