New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
FIVE YEARS IN AN ENGLISH os yoamss ismo.
(BARLEs Aston bRis ~.
y. Putnam.


.,o,;6c.tion of The author, and secondly
Ssr.-se'o ~ the educational system Of the Eng
~ u,;,ersities. Ia the first attempt, they are
ne,feetly successful; 10 the other they e1hlo"
/. .ynal failure The author loses no occasion
10 trumpet forth his own merits. HIS pet'y eA-
perience as a school boy and student IS SCI 'of'h
with ludicrous gIandiloquence. lie treats Us "
the most trivial details Of his career, not except
ing the tie of his eek cloth, and the VARIATIONS
Of his digestion. The University is nothing ou'
an opaoue BODY to reflect the ineliable spiehdofS
ofN, Charles Bristed. What claims he pre-
SCENTS TO such monopoly OF admiration IS no'
a.parent from these volumes. we shouii ihiei
from them land We have 10 other means o.
,udsingl that the writer possessed weak an
norous texture of mind, greedily absorbing what
ever floats in the atmosphere OF fashion, with no
Bunciple Of reJection--a dainty faster OF Old
wine and old books, regarding them both GA the
same level-infected with morbid and efemlnate-
tastes both in literature and society-and re-
,oicing in moderate amount Of erudition, with
a very slight proportion OF common sense In
short in the union of pedantry and puppetry ne
is without a rival among the modern asplrants TO
literary distinction.
His book however, contains some amusing
descriptions Even it's vanity and egotlsm,
which blind its author 10 all sense OF reserve
and propriety, give it a sort Of verdant boyish
freshness. 1t is written in perfect good faith
Mr.. Bristed never doubling for a moment that
he is no less wonderful parsonage in the eyes
Of his readers IN an he is in his own. This con-
summate vanity in some measure supplies the
place OF talent. 1t gives lrankness and gar1lity
al least, and TO some extent relieves the style Of
the inspdty which it would otherwise possess.
We may thank this quality for lively picture
of the interior Of an English University; al
though the portrait awakens no very intense
desire TO become more familiar either with the
artist or the original. II seems that this Mr.
Bristed started on his literary career at Yale
College, where during the first year, he did little
but read novels and attend debating societies,
worried through the mathematical course In the
second and finally obtaining two or three clas-
sical prizes, graduated, intending, with Gods
help, to be a clergyman save the
mark and resolved 10 spend some time at
foreign University. But afraid to expose his ig-
norance abroad, his courage failed him at start
ing, and he took up his quarters at NewH Haven
as a resident graduate-a strange animal IN
those parts Here he did little but run up bill
for cakes, icecream and sherry cobblers. Be-
coming disguised with his mode of life, he packs
his trunk, makes the best of his way to England,
and finally brings up at the University of Cam
bridge In this renowned seat Of learning he is
entered as a Fellow. CommoEer, class Of stu
dents consisting of young men Of fortune who
pay twice as much for anything as anybody else,
sit at the best table in the dining.hall, and in
the highest seat at the chapel, wear gold
laced gown and velvet cap with silver tassel
and are charged at the rate of 81, 500 or $4,000
year. One Of the frs, experiences of our Amer
lean Fellow Commoner a, Cambridge is de-
scIibed as follows:
Some OF the Fast men among the Feos-Com-
moners and their tOadies, whose love of deviltry
was much greater than their wit, as soon as they
heard of my nationality, determined to have some
fun out OF me, and accordingly invited me TO various
entertainments with the laudable intention OF max
ing me drunk and otherwise putting me through my
PAGES. But these fellows gave me very little nou-
BILE may say 1t without vanity, Tor getting the bet
ter OF them IN any thing which required the smallest
exertioR Of nous was like being htst IN donkey
race. In all Iepartees and wordy warfare gave
them quite as much as they could manage. AS to
the fluids, had the fortunate or unfortunate natu-
raj git rot unlmprOyed by practice, Of rather
strong head and could imblbe pretty good share,
even OF Tie yillanousy CociOtet Cambridge wines,
without disturbing my bodily or mental equilibrium
40 that the men who had missed themselves the
treat Of seeing aCr1nken Yankee, only made thenl-
selves very comfortably tpsy in their attempts TO IN
toxicsie me, especially as VAS too prudent 10 rely
entirely my natural capacities without having re-
course 10 occasional aTIiice On one special oc-
casioH, recolect there was dead set made AZ me,
nj. nj az
challenged me 10 drink repeatedly. l stuck to the
Hook or more critically speaking, 10 something IN
n green botile-the bottle and s Ass were coloTed,
that the main pom, the colorei glass enabled
me 10 Ell and empty, IN appearance, many times
while IN sily only poured out and tasted fe"
drops the result OF which strat3gon was that two
or three of the party put themselves completely h0rs
du combat, and were deeply Impressed with asenSe
Of my capacity.
Here we have generalized sketch OF a Cam
bridge students life
To a vegetarian, a teet0taleT "oupep,ic" OF
any Sort Qovely names these are, and show a SUD
time taste IN the people who Invented and use
theml and, fancy, 10 q New Engander generally
the Canlab's life would not appear the most regG
lar, nor the kind of one best AGA ied TO promote
tallh, strength and longevity tie IL never up
before half past six In the mOrniGg, ana seldom In
bed before twelve at night. lie eats hearty din
ner Of sniual food al ?. N, drinks strong malt
liquors with II, md not unfiequsnlly strong VINE
after H. lie is not Shy OF suppeTs and punch. tie
osn starts himself for bis mornings work with the
stimulus OF cigar. tie reads nine hours q day on
"spri" The fortnight before examination, writes
seven hOuls day OS more az alnsg time curing the
examination week, and the week after that does
nolbifg but Jolify.
Yet this very man takes better care OF himself and
has more Philosophical =, stem Of living than many
CONSCIENTIOUS and paias.takng asce,ic, who has
spent hait his life IN CECILIA ming against the wicked
ness OF alcohol and TOBACCO. For eight or nine
on'hs oil the year he Is IN regular STATE of traia-
Ing n he had 10 walk mach, The only change ne
cessaiy would be for him 10 drink little less His
seven houts OF sleep "a rather scalty quantity, but
enough for most men IN good health are always the
sane seven hours OF the night The sponge bath
and horse hair glove are among the regular and
daily accessories OF his toilet HIS breakfast is liant
and ssmple-a buttered roll and a cup OF iea-and
when he is a. It he does not worry himself about
Iythipg else. He is discreet In his position when
at WON, and knowing tf NJ be has TO stoop forward
in wrtlsg al the examinations, does most OF his
reading Ia amin haak IN hi. arm char or stanair AZ