The Trinity times., 1855-02-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
BRITisupERIoDIcAL LITERATURE

III terly, the Ednburg, the North British
and the Westminster Reviews, and BLACK
woods Magazine. Leonard & Co., Pub
fishers, 70 Fulton and 81 Gold street, New
York
These periodicals are the critical censors
of the British scholastic and literary world.
BY their criticisms, they aid readers in the
selection of standard valuable books: and by
the epitomes which they present, often OBJ
viate the necessity Of consulting works too
voluminous for general examination. They
fill place which American magazens cannot
supply; for they discuss topics relating more
strictly to the affairs, political, religious, ,scien-
tfic, and literary Of the Continent of Europe.
They are conducted by the best talent of
Great Britain; and are engaged with the
most important questions which interest or
agitate the civilized world. Whoever sub
scribes to them all, may read the ablest rep
resentatives of the principal parties into
which the people of Great Britain are devil
ded.
The EGinbWg Reoiew.
The exponent of the Wing praty in Great
Britain, having from its commencement ad-
vocated freedom and the rights of the people.
When the war, apparently of determination,
was waged against France by British Tory
rulers, and during which occurred the Sc
cond great struggle of England with our own
country, this Review first unfurled the flag
of resistance, made, by its unanswerable and
eloquent appeals in behalf Of inalienable rights
the halls of British legislation and even the
throne itself to trimble. The graphic and
stirring deneations of those events, presen-
ted in the pages of that distinguished journal,
exhibit the truest portraiture of those perous
to be found, perhaps, in the language. Its
influence was becoming so apparent, that at
length the leaders of the Tory party, at
whom the thundes ofits eloquence was espe>
cially directed, found it too powerful an in
strument to be resisted by ordinary means.
and hence they established the "Quarterly," :"
or as it is distinguished among American re-
prints.
The London Quarterly ReUicw.
Whereby to oounteract that influence
which its powerful rival exerted againt their
measures. The two great political parties
thus made strenuous efforts through their re-
spective organs, for the PRONUNCIATION of their
antagonist principles; and during long Sc
ries of years, these two leading periodicals
have concentrated the labors, the talent, and
the influence of the adherents of the Wing
and Tory parties of Great Britain.
Men of the highest literary RANK, as well as
dignitaries civil and ecclesiastic, have con-
trbuted to the pages of these works; among
them might be mentioned some OF the most
resplendent names on the scroll of fame.
Among the regular contributors to the Lon
don Quarterly Review, were Southey Scott,
Lockhart, Tits present editor,) Apperlcy,
Ferguson, Wordsworth, Lord Mahon, DIR.
Milman, (whose articles on Oriental Ltera-
ture have been so highly esteemed, y and that
wonderful woman of Science, Mrs. Somer-
Vile, with many other scarcely less celebra>
ted. Then again in the Edinburg Review,
it is enough to mention the following names,
any one of which would of itself insure q
high degree ofrenown to any work With which
it might be associated-we refer TO Jeffrey,
Napier, Brougam, Macintosh, and Macaul-
ey; the first of whom during his long connec-
ton with the Review, actually wrote, on the
average, one third of the articles that graced
its brilliant pages; while the universally ad-
mired essays of the last, leave us in no man
ner of doubt as to their great intrinsic merit.
The Westminster Rerjeu.
This able Journal was etabished under
the patronage and support of the ultra-libe
rails, so styled, of the British House of Com
mons; among whom Roebuck, Mill, BowrnQ
Professor Long, Of the University, Miss
Martineau, and others whose names need
not be quoted, conspicuousy figured 1t was
for years under the editorial supervision OF
Jeremy Bentham, from which fact it obtain
ed the sobriquet of the mouth-pece of Ben
| thanism. This work has ever been espec-
ally devoted to the great topics which inter-
ested the mass of the people-its pages have
been rie--it will be remembered with Sc
ries Of powerful articles, tending to the re-
ducton of Tory and exclusive privileges, he
reditary rights, kingly prerogativcs, etc
| The astounding developments made few
years since, respecting the wretched and
till then, unheard of horrors of some branch
es ofthe mining population Of England, first
| appeared in its pages. Not onIy have its ar
tcles ever been directed against the afore-
mentioned abuses, but the work has also
maintained an unrelenting crusade against
the alliance of church and state, and thus
virtually seeking to abolish the Parliamenta-
ry Religion Of England, and eventually to re
move the still existing remnants of feudalism
which continue to afllct the British nation.-
1t has recently become the medium through
which Golden prOmulgates his Free Trade
doctrines, which will give it increased inter-
est to the numerous admirers, here and else
where, of that great Reformer. In MANY
particulars the Westminster Review espous-
es political iath closely allied To that of our
own couhtry--and therefore we may, without
any extraordinary effort of charity, be induc-
ed to cherish it as an exotic worthy of being
engrafted into our more genial soil 1t has
recently been united with the Foreign Quar-
terly Review, the more attractive fatures Of
the two Reviews being now combined in the
w stminister, and thus adding greatly to
its value as literary periodical.
The North British Repiew.
is work of more recent origin than those
already descrbed--but is, nevertheless, des-
tined to occupy as prominent place in the
Republic of Letters
The great ecclesiastical movement in Scot
land led TO its establishment There was no
Journal in the United Kingdom which ap
peared to meet the necessities of this anti.
Il I,l Il. So. = i