New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-20
Irsp!2lprk Daily Gribn,1e
NEW PUBLICATIONS
THE AGUECHEEK PAPERS.

TIE AGUECHEEh PAPERS.
AGUECHEEK. limo, pp. 500 Shepard, Clark Brown.
Nothing of the writer's personality is revesed
under this rather unsayoIy title, except that he Is
the victim of most OF the physical ills which eshis
heir TO. and more familiar with the crutch than the
pen has set about iottiug down the fruits of ancient
experience for the benefit Of the rapid generation,
that are now passing their busy hour on the stage.
He assumes to be- an old man, with whom "sge
and the cares of an Increasing family have sti1ed
poetry and the genius of Ronsnce has long since
taken his hat but who still chersnesa lively intsr
est 10 the events OF the day and even finds charms in
a sea.yoyage, ~ which age cannot wither, nor head
winds aba'e" 1t is no concern Of ours who may
be- the real persopsge that thus gaily assumes by
no means fascinating mask but il is certain th.ths
has seen with his eyes wide open mot of the fins
sight, on both sides OF the ocean, and has way ~
telling us what he knows, which puts TO tho bl ish
many writer OF far more pompous preten-
sons la spite of the most rigid conservative
tendencies both in Church aud State with
which we have no extrHsgsnt sympathies-
he even goes so far rs to maintain the immacu-
late position of Louis Napoleon, and to deny
"the plenary inspiration of THE n. \. TRIBUNE"
(p l37 i've set him down for n fellow OF Infinite
je.t aud excellent humor," with head full Of fresh
and flowing fancies, and heart alive to every mani
festation Of beauty, or generous sentiment. You
| may often quarrel with his opinions, challenge hls
tastes, ard pick to pieces his arguments but you
can never fail to be amused by his yivacity his essy
| and natural descriptions and his quaint turns Of
thought and expression. His book is divided into
sketches of foreign travel, and essays, in both Of
which be- handles bis pen with certain non halant
grace that forms al admirable combination with
his wise, srandiathery way of looking at life and it's
affairs.
The description of bis emotions on reysiting Lon
don is in tappy vein.
London is ever the same. The Omnbuses follow
each other rapidly up aud down the Strand
the wbiteglOged, respe cable looking policemen walk
about deliberately and the tail Of the hon over tue
gate of Nothuu berand House sticks out "a straight
IA ever The only great change visible here is in the
newspapers. TIE tone If society is different from
what formerly in all that concerns France, that
the editors must experience considerable tr0nbe in
accustomng themselves To the state of things.
Once, France and Louis Napoleon furnished Punch
with his chief materials for satire and amusement,
and If OF the larger and more dignfed journals
wished 10 let off little III humor, TO say any thing
particularly bitter, they Only had 10 dip their pens in
Gaul but times are changed aud no~ Jthing can
be said too stroug in favor of our chivarlc allies,
the French The meruory of St Helena seems 10
have given place to what they call here the
cordale, which those who are acquainted with the
French language Assure ,ne meaus agreement by
which one party contracts 10 play second fiddle to
another through fear that If he does not he will not
be permitted 10 play at all.
To the who thoroughly appreciates the Essays Of
Ella, and Boswelrs Life of johnson, London never
grow tire-ome. He never turn corner without
finding something new, something to please, and
something 70 instruct" Its very payemeuts class
zeal. And there is nothing TO abate detric, fro H.
such mans ed husiasm. The traveller WHO visits the
Roman Forum, or the Palace Of the C3sars, expert
q SAD check when he iuds his progress Dpedcd
by uDpOetcal obstacles. But 10 London, all II hsrmO
NOUS he on every side not only that which tells
OF present life aud property but Tue pereau gDres
OF EnglaLds former dsys Would he stuty history.
be goes TO the Tower erich with the spois oftime"
or 10 Whitehall where mad fanatcism con.ummstet
its reasonable work with the of u sovereign,
or to the toEeTng Mioster, to gaze upon the chair
in which the monsrchs Of thousand years have sat-
or 20 view the monument, and read the eptaphs Of
that host Of
"nMd. heroes ,ases, si- By side,
VINO darsensd nations when they died"
Il he lover OF English lite aturel Here are scenes
eoquen. Of that goOdy company Of wits and worhiss,
whose glowing pages have been the delight Of his youth
aud the cOnsoatiOn of his ripper years; here the
streets in which they walked the tayerns 10 which
they feasted the churches where they prayed, the
tOHbs where they repose.
And London wears we'll To revisit, it when an aga
has so5ered down the enthusiasm OF youth, Is not like
seeing a theater by daylight; but yon think almost
that you ha ye under estimated your privileges. How
well / remember the night when | first arrived IN
the metropolis II after 10 o'clock, aud was
much fsiigued; but before | booker my self in my
h0.el, or looked at my room, / rushed ont into tho
Strand with bres'hl. 80 speed Ike soul 10 chase"
pushed along, nov turniog 10 look az Temple
Bar, now pansiDg b take breath a. | went up I.ui.
gate Hill. | saw ST. pauls and is dome before me,
and was satisfied. No, wa. Dot satisfied for when
returned up Fleet street looked out dear old Boil.
Court, ant entered is Johnsonian precincts with an
ave and yeIeraton which deyout Mu.sumsn, taking
the early train for Mecca, would gladly initiate And
then posted down Inner Temple Lane ani looked s.
the house in which Charles Lamb aud his companions
held their Wednesday nights" and, going sill far
ther, | saw the river-I stood on the bsak of the
Thames, and | was satisfied. | looked and all the
associations Of Engsh history end literature which
are connected with il filed my mind-bu just rs l
WAS getting into fine fIenzu about h a Matc.QAl