Irvine Express. — 1884-09-05 (Irvine, Strathclyde, Scotland)

LITERATURE. MACMILLAN'S MAGANINE, SEPTElttirs 1884....T0ktis excellent amber of Macmillan opens with an article on the Northumbrian border. The writer desiderata in our histmios a vivid expression of the character of the several nieinhers o our composite country- to combine with, and lend interest to the drier detail' of historical knowledge. fie maps out with accuracy the flues ,and Emits of Roman, Saxon, Danish, and Norman conquests; toners to the great day" of the Northumbrian kingdom when the lamp of citilization 'rot brightly in the Cohn:Alto monastery ,of Warne, and was reflected from the Royal house Morough ; gives a vivid sketch of the stern rak of the brave Northumbrians to the desolat• of the conqueror, till Robert the Rii,g'w rag Prc'gr°9l.' mdation of a Castle opposite the spot, son laid the lo 'cher was murdered, around which where Bishop •. when the old names of Pandon .. the gathered a Porndit;°' absorbed into that of NewAnd Monkchester were mottle. Ho gives a brief' alu• lucid arier°, showsaceoto:t. of th origin and issue of the bet. w w hen Aeneas Eylvins country in 1435, state of the English herder And at night-.. Pieolomini travelled through the bread nor wine when the folk had poultry, but neither and white bread was unknown 1.) them, fall, all the men retired to a peel tows: in the ' neighbourhood for fear of the Stets. 'Northvmberland,' he says was unhabitable, horrible. uncultivated. The events that followed the battle of Flodden brought, about a better state of things. Under the wise* ministers of Elizabeth, law and order were reittablishede and new the peel towers, in their ruin defend the flocks and horde from nothing, gave the inclemerey of the heavens and goodly farmhouses and substantial cottages for the peasants betoken prosperity and comfort. A Dialogue after the manner of Walter Savage, Lauder follows, bets' een Wilkes and Lord Sandwich, its allusions bearing on modern polities and political persons. Of .E 1 Plagio a mexican story the author says, this story has its origin in two meet' of kidnapping, which took place in the city of Mexico. during the years 1872 3 and revolting as parts of it may appear, every fact, every scene given is authentic. But one of the best papers in the Magazine is • contribuation by Professor linhaffy, on the decay of genius. He seems clearly of opinion, that the gate of mediocrity of genius, width he recognises, on :hat which exists at the presem, time, as one in no small degree to the course of education, pursued not only in the case of special arts, but in the case of every promising intelleet of any description. Instead of discovering and fostering undeveloped genius, the present method of rewards, and punishments iv education are certain to overpraise certain second rate faculties, to starve or strangle some first rate qualities, and to treat others with contempt and neglect. As comparison* in origittelify are impossible, they must be instituted in learfring. and to make Ins test fewer, limits of age are imposed so that the problem is to attain or seem to attain, a certain pitch of learning before a certain age. I hue the parent is led to set to work as early as possible to push forward his child-en with all his might, if perchance they may be prepared to win one of those "under 14" nebular. ships which are considered almost a provi- ion for life. The child is taught to believe that his paramount duty is to labour for examinations, and his greatest possible success is to appear first in the list. Teaching in the proper sense—the guidance of a. superior ml d, leading the young "jib leisure, and fostering all the independent thinking they my show—has given way to coaching and grinding, which. seeks only to prepare for a special test. Th, Prof seaor wno will not lecture in this way, however original and stimulatin-, will be deserted for the crammer who "passes his men"—the parasite battening on a. diseased system. If it be true that genius can really be ot,ified, that an original thinker by birto may be, reduced to a comm n place inhabitant of the world, no system can be conceived more likely to accomplish this end—'you may make your age,' our author save,. 'at most cultivated and learned, critical about the excellence of the past—but all true vitality end progress will stop, and 'his condition will presently lead, it may be to a refined but not the less to a real decay ' The next instalment of the clever novel `Mitchelliumat Place' is followed by the usual shrewd and sensible review of the month.