The Press. — 1857-08-29 (London, England)

CUNNINGILM"S. The admonitions of the various journals apparently have not been without effect. Walpole as a writer was sharp, neat, cleancutting, and close in his style. Mr. Peter Cunningham is often the reverse of these. He thi►,ks and writes like a stale Boswell, forgetting that Boswell had original matter, and took great pains with h►s composition. Mr. Cunningham dots down whatever comes into his head, and must put in his scraps of cards whether they are relevant or the reverse. Ho does not apply a critical or judicial standard to his annotations. lie composes by an artificial system of mnemonics, and must work out the matter at his command. But let us be thankful : he has cut himself down in the present volume, and so far there is a great improvement. In our former notices of this edition we have shown the inexactness in small matters of Mr. Cunningham. In the present volume there is still room for criticism. The text runs :  The famous Miss Elizabeth Villiers Pitt is in England ; the only public place in which she has been seen is the Popish chapel ; her only exploit, endeavours to wreak her malice on her brother William. whose kindness to her has been excessive. She applies to all his enemies, and, as Mr. Fox told me, has even gone so fur as to send a bundle of his letters to the author of the " Test," to prove that Mr. Pitt has cheated her, as she calls it, of a hundred a year, end which only prove that lie once allowed her two, and atter all her wickedness still allows her one. How she must be vexed that she has no way of setting the gout more against him ! Adieu! tell me if you receive all my letters. Upon which the note says :  Sister of William Pitt, afterwards Earl of Chatham.— Watrotz. See vol. ii. p. 470. Let me add here that the Mrs. Pitt of vol. ii. p. 367 is this El.kibeth Pitt, not her sister Anne Pitt. She married John Hannani, Esq., and died 14 Feb. 1770.--CuNsiNoHwm.  What was Miss Elizabeth Pitt "famous " for? NVe know that her sister " Anne" was celebrated in more ways than one ; but a reader would like to have had. from " CUNNINGHAM " some information about Miss Elizabeth Pitt, and why she had been seen in the Popish  chapel. The text runs : Admiral Byng's tragedy was completed on Mond.iy—a perfect tragedy, for there were variety of incidents, villainy, murder and a hero His sufferings, persecutions, aseerSIOUS, disturbances, nay, the revolutions of his fate, had not in the least unhinged his mind ; his whole behaviour was natural and firm. A few days befure,one of his friends standing by him said, " Which of us is tallest ?" He replica, "Why this ceremony ? I know what it means; let the man come and measure me for my coffin." Ile said, that being acquitted of cowardice, and being persuaded on the coolest reflection that he had acted fur the hest, and should act so again, he was not unwilling to suffer. He desired to be shot on the quarter-deck, not where common malefactors are; came out at twelve, set down in a chair, for he would not kneel, and refused to have his face covered, that his countenance might show whether he  feared death ; but being told that tt mieht frighten his ezecu'•ioners, he submitted, gave the signal at once, received One shot through the head, number through the bout, and fell. Do cowards live or die thus? Can Ciat man want spirit who only fears to terrify his executioners? /Ids the aspen Duke of Newcastle lived thus? Would my Lord Hardwicke die thus, even aupposiug he had nothing conscience ?  capital writing. There is narrative. light satire—" the aspen Luke of "—and pointed sarcasm is the It i 8 Writing uv t 9 s level With the