The Sun. — 1849-01-06 (London, England)

CLX VII. Four of the:principal contributions to the Quarterly are of a very decided political character—one on " Austria and Germany," recounting the whole of the late Germanic movement, and casting derision upon the notion of constructing out of forty hidependent states one harmonious nationality—another, which we have elsewhere noticed, on " Italian Intervention," equally depreciatory of the efforts of the population of the Roman peninsula—another one, " Public Instruction in France under M. Guizot," in which a very high estimate (and yet an estimate not by any means too eulogistic) is formed of the intellect of that extraordinary but unconscientious statesman—and another on the recently published " Castlereagh Papers," a work which does not fail to elicit the panegyric of the Conservative organ upon the accomplished suicide, the first Marquis of Londonderry. Two other articles are indirectly of a political nature—the first relating to the important question of the relationship which should exist between the Government and the railways through the medium of an intelligent and entertaining chapter on the Londoa and North - 'Western ; the second being a criticism on the agreeable " Souvenirs et Pensees of ,the Baron Wessemberg." Only that we can comprehend the prejudice of the Tory Quarterly in favour of any zealous diplomatist of the absolute administration of Austria, the praise bestowed upon the frivolous garrulity of the old gossiping Ambassador Wessemberg would appear somewhat unaccountable. Several specimens of his small talk are paraded in the review before us, and, most certainly, as examples of elegant twaddle, they are altogether incomparable. The delineation, for instance, of the character of the Empress Josephine is as far from conveying a just impression of the virtues and excellences of that noble-hearted sovereign as the perverse pen of even a Bourrienne could have contrived. An ecclesiastical argument is given in the consideration of the Duke of Argyle's volume on " Presbytery," while an antiquarian argument is conveyed in an examination of Layard's "Nineveh and its Remains." The other paper, not yet mentioned, is a masterly criticism on two of the most popular novels of the day—" Vanity Fair" and " Jane Eyre," the chef d'oeuvres of Currer Bell :and , William Makepeace Thackeray. In the analysis of these remarkable fictions the reviewer displays a keen appreciation of the requisites of the true novelist. According to his estimation, Becky Sharp is a female Wilhelm Meister. Speaking of the Dobbin of Thackeray's " Vanity Fair," and of the Walter of Lady Georgina Fullerton's " Grantley Manor," the writer seems to .have quite lost a recollection of the glorious Toni Pinch of Dickens's " Martin Chuzzlewit." Alluding to Dobbin, the Quarterly says," He reminds us of one of the sweetest creations that have appeared from any modern , pen—that plain, awkward, loveable Long Walterin Lady Georgiana Fullerton's beautiful novel of Grantley Manor.' " Now, substituting " Torn Pinch." for " Long Walter," how wth iinsfitnhiatte,lyhmoworeevearppmliecraibtoleritsues very epithet. The may be the originality of the authors of " Helen Middleton" and " Pendennis," Walter and .Dobbin are merely faint ideals suggested by the tang i and palpable actuality of Tom Pinch—Tom Pinch ! Dear Tom ! Old Friend ! The conception of the character of " poor, sinned against, vile, degraded, but true-hearted Rawdon," is of itself indicative of genius, for while we remember that he is a cheat, a blackleg, and an unprincipled dog, we cannot help acknowledging with the Rector, that after all " Rawdon is a man, and be hanged to him." Hitherto it has been complained, or rather, we may say, lamented, that our popular and most accomplished literary men have degenerated from the writers of works that time will not willingly let die into contributors of light articles, and ephemeral squibs, and evanescent facetive to the floating periodicals of the age—magazines and charivaris. We think the objection has been to a very considerable extent inaccurate. And that we are correct in so speaking has been recently proved, we take it, by Mr. Thackeray. After serving a long and brilliant apprenticeship in Fraser's Magazine and Punch, he has now risen into the very foremost rank among our most distinguished novelists. After " Yellowplush" and the " Snob Papers" he has produced " Vanity Fair :" and at the very time he is bringing out from week to week in Punch his quaint woodcuts of " An Author's Miseries," he is producing from month to month his serial story of " Pendennis." Even Dickens, the brightest name in our contemporary literature, began as a contributor of casual sketches  Crown •• •• •• •• •• •• ••  Eagle.. • • • • • ..... • • • • Eng.& Scot. Law •• •• European Life ••• • . • Family Endowmn t Soc. Freemasons'. • • • • • • • • Guardian . • • • • • • • • • • • Imperial Fire • • • • • • • • Imperial Life • • • • • • . • Indemnity Marine • • • • Law Fire • • • • • • • • • • • • Law Life Legal and General Life London Fire •••• • • • • London Ship ••. • • • • • • Vlarine • • - • • • • • • • • • • Invlid& Gen. 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