cter. If so, though his skill is gre we must inform him his work s and will be reprobated by every and honourable man. THE ITALIAN WAB, 1849. P THIS book is one of th style, and pious affection which yet inent are Al-fantastic, eads us to remark There is a constant these Memorials is: is the licentious sen- family are indigna their name; and 1 Memorials, in the life, if at the hear many 66 there Seine the press, by which genera its dawn. every circle. so, he thinks, would us to keep such an An English poet serve their a But he was a joints and was Nor do will ever ate might 1 he been ps Milton te: but in er the plan involved Owing is of the possible can be dentical it mast of some riginal. * LOW 8 BUC to the wardde nal; od; 1. at nis the nom fame. red at 1829. ised to Is inter work, and a few of his words. His comrades heard his word—that is, the words plus the man; we hear the words only, and in the case of a man like Mr. Lushington, not of the very highest order, this is an essential consideration. There is nothing beyond clear and clever writing in anything contained in this volume of Mr. Lushington's remains. The most important part of it consists of two essays contributed to the " 'Edinburgh Review," on the history of the Italian struggle in 1848-9. Mr. Lushington's post at Malta gave him a good opportunity of studying "The Italian Question." He availed himself of it thoroughly. The essays contain a clear, concise, and able history of the movement, an impartial account of the causes of its failure, and prophecies concerning the future of Italy which the year 1859 has strikingly fulfilled. It is no small praise to say that through the confusion of Italian politics, Mr. Lushington forecast with tolerable certainty the destiny of Piedmont in relation to Italy. His words of warning to the enthusiastic talkers about liberty have a striking bearing on the analogous condition of Italy at the present day. f illness, a chronic which he ch in 1855. has yielded Ders to the entered life 1, had health might easily tion in the But the state certain moral ars the steady most brilliant prevented that hout which in prizes are to be ger of his sink> literary idler in 1847, Lord the post of Chief Government of accepted the ofhimself with great lfilment of its duing weakness renEngland necessary, e of saving his life. ad rooted itself too way home he died, s of ical and 5. "Enthusiasm, to be respected, must be deep as well as real: circoli (clubs) are not regiments, terrifying proclamations do not dispense with accurate drilling. There may be flashes and outbursts of real feeling-demonstrations of passion by no means fictitious, in a cause worthy of the truest passion; floods of merited invective, patriotic tears, embracings, eloquence, and effusions without end. Yet, compared with all these, the stern stroke of the worlddividing sword shall not be ignoble." MAGDALENE: a Poem. London: Smith, 1859. Elder, and Co. IN the medley of verse before us, there are both very fine single lines and combinations of lines-pathos, ability, and a humane spirit presiding over their composition, and commending the fallen woman to our sympathies and our cares. The his down to the rendering of another's. Summer-night's dream! All-fantastic, racter. If so, though his skill is great, we must inform him his work is evil, and will be reprobated by every pure and honourable man. THE ITALIAN WAR, 1848.9. By Heary THIS book is one of those tributes of And this quotation leads us to remark that we do not think any advantage likely to accrue to any reader's tone of thought or morality from the perusal of these poems. They are charming verses but the sentiment is very generally objectionable. There is a constant suspicion arising in the mind that the writer had no faith and no hope; though the extremely fragmentary nature of even the longer pieces forbids too hasty a conclusion. Another grievous fault is the licentious sensuality of many of the poems. Mr. Bowring acknowledges that "there are doubtless many of the poems written by Heine that we could wish had never been written, and that we would willingly refrain from translating." To do so, he thinks, would have given an incomplete if not an incorrect idea of what the poet was; and we would have thanked Mr. Bowring if he had allowed us to keep such an imperfect conception of his poet, rather than exhibited and diffused such impurity, though it unhappily belonged to Heine. An English poet would have been tabooed who had written such loathly verse; and we can scarcely think better of an English gentleman who makes his mind the channel for such filth to pass from this-almost typical. The centre d a foreign literature to corrupt our idol in early life of a band of ma own. Surely it is not Mr. Bowring's most of whom had larger capac.11 to ambition to unveil the vices of foreign serve their age and teach fastki. 1 authors simply that we may have a But he was all nerve; and wh'- the complete idea of their unsavoury cha-joints and bands of tith strongly moulded natures were forming, he, bright, vivid, graceful, and radiant with life, stood like a young Apollo in their midst. Such an one, though in smaller measure, was Henry Lushington. That there, was a rare charm about his youth, and rich promise about his ripening manhood, is clear from the testimony of men to mix with whom familiarly is in itself a kind of fame. He was born in 1812, and entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1829. His college career, which promised to be a most brilliant one, was interrupted by a serious attack of illness, which laid the foundation of a chronic state of ill health under which he suffered until his early death in 1855. Born of a family which has yielded many distinguished members to the service of the State, he entered life with every advantage, and, had health been granted to him, he might easily have achieved distinction in the arena of political life. But the state of his health, and a certain moral langour which often mars the steady development of the most brilliant men, seem to have prevented that close application without which in such an age as ours no prizes are to be won. There was danger of his sinking into the mere literary idler through life, when, in 1847, Lord Grey offered to him the post of Chief Secretary to the Government of Malta. He gladly accepted the office, and devoted himself with great assiduity to the fulfilment of its duties, until increasing weakness rendered a visit to England necessary, as the only chance of saving his life. But the disease had rooted itself too deeply; on his way home he died, August 6th, 1855. The sketch of his life by his friend Mr. Venables is earnestly and gracefully written; nor will we question the truth of its judgment, though the passages both in verse and prose which are quoted with the most lofty eulogium seem to us worthy of only moderate praise. Mr. Venables knew the man; we know but a little of his work, and a few of his words. His comrades heard his word--that is, the words plus the man; we hear the words only, and in the case of a man like Mr. Lushington, not of the very highest order, this is an essential consideration. There is nothing beyond clear and clever writing in anything contained in this volume of Mr. Lushington's remains. The most important part of it consists of two essays contributed to the "Edinburgh Review," on the history of the Italian struggle in 1848-9. Mr. Lushington's post at Malta gave him a good opportunity of studying "The Italian Question." He availed himself of it thoroughly. The essays contain a clear, concise, and able history of the movement, an impartial account of the causes of its failure, and prophecies concerning the future of Italy which the year 1859 has strikingly fulfilled. It is no small praise to say that through the confusion of Italian politics, Mr. Lushington forecast with tolerable certainty the destiny of Piedmont in relation to Italy. His words of warning to the enthusiastic talkers about liberty have a striking bearing on the analogous condition of Italy at the present day. "Enthusiasm, to be respected, must be deep as well as real: circoli (clubs) are not regiments, terrifying proclamations do not dispense with accurate drilling. There may be flashes and outbursts of real feeling-demonstrations of passion by no means fictitious, in a cause worthy of the truest passion; floods of merited invective, patriotic tears, embracings, eloquence, and effusions without end. Yet, compared with all these, the stern stroke of the worlddividing sword shall not be ignoble." MAGDALENE: a Poem. London: Smith, Elder, and Co. 1859. IN the medley of verse before us, there are both very fine single lines and combinations of lines-pathos, ability, and a humane spirit presiding over their composition, and commending the fallen woman to our sympathies and our cares. The his Leaving this ingenious and pathetic appeal on behalf of these most unhappy beings, we must say for ourselves, that in all cases of interposition for their rescue, the effort must be prompt. It is to be feared that the apparatus of committees, formal applications, and canvassings for admission to asylums, excludes many a repenting girl, who would clasp any means of instant rescue as salvation, if that were only offered to her acceptance. An awakening conscience and a repentant regret in the morning, may be lost in the revel of the ensuing night. We cannot but recommend, after the example of Mrs. Sheppard, of Frome (see Record, of December 7), that a less cumbrous, tedious, and expensive process be pursued in helping these wretched women out of the Slough of Despond. Delay is death, dum loquimur fugerit invida atas. Some save with fear, pulling them out of the fire." 66 ADVENTURES OF A MOUNTED TROOPER IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONSTABULARY. London: Routledge. 1859. ANOTHER book from the land of kangaroos and flying squirrels, black swans and ornithorhynchus, the plague of flies and white ants, of boomerangs and woomeras, labras and corrobories, gold nuggets and cattle stations, convicts and convicttrackers! And a seeming true one. Never was a more "round unvarnished tale" than that of William Burrows. He paints Australia in the most sober colours; his own adventures, however exciting to himself in the acting or endurance, are of the most commonplace kind; and no one would be attracted by either the style or the incidents narrated to try his fortune in an emigrant life. All this we take to be evidence of the singular veracity of the record. Quod simplex, illud verum. PAINLESS DENTAL SURGERY; A POPULAR TREATISE ON CONGELATION. By Walter F. Brindley, Sheffield. London. 1859. THE object of this little work is to set forth the advantages of the application of cold as a local anesthetic during the extraction of teeth, and the other operations of dental surgery, over those derived from ether, chloroform, or electricity. The author briefly sketches the origin and progress of the use of these agents; and having shown clearly the objections to the general anesthesis produced by the two former, and the inefficiency of the latter, with reference to all operations on the mouth, he proceeds to show by the results of experience the efficiency and safety of congelation of the parts; as producing in almost all cases great immunity from pain, and being under any circumstances free from the danger to be apprehended from any inhaled agent. He examines candidly the objections to its use; and in our opinion completely proves the superiority of this method over all those hitherto used. The style of the work is modest and unpretending, and therefore such as is well adapted to the discussion of a scientific subject. DOTTINGS OF A LOUNGER. By Frank Fowler. London: Routledge. THIS Volume consists of light sketches for light reading, the largest social fact which looms over the waste of its very shoal waters being this, viz, that my "Lord Farrenwide" (Shaftesbury) who presides over religions meetings at Swillis' rooms," dyes his whiskers. Whether this revelation be more important or impertinent, our readers must determine. ERRATA. In article "Thomas Becket," page 263, for Herbert de Bertram read Herbert of Bosham. In Brief Notices," page 319, first column, for We do not agree with Dr. Campbell as to the GOOD results, read, evil results. |