"The flocks and the herds pay their homage to me "I smile o'er the deep, all its mists pass away- But brighter than all is the sway now I seek; "Award to the guiltless of judgment unblamed, To the hopelessly doom'd a pardon proclaimedA kind benediction; now wrath is no more; A full absolution, the penauce all o'er. "To instructor beloved apt answer of youth, The voice of the gifted proclaiming the truth, Soft prayer of the innocent wafted on high, Deepest sounds of the choir in their symphony. "Rude music, I ween, to the lull of that breath, Which calleth to life, and destroyeth death, Which, hushing for ever the wail of the tomb, In the blessing of heaven, resoundeth our doom." There are many serious, solemn, weighty thoughts in this volume, which is more or less markedly of a devotional character; but they do not gleam-they are not gleams. The name is misapplied to a respectable and good book. ISIDORE AND OTHER POEMS. BY CATHERINE PRINGLE CRAIG. Glasgow: David Robertson. The authoress of this volume is very young; but the volume itself does not disclose that circumstance, which we mention, not to apologise for defects, but to show that much may be expected when so much has been so well and so soon done. The leading story is in the ballad form-and whether it be traditionary or purely imaginative, it is prettily told. Two or three similar traditions, wrought into verse, follow; and are entitled well to the same commendation. The first is tragical. There is a sadness in the minds of all young poetesses. The gloom, at least, appears first. wears off as they learn to know the world better, and the That multiplicity of its real sorrows. We quote the close of the first poem :— "Himself upon the grave he cast, His fingers o'er the chords he pass'd- Never more, never more, when the sun shines bright, "Oh, never again, at the twilight hour, I have none to bid me be happy now, "As fair my native sky may shine, Its stars may sparkle as clear; But they look not so bright to this heart of mine "Yet I would not wish thee back, loved one, But I would that my time on earth were done, "The winter comes, and before his track But the voice of spring will call them back, "And though with tears my cheek be wet, I know a spring-time is coming yet, "I know we shall meet where the sky is bright, There is nothing said here that has not been often said before; but the verses are prettily moulded. But in another poem, the "Paradise of Solitude" there is not merely more thought, but more original and searching thoughtfulness. The young lady argues-in a way quite pleasing, we suspect, to all young ladies who have no natural vocation to be hermitesses-against solitude, and calls it anything but a paradise. "Then I sat me down 'midst the glorious bowers, "I pluck'd the fruit, and a soft white sand Now the bright romance of my youth is gone, "When thy soul is weary and grief-subdued, "And what though some grow cold and strange, But choose thy friends from the happy band "And press thou on to the heavenly shore, That when time with its trouble and toil is o'er, In the land whose flowers never bloom in vain." We have little space to spare but we are tempted to borrow a few verses from what may be properly called a sermon, on the text, "If God so clothe the lilies of the field." "And the purple heather climbing round Our bonnie Scottish hills; "And the holly-hock, that turns about "Far better than our painted toys, Though gilded bright and gay; "For it was God who made the flowers, "He fans them with the gentle wind; He feeds them with the dew; And the God who loves the little flowers, Loves little children too." Many little children would gladly learn this "song" if they only had it complete, and they would be better for its thoughts. It is, perhaps, not very wise to advise young ladies to persevere in writing poetry, but we are almost induced to take the risk in this case. A TOKEN OF REMEMBRANCE, Edinburgh: Grant & Taylor. originally delivered to the children of his own congregation and Sabbath school. In this small volume we have, first, an introductory address; then follow eight sermons, thus entitled:-The Youth's remembrance of his Creator; the Holy Scriptures; the Winged Instructors; the Child Jesus; the Fading Leaf; the Deceitfulness of Sin; the Blessed Peace-makers; and the Heavenly Missionary; finishing with a suitable concluding address. The topics are treated in a way calculated to interest the youthful reader; the sentiments expressed are sound and scriptural; the style is correct and simple; and the manner in which the author has laid out, or, in other words, divided these short sermons, is truly excellent, and cannot fail to help the youthful reader easily to understand and retain them in his memory. We can safely recommend this little book to the young; and parents and guardians of youth, as well as Sabbath school teachers, should make it one of their standard works. We subjoin an extract from the sermon on the "Deceitfulness of Sin :" Lastly, The deceitfulness of sin appears in its making deceitful promises. This is the means by which most commonly seducers deceive their victims. They make to them large and alluring promises, which they never perform, and never intended to perform. And such promises the great seducer Sin makes to men. It promises safety-it says, like the serpent, ye shall not surely die.' But its promises, like the serpent's, is false and vain. Its victims do not die. It promises happiness, it holds forth its fruit fair and beautiful to the eye, and it promises that it shall be still more sweet to the taste. But is the promise fulfilled? No, the fair fruit, like the apples of Sodom, turn to dust and ashes in the hand, become gall and wormwood in the mouth. It promises liberty says, that those who indulge in it shall be freefree thinkers, free livers. But in promising liberty, it makes them the veriest slaves. It promises profit-but most deceitfully. That fruit,' says the apostle Paul, had ye in those things of which ye are now ashamed."" THEORIA. BY DIGBY P. STARKEY. Dublin: J. M'Glashan. This small volume of poems is of higher origin than any of those which precede it. Their author has been a contributor to the Dublin University Magazine of occasional and remarkable verses for some time. They are collected together in this volume, along with others that hitherto have been unpublished. The poet's stamp is branded on them thickly, and its indentations are often clear and deep. None of the poems are long, but some of them contain, in a limited space, more hard thinking than goes often to the upmaking of "three volumes post octavo." One poem, extending only to sixteen pages, contains a dreamy history of the world's ONE of the pleasing and hopeful features of the times is the deep and growing interest manifested in the intellectual and religious culture of the young. Not only is this interest evinced by the exertions made to increase both the quantity and quality of education, but by the many admirable publications issuing from the press, specially intended for their mental and moral improve-construction on the geological theory. The dreamer goes ment. The time was when it was almost out of a parent's power to secure suitable reading on general subjects for his children. But that time is gone; and now the guardians of youth may, without much difficulty, and by means of a judicious selection, obtain books relating to almost every department of knowledge, and written in a simple and most captivating style for the use of this interesting class of the community. To this description of publications belongs the "Token of Remembrance." Its author informs us that the addresses or short discourses of which it is composed were back-very far back-to that period in the world's history POLITICAL REGISTER. The atmosphere gasping for breath is not a good figure. scription of savage times-the Druid's days, his faith and He went on, or time slid on, until "Me dreamed, in travelling farther, that I came, To an abyss of stone. A monstrous weight Of mountain seemed to press the solid rock Out into layers.' This is the second stage. The third becomes more intelligent. "Me dreamed that in my travel I arrived At a sequestered spot-what need to map Swept from the verge of a half-thinned-out wood Its way of peace along the humblest path To keep its garment round the bones of earth. And from the scanty copse there came a bark,- Between the hill and stream; and it was rude,- Curled a blue fragrant vapour. Near the door What meant the yelping from the neighbouring copse, sacrifices. But a discovery was made: "I beheld a man on the descent A noble savage-lusty, though uncouth, But I passed on." Pass on, through many ages, to the present day, and see what the black stone has helped to do : "A traveller I entered a great town. The crush of human life swayed to and fro I heard the plashing clank of many wheels Of furnaces was vomited from the throats "Hard by there was A river swol'n, 'twould seem, with everything So foul, that it crept on for very shame. Through arches, sewers, and drains; though all its shame Could not prevent its junction with the flood From publishing itself in deeper black Upon its dingy page." There is much more of this description of writing for others to quote, from a volume that adds another name There is poetry of the first class in this nervous de- to the small roll of our true and good poets. POLITICAL REGISTER. CLOSE OF THE SESSION. largest body of their opponents kept the existing Cabinet in power, because their own day was not come; and they It is not, THE last session of the past Parliament has been in- could not abide the rule of their old friends. geniously distinguished by postponements. It began with however, to be supposed that their support of the Cabigood intentions, of which but few have been realised. We net was of a warm character; and we are not surprised should not, perhaps, impute to Lord John Russell and his that a Ministry, who were only tolerated, were also government this misfortune. We do not blame them for weak. While we, therefore, regret the postponement SO many good measures; yet the Ministry the rejection of their measures in a Parliament where of they were supported only by a minority in whom they might have escaped generally without animadversion on could place the slightest reliance. This Parliament, this subject, if they had not exhibited so much earnestnow dissolved, began its career by displacing a Min-ness in carrying bills of a worse character than those Lord John Russell should rather which they deserted. power. istry formed from the party, who are now in The cabinet of 1841 was overthrown for pursuing mea- have abandoned one Bishop than a hundred thousand He persisted, however, in carrying sures which the same parliament ultimately adopted. common sewers. This remarkable change in conduct did not, however, through the one Bishop additional, and left the Health of reconcile a majority of the Commons to the leadership Towns bill without any sufficient struggle. We blame of Lord John Russell. They have borne with him only the Government because they have not wrought out their as an inevitable and necessary evil. Peel was done at good measures to the last, and cast on their opponents the east for a time. Bentinck could not command a majority. odium of rejecting them; but have tormented the ComRussell was in a minority. There were three horns to mons and the country with a dogged perseverance, worthy this dilemma; and the Commons were pitched on to of a bill to make or unmake, secularly, a hundred Bishops, the third because they could not help themselves. The for only one Bishop additional. The Ministry could have come to the country with better prospects-defeated on the Health of Towns' bill, on the Irish Land Improvement bill, and on the Irish Encumbered Land bill—than now, when they come with all these measures postponed, by their own consent, to make room for one bishop. Manchester knew not its own want. It had grown to greatness without a bishop, and it might have survived for a single year longer without this addition to its local government. There is a wide difference between a bishop and a preacher. The church may be practically very weak in a very small diocese. We do not, therefore, express an opinion derogatory of the active portion of the Church, when we say, that Manchester could have done better without the mitre, than it can do without its promised drains. The latter were matters of life and death: the mitre, it will be allowed, affects only church order, and is one of those things non-essen tial to christianity. We take our estimate from high authority. We proceed upon the testimony of Sir James Graham. He asserts that the business of a bishop is light and easy. He insists that the superintendance of a diocese does not involve long hours of labour. He even hinted that some districts were in such exemplary order that they could go on for a long time without any superintendance whatever. There are many little things that can be done by deans and other subordinate dignitaries, and a neighbouring diocesan may lend his hand-the very thing literally required-upon an emergency. We take, for example, the diocese of Chester, which is now to be subdivided; and assuming it to be one of the largest in England, we find it also one of the most distinguished for efficient superintendence. We do not, indeed, often read speeches made by the Bishop of Chester in the House of Peers. That prelate is seldom found intermingling in those public discussions, and getting in and out of the awkward scrapes in which his brethren for Exeter and London are perpetually involved; but we often see his name announced as a preacher on some particular occasion; and he seems to engage very much in those duties which were once understood to be characteristic of a Christian Bishop. Our estimate of the ease with which Manchester could have lived on un-Bishoped for another year, is taken from Sir James Graham's Speech. The subject is not one with which we are personally cognoscent; because we have never known the benefits, and do not feel, of course, the deprivation of a Bishop famine. THE ELECTIONS. We publish, in the heat of the general election-somewhere near its centre-too late to give advice-and too early to know what has been done. We are only able, therefore, to say what has been anticipated. The calculations, recently formed, gave to the Whigs a majority of eighty in the new Parliament. Less sanguine reckoners make out that the Whigs will have to go without a majority. They will be the strongest of three, but they will not have an absolute majority. By the aid of Sir Robert Peel's contingent, they will be able to beat the Bentinck, or country party; but that is only uncomfortable. The Ministry wanted to be independent of Peel.. Rumour has it now that they must coalesce with him; and coalitions are always dangerous. They detach loose boulders from the mass, who necessarily gravitate into opposition. We believe that the elections will bring into the House many new men with unknown opinions-independent men who will give a fair vote to the ministry when they deserve it, and against them as that seems necessary. This is a new order of things, and the Downing Street people are said to be petrified at the idea of the electors being forgetful of great party interests. - EDUCATION. Ox the eve of dissolving Parliament and appealing to the electors, the Government instructed the Committee of Council on Education to have a new minute drawn out for them, which Lord John Russell says, carries them back again to the minute of 1839. It was convenient to The last Educational minute was pursue this course. would have been sadly torn on the hustings. The new not easily defended in the House of Commons, and it minute suspends the exercise of those spiritual functions assumed by the State; although it is not so clear that this resignation of its new duties applies to the church schools.. We have no desire to see the State interfering in matters beyond its capacity, whether in Church or Dissenting schools. The truth of the matter is, that through their representatives, Dissenters are desirous not to be implicated at all in certain qualities of religious teaching. The new minute does not rescind the extravagant nonsense regarding apprentices, monitors, and all the costly mechanism, and fruitful patronage therewith connected. The alteration gives us one case more against the system. If educational legislation can be thoroughly changed per order on Dr. Key Shuttleworth at five minutes' notice, to pacify the electors; may it not be changed back again by a similar order in five minutes more to past, and the septennial lease has commenced its curmollify the Bishop of Exeter, when the Elections are rency. Nothing less than the dismemberment and dispersion of this unconstitutional committee should satisfy the people. bill than the production of one bishop. Surely the education of millions is not less worthy of a THE SCOTTISH WHIGS. Ir may be doubted whether the empire furnishes worse tacticians or busier jobbers than the old rump everywhere of the Scottish Whigs. They are the patent drags of politics, ever at hand to lock the wheel. They have so mismanaged the metropolis that, we su-s pect, an intelligent Conservative might beat them; merely because there is a general discontent with their high and close-handed mode of management. In Haddingtonshire they oppose the most intelligent county candidate in Scotland, Sir David Baird, and after the fashion of moles-they are blind like the moles-have been silently burrowing in the earth to throw up heaps in his progress. On inquiring the reason, we find that the agitation which he is leading against the law of entail is considered so ungenteel, that he must be proscribed. Before the next election, that movement will be fashionable. The same tacticians have split the Glasgow coustituency, and whether their candidates, or Mr. Hastie and Mr. M'Gregor be returned, they have ruined their dictatorship for ever. In the smaller boroughs, the corresponding limbs of the party pursue the same course. In Greenock, in Aberdeen, and such constituencies as the Stirling boroughs, they have set up Apologies for Candidates" against some of the most intelligent men of the day, rather than their power to sell the boroughs to the paryt who would best hunt for patronage should be questioned. The leprosy of old times cleaves, we fear, like that of Naaman the Syrian to the prophet's servant, for ever to these "old coteries, clubs, or cliques," who snugly manage matters in back parlours. The doom and the spots of Gehazi is on them and their incurable system. PRINTED BY GEORGE TROUP, 29, DUNLOP STREET, GLASGOW. TAIT'S EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. SEPTEMBER, 1847. SCHLOSSER'S LITERARY HISTORY OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. In the person of this Mr. Schlosser is exemplified a common abuse, not confined to literature. An artist from the Italian opera of London and Paris, making a professional excursion to our provinces, is received according to the tariff of the metropolis; no one being bold enough to dispute decisions coming down from the courts above. In that particular case there is seldom any reason to complain-since really out of Germany and Italy there is no city, if you except Paris and London, possessing materials, in that field of art, for the composition of an audience large enough to act as a court of revision. It would be presumption in the provincial audience, so slightly trained to good music and dancing, if it should affect to reverse a judgment ratified in the supreme capital. The result, therefore, is practically just, if the original verdict was just; what was right from the first cannot be made wrong by iteration. Yet, even in such a case, there is something not satisfactory to a delicate sense of equity; for the artist returns from the tour as if from some new and independent triumph, whereas, all is but the reverberation of an old one; it seems a new access of sunlight, whereas it is but a reflex illumination from satellites. the humble character of echoes and sounding. boards to swell the uproar of the original mob. In this way is thrown away the opportunity, not only of applying corrections to false national tastes, but oftentimes even to the unfair accidents of luck that befal books. For it is well known to all who watch literature with vigilance, that books and authors have their fortunes, which travel upon a far different scale of proportions from those that measure their merits. Not even the caprice or the folly of the reading public is required to account for this. Very often, indeed, the whole difference between an extensive circulation for one book, and none at all for another of about equal merit, belongs to no particular blindness in men, but to the simple fact, that the one has, whilst the other has not, been brought effectually under the eyes of the public. By far the greater part of books are lost, not because they are rejected, but because they are never introduced. In any proper sense of the word, very few books are published. Technically they are published; which means, that for six or ten times they are advertised, but they are not made known to attentive ears, or to ears prepared for attention. And amongst the causes which account for this difference in the fortune of books, although there are many, we may reckon, as foremost, personal accidents of position in the authors. For instance, with us in England it will do a bad book no ultimate service, that it is written by a lord, or a bishop, or a privy counsellor, or a member of Parliamentthough, undoubtedly, it will do an instant service-it will sell an edition or so. This being the case, it being certain that no rank will reprieve a bad writer from final condemnation, the sycophantic glorifier of the public fancies his idol justified; but not so. A bad book, it is true, will not be saved by advantages of position in the author; but a book moderately good will be extra In literature the corresponding case is worse. An author, passing by means of translation before a foreign people, ought de jure to find himself before a new tribunal; but de facto, he does not. Like the opera artist, but not with the same propriety, he comes before a court that never interferes to disturb a judgment, but only to re-affirm it. And he returns to his native country, quartering in his armorial bearings these new trophies, as though won by new trials, when, in fact, they are due to servile ratifications of old ones. When Sue, or Balzac, Hugo, or George Sand, comes before an English audience—the opportunity is invariably lost for estimating them at a new angle of sight. All who dislike them lay them aside-vagantly aided by such advantages. Lectures on whilst those only apply themselves seriously to their study, who are predisposed to the particular key of feeling, through which originally these authors had prospered. And thus a new set of judges, that might usefully have modified the narrow views of the old ones, fall by mere inertia into VOL. XIV.NO. CLXV. Christianity, that happened to be respectably written and delivered, had prodigious success in my young days, because, also, they happened to be lectures of a prelate; three times the ability would not have procured them any attention had they been the lectures of an obscure curate. Yet, 20 |