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Margh 3 ^ 1860.] TJw Leader and Saturday...
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MINOR NOVELS.* A NEAT and well-told stor...
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* Marfcmoisollo Mori; a Tufa of 3Codcm R...
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rOETIC ASP I RATION.* rTIHE spirit of po...
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* Tho lto-Jturial; or, Tho Ch-aoo in Gal...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Ilecent Iiistqltles.* A Good Book Is Ti ...
seventeen years' duration— -a time of « Teat abundance and strict administration of justice . His defeat . and death were the commencement of great troubles to Scotland , furei ^ n war , and civil commotions . The conflict between disputed successions and ¦¦ ¦ th e ' - ' deadly strife of hostile races , continued until the reign of David , who inaugurated a ; new policy , which Listed happily ' for about two centuries . The first enforccinentoftithes is traced to his reig-n , and to him Scotchmen are indebted for the very foundation and : framework of their national establishments and parochial divisions . Every lord ' s manoi-Jbecame « i parish , and the church divided the respect of the people with the castle . The subject of monasteries is also treated with favour . They were suited
for their time , and the vices that crept into them were due to ari afterage . We are also warned that it is an historical mistake to speak Of the extermination of a people by an invading enemy . . No sufh general and violent destruction lias ever lalcen place . An error of Mr . Hallam ' s is also corrected—namely , that the early burghs of England : had no municipal administration by nvagistraf . es of their own chiice ; there is now abundant evidence collected of burg-hal property in England before the conquest . Such towns as London , York , Lincoln , and Winchester , full as they \ vere _ of wealth and enterprise , managed their common affairs , their polite and internal economy , long- anterior to that epoch , It is also \ vrong to deny the existence of common law in Scotland : but there is little of local and
peculiar interest in it . . The only facts to prove the existence of a peculiai * Celtic law are connected- . . with the institutions of succession and marriage . ¦ The chapters on the Scottish language and literature are excellent , as are also those on sculptured monuments and architectui-e . In a postscript the Professor tells us that there has lately been discovered in the public library at Cambridge a- 'ftXS ' . of the G-ospels , which bears to have belonged to the Abbey of I ) eir , in Buclian . ^ It contains , in addition , some portions and foirms of church service ; and on the margins and blank vellum are entered a few charters and memoranda of grants to the church of Deir . These entries arc more ancient than any extant Scotch chartularies . The discovery of this book , it
appears , sets the . whole discussion which excited the Scoteii antiquaries of-the last century on" an entirely new footing . . The hope is expressed that the whole of the contents will eve lpng " be made public . ' Different altogether in texture and quality , we associate with the above a . new history in . relation to France ^ -a biogriiphy of Henry IV ., by a lady who has frequently exercised her pen in historical reproductions ' . Miss Freer has had recourse for some of her materials to unpublished sources , ¦ particularly MS . documents in the Bibliothcqiie Imperinle and the Archives du Loyauine de France . The rhetorical style adopted carries the reader , with ease over these descriptive and / narrative pages , which it is but just to say have been compiled with evident care and diligence .
Margh 3 ^ 1860.] Tjw Leader And Saturday...
Margh 3 ^ 1860 . ] TJw Leader and Saturday Analyst * 211
Minor Novels.* A Neat And Well-Told Stor...
MINOR NOVELS . * A NEAT and well-told story , representing life in modern Rome , with much spirit and precision , is Mademoiselle Mori . The heroine is a young caiUqlrice , Irene Mori , whose character is very cleverly drawn . There are also some vivid desuiipiions of papal oppression , and the state of public feeling , in the year 1 S 4 S , when the heroic Charles Albert placed himself at the head of the general movement in favour of Italian independence . He / ore the Dawn is also a tale of Austrian tyranny and Italian martyrdom . The authoress , we are told in the preface , was formerly a prima donna at Drury Lane theatre ; but ill health having 1 since compelled her retirement from the stage , she expresses her intention of devoting herself henceforth . entirely to literature . This work possesses siiflieienb inerit to justify the authoress in issuing- a second edition . .
Wo now come , in duo course , to a series of talcs by Agnes Strickland . Wo have not space to enter into the detaiils of this elegant little volume . Suffice ifc to say , ( hat it entirely justifies the former reputation of the authoress , Wo wish wo could extend the samo praise to Stephen Dagarcl , Mr . William Miulford's new novel . In fat ;!) , we should udviso the rpader only to open ' this book ufc midnight , in order-that tho horrors therein acoumuluted may tell with due effect upon his nevvos .
In . contrast . , to the above , we glance at a pretty , refined , and interesting 1 little tale , translated from the German ¦ , and entitled Step by Step ; or , The Good Fight . The tone of it is religious , and we have no doubt that it will meet with the approbation of a numerous class of readers .. ' " . . . A series of American tales , entitled Stories of Rainbow and LucJcy , a : o also desevviivg of honourable mention . The same may be extended to The Weaver ' s Fuiaily . Alive or Dead is the old story of missing , relatives -who , after years of absance , turn up in out-of-the-way ijlaoe . ^ , having in the interval become both opulent and enfeebled . Land Sharks aiid Sea Gulls is cleverly written and well constructed , and though a very old favourite of the public , is well deserving of the honour of reprint . .
The first number of the J ? ochet JSooels , containing " Pifnn the Philanthropist , " and "' My Aunt ' s Umbrella , " is well calculated , by the ability displayed m both tales , to procure for this series of cheap , light literature , an extensive circulation . Lichtenstein ; or , the Outlaw nf IViirlemburg . is . rcnother aided to the list of our hiiniefons German translations , The -see-no is laid in the sixteenth century , and the principal , personage who figures in the drama i * Duke Ulric , whose sh'ugglas and misfortunes are well known to historical readers . The German stories are genei-ally replete with thrilling interest , though they sometimes laso considerably in the translation . In the present instance . , however , we can safely state that full justice has been done to the original by Miss Swann . A Life for a Life is a ne \ y and revised edition of a popular work .
* Marfcmoisollo Mori; A Tufa Of 3codcm R...
* Marfcmoisollo Mori ; a Tufa of 3 Codcm Roma . T . WO vols . John W . Parker nnd Son ; Before tho J ) awn ; a Talu nf Italy . By Kat | 3 Oiucuton . Second Edition . Two vols . Clmrlea J . Sk « ot , Old Friends and Kvw Acquaintances . By A ONES STRICKLAND . Simpkin , Warehnll , and Co . Utojphon . Dxtfiards or tho Black Bock ' s Mouth . A Romance ,-by WlLliam Mvdfoiu ) . Thoinns Hodgson .
Stop l , i / Step i or , Tho Good ' Might . Prom tlio Gonuun of Maui . Nathusi ' os . lUolnird IJontloy . Stork's < f Rainbow and Xiiwty .- By Jaoou Abijott , Sampson Low and Oo . Who Weaver ' s JPumilj / . By the Author of " Divos and Liuarus . " Judd and Olasa . ' AUvo or X >< : « df A Talc of St . Grain ' s 1 ' arMi . By CHAM . HS Uo * . rHLb . James Blaokwood . Xaw / Sharks and Son ; Onlfe . , Jiy Captain Owsoook , It . N . Knight and Son , j ' Tho FocTtot Koi < el $ . Illustr \ ifco ( l by Charles Bennett . W . Kent And Oo . LtchionuMn / or tho Outlaw of WuHombcry . li ' rom the Gorman of IlauflT , by RwNon M . Swann , Jumoa Bluckwood . 4 JJfo for a Liftu By tho AMtlior of "John Uallfw'x , Gentleman , " Hurst and " BlaokotL
Roetic Asp I Ration.* Rtihe Spirit Of Po...
rOETIC ASP I RATION . * rTIHE spirit of poetry , like every other immaterial essence , never dies , but JL only changes its form . In days vyheu education was confined to a few , only the greater minds of the number attained to expression in verse . ; but . in these days of general cultivation , the more sensitive-. intellects , . though neither very lofty nor very wide , seek to- relievo'thuir feelings by indulging in metrical composition . Of these ' some arc merely Singers , others . are Poets but the shape iscomp-arafively . of a -meaner , type , aud the x > ow-er proportionately small . ; The spirit , as it gains in universality , must content itself with minor agencies , hut in . these , as in the major , alike ' merits recognition and encouragement . From the . little books of verse , accordingly , that modestly claim a place' for a -while o-u . our library table , we select what secin the more wortjhy for a few remark ' s . The author of Uriel demands attention as an ambitious aspirant , of a metaphysical turn of mind ; hut should have beau careful , we think , not to JVave " taken the title of another matijs . work as his distinctive ajipell ition . A poem entitled Uriel was published with the second edition of Mr . Herand ' s Descent info ffe ? 7—a . poem of sneh a specu ' ative character , as might reasonably have marked itself for a peculiarity , and been protected against imitation . Little it might haya been expected that a second poet would have adopted the same title , a : id ma ; la a similar use of the theme . Nevertheless , so it has : been ; and t ) u ; second Uriel lias beeii succeeded by other similar efforts , in which with nnicli poetical feeling a hasty and faulty execution has been shown . In TheRe-Burial we find , an attempt made the very opposite oft ho p . o . etical in spirit , —however likrc i , t hi its apparent embodiment . The title page has a saucy air , with i-ti mottoes in Greek , Latin , Hebrew arid English ; and its tlicologicnl tbeme , adopting Evvaid's view of the Resurrection , is . to say the least , n . bold one . The subjective interpretation of such a fact , whether in prose or verse , must turn outmost unsatisfactory ; but in the latter , it seems to us an utterly hopeless and impract cable attempt . Certainly , the author of The Re-Burial has conquered none of the diflioulties that beset such a task . Mr . Wilson has turned his attention to n : ore practicable themes ; and has , moreover , a decided lyrical vein which might bo worked to advantage . But his verses h"ve not alwiiys the polish" without which no verse can enjoy immortality . JIc sometimes thinks loftily , and feels intensely ; but he is not careful to express himself wit b grace and case . His ear , too , is deficient , and Ins rhythm is not seldom , unmusical . ¦ Mr . Stigant is capable of a broad view of life , and hns strong convictirn 9 both politicul nnd religious ; hut he is occasionally rough , and should cultivate an e « r for the harmony of numbers . Tho churnutur pf his mind is strength , rather than gra « e . Let him emulate mores elegance ; and , in another volume , the chances are that lie will do something that people will like to read . Mr . Preston , on the contrary , l » as a finish in his versos which shows a correct tnsto . Whether his genius bo equal ( o his powers of execution may bo doubtful . The verses , at any rate , arc smooth , and the rhymes for tho most part accurate . We must , however , uwait further jiroof , ore w « can pronounce , upon the device in which he possesses " the vision and the faculty divine . " w Mr . Smith Una judiciously colkctod some drainutie soeiles for ( he use of those who practise private theatricals , a < 1 for tliut . purport ! w « cm recommend liis volume . " M . U , " haa written an illustrated chiM ' s book , containing nn amusing metrical story , iu which dolls . arc tlio Ijoroiiu ;^ . Lot these works oenccepted , cqimlly with the above , as evidences of a g « noml poetic aspiration . It certainly amounts to a social fooling , and is tlio groat reason why moro poetry is written thnn read . The practice must needs bo coiifiiirreiit with a dift ' usud taste , wliich roquiros tlie highest cxu'ollonco before It permits any oiic candidate to , claim precedence of tho multitude of competitors . ____„ .
* Tho Lto-Jturial; Or, Tho Ch-Aoo In Gal...
* Tho lto-Jturial ; or , Tho Ch-aoo in Galileo . Uy tho Author of " Uriel . ( John Chapman . ) ¦ - Gdthorod Tur / othor . Fooins l > y AVm . "\ VlJt . S 0 N . ( Longmaiifl , O . L . & i R . ) A Vltihn of ' n « rtj « ro , < M , « ud of for I ' mmm By Wm . Stuoant . ( Chapman and Wivll . ) " ¦ . ' T , . Ballads and MctXico f ISk-vMiva . Ky GBORQH P . PKBBTON . ( W . Ivont and CJo . ) Dramatic S < w >« " » foulard A . nthors . . M . r ¦ '' > ; >< f \ * t « J » -o * cntalh > n ( uul SvhmlH . Hy C ' liABfcKB WifcMAM Smith . ( HouH < n . l « o , ) Tho Doll ' s ria-nlcfor M . U , ( Uarton nnd Co . )
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 3, 1860, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03031860/page/15/
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