On this page
-
Text (5)
-
m. 467, March 5,1859] - TAE : ' L--ff^
-
LITEKATUKE, SCIENCE, ART, &c.
-
LITERARY CHROXECLE OF THE WEEK. «*?
-
Perhaps, since the days of the "Great Un...
-
court it was viewed as from afar with eu...
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
M. 467, March 5,1859] - Tae : ' L--Ff^
m . 467 , March 5 , 1859 ] - TAE : ' L--ff ^
Litekatuke, Science, Art, &C.
LITEKATUKE , SCIENCE , ART , & c .
Literary Chroxecle Of The Week. «*?
LITERARY CHROXECLE OF THE WEEK . «*?
Perhaps, Since The Days Of The "Great Un...
Perhaps , since the days of the " Great Unknown , " no literary secret has been so well' and jealously kept as the authorship of the celebrated " Vestiges of the Creation . " ' At least twenty names have been mentioned , and the supporters of each have exhibited as much tenacity about the matter as the disfmtanta respecting the identity of" Junius , " the "Man with-the Iron ttla . sk , " the " Last of the Stuarts , " the father of Caspar Ilausciy or the murderer of Eliza , ¦ Gmnw . ood . Lord Brougham , a Cornish baronet ( whose name we , at the moment , for-< ret ) , Lady King . ( Byron ' s daughter Ada ) , —why enumerate the list ? The general - / favourite ,
however , -with the reading public has been Mr . Kobert Chambers ; and this theory received great support from the confession of Sir . Page , the geologist , at a lecture delivered in Glasgow some years since . This gentleman was for many years in the employ of Messrs . Chambers , and he declared that he had been desired by Mr . Kobert Chambers to revise the- ¦ proof-sheets ' , of the ¦ ' < Vestiges ' . " This was certainly " wann" upon the secret ; but recent disclosures have served to . prove that it is possible to seem veiy near the solution of a secret and yet be as far off" as ever . The death of the late Dr . George Combe has at length unveiled the mystery , and it is now no lomrer- concealed that he was the real
author of this book . Why the mystery existed at all we are at a loss to conceive . We are quite aware that some of the conclusions to which its arguments pointed were distasteful to those who believe that the Books of Moses were written to teach geognosy to mankind ; instead of the wisdom of the Egyptians ; but it cannot be denied that the scientific facts ( as far as they were facts ) were fairly stated , -aud we cannot believe that the avowal Of , authorship would have at till harmed a man whose jiosition was so firmly placed , and whose merit so well established as that of Dr . George Combe , One thing to be said is , that the " Vestiges" was not a great work in itself : it was rather a suggestive pamphlet , in . which a reflective mind threw out certain suggestions without being
willing to give them , the authority of a good name , but yet held to be worthy of consideration . Sonic such reason as this may have induced Dr . George Combe to withhold his name until his " right ear " was beyond nil hearing of " the false or just . " The quidnuncs of the clubs are too busily engaged in discussing the prospects of the Govern * - meat Reform Bill , and the coming struggles of great politicians , to care much for , a petty literary squabble . All lovers of decency will , -however , not regret to hear that the much talked of storm , jn the Qurriek Club is at length allayed ; that Achilles Tliackcray no longer broods in his tent 5 that there is to be a mutual withdrawal of oilbnsiye expressions ; every one pays his own costs , and Mr . Edmund Yates is to be restored to the full enjoyment of his privileges as a member of the club . So , at least , it is reported , and we hope truly so .
scheme so well carried oizt wider the sanction ^ of the Master of the Rolls , we cannot help observingthat we do not think he has acted wisely in following the custom , which the publishing trade have hitherto found to be commercially wise— -namely , that he refuses to submit these productions to the review of the journals . The simple consequence of this is , that they are reviewed only in a few of the greater literary journals , and that the public is deprived of the best means of getting information about an undertaking which they would be very ready to support . The cost saved by this refusal is very slight , and must be altogetherdisproportioned to the injury done to the undertaking .
' Of general , literary news we have to note that rrescott ' s great work , the " History of Phili p , the Second , " will be concluded by his Secretary , John Foster Kirk , whose name ( so far as we are aware ) is unknown iri American letters , and yet believed to be . fully competent to the task . It is a curious , fact , that but a very few days after MivTrescott ' s death , a work ' appeared from the pen of a Mr . R . A . Wilson , intended to disprove the historical accuracy of Mr . Prescott ' s " History of the Conquest of Mexico . " We have not yet seen this knowled
book , but it is said to display great ge _ of the facts , and to contain a searching examination into Mr . Prescott ' s statements . ' llemembering , as we do , that this is not the first tune . that the veraracity of the Spanish accounts of that conquest have been seriously doubted , we shall not be surprised to find that there is much matter in Mr . Wilson ' s . argument ; ' and if they prove ( as tli ey are said to go far towards doing ) that no such person as Diaz ever lived * and that the despatches of ' Cortex were all forged by the priests , their historical value will certainly be considerable .
Frpm .-Fran . ee , we hear of a new journal founded by M . Jourdim , one of the redacteurs of the Siecle It is- to be called Le Causeur , and is to gossip abouit . everything but the one . tabooed subject in France—politics . The Critic ; supplies one or two interesting on'dits concerning the literary world of Paris : — ' ^ Take as a merepiece of gossip that which follows . M . Miros has purchased for the ConstjLtiUvmnel a romance by Do Lamartine . The work lias not been completely paid for , The financier has advanced to next
the poet 60 , 000 francs ; if , New Year ' s Day , this sum is not reimbursed to the financier by the poet , the romance will be definitely acquired to the journal , and will be published immediately . —Dumas has returned to Paris , with money , jokes , and the experience of travel ; and the wits have an interest in his capital . Ho gave a dinner of coiu'se , . and in his courtyard , for 700 covers—a very Barmceidal dinner . There was Potage a 1 'Antony , ¥ \\\ C > Mousquetaire , Roti a la Don Juan de Mararia , Poulet a la Montc-Cristo , Punch a la Romulus . These- arc mere samples of the bill of fare . " Undoubtedly a great writer ns a romancer , when will M . Dumas cease to pose himself an puUlasse ?
Itenfcloy ' s now Quarterly ., a few novels , and a book of travel or soj form nearly all the literary issues of tho week . The first is well thought of , and has us likely a look as it is well possible jtor any "Quarterly" nowadays to wear . As wo have before observed , however , these trimostral groat jyuns oflitoratui'chayo , generally ppenking , to reserve their shot until tho object lias boon removed far out of sight— -that is to say , until the fate of tho book has long shico been px'onounccd 111 ) 911 by tho public , the dailies , and tko weeklies , and tho book , if successful , is alonirway 011 towards t , ho second edition .
Anothor important work has beun added to the -valuable series publiahod under tho sanction of the Master of tho liolli * . It in tho first of throe volumes illustrative of tho history of tho City ol London , and is known to antiquarians under tho titlo of tho » Libor Albus "—one of tho ' gronteut treasures in the library of Guildhall ,, so rich in Stores of oivfo architectural lore . This will bo followed by tho « Liber Ciwtonmnim " and the labor Horn " in one volume , and tlie third volume in certain translated passagon , a glossary , and WKlex , "Whilst recording our admiration of tlie
Court It Was Viewed As From Afar With Eu...
court it was viewed as from afar with eunous horror rather than sympathetic alarm . The imbecile King was incapable of comprehending how the bloo ' d-red meteor that appeared over Ta vis _ could / in the course of its destined orbit , approach Naples ; and liis ' courageous but wicked queen was slmy . in appreciating the danger to remote royalty winch the establishment of democratic liber fy and fraternity in France really portended . W-hen , however , the news of . the death of Louis XVI . arrived , the court was convulsed with emotions of indignation , fear ,, and revenge . Liberal opinions had theoretically for some time prevailed among
the upper-classes , of society , many of whom were distinguished by their cultivation . of . science ¦ und literature ; but the insignificance of whose . numbers , and whose total want of political power , had rendered them hitherto objects of little , if _ any * j'ealousv to their royal rulers .- In the-crisis ' of affairs " which arose in 1793 , these two elements were unavoidably brought into deadly collision . Inspired by the masculine energy of-Queen-Caroline- the Neapolitan Government proposed to of Italian
Sardinia and Venice the formation an Leaorite , which ail the states south of the Alps should be invited to join , and whose united armies , governed by a national council of war . should defend the Peninsula-against . French invasion , and thus co-operate . effectively with the Princes of Germany , England , and Russia , in their crusade , against Republican France . The Venetians hesitated ; the King of . Sardinia agreed ; but ere many weeks had elapsed Admiral La Touche , at the head of a French fleet , entered the Bay of Naples , and without firms a shot , extorted from the
pusillanimity of the King and his advisers , a renunciation of the national confederacy . While the : French' squadron lay in the . harbour ,, many distinguished persons showed its officers hospitality , and interchanged with them private hopes , if not voavs , for the spread of the iiew opinions . When La Touche was gone the rage and resentment of the Court fell upon all who had so offended . The gaols were filled with the best and noblest members of society ; and an inquisitorial Junta with xinliinited power was nominated to try , and punish them . This may be termed the first political proscription on account of opinions under the Bourbon regiment Naples ; how . frequently and how fatally the precedent then established has been followed we too well know .
At the period in question Pietro Colletta , a young man of good parts and attainment . ^ was pursuing his studies at the militar y college with a view to qualify himself for the artillery , which service be entered in 1796 , being then in hi * twentysecond year ' . War with France war ? then enrryi / ig on in such fashion as the ill-paid , and worse disciplined , Neapolitan forces were capable' of . Under the guidance of the Austrian general , Mack , they crossed the frontiers and occupied Homo , whence u
small French corps thought it prudent to retreat . As soon as they had been reinforced , however , the latter assumed the offensive , and Mack Ml back precipitately towards the Abriizzi , and was ultimately driven from' post ' to post by the advancing columns of Cluimpionnct ,. until the latter at length arrived within sight of tho city of Vesuvius . Uho King and his ministers , instead of organising tho defence of the capital , or availing thoui ^ clvtdot the popular feeling readily aroiw-od against un invading army , thought only of their jicivuiuiI , « uK-ty . Tho JUritinh minister , Sir William Iluiiiill . 'ii , und his ^ too-cuk'lirntod wife , pfruvo t <» diVsuiide . / Iioirt from abandoning their potftH ; mid Nelson , whose fleet lay in tin-roadstead , urpvtl ni . uilier n'Un- 'olH , but in vain . CulIeUu , who whj . 111 eye-wit iH " ,. soi tlm scenes that followed , Ihuu di-mcltf the aurdul
MODERN IIISTOHY OF NAPLES . Modem History of Naples . By Pietro Colletta ; translated by S . Horner . Constable . Thk annals of Southern Italy under the sway of the IIouso of Bourbon are full of peculiar interest at the present time . Though full of pretensions to the right divine of absolutism , that sway is but of comparatively recent origin , and like its kindred r & ghnc In Franco it lias during the last sixty years 15 een subjected to every vicissitude of obloquy , repudiation , nnd overthrow . Founded originally in conquest by coup do main , in 1734 , when thu King of Spaiil scut hU second sdu , a youth _' oi nineteen , as nominal Load of a powerful expedition
to surprise and seize tho territories then governed by a viceroy of Austria , it , remained during tho latter half of the last century unchanged and unmolested , tho condition of the people gradually degenerating more and more into one ul' mere annual existence ; and the internal economy of tho stata bocbiuUig evoVy day moro ¦ thoroughly deicrcpid and doapidablo . The' shock of tho Obranoh Revolution could hnrdly bo said to have boon felt by the wholly uneducated mid disfranchised bulk of the community , lly tho listless und luxurious
baseness of tho Bourbon Court : — y ' Tlio Klnur , having ddennined on liis doparturo , hastened tho preparations , which wore made secretly , as for flight ) hut conoonlment was useless , lor it was soon known Mint tho royal llunlly and the ministers woro mcditiiliny thoir ' escape , and that the base satellites of despotism wore propnrinK other means for tholrown Jlight or conceahucnt . While the last hopos ol' roslstlng tho cnomy or roorganlslntf the army mid government wcro vanishing hoiovo
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), March 5, 1859, page 11, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05031859/page/11/
-