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Leader (1850-1860), 13th November 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 14, PHANTASTES. Phantastes : a Faei'ie Roman...

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      Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, In The Grand...

      answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us , " we must strive to attain , " a penetration in abstruse questions , and a quickness in philosophical discussion . "

      *¦ ¦ ¦ ' • 1222 The. Leaper. [No. 453, I...

      *¦ ¦ ¦ ' 1222 THE . LEAPER . [ No . 453 , ISrovEAiBEK 1 ^ 1858 .

      Checkmate. Checkmate: A Tale. E. Bentley...

      CHECKMATE . Checkmate : a Tale . E . Bentley . Thi opening chapter introduces us to a noble JTrench family , who found a refuge in England from the terrors of the French Revolution— -Comte Jules Deguseau , the father * a fine specimen of the old noialesse—liis daughter , Lucy ( the Couat had married an English lady ) , and the family priest , a little abbe * . The daughter is depicted as a fine young creature , fresh-hearted , ingenuous , aud full of all those graces of which high health , exuberant spirits , and -worldlv luxuries are the common parent . Miss Julia Manners , a friend of the English side of the familv , is introducedi and affords a good contrast to

      Xucy , being older , more sedate , and with a deeper insight into the world and the world ' s doings . The quiet tenor of life at Chateau Koyal , the Lancashire estate of the Comte Deguseau , is interrupted by the visit of Ernest Jules Deguseau , nephew of the Count , a man on town , a blackleg , spendthrift , over head and ears in debt , who hopes to mend his ruined fortunes by a marriage with his wealthy cousin Lucy , and whose last hope of release from the threateuings of importunate duns lies in this marriage . The worldly deliberations of this roue on the subject of matrimony are well given , and the plans by which success is to be achieved are . developed with ability . But Lucy ' s good genius , in the person of Miss Julia Manners , " comes to the rescue . Miss Manners has

      a brother , Frank Rowley , a thoughtless , spendthrift lieutenant in the Guards , to whom she is devotedly attached , and as she is aware that Frank and Ernest ¦ were old acquaintances , she applies to Frank for information as to Ernest ' s motives in visiting Chateau Royal , and the reply ptits her in possession of the whole scheme of the desperate fortunehunter . To save her young friend slie tells Lucy what she has learned , and eventually discloses to the Count the real character and object of Ernest , but not before Ernest has proposed to Lucy , and , to his utter dismay and astonishmant , been refused ,

      though on grounds wholly distinct from the revelations made by Frank Rowley . Ernest , however , does not know this , and believing Miss Julia Manners to be at the bottom of his discomfiture , he resolves on a singular piece of revenge . Knowing her fondness for her flighty brother Irank , he contrives to pick a quarrel . Vith him and to draw him into a challenge . Fraught with this peculiar project he visits Miss Julia Manners , and terrifies her into compliance with his wishes , which are to promote his suit with Lucy , threatening to fight 5 ? rank in case of non-compliance . On condition of retiring from the hostile meeting Miss Manners

      agrees to his conditions , but her inexcusable aud rather improbable promise is not called into requisition , as the creditors of Ernest become suddenly too exigent , and resort to summary arrest . The confinement in gaol for debt of course brings on disclosures which will not permit the Count any longer to doubt the true character of his nephew , ana his red ! views in proposing for his daughter . The Count , -who is a noble-hearted creature , relents on seeing his nephew in durance ; he pays his debts , releases him , and , with his daughter Lucy , assists to nurse the broken-down but reformed

      reprobate into health . The Count is disposed to forget and forgive , and -wishes his daughter to do the like . But the daughter , to his amazement , and no doubt to the genuine amazement of all renders of this clever tale' —for tho book will be read—refuses all solicitations to enter into the married state , and declares her irrevocable determination to become a hSguine connected with some convent at Bruges , at winch in her early youth she had been cduoated . This ludicrous and unlooked-for termination is carried into efTcofc , and the ourtain drops on Luoyasa ^/« W , and Ernest , who after the Count ' s death takes his uncle ' s pluco at Chateau Royal , as a country gentleman , going about among tho poor people on his estato very much after the pattern of a masculino sceur de charity .

      "Wo would ofl'or a word of ndyico to tho writerwho isovidontly a poraou of talent , with a cuLtivatod taste , bul ; no very doop insi g ht into tho world of London as it goes —to nbsltiin , -in , future works of imagination , if addressed to an English public , from the polemical olemont . ' ' This' kind of thing is getting oommon , and must bo chockotl , or rather oheoknmted .

      Phantastes. Phantastes : A Faei'ie Roman...

      PHANTASTES . Phantastes : a Faei'ie Romance for Men and Women . By George M'Donald . Smith , Elder , and Co . A deeamy production of the German school of imaginative literature , not without fine fancy , considerable invention , and an occasional vein of real poetic feeling . An extract from . Nooalis , which is inserted by the author instead of preface , we will translate for the benefit of country gentlemen , as it will , perhaps , best explain the leading idea of the author in penning this amusing and highly

      imaginative work : '" One may conceive fictions like dreams , without connexion , yet having legitimate association . " This very well indicates the character of the work , but by no means tells the reader enough of its quaint merits . With a special class this work is tolerably , sure of being received with great favour . The conclusion appears to us . to be weak , and not in harmony with the power and fancy displayed in the progress of this very fanciful work .

      Trayels Of Baron Munchausen. The Surpris...

      TRAYELS OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN . The Surprising Travels and Adventures of Baron Afunchausen . Edinburgh . : A . and ( J . Black . Everybody has heard of the renowned and veracious traveller Munchausen ; everybody , we hope , has read his " moving accidents by flood and field , " if they have not we bid them send at once for this very neat and very cheap abridged edition .

      The Castle Of Qthaisto. The Castle Of Ot...

      THE CASTLE OF QTHAISTO . The Castle of Otranto . A Gothic Story . By Horace Walpole . Edinburgh : A . and-C . Black . The tale , with its supernatural horrors , which made the hair of the juveniles of ourgrandsires' age , like Katteffelte ' s , " stand on end , " is destined to perform the same feat to the present and to unborn senerations .. The C-astle of Otraiito is the putative parent of a . popular and populous school of fiction . . It has stood the test of time , it lias maintained its original rank in the annals of fiction , and it would be " ' gilding refined gold" were we to waste our space in superfluous laudation .

      The Travels Of Mutcgo Tark. Travels In T...

      THE TRAVELS OF MUTCGO TARK . Travels in the Interior of Africa . By Mungo Park . Edinburgh : A . and C . Black . We are indebted more to Scotchmen than to any other class of enterprising travellers for our knowledge of Africa , and its remarkable races and productions . Park , Bruce , and Livingstone arc names that will ever be identified with the history ol Africa . Park , however , must have the honour ol being the pioneer of exact information in this direction , and though more modern travellers have carried their researches into more remote tracts , they have not produced anything more interesting or more trustworthy than Park's Travels . The edition is a cheap one , and very handsomely got up .

      Eclectic Review : (Ward Und Co.)—There A...

      Eclectic Review : ( Ward und Co . )—There are seven articles in this number , and a copious account of books published . The important essays ore those on " The Vatican Manuscript of the , Old and Now Testament , " lately published in a costly way at Home ; and that on the fourth volume of Humboldt ' s " Cosmos . " These are exceedingly interesting , and the flrat particularly , as every one will be anxious to have an account of the completion of a Biblical work so long delayed , and so important in every way . It would seem , though produced under the enro of the celebrated Cardinal Wai , it is not satisfactory as an edition , and it ie highly probable that another , and possibly a facsimile of the famous manuscript , will alone satisfy the theological world .

      Map of the Atlantic Ocean . ( A . find C . Black . )—A small but distinct sheet map , showing the ocean currents , tho voutes proposed in conjunction with n Pacific Hallway , and also tho lino of tho Atlantic Telegraph Cable . Map of tiarth America . ( A . and C . Black . )—A clear and wcll-slzcd inup , with tho vory latest discoveries . It has also an enlarged vlow of British Columbia and Vancouvor ' a Island , showing iho Frazor Kivor Gold Fioldfl .

      Tho Law of Wills , Emeautom , and Admin infra torn . By W . A . Holdsworth , Esq ., Barristor , of 0 ray's Inn . ( Koutledgo and 'Co . )—A vory useful und . timoly llttlu work . The recent alteration in tho laws relative to wills and trusts , renders it osaontlul that every ono in tho position to devise or inherit property should bo put in possoNslon of tho rights , duties , and regulations which attend those functions . The troutiso in simply and clearly written , nnd can en « ily bo umlutatood by unprofessional readers .

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      Drurylane Tiieatj2e.—Mn Tully's Arranee ...

      DRURYLANE TIIEATJ 2 E . —Mn Tully ' s arranee m . ent Qf Auber's delightful Cromn Dianumds has been added by the Pyne and Harrison management to their already attractive programme , and seems to increase in , popularity , as indeed it should considering Miss Pyne ' s wondrous excel lence as Culuvaia The general-cast is nearly the same as that cm ployed at the Lyceum revival under the same manage orient , the only substitution , we believe , bein < r that of Mr . Henri Corri for Mr . Hamilton Brahani in the character of Jiebolledo , the brigand lieutenant . By this change neither the music nor the authors in any "way sutlers for Mr . Corri has a voice of

      excellent quality , and acts with much intention and natural Vivacity .. The more prominent morceau ' x of the Diamans tie la Couronne are so well known as to render any chronicle of the successes achiever in them by the talented artists of this company nttcrlv superfluous . We have only left , then , the diitv of reporting that Miss Liouisa Pyne achieved consummately well all she undertook as CuUirina , tho Queen of Portugal ; that Mr . Harrison was hardly less rapturously applauded ; and that the completeness of the success -was secured by Miss Susan Pvne . is

      J ) icma , and Messrs . Corn , St . Albyn , and G . llonev in the subordinate parts . The musical world are excited , at the unnecessary interpolation of 1 lodes ' Air , with variations , at the close of the opera ; and Brinley liicharda ' s ballad , " "Whisper what tho : i feelest , " introduced by Mr . Harrison-in the third iict ; and made a great feature of- They are , perhaps , right in their observations that M . Scribe would shudder at the liberty taken in the former ' instance with his well-arranged climax , ¦ and that the music of the ballad is a dislocation , if not a distortion , of Auber ' s delicious ensemble ; but tliev should bear in

      mind that the almost total abstinence of the aesthetics from the . pay-plae . es at public entertainments rather disposes managers and others to consult the predilections of the money-bringinyr . multitude , vr \\ o cunnot have too much for their shillings , and who would by no iiieans object to a pot-jidurri opera , made up of fragments from Spohr , Beethoven , Auber , and Richards , so long as tliu said fragments were well sung . Catholicity may be all very well , but Spuhr ' s " Jessonda" and Mendelssohn ' s " Lorelei" would prove avenues to Basinghall-street in a little month , if rigidly adhered to . Mr . Harrison has perhaps strayed into an excessive degree of liberality by hio

      attempt to lend attraction to the Crown Diamante . We should have thought , in this ¦ particular instance , that neither musician nor author needed illustration or decoration . However , as we'before said , barrowloads of bouquets , and rapturous plaudits from stalls and boxes as well as pit and gallery , show that the management do not miscalculate the tastes of their patrons ; and , the above-mooted question set apart , it would be ungenerous to deny that the brilliant performance of the principal character , and the unvaried excellence of tho subordinates , as well us of Mr . Mellon ' s fine band , well deserved all—and more than all—the approbation they met with .

      HAYMAHKKT THEATKE . —On Saturday lust , being tho occasion of Mr . Mathcws ' s benefit , lua own petite comedy of Thu JJowayer and the farce u * The Eton Boy , in both of which Mrs . Mathews appeared , were followed by a new piece , called // 5 e luia of a Coat , nn elaborate patchwork by Dr . Iyandc and Mr . William Brough , which we must endeavour to dissect for our readers as briefly as possible , ine Baron de Meremont < E . VMlers ) , a diplomatist , charged with a despatch from the Court ot France to Queen Christina respecting the marriage of t » o into 1113

      Due do Montpensicr , stitches it for security , coat lining , and iu avoiding the r esults of 11 uiioi leaves that garment in his lodgings . In Ins 0011 m * sion he meets with ono Jacques Mollnet , a commercial traveller ( Mr . Charles Mnthows ) , who undertakes tno restoration of the coat , and accordingly proceeds to the scene of its loss . There ho commences to urrnnpo its redoliyery by intriguing with tho maul , J «»/ ' » ' « ( Mrs . E . Fitzwillinm ) . Hut the artful mistress ol the house , Dona Inez ( Miss Fitzwillia . m ) dinnovcro this , frustrates hia plan , and transmits tho packet . 0 Court hv tho hands of her own huslmnd , J ><> n Gomc ~

      ( Mr . Cullenford ) . Gomes executes his mission , ami is entrusted with the answer , which ho also , Ihikio starting for Paris , enuaos to bu sewn h » tho lining <•>» his own coat for better security . I ' lifjuitu , Imwuui , happening to repent of her coquetry and troaoiici } , agrees , on the eve of her master ' s departure , t <> i : i . » u Pronch lonvo of lior inlmri'SH , ami olopes into M'iiiho with Molimt , making him a prestnl of i / kl < , »»/•• ¦ - • puletot and its precious freight , and tlnirf " , " C > 1 ) 1 " se . louhly bearing with thorn a satisfactory solution »» tho / JwvWtf difuiMilties . On reaching J- ** vri « ' ;['" lt Ion . vo 8 Paquita for 11 while , seeks tlw uIkvo »»» | ' diplomatist , and roturns him , as lio believe * , ii » lost coat . Their exultation ia soon turuud to gi »" wlion they discover tUuir mistake j but again »

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 13, 1858, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13111858/page/14/