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    __74,g___ THE IiEADJEjR. 1^°^^ 31, 1858.

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    THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. The Edinburgh Revi...

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    TRAITS AND STOIUES OF ANGLO-INDIAN LIFE....

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    PURIFICATION OF THE THAMES. Purification...

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    The Doctrine Of Sacrifice. Strictures On...

    texts of Scripture launched against him by antag onists , whose . moral feelings do not appear to have been acute enough to interfere with the exercise of their critical faculty , or to make them regard as other than legitimate deductions what might sometimes be considered as a reductio ad absurdum of their own arguments . In these contests between genius , eloquence , and wide human , sympathy on . the one side , and , on the other , strict dogmatic orthodoxy , the partisans of the latter have been , we admit , on both occasions , victorious ; but it Is open to doubt whether the true interests of religion would not have been more advanced by their failure than by the maintenance of

    VUVAl UVOlVAUUi . The supposed Scri p ture doctrine of sacrifice has longj been a stumbling-block to theologians professing to derive their notions of right , justice , and common sense from other than exclusively biblical sources . The difficulties , which surround it have been urged continually by the various enemies of Christianity , and have variously affected the different minds into which they have entered- They are so evidently felfc aid acknowledged by Mr . Maurice , that , if lie still clings , as lie professes , to the literal inspiration of the Bible , Ids only remainng course is to ignore or explain away many passages unfavourable to his views . The amount of success with , which he has

    attempted tins may be gathered from a perusal of Mr . Barker ' s " Strictures . " These are not unfair to Mr . Maurice , where , not diverging into malevolent imputations and impertinent criticism of his motives and character , they deal only with his statements ; nor , excejt where they wander off into the regions of philosophy , are they more absurd than the very nature of the task demanded . We will take the offering up of Isaac as an example of the different methods of these rival corciinentatprs . Mr . Maurice has resolved the transaction into a spontaneous wish on the part of the patriarch to prove his excessive thankfulness for

    . Divine mercies . He treats it as 1 he irresistible outpouring of a grateful spirit—an act of devotion and ? gratitude , but not at all of obedience . The champion of orthodoxy Mr . Barker , sees no difficulty in the reception of the literal story , and enters into a comparison of it in all its details , witli the garbled version pro-pounded by his adversary . He admits no metaphor in the case , no figurative representation of what was passing in Abraham ' s mind ; and we are compelled , on reference , to acknowledge that this position appears the stronger one , although it mar still remain a matter of doubt how far it was worth while to establish it .

    ^ It is Mr . Maurice ' s own fault that he exposes himself to defeat from such antagonists . If he were contented to be simply a moral teacher , and to apply his wide experience about men and things to the elucidation of other than biblical historj ^ us friends would reverence him no less than atpresent , and the orthodox party , perchance not understanding him , might let aim alone . But as long as lie persists in taking the Bible for his sole text-book , and in wresting from it , per fas atque nefas , a hidden

    interpretation for every tale , and a moral mystery in every precept , he must expect to find the religious world in arms against him , and prepared to dispute his novel method of gathering figs from thistles . The task of refutation , however , is really not a difficult one . Despite of Mr . Maurice ' s surpassinggenius , any charity boy might be competent , intellectually , to break a lance upon these points with him ; and our impression is that very few of a much higher order of intellect would be anxious to undertake an office so ungracious and so useless .

    __74,G___ The Iieadjejr. 1^°^^ 31, 1858.

    __ 74 , g ___ THE IiEADJEjR . 1 ^ ° ^^ 31 , 1858 .

    The Edinburgh Review. The Edinburgh Revi...

    THE EDINBURGH REVIEW . The Edinburgh Review . No . 219 . Longman and Co . TttRNorthera Quarterly , once so poteat in th « fiiM " of politics and literature , comes before us shorn of much of its old glory . More advanced , if not abler , rivals have taken the wind out of its sails , * nd the politics of no jmportantparty of the present day square oxactly with the "Wliiffffism at ill

    rampant in ou « Scotch quarterly . The Whigs , as a party , indeed are nowhere—they are principally recognised ly their tenacious appetite for Govern * meat appointments , by their family adhesiveness , « nd by their desire to asiume the cloak of Idberalism , hoping to strengthen their ranks with the aid of tlie liberal party , in which hope , however , they mb " looming in the future" unexpected disnppointment-T » thehr rivals the Tories havingj , by a masterstroke of political generalship , bid higher , given -up

    move , and promised greater concessions than pure Wiriggism can bring itself at present to stomach . It is on its literary power that the reputation and influence of the Edinburgh Review must mainly rest ; but even here formidable opposition everywhere meets it , and if this quarterly cannot put forth more original literary might than the present number displays , we fear that it must come down from its '' pride of place , " drop into the water of younger rivals , and be content with only that share of popular favour which its intrinsic merits entitle it to demand .

    The first article is on the writings of Hugh Miller . We do think the subject hardly possesses sufficient importance to entitle it to the foremost place in the Review . Miller was a clever , self-educated genius—and a respectable addition to the list of Scottish worthies . But his writings will leave no mark upon the age in which he livedneither will his geological conjectures nor his theological speculations be received as proved truths by the more scientific geologist and the hi g her order of theological mind of the present day . The paper on " tlie Progress and Spirit of Physical Science " will be acceptable to lovers of scientific statisticsand is

    , full of sound information . The review of M . Thiers's Histoire du Consul a t et de I'Empire is to our mind oneof the best contributions to this number . The reviewer , with courteous but unsparing severity , has pointed out the grave objections that can honestly be urged to accuracy and fairness on the part of M . Tliiers—qualities without which historical works are but impositions on the credulity of the world , and rank properly far below the historical romance . "When we find a writer with abundant sources of reliable information ,

    documentary , oJficial , and personal , at Iiand , almost always embodying fallacious statistics in his " work , reasoning on these statistics , and drawing conclusions either in favour of his particular hero or people and against all other nations , then it is that we are compelled to entertain the belief that the writer has wilfully falsified figures and facts at his command , and that lie has done so for purposes and motives wholly unworthy of the historian . The most conspicuous quality in the -English character is the love of truth , and Englishmen insist on truth even though that truth should

    be humiliating to us as a nation . This is a quality that M . Thiers appears imperfectly to apprehend the value of , and it is the want of this quality that will ever detract seriously from the value of his great national work as a truthful record of events which took place during one of the most important and stirring periods of . . French history . The literary execution of M . Thiers ' s work is of the liighest order ; pit y that its truthfulness and impartiality in . so many instances can be justly impugned . The article on " Canning ' s Literary Remains" is not very first-rate . The bias of the reviewer mav be

    collected from one paragraph : — " Nature liad intended Canning for a Whig . " This , we think , will be amusing news for the worshippers of this brilliant- man . " The Health of the Army , " "The Celts and the Germans , " " The Chronicles of the Teutonic Knights , " will no doubfc interest some few miscellaneous readers . The elaborate review of Froude ' s " History of England , " Vols . I . to IV ., in which the author ' s estimate of tlie character of Henry VIII . undergoes a severe criticism , is exhaustive of the subject . Froude is not out

    " model historian . " In fact , the " model historian" —the writer of history wbo shall satisfy everybody—Jias not yet made his appearance . Macaulay will always have his admirers , and so will Froude , but neither will be accepted as the authority from which there is no appeal ; and unluckily for Mr . Froude ' s reputation , recent rescavches in public records have incontestably proved the inaccuracy of some of his authorities on which he relics for the vindication of Henry VIII . The " Hindu Drama" might have been made much more readable . " Earl Grey on Parliamentary Government " winds up the series of articles . The publication of "Parliamentary Gnvfirnmont . flrmsirtarr / 1 witli rp ..

    ference to a Reform in Parliament , " will not add materially to the reputation of tlie noble author . The same hard , unyielding tone is perceptible throughout the work , as is conspicuously visible in Lord Grey ' s parliamentary speeches and his official administration . Lord Grey is essentially a theorist —not a thoroughly practical statesman . He manufactures clever constitutions in his library ; he finds , however , to his amazement , that they will not work , and simply because , though he understands great principles and great truths , and has great

    administrative vigour and experience , lie knows very little of men , and caauot take into account any other than a state of society in which he fiS himself an aristocratic member of cultivated mind 3 honest purposes . This production , we think , was intended to have an effect on the question of Par liamentary Reform the nice little piece of legislation which will set politicians and the world—of G'S -Britain at least—by tlie ears next session

    Traits And Stoiues Of Anglo-Indian Life....

    TRAITS AND STOIUES OF ANGLO-INDIAN LIFE . Traits and Stones of Anglo-Indian Life . By Lieutenant Colonel Addison , Author of " Diary of a JudJp " " Belgium as She Is / & c . Smith ' Elder , andS We have all of us so often breakfasted , dined and supped on Indian horrors , that even the reader ' who may only sip at will the cup that reviewers ' must dram , will appreciate our satisfaction when we found that the pleasant little volume before us had no connexion with "the great Eastern revolt Tlie gallant author , who besides his own recollections has incorporated those of several other shrewd and humorous observers , some of them of very old Indian standing , has admirably hit off , not the salient peculiarities alone , but the finer shades of Auol 0 . Indian society and native character . Had all observers apt as himself , whom- the Indian services may number ; devoted themselves during the last half-century , ' with half his assiduity , to the study of the Utter as to the amenities of the former , it is hard to say what a world of sorrow might not have been saved . But the prophets—and prophets there wove—who foretold that the British raj was preparing its ' -own Nemesis , were too lew and too isolated to attract the attention of the thoughtless and the self-sufficient

    among the men in ollice , and the evil is upon . us . But tins moan of oars , evoked from hearts yet bleeding by every mention of the fatal--word . Hindostan , can be little to the purpose of our reader for the moment . So , to return to Colonel Addison and his little book : Ictus say in brief that this is just such a slight and trippingly written collection of Anglo-Indian experiences as the cadet in expectancy inay marvel at and profit-by ; its gladsomepages , brimming with old associations ,. will * provoke the . smile of the sere

    and yellow idlers at'Cheltenham and Maida "Vale , and to all the uninitiated , who directly or indirectly feel interested or curious about Anglo-Indian manners and customs , its photographic touches will be welcome . For those who fancy tales of hairbreadth ' scapes , of tiger-hunts—what Indian hook was ever complete -with out a tiger-hunt?—pig-sticking , snake-charming centipedes , and soothsayers , the author has made liberal provision ; and so felicitously invests many a simple tale familiar as a household word to those who have resided in the East .

    with graces of romantic and dramatic diction , that while to ourselves they arc acceptable as old friends with new laces , they must be pleasant as fresh acquaintances to the novice . The stories of "The Black Prophet , " "The Scoffer ' s Fate , " "A Tale of Writer's Buildings , " " A Fifth at Whist , " either of which we should like to extract at length , were it fair to ourspnee or the . gallant author , exhibit considerable serious power , while " Jerry Langstave , the Griffin , " and " Table Talk , " may be instanced among tlte many lighter delineations to be found in this vcrv agreeable volume .

    Purification Of The Thames. Purification...

    PURIFICATION OF THE THAMES . Purification of the Thames : a Letter hyF . 0 . Ward , Esq ., addressed to William Coninghuvi , Esq ., M . P . ( Privately printed . ) We presume that this is the pamphlet from which the honourable member read the copious and unreported extracts * in his p lace in the House on Thursday evening . But all tlie lucubrations of Mr . F . O . Ward , and ^ all the entreaties of Mr . Coilingham in favour of deliberation , could not obtain an instant ' s arrest of the hot luxsto with which the Government are bent upon cantering the Local Management Act Amendment Bill through Parliament . Still , though the voice of the legislator—so familiar to his audience upon far more elegant topics than the disposition of sewage—falls upon dull cars when he described his metier , and though , again , we are by no inenns competent to spcnkiipon engineering , the possibilit y of the plans here advocated , wo are bound , for the sake of one proposition laid down in the brochure , to call the attention or the reader to it . " The whole of the rainfall , " says Mr . Ward , "is due to tho river ; the whole of the sewage to tho soil . " This , he contends , is as easca-

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1858, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31071858/page/20/