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    LITERATURE, SCIENCE, ART, &c.

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    Whax shall we select as the book of the week , when , nothing very remarkable lias really appealed ? JL few novels and some reprints , with one or two works of minor interest , such is the budget of the Christinas week , during which people ' s minds are annually intenter upon matters of more mundane interest than " the feast of reason and the flow of soul . " Messrs . Longman have indeed put forward a volume on " The Logic of Banking , " by

    Mr . Gilbart , which is likely to excite some curiosity ; for some people have never yet been able to appreciate the logic of that operation , whilst others have felt themselves puzzled by the variety of conflicting Jbrmula . presented to them ; , the synthesis of Sir John Dean Paul and Messrs . Cameron and Co . Biust , for ,, example , be a very different one from that used by our . more respectable , if less brilliant , tankers . Among the better reprints are liiebig ' s "t Familiar Letters on Chemistry" ( Walton and Maberlev)—now the fourth edition of that justly Celebrated work : that popular novel , " John Halifax ,

    Gentleman" ( Hurst and Blackett ); and Miss Mit ford's "Recollections" ( Bentley ) . Among other pleasant nug& we must also especially notice an admirably humorous portfolio of " Proverbs with Pictures " ( Chapman and Hall ) , by Charles II . Bennett , a young artist who has brought to perfection the grotesque school of caricature of which . George Cruikshauks was the founder . The last Christmas book issued , and not the least beautiful , is a handsome volume published by Sampson Low and Son , entitled , " The Poets of the Par West . " It is a selection of American gems , extremely well illustrated .

    A writer in Household Words administers a wellmerited rap upon the knuckles to Sydney Herbert , Esq ., M . P ., for his speech at Wanninster , and particularly for his uncalled for eulogy upon that nondescript novel the " Heir of Rcuclyff , " Entrenching himself behind an opinion of M ,. Guizot , the honourable member instanced this as the type of our best domestic novels , and reports M . Guizot to have said that nothing so good has ever been done in France . After exposing the short-comings of this polemical romance in a style perhaps better fitted for the pao-es of the Eclectic Reoiew than our familiar

    Household Words , the writer shrewdly observes that fit is impossible that such books should be written , either in France or elsewhere , until the classes arc found to exist there to which such works arc addressed . This is considered to be a fair retort upon the Puseyito purists who admire the "Heir of Redclyffe" and attack Mr . Dickens in the pages of the Hqturday Review , There is often something very fine in the naivete of ignorance , but to be proud " of it occasionally rises to the sublime . At the late appeal of M . de Montalembert , the Procureur-Impe ' ria ] , M . Chaix

    4 'Est-A . nge , one of tlie most celebrated men at tins French bar , after making a series of blunders in his tiae and 1 pronunciation of English , such as excited the risible faculties of the accused , who is himself a very consummate English scholar , astounded his hearers by saying ,, " I know nothing of English , " et je . m * en . filicite ; an avowal which ( according to the testimony of an eyd-witness ) , was awarded with V shouts of decision . But M . Chaix d'Est-Augc is singular neither in his deficiency nor his conceit . Whoever yet met with a Frenchman fond of using English phrases , who did not continually commit the most egregious blunders P True it is that

    Deux Mvndes ' , a magazine conducted with an ability second to none in Europe , and which ' professedly pays the greatest attention to English Literature , ami which " is constantly obliging . us with its opinions upon the most natioua ' l matters , the most grievons blunders arc incessantly occurring . In the last number , now before us , and in an article upon "The Revolt of the Sepoys from English Accounts , " M . his

    E . D . Forgues , who rather plumes himself upon English makes Lord Dalhbusio speak ot John Nicholson as ¦ " la force d ' une tour " —the fact being that he called him " a tower of strength , " and subsequently we iind " mock philanthropist" trans - lated philanthrope pour rire . In the political chronicle of the same number Mr . E . Forcade informs his readers that the member for Kidderminster is well known to be " one of the cleverest editors of the ' Tiuics . " This is almost as bad as the

    sketches of the Paris correspondents belonging to our daily , journals , in one of which , a certain London editor , well kuowii for the purity of his manners , is represented as iu the frequent habit of frequenting taverns acm-iu-arm with M . Louis Blanc . Whilst upon French matters , it may be noted that an important work is spoken of as about to be . issued under Government auspices , no less than a publication of all the documents in the public archives relating to the erection of tlie works at Cherbourg . Considering that this embraces a period of time ex . tend . uur Irom Cardinal Richelieu to the- present

    Emperor , it will no . doubt be a very voluminous undertaking . Of literary matters of note in Paris , it may be recorded that M . dinner , who has acquired for himself a very honourable celebrity as the publisher of what may be called art literature , and whose splendid edition of the " Imitation de Jesus-Christ , " with fac-similes from tlie rarest old MSS . around cacli page , must . be known to most xirtnosi , has lately produced a fac-simile of the well-known " Book of Hours , " painted for Queen Anne of Brittany . Madame Sand has also published a book of rustic legends ,

    collected and pruned by her . accomplished pen , with illustrations by young Maurice Sand . The approach of the " jour dc l ' au" ( ills the book repositories of Paris with splendid " livrcsd ' etronncs " and " editions dc luxe , " even more remarkable than our Christmas does the emporia of Paternoster-row . Among these , some loitns from perfidious Albion may be noticed : a translation of Miss Edge-worth ' s " Talcs for the Young and Gentle ; " some of Captain May no Reid ' s works for more adventurous

    youth , aud a full edition of Dr . Livingstone's Travels for more advanced readers , illustrated by forty-five splendid engravings , ani wilh the maps stretched upon cloth—a plan of preservm" - these useful documents which our publishers Would do well to adopt universally . We cannot close our summary of French literary matters without mentioning a " Picturesque Journey through England , Scotland , aud Ireland , " by M . Louis Enault , " and a " Coniptc-i'cudu of the Brussels Congress on Copyright , " byM . EdouardRomberg , thu Socrotary-General of the Congress .

    Our fuithful colonies of Australia are usually the importers rather than the exporters of literary and artistic interest , and seldom afford us much t . o comment upon . Scarcely cvon of cither literary or artistic interest , and yet a matter worthy of note , that the people of Melbourne have made Mr . George Coppin , comic actor aud theatrical manager , one of the members of their Legislative Council . Ho \ s now the Honourable George Coppiu ; and one of the Melbourne papers refers with no blight aati&faction to the fact , pointing out triumphantly that whilst they Iiavo so delighted to honour an actor , our Queen has not eveu made a knight of Air . Charles Kcun .

    As connected with literature , as much as with bookselling aud printing , may bo recorded the deaths of two loamed booksellers—Mr . Richard Taylor , ot Hod' Lion Court , long tho printer to tho Ioarnud societies , and himself a contributor to their various papers . ; and Mr . l ' otlieiuuu , of Holboni , whose devotion to his , business and his extensive knowlodge of old English literature made him tho frequent referee of the best-informed scholiirw and authors in their antiquarian , and bibliographical inquiries .

    THE NATURE AND PHENOMENA OP LIFE Lifis : Its Nature , Varieties , and Phenomena 1 W r ' H . GvimJon . Wlnttaker and Jo ! Tins book is m most . respects a good one , and th * . laults if . contains arc obvious , and , therefore easily giKirclcd against . They are isolated ai 5 disintegrated from what , stands beside them Ton can reject them , and still hold the truths expressed for there is no network or conipliuilioii involving the joint reception or rejection of the two TJie object of the work is twofold . First , there iseivcu a popular description of the phenomena which express and . embody the mysterious substance or

    force to winch man h : is given the name Life . Tlie second and "more ambitious division of the book is psychological in its structure and immediate intent and impinges , as all full ' psychologies must , on the cognate themes of theology aud meianh ysic . But , in both parts , the function of tlie author as an inquirer is made strictly and continuousl y subservient to tlie higher olliee at which he aims—uf a teacher . The esse isinvestigated only that the deessc may be inculcated . The first p : irt is a ' Combe ' s Constitution of Man , " warmed and lit . up by the fervour of religious reverence , and that loftv human

    benevolence win eh is amongst the . first of its offspring . The second part expresses the insatiate gaziiigs ' of mundiiue phil ¦ wphy inio the scanlily—illumined ' iiilinitO ) ¦ salislied to t-he full with light and guidance from tlie rich , anil overflowing radiance of the solar light of revelation . The whole spirit of the book is . warm , faithful , anil likeable ; deepl y reverent ., therefore widely human and Ininiiuu-. T / ie . facts given are ample , substantiated , ami m it It praiseworthy industry eathereil from c \ irv domain of science : they arc

    often set ami soft curd in a manner that l-onmids us at oveiv step of thai most elegant of philosophical literati , Dr . Thomas Brown , by niiaWy and illustration appositely drawn from ancient and modem poetry . Some of tin- theovics seem to us most far-fetch .-. ! : iml ¦ uuMipjior ' .-. 1 ; aud although the author ' s scurr ' nl spirit is their best antidote and corrective , ' if thc . v were . situate in ' fields wore germane to them than ' his bwok , ami supported with the soplii > trv and special pleading from winch the author . ivfrains , but which eould be m ovher haiuls easily irmupcd around ih .-m , they cuuld not tail

    to be perplexing ami dangerous . At ilm very outset , the eMen . ion of the term Life is made to reach to inorganic creation—to our inimlsu must ridiculous practical repeal ut alll > lulosophkal nomenclature ami verbal dclimui'ii . * ot Life there ought , Iu have W .-u written -Nature , doctrine is . ml a new « me . The Jcwwh KaWa contains if ; and il , has born , we tlm . k , simpoiM bv such commentators as 1 luicluu-on ami i a £ - hurst . It infill bo expected . hat \\ m cmnpiehensiveness of ' app lication of the term Li C J destructive of all boundary hues of . smTiai deh iiestruciive 01 an ijomiu . n > i . m ^ - ( -

    tion , would vitiate the whole book am a 1 ca confuscdly i . s every step . JJul tins is iK . r . lly . iho cm . For , Lven granting that the author s v cum correct , uuil " that some slender bj >» rit « i . . ^ ™ J b . valhe . l by rocks and fountains U . "'""''^ T would be so rare and sinmle , iu ' ° » » f ^ X ° infinitely various funetional dovflo ,. n . c » lH nd « jUW of ve ^ luble and animal nature , as toc o , itfj piM ticallvthc whole attention of nu » 'n «» f / * K by this fanciful and somewhat Imnn « . ^ ^ those purlM of creatjon in which , lij w »¦ ^ sense of mankind , a few ] . hnutastiw cui pHii , MW > I * PV > Vy * | MI « IIMll III !) »« ¦ w ¦ - | f . ll (

    —v i&io » worthy in it » oaub . il motives , dimg oioub n « ible cfleclb—he bocb m . rtW " W * JS to Houii the power of God uiuiuuting aII JJ ) ical primary rock , « b well tho inoBt J ^ ^ ^ plmit , or tho tiwiftoHt denizen ol tho piuuw . ua quote his own words : — . 0 oi tUo Life , iu Us jiropor , gonorlo soneo , u U » o »»«•

    most of our writers return the compliment in full , « ud murder his imperial Majesty ' s French with equal coolness and atrocity ; but with ua there are exceptions , in France there are none . Wo recollect finding in a note appended by Yictor Hugo to a volume of Ms poems , tho most hopeless oonfu ^ pjon bet'VMK 11 GaHes > "Wales , and Gael , Highland Scotch , ; , and M . Hugo ia , for a Frenchman , ox-( BB « di » gJy , well versed in Euglish matters . We poei how : d him give an account of tho Gunpowder Plot , -which would not huve disgtuoed an Lnghah professor of history . Hore , agniu , in the liovuo des

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    1410 THE LEADER . [ No . 457 , December 24 , ig , ^ g ^ - ^ \ i ~ —

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    LITEHART eiOlO ^ ICLE OF THE WEEK .

    Literature, Science, Art, &C.

    LITERATURE , SCIENCE , ART , &c .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 24, 1858, page 1410, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2274/page/10/