On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (5)
-
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, ART, &c
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
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.
Literature, Science, Art, &C
LITERATURE , SCIENCE , ART ,
Untitled Article
The shower of books upon our table Las been plentiful . -enough , but the absence of anything of marked importance is yet a noticeable phenomenon of the present season . Of miscellaneous trifles there is plenty . A little Harlequin-like book of tricks and parlour magic , by Septimus Piesse , a ptuidit who hath written learnedly upon perfumes , is published . by Longmans . Mr . Sampson Low issues the first instalment of a new talc by Mrs . Stowe , ¦ ¦ which bids fair not to be brighter than "t ) red ? ' Maemillan and CJo . publish a new
translation of : the Iliad , by JY C . Wright , Esq ,, which is well spoken of among scholars . W . Blaekwood and Sons , of Edinburgh ,. issue a neat and pleasant little volume of selected translations from the poems of Goethe , by those staunch collaborators Theodore Martin and Professor , Aytoun ; the same publishers also give the first instalment , of a work long looked for , and with deep - interest , " The Physiology of Common Life , " by George Henry Lewes , the biographer of Goethe . Among the other novelties of the week must be named " The Life of Douglas
in the Booksellerappears to be aware of . About four years ago , a Mr . Page , a skilful working geolo g ist and lecturer , left the service of Messrs . Chambers , after having been in it for some years . A short time after leaving , this gentleman delivered a lecture , in which he openly and boldly stated that Mr . Robert Chambers was the author of the " Vestiges , " and that he , Page , had been requested by that gentleman to conceal the proof-sheets . This statement , which
has never to our knowledge been contradicted by Mr . Chambers , is certainly of far greater weight iliah a vague rumour that proof-sheets were sent to Mr . Chambers . But really we do not understand why there should be so much mystery about this work . Scientifically speaking , it was not a very decisive production , and it is probable that but for this very secrecy the discussion as to the authorship would have been long since abandoned . The American list of novelties is full enough ,
thoug h not of very important matter . Messrs . K'tidd and Carlton have just published a new volume of "Lola Montes ' s Lectures / ' which are not by Lola Montes , but a clerical amanuensis in her service ; also several light works 6 f fiction , with one of a more tragic vein , bearing the sinister title , " Isabella Orsini an Historical Novel of the Fifteenth Century , " by F- D . Guerrazzi . Tiekner and Fields have issued a reprint of Lord I > ufferin s " Yacht Voyage in High Latitudes , " and of Kingsley ' s book on " Sir Walter Raleigh and his Times , " The same publishers also reprint the " Specimens of Douglas Jerrold ' s Wit" from the pages of the Kat ' iO 7 iai
Magazines-Summing up such sparse literary item ' s as we find in our-note-book , it . is worth recording that -1559 opons without asingle public promise of a new paper , a rare fact in journalism of late years . The only change of importance is that the Mechanics' Magazine is henceforth to be - published as a weekly paper , devoting its attention entirely to mechanical science . The Critic also appears in its hew and enlarged form . Rumour whispers that Mr . Charles
Dickens is preparing for the press a new volume of tales , and that the literary speculations of that gentleman will henceforth be confided to new publishers .
Jerrold , " by his son Blanchard Jerrold ( Kent and Co . ) . " We perceive that a wide-spread , indeed , a general , movement against the paper duty is to be made in ilie . coming session . It seems very powerfully organised - ' through ' - the country , arid the party pledged to support the-abolition in the House of Commons is of great numerical strength . It is said that some of the ' larger _ manufacturers intend to oppose it , ostensibly on the ground that it will only render the raw material ( rags ) dearer in the market ; but paper may be made of many substances besides rags . Publishers are divided on the advantages resulting from a repeal , but authors seem to favour it .
The concluding series of the Cambridge Essays opens with an exercitation upon " Newspapers and other Writers" from the pen of A , J . B . Bcrcsford Hope , Esq . ( erewhile known as D . C . L . of the Morning Chronicle " ) ., in which the social position of Surnali sts is reviewed and commented upon . Mr . opo is quite right when he observes upon the changeful spirit with which the " gentlemen coiir nected with the press " are looked upon , according as they may happen to inspire terror or anger ; and his description of the way in which people will assure you with one breath that articles in' the papers are written by persons of the very highest importance , whilst with the next breath they denounce the writer of some offensive composition as " a wretched penny-a-liner , " would bo ludicrous if it were not so perfectly true . Wo cannot , however , hold him as otherwise than mistaken when he assumes
tliat the writer upon the public press is not received by society as if ho wero the member of a regular profession . Doubtless there are many men whoso personal conduct would fail to win for them respect , to whatever class they happoned to belong ; but so far as mon of rccoguiscd position and good conduct arc concerned , wo arc convinced that their social standing is as good as if thoy followed any other intellectual oalling . Lord Brougham—himself , an old press-man—lias indoed denounced them as tho membors of an unsatisfactory profession , " but aa his Lordship did not condescend to point out tho distinction betweon a journalist who gains his ' . ljving by his pen and a barrister who pcrtonns annular operation with his tongue , wo aro at a losa to understand how the one can bo a whit more unsatisfactory than tho other ,
xhvJBoofooller says :- — " Wo aro authorised to 8 ta . to . that Mr . . Robert Chambers is not tho author ofcitlie "Vostigos of Croation . " Probably what SftV e rise to tho rumour in tho first instance was Wfaetof some of tho proof-shoots having bcon awarded to him . " Authorised by whom ? l $ y JJp . Robert Chambers P If so , why docs not Mr . Chambers makoth © oQntradjotiou in iiis ownnanioP Gf'evory four porsons who have formed any opinion aswtpi the authorship of tho " Vestiges" iliroo will oofouud . to nttribulo it to Mr . Chambers , lib JVbwm stands against tho book in tho catalogue ol ' tlifiiBritieJj Museum , and tho ovidonoo in support W tufttyiow is muoh moro serious than the writer
Untitled Article
MEMOIRS OF WILLIAM BECKFORD . Afemoirs of William Bedford of Fonthill , Author of " Vathelc . " Two Vols . Charles J , Skeer . Biograpuy is to history what miniature painting is to art—the more prc-Raphaelite the one , the more full of detail the other , the nearer does each approach to perfection . History satisfies herself with the production of a great picture in which the individuals of which tho grouping is composed must all form ono harmonious whole . Biography isolates the individual , and makes him the centre of interest ; his individuality must never be lost sight of for a moment . If grouped , his must be the prominent figure 5 if placed by himself , tho position miist be such that the lights and shadows fall upon his character , and bring its peculiarities out into the boldest relief , as tho torch does tho benutics of a soulpturcd Apollo Belvidcre , or a Venus do Modici . Hence a perfect biography is ono of the rarost of books , even whero materials nro abundantly at hand ; whero thoso aro but scanty , it requires Ihc skill of a consummate artist so to use thorn as to prevent the ( lefloieney becoming at onco apparent , and destroying tho reader ' s interest at tho outset . There is an old folio volume containing tho letters of Erasmus , Sir Thomas More , and Vives , which has always
William Beckford , the younger , will hold a place in history far different to that which , has been generally accorded to him by his contemporaries . As with Horace Walpole , greatly his inferior in all that ennobles the intellect of man , posterity will greedily amass all it can glean of the-history ' of the author of Vathek i as we have done the scattered relics of the author of the Castle of Otranto . No biography of Beckford can be satisfactory in which , but few autobiographical documents find a place . From our own sources of information we
knowthat these are by no means wanting . Were there no others , the margins of his books would furnish them abundantly ; for , like the poetLucullus , he often made them the depository of his most secret thoughts . The Larisdown Library , the collecting of . wliich . was the pursuit of a life , still exists entire , and is preserved at Hamilton Palace by his * noble grandson , to whom access is far less difficult than it was to himself ; But there is another source which is rapidly becoming dried up , as death removes the parties from the scene .
When at his house in Park-lane he went to the exhibition , views'of pictures , and . auctions of works of . literature and art . He received no dinner company ; except his relatives , who used to call him " The Caliph . " He went once or twice in the season to hear some favourite opera ^ and generally retired to bed at ten o'clock . When in town he . rode , or went in . his carriage about two o ' clock to Jennings's , the printseller in Cheapside ; then , if hot before , to Kundell and Bridge ' s , Ludgate-hiH ; to Bphn , the bookseller , near Coverit-garden ; and at four o ' clock to the house of the Smiths , the eminent printsellersj in Lisle-street , _ where he would sometimes remain a couple of hours . Then , calling at the Duke of Hamilton's in Porfeiiian-square , he returned "home to .
dinner at half-past six . Though not very accurate , this account of the usual daily town travel of Beckford should have suggested to his biographer - the obvious policy _ of availing , himself of the knowledge of the partiesreferred to , who must all , more or less , retain many personal recollections of the many hours passed in . his society . With those whom he knew and valued ,, he entered freely into conversation , and many an anecdote of his past life , or incidents in his foreign travel , would , no doubt , have resulted from such applications . But two doors off the shop of bis biographer ' s publisher , Beckford ' s carnage and dogs might nave been noticed , day after day , standing
for hours together . It was his love of books which attracted him to the spot originally , and * made him a daily visitor , when in town . Proud of the pure Saxon blood in his veins , . he never for a moment imagined that by entering freely into conversation with those hit o whose society he was thus thrown , he was losing sight of that line of demarcation in society which he was wont to say " was necessary to keep up " the dignity of puddle-blood aristocracy , whoso adopted Norman names but ill matched with . their Cockney origin . " From our own knowledge we arc enabled to state that in one , if not moro , of the popular novels of the day , episodes in tho life of Beckford have been
permitted to lind a place with his sanction ; and we could name one , in particular , where his future biographer will find two incidents of His early life , narratod in languago so like his own , as almost to lead us to boliovo they must have been furnished in manuscript by himself . From what we have said , it is evident that this Lifoof Bookford docs not come up to our expectations . Tho dulness of tho first seventy po . gos of the first volume is deterring , devoted as it is to the genealogies of th , o Beckfords , and the tedious career of that vory austere-looking gentleman whoso monument in Guildhall furnishes
tho rising generation with an apt formula for bearding any tuturo sovereign who may give car to those who shall daro to alienate tho affections of the Crown from its subjects in general , " and from the City of London in particular . " Once boyond that , tho reader will find much to interest him , and , as a spcoimon , wo oxtroct somewhat at longt . h tho , aocount of an artist ' s visit t , q Lnnsdowu , within a yoar of the death of its kind but bocontrio owner , which displays muoh of his manner and tho stylo of his convoraation with those whoso sooioty wa » - congenial to him .
Ho was not awnvo of my Intended vleifc , and on my calling nt hia house one morning , his servant begged Hint " wo would allow him to dofor announcing ua for a
struck us as a good study for a biographer . If wo dip into its pages wo aro sure to stumble upon some letter of Erasmus , lively aud full of wit , ' describing some quaint old oustom in such a way , that you believe almost that you have known it all your life , or introducing ¦ soimo friend , with whom you at onoc beooino lamiliar , ami nro desirous to shako by the hand " , "' You involuntarily become intoroslod in the most trivial oireumstanoes , and cannot divost yourself of tho idoa that thoy aro actually taking place before your eyes . Of modern writors Southoy approaches nearest to this standard , and his Hfo of Kelson is perhaps tho botst biographical model in our language .
Untitled Article
LITERARY ' CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK
Untitled Article
Ko . . 458 ,. January 1 , 1659 . ] THE LEADED y 11
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 1, 1859, page 11, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2275/page/11/
-