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Leader (1850-1860), 8th January 1859, Edition 2 of 2, Page 10, There is something approaching the ludic...

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      42 Jhb 1eabe1. [No. 459, January 8, 1859...

      42 JHB 1 EABE 1 . [ No . 459 , January 8 , 1859-

      Literature, Science., Art, &O.

      LITERATURE , SCIENCE ., ART , & o .

      Literary Chronicle Of The Week.

      LITERARY CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK .

      There Is Something Approaching The Ludic...

      There is something approaching the ludicrous iu the dolorous tone with which the last number of the Publishers' Circular bewails the rarity of new " books of importance . It is strange how prone men are to become spoilt by the apparent advantages of the times . We recollect hearing an old and staunch Conservative describe Machinery as " a permitted evil rather than a positive good , " and although there was much of obstruetiveness in the sentiment , ¦ we cannot but admit that Literature at least has < 3 iot gained by the "fatal facility" production -which modern mechanism , and an extended system

      of publishing offer to the scribblers of the age . Here is the organ of the booksellers complaining because forsooth a month passes without the appearance of any" great books . " Why , the time was when the reading public was satisfied if one or two " great books" were added in the year to the standard literature of the country . And here is a thing to be reflected upon , —with all our superior mechanism , our populous Paternoster-row , and scarcely less important outlying strongholds of bookdom , we do not get as many really great books sis readers did when the whole publishing trade

      ¦ was divided between some two or three houses ai-ound " Paul's . " En revanche , we get plenty of books , ephemera , books of the day , written for the day , and likely to last no longer . These make the round of the circulating libraries , speedily sink to half-price , soon far below that , and in six months you may see your guinea-book ticketed up on the book-stalls behind St , Mary-le-Strand for a fourth or a fifth of its publishing price . But of great standard works , things , that will be remembered ttrenty , fifty , a hundred years hence , how many do we get ? This past year perhaps one—Thomas

      CarJyle ' s story of the Great Frederick ; the year before perhaps another— -Macaulay ' s new volumes . Great -works ! Why , who are we , and what is our generation , that we should cry for great works , when nil the ages of the . world have scarcely produced a thousand volumes of them . But the truth is , and no doubt it is hi obedience to the ruling spirit of the age ,, letters are now falling into a trade , like any other , and are gradually eeasingto be an art . The inhabitants of Grub-street have turned upholsterers , and because they make tables and chairs , flatter themselves that they are

      creating works of art- There is another more fatal mistake than even this , and that is , to think that they arc better than their predecessors , who worked for the hire of fume , and not the hire of money . Let not the present dwellers of Grub-street , richer though they be than the threadbare giants of old , sleeker by reason of their tradesmanlike habits , and the regularity both of their books and proceedings , fancy lor one moment that they are doing the world as good service as the creative artists whom they affect to despise , alii beggared , and insolvent as they were . These , however , are wide questions of literary

      metaphysics , and it is time that we descended from such stellar speculations to deal with the matters ol fact of the day . JBut the greatest piece of news of the week is that Mr . Beritley ' snew Quarterly Heview , so long talked of and so muoh speculated upon , is to appear at the beginning of February . Rumour says that Mr . Bentley has spared neither labour nor expense to 3 ecure the best pens , and it is expected that the new comer \ yUl assume a lighter . and less dogmatic tone than the Dolphio oraoles of Edinburgh and London have done for some time past . This will certainly be an improvement , so far us the

      roadwe hear confidently spoken of as the future editor , in himself a sufficient guarantee against dulness and fogeyism . For the past week , the only notable issues arc a " History of British Journalism , from the Foundation of the Newspaper Press in England to the Repeal of the Stamp Act in 1 S 55 , " by Alexander Andrews , an old press-man , and contributor to the New Monthly and other magazines , in which much of the contents of this volume originally appeared . With so much experience Mr . Andrews ought to be more accurate than to speak of the Stamp Act as

      repealed , which it is not . The book is , however , full of interesting matter , and will be eagerly perused by those who like to get a peep behind the scenes of that awful mystery , the Press . Messrs . Edmonston , of Edinburgh , have also published a well-selected volume of tales from the Norse , with an essay upon tales in general by the editor , Mr . Dasent . Messrs . Longmans have pub . lished a valuable work on the human voice and the art . of ; curing stammering , by Mr . Hunt , whose father acquired great celebrity in that art , and who has himself relieved many a nervous sufferer from

      that fearful clog upon worldly progress . Messrs . Hurst and Blackett have published an agreeable collection of papers , iu two volumes , by the aecom plislied editor of CJicembers's Edinburgh Journal , ^ Lr . Leiteh Ritchie . These appear to be the most noteworthy issues of the week . One or two productions , belonging rather .-tothe department of . art than of literature , should not , however , be left umnentioned . First , there is a volume consisting of some forty etchings of the Junior Etching Club , illustrative of Thomas Hood ' s poems , and got up with great taste and expense ; secondly , a splendid work , published by Mr . Maclean , of the Hay market , upon the gardens of England , illustrated by glowing chromolithographs , and dedicated to the Duchess of Sutherland '

      Lord Brougham , active as ever , accepts every honour and every office thrust upon him . There is to be a great dinner to him at Edinburgh iu the spring , and now' lie ¦ has accepted the post of Honorary President of the Associated Societies of the University , and he writes to say that as soon as he has disposed of the opening of Parliament , he will be ready to -deliver' his opening address . Wonderful old man , in an age of wonderful men For who shall dare to speak of human strength

      degenerating when we can point to such a row ot Ncstors as Brougham , Lyndhursf , Lansdo wnc , Campbell , and St . Leonards ? Such men truly verify the old Roman adage that " Weakness is more frequently found iu youth than iu age . " An ancient gentleman has gone from among us : —a novelist and a courtier—to where bows and silver sticks are of little use , and the most terrible fictions of small avail . Sir Thomas Isaac Horsley

      Curties , for thirty-five years a member of the royal household , has died at the age of eighty-one years . Sir Thomas Curties donned the royal livery in the reign of George 111 ., mid served all his successors as Exon of the Yeomen of the Guard until lS 39 , when he retired upon a knighthood ami a pension . Sir Thomas ' s claim to havo his death recorded here is based upon his authorship of the Watch Tower , " " Monk of Udolpho , " " Sable Mask , " and other novels , once devoured by the worshippers of the Minerva Press , but now passed away , with the once renowned institution that gave them birth .

      The American news betokens rather a falling off in the activity of bookselling trade there . There were plenty of Christmasrbop'ks , and gift-books , but for the most part of English manufacture , not only as regards the matter in the books , but also the paper and type , on and with which they have been printed . " The uninitiated American publisher , " says a sarcastic correspondent , " doubtless congratulates himself on the improved state of art and bookcraft iu this country , which can produce such beautiful specimens as ihesc . " The American Notes and Queries states that Mr . 'Charles Lamman , of . Washington , has undertaken a monster work ,-

      —no less than a Dictionary of Congress from the earliest times to the present . We wish him joy ol his task ; but it will be useful as a work of reference whenever finished . To sum up our items of American news , it may be noted that the American papers are " down upon" Mr , Thackeray for some blunders perpetrated in " The Virginians . " Tl \ c IHttsburg Gazette points out that the troops are on the wrong side of the Monougahela River , and the New TorJc Post is very severe upon him for making maple sugar in the autumn . " This , " says our Transatlantic contemporary , " will be news to the makers of maple sugar , who , so fur as we have observed , do tlieir work in the spring , "

      A graceful compliment has been paid to a distinguished philosopher by the presentation , the other day , ora splendid testimonial to John Stuart Mill , Esq . Tho presentees were the gentlemen in the office of examiners of Indian correspondence in the India Houso , over whioh ho , until lately , presided . Noii was tho gift rendered less precious by the addition of a warm and cordial expression of admiration , affection , and good wishes . May tho historian of British India , the great logician and political economist , long live to enjoy his testimonial in dignified retirement , and to write for us many niOro books that will endure , fienaotus non impedit quominus literarttm studia teneainus nxquo ad tdtivi & tii tempua bonbetutis .

      In another quarter , honour has boon done to a 5 rcat man , though cloud . Tho bcuohors of tho tample Uavo resolved to call tho building in whioh Johnson ' s old chambers stood after his name It is not that such as " brave old Sum " need brick or marble to perpetuate their memories , but tho compliment is wotf moaut .

      ableness of the new magazine goes j but we question rory much , with due deference to Mr . Boutley , whether the ago for Quarterly Reviews is not past . We get over the ground very quickly in . these times , and ) generally speaking , tho question of approval or damnation is definitively settled before the Quarterlies give forth tho deep bellow of thoir blank cartridges . Nino times out of ten a book has become second-hand before theso olephauta of literatuwp ooino into aotion- —the riuoiucn and light Artillery of literature have settled the matter long ago . AUsupoeaa , however , to Mr . iBontloy and his itoviow , and ' to tho erudito Dr . Darau as well , whom

      What Will He Do With It? Wliatw' Dl He D...

      WHAT WILL HE DO WITH IT ? Wliatw ' dl he do with it ? By Pisistratus Caxton . 4 vols . Blackwooei and Sons ' A new novel by Sir Edward Lytto ' n Bulwer Lytton , novelist , dramatist , poet , and Minister of State , would atany time command attention ; a novel in four volumes , when reputation and honours are at their culminating point , must be especially an attraction . But the edge of curiosity has been somewhat blunted by . the piecemeal publication in li lackwood of " What will he do with it ? " it - is ,

      therefore , only to that class , of readers who have noL seen it in the Scottish serial , and who have wisely waited until the work was in a finished form , that our notice will have the interest of novelty . The story opens with a couple of . ' personages , Frederick Vance , an artist , and Lionel Ilaughton , a young sentimental gentleman , who plays the principal , second role in the future story . 1 'hcy are at u country fair , which is described somewhat a-talioz , ^ and here they first make the acquaintance of

      "Gentleman Wuife , " a comic actor , whose antecedents are under a cloud ; and Sophy , a beautiful child , his granddaughter . Very soon after thi ' s , one Merle , who combines tho anomalies of cobbler , cockney , and astrologer , makes his appearance . Lionel " Haughton f « Us as much in love with Sophy as a young man of twenty can be supposed to do with a child of twelve . ' The reader very soon begins to seo daylidit , and to feel quite sure

      that Lionel and . Sophy somehow or other arc at the end destined to form tho most ' prominent characters in a hymeneal procession . Lionel I-Iaughtou is penniless , but well educated , amiable , aud somewhat ambitious ; ho finds himself abruptly summonod to tho houso of Guy Parrel , his relative and benefactor , in order to hear tho future prospect chalked out for him . This Guy iJtirrcl is the real hero of tho novel . All the strength ot tho author has been put forth to make this character striking , original , and attractive . Guy in

      JDarroJ is depicted as a man somewhat auvaucou , years , but of magnificent presence , and of high , rare ,, and , peculiar mental qualifications . He » au oommencod life with prospects no brighter than Lionel Huughton ' s . lie hiul chosun the bar as tho fittest arena for the exertion of his abilities ; ho had succeeded thoroughly , and had Hindu hiinscU first in reputation as well us first among tho prominent in pecuniary gains . A rich rdulu ' o dies and leaves him in possession of wealth " beyond tuo dreams of avarice "—and now commences his re

      voraos . Tho wilu ho married when poor proves to bo too frivolous aud J % hty for buoU a nighminded husband . Sho tlioa junl iu timo to auvu her reputation , but not to save her lmsbau . d ' 0 , «' oiu "

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 8, 1859, page 10, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_08011859/page/10/