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    March 17, I860.] \The Leader and' Saltir...

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    FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE. (special.) Paris...

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    * Tho Jiwiont Intervrotatlon qfJLavlHawx...

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    * Vrawfurmatlon F Or, T/Io Eomanoo Of Ma...

    she as suddenly reappears in a manner as wonderful as it is unexpected , the author still affording us no clue wherewith to arrive at any solution of the . enigma , we confess ourselves not ^ a little annoyed and disappointed . But the most unaccountable mystery is that which surrounds the young artist Miriam , which name , lye speedily becbtne aware , is merely assumed , her original cooTioitien having- been connected with some deed of darkness too terrible to be detailed . This youngs lady ' s footsteps are dogged by an unwearying-persecutor , who first makes his appearance as the " spectre of the catacombs , " and is evidently acquainted ; with Miriam ' s former history , which knowledge he makes the vehicle ot unmitigated torture to his victim . Owing-to this and other circumis ht to the highest

    stances , the reader ' s imagination wrougup very pitch of excitement and expectation ; and , just as lie naturally concludes that the whole myth is about to be satisfactorily elucidated , the author breaks off the thread of his story , as though he had got it into an awkward entanglement , arid his only means of extrication was in snapping it asunder , thereby leaving the reader in a kind of mental stupor , not quite certain whether there might not be a fourth volume lying somewhere on his own table , or that of his librarian , who may have neylected to forward him the entire set . Thus , notwithstanding the high poetical appreciation every where apparent throughout this . novel , its brilliant descriptions , and lofty sentiment , it is impossible for any reader to arrive at the termination without exoeriencing a . feelinsr of irritation and dissatisfaction . Contractwhich of

    Whii-h is WTdch ; or , Miles Cast idys , some our readers may remember as having , not long since , embellished the weekly numbers of the National Magazine , is here . reproduced under the more imposing form of two . considerably bulky and ¦ neatly printed volumes . Notwithstanding the numerous class of readers who must have become familiar with tin ' s story when it originally appeared , we have no doubt that it is destined to command in its present shape an extensive circulation . We are fully justified in making this assertion by the work itself , which possesses all the elements of popularity . The style is natural and fluent without any attempt at flowery metaphor , which is sometimes lamentably out of keeping with the ' general bearings of ai-story , and always mars its simplicity ! The author here contents himself with drawing his incidents as closely together as possible , thereby rendering the interest of his reader both concentrated and permanent . All his characters are drawn with a life-like consistency and individuality

    that" could only have been accomplished , through an intimate acquaintance with human nature . The portrait of ' Miles Cassidy , " whii-h is the first introduced upon the scene , and indeed the latest to qnit it , having 1 perfbuMied the principal part throughout the drama , is a perfect-. masterpiece of singularity combined with highsouled integrity , illustrating how easily one half of the world can misconstrue the actions of their neighbours ; being unacquainted with the individual peculiarities by which the conduct of every man is regulated , we are apt to pervert the purest and noblest of motives according to our own sophisticated views and selfish considerations . JVetlet / JIall is a novel very carefully and pleasantly written . It indicates considerable talent and considerable research pn , the part of our author . The current of events is made purposely to to advocate the lawfulness of

    talco a polemical direction—in a word ,-marriage with a . wife ' s sister , the argument on the subject , indeed , forms a significant portbrj . The scriptural doctrine , as proved by Dr . M'Ciiul , * is clear enough on the point ; it is not so technically and closely stated in the novel , but the points aro correctly cited and skilfully arranged . In point of com position , this little romance is a careful and superior work . The style indicates learning , and there is throughout a discrimination of character which hIjows in the author a philosophical turn of mind and much study of human nature . The argument of the book may serve to illustrate the difference between Art nnd Life ; that , while the former is obedient to rule and law , which predispose the harmony of details assembled in the nrtist's work , the latter is not so scientifically reurulnted , but

    leaves much to enprice and the will of tlie individual . Tho manners of a pnrticular period , however , sanctioned by tho respectable portion of society and those who ore placed in authority . ovor it , are not always synonymous with those morals which the thinlcinar mind finds to be true , consistent nbonce with the feelings of the heart and tho laws of nature , In lifo , there . nro always needed new forms of legislation , ™ corrective of past errors ; while in art every work enounces nnd illustrates its own . law , and leaves it as nn exemplar find model for tho guidance of future labourers in the sumo inexhaustible field . Of true morals , lio \ vever ,, . the principles nro ctornnl ; and , working in secret at the base of society , gain in strength from dny to day , and nt long-th secure the support ot public law nnd general custom .

    March 17, I860.] \The Leader And' Saltir...

    March 17 , I 860 . ] \ The Leader and' Saltirdlay Analyst . 259

    Foreign Correspondence. (Special.) Paris...

    FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE . ( special . ) Paris , March 14 , 1860 . ' Nor only Paris , but ovory spot in Frimeo'hns been ivfiliotod by this *' fourth wintor , " which hns seemed all tho more wintry for coining 1 imrncdiatoly after the warm , sunny weather of tho hist week of [ February . Certainly , if there in one tiling more uneongonjiil than another to tho true Parisian , it is wintry weather . ' Tlie majority of them are convinced that tlie existence of so absurd a souson is one

    of the most objectionable of the freaks of the great French deity Fate ; a season \ yhen one is not able to sit out on the Boulevards in the balmy air of evening , sipping the fragrant coffee ,, chatting with a congenial" friend or in luxurious solitude ^ watching the blue curls of smoke rise from , one ' s ciyar into the bright atmosphere , and meditating lazily de . oninibus rebus et qiiibtis & am aliis ; when there are none of those enchanting excursions to St . Cloud or Asnieres , in which a fine day , a recherche dinner , and a pretty ¦ . ' companion . ' go far to make life more ; than tolerable—Oh , decidedly , winter is a fatal mistake . Imagine , therefore , the wrath consequent upon the aggravation of such a mistake , by bringing cold , snowy weather into March , which , in Paris , is generally like an English May . Well , it is lucky that this mistake was not persevered in too long ; yesterday the frost vanished , and we have had two capital Spring days . . ¦ ¦ . „ ' the last few

    We have had quite Spring weather for days : warm , sunny days , bright with that peculiar clear blue which is scarcely known in England . The Bois de Boulogne presents a magnificent appearance just now , as it is the height of the Paris season , and every afternoon the carriage drives are crowded with equipages of every description , from the splendid coach and liveries of some Russian merchant , who has come to- Paris to play the gentleman , down to the hackney cab in which the French paterfamilias gives his wife an airing amongst " the quality . " The scene is diversified by some extraordinary machines , evidently suited to American tastes , in which a being of comparatively human aspect appears perched above what seems a strange combination of wheels and bars—or you see , gleaming through -tho branches of the wood , the bright helmets ' of the soldiers guarding the carriage of the young Prince Imperial ; in a few moments the whole cortege goes clattering by , and you catch a glimpse of a little chubby Napoleonic visage indifferent to the

    looking out of the window , apparently quite surrounding scene . Impertinent people hint that this child will never be wise enough to know his own mother ; this may be , but there is no doubt as to his father . Poor littlo urchin , I wonder whetherhe will die in his bed like a decent Christian ! An hour later ytfu espy , amidst the throng of carriages , one that is open , containing two ladies ; and it does not want a second glance to inform you that the Empress is one of them , so much does she resemble her portrait that used to stare one in the face at Maclean ' s in the Hay market—as much , in fact , as that . gentleman in the grey shootino--coat , riding by tlie side of the open carriage , resembles a face that I see very , very often in PuneJi . ' That ordinary , slylpoK-ino-irentleman in the grey . coat , whom one would think the quietest ' being in the world , is the ohose ' n of the French popple , the most important mail in Europe . He has been trying to get a lit tle colour into his sallow visage , and clear his brain ; he is now going home to dine , and go on with his new edition of the map of

    Europe . ' ¦ ¦• t . ' - j . ¦ riM There is nothing very stirring- going on in . Pans just now . lhe rain of pamphlet ? still continues with unabated violence . Everybody in Paris is pamphleteering . The swarm of brochures which come pouring- forth from tlie various presses ,, and espousing various sides of the vexed questions of the day , is "in numbers numberless . Djentu ' s shop , frorh which issued " Le Pape et le Cong-res , ' the o-randniother of all these pamphlets , and which every day sends forth fresh dust to be thrown into the eyes of a distracted public , is like n smoky chimney on a windy day . The French htU-vateurJn of all sorts of views and theories , not being able , like an Englishman in such a ease , to let off his doctrines through the medium of a journal , is obliged to scribble a pamphlet wliiol . ' J ^ NTtr kindly ¦ Christ ct le ! NoiiveUe Attitude

    publishes . Wo have " Pape , " •'> de la France , " " Rome ct scs Provinces / ' " Ln Situation de la Papaute , " and a hundred othors on tho snme topic , of varying decrees of . temperature ; though most of them range very high , and oiAho whole nre in support of % \\ q papal claim . In inet , to judge from tho tone of the pamphleteering press , one would suppo . se that France was as orthodox now as in the days of $ t . Louis , and that tho nation was zealous on bolmlf of tho preservation of papal domination in its entirety ; whereas , as a matter of fact , I believe the . grout body of the people is profoundly indiflorcnt as to what becomes either of his Holiness or liia boo , Tho idea of oxcornrnunicatiovi , which on'ce would have rondo the people tromblo and quako , is now regarded with calm derision ; smU thp Frenchman to hiu shoulders ( Frenchmen

    whom it is suggested merely shrugs us only can ) and murmurs a contemptuous " N '/ mjiorfc , " or pr * meat Jqal , " U ' a all tho same to him , lightlieardod dog , provided the pupal interdict does not fly away with his doininouH , nor turn tho eawsucrt sour , nor bring wot Sundays . But tho press does not at this time at all fairly represent tho national view ; tho pamphlotcers nro in n state of excitement , and therefore are not ropreftontntives of tho gonenil mass , which is peculiarly undisturbed . Ono is frequently misled in forming nn estimate of tho feeling of i \ people on any givon subject by the bias in this or that direction of books and nnmnblots ; and the blatant excitement of ft hotly of partisans niny pass for a nutionnl movement . Thoro ia ono brochure , however , which is just now creating an enormous senwitioii in LariH , j jrrontor , perhaps , ' than any of its predecosaors ^ -oxcupt , of course , the ¦ griinOrnothor pamphlet-and which I lmd noino time to wait bo I ore I could ( r <) t . Ib enme out about a \\ wls ago , and liad no sooner made its appearance than it was enaerly sought » tor i ¦ ho much ho , that at evofy shop whore I inquired for a copy , the answer w b unomi ^ Tu a ^ t ^ ^ 7 : isvr ' 1 &? s ! S ' StittA'A ^ Cr ^

    * Tho Jiwiont Intervrotatlon Qfjlavlhawx...

    * Tho Jiwiont Intervrotatlon qfJLavlHawxvlU . 18 . A Luttor to tho Hoy . W . H . kyoto , B . A ., by th

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1860, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17031860/page/15/