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    Fiitrattm.

    fiitrattm .

    Untitled Article

    In the dearth of any Hews or gossip this week , we turn to France , in the hope of gleaning something of interest there . We find nothing but a small volume by Stendhal , who established for himself in Parisian society , a reputation for wit which his published works have never borne out . Quite recently his name has been rather frequently before the public , and this , with its old reputation , made us curious to read the republicatibn of his work , Be VAmour . Love is a subject upon which an infinity of nonsense has been _ written : but vet , such is its irresistible charm , that the

    infinity of nonsense may still be read without much ennui . Stendhal s book is not deep , nor is it subtle ; does not show a very generous nature in the writer , nor a delicate appreciation of the subject . It is not written by a man who has loved ; yet there are some amusing anecdotes , and some traits d ' esprit . Here is one , which has subtle truth : On se dit , "j ' ai manque d ' esprit , fai manque * de courage , " mais I ' onn ' a du courage enpers cequ ' onaime qu ' enVaimant moins . Here is another ; " Souveni un homme

    d ' esprit , en faisant la cour a line femme , n ' a fait que la faire penser a I ' amour et attendrir son dme . Elle reeoit Uencet homme d ' esprit qui lui donne ce plaisir . II prend des esperances . Un beau jour cette femme rencontre V homme qui lui fait sentir ce que I ' autre a de m erit . "

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    It may be worth passing mention , that the energetic efforts of / Mr . F . O . Ward to indoctrinate the continent With the princip les of sanitary reform , and the virtues of the " Bright Water-jug , " have at last obtained for him a hearing in Paris , as we see by a notice of his pamphlets in the feuilleton of La Presse . Truly does the writer say of Mr . Ward , that "he is of that class of men , almost unknown in France , who agitate reforms which are simply useful with the same passion formerly devoted to religious and political reforms . "

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    The use of the ^ word " -party" has been frequently ludicrous enough to procure its banishment , but nothing We have met with surpasses the following , sent us by a correspondent : — The preacher—a man with leathern lungs , stout , black hair , 3 nd coarse whiskers —rolled out every word with an emphasis quite painful . After speaking of a universal want in man of a medium to interpose between the offended Majesty of Heaven and himself , he said , suddenly , " The position of man forms itself after this fashion , to me : there / ' pointing to the " body" of the chapel , a great gulph yawns , ( tremendously emphatic , and pause for effect . ) " Who is to bridge it over ? Who can throw an arch over ? Who is to lay ' the sure foundation ? ' &c . &c . - , who is to put in the key-stone ? " &c . &c . " Man cannot , angels cannot , archangels cannot , devils cannot , &c . &c . Then there remains but man and God ; and , as we havo before shown that man is incompetent to this tremendous task , there remains but this conclusion , that , if it is to be done at all , it must be done by the other— " taett !"

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    AN AUTOLYOUS IN LITERATURE . Sketches and Characters , or the Natural History of the Human . Intellects . By Jtames William Whitecroes . Saunders and Ofcley . Mb . James William Whitisckoss has undertaken a theme which " fitly to rehearse" might task the highest powers operating on a most extensive basis of observation and culture . Ho has given us an alarming history of his preparatory studies : — " Having to survey the whole range of mental excellences and deficiencies , from stupidity up to the highest class of human intelligences , I was soon aware that it was next to impossible to confine my range within the small circlo of observations upon my own intellect ; however , as a necessary outset of my inquiry , I began with

    observing my own qualities and deficiencies ; and this was the first step in my career . Next I extended my observations to those with whom I had daily intercourse , and whose moral as well as intellectual qualities and deficiencies I could read with accuracy , and compare with observation upon my own mind ; thus I wont on with closely observing my chum , and soon extended my observations to all my school-follows , and , as it generally happenn , I began with remarking exclusively their faults und failings in morals , as well as their most striking intellectual deficiencies , being a confirmed ' hator of fools , ' and having a precocious disliko of blockheads—or perhaps becatiso the first fruits of observation upon men arc most

    commonly found to issuo in satire . This was , then , the second stop of my investigations , which I entered into in early life . At tho outset I had frequent occasions to noto down a great many interesting—at least I thought them to bo soobservations , but with time their number began to grow abort , their stock did not correspond with my expectations , I was at a loss to find u general law—some cluo to guide me ; they seemed to mo not to nilbrd materials enough to build up u nysioin with . However , tho early habit of such obaorvatioriH was not without uomo profit , as it enabled in « to frame many useful rules for ddveloping my own abilities and making up tho deficiencies df Home faculties of my mind . "

    Tho history in continuation sots forth'how in Italy James William WhitecrOBH carried this " i nvestigation" through all the schools of painting —not to mention tremendous excursions in the realms of erudition ( Xenophontes and Herodoto , casually mentioned , giving one a lively senso thereof !) all of which did not greatly imposo on a ro viewer accustomed to ma ^ nii'K'oni programmes and miserable performances . The small passage carelessly thrown in . towards tho close is worth bearing in mind : — " I availed myself of sundry obsorvationH fit to bo brought to l > ear upon tho Biibject of my inquiry , that Ho scattered in mrtny philosophical as Well aa critical works , observations that dropped uncotisciowty fitom thdpen of some distingnUhed

    writers , who appear to be familiar with inquiries connected with the philosoph y of the human mind . " He is ] ike Autolyeus , & " sriapjjer-up of wnconsidered trifles , " and like Autolyeus labours under noanxiety to name the owners : ^ Now it happens that the writer of this notice is one of the " distinguished writers" whom Mr . Whitecross has honoured by " conveyance " ( of the Pistol kind ) , and speaking in our owii name we beg distinctly to assert that the observations so far from " dropping unconsciously" froin our pens were made in perfect consciousness and with , deliberate intent ; as indeed the reader may judge On learning that Mr . Whitecross has taken seven , pages from one article , with nothing of his own , save an occasional adulteration of ignorance ! ^^ , ¦¦ .. ' . ' „ What may be the extent of Mr . Whitecross s appropriation of unconsidered trifles we cannot say , for we have not read his book , nor do we mean to read it . Our preliminary experience was unfortunate ; and we

    stopped there . Taking up his volume and casually inspecting it , as is our wont , previous to a deliberate reading ; the name of Algazel caught our attention . Except the article on Algazzali in the Edinburgh Review for April , 1847 , we are not aware of any circumstantial account of that philosopher existing in the English language ; and as we happen to be the writer of that article , the reader will understand the interest with which we sought what Mr . Whitecross had to say on the topic . By the strangest of coincidences Mr . Whitecross has selected from the work of Algazel the very passages we had selected , and omits those we omitted ; nay more , While he , by implication , translates from the original Arabic , it turns out that ids version is identical with ours , which was riot from the Arabic , but from a translation by Herr Schmolders ! In fact , Mr . Whitecross has shamelessly decked himself in borrowed feathers as if we were all safe to admiTe unsuspectingly his Arabic splendour . Mr . Whitecross is utterly

    ignorant of the subject , but he thinks by snapping up the observations of " distinguished writers" when they are " unconscious" of their value , lie may make a presentable figure . v » Turning backwards a few pages we light upon some " observations " touching female genius , in which the " distinguished writer" again recognizes himself—this time in sentences certainly not -worth claiming or stealing— -and claimed only to show Mr . Whitecross in his poverty . The way in which he has appropriated these tells more against him than anything we could say : — WHITECBOSS . Edinburgh Review of Shirley , Jan . 7 »

    r . " But their inferiority in music is "It is in music the inferiority of more striking and unaccountable , though women is most markedand unaccountit is cultivated with great eagerness , able . . . . . They have been often great Often great as performers , they never indeed as performers ..... yet in excelled in composition ; they have never musical composition they are absolutely been able to create the tumultuary liar- without rank . We can understand their monies of a Beethoven , nor have rivalled not creating the stormy grandeur and the moonlight tenderness of a Bellini , tumultuary harmonies , the gloom and the enchanting loveliness of a Beethoven ;

    since to that height women have never attained in any art ; but why no one among them should yet have rivalled the moonlight tenderness and plaintive delicacy of a Bellini is a mystery to us . Having achieved success in literature , It is curious too that women especially in evert / department of fiction , have achieved success in every departthey , however , never succeeded in humour : ment of fiction but that of humour . humourous

    the lusty mirth and riotous humour of They deal no doubt in shy Shakespeare , Swift , Melding , Dickens , touches often enough ; but the broad or Thackeray , when compared with provinces of that great domain are alhumourous touches of Lady Mary most uninvaded by them . Compare Montague , Miss Ferriar , Miss IMge- Miss Austin , Miss Ferriar , and Miss worth , Miss Austin , look like a quiet Edgeworth , with the lusty mirth aid smile opposed to the inextinguished riotous humour of Shakespeare , Jtubelaughter of the Homeric gods . " lais , Butler , Swift , Fielding , Smollct , or Dickens and Thackeray . It is hke '

    comparing a quiet smile with the wextinguishable' laughter of the ILoniene gods' * Surely it was quite unnecessary that one should read more of a wont in which a cursory turning over the leaves detected such an Autotycus ot authorship . There is an attempt to make the foregoing passage oriffinj " by means of transpositions and omissions , which forbids our supposing '« " conveyance" due to carelessness . Tho rest of the book is constructcu on similar principles .

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    THE DEVELOPMENT HYPOTHESIS OF THE "VESTIGES . " Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation . Tenth Edition . With extensive Additions and Emendations , and Illustrated by numerous Engravings on Wood . [ second autici , *! . ] Bbfouk proceeding to considor the treatment tho [ Development Hyp " thesis receives in tho Vestiges , it will be well briefly to indicate tho V ^ y liaritios of this now edition , which varies very considerably from V early editions , both in form and doctrine . It is much enlarged , J 1 ^ many new facts and i'lliistrations , has had tho benelit of criticiu HU P vision from a distinguished physiologist , who adds a few notes of Ins ^ not however very important ; while im the ibrm of aupondix , there flovontv THuros of citation from tho works of nnllioritios on the vfti'i

    sciences , all tending t ' o show the countenance given by authority to ' ^ separate positions . Besides these , tho book is well illustrated vy ^ Qf cuts ; they aro not bo frequently diagrams as wo could havo wished . ^ the changes the doctrine receives wo shall havo to Bpoak horoulter . ^ vis , howoyor , note orio not pleasing peculiarity , —namely , tho ^ timld ,, l ^ fusion with which tho terms " Providence" and " tho Almig hty ^ apoldgotically brought forward , aB if in mook intercession w ™* 111 ^ , ^ ; Orthodoxy . Wo stud in our lust that a pioua spirit oniinatbd tlio P "

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    Critics are not the legislators , but the judges and police of literature .. They do not make laws—they interpret and try to enfoicethem . —EdinburghKevttw .

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    812 THE li E A D E It . [ SJ ^ vtmAtj

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 20, 1853, page 812, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2000/page/20/