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Leader (1850-1860), 13th August 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 944, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      great , but beeause what he did -write was always written in the most " circumlocution" style of writing it was possible to conceive . In England the opinion of the press diflei'is as to the merits of " The Convalescent ; " one of our contemporaries leading off that it is the best and mellowest of Mr . Willis ' s productions , while another , that is supposed to stand high in the literary world , thinks that a greater book with less in it could hardly be named . Taken for what these sketches are , we have a very high opinion of them . They are the most amusing and poetical descriptions we have ever read in prose . "After Dark" is the new volume of Messrs . Smith and Elder ' s cheap editions of standard works of fiction . " The Diamond and the Peaii" is a reprint of one of Mrs . Gore ' s fashionable novels , well worth reading at the time it was written , but which must lose its interest now , as it was written many years ago , and " things aint as ' they used to be . " ** ' Temptation and Atonement" is another reprint by Mrs . Gore , and one of the best tales Mrs . Gore ever wrote . It was noticed at some length in The Leader some few months back .

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      A DICTIONARY OF MODERN SLANG , GANT , AND VUIiGAK WORDS . By a LQndon Antiquary- —John Camden Hotten . This little volume is evidently the result of a great deal of labour , as all w ^ nrks must be that are , in the chief part , collected directly by the observation and care of the author : and this we believe is the case in the present instance . To say that it is not perfect is only to echo the author ' s confession , who tells us it Would require almost a life to gather the entire language of these outcasts of society , who form a separate race , as it Were , in the midst of civilisation . The author of this book we suspect

      to be identical with the publisher , and if so he has had great opportunity by his possession of a large amount of scarce tracts , ballads , and street publications , of informing himself of the language of the vagabond portion of our population . In-treating of the history of cant , or the secret language of vagabonds , we have their history briefly illustrated . We have also a very logical distinction made between Cant and Slang , which the unknowing generally confound . " Cant , " we are told , " was formed for purposes of secrecy . Slang is indulged in from a desire to appear familiar ¦ with life * gaiety , toAvn humour , and with the transient nicknames and street iokes of the day . "

      _ The account of those popular p hrases , which rise no one knows where , and subside nobody can tell why , though not very full , is interesting ; and indeed the great merit , <» f this little volume is that it suggests much , and will help on the more laborious lexicographer in his philosophical inquiries . Not being professors in the slang and cant languages , we cannot say whether the dictionary is perfect ; but we are quite sure the subject , as revealing the state and opinions and feeling of a

      large portion of the poorer population , is extremely interesting , and whether from mere curiosity or from a more philosophical xriotive , this dictionary and history of the strange portion of our language will be useful alike to the antiquary , to the inquirer into our customs and manners , and to the graver legislator who wishes to dive into the modes and methods of the criminal population . Mr . Hotten has done good service by ushering the little book to public notice .

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      MISCELLANIES . A Hundred Short Tales for Children , from the German of C . Von Schmid . By i \ B . Wells , M . A . — - ( Bosworth and Harrison . ) These admirable tales have reached a third edition . "Vol . IV . of Mr . William James' Naval History of Gkeat Britain is published . It is embellished ¦ with a portrait of Viscount Duncan , and accompanied with diagrams of Sir liichnrd SU'achan ' e Action , and , tabular abstracts of ships and vessels at various periods . Plain or Kinglets . —Part II , of a clover tale , published by Bradbury and Evans , which will amuse the sporting world . History oj ? tuh Great Fkdkcii Revolution . By M . A . Thiers .-r-Part IV , is now published , with portrait of Lafayette . Tales fkom Bentlky .- —Part II . contains six tales , including Inman ' s " Old Morgan at Panama . "

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      Proposed Ship-Bailwai / across the Isthmus oj Suez . By J , Bruiileos and 13 . B . Webb . —Iteed and Pardon . These eminent onginoors regard the propositions of the two inter-oceanic canals as the most important of the day j and particularly , as to the means of carrying the world ' s traffic across the "isthmus of Suez . At one time , political fears prevented tho construction of a cnoal across the Isthmus ; at another , commercial necessity prescribed that vessels should past ) to and fvo between tho Nile and tho Red Sen . Tho plans of M . de'Lesseps arc pro * nounced as too gigantic $ and arc aumelontly " refuted by Mr . Stophonson ' s arguments , As tho Isthmus is almost level there will be r > o difficulty , however , in laying down a " compound railway . " Our authors purpose erecting at each port a pier , upon either

      disk or screw piling , running ; out far enough to obtain the necessary depth of water ~ , and the construction of a small harbour , by means of piles , containing one or more hydraulic lifts . The vessels would be raised on cradles by the lifts to the level of the railway , and lowered by the same means from that level to the termination of their transit . The cost would be about 4 , 800 , 000 ? .

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      The Sonnets , Triumphs , and other Poems of Petrarch , now first completely translated into English Verse by various hands . . With a Life of the Poet by Thomas Campbell . —Henry G . Bohn . A VJ 2 RV pleasant volume , beautifully illustrated with sixteen engravings on steel . It would be superfluous to praise the life by the late Thomas Campbell , which is here condensed , and forms an instructive introduction to the poems . The majority of the translations are by Major Macgregor , and the remainder is composed of versions already made by elder poets , such as Chaucer , Spenser , Sir Thomas Wyatt , Anna Hume , Sir John Harrington , Drummond of Hawthornden , and others ; others are by more recent pens , among whom may be mentioned Capel Xofft , Merivale , Shepherd , and Leigh Hunt . It is a book which every poetical student should obtain for immediate perusal .

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      Notes , corroborative of the Remarks in the " St George ' s Hospital Medical Staff ' , " exemplifying the State of the Medical Profession . By Dr . Edwin Leo , M . P . —John Churchill . Dr . Lke is of the same opinion . with Sir James Clarke , that the hospitals of this country arc defective as schools of medical education . They are subject , also , to terrible abuses . The surgeoncy of a provincial hospital has been purchased at the moment of election ; and at all times canvassing i 3 resorted to in excess . The Medical Act is inefficient , —in some oases , worse than useless . It does not check the spread of quackery and irregular practice . Nothing can do this but a better organisation of the profession . Dr . Leo ' s pamxahlct will repay perusal . '

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      BOOKS RECEIVED .

      Serials

      cause Wider divarications in the possible eventualities than the critic anticipates . The remaining articles are various in topics and treatment , and range over a wide field of information ^—biography , painting , ecclesiastical history , botany , physical philosophy , and miscellaneous learning . Tait ' s is scarcely up to the mark in its poetical criticism ; its estimate of Tennyson ' s Idylls is far below it . There is too much assumption also in its political article . The Italian question is treated on narrow grounds ; such as— " Napoleon never wished Italy to be strong . His object is to keep Italy dependent , weak , and powerless , while he tears up the treaty of Vienna , anno 1815 . " All this is gratuitous . The remaining papers are of average merit .

      Art Journal . —( No . L . VI . ) starts with an essay on Buskin and Raphael , which is rather elaborate , and contains a contribution , by the late . E . V- llippingille , on David Wilkie , which is interesting . The illustrations of the number are rich—J . G . Scliaeffer ' s picture of the Nun , Hammersley ' s Drachenfels , and Hancock ' s Statue of Maidenhood . The paper on Rome and her Works of Art is , besides , accompanied with many architectural views ; and another paper on Art-Manufactures is illustrated by some fine examples of the royal porcelain works of Worcester . Cassell ' s Illustrated Family Bible ( Part III ) continues to progress meritoriously , and the engravings are in particular well selected and executed .

      Cassell ' s Illustrated Family Paper . —( Part XX . ) embraces the contents of six ¦ weekly numbers . Mr . Smith ' s story of " Milly Moyne" is continued ; and the articles in general are upon a great variety of subjects , which are for the most part treated with popular tact . Cassell ' s Popular Natural HiSTORY .- ^( Part V . ) contains some good illustrations of the Lemurs , and an important body of information relative to their habits . . Lady ' s Treasury ( No . XXX . ) maintains its usual character . The papers are many , and the subjects are not only fairly treated , but artistically illusrtrated . Parents' Cabinet contains nine articles of the usual interest and variety .

      Kingstox ' s Magazine for Boys . ( No . Vr . ) continues the story of " The Three Midshipmen , " and includes seven other papers , calculated to amuse or instruct juvenile readers . How Not to do it .- ^ - ( Constable and Co . )—A burlesque " Manual for the Awkward Squad , "designed for Rifle Volunteer Regiments— " by one of themselves , " in which there is much in a merry vein , with caricature illustrations . Beeton ' s Dictionary of Universal Information . —Parts IX . and X . conduct the reader to " Chatre , " in the alphabetical arrangement , and proceeds satisfactorily .

      SERIALS . North British Review , No . LXI . —Among tho contents of tho number is , of course , a paper on Tennyson ' s Idylls , the style of which tho critic compares with Sir Thomas Malory ' s collection of Arthurian legends . Both are intentionally S ^ axon . Mr . Tennyson had a difficulty to got over in the fact , that while " the tone of tho traditions is highly epics , tho form is incorrigibly tho reverse . " But the critic thinks that Mr . Tennyson has " relied too much on tho charm which we somehow derive from the more oddity and exaggeration of the « o stories in their original forms . " Another topic Qf Immediate interest , Napoleon and Italy , ifl intelligently treated , but tho writer proceeds upon distrust , ana occupies himself too inuojb . with the designs of tho elder Napoleon , wwchliG tw ec ties must bo identical with those of tho pxeoent' Emperor . XMto all of us , he has to wait USJl ' «* P ™» co shown how far this is true . The aiflewmce between the two periods of time may

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      344 THE LEADER . [ No . 490 . Aug . 13 , 1859 .

      Untitled Article

      The Young Lady ' s Booh . Edited by distinguished Professors . With 1 , 200 woodcuts . —Henry G . Bonn . This work is further described on the title-page as "A Manual of Elegant Recreations , Arts , Sciences , and Accomplishments , " and is , indeed , very neatly got up . It is a new edition of a work first published nearly twenty years ago at a high price , and which ran through six editions in as many years . The work , on its present reproduction , has been thoroughly revised , and the requisite additions have also been made . As many as thirteen essays have ^ in fact , been added . The engravings have been elegantly executed by Messrs . Vizetelly .

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      Paris and its Environs . An Illustrated Handbook . Edited by Thomas Forester . — : Henry G . Bohu . The basis of the present volume is Mrs . Gore ' s " Paris , " which is described as a work of genius , and therefore capable of animating the style of a book , professedly modelled from it . Tho description of Paris , however , is brought down to the period of publication ; and the whole , with its numerous engravings , some of which are really tine , is a most desirable volume for the tourist to possess .

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      TeiniJtation and Attonctnvnt , By Mrs . Gore , Knight & Son . Tho Italian Cause . Chapman & HnU . The Lrsjar--House of Zeros . A -tale . J . H . Si JParker . Hundreds , of Tales for Children . Bosworth & Co . Paris and Us Environs . H . G . llohv , llm Young JLady ' a Booh . U . G . liolin .

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      MUSIC . Dix Values Pour Piano . Par Stephon M tiller . Part a IScii . ScIiotf&Co .

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      Wink and Pkayisk . —The Turcos appear to JiJivo a soul above prejudice , and do not lay much store by tlio instructions of tho Koran respccU"S wine . They nro scrupulous , however , in saying their prayers . fc At sunset tour of them wore pacing tho Boulevard cles Italicns , which wns thronged with people , and they immediately turned to the East , protended to parform their ablutions with a little dust , unwound their turbans , folded thoin square on tho ground , . and pulling off their shoos , immediately bognn " La ilia ui Allah tylohammod vosoul Allah - ing . An Immense crowd surrounded thorn , but they wont on without taking tho slightest noticu <> t tho bystanders . After ropoatod genuflexions and bowing tholr heads to tho ground , they rose , put on thon " shoes , wound tholr turbans round tholr fuz , w » a stalked off with the greatest unconcern .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 13, 1859, page 944, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2307/page/20/