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Leader (1850-1860), 24th September 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1085, LITERATURE.

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      Literature.

      LITERATURE .

      Untitled Article

      —¦ " ? Messrs . Black wood and Soxs announce the publication of a library edition of the novels of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton , to consist of forty-three volumes , at 5 s . each . The first work to be issued is the Caxtons , " which will be commenced in October . The volumes will be brought out once a month , and be printed in large , readable type . Judging by the great popularity which Sir E . B . Lytton ' s late works have attained , a large sale may be predicted for this series . The Publishers ' Circular says : —Mr . Thackeray ' s new monthly magazine will , it is decided , be published at the bold price of Is ., and a vigorous effort will be made to attain a success shadowed out to it by the great magazine of Messrs . Harpers , of New York , which , by a rare combination of good contributions from pen and pencil for Is ., circulates some 170 , 000 monthly .

      The Berlin Volkszeitung denies the statement made by many German and English newspapers , of the library of Alexander von Humboldt having been sold to Lord Bloomfield , on account of the trustees of the British Museum . The paper adds , that several gentlemen are still busy making a catalogue of the . library , which will not be finished before the end of December , the books turning out to be much more numerous than was at first believed . The Bengal Hurkaru property was brought to the hammer the other day . A Jew brought the buildings for rs . 161 , 500 , but no bidder could be found for the paper , burdened as it is with an annuity of rs . 500 a month to Mr . S * Smith .

      The French provincial papers announce that the yacht built at Syra for Alexandra Dumas has arrived at Cette . She is a galliot of 78 tons , with raking masts . The crew is composed of six Greek sailors , under the command of Captain Podimatas . The yacht is called the Monte Christo . Mr . Weale ' s well-known Rudimentary , Educational , and Classical series , will in future be pub ^ lished by the Messrs . Lockwood and Co ., of Stationers ' -hall Court . Messrs . Constable and Co . announce a new and

      cheaper edition of Sir D , Brewater ' s " Memoirs of the Iiife , Writings , and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton ; " second series of " Horaa Subsecivse ;" and a " Monograph of Dura Den , and its remarkable Fossil Fishes , " by John Anderson , D . D . ; also , by the same axithor , " The Course of Revelation . " Messrs . Hogg and Sons publish a reprint of Mr . Frank B . Goodrich ' s . " Man upon the Sea , " under the title of " The Sea and its Famous Sailors , " following up their series of " Books for the Young ;" also announce "Pictures of Heroes and Lessons from their Lives "—both with illustrations .

      M . Legouve , of the French Academy , and M . Henri Martin , the historian , have left Paris for Italy , to represent the friends of Italian liberty in France at the approaching funeral ceremonial in honour of Manin , thq brave defender of Venice . The following observations are from the columns of our contemporar y the Critic ?— " There is something peculiarly sui generis in the annual meeting of one of our old public schools , such as took place on Wednesday at Christ ' s Hospital . The masters have always , until lately , been ex-pupils of t he place . The preacher who , delivers the preparatory sermon—whose eloquence the four or five senior scholars have , we believe , the special privilege of not being obliged to listen to , unless

      they choose—is invariably a former student of the foundation ; the audience—at least the male part of them—have either been in the school themselves , or else have had sons or brothers or nephews there , or have boon intimate with persons who fulfilled these conditions ; and the ladies present are invariably ready on these occasions to be exceedingly interested in anything that concerns their most distant relatives or acquaintances . We shall not pretend to criticise the speeches ; they are , wo think , on the whole , equal to those of any other public school in England ; and it used to bo said that they were the least touched up and embellished

      by the Head Master . The reporters of some of the morning papers tell us that the Greek was delivered in pure Attic $ and to speak Attio Greek purely is , we need not say , a task which cannot be exceeded in difficulty . None of the youthful orators , we perceive , alluded on the present occasion to the heinou s proposition for removing , tho school from London into the country . Tho Timei is , for the nonco too busy with " aerial navigation " and the non-flogging of soldiers to moot tho question again at present . Wo noticed the kindly allusion made by Mr . A . M . Wood to his late French master , " *¦ ' C . J . Deli lie , that gentleman has left very many Borrowing friends behind ) and deserves as much and

      more than his warm-hearted pupil could say in his favour . But why , we may ask , have none of the Grecians alluded to the very recent death of Leigh Hunt ? He was one who deserved this kindly token , not only for His own great literary merits , but for the exceeding affection he always bore to the place of his education . Could not some one of the senior scholars ( we hope they did , and that the error is ours , not theirs ) spare a word or two from describing Magenta and Solferino to allude to the " old man eloquent" who ever had a good word for all connected with his old school in his talk and in his books ? We may notice tine fact in the distribution of the several speeches , that the mathematical medallist delivered the English poem . To the poet himself we shall give the same compliment as the "Virgilian swain gave to his fellow :

      Tale t ' uum nobis carmen , divine poeta , Quale sopor . We may add , that the present Master of Trinity Coll ., Cambridge , whose mathematical eminence all will allow , carried off the Cambridge laurel for poesy there one year , in the most mathematical of poems . May we say one parting word without offence ? Why does the glove still go round ? This is an eyesore and offence to many who feel the warmest interest for Christ ' s Hospital and all that belongs to it .

      The Eton Montem has been abolished . ; and even the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex will no mbre be introduced to the Barons of the Exchequer with the ancient ceremonies of counting nails and cutting sticks . The sum collected on the occasion of the annual speech day at Christ ' s Hospital is but small , and brings a blush to the cheek and a pang to the heart of many a youthful collector . Let this money be made up to the senior scholars henceforth from the funds of the school , or else by an appeal to those who have once themselves been senior scholars . "

      Untitled Article

      THROUGH NOEWAT WITH A KNAPSACK . By "W , Mattieu Williams . Smith , Elder arid Co . Tkaveus through NorAvay are generally interesting , the present , a pedestrian one , is ' on that account more than usually interesting . Uight early did our traveller discover that the Norwegians are a deliberate and phlegmatic people , who do nothing in a hurry , for he had to wait long at tlie hotel on landing at Christiansnnd for his breakfast . The Toofs of the houses consisted of a framework of heavy beams , covered with planks , overlaid with sheets of birch bark , called " haver . " Moss or peaty soil is spread upon these to a depth of several

      inches . A rich vegetation is common upon such roofs , and occasionally a goat may be seen grazing luxuriantly upon the house-top . The remarkable character of the sunsets is , as might have been expected , one of the first descriptions in the book , as it is in most books of Norwegian travel .. The rising moon appeared like a ship on fire , and was mistaken for one by the pnptain and mate . ¦ The politeness of the Norwegians induced Mr . Williams to give up a theory which he had formed , that a soft , southern climate , bright skies and outof-door existence had much do with the refinement and courtesy of the poorer classes on the Continent

      The ceremonious bearing of the people of Christiania proved a different position . The rich bowed to the poor in the same way that the poor bowed to the rich . Our traveller saw a rich niex'chant , alighting from his carriage , take off his five-guinea Panama hat , and describe with it a large semicirclo , terminating , according to custom , at the knee , as homage to the servant who opened tho gate of a mansion . " The servant did the like , neither more nor less respectfully than did the gentleman—ergo , both wore gentlemen . " The following is apropos of : the title of the book , and will amuse tho reader :-

      —" Beforo advancing on the journoy I must describe my knapsack . I have had much oxperioncc in knapsacks , and made many improvements and inventions in them j my lust invention , previous to the present one , being a knapsack of zinc , suggested by a botanical vascu , lum , and somewhat resembling one . I walked through Wales and tho Lake district with it , and found it had many advantages ; but that for which it was mainly constructed was not

      among them , viz ., relief from tho hoat and perspiration at that part of the back upon which the knapsack rests , and which are tho chiof objections to carry ing a knapsack . Bosides this , tho oountry pooplo were continually inquiring the price of candles ; assuming , from the shape and material of tho box on my back , that I was travelling for a house in tho tallowqhancUery line . " My present knapsack is made of strong open wickerwork , curved , like an angler ' s basket , to tho shape of the back , and lined on the inside with

      waterproof cloth , so that the bare wicker rests upon the back ; A free ventilation is thus secured , whicheffectually carries off the perspiration . The top is closed by a , leathern flap with straps . The attachment of the shoulder-straps is the same as in the Swiss and . German knapsacks , viz ., from the middle of the upper part of the back of the knapsack ; so that the straps cross the shoulders diagonally , and require no breast-straps : which last are abominable inventions , most uncomfortable and injurious to health by pressing upon the ribs and contracting the chest . This wicker knapsack combines lightness and coolness in the highest degree ; it is strong , and keeps its shape firmly , and is altogether the best I have seen . * It is a great mistake to make a knapsack of pliable material , such as waterproof cloth ; such a , knapsack becomes a mere unmanageable dangling bag upon the back . "

      There is also good advice « on the contents of the knapsack , which , should not be too abundant . Two shirts are sufficient , one on and one off '; other gear in proportion . The following is a pleasing dramatic picture : 7—" Stopping at the new station of Dombaas , I met an English lady and gentleman with a tolk , ' or interpreter . The hostess was the perfect embodiment of womanly goodness : just the sort of woman that every man must instinctively liken to his own mother . The English lady was in delicate health , and had but a small appetite . This was desolation to the soul of our good hostess , who had exhausted nearly all the resources of Norwegian cookery , and

      was almost broken-hearted at finding that her fair guest did not consume every dish . She evidently supposed that the lady was dissatisfied with the delicacies she had prepared , and that the plea of illness was only an excuse . We were all amused and concerned at the good woman ' s anxiety ; but the most amused ofall was the tolk , for he devoured all the nice things the lady and her husband were unable to grapple with . At last came the crowning effort of the kitchen ; some porridge made of fine meal ,, boiled in milk , coated with sugar , and over that a pool of oily butter , all boiling hot . This was brought in triumphantly ; and I foresaw plainly that if this failed the good woman would have no sleep that

      night . The fair patient , with the amiability , of a woman , and the self-denial of a martyr , ate two or three spoonfuls ; but human nature could no further go . What was to be clone ? for the hostess , thus encouraged , had now evidently determined that her guest should eat the whole , though there was a good - sized Staffordshire - ware willowpattern pie-dish full . Suddenly we hit upon an expedient which our unknown tongue enabled us to ' orgaoise and carry out . It was that tlie tolk should stand behind the lady ' s chair , so that . he could reach

      tho pie-dish over her shoulder , and while I diverted the attention of the hostess by asking for something , he hastily , and with great glee , helped himself to piled up spoonfuls of the porridge . Thus every time the good old lady returned , she found the porridge diminished , and was delighted with her success ; manifesting her glee by patting her guest on the back , and exclaiming , " ¦ ikke ' sick I ikfic sick ! ( not sick ! not sick J ) Thus all parties were gratified , especially the tolk , who was grinning with delight for the rest of tlie evening . "

      Here , too , is a curious speculation : — "I found Mr . Gould hard at work , skinning and preparing his clay ' s spoil , which was very considerable ; a young bird I had caught on tho way was added to the collection . X was surprised at the variety of birds Mi ' . Gould hud ¦ killed ; he hud , in mere numbers ; , more than double tho amount of what an ordinary sportsman , accountod a crack shot , would consider a good day ' s sport hereabouts . J . he skilful naturalist , without any of tho paraphernalia of snorting—no pointers or sottors with wonderful instincts , nothing but a very old-fiisliioncd looking cun . and tho buro khjiiIsIIos for making it ap ottnio

      comes to tho pluuo lor tho first ti . no in jus wun a predetermination to shoot particular kinds ot birds only , and t ) u » o of particular agos i ho walks straight to their haunts , and shoots nearly ull ho socks , and boats tho moro WrJ-slayur who bungs at overythinK ho sees . , How any man can bo a ( sportsman without buina a naturalist , I cannot undurstund . buoli a phenomenon would , I suspect , be unknown , If . in tho curriculum of our groat universities , scioiiou and . natural history , the laws and phenomonuof creation , were made tho loading objects of study , instead oi tho obscenities of Jupityr and Go . and tho pootlc laudations of lloman rapino and Greek treachery : all of which might with much advantage bu buried in tho darkness of popular oblivion , and tho koye of their sepulchre loft in charge of a tow special antiquarians . The languagod in which they uro written --or at any rate , tho stilted , pompous Latin that

      ? Should any trunk-maker or other tradesman undortako to niftuufftcturo buoJi knapsacks for » alo , i wlU gUdly aid him lu coualruotiutf Ultt Arut model .

      Untitled Article

      LITERARY NOTES OF THE WEEK .

      Untitled Article

      Ko . 496 . Sept . 24 , 1859 . ] THE LEADER . 1085

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 24, 1859, page 1085, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2313/page/17/