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380 ^ THE XEADEB. [No. 421, April 17, 18...
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NAPLES AND THE BOURBONS. Naples and King...
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PUBLICATIONS AND REPUBLICATIONS. The mos...
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11EK MAJESTY'S THEATKK. An intelligent f...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Ixside Cantox. Rtiside Canton. By Dr. Yv...
little mouth . Remove these native conditions , the Chinese woman is a caricature ; as the Turkish woman is a caricature , out of the harem . Dr . Yvan tells us that all the Chinese of rank wear a thick ring on the thumb of the right hand , which embraces the whole of the second jointl No mandarin in an official visit can dispense with this ornament . It is a Tartar fashion , he says , which the conquerors have imposed on the dignitaries of the empire . What , however , he styles an * ornament' is a contrivance for drawing the bowstring , which rests behind the bottom of the ring . Those terrible * equestrian archers , who overturned the ancient dynasty of China by pouring into it in countless hordes , never appeared unequipped with bow and quiver and the other appurtenances of the art they _ loved so well . These pan-chi are of the number , being constantly retained , just as in Europe a dragoon never appears in public without his spurs . Toun , a gigantic Tartar general , the doctor says , wore an archery ring of rock crystal as transparent as the button of his cap . Inside Canton is an amusing volume , destined , of course , to be superseded by the hosts of publications which will shortly appear from the pens of those who have had still better opportunities for research and observation—we mean the officers and private soldiei'S of our own expedition . Truthful yet marvellous necessarily will be the revelations of the inside life of those quaint barbarians , who amongst their other inexplicable vagaries compel every musketeer to manufacture his own - powder ! and in whose symbolical language the word ' government' is expressed by two characters signifying ' bamboo and stroke . '
380 ^ The Xeadeb. [No. 421, April 17, 18...
380 ^ THE XEADEB . [ No . 421 , April 17 , 18 ss
Naples And The Bourbons. Naples And King...
NAPLES AND THE BOURBONS . Naples and King Ferdinand . An Historical and Political Sketch of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . By Elizabeth Dawbarn . Booth . A bough encyclopaedia sketch has been compiled by Miss Dawbarn from Giamone and other obvious authorities , whence , however , the kernel of Neapolitan history is not to be derived . The real chronicle of Naples is to be traced in its rich series of state documents , of which some have been edited by Belmonte , though even these , we think , have been passed over by Miss Dawbarn , who has also , it would seem , neglected Capecelatro and the Modena"memoirs . From these and from the Sumonte , Reiumont , and De Santis histories , and the numerous body of collateral writings , might be constructed a narrative equal in interest to that of the Italian Republics themselves ; but the subject has never been treated by an English pen with the same felicity and critical power as the era of the Medicis in Florence and Borne . Miss Dawbam ' s volume is meritorious in so far that it presents a compendious and trustworthy account of events in Naples from the time of the Norman settlement in Sicily to that of the insurrectionary movements against Ferdinand II . It is neat , useful , and entertaining , and , so little Neapolitan history being extant in our language , it has a chance of popularity . Such a book , indeed , was wanted , so that Miss Dawbarn has rendered a service to general readers . We must point out , however , that -when dealing with controverted passages she follows the devious beaten track , and supplies only a vulgar version , as is exemplified in her notices of the Sicilian Vespers and Masaniello ' s insurrection . Her view of Masaniello ' s character is marked by little critical insight , since she adopts the crude prejudices of courtly historians , representing the fisherman as totally illiterate , as weak enough to be seduced by adulation , and as the cause rather than the personification of the revolutionary spirit that made this Rienzi of the Lazzaroni formidable to the Bourbon throne . Miss Dawbarn has no historical warrant for her assertion that Masaniello ' s death was the signal of general pacification in Naples ; on the contrary , a popular ebullition , taking place almost immediatel y afterwards , proved that the nation had not forgotten its wrongs although it had lost the leader who had enabled it to avenge them . '
Publications And Republications. The Mos...
PUBLICATIONS AND REPUBLICATIONS . The most remarkable publication of the week , of course , has been 1848 : ' Historical Revelations , inscribed to Lord Nor man by , by M . luoaia Blanc . ( Chapman and Hall . ) This is really a volume of ' revelations . ' The account of M . Louis Blanc ' s familiar intercourse with Louis Napoleon at Ham is of surprising interest . M . Louis Blanc prints a facsimile of the original proclamation of the Provisional Government to the French people . Alluding to England in his preface , in a tone of manly and touching gratitude M . Louis Blanc writes : — "It is no small honour to her that her language should be , at this moment , the vernacular of liberty , the only language in which freemen of every nation can interchange ideas and print their thoughts with any chance of finding a public allowed to read them . These arc the reasons why X publish this book in English and in England . " Mr . Bohn has added to his Standard Library a volume of Fosleriana , consisting of Thoughts , Reflections , and Criticisms of John Foster , the Author of 'Essays on Decision of Character . ' The present selection is edited by Mr . Bonn himself . In tho saino publisher ' s Illustrated Library , the latest volume is the Orlando Furioso , translated from the Italian of Ariosto , with Notes by William Stewart Rose , and illustrated with engravings on steel . This edition will be completed in two volumes . A careful , elegant , and complete school edition of the Andria of Terence ( Walton and Maborly ) we owe to the refined and accurate scholarship of Mr . Newenham Travers , Assistant-Master in University College ¦ — School j-who-contributos-a ^ notico-of- ' -the—lif © r-of—Tereneef-an-introduotion ^ to the metres of the play ( particularly well executed ) , a summary elucidation of tho scenes , and notes at once copious and succinct , helping the young student over all the grammatical , etymological , and idiomatic difficulties of the text , and turning a task into n pleasure as he reads ; We heartily welcome tt now mid popular edition of Jiarohoster Towers , by-Anthony Trollope , author of tho ' Warden' and tho * Three Clerks . ' It is published by Messrs . Longman and Co ., in one neat volume , price 5 s , Ursula ; a ' Male of Country Life , is tho title of a now novel by ( ho fine and delicate hand of the author of ' Amy Herbert , ' published by Molars . Longman and Co . It is a dainty we must lay asido for leisurely digestion .
. I We have received the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews for Ad ' 1 """* late , however , to do more this week than register their publication t 0 ° A new political novel has appeared—The Day After To-morrow ' or V Morgana , by William de Tyne , published by Mr . ' Routled ge . It seen t be a book of disquisitions on the Lords , the Commons , the Church \\ ' several * interests' and ' questions , ' and so far as we have di pped into ' ' t of an original colour . We reserve it for examination next week . ''' Sir William Williams has told his countrymen to stud y the Art of W That they may do this , Lieut .-Colonel J . J . Graham , late military secreta " " to General Vivian , has written an Elementary History of the Progress of ] L Art of War . ( Bentley . ) It is designed to explain the composition f armies , the various military systems that have prevailed at different epochs and the generally acknowledged maxims of modern warfare . The volum ' however , is not one for military readers only . It is popular , as well as scientific . The history of a great Indian war , well told , is completed , in a third edi' tion , by the third volume of the History of the War in Afqhanistan hi J . W . fcaye . ( Bentley . ) ' 7 Mr . Edward Sullivan , author of several light and lively narratives of travel in North and South America , India , Egypt , and the Crimea , sends us Letters from India ( Saunders and Otley ) , addressed to Mr . John Treraajne They contain essays on Indian political , military , and social topics , and claim from us more than a passing notice . A very fresh and cheerful book is A Tramp ' s Wallet Stored by an English Goldsmith during his Wanderings in Germany and France , by William Duthie . ( Darton and Co . ) * Of the twenty-eight sketches , d & licated to Charles Dickens , sixteen originally appeared in ' Household Words . ' Full of truth and colour , the narrative is worth many ordinary volumes of tour and travel . Among the most conspicuous now novels of the week has been Sir Guy " d'Esterre , by Selina Bunbury , author of 'Our Own Story '—2 vols ., published by Mr . Routledge . A pleasant volume , The Sea-side and Aquarium ; or , Anecdote and Gossi p on Marine Zoology , written by Mr . John Harper , has been . issued , with numerous illustrations . ( Edinburgh : Nimmo . ) Mr . Harper photographs the tinted world under the sea-surface , and contrives to render even periwinkles attractive . The Rev . W . H . Fox , B . A ., has edited a new and illustrated edition of a valuable work , Buchanan ' s Christian Researches in India ( Routledge and Co . ) , with a variety of suggestive addenda . We have from Leeds the reprint of a lecture by Mr . W . S . Forster , entitled How ice Tax India , professing to describe the financial system of the East India Company . To their series of Photographic Portraits of Lie ing Celebrities Messrs . Maull and Polyblank have added five portraits , with biographical notices by Mr . Walford . The portaits are those of Mr . M . F . Tupper , Professor Faraday , the Earl of Rosse , Mr . John Gibson , R . A ., and Mr . Charles Kean . The last is among the best ; but the entire series is admirable . In character and expressions the portrait of Lord Rosse is as perfect as a photograph can be . While waiting for the development of a National Portrait Gallery , we have one of a popular , though not common quality here which may hang upon ante-chamber walls , or fill drawing-room portfolios , , so ns to render familiar the faces of those whose names are honoured in Lngland . We must , of course , have an occasional Tupper thrown in for effect . Mr . J . G . Edgar is known as the author of a popular book entitled Ibe Boyhood of Great Men . ' As a companion volume , he has written Me Heroes of England : Stories of the Lives of England ' s Warrtors by Lam ml Sea ( Kent and Co . ) It contains a series of sp irited biograp hical sketches , celebrating the achievements of the Black Prince , Raleigh , Abercromby , Moore , Nelson , and other English heroes . _ —— - — ==
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11ek Majesty's Theatkk. An Intelligent F...
11 EK MAJESTY'S THEATKK . An intelligent foreigner remarked to us the other day , that after an » "JJJ' ™ study of musical and theatrical criticism in the English proas he had come the conclusion that our critics had formed themselves into a » s » J ™ sisting of trumpets provided by the managers , concert S » vcrs , tt » d e ntertai ^ , and blown at their discretion in a perpetual lobgeaaiuj . A "o JY" vor imy agreeable combination , he added , waa somewhat monotonous , ami wucntv , rash innovator ventured to play upon an instrument of his own cnoosi , ^ ever modest in dimension and melodious in sound , the effect was noi gw ^ cordant but offensive . Whether they manage these things botttr aui cannot say , but as it is not our ambition to belong to the brass band njj i we are content to play upon our own recorder , to govern our own \ u » i » b give it breath with our own mouth . f t , ref , u | ar The opening of Her Majbstv ' h Thhatiih on 1 ' iics . lay 1 8 * [ or / X ; hich soaaon waa distinguished by the production of one of those 8 roif " ° jwU ; iji are almost identified in this country with the reputation of the }* " ? drnnW <] e-Opbra . MKYEnjiBBn ' H masterpiece , Lea / fvgucnota , is in truinn ij- » , ftnd raanding for its adequate representation vast reaourcea , choral , ore acenic , beaidea some half-dozen firat-rato dramatic artists » n " » ° C "J " ° \ l 8 » It cannot be put on the stage in a haphazard oxpenmonti lasiii 01 , lou 8 cheval do bataiite for a particular aingor , without incurring tie " ° ' ' t 0 IIiea compariBona . The Opera-going public have for some years past nee" sta ,, dnrd -to a-niagnincen ^ c » wcff ^ fo-ii » . tlie , repreaontation . ot-ZM . i /» WC « V . f ? a . U " ^ rfflcultr _ if _ by which they arc likely to teat a rival performance ia n » g" «» " aunnnod to we could loso eight of this standard , wo might , perhaps , bo Dtttcr i ^ . ^ do justico to the performance at Hbk Majesty ' s Tiikatiih oh « b *» . „ , „„ under existing circumstances , wo will simply pronounce an "^'"( hyftWHOtf of its doeorta and defects . Its unquestionable deserts are a P ™™ f fa 8 tfigc , to do the best for the . opera to tho utmost extent of tho ^ P * . " " , " tedi with »» the orchestra , and the slngcre . There nro now scones , richly panu » - » Won 0 O of eye to what la called * local colour , ' or descriptive fldollty . y * ° * ° ™ > of tho careful , we do not say sufficient , drill In tho chorus and in tho l > usu aceno . Thero is painstaking sseal and fervour in tho conductor o »« w , th ft and more than average ability In his band . Thero is a principal w-u -
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 17, 1858, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17041858/page/20/
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