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    THE MAGAZINES.

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    ducted on a larger scale than heretofore . This , in fact , is a natural tendency in a society rapidly progressing in tlie arts . The recent history of ^ the publishing business , to which the committee principally belong , and of another business--the circulating library—closely connected with it , would furnish striking examples . In the case of the paper manufacture , it is notorious that the great improvements in machinery during the last thirty years have led to the employment of larger capitals and to more economical , because more extensive , operations . . , . _ ¦

    The assertions that certain sorts of paper may always be bought at less than prime cost , that « c were the manufacturer wise he would stop his mill at once , " and that the reason why lie does not do so is , that ' few men are wise enough to stop a losing trade when they have embarked capital in it , " are manifest exaggerations , which are answered by the fact that the paper-makers have in the last twenty years voluntarily increased the quantity annually manufactured in Great Britain from , eighty millions to one hundred and ninety millions of pounds . The question of the comparative merits

    of direct and indirect taxation is , a » ain , clearly too wide for the Association ' s object . We will onl y just suggest on this point that the income-tax collector is no more popular than the exciseman . The claim for the abolition of the paper-tax , stands upon higher ground , and must not be placed on the level ¦ of the malt or hop duty . The Association are contending for an important object , but they must certainly amend their logic . No better fortune could fall to their opponents or those who are anxious to delay the repeal , than to find them , when the struggle shall have arrived , resting tlieir cause upon such arguments as these .

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    A Lady's Captivity among the Chines * Pirates . Translated by Amelia Edwards , from the French of Mademoiselle Loriot . ( Routledge ana Co : )—If we were hot well assured that this book is founded on fact , we should regard it as a clever romance , very much after the Captain Marryat pattern . How the lady was taken prisoner by the pirates , what sufferings she endured , and how providentially her liberation was effected , are here simply and toucbingly detailed . We can promise a good shillingaworth of amusement for the investment . tales for the Ttoilight ; By Joseph Verey . ( James Blackwood . )—Six tales and six poetical pieces make up this volume . The tales for the most part are slight and brief , and have appeared with some applause in some publication—at least so the author informs us . The prose and verse are of equal merit , and this is all we can say about the book .

    Gray ' s Poetical Works . ( Sampson Low , and Co . )—Capitally printed , illustrated , and bound , fit for the gentleman ' s library-table , or the lady ' s boudoir . Of _ the poems , it would be " throwing a perfume on the lily " to bestow one word of admiration upon them in the present day . Milton ' s VAllegro . ( Sampson . Low , and Go . )—¦ Messrs . Sampson , Low , and Co . deserve public thanks for the way they send out their elegant publications . Binding , paper , print , and embellishments , arc - all exquisite— -together a fitting shrine for one of o « r noblest poets' noblest works . If we were inclined to becaptious it would be at the seeming want of due appreciation of

    tho poet ' s idea evinced in one or two of the illustrations . For instance , as a pictorial exponent of Milton's " neathanded Phyllis , " the artist , H . J . Townsend , has understood the line literally—be has given us a buxom lasa displaying a couple of neat hands conspicuously in front , in the attitude in which we are accustomed to seo Mrs . Jordan depicted as " The CountryJgirl . " This , we humbly venture to suggest , is not the correct reading . Then , again , we have in the " milkmaid singing blyth , " a veritable stage heroine , with wide-open mouth , warbling vigorously on a low stile . This idea does not , we opine , quite rise up to tho poet's conception . These , however , are minor defects- ^ -the bul k of tho illustrations are finely artiatic and well suited to the subjects .

    Once upon a Time . By Charles Knight . Second Edition . ( John Murray . )—Aa full of curious and real information as Disraeli's " Curiosities of Literature , " and 03 pleasant reading as the most amusing of our popular serials . The work has already received the stamp of popular approval , and we have no doubt that this socond issue , which is got up very nicely indeed , will soon be exhausted . When the third edition ia called for lot us recommend tho author to expunge some passages in which his peculiar politics and economics are put forward rather too prominently . The book ought to be road by everybody , but Wr . Knight's politics and economics are not likely to be everybody's .

    Martin Hauler ; or , a Boy's Adventures in the Forets * of Brazil ( N 0 I 3011 and SouB . ) -Mr , JJallantyno'a productions are prodigious favourites with boys . ine Coral Islands , " "Tho Ungava , " and tho " 1 outig Free Traders , " are already well established in their affections . Martin Rattler must now be added to tho lwt . Favourite Pleasure Books Jbr Young People . Illustrated by Absplom Wobnort and Harrison Wujr , and printed in colours . ( Sampaon Low , and Co . )—All our moat cherished nursery favourites are reproduced in a

    The Magazines.

    Indian heroes in a somewhat novel light . The other Articles are of average merit . The Eclectic Review— -opens with an article which shows that even an old and a well-worn topic can be made new , instructive , and amusing , in able and earnest hands . The article on " Dante" may be read throughout with relish and profit . " Rambles of a Naturalist" deals out some well-deserved knocks to M . de Quatrefages for his intense and

    illiberal nationality , and at the same time pays a just tribute to his well-directed and exhaustive labours . " Fiji and Fijiana" is a sketch of the normal condition of the Fijians and the abnormal condition to which missionary labour has brought them . We hope the missionaries have not deceived themselves as to the extent and Christianising effects of their labours . " Ooulita , " the " Quarterly Review of German literature , " and "Brief Notices of Books , " complete the number for this month . .

    drinks heartily , has large calves to his legs , and is a tolerably good natured animal . Knight's History of England . No . XXXV . ( Bradbury and Evans ) . —This is a short number but the deficiency is to be supplied before the volume closes . The narrative is well sustained and'is full of interesting matter ; and amongst other sad stories contains the useful one of the Massacre of Glencoe . The author shows pretty clearly it was the murdering of one set of savages by another , but the treachery is abhorent , and must ever remain a foul disgrace to all connected with it . Rootledoe ' s Shakespeare . Parts XXXI . - and

    XXXII ., Cymbeline . ( Routledge , Warnes , and Routledge . )—This double part concludes Henry VIII . and includes the whole of Cytnbeline , a play of ¦ which the only known copy in the folio abounds in typographical errors . The present editor is no less speculative than his predecessors in his conjectures , and is more bold in his emendations . The construction of this play , both in versification and general contrivance , must suggest some doubts as to authorship in those not bigoted to the old stereotyped notions on the subject . But this is a heterodox line of thought that every editor seems to shun , at least on this side the Atlantic . The illustrations to this poetical play are better , and the artist seems to have been roused by his subject . The paper and printing are unexceptionable .

    Davenport Dunn . By Charles Lever . lso . XvIII . ( Chapman and Hall . )—This very clever story approaches a close , and there is no perceptible abatement of vigour in the present number . We must say , of all the serial writers , Mr . Lever seems to preserve most of his original verve and freshness .

    Thk Dubl . iv Universit y Magazine . —This number is worth steady reading from beginning to end . It would be uniformly good were it divested of a few blemishes , which j appear to us to be the result of hastiness , or want of sufficient information on the part of the writers . The five first articles" Christianity in India , " Lever ' s " Gerald Fitzgerald , " " Recent Cambridge Literature , " " Rides upon Mules and Donkeys , " " The Black Chamber "may pass without criticism . So might have passed " Statistics on Irish Prosperity , * ' had the writer not relied too much on figures—than which nothing is more deceptive and misleading—as proofs of particular views . We shall be sincerely glad to find that the prosperity is as sound and certain as the writer wishes us to believe , but we cannot rely on his

    comparative statistics as furnishing us with any clue to the real truth in respect of Irish crime and Irish pauperism . The figures , as given to us , certainly show that crime in Irela nd is less in numbers t han crime in England—but they prove nothing . The proportion of Irish crime in England is something incredible—in Ireland English crime is next to nil . Then , again , the paupers in Ireland may apparently be fewer than the paupers in England according to the figures , but let it be recollected that the numbers both of outdoor and indoor paupers in England are vastly swelled by Irish pauperism . Noticing " Chronicles of Castle Cornet" as a good tale , we come to " Recent Novels , " the work , we think , of a clever but young writer . " Remonstrances of a Radical " we commend to the attention of Mr . Bright ' s

    ad-THE MAGAZINES . Blackwood—is more than usually readable this month . But we protest against tales or relations of any kind " to be continued ; " that is a " dodge "an old one , it is true—proper to be confined to cheap serials . The first article , which bids fair to be a very interesting one , "A Cruise , in Japanese Waters , " has this defect—we will add , the only one . « What will he do with It ? " by Sir E . Bulwer Lytton , progresses . ? ' A Pleasant French Book " is a notice of J . B . BiotV Melanges Scientifiques et Litte ' raires . The writer has brought his author into pleasant and prominent view , but we think the cloven or the polemical foot peeps out in that portion which refers to Galileo and his persecutions at Rome . According to M . Biot , the received traditions are all wrong—Galileo was not tortured or ill-treated by the Inquisition ; the Pope did not absolutely deny the truth of the philosopher ' s new theories as much as he deprecated the open attack on his poetic powers—Galileo eld not utter in an aside the memorable sentence , after toeing compelled to recant on his knees the heresy to which he had given vitality of the earth revolving round the sun , that for all he had snid , it did revolve round the sun . It is the fashion now-a-days to find out that our ancestors were in error in almost everything , and that the relations handed down to us of remarkable events and sayings have only waited

    for the corrections of clever modern litterateurs , to be for over set right . For our own part , we are a little difficult on these points ; wo nre inclined to adhere in many instances to old traditions in preference to new lights and readings . * ' The Indian Mutiny and Land Settlement" comes ia for an article . " Cousin John ' s Property" has a funack of the liveliness and simplicity of the magazine stories of a bygone period , " Sermons" docs sensible justice to Mr ; Caird as a preacher , and " Mr . Bright ' a Absurdities" will be applauded by his opponents and denounced as exhibiting the taint of party feeling by liis friends . Eraser—on tho whole , is heavy , but there are several capital articles , among the best of which is a « Review of Oarlyle ' s Frederick tho Great . " Tho

    writer is evidently disposed to deal tenderly with one who gained so largo a portion of his fume in ¦ Fraser ; but he will not allow personal partiality and past triumphs to blind his judgment or bins his decision in reference to tho real merits of this great but eccentric writer ' s last production . " Our New Treaty with Japan" is addressed mainly to the commercial classes . It contains much information that will have its value , if rightly received . " Snake Birds" is a long article on the peculiarities of several ornithological curiosities . " People who are not Respectable" is written in an uncharitable spirit , and deals with characters that ought to find no mention in any respectable work , of whoso real private history the writer is evidently unacquainted . "India In ft Mean" puts one or two Indian educations and

    . Titan—has a number of excellent articles for this month . " The Confession" is a clever resume of a clever French work . The " Phases Of Lunatic Life" remind one of passages in the Diary of a late Physician . " A Few Words about Ireland , " point out the changes that have been made in tlxe social conditions of the country , but also forcibly point out the drawbacks to improvement presented by the unindustrial habits of the people , and especially the

    paralysing action of the Roman Catholic priesthood . " Behind the Scenes in Paris" improves greatly in interest , but we recommend the writer to beware of " comparisons . " It may be all very well for him to praise French Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity , but it is not fair or honest to do so at the expense of English Protestant Sisters of Charity . " The Ugly Snuff-box , " The Ancient Order of Batrachians , " " Christmas Carols , " and the " Review of New Books , " have all their points of interest .

    Thk English Woman ' s Journal . —There is more variety than usual in the contents of this number . But is not an article on Decimal Coinage , though with the eminent initials of " A . de M . " appended , somewhat too rechercte for this kind of publication ? "A Night in Westminster" is a very good and truthful article . We hope it will be attentively and extensively road , as it will servo to bring charitable minds and promoters of popular progress , without personal debasement , into familiar contact with the condition of ono Inrgq section of the poor and the working classes

    , Tub Art Journal . — The illustrations are—" The Bunch of Grapes , " by G . Metzu , engraved by G . Levy , a fino specimen of the burin and of the Tcnjers ^ like management of light and shade . Zuclinrelli's Waterfall , engraved by IS . Rndclyffe , is a lovely bit of landscape with figures . Tho engraving of the Statue of George Stephenson is by J . G . Baker . But why did Uallly copy so closely tho post and the raiment of Sir R . Peel as soon in Cheapside ? Tub Parents' Cabinet qv Amusement and

    Instruction . New Edition . ( Smith , Elder and Co . ) —An established favourite , which has had tho high approval of Miss Edgeworth , and requires nothing more to bo said in its favour . Thr Vi « oi « ian 8 . By W . Thackeray , No . XIV . ( Bradbury and Evans ) . —Tho story labours along not without some delicate touches of charaoter , but still languidly , and without that vigour and force which have generally characterised this author ' s works . Tho hero , Marry , ia a great mistake ; no ono cares for a man merely becauso he cats and

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    No . 454 , "December 4 , 1858 . 1 T H E X E AD E B > . 1317

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 4, 1858, page 1317, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2271/page/13/