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LITERATURE, SCIENC E, ART, &c
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CIVILISED AMERICA . Civilised America . By Thomas Colley Grattan , late her Britannic Majesty ' s Consul for the . State of Massachusetts . 2 vols . Bradbury and Evans . That so many English tourists and travellers should have recorded and printed their impressions of the United States and the Americans is not to be wondered at . That so few of their works should have gained for themselves more than a temporary popularity , and a mere circulating library run , at first sight elicits astonishment . But further
reflection easily diminishes the first wonder . It is not wonderful that there should be a constant fresh appetite for such books . We look upon the States as a former partner of ourselves , who had interests common and identical with our own , but who , having dissolved the close bond of connexion and set up for himself , still awakes in us something of the old curiosity and solicitude ; and the more so , that if not still our partner , he is yet , in large measure our " correspondent , " sharing 1 with us common ventures , and , in the political field , working out what arc in the main common problems .
Most seasons , for many years past , have , yielded books on the States by visitors to their shores and cities ; and their list has presented such individual names as Lord Carlisle , Mr . Dickens , Mrs . Trollope , Mr . Silk Buckingham , Colonels Maxwell and Estcourt , < £ c ., each more- or less confessedly presenting credentials of trustworthiness in statement of facts and expression of opinion . And yet there is not one whose , pictures' have not had considerable exception taken to them by the Americans themselves , and therefore been accepted bv us with a reservation and
unauthpritativcly . Almost all these writers have been casual visitors to America ; and no mere visitor , no one who has not really lived in a country , can bear away with him a truly adequate transcript of its real general characteristics . It were impossible to expect that Mr . Dickens , hastily touring over the Union , with ' , everything ' ready- for his eyes in its sliow dress , or Lord Carlisle , bowed and salaamed to as a live lord , from New England seaports to the mushroom cities of the west , should tell us when they come back what America and the Americans really are .
Mr . Grattan possesses the advantage denied to them . He lived in the States during several years subsequent to 1 S 39 . The business character , equally with the official and public nature of his position as consul , have given him opportunities peculiarly favourable for forming a correct , and mature judgment . His book is , in the main , not unworthy even when tested by the exigent standard by which it must in justice be measured . To be equally commended with the best books as yet written on America it must be better than any of them ; nnd , in some respects , we believe it to be so . It has , however , undoubted faults and shortcomings . We shall oasc our critical conscience by
designating these at tiro outset . The title chosen , Civilised America , is explained and justified , partly in the introduction , and partly in a map . The map , by a graduated toning of colours , of three degrees , the first and darkest markinjr the original thirteen states , the second those admitted previously to 1 S 21 , and the third those admitted , since , and hardly freed from the probationary period of " territories , " reserves only the darkest portion ns tho civilised part of the Union . The following sentences further explain the designation : — My volumes do not intend to ombrnco nil tho topics of importance connected with tho Unitoil Stntos . lucre firo many portions of tho country whiol ) I Imvo not seen ,
nnd much which I hiul little wish to see . Tlio parts with which I \ vus familiar nro tho moat sottlod , contain * - ing tho cirolos of ar 0 " t 0 Bt roflnomunt . Tho days aro papaed whon 1 would liavo nioro onjoyod tho adventures of tho prairiu , tlio foroot or tlm mountain rango , tho rudo oceontrU ' ltlon of Imlf-culliviilod men , and tho wild roinnnoe of nature Tlio roiulur Una , therefore , to aspect in thotto piigoa abfomulons on tho bettor part of tho American pcoplo , an imtnbliahod community , who , being holnvof an ' u . irllei wlwlom than it falls to tho general lot of nation * lu inherit , form tho mntorlula of a grand oxnorinu-ut in civilisation , for others to follow or t , u . ahun . . Even had tho acquaintau , co of Mr . G ' ruUim oxtemloil to tlio wostoni producing regions , as vet but sparsely held by luunim liauda uiul heads , or I lie
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^ r— . ¦ The publishing season is still very dull . With the exception of a History of France , by . the Rev . J . White ( W . Blackwood ) , and an important work oh the Colonisation of New Zealand , by Mr . William Swairison , for many years her Majesty ' s Attorney-General in that colony ( Smith , Elder , and Co . ) , there is not much to record . Perhaps the most notable matter of literary import this week is the conversation upon the paper duty held between Lord Derby and the deputation from the association for the repeal of the same at the Treasury yesterday at two o ' clock—a report of which will be found elsewhere . _ , A curious point of literary plagiarism , though perhaps venial under the circumstances , is disclosed ui the Critic of yesterday . It seems that , in answer to some inquisitive questions as to her age , in a review of her Autobiography , Sydney Lady Morgan addressed to the Athena-urn a morceau , which was considered to be not so bad for one who must certainly have outnumbered the yeai-s of Ninon de l'Eiiclos , and which began as follows : — . TO MT REVIEWER . My life is not dated by years , For Time has drawn lightly his plough , And they say scarce a furrow appears , To reveal what I ne ' er will avow-Unfortunately , however , for the originality of this impromptu , a correspondent of the Critic remembers a little jeu d ' espritbetween Lord Byron and Lady Blessington , and which he believes to have nerer been printed . This is worth quoting , both for its story and for itself . LORD BTEOX . * . ¦ ¦ '¦ ¦ ¦ : '' i- . ' . . ' ¦• ' Yon have asked for a versej the request In . a rhymer ' twere hard to deny , But my Hippocrene was but xny breast , And my feelings ^—the fountain is dry . ¦ . '' "¦ 11 . I am ashes where once I was fire , And the bard in my bosom is dead ; Where I loved I now only admire , And my heart is as grey as xay head , in .. My life is not dated by years , There are moments that act like a plough ) And there is not a furrow appears But is deep in my soul as my brow . UDY BLESSINGTON . I . When I asjeed for a verse , pray believe , 'Twas not vanity urged the desire ; For no more can my mirror deceive , And no . more can I poets inspire . ii . But as . pilgrims who visit the shrina Of some saint , bear a relic away—I sought a memorial of thino To cheer me when distant I stray . HI . Oh , say not that lyro is unstrung , Whpso chords can such rapture bestow , Nor that mute is this magical tongue , From whence music and melody flow . IV . And tho ' . Time , ere thy youth it has fled , May havo altor'd thy looks' jetty hue , Still th . o baya that enoirelp thy head , Hide the mTftger ' s mark from our view . Wo , like the correspondent of tho Critic , are not . awaro that those verses have ovor boon printed before , and Lady Morgan may stand excused for her plagiarism , s ' moe it ; lias led to such an interesting discovery . it is gratifying to find that tho almost unknown and unseen workor upon tlio pross ia not always loft without his reward . Hitherto tho complaint lias- been , and not unjustly , that those who oast thoir broad upon tho waters of journalism havo to wait bo many days before thoy see il ; again , that in tho moan time thoy die of starvation . Certain it ifij that the great quioksands of the nowapapoi press s \ vnUow up many a bright and original mind wnioh , wore thoro no such trade as journalism , and no such moans for publishing orutlo matter , hastily thrown off , migUfcihavo matured wovks whioh would uavo brought them undying reputation . Wo aru not among thoSo who look forward very hopolossly to the
-time prefigured by such enthusiasts as Mr . Beresf ora Etbpe , who would class journalism among the regular professions . It will be time enough for that when its ranks ai * e as bounteously supplied as are those of the " regular professions ; " but in the meantime we view with pleasure and satisfaction anything that tends to prove an increase of public respect towards this " outside profession . " Some weeks ago we recorded the presentation of a handsome testimonial to the editor of the Law Times ; but this week we have two gratifying instances of a similar compliment being paid to two hardworking
arid comparatively unknown brothers of the pen . The first was the presentation of a purse containing five hundred pounds to Mr . Henry Adams , who has been for more than twenty years honourably connected with the Derby press . The other was the gift of a testimonial to Mr . Thomas Whitehead , lately chief reporter to the Liverpool Albion . News of Burns matters ¦ ¦ continue ' pour in from all parts of the world . America celebrated of course . What does she not celebrate ? The Rev . Henry Ward Beecher . delivered an address to the Burns Club of New York , and banquets were held at Astor House and the Mozart Hall . In
Denmark also they celebrated , and on the evening of the 25 th Professor Stephens delivered a lecture on the Ayrshire bard to the University of Cheapinghaven . The hall is said to have been crowded , and not only Danes , but Norwegians , Swedes , and Icelanders were present , doubtless recognising an affinity of wild and vigorous strength between the poet and their own bards—an affinity which _ has been already pointed out in the not very atrocious pun : that'there is no very great difference between Scalds arid Burns . The New York Commercial Times announces that a propos of the Burns . Festival , Messrs . Delisser and Pr-octor announce a handsome edition of the " Life of Burns "
" by that quaint biographer , and deep thinker Carlyle , price fift y cents , " w hich , we need hardly say , is nothing but a reprint of the famous review which has been purchasable on the English book-stalls for a shilling this many , a day ; Talking of the Burns anniversary , we are reminded that Messrs . Routleclge have seized upon the hint dropped in- these columns some weeks back , and announce a collection of tf Rejected Addresses . " The only objection is that this is a day after the fair . The competition was publicly known many months back , and the parodies should have been ready for the occasion . Now , we repeat , public interest will be found to have flagged . The project for renrintinje the " six next best" poems has fallen
through , owing to some objections on the part ot two of the authors . The Critic , however , gives one of them , the contribution of Mi * . Stanyan Biggs , author of " Night and tho Soul , " and of a recently published novel , " Alfred Staunton . " Judging by this specimen , the judges seem to have dealt fairly ; for , although written in good sounding language , Mr . Biggs ' a composition is decidedly commonplace and turgid in parts , and altogether inferior in every respect ; to that of Miss Isa Craig . lu Franco , M . Chassin has done good service by finishing the biography of Edgar Quiiiet , the critic who for many years wielded a , powerful pen in tlio Jtdvufi das Deux Jfondes , and the eloquent Professor
of tho Languages and Literature of Southern Europe in tho College de Franco . Among other publications of interest wo may noto " Une Visite choa Soulouquo , " by M . Paul de Hormays , and a " Promenade en Hollando , " by Madaino Louiso Colot . M . de Barnntc h us re published hie " History of tho Maid of Orleans" from his great work on the Dukes of Burgundy . M . do Baranto bolicvos that she loll a victim to tho English . What will M . Octavo Dolopiorro say to tin ' s , who stoutly
maintains that the Maid Jived to oulgrow all her belliooso propensities , to marry an honest favmor , and booonio the mothor of many children ? Another work which ia looked for with groat iutorest in Paris is the " Life and Correspondence of tho lato Duchosa of Orleans , " of whom Napoleon 111 . justly said that she was " tho only man , of hor family , " on , o of the fo \ y witty sayings of lain on record , Tho editvosa of thia inrunoir is spokou of ns " u lady of I ho Fan bo ( ire ; St . Germain , and n daughter of ono of Louis Pliilimio ' s ambassadors , "
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LITERARY CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK .
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I ffo . 464 , Pebbtjaby 12 , 1859 . 1 THE LEAjOiB ; 20 g _
Literature, Scienc E, Art, &C
LITERATtTRE , SCIENC E , ART ,
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 12, 1859, page 203, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2281/page/11/
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