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Leader (1850-1860), 10th December 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1351, Untitled Article

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      the rumour that an engagement had been proposed to that gentleman to come to Australia on the same teems , with an additional £ 1 , 000 for travelling expenses . " » We are glad to learn , upon Mr . Home ' s authority , that education thrives in Australia , and that there , is no difficulty in the proper instruction of a family ; though at present the youth of the colony , while precocious , are exceedingly ignorant . Mr . Home enters at large into the land-question , and ^ the gold-question , and the other relations of colonial property ; and , in all , delivers himself with

      clearness . ' Notwithstanding the discouragement to which literature is subject in a new home , we cannot fail to discover that JMr . Home owes something to his literary character . It served to introduce him to Major Chisholm , arid get him at once appointed to the command of the gold-escort in 1852 . He has since held the office of Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Gold Fields—( 1853-4 ) . In 1855 lie was a Territorial Magistrate , and he is at this time Commissioner of the Yan Yean Water Supply . The results of his

      literary knowledge and self-education ( for every literary workman is in a measure a self-educator ) , have aided him in acquiring and maintaining these different positions ; and there can be no doubt" that he has got such hold of the governmental influences that urge on the progress of the colony , in which he has gained so fair a footing , that he will ' reap-the benefit of its social improvement , and be found , at no distant future , among the leading men of Australia . To that result , the present book is likely , in no slight degree , to contribute .

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      STORIES OF IX \ E > TOKS'AKD DISCOVERERS IN SCTKNCB AND THE USEFUL ARTS . A Book for Old and Young . -By John Timbs , F . S . A . — Kent and Co . Hebe is indeed a rare Christmas book ! We may see upon our table many a rich quarto or octavo islet of type floating on a sea of vellum paper , decorated with all the fancy of the binder , and called a " Christmas Book ; " but few , we fancy , will be such a hoy ' s own book- —aye , and such a man ' s own book too—as this " Stories of Inventors and Discoverers . " In a struggling age , when

      myriads of pur young folks are being daily taught the necessity of living by their wit—not in the dishonest sense—if they would live well , and succeed early in life , we can hardly imagine a work with a more captivating title than that before us , or a book that , when purchased , will prove of a more stimulating character . The " Stories of Inventors and Discoverers" are a number of rapid sketches , written or compiled from the best sources by the accomplished author , of the lives and triumphs of the most renowned men , who by chemical and mechanical genius have advanced the world .

      From the screw of Archimedes , invented 287 years before Christ ( such a one as may be seen toiling away in its primitive form at the New Westminster Works ) , to the elegant stereoscope of Wheatstono , brought to perfection within the last year or two , Mr . Timbs leads us smoothly and pleasantly . Ho stops at such interesting stations as Printing Machinery , Watches , the Marquis of Worcester , Leonardo da Vinci , Prince Rupert , the Automaton Chess-player ( a mystery solved dincu we were boys ) , Babbage ' s machines , Newton , Watt , Compton , Ronnie , the Thames Tunnul , Ilorschcl , Brunei , l ' alissy the potter , the Stoplicnsous , photography , and its applications , gutfca porcha , tho Groat Eastern , and many more . These fertile themes arc , of course , not abstrusely , but very interestingly treated , and the above list of what think

      thorn will give a better idea of we a ohimninjjf book than all the laboured criticism in the world . In his preface the author touches lightly on the fate of " martyrs to science , " which must excuso our suggesting that a chapter so entitled wtmld have Deem a fitting complement to such a stimulating mental feast . Mr . Timbs ' young readers—and by tons of thousands will Ins modest little book . be read—should have presented to them , side by side with its fascinating page , that the glacis of the Walhalla these heroes have esoaladed ia strewn thickly with the corpses of thoiv unsucoossfUl follows , who have suilbred and died as wrotohedly as oan suffer and die only those who have boon cursed by nature with a gift more fatal to tho majority of its possessors than that of beauty— -namely , the faculty of invention .

      TALES FRO 3 I BENTLEY . Vol . 2 . —Richard Beatley . This second volume of the tales reprinted from . " Bentley ' s Magazine , " contains fourteen stories , many of which \ ve recognise as old favorites of former times . Each of them are well suited to beguile away the time while travelling between London and Putney .

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      TIIK WORLD OF ICE ; OR , ADVENTURES IN THE POLAR REGIONS . By R . 51 . Ballantyne , Author of "ITudsou ' s Bay , " &c , &c—T . Nelson and Sons . OUT AND ABOUT : A BOY'S ADVENTURES . Written for Boys . By Haiue FriswolL—Groombridg-c and Sons . This Christmas has produced more boys' books than any season that we remember . The Arctic regions is likely to prove a fertile th ^ me for this class of writers ; and already we see there are three boys' books written on the subject . Mr . Ballantyne is the writer of , at least , a dozen instructive books for youth , andliis . prcsent one will , we are sure , become a great favourite . The hero of . « ' The World of Ice " is a Frederick Ellice , who went out in the Dolphinj in search of the erew of the Pole-Star , who were missing for a long time while searching for Sir John Franklin . Of course young Fred , goes through all the hardships consequent to a long stay in those regions , which gives Mr . Ballantyne an opportunity of winding into his narrative all the facts that are known of the Polar Seas . From Dr . Kane and Captain Osborne he has drawn pretty freely ; and the ' readers-of their travels will find little new in his work ; but to tliose . who have not read-the accounts of their voyages , Mr . Ballanfcyno ' s book will be found very interesting and instructive . -The work is well illustrated . . " Out and About " is a work of very much the same character , though more pretentious it would seem , as it is addressed to " men and boy readers . " It purports to be the faithful history of Edward Paget , who , losing his parents when young , had to fight his own way in the world . After 5 having been some little time at a school , " Ned" goes to London , where he stays long enough for the writer to initiate him into the ways of London life . From thence he is transposed to the Arctic regions , where he endures o-reat hardships , but gathers some knowledge of the Arctic Seas and the Esquimaux . From the Arctic re" -ions he goes to America , from there to the Prairies , then to the Feejee Islands ; from-there to Persia , and back again to England , where , in the end , he marries a pretty little girl called Lucy . From this slight sketch of the work our juvenilereaders will get a very fair idea of the contents of " Out and About . " It is readable and instructing .

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      Kingston ' s Magazine for Boys . ( No . X . ) Concludes the first volume , and is accompanied with an ^ Dublin University . ( No . CCCXXIV . ) Contains an excellent article on Joseph de Maistre , a sketch of whose life is given with impartiality and talent , by the Rev . William Alexander * A . M . " The Season Ticket " is continued , and abounds with philosophy and humour . The political article is of the usuul alarmist kind , and of alouder niont . Rkcueative Science . ( No . V . ) Contains a good paper on Microscopic . Geology , which will bo road with much interest by tho intelligent . ' The number is furnished with philosophical and scientific information of tho utmost utility . Comprehensive History ov England . ( Parts XXV . and XXVI . ) Conduct us to 1784 , and the last commences a chapter on our civil and military history in tho reign of George III . ' Poktioal WoiiKS op TiiQMA . 8 Moorb , ( Part IX . ) Moore ' s National Airs , ( No . VII . ) Moore ' s Life of Byron , ( Parts I . and II . ) Equally do credit to tho Messrs . Longmans , and Mr . Murray , by whom they are respectively issued . , WWTXV , Emqushwoman ' s Jouknal . ( No . XXII . ) Hero aro ton articles of some interest , oither in * tlioir topic or treatment . T ^ , . One ov Tuem . By Charles Lever . ( No I . ) I his is a new illustrated tale by a celebrated author , nnd bogins with an apology for tho title . Italian -life furnishes the matter of tho story , which begins characteristically , and promises well .

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      Si . James ' s Haix . —Monday Popular Concerts , — The directors seem bent on carrying out the idea they so shrewdly struck out , and have hitherto so loyally worked at . Their plan of mixing the popular in ease of Mr . Sims Reeves' singing , with the popular in posse of the chamber music of Haydn , Mozart / Mendelssohn , not to speak of popularities more remote , the symphonies of Spohr , Schubert , and the abstruse school is , in no small degree , likely to forward their view . On Monday , last , the course of what we call training—the lesson , in fact , in high musical taste—comprehended Hadyn ' s Quartet in E fiat , No . 80 ; Beethoven ' s Quartet in A major

      ( being No . 5 of the set called Xobkowitz ) , a trio in C minor , by Mendelssohn , played on the pianoforte , violin , and violoncello , by Miss Arabella Goddard , Herr Becker , and Monsieur Paque , and a pianoforte sonata , called " Ne Plus Ultra , " by Woelfl , in which the above-named lady , as usual , charmed alike the critics and the uninitiated . The quartets were well played by Herren Becker and Ries , Mr . Doyle , and M . Paque . The former gentleman , who made his first appe arance on Monday , has not a half of the fire of Wieniawski , with whom in St . James ' s Hall he must be compared , though , if we may judge from a single hearing , he is a high class executant . The Woelfl sonata , ' which was played for the first time at these concerts , is a work but little known , and by a comparatively unknown' composer , on whom it . may tobestow

      remain for Miss Arabella Goddard - a pdsthtunous fame , by repeated performance ami , perhaps , popularization of his works . The clever editor of the Monday Popular Concert Handbook gives us a very amusing account' of this wayward musician , from which we may find room to extract the story of this the 2 Ve plus Ultra sonata . Woelfl , who was a highly scientific musician * being highly disgusted at the neglect of ^ iis string quartets , instrumental trios , symphonies , &c ., and at the preference shown in the first years of the present eentury for the trashy pianoforte airs varies of inferior composers , endeavoured strenuously , but vainly , for a while to stem the tide , and correct the public taste . It was not given him to triumph thus , while Mozart , Clementi , and Dussek , of the then time , were neglected , and Bach arid Handel , of the past , almost ignored . So he hit at last upoa the following expedient : —

      ' " Inwardly conscious that he could write d . isplaypieees with a great deal more facility than any of the pretenders , -who were fast destroying the taste for pure and healthy music , and perform them with an equal superiority , he resolved to give the fashionable world a test of his ability . His fame was European , and he enjoyed the most distinguished position as a teaqher . Thus his influence was considerable , and he had only to feign adherence to the prevalent style to swamp all his competitors . The Ne Plus Ultra , was tire fruit of his new resolve . Unable , however , to yield so gracefully to the breeze as his suppler contemporary , Daniel Stcinelt , our more vigorous and unbending musician began his new work with a stately adagio , followed by an allearo . solidly built on those principles which are

      the foundation of art , and with which art itselt must perish . Having thus proved that . ho was still Joseph Woelfl , he immediately set about the rest , which was at once to propitiate the falsa idol of the period , and arrest the triumphs of its worshippers . A . short andante , the air " Life let us cherish , and tho variations constructed upon it , eoiutuutoJ . tne

      remainder of the sonata . , Well—the ' publishor of Woelfl ' s music , a uit ol a dilettante himself , was terrified when he glanced at the manuscript . Ue might have exclaimed "A « ast I —and so havo foreshawdowed a conceit of Dickens , as Woelfl has lbrushadowod the entiro creation ot Hevz . Not so lucky , however , as to immortalise himself by an interjection All thu publisher said Was— " Why , who tho deuce can play It / Jvill it play " -replied Wocjlll , in Handel laii JMighsh . I YoS _ but you won ' t buy tho copies . No one but yourself , or Dussek , can play tho aUeyru—nnd I doubt if either of you can master the variations . ' Woelll sat down to tho instrument ( a cruu ced old i , nm « inhnr . n and convineod tlio worthy publisher of

      sorror ; Not only was tho publisher convinced , jut enchanted . " What shall wo call it ? ' ho inqu red " CaliitiV , rin , Ultra , " said Woolf , rUbbiii his hands with innate satisfaction . ' Now shall wo soe if Horr Von Each vill more play , or Harr Bomdombo make do variation . And iVc Plus Ultra was consigned to the hands of the ^ ThToifoot produced by tho now sonata , and especially by tho variations , which ( as Woolfl had SESeetod ) were soon separated from tho allegro , and published alone , was . extraordinary . I he work was eagerly bought , and , to the confusion of soveral professors of high repute , whoso incomnotonoy had proviously osoapod doteotlon , was placed Xc thorn by their pupils with * vory urgent

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      TWO BOYS' BOOltS .

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      SERIALS .

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      The Black Danes , Anotuibh of the ohuroh-llluatratlve tales , published by John H . and James Parker , and oxooutoa witn ; ho usual talent .

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      No . 507 . Dec . 10 , 1859- ] THE LEADER . 1351

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      MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 10, 1859, page 1351, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2324/page/19/