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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.
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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 .
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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/
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