Newspaper Page Text
1852.]
learned gentleman or gentlemen, who preside over
the “Editor’s Drawer,” should not have read the
poems of Ol.ver Wendall Holmes, in all the edi
tions of which, “The Reflections of a Tailor” are
contained.
“A Bonaparte in Luck.”
Under this head, we see a paragraph going the
rounds of the press, which states that Lucien Bon
aparte has been so fortunate as to break the bank
at the celebrated German gaming place, Hom
berg. Hs won 480,000 francs, i. e. $95,000. Cer
tainly a remarkable and fortunate circumstance !
Will Lucien “fork over” to some of his American
friends ?
Pretty Comparison.
In tne hue of personal comparisons, the follow
ing is not bad:—“Alfred Bunn, the Comedian,
(says the New-York Mirror,) is an English edi
tion of Geu. Geo. B. Morris, with a few marginal
notes picked up in the green room.”
A Blind World.
“If ail the world were blind, wdiat a melan
choly sight it would be !” said an Irish clergyman
to his congregation. Well! friend Bat, all the
world are blind, except to their own interest, and
that is a melaucholy sight.
“Spectral Illusions.”
1 here is an exceedingly interesting article in
the October issue of the Christian Review, upon
“Spectral Illusions.” A great number of anec
dotes are detailed, the truth of which is vouched
for, and very philosophical principles, accounting
for these illusions, are stated so clearly that they
go far to shake the faith in ghosts, and to lessen
the professional reputation of “spiritual rappers”
seers, “second vision” men, et id o/nne humbug.
Webster’s Dictionary.
A IjouUou edition of this work is spoken of by
a critical Journal of that city, as “the completes!,
most accurate, safest, and most useful dictionary
of our own, and the American language.” We
wonder what the critic considers the “American
language,” Choctaw or native Californian !
Honour to the Great.
ibtatues of Bernadin Sx. Pierre and Casmir
DelavigiNE, have been recently erected at Havre.
The day of their inauguration is said to have been
a great fete day. Ail the local authorities, judges
and military, wore out on the occasion. Prance
is au appreciaiive country. The meritorious lit
terateur is not there sulfered to die of starvation,
and rest in his grave afterwards as if he were a
horse, a pig, a donkey, or any other mere animal.
Motives lor exercise are there held out to genius.
Its file is honoured, iu death it is not forgotten.
An Excellent Custom.
There is something unique, graceful, and origi
nal about the following custom, which a modem
traveller in Germany says, commonly prevails in
that country:
“According to a modern traveller in Germany,
they have a very singular custom iu that some
what singular country. During service at church
on the Sabbath, they have a general Concentra
tion of Coughing and Nose-blowing ! The cler
gyman pauses at different periods of his discourse
steps back from the pulpit, and stands and blow
his nose. The entire congregation at once imi
SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
tate his example ; coughing, sneezing, and prac
tising on the nasal organ then, but disturbing the
congregation at no other time ! It strikes us that
this is a good arrangement ; for in influenza sea
sons, or times of a general “cold,” the diversified
entertainments of this kind are a sad drawback
to both preacher and congregation.”
Mediocrity.
The following is a very just remark of Goethe's:
“No wonder we are all more or less pleased
with mediocrity, since it leaves us at rest, and
gives the same comfortable ieeling as when one
associates with his equals.”
Conclusive.
The Judge and the criminal confront each other.
“Smith, I know you,” said the Judge ; “you
are a Cincinnati villain.”
“I haint no such thing, your Honour,” said
Smith, “I’m a Louisvillian l”
Oiii* gooli
Reuben Medlicott, or the Coming Man. By W. M.
Savage, Esq., author of the Bachelor of the Albany, &. c.
D. Appleton 4t Cos., New-York. [From John Russell,
King-st.
This is a work of great brilliancy and occa
sionally some sound philosophy. It has a moral
which is common place enough, namely—the im
portance of tact and industry in busiuess, which is
illustrated by the career of a genius, destitute of
these qualities, who gets into all sorts of scrapes,
and finally, we believe, fails in every thing. The
book throughout is admirably dramatic. Asa
specimen, we extract “a capacious figure from my
Lord Coke,” entitled—
AN ELEPHANTINE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
“‘I agree, sir,’ Reubeii said, addressing Mr.
Cox, who w r as in the chair, ‘I agree with that
illustrious lawyer, Sir Edward Coke, (with whose
works my forensic studies necessarily make me
intimately acquainted,) that every member of the
House of Commons ought to have certain proper
ties of that noble animal, the elephant. As the
elephant, in the first place, has no gall, so should
the representative of the people divest himself of
all persoiial animosities, of malice, and envy, and
all unchariiableness. Secondly, he should resem
ble the elephant in the quality of inflexibility,
upon which you will all remember what Shaks
peare says, speaking of the same generous quad
ruped, that ‘he has joints, but not for courtesy;
his legs are legs for necessity, not for flexure.’
Sir, I trust that mine will never deserve any other
character. 1 shall use them to stand upon in the
House, not for bowing at the levee, or cringing at
the ‘Treasury ; it would ill become me, sir, to
commend my own legs, but 1 may be permuted
to say this much of them, that they are legs for
necessity, not lor flexure. 1 wish I could arrogate
to myself with equal truth the thud elephantine
attribute noticed by the great authority 1 am quo
ting, that of a ripe and perlect memory, so neces
sary in the public councils, to prevent dangers to
come by the remembrance oi ihe perils ihat are
past, lie tells us, further, that the eiepnaut is
gregarious and soeiabfe, going iu companies and
jiaities. I trust you will always riud me an ele
phant in this respect also ; only 1 trust I snail be
ofieuer found, geutlemau, at such tables as this,
meeting my constituents in the spirit of independ
ent and constitutional conviviality, than a ban
queter at ministerial wmtebait darners, or a guest
at the royal table. But, sir, I have not yet done ;
or,rather, sir, Edward Coke is not yet done ; he
reserves to the last (and 1 shall imitate him,) that
particular virtue of this noble and exemplary
quadruped, winch distinguishes him from all the
brute creation, and exalts him to a level with man
himself. Sir, the elephant is the philanthropist of
the animal kingdom. Ifomini erranti viam os
tendit. This property, concludes Coke, and I
think you will conclude with him, every Parlia
ment man ought to have it. Sir, I beg to propose
the health of the elephant in the House of Com
mons.”
The reader will at once perceive that the work
is readable.
Lotus Eating, a Summer Book. By G. W. Cnrtis.
Harper & Brothers, New-York. [From John Russell,
King-st.
We have before spoken of the merits of this
book. It is altogether one of the most graceful
and pleasant volumes ever issued from the Ameri
can press. Lively, philosophical, piquant, and
enveloped throughout by a golden haze of senti
ment, it is a work to read in the still summer days
when silence is in Heaven, and the calmness of
perfect peace has wooed Nature to an eloquent re
pose. Mr. Curtis is an author we sincerely ad
mire. He has, it is true, his little affectations, but
there is a noble imagination to cover them. A
sense ol the beautiful, and a fine appreciation of all
its phases, distinguish every thing he has written.
From his first woik on Egypt, to the present de
lightful “book for summer,” he has been steadily
improving, until we confess that there appears to
us not much more room for improvement.
Village Life in Egypt, with Sketches of the Said. By
Bayle St. John. In two vols. Ticknor, Reed & Fields,
Boston. [From John Russell, King-street.
Whoever desires to read one of the pleasantest
and most instructive books upon modern Egypt
yet published, may rest assured that he will liud
just such a work in the publication before us. The
sketches of manners are humourous and philo
sophical, those of scenery graphic and minute
The author is certainly no ordinary writer.
The Industrial Resources of the South and West,
In three volumes. Volume Second. By J. D. B. Deßow.
Published at New-Orleans and Charleston, [from B. F.
Deßow, Agent.
The present volume is, if possible more inter
esting than the first. It is issued in the same hand
some style, and will, we understand, soon be fol
lowed by the third and last volume of the series.
o.i||p Coi}lefr)poi^Kes.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine , for Nov.,
1852. [New-York: Harper & Brothers. From
John Russell, King-street.] As usual, a brilliant
numher. “Memoirs of the Holy Land” are con
tinued ; also, the “Bleak House,” and “My Nov
el.” The thrilling sketch, (“Swept away by an
Avalanche,”) we shall publish in the Gazette.
The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Litera
ture, for Nov., 1852 [Boston : W. H. Bidwell,
Editor and Proprieter. From John Russell, King
street.] This number opens with a splendid por
trait of the Duke of Wellington, after a portrait
taken by Claudetin 1844, and engraved by Sar
tain. The articles are:—“Phrenology, its place
and Relations; “Robert and James Haldane;”]
“Chamfort“Memoirs of a Man of the World |
Lion Hunting at the Cape ;” “Numbtr nineteen !
in our street;” “Scottish influence in English Lit
erature;” “Leith and its Antiquities “Duke of
Wellington f “Gibbon “ Tea Table Litera-
213