THE NORTH BRITISH REVIEW, NO. I.
Ix may seem like a contradiction, but it is nevertheless a truth, that mere authorship, however excellent, will not suffice for a literary periodical. Its first purpose is to supply a want or create a desire ; and this purpose does not seem to be attainable in practice by men of letters and nothing else. BYRON, Bur.wra, CAMPBELL, and MOORE, have failed egregiously, and others of lesser note in the present and former times have not succeeded par- ticularly well. On the other hand, the most successful periodicals have been planned and produced by men whose first or only vocation was not letters. CAVE started the original Monthly, the Gentleman's Magazine ; GRIFFITH projected the Monad!' Review, Pnitaars the New Monthly Magazine ; BLACKWOOD the work which bears his name; JEFFREY, BROUGHAM, and SYDNEY SMITH, IWO lawyers and a divine, established the Edinburgh ; the Quarterly, though urged by SCOTT out of soreness for JEFFREY'S criticisms, was published as the organ of a party, to be supported by their ablest official men. Even the Westminster, though inferior both in ability and influence to the two great organs of Whigs and Tories, was intended as a channel for the circulation of certain views in politics and philosophy, and received its colour from minds deeply imbued with the opinions it advocated, (though they might be assisted by mere literary men,) and whose main object was to give utterance to a full mind.
From this impulsive character arises much of the originality of influential and very successful periodicals. No matter whether it be an observing caterer for the public supplying avowed or latent long- ings, or men impressed with new principles to which they are im- pelled to give utterance: in either case vitality and novelty of spirit are the consequence ; and they guide and stimulate their more pro- fessional collaborateurs. In many cases this living and social cha- racter impresses novelty upon the style and form of their publica- tions. The original Monthly Magazine, the original Monthly Re- view, and the original Quarterly Review, were all new in form as well as substance: even their sty le of typography and getting-up was novel. Some of the Magazines and Reviews of the last century, as well as the Quarterly, were imitations of periodicals ex- isting, so far as form was concerned ; but they appeared for the most part as opponents in principles as well as rivals in trade. The imitation of the Westminster, and other succeeding Quarterly Re- views, was of a later, and therefore of a more senile character. Many periodical works exaggerate the fault which WALPOLE, in a passage we quote from his Letters to Sir Horace Mann, notes re- specting manners and personal conduct : they are not originals at- tempting to revive after an interregnum, but formal imitators of modes which are only kept alive in the originals by the suffrages of the old and the submission of "the young, who come into the world one by one," and whose habits fall into what they find exist- ing though it be not in accordance with the fashion of their own spirit. Something of this is visible in the North British Review. Having a theological object in opposing Puseyism, with a general design of infusing a religious tone into literature and politics, it has 80 far a living principle; but the general form is imitative or common. There is a good enough selection of topics so far as variety is con- cerned; they are handled with good although not striking ability ; but they have no distinctive marks, except an occasional want of cultivated skill in some of them. Beyond this peculiarity, which is not an advantage, the papers might be placed in any periodical without attracting particular attention unless for an occasional religious strain. As we have said, the variety is sufficient : science is handled in an elaborate notice of CUVIER 8 life and scientific character ; lite- rature, in reviews of HARRIS'S Highlands of Ethiopia, FREDERIKA BREMER'S Swedish Novels, Mrs. GRANT of Leggett's Correspond- ence, and FRANCIS JEFFREY'S Contributions to the Edinburgh Re- view; passing public events are treated in an article on the Corn- laws—sensible enough in view, but very Whiggish in tone, and in another Whiggish paper on the Policy of Party—in which it is argued that partitam objects should only be pursued to a certain point, where they should be merged in the principles of religion and morality, which, the writer intimates' it is impossible for the present Premier to achieve, or indeed for any Government that represents the aristocracy " to act for the general good." History is treated in a notice of the Crusades; and the more immediate object of the work in a fair and pleasant though rather wordy notice of Tractarian Poetry, and a rather heavy article on Christian Morals.
Of these articles, the literary reviews partake of the necessity we noted several years ago* as now characteristic of the Quarterly Reviews in general—they are forestalled by the daily, weekly, and monthly journals ; nor, beyond some remarks on the translator's mistakes in the Swedish novels, and rather a fuller exposition of their bad moral tone, do we notice any thing in the three papers which would render the publication necessary. In point of work- manship, the article on CUVIER is the best in the number ; though it is perhaps altogether derived from the book reviewed, and the subject is rather late in the day, unless it were handled with that original power which imparts interest and novelty from the stores of the writer's own mind. The theological papers have more of purpose and peculiarity than any of the rest, but we think they are deficient in trenchant or crushing effect. The object of controversy, as of war, is to deatroy your opponent, in his capacity of enemy. The laws by which both are carried on partake of the temper of the times, * Spectator for 1836, page 755. and become more humane with advancing civilization. Men no longer strive in masses hand to hand, and disfigure one another before death with ponderous maces and battle-axes. Tactics turn the flank, or threaten the rear, or compel a retreat by acting on the line of communication ; and when it comes to fighting, the science of gunnery removes much of the personal and brute hand- work of barbarous tones: but still, as heretofore, life is never allowed to stand in the way of victory. So should it be in controversy. The blackguard terms and coarse vituperation of former days should be discarded, and as much careful courtesy as you please ; but still, destroy your enemy, if you can. In this quality of animus the North British Review seems deficient,—which, with all their mild- ness and amiability, cannot be predicated of the Puseyitea; and we suspect should war arise, the Oxford divines will vanquish the Northerns in all the finer and more polished tricks of the noble art of assault and defence.
The best and worst article of the number is the paper on the Crusades : best in the sense of mind and meditation employed on the subject before the author was engaged to write upon it ; worst in the art of turning his power to account, and in an estimate of the class of intelligence lie is addressing. Judging from internal evidence, we should say the author was a divine; for he exhibits the self-sufficient dogmatism, the magisterial air, of a man who has it all his own way among his own flock, without the means of measuring himself against the minds of others : and his mode of composition smacks of the pulpit,—constant digressions, not from the subject, but into it ; forcible sentences of sounding truths without any close application ; with paragraphs and "passages that lead to nothing." The writer, moreover, seems ignorant of the state of the public mind. Though it is not necessary that a periodical writer should be a man of the world, he should know what the world knows, and what it wants to know. The conse- quence is, that the writer announces many historical commonplaces as if they were revelations; and his whole paper is a strange jumble of crudity, forcible composition, and well-considered thoughts. Of the latter kind is this passage on the
PERMANENT INFLUENCE OF THE CRUSADES.
But not thus did the memory or influence of these most singular events pass away. They fell not to the ground. They were not lost as the rain-drop in the sea. They vaeished not as the shooting star. On almost every interest of man they have indented their history. The gallantry of far later conflicts on the strand of Acre is forgotten in the feats of Cceur-de-Lion in this cause. Cy pros, Rhodes, Malta, are still most famed fur the military orders which arose out of it, and which have left in those islands the trophies and insignia of their renown. Zante still sends forth its Cape Klarenza, which remembered by the voyagers' to Syria as their steering-point, has, ever since Ale time of Edward the Third, given a ducal title to our Royal Family. The story is told by the cross-bilted sword and the recumbent figures of our monumental effigies. The signs of our common hostelries still show the fortnidahle heads ot Saracen and Turk. Where many a woodland glade opens into its vistas, where many a noble hall yet mends, where many an ancient lineage gives name and title, are we re- minded of the Templar, his ccenobitic house, and judicial preceptory. The cross nailed ou the humble tenement in some of our towns proclaims the. exemption from soccage which those imperious knights demanded for them- selves and their attendants. The very corruption of some words proves how radicated were the institutions which this warfare raised and shaped.
And again—
POLITICIANS' USE OF HUMAN MOTIVES.
But it would be to flatter those who bore the control of these transaction', to suppose the generousness of every motive. This does not belong to man. This could not direct the senator arid tile jurisconsult. Policy and prudence, as well as justice, are their lodestars. They were bound to make advantageous use and application of any advantage which such great movements could suggest. They lessened evils by this energy and this precaution. It was their duty to wield the elements of popular commotion, and to turn the direct dangers to the consolidation of the commonwealth. And the statesmen of those times who had any regard for the European family—any reverence for the Christian cause—must have often glanced an anxious eye toward the Eastern world. The Propontis, crowned with Constantinople, was an in- sufficient defence against those barbarous hordes. Greece was supposed not only inefficient but half-hearted and sluggard. The poet could only represent a general impression against that sinking empire.
"0 vergogna, o misfatto, hor nun havesti To Grecia quelle guerre a te vicine ! E pur quasi ii. spettacolo sedesti.
Lents aspettando de' grand' atti il fine. lior se to se' vii aerva it ii tuo servaggio (Non ti lagnar) giustitia, e non oltraggio." 'fasso's La Gerusalemme Liberate, B. L On the opposite shores were drawn up no common adversaries. Their num- bers seemed interminable. They had succeeded each other, and none knew what masses were intrenched behind. Wave rolled after wave, and each issued from a boundless sea. What could stem the inundation ? Was it not better to pitch the battle-field in Syria than in France ? Was this a groundless fear ? What was the then condition of Spain ? The Moor was there. Three centuries had, it is true, expired since Gascony had groaned beneath the Moslem yoke ; but that galling oppression was not forgotten. The flag might be emblazoned with religion, but it may be that the politician placed it for another purpose in the warrior's hand. Europe was torn from its foundations ; yet Some affirm that it was thus disrupted only to build up a rampart against these threatening positions of its foes.
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