A FEW OF THE PERIODICALS.

IN our notice of the Quarterlies last month, we were unable to include the two eldest Reviews on account of their not making their appearance for some weeks after the others. There is no programme of party tactics for the owning session in either of these once formidable partisans. The only political article in the current number of the Edinburgh is on The Russian Cam- paigns in Asia " ; the chief portion of which is taken up with a narrative of what Paskiewitsch did, in that quarter in 1828-'9. i Few persons are likely to care about that n 1855 : it might have been more apropos in the United Service Magazine. As regards the political aspect of the question, the writer holds that "if the war is to be prolonged, the objects of the Allied Powers must increase; and probably none would contribute more powerfully to the security of the Ottoman empire and the progress of civilization in the East than the restoration of the principalities of Georgia and the neighbouring provinces to the full possession of their government, under the guarantee of the Allied Powers." The first article of the number, in order and in merit, is a paper on "The Civil Wars and Cromwell." After a slight and graceful passage at arms with Mr. Bankes M.P., whose political history of Corfe Castle he treats with little mercy, the writer proceeds to discuss M. Guizot's judgment of the character of Cromwell; which is condemned almost as strongly as the most fervent disciple of Car- lyle would desire. Although not said in precise terms, it is easy to see that the writer has come to the conclusion that a Doc- trinaire like M. Guizot cannot possibly appreciate the grandeur and truthfulness of Cromwell's character.

The opening article of the Quarterly, on "Table Talk," is full of pleasant gossip about many of the most eminent conversation- ists, from Socrates down to Sheridan and Sydney Smith. The writer has evidently made himself master of the subject, so far as reading was required. Rather less of that, however, and more of thought, would have been acceptable. The conclusion at which he arrives is that the art of conversation is dying out in this country, swamped by the onmilogous 'press. "Conversation Is at a low ebb in England at present. The higher belles- lettres of an age are admitted to be exponents of its manners and we find the complaint made by Mr. Disraeli, and testified to by Mr. Thackeray. How small a part is played by conversation in our best novels ! How rare is an elegant and familiar conversational style in our contemporary litera- ture, which in that respect is far, behind the literature of the time of Queen Anne ! Who really converses at a conversazione ? and has not Mr. Carlyle suggested that each Lion should have a label on him, like a decanter, that you might learn his name, and ascertain those pretensions which will cer- tainly not be manifested by -anything you hear from him? The action of the press is one great cause of this colloquial inferiority. Newspapers, novels, magazines, reviews, Punch,' gather up the intellectual elements of Zur life, like so many electric machines drawing electricity from the atmo- sphere, into themselves. Everything is recorded and discussed in print, and subjects have lost their freshness long before friends have assembled for the evening. Music is more cultivated; though this is rather an effect than a cause—a device to fill up a painful vacuity : dinners are late and large, and the 'mahogany' is an extinct institution. "For the social dulness of the majority of men of letters the author of Coningsby ' accounts with a fatal plausibility, when he tells us that they hoard their best thoughts for their publishers. To this, however, there are striking exceptions; and it may be urged that some of them are shy. Still, taken altogether, the genial converse which marked the old tavern life-

-those lyric feasts Made at the Sun,

The Dog., the triple Tun.'—Herrick. —the life led in rare Ben's time, then in Steele's, afterwards in Boswell's- belongs to tradition and to the past. Here and there, among authors, there is a discus de bon-mots ; but he Is talked of as an exception and a wonder, just as here and there, among the circles of high Whiggery, i, there a con- versationist of the old Mackintosh school, lettered, luminous, and iong- memoried. But these are the remains of the last generation, and where are their rising successors ? "

It is a fundamental mistake of the writer on "Table Talk" that good conversation depends on the presence of " diseurs de bon-mots." So far as our experience goes, we incline to think that it does not depend on them at all, but rather on qualities for which that class of persons are seldom much noted. The great bane of modern conversation is the universal prevalence of nil-admirari-ism, that ingenious device by which the dull majority is enabled to depress the healthy earnest ex- pression of stronger natures to its own low standard. Let any one reflect on what it was that charmed him most in the memorable conversation of any remarkable evening, and he will generally find that it has been owing to the presence of some one person whose genial individuality gave warmth and life to the so- cial circle, kindling even the dullest member of it into unwonted vivacity. The " diseur de bon-mote," on the other hand, acts too frequently as a wet blanket on good. fellowship. The rest of the company is either on the watch for the pearls and diamonds which are expected to fall from his lips, or vainly strives to ..--74imitate his carefully studied impromptus. The reviewer is .partly aware of this : "where there is talk of a superior 'character," he says, "it appears to affect the epigrammatic form; and.lhis is an unhealthy sign." Unquestionably it is ; all affec- tation is unhealthy: but the reviewer has not traced the evil to The Edinburgh Review. January 1858. Published by Longmans. The Quarterly Review. December 1855. Published by Murray. Elackwoad's Magazine. February 1850. Published by Blackwood and Sons. Fraser's Magazine. February 1858, Published by Parker and Son. The Dublin firrrisersity Ifeyasine, Fehraary 1866. Published by Hurst sad Blackett. its root, which lies in the tendency of what is called " good so- ciety" to suppress every manifestation of real earnestness. The result is, that a man who feels strongly on any question of im- portance and does not wish to trespass against the conventionali- ties is debarred from expressing himself in a frank, straightfor- ward, hearty style. He must either disguise his thoughts m a joke or a sarcasm, or lay his account with being set down by the 1111188 of smooth-mannered mediocrities as totally devoid of savoir vivre. An article on " The Neology of the Cloister " is devoted to an examination of the Reverend Mr. hwett's recent work on St. Paul ; which is shown to bear a most suspicious resemblance, in many of its doctrines, to the Pantheism of Emerson and other miters of the same school. Those philosophers who hold that the human mind is always swinging like a pendulum from one ex- treme to another, will fancy that they have found an illustration of their doctrine in the aberrations of the Oxford intellect. After having gone as far as possible in the direction of infallible author- ity as opposed to the right of private judgment, Oxford new produces one of the most striking examples of individual judg- ment that modern theology has known.

The readers of Blackwood's Magazine, who are familiar with " Tlepolemus," will turn with pleasure to his contribution "Touching Oxford." It is an excellent piece of reminiscent gos- sip regarding the City of Colleges and its denizens, with an ad- mixture of serious discourse on University reform. The remarks on the celibacy of the Fellows are very good. The writer gives a summary of the arguments, pro and con; but it is easy to see that his own bias is in favour of alteration. He thinks the repeal of celibacy would be a conservative change, "because it would. give individuals a more enduring interest in their University " ; an opinion in which the majority of education-reformers will co-, incide. The sketch of the river pastimes of the Oxford students in the following passage makes a pleasant picture. After a word or two against the introduction of fountains, Tlepolemus says— "Oxford must be contented with her rivers, and not babble of fountains. She is one of the few large towns singularly blest with the presence of over- flowing and ever-living water. The Isis runs beside her, covered with a fleet of pleasure-boats, probably as large as that of Athens during the Pelo- ponnesian war, to which it has been wittily compared, and in the summer days swarming in and out amongst each other like the gondolas of Venice. The Cherwell, which is a river as large as the famed Cam, or nearly so, encircles the meadows of Christchurch and Magdalen, and, with its sinuous course, and banks overshadowed with trees, presents numberless nooks of beauty and spots of refuge from the heats of summer The rivers afford an inexhaustible source of amusement, at a cheap and easy rate, to the gownsmen, who luxuriate in all sorts of boats, according to their ac- tivity or laziness—the energetic eight-oar, the social-four-oar, the friendly pair-oar, the fantastic canoe, the adventurous outrigger-shff, the dreamy sailing-boat, and the sleepy punt ; the latter having come into fashion chiefly of late years, and in the hot season, and being a method of amusement which, at the price of the violent exertion of one of the partyos purchases the perfect Tepme of the rest, who lie on their backs in boating-dresses, cigar in hand, and the fast work of-Dickens or Thackeray, chosen for its lightness, in hand, and watch over the sides the swimmings of their Skye terriers."

A short article on the great question of the day, "Lessons from the War," takes the public to task for their extravagant expect- ations, and their unreasonable complaints regarding the opera- tions of the English army: The writer, after discussing the various plans proposed for the coercion of Russia in the event of the peace-conference proving a failure, arrives at the conclusion that neither the conquest of the Crimea, the overthrow of Russian power in Asia, nor an attack on Nicolaieff, would be advisable. Instead of active operations against Russia he suggests that the Allies should leave a garrison within the lines of Wa.miesch; and, while watching and harassing the coasts of the Euxine and the Sea of Azoff with a squadron of light vessels, should withdraw their forces "from that distant and now unsatisfactory scene of operations, and convert the war into a blockade." In the same article there is an amesing passage touching the mode in which the nation, baulked of its desire for a leader, proposes to make good the deficiency—the favourite scheme of education and examina- tion of officers.

"What shadow of a chance would the most accomplished Russian officer have, if opposed to a man who could, offhand, write a short life of Milton, with dates,' perform the eudiometric analysis of atmospheric air.," tell what Bradley quartz is,' 'give a summary of Cousin's argument against the philosophy of Locke,' and draw a map of Britain in the time of the Roman occupation ".; which are a few of the achievements demanded of the candi- dates in August 1855. What is the origin of Roman satire ? ' is asked of the military aspirant by the Reverend G. Butler, one of the examiners,—who, we should think, possibly became, on the occasion, the origin of some English satire. Compose,' says another of them, the Reverend C. Trench, an essay which shall not exceed thirty lines, on the following subject : In what way may England hope to avoid such a conflict with her Colonies as led to the American War of Independence ? ' We hope Mr. Labouchere will at once see the propriety of resigning his post to the author of the prize essay on this subject, whose faculty of compendiously settling such knotty points, in thirty lines would be invaluable n the Colonial or any other department of State. 'What i at is the object,' asks J. D. Morell, Esq., 'which Kant proposed to himself in writing the °raja of Pure Reason ?'—to point out which might possibly have been acceptable to Kant himself. The Reverend R. W. Browne after demanding an explanation of the terms, Rhapsodist,' and Cycliaii Poet,' asks, 'What are the conditions most favourable to the growth of epic poetry ? '—the best answer to which we shall be happy to ac- cept as an article for the Magazine - as abro the reply to the demand a A. H. Clough, Esq., for a history of translations into English,' which we will publish in parts. Under these new conditions, we are certainly likely to get commanders such as the world never saw before. Fancy the bewilderment of poor old ;emir* prince of strategists, at being required to tell the Reverend G. Butler what he knew of the military organization of old Samnites ' !—or the perplexity of the Duke of Wellington, when requested by the Reverend Mr. Browne to 'illustrate from Romer the respect paid to the filo' of hospitality." For lovers of light literature there is an article on modern poets, in which Tennyson, Longfellow, and a few of the lesser stars are dealt with rather unceremoniously. The conclusion of "A Military Adventure in the Pyrenees" is amusing; although most readers will probably think that it is better to fix upon some spot or other in our own country as the scene of a story than any- where else in the world.

The continuation of "Kate Coventry," in Fraser, shows no falling-off. The fast young lady, whose autobiography forms the

staple of the narrative, does not certainly make much progress in her love affairs; but, by way of compensation, she seems to get on pretty rapidly in her knowledge of men and women of the world. The sermon preached at the church of Crathie before the Queen and Court, last October, by the Reverend Mr. Caird, furnishes the text for an amusing Lticle on "Scotch Preaehing and Preachers " ; in which the wonderful success of Dr. Chalmers and other eminent pulpit orators North of the Tweed is traced to the peculiar vehemence of manner which prevails in Scotland. Not that the writer is an unqualified admirer of the eloquence of the Kirk.

"Noise," he remarks, "is mistaken for animation. We have been startled on going into a little country kirk, in which any speaking above a whisper would have been audible, to find the minister, from the very be- ginning of the service, roaring as if speaking to people a quarter, of Q. mile off. Yet the rustics were still, and appeared attentive. They regarded their clergymen as a powerfu' preacher ' ; while the most nervous thought, uttered in more civilized tones, would have been esteemed unco weak.' We are speaking, of course, of very plain congregations; but among such 'a powerful preacher' means a preacher with a powerftil voice and great physical energy. "Let not English readers imagine, when we speak of the vehemence of the Scotch pulpit, that we mean only a gentlemanly degree of warmth and energy. It often amounts to the most violent melodramatic acting. Shell's Irish speeches would have been immensely popular Scotch sermons, so fares their style and delivery are concerned. The physical energy is tremendous. It is said that when Chalmers preached in St. George's, Edinburgh, the massive chandeliers, many feet off, were all vibrating. He had often to stop, exhausted, in the midst of his sermon, and have a psalm sung till he recovered breath. Caird begins quietly, but frequently works himself up to a frantic excitement, in which-his gesticulation is of the wildest, and his voice an absolute howl. One feels afraid that he may burst a blood- vessel. Were his hearers cool enough to criticize him, the impression would be at an end ; but he has wound them up to such a pitch that criticism is impossible. They must sit absolutely passive, with nerves tingling and blood pausing frequently many of the congregation have started to their feet. It may be imagined how heavily the physical energies of the preacher are drawn upon by this mode of speaking. Dr. Bennie, one of the ministers of Edinburgh. and one of the moat eloquent and effective of Scotch pulpit orators, is said to have died at an age much short of fifty, worn out by the enthusiastic animation of his style. There are some little aecessories of the Scotch pulpit which in England are unknown : such as thrashing-the hirova, Bible which lies before the minister—long p'auftes to recover breath—much wiping of the face—sudorific results to an unpleasant degree, necessitating an entire change of apparel after preaching.'

The second part of "Sin Months in India" is betterthan the for- mer part, inasmuch as it goes directly to the heart of the matter. Though mainly occupied in directing attention to the picturesque, the writer has an eye for the useful also, especially when it hap- pens to be realized on a gigantic scale. His notice of the Great Ganges Canal, for example, will , startle these who fancy that there are no great works going forward in that country, because our newspapers are not filled with long accounts of them. The following extract will give some notion of the grandeur of this undertaking, which is destined to confer so much good- upon the people of India. No Roman aqueduct, either as to size or utility, can give the faintest idea of the aqueduct of Solent -It is three miles- in length, carries the water of the canal across a valley at an elevation of twenty-seven feet above the level, crows a good-sized river on a bridge of fifteen arches, each hav- ing a span of fifty feet, and is-protected throughout by masonry walls, and has bathing or watering-places of the, same material on the water-side' for the convenience of the people. Few sights are more elevating than the view of this aqueduct from the Government foundry. The river flowing under the canal, and the canal seeming to issue from the foot of the moun- tains; the snowy range viewed in that pure and unclouded atmosphere; the smoke issuing from the furnaces, and the busy sound of the steam-engine; the elegant college for civil engineering, which is to contain a library, a museum,. a printing-press, and everything that can instruct natives in a department for which they are well fitted; the elegant church, and the nu- merous houses of the resident functionaries connected with the college, the canal, and the workshops; the reservoirs of water formed by the excavation of earth for the millions of bricks consumed in making the aqueduct; these two enormous lions which terminate the work ;—all this forms a picture gladdening to the heart, coupled, as it must be with natural reflections on the sterling advantages of such works ; and with the knowledge that on the spot now alive with the sound of wheels, furnaces, and mechanics, there was not, at the commencement of operations, so ranch as a small native village."

"Friends in Council Abroad" is continued in four successive scenes in different parts of Germany; but the principal topic is always England, and the difficulty she has and is likely to have in reforming herself socially and politically. The anecdotes, illustrations, and suggestive remarks, though not such as would please a " diseur de bon-mots," are all given in that delightfully. simple style, not unmixed with quiet humour, for which the writer has become so distinguished among modern essayists.

The discussion on a section of medical jurisprudence originated by the Burden slow-poisoning ease, which has received new impulse from the subsequent cases at Rugeley, Stafford, and i

Manchester, usefully promoted by a writer in the _Dublin University Magazine, who reviews "The Doctor in the Witness- box." The witness under cross-examination is Dr. Jackson, and a dissection of his evidence shows that the prosecution was carried 011 in direct opposition to the strongest probabilities and most.

obvious facts. The writer entirely agrees in our opinion as to the conduct of the medical witnesses in Mrs. Wooler's case, as we stated it in our number for January 12. He sums up thus-

" A medical practitioner volunteering his services in aid of the criminal police, is in as false a position as a soldier-surgeon would be who should give the coup de grace to a wounded enemy with his amputating-knife. Out of this difficulty any individual right-thinking medical man can kee

i p himself; but there s another Serbonian bog of suspicion, temptation, and

(reflecting upon the common weakness of our nature, may we not even fear) guilt, in which too many medical practitioners are swamped, hampered, and from which they tannot extricate themselves without legislative interven- tion. If there be any lesson taught more plainly than another by the Bur- den case, it is that the prescriber, and the compounder and vendor, of drugs should be distinct persons and that one should be . a cheek upon the. pro- ceedings of the other. The physician should never administer medicines: the apotheettry sheuld never prescribe them. So lone as the two arts are confounded and practised by the same hand, occasion is given for error, for negligence, for imputations founded or unfounded, and, we must say it, for the commission of crime."