30 MARCH 1844, Page 15

MR. HORNE'S NEW SPIRIT OP THE. AGE.

Tars book is intended as a continuation or sequel to HAZLITT's Spirit of the Age ; but it has little resemblance to that racy and characteristic work, beyond the formal similarity that follows imitation. The soundness of Ilazurr's view was at all times questionable—the reader could never place and rarely feel an implicit confidence in his judgments ; but his remarks were generally striking, his paradoxes the effect of acuteness, and often adapted to set one thinking : his style, though by no means a model to imitate, had that strength and mark which result from an original mind using language as its instrument of expression, and not submitting to words as to a primum mobile : subject, view, manner, and diction, were his own—originating in himself, not suggested by others, and possessing that spirit and that oneness which only proceed from independence of thought. In these high qualities the New Spirit of the Age is deficient ; not merely from being an imitation, but front being the work of several bands. Hence, inequality of execution, and some incon- gruity of view. There is less of this, however, than might have been expected, as the writers appear to be of one school or clique, and their peculiar notions rather than a sound judgment to have operated in the selection and treatment of their subjects. Mr. DICKENS leads off, as the leading spirit of the age ; and be is made to run in curricle with Hoamera, though there is no resemblance between them either formal or essential. The painter's manner was hard, almost to literalness ; his style dependent for effect upon the character of the subject, and the simple but powerful truth with which it was conveyed ; his failings never approached either clap- trap or the sentimental ; and his great excellence was his power 4.1elling a story—any series of Honsarru's works is a complete action, as clearly told as if narrated. The manner of DICKENS, on the contrary is genial, sometimes even to the affectation of ge- niality; his effects, as this writer is constantly showing by quo- tations of pet passages, depend upon some artifice of manner or phraseology ; claptrap is almost a staple of DICKENS, sometimes sinking to affected sentiment ; and a story he cannot construct. There is no comparison beyond "a river in Macedon," and even the water is different. Both handle low subjects; but Boz is rarely vulgar or coarse, and never, we think, hard. HOGARTH is invariably so ; and but for the clear moral purpose, and his artistic power of imitating nature, would be offensive. The persons of his " Marriage 1 la Mode," and of his "Rake's Progress," are as vulgar as those in his " Industry and Idleness," or any other piece of low life. Whether the artist intended by discarding surface-polish to show that weakness and vice are innately vulgar, or whether, as we sus- pect, he could not appreciate graces and accomplishments, is beside the question.

Other junctions are equally ill-assorted as this comparison, or more so. LEIGH HUNT pairs off with WORDSWORTH, Miss MAR- TINEAU With Mrs. JAMESON ; MONCKTON MILNES and HARTLEY COLERIDGE go together ; whilst SYDNEY SMITH, ALBANY FON- BLANQUE, and DOUGLAS JERROLD, form a trio, in which JERROLD and FONBLANQUE have nothing in common, and they can no more be compared to SYDNEY SMITH than to Hercules. The choice of names, too, sometimes seems the effect of whim, or something other than judgment. Do any of our readers happen to know the influence of" the Author of Festus" upon the spirit of the age ? The book, in short, has no right to its title, either in point of

conception or execution. It is in reality a series of magazine- articles, of varying and unequal merits. Some of these papers are poor in substance and verbose in style ; bearing no other resem- blance to HAZLITT than in taking liberties with the reader. Some possess workmanlike ability ; though they are rather reviews of something the person has done than an estimate of his character and influence upon the age. Under this category may come the paper on Dr. PUSEY, containing a brief but lucid ac- count of the Puseyite doctrines ; the notice of SOUTHWOOD SMITH and Lord ASHLEY, which involves a review of SOUTH- WOOD SMITH'S Reports on the state of Health as dependent

upon drainage et cetera, and a precis of the Commissioners'

Reports on Mines and Collieries. Other papers exhibit some peculiar knowledge of the person, with qualifications for esti- mating his career and discussing his productions : others dis- play general power, with occasional acumen ; but the power ap- pears uncultivated, or run to seed, and too often spends itself in vague or wordy generalities. There are traces, too, of personal

feeling influencing opinions, if nat.vearpingjudgmenL Discankox, and SIIERIDAM liziowass are the vehicle of a pretty elaborate sur- vey of the existing drama and dramatic literature, by,, apparentlyi, one of the "enacted dramatists." Magas:we is "damned with. faint praise," or rather with pity, for partial judgment and in selecting new pieces; thougla,, so tar as the public have means of judgment, the choice was not very extensive.

The best part of the whole are the anecdotes, or the remarks founded upon personal traits; and of such our specimens will consist.

WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR AS A BOY.

Walter Landor, when .Rugby boy, was famous, among other feats of strength and skill, for the wonderful precision with which he used a cast-net ; and he was not often disposed to ask permission of the owners of those pude or streams that suited his morning's fancy. One day a farmer suddenly came down upon him, and ordered him to desist, and give up his net. 'Whereupon Lander instantly cast his net over the farmer's head; caught him, entangled him,over- threw him, and when he was exhausted, addressed the enraged and discomfited face beneath the meshes, till the farmer promised to behave discreetly.

LANDO& A MAN.

Mr. Landor went to Paris in the beginning of the century ; where he witnessed the ceremony of Napoleon being made Consul for life, amidst the acclamations of multitudes. He subsequently saw the dethroned and deserted Emperor pass through Tours, on his way to embark, as he intended, for America. Na- poleon was attended only by a single servant, and descended at the Prefecture, unrecognized by anybody excepting Landor. The people of Tours were most hostile to Napoleon : Landor had always felt a hatred towards him ; and now he had but to point one finger at him, and it would have done what all the artillery of twenty years of war had failed to do—the people would have torn, him to pieces. Need it be said, Landor was too "good a hater," and too noble a man, to avail himself of such an opportunity. He held his breath, and let the hero pass. Perhaps, after all, there was no need of any of this hatred on the part of Mr. Landor ; who, in common with many other excessively wilful men, were probably as much exasperated at Napoleon's commanding siemens, as at his falling off from pure Republican principles. Howbeit, Laudur's great. hatred and yet "greater ' forbearance are hereby chronicled.

SECRET OF HR. JAMES'S FERTILITY IN WRITING.

If all these works were gathered together and a scrivener employed to copy, them, it would probably occupy him a longer period of fair average daily labour in the simple task of transcription than the author expended upon their com- position. To those who know how much more rapidly the invention works than the hands—how immeasurably the brain outstrips the mechanical process of the pen—this assertion will neither be new nor surprising. Yet still there remains behind this problem, how Mr. James, although he might composts faster than another person could copy, contrived both to compose and write an much within so short a period? But the problem is set at rest by the fact that. Mr. James did not write any of his works. Like Cobbett, he employs an amanuensis ; and all this long and brilliant array of historical narratives, with which the public have been so pleasantly entertained for such a series of years, have been dictated by the author while he was walking up and down his study, one after another, or sometimes, possibly, two or three at a time!

A NICE APPRECIATION OF THEODORE HOOK.

Theodore Hook possessed both wit and humour, and told a story well. Re

had great graphic powers in the ridiculous, and a surprising readiness of in- vention, or novel application. But his wit was generally malicious, and his humour satirical. If he made a sharp hit at an individual peculiarity, the point generally went through into human nature. You could not help laugh- ing, but were generally ashamed of yourself for having laughed. The objects of hie satire were seldom the vices or follies of mankind, but generally their misfortunes, or manners, or unavoidable disadvantages, whether of a physical or intellectual kind. A poor man with his mutton-hone was a rich meal for his comic muse ; and he was convulsed at the absurdity of high principles in rage or at all needy. He never made fun of a lord. He would as soon have taken the King of Terrors pickaback as made fun of a lord. He was at the head of that unfortunately large class, who think that a brilliant sally of wit or fancy, at any cost of truth or feeling, is not only the best thing in society, but the best proof of sterling genius ; and that one of the finest tests of a dashing fellow of spirit is to steal clothes, i. e. not pay a tailor's bill—nor any other bill that can be helped, it might be added. Mr. Hook was a wit about town, and

a philosopher while recovering from " the effects of last night." His writings tended to give an unfavourable view of human nature—to make one suspicious and scornful. On the whole, though you had been amused and interested as you went on, yon were left uncomturtable, and wished you could forget what you had read. • • • •

Mr. Hook had no sympathies with humanity for its own sake, but only se developed and modified by aristocratic circumstances and fashionable tastes. He was devoted to splendid externals. He may be said to have had no inner life—except that the lofty image of a powdered footman, with golden aiguillettes and large white calves, walked with a great air up and down the silent avenues of his soul. But the life of animal spirits Hook possessed in an eminent de, gree. They appeared inexhaustible; and being applied as a sort of " steam "or laughing-gas to set in motion his invention and all its fancies, and his snr- prising faculty of extemporaneous song-making, it is no weeder that his com- pany was so much in request, and that he was regarded as such a delightful time-killer and incentive to wine by the "high bloods of the upper circles." He made them laugh at good things and forget themselves. He also made them drink. Thus are red herrings and anchovies used. Sad vision of a man of genius, as Hook certainly was, assiduously pickling hie prerogative, and selling his birthright for the hard and thankless servitude of pleasing idle hour. and pampered vanities. The expenses, the debts, the secret drudgery, the splitting headaches and heart's misery he incurred, in order to nituutain his false position in these circles, are well known ; and furnish one more warning to men of genius and wit, of bow dearly, how ruinously they Lase to pay for an invitation to a great dinner and a smile from his Grace. The wan of moderate means, who usually dines at home, saves money besides his independ- ence; but the man who is always "dining out," let him looa to his pocket as well as his seal.