The World of London. By Count Paul Vasili. (Sampson Low
and Co.)—The publishers have been obliged, they tell us, " to omit several passages which they can only regard as scandalous, if not libellous!' We commend their discretion without reserve ; but it must be confessed that what is left of Count Paul Vassili's reflec- tions on men and things as he sees them in England, after the scan. dalous and libellous matter is removed, is somewhat dull. Still there is something to be gleaned from his pages. Ills judgment about us, on the whole, is not unfavourable. About our music, however, be is exceedingly severe. This is a part of his observations which the publishers have not found it necessary to retrench. Let us hope that the suppressed passages, which presumably deal with our morals, are not in the same style. " Singers aro generally listened to, how- ever dreadful they may be ; and you cannot imagine how dreadful they are, unless you have heard young girls who think they can sing after a dozen lessons, and men who sing without any lessons at all, people who never go out without their music, even to make a call— without style, without voice, without time, and without mercy— sighing forth romances in a perfectly unintelligible language. Au Italian said to me the other day, In our country, if an animal were to make a noise like that, we should wring its neck.' " Apart from his opinions, the Count's information and facts seem generally correct. The only obvious error that has come under our notice is writing the name of Lord Faversham's seat as " Duncan," instead of " Dan- combe," Park.
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