Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 57, No. 355, May 1845Various
Philosophy
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 57, No. 355, May 1845
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
In a recent number of this Magazine, we took occasion to animadvert on the
conceit and presumption of certain tourists who imagine themselves
qualified by a flying visit to write their opinions concerning a country
and people, thus doing grievous injustice to those they write about, and
sadly misleading any credulous portion of the public which may be beguiled
into reading and placing confidence in their lucubrations. It has been
seen that no such reproach can be addressed to the author of the book we
are now noticing, who has moreover performed his labour, which was no
light one, in a conscientious and creditable manner, without prejudice,
favour, or affection. We scarcely think he does full justice to Espartero,
whom we must still persist in considering the most estimable and
respectable of the Spanish public men of the day. He may not possess the
glowing and fascinating eloquence of an Olozaga, nor the fierce energy of
a Narvaez; but neither has he the versatile insincerity of the former, nor
the unscrupulous and brutal recklessness of the latter. He has not, like
Olozaga, according to the uncontradicted testimony of Roca de Togores in
the Cortes, "broken faith with all parties;" nor did he ever, like
Narvaez, cause his dragoons to charge inoffensive crowds, assembled by
invitation of their rulers to celebrate saint-days or national festivals.
Our author's general remarks on the state of Spain, of its people and
prospects, are acute and sensible; and they also coincide in great measure
with as much as has been said on those subjects by one or two recent and
intelligent travellers in the Peninsula. In short, setting aside a slight
occasional tendency to high colouring, more calculated, however, to amuse
than mislead, the principal fault we have to find with the book is its
title. After the deluges of Mysteries and Revelations that has been poured
upon the shoulders of the reading public during the last two or three
years, commencing with the rhapsodies of Sue and company, and continued
through countless varieties by writers of every degree on both sides the
Channel, we really cannot think that such a title as "Revelations" of any
thing will tend to prepossess the public in favour of the work it
designates. One frequently sees books of very small merit, or of none at
all, ushered into the world under some highly enticing name, conveying the
idea that the author has expended at his bantling's christening the whole
of his diminutive modicum of talent. Here, however, is an example of the
opposite mode of proceeding; a title that we must decidedly condemn, given
to a book of much interest and utility--a book which, from its liveliness,
and the amount of anecdote and light matter it contains, will be read by
many who would shrink from the perusal of a mere dry statistical work.
AESTHETICS OF DRESS.
NO. III.
THE CUT OF A COAT AND THE GOOD OF A GOWN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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