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polka. We wonder how the Bostonese do these things. The dúvero say that they have metaphysical cotillons at the modern Athens, and discuss Wordsworth amid the mazes of la Trénis. Awful and stunning idea!

tuous, solemn, and in diamonds. They talked in English, not in bad French, as they do in the novels. They talked about each other's houses, and characters, and families; just as the Joneses do about the Smiths. Beeky's former acquaintances hated and envied her; the poor woman Rebecca is apt to be bored, as all peoherself was yawning in spirit. I wish I ple who live merely to amuse and gratify were out of it,' she said to herself. 'I themselves are. If she finds town-society would rather be a parson's wife and teach stupid, she is not more pleased with mora Sunday-school than this; or a sergeant's alizing at her brother-in-law's. lady and ride in the regimental waggon; ar O, how much gayer it would be to wear spangles and trowsers, and dance before a booth at a fair.'"

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"It isn't difficult to be a country gentleman's wife,' Rebecca thought. I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a-year. I could dawdle about in the nursery and count the apricots on the wall. I could water plants in a green-house and pick off dead leaves from the geraniums. I could ask old women about their rheumatisms, and order shouldn't miss it much out of five thousand ahalf-a-crown's worth of soup for the poor. I year. I could even drive ten miles to dine at a neighbor's, and dress in the fashions of the year before last. I could go to church and keep awake in the great family pew; or go to sleep behind the curtain with my veil down, if I only had practice. I could pay everybody if I had but the money. That is what the conjurers here pride themselves on doing."

Not being at all in the diplomatic way and very little in the fashionable way, we have had small personal experience of "the very best English society-the Almacks and Morning Post people to wit. So far as we did see any of it, we thought it marvellously slow, and by no means distinguished for taste, a great deal of solid material and resources badly developed, beautiful diamonds on ugly dowagers, ugly dresses on handsome bellesfor, règle générale, all the English women dress badly, and all the men dress alike, namely, in brass-buttoned blue coats, white ties and waistcoats. In the easy, natural, frock-coat-and-no-straps part of life, honest Bull shines out; but in all matters of fashionable elegance, he is nowhere in comparison with his neighbor Crapeau-nay, can hardly hold a candle to his young brother Jonathan whom he sometimes affects to despise as a semibarbarian. By the way, what a chapter or two an American Titmarsh might make of our "" upper ten thousand!" [keep quiet, N. P. W.; we haven't the remotest idea of alluding to you: you couldn't do it;] the handsome little silly girls just from boarding-school; the little-men they call themselves-equally silly but not equally handsome, just from boarding-how much worse in a woman! school too, only it is called a university; here and there a juvenile lion who has brought the last variety of vests and vices from dear, delightful, dissipated Parisor perchance a real Parisian, baron or marquis, sent by subscription of a club with three changes of linen, to marry an heiress if he can get one-not forgetting the four great facts of a Gothamite ball, champagne, oysters, charlotte-russe and

And yet there is much enjoyment in the life of a country-gentleman's wife, or a country gentleman in England or America; but it is enjoyment only for those who like simple and natural pleasures-and Becky did not like simple pleasures. She disliked children, as we have mentioned. A terrible trait that even in man-unless, like William Pitt, he is a great statesman at twenty-one, and has to defend his country against the world, when he may be excused from possessing any of the domestic affections in consideration of the work he has to do. The man who, having leisure to love children, hates them—that man we would not trust with our purse, our secrets, our character, our life. But

It would take too long to follow Becky through her chequered career-her grand catastrophe, her exile, her ultimate partial recovery. Many of our readers were more or less familiar with her before seeing these remarks of ours; and such as are not, must have been tempted ere this to resolve that they will go to the fountain-head for information about her. We have only to observe, before taking leave of her, the

skill which her biographer displays in lightly passing over some of the diabolical scenes she is concerned in, such for instance as "her second appearance in the character of Clytemnestra." Your true artist will produce infinitely more effect by just hinting at a horror, than a secondrate man can work by going into the most elaborate details.*

Some notice should be taken of the Osbornes and Sedleys who make up the underplot of the story. We have some suspicion that Thackeray finished up old Osborne, the purse-proud merchant, more carefully than he had intended at first, in opposition to Mr. Dombey, to show his view of such a character in opposition to that of Dickens. If such a comparison is challenged, there can be no doubt that so far as verisimilitude and nature are concerned, Mr. Osborne, Sr., has it by long odds. There never was such a merchant or man of business at all as Mr. Dombey. His calm, icy pride is not the pride of a merchant at all; it would be in character for a nobleman or a gentleman of old family. We wonder Dickens did not make him one or the other. There was nothing in the exigencies of the story to forbid it. Noblemen are ruined easily enough nowa-days-witness the Duke of Buckingham, who has just been sold out as completely as the veriest Wall-street speculator, to the great joy of all radicals. Nor is Mr. D. let down and made to relent in a natural, gradual and plausible way, as Mr. O. is; but taken off the stage as melo-dramatically as he was brought on.

The loves and fortunes of young Os

* We noticed a remarkable instance of this ten years ago. No one who has read Oliver Twist can forget the tremendous power with which the last scenes in the life of the miserable old Jew, Fagan, are worked out; but of the very las tscene of all-of his actual execution-there is not a word. Contemporary with Oliver Twist, appeared an Irish story by one of the Irish novelists, which terminated with the execution of the principal villain. Every attendant circumstance was minutely worked out, and "the agony piled up" uncommonly high; but after all the thought struck us immediately, "How much less impression is made by all these terrifying minutiae than by the half dozen lines in which Boz informs us that Mr. Brownlow and Oliver, in coming out of Newgate, saw the sheriff's preparations for the May's tragedy."

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borne and Amelia Sedley, are designed to carry out still further the attack on what formed one of the strongest topics of denunciation in the "Snob Papers,”—that heartless system (flourishing to perfection in France, but deep-rooted enough in England) which considers matrimony as the union, not of a young man to a young woman, but of so much to so much. A splendid theme for indignant declamation, and one in which the satirist is sure to meet with much sympathy from the young of both sexes. But we must remember that the principle of union for love has, like all principles, its limitations. That two young people, long and fondly attached to each other, should be afraid to marry because they would be obliged to drop a little in the social scale, and deny themselves some of the outward luxuries they enjoy separately; that they should sacrifice their hearts to those abominable dictates of fashion which Titmarsh has summed up in his Snob Commandment, "Thou shalt not marry unless thou hast a Brougham and a man-servant;" this is truly matter of indignation and mourning, against which it is not possible to say too much. But we must also protest against the opposite extreme-the inference drawn from an extension of our principle-that love ought to overcome and exclude all objections, want of principles and character in the man for instance; or utter want of means on both sides to support a family; or even

what is generally the first thing to be disregarded in such cases-incompatibility of relations and friends. Sentimentalists talk as if love were to be the substitute for, or at least the equal of religion, (it is the only religion of the French writers,) whereas, in truth, it is no more infallible in its decis ions or imperative in its claims than ambition, or courage, or benevolence, or various other passions, which, either indifferent or positively laudable in themselves, are liable to sad perversion and exaggeration. The lover makes great sacrifices for his mistress; so does the ambitious man for his ambition; the covetous man for his fortune; and, to take a passion wholly and unmitigatedly bad, the vindictive man for his revenge. In all these cases the sacrifices are made for the same end-the securing of a desired object for self; but because, in the first case, the object of de

sire is not the possession of a mere abstraction like fame, or of a mere material like money, but of another human being, therefore love has the appearance of being the most disinterested and self-sacrificing of the passions, while it is, in reality, generally the most selfish. Is this view a soulless and worldly one? We appeal to your own experience, reader. Of all the pur sang love-matches you have knownmatches where one or more of the impedidents we have mentioned existed-how many have turned out happily? Nay, we appeal to Titmarsh himself and his own characters in this very book. Would it not have been a thousand times better for Amelia if she had married Dobbin in the first place? And might not George as well have taken Miss Schwartz as wed Amelia one month and been ready to run away with another woman the next?*

We must take leave of Titmarsh ; for he is carrying us off into all sorts of digressions. We never were so long filling the same number of pages as we have been on the present occasion, for whenever we opened the book to make an extract we were tempted to read on, on, on-the

* This is an element that never enters into the sentimentalist's calculation-if sentimentalists ever make calculations-the inconstancy of love. Could the continuance of a first passion be insured, there would be more excuse for putting it above prudence, and duty, and filial affection; but alas! it often vanishes in what D'Israeli not unfelicitously calls "a crash of iconoclastic sur

feit," and then, when that, for which everything was given up, becomes itself nothing, the reaction

is awful.

same things which we had read a dozen times-but there was no resisting. And when we resolutely turned our back to his people, it was only to think, and reason, and argue about them. How many of the hundreds of novels, published every year, leave any impression in your mind or give you one afterthought about any character in them? It is easy to take exceptions to the book-we have taken our share; we might go on to pick out little slips, instances of forgetfulness, as where we are told first that Amelia Sedley is not the heroine, and two or three pages after that she is; or when the climate of Coventry Island is so bad that no office will insure Rawdon's life there, yet in the very same number it is mentioned how much his life-insurance cost him. But, say what you will, the book draws you back to it, over and over again. Farewell then, O Titmarsh! Truly, thou deservest better treatment than we can give thee. Thy book should be written about in a natural, even, continuous, flowing style like thine own, not in our lumbering paragraphs, that blunder out only half of what we mean to say. And do thou, O reader, buy this book if thou hast not bought it; if thou hast, throw it not away into the chiffonier-basket as thou dost many brownpaper-covered volumes; but put it into a good binding and lay it by--not among the works that no gentleman's library should be without "--but somewhere easy of access; for it is a book to keep and read, and there are many sermons in it.

C. A. B..

FOREIGN MISCELLANY.

THE weather in England, during the few weeks preceding, and at the time of harvest, has been exceedingly unfavorable, so much so that it is anticipated the crop will be short in quantity and of an inferior quality on the whole. The potato disease has also again made its appearance in Ireland to a very considerable extent, and large quantities will doubtless be entirely lost; but as the amount planted is very far greater than that of any previous year, it is hoped the quantity secured will be enough to prevent any serious results. This is, however, still a matter of considerable doubt. The full returns of the harvest are looked for with great anxiety, and the experience of recent years was sufficient to produce great alarm at the bare idea of scarcity.

The British Parliament has closed its session, and the Premier, Lord John Russell, has gone to Ireland to consult with the Lord Lieutenant on the present state of that part of the kingdom; and from personal observation and inquiries made on the spot, to prepare such measures to be submitted by the Government at the next session, as may appear advisable. In the event of the scarcity of food being so great as to cause serious ground for apprehension, the Parliament will be called together at an early period. The Chartists have been busy in various parts: on the 16th of August, a small party who were armed with pistols, swords, &c., were captured by the police at a small public house in London, and like arrests have been made in various other towns. The numbers congregated on these occasions have been small, and the police appear to have such accurate information of their movements, that there is hardly a chance for them to perpetrate mischief to any extent. All those who have been arrested have been committed for trial, and a considerable number of those previously arrested have been found guilty, and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. No difficulty has been found in bringing the guilty to justice; and the physical force doctrines are repudiated by a great many who profess themselves favorable to the six points.

The energetic measures of the Government have completely rendered abortive the intended rising in Ireland; indeed, the result has shown that the disaffection was confined to a much smaller portion of the population than was imagined, and that there was but little real enthusiasm to support it. On the announcement that warrants were issued under the late act, the leaders scattered themselves through the country and used all possible means to evade

capture. Instead of a general rising being to consequence, the guns and pikes were ha and the people even hesitated to give shelter the leaders for fear of bringing themele within the provisions of the law. Smith O'Br wearied with fatigue and disappointment, afe being hunted from place to place and find it difficult to procure shelter, resolved to retar to his home, and endeavor to conceal him there until a chance of escape should occu Being chased from one retreat to another by parties of military and police, and in constan danger of arrest, he entered the town of The on the evening of the 5th of August, and pro ceeded to the railway station. Having he recognized in the town, he was arrested just he was proceeding to take his place in the seeond class cars for Limerick; and by six o'clock on the following morning he arrived at Data when he was immediately sent to Kilmainham jail on a charge of high treason. At the ti of his arrest he had not changed his linen for a week, and must have walked twenty-five miles from his place of concealment in the Keepe mountain. A very large number of arrests have been effected, in which are included Meager "of the sword," and Messrs. O'Donoghoe and Leyne, who were seized at Rathcahill, near Thurles, disguised as peasants. Some Ameri cans have also been arrested, but several of those implicated as leaders have succeeded in making their escape. The law courts bawe also been busy. O'Doherty of the Trim has been tried for sedition, when the jury could not agree; he was again tried, but the jury was discharged without returning a verdict, in con sequence of the illness of two of the members; a physician, who was called in, having declared that further confinement would affect them se riously. Martin, of the Felon, has been con victed of sedition, and sentenced to ten years transportation. The carelessness of Smith O'Brien is likely to prove serious to some of his friends, for at the time of his arrest a large portion of his correspondence was in a carpe bag at Cashel, which was discovered through means of a letter sent by him to his corres pondent there. A letter from Duffy of the Nation was also found on O'Brien's person at the time of his arrest, in consequence of which the charge against the latter for felony is abandoned, and he will have to meet the gra ver charge of high treason. The latest ac counts from Ireland state the country to be tranquil, and that a large portion of the military and naval force is about to be withdrawn.

A forced tranquillity is maintained in France;

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"They declare that those decrees are an attack by the Executive Government on the rights of the legisative powers, on the rights of the National Assembly, (for a decree published even with this formality prefixed, 'the Council of Ministers having examined,' cannot annul the effects and guarantee of a law.)

"They declare that those decrees are equivalent to the suppression of the liberty of the press, inasmuch as the effect of them is not only to suspend a certain number of journals, but to deprive those which are not suspended of that sense of se curity, without which there is no longer either independence or liberty in the most moderate exercise of the least suspected right.

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They declare, in conclusion, that those decrees create a regime incomparably worse than that of censorship, for according to a definition borrowed from the National of the 5th of August, 1835, "The censorship mutilates, but it does not imprison, nor does it ruin.'

but the continuance of the military dictatorship | by the National Assembly, but neither of these of Gen. Cavaignac, the state of siege, and the penalties are to be found in such lawvast army congregated in Paris, show the great apprehension of the rulers and the discontent of the people, or at least of a very great portion of them. A draft of the proposed Constitution has been submitted to the National Assembly, in which France is declared to be a Republic, one and indivisible," with the motto of Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality;" but as yet more pressing matters have prevented that body from entering upon a discussion of its merits. The trial of the parties implicated in the outbreak of June last, proceeds in private and with great rapidity; the dungeons are being fast cleared, and the convicted are forwarded by hundreds to the seaports to be embarked for transportrtion. However necessary these proceedings may be, they with others show that at present there is not even the shalow of liberty in France. The socialists are still said to be extremely numerous in Paris and other large towns, and to keep up a contant and active correspondence. In Lyons heir influence is said to be greater even than n Paris; and in Tours (generally a peaceable ty) their numbers exceed 4500. With the resent military organization no great appreension is entertained of their venturing on an mtbreak, but their numbers and activity are onstant causes of alarm, and during the ronth of August Paris was in a state of feversh excitement consequent on their reported inction with the legitimists, with whom they rere said to have entered into a compact to verthrow the present system, their previous úlure having induced them to make common use for that purpose with the adherents of Henry the Fifth."

The law requiring caution money from the ablishers of newspapers has been followed by decree, published in the Moniteur of August 2, which subjects writers to a fine from 300 to 100 francs, and to imprisonment from 3 months 5 years, for offences against the rights or auority of the chief of the Executive, against epublican institutions, the Constitution! the inciple of the sovereignty of the people, and iversal suffrage; and to fine and imprisonent for other offences. On the 7th of August lecree of Gen. Cavaignac, chief of the execue power, removed the suspension pronounced the 27th June, against eleven of the Paris wspapers, and on the 21st another decree m the same source suppressed four of the mmunist journals. In addition to these atks on the press, several editors having been ested without any legal sanction for such a ceeding, a meeting of the Parisian journalwas held on the 24th August, when a strong I energetic remonstrance and protest was pted, in which, after stating that the law anded by the present government for punng offences of the press had been enacted

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"They protest, with all the energy of their convictions, and with all the power of their right, against the decree of the Executive Government, in virtue of which several journals have been suppressed, and several writers have been arrested without trial."

On the presentation of this protest, General Cavaignac is reported to have said, "Your application does you honor; it is your duty to protest, as it is mine to suspend. I will not do less with the Constitutionnel, if it continues its attacks on the Republic in favor of monarchy. I have in a friendly way caused its editors to be informed that if they continue their polemics in favor of a dynasty which I feel honor in having served, but which I will have nothing more of, as France will have nothing more of it, I will suspend the Constitutionnel without more hesitation than I suspended the Lampion. The Republic is still in its infancy; it is too weak to resist the journalists of the opposition; when it shall have grown, you shall have a carte blanche to attack it." Thus it appears that no opposition to the present system is to be tolerated, that liberty of the press is extinct, and editors are at the mercy of a military dictator.

During the month of August there were various causes for alarm in Paris. On the 17th, a large mass of the wives and daughters of the imprisoned insurgents proceeded towards the National Assembly, to present a petition for an amnesty. From apprehension that this demonstration might cause an émeute all the avenues were occupied with troops, and the procession was stopped at the advanced posts, from whence the petition was forwarded to the Assembly. Rumors were also afloat of an intended "legitimate" rising, but owing to the precautionary measures, tranquillity was not disturbed. It is said that but a small part of the men registered in the late ateliers nationaux have ever quitted Paris, by far the greater portion still remain

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