NARRATIVE OF LITERATURE AND ART.

THE elevation of Lord Campbell to the highest seat of Common Law magistracy should not pass without
recognition from the class to which he once belonged. This distinguished lawyer began his career as a
member of the public press, and has never lost sight of its interests, or ceased to refer with pride to his
former participation in them. His most important legislative act was the amendment of the law of libel
as more particularly affecting newspapers; and it is not many months since he made the ingenuous
avowal, that he would rather have the fame of a poem of Pope's, than the highest reputation obtainable in
Westminster Hall. It is this catholic appreciation of merit in other liberal pursuits, and this generous tone of
ambition, hardly less than great qualities as a lawyer, diversified power of application, and shrewd general
knowledge of the world, which mark him out for that higher duty than a mere black-letter lawyer could ever
satisfactorily discharge, of presiding over the English Common Law, and giving tone to the practice of the
bar, as well as dignity to the bench. How remarkable in this respect was his predecessor! What a dignity he
imparted to the profession itself by his learning and courage, by his firmness and impartiality, by his high sense
of honour, and scrupulous regard for truth. Through even occasional errors of perhaps hasty judgment,
what a uniform and noble contempt there shone for everything mean or unworthy. Lord Denman's fame as
a lawyer has been eclipsed by many less distinguished men; but there was a moral majesty in the character
of his mind, which pervaded all its manifestations. The noble features of his face expressed it, as well as
the grand yet sweet expression of his voice. His spirit never rose to such heights of unfaltering boldness as
at what seemed the approach of danger; and in times more remarkable for greatness than our own, he
would have carried off yet greater distinction.

The most remarkable publication of the past month
has been the new, revised, and greatly enlarged edition
of Dr. Lingard's History of England. It is in ten
octavo volumes; and the additions relate chiefly to the
reigns of Henry the Eighth and Elizabeth, and to the
efforts of Catholicity, after the Commonwealth, to resist
the penal laws, and retrieve some part of its losses
consequent on the Reformation. This book now takes its
place in the literature of England as the Roman Catholic
exposition of her history. There is as little doubt of the
merits and claims of the author, as that the leanings of
his profession are plainly discernible wherever
circumstances call them forth. So long as nothing brings in
question the faith and heroism of his church, there is no
guide that may be followed more implicitly through a
dark and doubtful period. But let his professional
partiality be once engaged, and infallibly the reader will
rise from his History, be the matter in question what it
will, with a much stronger bias to particular views than
he will even be conscious to have derived from the
historian. The tact of Dr. Lingard amounts to genius.
You think he is most candid at the very times when
that quality is most absent in him. His air of
dispassionateness seems to cool the most burning heats,
while it is all the while fanning and increasing them.
So much by way of warning against a book, which may
not be consulted without danger, yet cannot without
loss be put aside, by any student of the English history.

Another important publication of the month has been
the additional instalment of two volumes of Mr. Grote's
History of Greece, bringing down this great work to
the period of the death of Socrates. These volumes are
chiefly remarkable for the new use to which the great
history by Thucydides is applied, and for the original
views that are taken of the position and teaching of the
Athenian sophists.

The other leading books of the month have been of a
slighter kind; but not deficient either in value or
interest. They comprise a series of clever and graceful
sketches of Woman in France in the Eighteenth.
Century, by Miss Kavanagh; a vivid picture of the late
war in Hungary, in Memoirs of a Hungarian Lady by
Madame Pulzsky; two skilful novels, though of
qualities opposite as their subjects,—the one a tale of domestic
life, called Pride and Irresolution, the other a romance
of the irruption of the barbarians into Rome, called
Antonina; and, finally, a little volume of useful hints
on questions of parliamentary conduct and reform,
entitled A Career in the Commons.

To this latter political treatise another, of notable merit,
may be added before closing our brief review. This is
a somewhat remarkable pamphlet by a practical political
economist, Mr. Warde Norman, of which the object is to
prove, by an Examination of some prevailing Opinions
as to the Pressure of Taxation in this and other Countries,
first, that a certain amount of state-taxation less
seriously impedes the progress of the general prosperity
than is commonly supposed; secondly, that the fuller
expenditure and consequent taxation of Great Britain
will fairly bear comparison with that of other large
civilised countries, comparative wealth and resources
being taken in account; and, thirdly, that the
prevailing opinion of the prodigal expenditure of the
British government, in proportion to the results
obtained, or tested by the expenditure of other great and
civilised countries for similar purposes, is capable of
disproof. Of course, the general basis of these comparisons
is relative power to bear taxation; but the knowledge
brought to the illustration of the subject is worthy of
attention, and the results are really striking. It is at
least proved by the writer that the Continental
countries have fewer advantages, in respect to taxation,
than have been, without due investigation, generally
attributed to them.

Her Majesty's Theatre opened on the 12th, with the
Medea of Mayer, the heroine being performed by Mdle.
Parodi, and a ballet called Les Metamorphoses, in
which the favourite Carlotta Grisi appeared. The
house was fully and fashionably attended. On the 21st,
Mr. Sims Reeves made a successful début in the character
of Ernani.

The Royal Italian Opera at Covent Garden, opened
on the 16th, with an Italian version of the Freischutz.
Herr Formes was the Caspar, and Madame Castellan
the Agatha. This theatre, also, was quite full.

An elegant little piece, called The Poet's Slave,
founded on the French comedy of L'Esclave de Camoens ,
has been produced at the Olympic with success. It is
from the pen of Mrs. Seymour, who plays the part of
the heroine.

A piece, called The Vicar of Wakefield, has been
performed at the Strand theatre, and two dramatists have
been disputing about its authorship; a thing not worth
disputing about, Goldsmith's novel having already been
dramatised by Thomas Dibdin and others.

Much Ado About Nothing was performed at the
Haymarket on the 11th, for the benefit of Mr. and Mrs.
Kean; the Queen and Prince Albert being present.
They also honoured with their presence the benefit of
Mdlle. Charton, on the 13th, at the St. James's, when
Auber's opera of Le Maçon was performed.

The Philharmonic Society commenced its thirty-
eighth series of annual performances on the 4th. The
concert was of the usual degree of excellence. Miss
Louisa Pyne made her first appearance before the
Philharmonic audience, and went through this severe
ordeal very successfully. The second concert was on
the 18th.