ENGLISH MAGAZINES FOR JANUARY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1784, 8 April 1863, Page 3

ENGLISH MAGAZINES FOR JANUARY.

MACMU.LAN'S. The Christmas number of Macmillan seoms to , have in some degree profited by the general liveliness of the season. Ifc is, perhaps, beyond hope that this magazine should contain nothing dull, ns that is one of its grand characteristics, by way, wo suppose, of contrast — one or two really 'brilliant papers, and much dullness to set thorn off. As we said, however, the January number is wonderfully free from this prevailing vife of the magazine. "The Prins at Hampstead" with which the number begins, is a strange, and very fanciful day-dream of things as they have been," might bo, and should be, anything but as they are. To some readers it may prove tiresome, but there are others to whom it w ill be really a treat. The writing suits admirably with' the subject, and both do credit to the author. It is followed by a really curious and amusing paper upon the "History of Almanacks," which enters iuto a vast variety of curious details regarding almnnaclcs, principally defunct numbers of the class that have earned for themselves au unusual reputation, either by their success, thoir curious efforts to obtain it, or some other remarkable peculiarity. The author shows a vast amount of curious knowledge of his subject and docs not, as is but too common with Macmillan contributors, coiistantly push that knowledge obtrusively into notice. It will afford pleasant reading to most persons who enjoy a wcll-writton article at any time. "Vinccngo; or Sunken Rocks" has now by porno means become ihe first story — in place at lenst — in the magazine. We confess ourselves partial to tho old plan of keeping the leading tale in tho loading place. And if any one means to suppose that the editor of Macmillan considers " Vincengo " the lending tale in his magazine, we beg leave to differ with him. We scarcely think that even Professor TGngsley's clever fairy talc, or whatever he is pleased to name it, fitted for the position of leading story in a leading magazine ; but certainty " Vincengo" is much less so. " Whist " is an interesting article on a subject of wide inteiest, E\ cry one plays whist, and, of course, it would be w ell if everyone could play it properly. The article before us aims at producing this desirable result. While educational, however, in its object, it is both interesting and amusing;, and w ill. doubtless, conduce to making many good, or at least fair players of Ihe game. Of " Water Babies " we have the skth instalment ; but whether it is approaching a termination ov not \\ c confess ourselves totally incompetent to sny. [t is as quaintly ■written as cAcr, and as a more piece of composition is pleasant to read ; but we cannot help fancying that it will disappoint when viewed as a whole. The great fault— noticeable already — of having a view to two totally difi'erent classes of readers, which is, or at least is made to appear, the object of the writer, tends in some degree to unfit the work for cither class. Some of it is a little childish in our estimation, •while the allusions and general scope of the work is entirely beyond the reach of any child's mind w ith which w c are acquainted. We suppose, how ever, that '• The Water .Babies " are the real attraction of the magazine at present, and we arc not surprised that it is so. There arc two thoroughly ' Maemillan ' articles in the number ; the one on the principles of international law as regards neutrals, the other on " Political Economy and the Gospel." Both are heai y ; tlie former the worst if anything, but neither, we fancy, readable bv nine-tenths of the subscribers to the magazine. " The Bishop and the Philosopher " is an article of a totally different character, from the ever-graceful pen of Ma I hew Arnold. It is a critique from a literary point of view of the much-talked-of work by Bishop Colenso on the authority of the Pentateuch. The treatment of the subject is a masterly one, and docs but little for the Bishop's literary reputation. But the most remarkable feature of the paper is the comparison which Mr. Arnold draws between the Bishop's attempts at a philosophical view of the inspiration of Scripture and that of the famous Spinoza The comparison, we are bound to say, does not redound at all to the ad\ antage of the churchman. There is no better article in the magazine than this, and, indeed, we doubt whether a more interesting one is to be found in the range of the magazines for January. The poetry is not notable w ith the exception of a pretty piece by Miss Muloch on " Waits."

TEMPLE BAtt. " Temple Bar" is usually one of the most readable magazines, if not actually one of the best. Nor does its Christmas number at all fall below its usual standard. The number begins with Mi<.s Braddon's new story of "John Marchmont's Legacy" -which promise 1 ! to bo a good story of the type of " Lady Audley's Seerct." The type is not a lofty one it is true, but does excellently well for enhancing the interest of a magazine. We cannot say we .see any of those marks of improvement which might certainly be looked for from so promising a writer, and one who has so recently begun to write. "Breakfast in Bed," or Philosophy between the Sheets, is one of those amusing view s of things in general in which the editor of Temple Bar so excels. The subject ostensibly discussed is the pre\ ailing madness, and in the course of it the writer proves most amusingly and .satisfactorily ilint every one saving the very stupid is necessarily mad. The whole thing is highly ingenious and very ludicrous. "On Crowds" is another of the same class of articles, aud we suspect by the same hand. London crowds, and the frequent mention of Hogarth remind us irresistibly of the famous papers on that great painter's life and times in the Cornhill. The sketches of the " jVcw spaper Press in America " arc very interesting, and often are not a little amusing. The Biographical Sketch of Mr. Gordon Bennett, the proprietor and editor of the Now Yovlc Il^altl, is one of the most curious with which have met. It forms by no means an uninstrnctive study, whcii wo consider the vast amount of influence possessed by the newspaper press upon the Society of America, how such mon as Gordon Bennett must have contributed to lower and vitiate the tastp and opinions of the enormous public whom his vastly-circulated journal enabled him to reach. The editor's story, " Captain Dangerous " continues to be as lively and as nmusing, without being intrinsically one whit more artistic in its treatment than his former works, such as the famous "Seven Sons of Mammon " of whom only three were- over men* tioned in the story. We almost wonder whothor Mr. Salakeops copies of his former chapters by him when he writes his monthly chapter. Many vendors will doubtless enjoy it, however, as each of its chapters is really admirable in itself, although often very awkward as part of the talc. The chapter before us is a very favourable specimen of the story. "How a Blind Man Saw the Exhibition," is a very interesting paper, and only wants tho undoubted stamp of truth to rendor it still more so. We confess we have experienced some doubts about the author's blindness at times as we read. Bo this however as it may, tho descriptions arc higlily ingenious, and, if not by a blind man, argue a great power of thi'owing the mind into an imaginary situation in no common degre. " Tho Good Old Times of Thieving" is curious, but more so than interesting in our opinion. We confess to a very small degree indeed of Jack Slicppardism in our composition, and would rather see thieves safely cared for in a treadmill than know very much of their horoic exploits in the pursuit of their calling, " Aurora Floyd" is completed in this number, and ends perhaps a shade more feobly than it need have done. No one, of course, dreams respecting a probable termination of such novels as those of Miss Braddon, but we do expect something piquant to the very last when we get nothing^ else For our money. " Off the Bails " and "Education, Ancient and Modern" are both good of their lcind, and each will find a class of readers who will fully value their really Sterling roertte,