tify themselves with us in sentiment as in in- is one of affectionate regard and attachment terest. to the mother country, and only by the most When we can point to such magnificent re- perverse and vexatious interference can these sults of the system of colonial enfranchisement feelings be overcome. Of these things no -when we can show that the prosperity and statesman can plead ignorance with the excontentment of our colonies vary much more ample of Canada to warn and to instruct him. in proportion to the degree in which the When governed by the Colonial-office, noColonial-office leaves to them the management thing could exceed her alienation and disof their own affairs than in proportion to their content. When governed by herself, words acquired or natural advantages-we must ex- are weak to do justice to her loyalty and atpress our surprise that the Canadian system tachment. The whole secret of binding tohas not been made universal, and that so many gether our great empire by an indissoluble and such important settlements are still left chain is to respect the rights of every part of in a state of dependance on remote authority, it, and to treat our fellow-subjects so well that with just enough of freedom to excite their they shall have no desire for a change. This aspirations, and a constant and vexatious in- has already been done in North America; terference to irritate their passions. The na- how long are we to wait for its accomplishment tural and normal state of every British colony in Australia ?

A STEAM BATTERY.

A CAPITAL JOKE appeared the other day in the Times. A correspondent of that journal proposed to batter Sebastopol by means of Perkins's Steam-gun. This proposal has no doubt excited as much laughter as the very best thing in Joe Miller. Of course it is perfectly absurd. Why? Oh, nonsense! Yes, but why absurd? Oh, fiddlestick! - pack of stuff! Nay, but, how so? How? why, of course, the thing is impossible that is, impracticable-in other words, can't be

done.

that our missiles are capable of demolishing its walls. We try all this at enormous expense: and why? Because it is usual; because it is the regular thing: because we do.

If we were to try the Steam-gun and fail, the Russians would laugh at us. Of course, they don't laugh at us when our vessels run aground, or our shot and shell fall short.

If we fail-we fail: and it is a failure to the

of one

extent of the cost of the experiment. Is the risk equal to that of one transport in a stormregiment in a battle? If we succeed- only think What a laughable idea was that of Steam- how much we save. What fun that would be. navigation when first started! When it became So let us laugh at the mention of Perkins's a fact, how ridiculous was the hope of its utility Steam-gun-but laugh to think that it is not to any extent! That hope, however, having been tried laugh with Mr. Bright, and the Greeks, justified, how unreasonable it was to expect that and the Russians-laugh on the other side of the a steam-vessel would ever cross the Atlantic; mouth than the right.-Punch. and how utterly preposterous was the chimera of railroads !— Haw, haw, haw! chorused the old gentlemen, and some of the young ones, at each of these anticipated failures in succession-heehaw! The impossibilities all came to pass, though.

Nevertheless, let us laugh at the suggestion of trying Perkins's Steam-gun against Sebastopol. To be sure the son of Mr. Perkins declares that he is "prepared to undertake to supply the Government with a Steam-gun capable of throwing a ball of a ton weight a distance of five miles." It is true that he adds the assurance that, with such a gun, fixed in Brunel's large ship of 10,000 tons, Sebastopol might be destroyed without [our] losing a man." No doubt that to throw a ball of a ton weight five miles, by steam, may be a less difficult thing than to drag several tons, any number of miles, three or four times faster than a stage-coach. But, then, fancy a gun loaded with steam instead of powder! What a queer gun! And a bullet of a ton weight! Imagine such an odd projectile. It strikes one as so droll. Ho, ho! Try it? Oh, pooh!

Yet we do try some things which we are by no means sure will answer. We try expeditions without knowing what force they will have to encounter. We try to batter a fortress by means of ordinary ordnance, without being at all certain

THE ceremony known as "the trial of the Pyx," in other words the testing of the coinage of the realm by a jury of goldsmiths, was performed on 6th December, at the Exchequer Office, Whitehall. The last trial took place four years ago. The order of it was this. The Lord Chancellor and four Privy Councillors, namely, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Baron, the President of the Board of Trade, and Sir Edward Ryan, assembled and formed a court; The Master of the Mint and his principal officers being present. The pyx, or the boxes containing specimens of the coinage from 16th December 1850 to 30th June 1854, stood on the table. The gold represented was 28,838,534l. 16s. 10d., of the standard of 22 carats of fine gold and two carats of alloy. The amount of silver was 1,030,005l. 1s. 3d., of the standard of 11 ounces 2 pennyweights of fine silver and 18 pennyweights of alloy. There was also a bar of standard gold whereby to test the coinage. A jury of goldsmiths having been sworn, they were charged by the Lord Chancellor, and a piece of the standard gold having been clipped off, the boxes were conveyed to Goldsmiths' Hall, where the trial took place. The report of the jury, presented on Thursday, finds the coinage of the required weight and fineness— in fact, rather in favor of the public.

From The Spectator. DR. DORAN'S HABITS AND MEN.*

perception," that we ridicule the nether garment of the Dutchman. Why is this? Is it association of ideas? Does a latent moral By "habits" Dr. Doran does not mean that sense overcome "the beauty of the world? persistence in conduct or behavior which at Do "pants" and a tailless jacket suggest the Last becomes a "second nature," and establish- notion of stinginess? or worse than stinginess, es customs or manners; but those "habits want of money? or lower still, want of credit which originated with the Fall, and have ever with a tailor? while in flowing robes and casince continued the mode of mankind. Clothes, pacious nethers we have the idea of ample and the men who wore or made them, are the means? Or does the principle that to imitate subject of the Doctor; the "more worthy" is not to copy servilely, lurk under what the gender of the ungallant grammarians, includ- present generation cannot remember, the uniing the better half of creation. He runs over form of the London Light Horse Volunthe history of dress from the earliest records teers? Why do judges pronounce our modern on the monuments of Egypt, down to the last habits to surpass those of all other times and great luminary of the last generation, Beau peoples in ugliness? Is it our impossible atBrummell, with a slight allusion to the beau tempt to combine opposites that cause our we have lately lost, Count D'Orsay,-just merely to intimate that the author has reachod ground where the tread must be tender, and to point the moral of excess in habits.

failure; to have garments neither tight nor loose, with a tail behind which, whether" swallow" or spread, unconsciously suggests to the mind the idea of the parent monkey to which Monboddo traced us? These are matters, Doctor, that require settlement and are worthy of thy skill.

His career only furnished a further proof that the profession of a beau is not a paying one. He was great in a Fieldingian sense, and according to the poet's maxim, which says, "Base is the slave of Habits and Men, which probably will not be We can wait patiently for a second edition that pays." Mere generosity does not make a gentleman; and even generosity that is oblivious long in coming. Meanwhile, we can be enterof justice is of no value. There was really noth-tained with the wide and curious reading, the ing to admire in him. A recent "friend and ac- well selected facts and illustrations touching quaintance," indeed, has been so hard put to it to find out a virtue in D'Orsay, that he has fixed upon his neglect of paying his creditors as one; and the "friend" thinks that it was sufficient honor for tradesmen to have him for their debt

or!"

dress, the anecdotes of the wearers, and the notices or biographies of the leaders of ton, in which we are happy to say old England is preeminent. Beau Fielding, Beau Nash, Beau Brummel, rise to the mind, as heroes of the beau monde who reached excellence in habits by a liberal expenditure of their own time and Between these wide extremes the Jews as other people's money. Neither should the pictorially dressed at Beni Hassan, and as ac-tailors whom Dr. Doran commemorates be tually victimized by modern beaux-the au- overlooked in the list of national worthies,― thor expatiates on striking dresses and striking Hawkwood the heroic tailor, Admiral Hobson dressers; illustrating the mass from history the naval tailor, Stow and Speed the antiqua and the individual by biography. Dress, how-rian tailors, Pepys the official tailor, Ryan the ever, is construed widely. It not only em- theatrical tailor, Paul Whitehead the poet braces gloves, hats, and buttons, but beards, tailor; and surely as well as "Mems. of Merand incidentally sundry accessories necessary chant Tailors," there was a regiment of tailors, to "the glass of fashion." In spite of his Elliott's Light Horse, who could beat the enedepth of research and amplitude of exposition, my, but were not permitted to reform their Dr. Doran does not quite reach the fundaown habits. mentals of his subject. We have no investigation into the laws of habits, no attempt to fix the philosophy of dress. "What a piece of work is man! . the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!" Yet it is held proper to disguise this paragon. In dress the principle of "tights" is considered a false principle. We are referred for beauty to the flowing blanket of the ancients or the ample trousers of the Turk; yet such is the inconsistency of "judgment by

Habits and Men, with Remnants of Record touching the Makers of both. By Dr. Doran, Author of "Table Traits," etc, Published by Bentley.

Homer sometimes nods, and the sun has spots; how then can Dr. Doran be faultless? At times, more especially at the opening, his tute writing for matter: but this may be mere pen runs away with him; he wishes to substifect of overwriting is rather a tendency to preluding to get his hand in. Akin to the deoverdoing. There are slips too in his chronology, and we suspect he might be puzzled to produce authorities for some of his facts. His good stories" are obnoxious to a similar remark; but who cares for the authenticity of a joke? Like an old deed, it proves itself.Here is a passage from stage-dresses, where the author is his own authority.

A bit of genealogy, perhaps as true as most heraldic stories.

Our provincial theatres exhibit some strange man," whose Othello "will be new dressed, afanomalies with regard to costume, and there the ter the manner of his country.". sons and daughters of to-day have middle aged sires wearing the costume of the time of George I. But the most singular anomaly in dress ever encountered by my experience, was at a small theatre in Ireland, not very far from Sligo. The One of the greatest of the North Sea chieftains entertainment consisted of Venice Preserved, and derived his name from his dress, and Ragner the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. The Lodbroch means Ralph Leatherbreeches. The Venetian ladies and gentlemen were attired in Lethbridges of Somersetshire are said to be deevery possible variety of costume; yet not one scendants from this worthy. They might go of them wore a dress that could have been further in search of an ancestor and fare worse. distinguished at any period as being once worn Lodbroch delighted in blood and plunder; wine by any people, civilized or savage. Jaffer and he drank by the quart; wealth he acquired by Pierre, however, presented the greatest singulari-"right of might," he believed in little, and fearty, for they were not only indescribably decked, ed even less. A family anxious to assert its nobut they had but one pair of buskin boots be- bility could hardly do better than hold fast by tween them; and accordingly, when it was ne- such a hero. Many a genealogical tree springs cessary for both to be in presence of the audi- from a less illustrious root. ence, each stood at the side-scene with a single leg protruded into sight and duly booted.

A story of a mode invented by the Merry Monarch, and beaten out of fashion by le Grand Monarque.

Charles II. of England, was the inventor of the vest dress." It consisted of a long cassock, which fitted close to the body, of black cloth, "pinked" with white silk under it, and a coat over all; the legs were ruffled with black riband, like a pigeon's leg; and the white silk piercing the black made the wearers look, as Charles himself confessed, very much like magpies. But all the world put it on, because it had been fashioned by a monarch; and gay men thought it exquisite, and grave men pronounced would never alter it; while his courtiers " it "comely and manly." Charles declared he "gave him gold by way of wagers that he would not persist in his resolution." Louis XIV. showed his contempt for the new mode and the maker of it, by ordering all his footmen to be put into vests. This caused great indignation in England; but it had a marked effect in another way, for Charles and our aristocracy, not caring to look like French footmen, soon abandoned the

new costume.

Paul Whitehead, the tailor-poet, used to say, that the taste of the nation depended upon Garrick. Davy's own taste was very questionable in some respects, for he played Macbeth in the then costume of a general officer, with scarlet coat, gold lace, a and tail-wig. All the other actors were attired in similar dresses; and if Malcolm. on seeing Rosse, at a distance, exclaimed, "My THE REVUE CONTEMPORAINE. Compared countryman!" he was quite right to exclaim, on with England, France is poor in periodical literasceing an English recruiting-sergeant advance, ture. The Revue des Deux Mondes has hitherto "and yet I know him not!" But Rosse might enjoyed almost a monopoly, and its able articles have said as much of Malcolm. It was Macklin have enabled it to maintain the high position it who first put Macbeth and all the characters into had achieved. A formidable rival has now national costume, when he played the chief entered the lists against it, edited by le Vicomte character himself in 1773; and all the thanks Alphonse de Calonne. Its principles are Libehe got for it was in the remark that he look-ral-Conservative. Founded on a similar plan to ed like a drunken Scotch piper- which he that of its rival, it purposes devoting a large did. But Macbeth in kilts is nearly as great an portion of its pages to English literature. Among anomaly as when he is in the uniform of a briga-the contributors we find the names of MM. Guizot dier-general; and even Mr. Charles Kean, though Villemain, de Salvandy, Mermèe Alfred Nettehe exhibited the Thane short-petticoated, seem- ment, Philaréte Charles, de Calonne, etc. ed glad to get into long clothes and propriety as November number contains an elaborate historisoon as the Thane had grown into a king. cal and statistical account of the Crimea, being a Macklin was a comedian rather than a trage- fuller narrative on that country than any we dian; and it is singular that it is to another com- have before seen. It is complied with great care, ic actor we owe the correct dressing of Othello. and cannot fail to attract the attention it deIt was in the latter character that Foote made sorves at the present moment. The chronique, or his first appearance in London, at the Hay-mark political retrospect for the fortnight, is very ably et, in 1744. He was announced as a "gentle-written by M. de Calonne.

The

From The Spectator.

THE OLD CHELSEA BUN-HOUSE.*

class, there is less sameness than might have been looked for, in consequence of a continual change of age and subject. There is a turn for manners, and with the turn comes the THE author of "Mary Powell" has intro-study of them, and the art of painting them. duced the reader to the manners of almost There is skill enough to combine them with every age in English history of which a suffithe story without rendering them unduly procient record of manners remain. We had the minent; and although possibly a critic who lived Plantagenets in "Queen Phillippa's Golden at the time might object to the artifical air and Book"; the Tudors in "The Household of Sir Thomas More, "in "Jack and the Tan- with this generation. Here is a picture with something more, they pass muster well enough ner," a tale of Edward the Sixth, and in the which that age was familiar. It occurs when story of "Edward Osborne," the founder of Gatty is going home on a visit to her mother, the house of Leeds. 66 Mary Powell" repre- and meets a neighboring squire in the coach. sented the first Charles Stuart and the Commonwealth. In "Cherry and Violet, of the great Plague, there was the Restoration. In the present story of The Old Chelsea BunHouse, the author introduces us to the manners of our great grandfathers of the last century, with its fine-lady coarseness and its beaux and wits, its masquerades, its "long stages," its highwaymen, its strongly-demarcated classes of society, but perhaps after all its greater heartiness, joviality, and enjoy

a tale

"The Squire chatted so cordially with me, however, that I had little time to think of disagreeables; and when he had told me all he had to tell, he fell to questioning. Most of the passen gers were nodding; which was all the better, as I did not like mentioning names before folks. By-and-by, the Squire became quiet, and I guessed he was going to nod too; but, stealing a look at him, I saw he was only thinking. We were now going slowly over a heavy sandy road, and the coach rocked a good deal, and sometimes The story of the Old Chelsea Bun-House is stuck. I feared once or twice we should be overnot much. Like the other tales of this author, turned; but the Squire said, 'no danger;' and it is a vehicle for a description of manners in to divert my attention, pointed out a gibbet across the heath, on which a highwayman hung the style of the age. There is a respectable in chains; no very pleasant object. As I looked family reduced to keep the bun-house by the somewhat apprehensively towards it, suddenly passion of the father for old china and some- the open window was blocked up by a horseman thing stronger than its appropriate tea. Full with black crape over his face, who, crying Your of good feeling, they receive Gatty, the attend- money or your lives!' fired straight through the ant of a fine lady, who comes with a party to coach, so as to shatter the opposite glass. The enjoy herself in the gardens, and the poor next moment, another highwayman appeared at girl being suddenly taken ill, her mistress, the other window. There's no describing the dreading infection, is glad to leave her. Gatty of gunpowder, shrieking of women, and barking noise, uproar, and confusion, the smoke, stench is the handsome daughter of a country curate, of the puppy. The next moment, our stout old and has taken hard service with a distant Squire, disengaging a blunderbuss from its sling relative to relieve her widowed mother. Her over our heads, presented the muzzle full at the illness at the bun-house naturally introduces highwayman, who had not yet fired, and sprang a physician of the old school; who, however out of the coach with it; on which, the man inferior he might be to his successors in scien- galloped up the bank, stooping low, so as to keep tific acquirements, exercised his profession his horse's neck between his head and the piece; with less of a trader's spirit than is customary at the same time dropping his pistol, which was now. There is a curate lodging at the bun-secured to his waist by a leathern strap. He house for relaxation and country air,-Chelsea called to the postilion who rode our third horse, then was in the country; and being a literary I see another coach coming up, which may conNo-stop!' cries the Squire, 'for aspirant, he and the girls bring a wit and a tain an unarmed party! The highwayman rebeau or two about the house. The story iterating, Drive on !' galloped across the heath, which connects all these parties is pleasantly conducted, with enough of variety and incident to interest without exciting, and winds up pleasantly, as is the writer's wont.

Although the author is limited to one class of work, and has written so many tales of that

The Old Chelsea Bun-House; a Tale of the Last Century. By the Author of "Mary Powell." Published by Hall and Co.

Drive on!'

followed by his two companions; for a third had been at our first horse's head all the while. The Squire continned levelling his piece at them as long as they were within range; then took off his hat, wiped his head, and turned about to us with a look of satisfaction.

The other two men, who all this while had been as white as death and as still as stones, now cried, Well done, Squire! we're much indebted to you! while the outside passengers gave him three cheers."

From The Spectator. In form, the book is an autobiography of WOMEN AS THEY ARE.* Amy Floyd, the native of a beautiful and reTHE world is ever moving however slowly, tired village in the North of Lancashire. Reand those who do not move with it will be left mote position, an unworldly father, a singular behind. This is more especially the case in clergyman of the Calvinistic school, a selfish, authorship, where there may be repose, but vulgar, pushing mother-in-law, and a romantic no standing still. "An author who cannot as-yet self-retiring disposition, contribute to form cend will always appear to sink," says Gibbon. a peculiar character. Mr. Floyd's sudden death In most cases he does sink, and below himself. and embarrassed circumstances eventuallycomUnless there be a new subject or fresh matter, pel Amy to take a "situation" with a coarsethe probability is that the writer will only re-minded but not altogether bad person; from peat the previous theme, with attempts at va- whom she is rescued by a marriage that has riations lacking freshness and spontaneity, to only been delayed by a shipwreck. which may be added a development of mannerism, if the nature of the writer has any tendency towards that ill quality.

There is nothing very new in this, nor in the many persons and scenes attached to it. Novelty, however, might have been spared, Something of this will be found in Women had there been movement and more of action as they Are. The writer, indeed, may have to stimulate the reader. But a large portion apparently chosen quite a different walk; but of the book is a minutely full exposition of the "idea" is similar; so is the feeling or character and its growth, often by description, sentiment; and the scheme of the tale is one always by trivial occurrences that are intendwhich encourages a fault visible in the author's ed to derive their interest from the metaphysprevious novel,--a tendency to postpone inci- ical display of the individual. As the story dent and narrative to writing; to descriptions of external nature or inward feelings, to metaphysical speculations, or to reflections that for want of a more definite term may be termed

moral.

advances, there is more of narrative; but the narrative is pervaded by the personality of the writer. We are told so and so, rather than shown it. Things are less impressed upon us than pointed out to us. This renders the book slow, if not tedious.

"Margaret, or Prejudice at Home"—that is, in England-looked at life from a discontent- The writing, however, is of a remarkable ed point of view. The misery of the poor was description: close, thoughtful, vigorous, and broadly charged upon the vices and hypocrisy powerful, the result of a painful experience, of the rich; so that to appear respectable, or and as a consequence a hard observation of to be wealthy, sufficed to insure from the life; though it is qualified by such formal adwriter an odious delineation. Still the idea missions as that doubtless the amiable is weak was developed in a form at once narrative and the practical necessary. The following and dramatic. If the prejudices of the novel- from the mouth of the clergyman, for awhile list were quite as strong as those she undertook Amy's teacher, Elijah Pyne, is a sample of to expose, the exposure was brought about by the writer. incident and story, with considerable variety You are precocious in a dangerous way: you of persons and adventures, however extreme or unlikely they might be. In a preface to fancy you are clever; perhaps you fancy that you the work before us, defending herself against are a genius; yes, I see you do by that look. Be charges of an imitation of Villette and an at- quiet! You have yet much to learn, and much tempt to run counter to Uncle Tom's Cabin, to suffer; and suffering may set you right. If you live you will shortly be a woman, and wothe writer explains the feelings she displays manhood will teach you that a fearful penalty by a reference to the "recollection of her must be incurred by any straying out of the own joyless and hardly-tasked youth;" a fact bounds prescribed for your sex. To what exwhich accounts for but does not critically justi- tent has a disordered imagination bewildered and fy the perverted exhibition of society. In the unfitted you for the common duties of life? What present novel the same feeling is visible in a more modified form. There is less of attack upon society at large, but neither is society so broadly painted. There is, consequently, not so much interest in the picture. There is, however, the same disposition to look at life in order to exhibit depreciatingly and judge sternly those active and practical qualities by which, after all, life is supported and society in many things advanced.

*Women as they Are. By One of Them. By the author of Margaret: or Prejudice at Home.' In two vols. Published by Bentley.

is it you have proposed to yourself to do? what connection have you established betwixt your ideal world and this real one, of which you know nothing? Do you imagine you possess the pow er that enabled some of your favorites to speak to the universal heart, and command the attention and homage that should only await them that have a direct mission from God to His creatures? The greatest man amongst the intellectually great has had his first struggle with apathy, with unbelief, with jealousy, with derision: and his final triumph has rarely tended to make others wiser or better, still less to satisfy himself. This is not woman's work. It is your father's