M. MONTALEMBERT, JOHN WILSON CROKER, AND
JOHN MURRAY.
TO THE EDITOR OF FRASER'S MAGAZINE.
SIR,-A letter from Mr. Murray, of which I send a copy, appeared in the Athenæum of the 17th ult. It is as follows:
50, Albemarle Street, May 10.
In an article of the May number of Fraser's Magazine upon the translation of Montalembert's work on England (for which I, as publisher, am to a certain extent responsible), the writer makes a series of charges of 'fraud,' 'perfidy,' 'falsehood,' &c., upon the ground of certain wilful omissions and suppressions which he asserts to have been made in the English translation. I feel called upon to state that these charges are utterly false-for this good reason, that the passages alleged to have been suppressed, including 'one whole chapter,' did not exist in M. Montalembert's work before the third edition, which was not published in Paris until April, whereas the English translation was published by me in London on the 20th of March last. The English translation was made from the first and second editions of the French as long ago as February last; consequently all the scurrilous insinuations of Fraser's as to the political and other motives for the omissions fall to the ground. I have carefully collated the third edition with that used in the translation, and I assert that there is no omission but one, and that accidental, of an unimportant note at page 178. It may be supposed that the writer of the article in Fraser may have erred through ignorance; but what will you say when I tell you that he was aware of the existence of variations in the different editions, as he states in a note at page 582 of one chapter on Hereditary Peerage, it is but fair to say it only appeared in the third edition!' May I not justly apply to him one of his own sentences, which I have proved to have no application, as he wrote it, anything more dishonest than this is not to be found in literary history?' JOHN MURRAY. On reading this letter, I addressed the following communication to the editor of the Athenæum on Thursday the 22nd ult:
6
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ATHENEUM.'
22nd May, 1856. SIR,-Mr. Murray states in his letter that my charges of wilful omission and suppression in reference to the translation of M. de Montalembert's work are utterly false, for this good reason, that the passages suppressed did not exist before the publication of the third edition of that work.
Now, I assert that they did exist in the second edition, which was the one I used in examining the so-called translation.
Any one may satisfy himself on this point by referring to pages 173, 178, 195, 200, 201,* 282, and 283 of the second French edition, which I have left marked at Messrs. Parker's, the publishers.
The chapter of which I more specifically charge the omission— 'O'Connell and the House of Lords'-is the tenth in the second French edition. In the so-called English version, Chapter X. is headed The Public Schools and the Universities;' and the numbers of all the subsequent chapters are wilfully altered to cover this misfeasance. I will not utter a word of comment, but leave the facts to the public, thanking Mr. Murray for having more fully demonstrated a case which I had well enough proved in Fraser's Magazine.
I trust to your justice to insert these few lines, remaining
Your obedient servant,
THE REVIEWER OF THE TRANSLATION
IN FRASER'S MAGAZINE.'
In addition to this, I would merely remark that my paper (as you are well aware), contained, as originally written, three more pages of errors, additions, and mistranslations, which I cancelled to bring it within the assigned limit of twenty pages. I may enter into this and much new matter if the question be reopened in the Quarterly by a certain ingenuous and well-known hand. But as the garbler, suppressor, and
* In the hurry of copying my letter, two additional suppressions of twenty-five lines were not specified, existing at pp. 206 and 207 of the second French edition. -See Fraser's Magazine, p. 582.
mistranslator does not come forth to defend his malfeasance and misfeasance, but puts forward a subordinate agent, it does not become me to bandy abuse with his publisher, whom till to-day I considered the victim and the dupe of a dishonest literary malefactor.
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
THE REVIEWER OF MONTALEMBERT AND HIS TRANSLATOR
IN FRASER'S MAGAZINE.
[We leave it to our readers, in the fullest confidence, to form their opinion of the truth or falsehood on either side, after having fairly examined the evidence. But we deem it right to add our own assertion to that of the Reviewer as to the total omission of a whole chapter, and the alteration of the numbers of all that follow in the translation published by Mr. Murray. The chapter in question is the tenth. It occupies from p. 141 to pp. 152-3 in the second French edition, and is headed O'Connell et la Chambre des Lords. Not one line of it is given in the professed translation, nor is any explanation or apology offered for its omission. In order to render this assertion clear and distinct, we here give the Table of Contents of the French Second Edition side by side with the Table of Contents of the professed Translation.-ED. OF FRASER'S MAGAZINE.]
Society against the
danger
XIV. Will England democra
tized remain free?
XV. Qualities which may guarantee to England her Liberty, independently of her Aristocracy XVI. Publicity in England
XVIII. L'Angleterre et l'Espagne 277 XVIII. Conclusion. .
A gross mis-translation. It ought to be State of the Question,' or 'Statement of the Case.' See Fraser's Magazine for May, p. 578.
Abroad, Friends in Council, III. to
VI., 1; VII., 127
Alison's History of Europe, 597
Allen's Dead Sea Route, 311
Antique, Lines to an, 241
Arago's Popular Astronomy, 733
Army, the Dutch, 275
August, Last, in the Baltic, Part II., 49
Bain On the Senses and the Intellect, 213
Ballantyne on Pre-Raphaelitism, 687
Baltic, Last August in the, Part II., 49
Bell's Butler's Poems, 342
-Chaucer's Poems, 461
Blackie, Professor, On the Advancement
of Learning in Scotland, 116
Browning's Men and Women, 105
Bulwer, Sir E. B. L., The Caxtons, or
Tristram Shandy? 253
Burton's Pilgrimage to Mecca, 311
Butler's Poems; Annotated Edition,
Edited by Robert Bell, 342
Canada, The United States and Cuba,
by the Hon. Miss Murray, 522
Candlish, Dr., The Organ Question, 660
Capern, Edward, Poems by, 489
Caxtons, The, or Tristram Shandy? 253
Chaucer, Poetical Works of, Edited by
Robert Bell, 461
Christian Populations in Turkey, 697
College Life at Glasgow, 505; Entering
College, 506; the Latin and Greek
Classes, 507; a Working Day at
Glasgow College, 508; Poverty of
Glasgow Students, 509; Struggles of
Glasgow Students, 511; the Snell
Exhibitions, 513; University Essays,
514; Distribution of Prizes, 515;
Talking Latin, 516; Examination for
Degrees in Arts, 517; the Blackstone
Examination, 518; the Professors'
Houses, 519; After Career of Glasgow
Students, 521
Conferences, the Peace, 369
Criminal Trials-The New Pitaval, 612
Croker's Translation of Montalembert on
the Political Future of England, 563
Dead Sea, The, a New Route to India,
by Captain Allen, R.N., 311
December the 18th, 1855, 403
Dutch Army, The, Peace Establishment,
275; Education of Officers, 279;
Present State of the Dutch Army,
280
England, Macaulay's History of, 147
Englishwoman in America, 522
Europe, Alison's History of, 597
Familiar Epistles from Ireland, 38;
Character in Handwriting, 39; the
New Era for Ireland, 41; the Social
Revolution, 43; the Tenant-League
Question solved, 45; the Political
Exile, 47
Finland, North, a Journey along the
Western Frontier of, in the Summer
of 1855, 379
Foreign and Domestic Politics, 495
French Romantic Literature, Decline of,
711
Friends in Council Abroad, Part III., 1;
Lord Melbourne, 2; Large and Sug-
gestive Scenery, 3; Ruins revisited,
4; Criticism, its good and its evil, 5;
Sunday Labour, 6; Christian Liberty
as regards the Sabbath, 7. IV., Cafés
versus Gin-palaces, 8; Determination
to take Sebastopol, 9; the English a
sure People, 10; British Obstinacy in
all classes, II. V., Philosophic
Friendship, 12; Wisdom and `un-
wisdom of Aphorisms, 13; Beautiful
Passages, 14. VI., The Sighing of
Men and Women, 15; Castles in the
Air, 16; Two different Views of Love,
17; Bubble-blowing, 18; Probable
Consolation from further Insight, 19.
VII., Rest, 127; Good Plans require
Wise Men to work them, 128; What
Knowledge of Men teaches us, 129;
Choice of Men, 130; How we may
best help our Children, 131; Salaries
of Government Officers, 132; Want
of proper Candidates for Parliament,
133; Board of Health, 134; Difficul-
ties of conjoint Action, 135; Method,
136: Evils of undefined Responsibility,
137; Partisanship, 138; Never lose
Sight of your Man, 139; Permanent
Hustings, 140; Men before Systems,
141; Cooking for the Million, 142;
Common Things and Possible Im-
provements, 143; Love, 144; the
highest form of Love, 145; a
pleasant Woman, 146
Lake, Colonel, 295
Landor, Walter Savage, on
graphy, 243; Imaginary Conversa-
tions, 443
Last August in the Baltic, Part II, 49;
Making Ready, 50; Drumsio, 51;
Sweaborg, 52; the Bombardment, 53;
Ships, versus Land Defences, 57; a
Night Scene, 59; Rockets, 60; Ra-
pidity and Precision of the Gun-boats,
61; Conclusion, 62
Love, on the Treatment of, in Novels,
405; the Leadenhall-street Catalogue,
406; Maria Regina Roche, 407;
Charlotte Smith, 408; Ann of Swan-
sea, 409; De Foe-Fielding, 411;
Proper Function of the Novel, 413;
Absence of Art in Novels, 415; Age
of the Surreys and Wyatts, 417
Macaulay's History of England, 147
Manchester, a Whit-week in, 631
Mediæ val Painters, 267
Men and Women. Browning, 105
Moldo-Wallachia, 245; Rouman Lite-
rature, 246; Treasonable Alliance
with Russia, 246; Importance of
Moldo-Wallachia to the Porte, 250;
Patriotic Aspirations of the People,
251
M. Montalembert, John Wilson Croker,
and John Murray, 749
Montalembert, De l'Avenir Politique de
l'Angleterre, 563; John Wilson
Croker's translation of, 565
Murray, Hon. A. M., Letters from the
United States, Cuba, and Canada, 522
Naturalist, the, on the North Coast:
I. A Naturalist at Home, 472; II.
The Rocks in Spring, 555
Night Scene at Pisa, 693
Old Rings, Part I., 230; Profusion of
Ring Stones in Italy, 231; Antiquity
of Wearing Ringe, 232; Objects Repre-
sented on Rings, 234; Divinities and
Heroes, 234; Sages, Warriors, and
Kings, 236; the Fauna of the Gem
Engraver, 237; Various Designs,
238; Gems, their Forms and Modes
of Mounting, 239; Metals used, 240;
Variety of Materials used, 241. Part
II., 479; Housekeeper's Ring, 480;
Contract and Pronubal Rings, 481;
the Pledge Ring, 483; the Doge of
Venice, 485; Ecclesiastical Rings,
487; the Jackdaw of Rheims, 488.
Part III., Medical Rings, 584; Rings
and Pot-herbs, 585; Old Age and
Youth, 587; Solomon's Ring, 589;
Thaumaturgical Rings, 590; Poison
Rings, 591; Signet Rings, 593
Organ, the, 335
Organ Question, the, 669
Orthography, on, by Walter Savage
Landor, 243
Owen, Professor, and the Science of
Life, 79
Painters, a few Mediaval, 267
Palmerston, Lord, 747
Peace, 659
Peace Conferences, the, 369
Pinocchi, 438
Pitaval, The New, a Collection of Cri-
minal Trials, 612
Poems, by Edward Capern, 489
Poetry: To an Antique, 241; Sonnet,
Hope, by Mary J. J. Rees, 252;
Sonnet by T. B., 292; the 18th De-
cember, 1855, by Ella L. Harvey,
403; Shadows, by W. N. S., 442;
A River in the South, 533; Sonnet
to May, by George T. Coster, 562;
Peace, 659; Night Scene at Pisa,
693; Sunset, 732
Political Ruminations, 743
Politics: the Peace Conferences, 369;
Foreign and Domestic Politics, 495;
the Treaty, 627
Popular Astronomy, 733
Preaching and Preachers, Scotch, 189
Pre-Raphaelitism from different Points
of View, 686
Prescott's Philip the Second, 20
Protestantism: Zwingle and his Times,
326; the Labyrinth, 327; Our Lady
of Einsidlen, 329; Zwingle at Zurich,
330; the Great Death, 331; Fasting
in Lent, 332; the Helvetic Diet, 333;
Execution of Kayser, 336; the Wood
Cantons blockaded, 337; Zwingle's
Farewell to his Family, 338; Zwingle
receives his Death-blow, 339; Luther
and Zwingle, 341
Reform, Professor Blackie on Scotch
University, 116
Reviews. Prescott's History of the
Reign of Philip the Second, 20. Owen's
Lectures on the Comparative Anatomy
and Physiology of the Invertebrate
Animals, 81. Blackie On the Ad-
vancement of Learning in Scotland,
116. Macaulay's History of England,
Vols. III. and IV., 147. Cunning-
ham's Ladak, Physical, Statistical,
and Historical; Hooper's Himalayan
Journals; Thomson's Himalaya and
Thibet, 166. Caird's Religion in Com-
mon Life, 189. Bain On the Senses
and Intellect, 212. Bulwer's The
Caxtons, 253. Rio's History of Chris-
tian Art, 267. Allen's Dead Sea, 311.
Burton's Pilgrimage to El Medinah
and Mecca, 320. Bell's Poetical
Works of Butler, 342. Rimbault
On the Organ, 355. Rogers, Samuel,
Recollections of his Table-Talk, 395.
Pinocchi, 438. Bell's Poetical Works
of Geoffrey Chaucer, 461. Murray,
Hon. Amelia, Letters from the United
States, Cuba, and Canada; The Eng-
lish Woman in America, 522.
Mon-
talembert On the Political Future of
England, 563. Alison's History of
Europe, 597. The New Pitaval, a
Collection of Criminal Trials, 612.
Ruskin's Modern Painters, Vol. III.,
648. Candlish, Dr., The Organ
Question, 660. Ruskin, Ballantyne,
Gautier, On Pre-Raphaelitism, 686.
Sandwith's Narrative of the Siege
of Kars; Debates in the Houses of
Lords and Commons, 694. Arago's
Popular Astronomy, 733
River in the South, a, 533
Rogers, Samuel, Table-Talk, 395
The 18th of December, 1855, 403
Romantic Literature (French) Decline
of, 711
Rose Garden of Sadi, 281; Sadi's Works,
282; A Book of Morals, 283; The
Gulistan, 284; Reminiscences of his
Travels, 285; Sadi's Proverbs, 286;
His Practical Wisdom, 287; His
Knowledge of Life, 289; His Reli-
gious Feeling, 291.
Ruminations, Political, 743
Ruskin on the Ancient and Modern
Poets, 648
Ruskin on Pre-Raphaelitism, 687
Sadi of Shiraz, The Rose Garden, 281
Sandwith, Dr., The Siege of Kars, 694
Science of Life, Professor Owen and, 79
Scotch Preaching and Preachers, 189
Scotch University Reform, 116
Senses, The, and the Intellect, by Bain,
Shadows, by N. N. S., 442
Six Months in India, Part I., 92;
Calcutta the Starting Point, 93;
Modes of Travelling, 94; Pros and
Cons of Boat Travelling, 95; Rail-
ways in India, 96; Objects interest-
ing to the General Traveller, 97;
Native Coachmen, 98; Every-day
Traffic of the Great Trunk Road,
99; Government forethought, 100;
Sketches of Travellers, 101; Appear-
ance of the Country, 102; Cultivation
of Land in the North-West Provinces,
103; Native Resistance to the Census,
104. Part II., 198; Benares, 199;
Temples of Piety and Repentance,
200; Lucknow, 201; Misrule, 202;
The Great Ganges Canal, 203; Roor-
kee, 204; Delhi-Agra, 205; The
Taj-Mahal, 206; The Wonders of
Agra, 207; Bhurtpore, 208; Monu-
ments of splendid Inutility, 209;
Motives for an Indian Tour, 210;
Native Bankers and Merchants, 211
Sonnets. Hope, by Mary J. J. Rees,
252; by T. B., 292; To May, by
George T. Coster, 562
Story-Telling, the Art of, 722
Table Talk, The, of Samuel Rogers, 395
Tales and Narratives.-Kate Coventry,
by the Author of Digby Grand,
Chaps. I. to IV., 63; V. to VIII.,
173; IX. to XII., 293; XIII. to
XVI., 419; XVII. to XX., 535;
XXI. to XXIV., 669.
Thompson, Captain, 695
Teesdale, Major, 695
Tristram Shandy, or The Caxtons? 253;
Dramatis persona the same in either
Novel, 254; Dr. Slop and Mr. Squills,
254; Austin Caxton and Walter
Shandy, 257; Uncle Roland and
Uncle Toby, 259; Caxton and
Shandy's Domestic Quarrels, 261;
The Caxtons essentially a Romance of
Sterne, 263; Life and Character of
Sterne, 265
Turkey, Christian Populations in, 697
United States, Cuba, and Canada, Letters
from, by the Hon. Miss Murray, 522
University (Scotch) Reform, 116
Wallachia,-See Moldo-Wallachia, 245
Whit-week in Manchester, 631
Williams', General Sir William, Defence
of Kars, 694
Zwingle and his Times-Protestantism,
326
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