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So . 471 , ArtaL " 2 , , afiQT : THE V EADEB , 437
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anv priest , than are known , in case of every family f * fhe aristocracy or middle classes , to the fain ly soUcta S in most of them , to the family dO ' suppose family secrets to be known , how are thev used ? This is prevented by what we call the « sell of confession . " : No priest is allowed , under anv cir cumstances , or for any reason , to mention Anything he has heard in confession to any one ; or e ^ ento refer to it in any way to the person himself whVmade the confession . ., So strictly ^ is tins observed , that if you wish . your confessor tp -speakto vou on any matter , or do anything about it , he SlUav " Speak to me about it out of confession . " SwSn She be made « -aster of « ie i ^ y »
bVanythinlhe has heard in confession . * Do not suppose this is a mere rule . So strictly n it observed , that I not only never heard ofx > ne instance in which it was violated , but I never heard of one in which its violation was so much as suspected . If vour experience of life leads you to infer that practically the confidence placed in solicitors and medical men is equally safe , I can only say that ypiir experience has been more fortunate than inme . How this effect is secured , I am not sure that I can make a Protestnat fully understand . The result is doubttsti
enough , and of the result there is no , u you will see some of the causes of it . One is , that every priest knows that his violating this " seal' in the minutest particular would consign him to damnation , and would , meanwhile , be his absolute , hopeless , arid irretrievable ruin in this world . Now as to the indecent questions which you believe to be put to women . It is a dream , and a very foul one . The rule of the Church is , that priests must risk anything rather than say what may suggest to any orie man , woman , or child , any
one polluting idea . It 13 true , that if a person s sms liavebeen against purity , they must be confessed , and It is often very painful . But , however disagreeable , I do riot imagine that the pollution is in the confession , but in the commissipn . Even then no question can be asked , except such as may be necessary to make the confession intelligible . ¦¦ The practical result is , that no pure person is questioned at all on such subjects , and that any questions pat to an impure person are limited to those strictly necessary to make intelligible what has been
confessed . You may say , *' Confession must lead to such questions . " But , sir , it is far from safe for those who have no knowledge of the practical working of any system to assume that they know better what its results must be , than those who daily live in it know what they are . . My object is not to defend on belief a practice , but to state what it is . I say , then , that you are mistaken when you suppose that Catholics admit either
that , in the confessional , questions are put ( to man or woman ) which have a natural tendency to pollute ; but that we assert that " the Roman Catholic woman has a safeguard in the Roman Catholic religion to shield her mind from being contaminated by them . " We neither assort nor admit anything of the sort . What we say is , that we have a security in the Roman Catholic religion , and in the system of our priests' education , and in the rules of the confess Bional , not that such questions shall not do harm , but that they shall not be asked . letter not think
Excuse the length of this . ; I dp your intelligent readers will eompjain of it . Nothing more strikes thinking men than the extreme ignorance of men in the same country , the same community , the same city , as to each other ' s modes of thinking and acting . Your readers are chiefly Protestants . My experience convinces me that most of them know no more of our real ways of thinking and acting , in regard to religion , than if -we or they wore Indians or Chinese , I ' erhnps many of ua may be equally ignorant of theirs . A lamentable facfej for this mutual ignorance is obviously the stronghold of bigotry . You , sir , are a foe to bigotry . You are , therefore , concerned to give each of us < in opportunity of stating for ourselves what wo really do think and hold .
I remain , sir , Your obedient servant , A Roman Oathomo IIushano and Fathhu . [ The article referred to appeared aomo months since , and wo are not desirous to revive the distressing subject ; hop do we think a newspaper the place for such discussions . We , howovor , Insert the foregoing tomponvto and apparently conscientious lott . or , as it is our duty , as well as our pleasuro , to do , as far as possible , justice to all honest opinions and statements . That this statement can at all alter tlio opinions and the fueling on the evils that in some icascs undoubtedly attend the Roman Catholic confessional , , we do not imagine . Our article was written in reference to a particular , caao , and the flubjeot Is of too great political and social import * ance to be confined to a personal controversy . ]
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mv rttlNCESS ' S THEATRE . A -worthy and enduring capital was placed upon the column of Mr . Komi ' s scenic triumphs on the occasion of the production , for his benefit , on Monday evening last , of " King Henry the ITifth . " . The public arc now so familiar with the enthusiastic prodigality which has characterised the Shakespearian revivals of this management that the roaders of Tan Luadjeii will hardly thank us for a retrospective review of them , It is , again , bo very hard to settle satisfactorily within those littlo hounds , if at all , whether the perfection of embellishment consistent
with good taste has long been past , is but now reached , has still to be achieved , or is even a jack-alantorn , luring men away from ) real truth and beauty , that wo will rather remind the roader of those moot points than impertinently pound him with oxcathedra judgments , or nail him to unprofitable discussion . Ho will bo more obliged to us for reporting the novelties presented by the Princoss ' s version of the play , the treatment of which at Sadler ' s Wolls Theatre wo justly eulogised not lonfj ago . We are on no vory dolicato ground hero , for Sir . Koan , by' his selection for tho most ; part of different points from those chosen by Mr . Pholps for Bpociul illustration .
has placed all comparisons , except man Mostly unoauou for personal ones , out of tho question . The groat curiosity of the " rovival" is tho substitution ol the muso , Clio—impersonated by Mrs . Charles Kcan ~ - for the traditional Father Time of tho dramatis persona : in tho character of Chorus . Instead of Mr . Henry Maraton , whoso irroproaohnblo elocution we marked at Sadler ' s Wells , wo hud in Mrs . Koan , on Monday , ft no loss oxeollont pilot through the piece , which the introduction of tho part would almost seem to indicate as intended for a pageant 5 and , like all prosont , wo could not but sympathise with the satlsftictlon oxprqssod in the managerial manifesto , that ' thus an opportunity was offered , to thut lady which
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On Monday evening a pleasing conversazione , took place , as announced , at the Mary lebone Literary and Scientific Institution , in Edward-street , Portmarisquare . The amphitheatre of the lecture-rooin has been boarded over , arid for the time transferred into a picture gallery . The popular President of the Institute , Mr . Jacob Bell , has lent , as We have already informed our readers * some sixty or seventy valuable pictures" for-exhibition . ' . These comprise a number of Sir Edwin Landseer-s , Mr . Frith ' s " Derby Day , " Rosa Bonheur ' s " Horse Fair , " with works by Egg , Stone , Elraore , Ward , arid other acadernicians . To the " Bibliomania , " No . 39 in the
catalogue , but undignified by any critical notice there , our attention has been particularly drawn by an eminent critic , whose opinion of this work , by a comparatively unknown artist , is that it is a marvel of power and originality . Sir Edwin Landseer ' s school-slate , with the sketch on it for his " Larder Invaded , " is an interesting relic . By the display of this artist ' s master-pieces also * a real boon has been conferred upon the Marylebone public , for which Mr . Bell is entitled to their thanks . That this gentlemen is a wag , we must own and prove- ^ thbugh the reader of the quotation may be apt to say de te Jbbula—hy a passage from the preface to his descriptive catalogue . ¦ will to correct
This catalogue , he says , " serve some erroneous statements which have been circulated respecting several of the pictures . . The critiques of works of art , by which the taste and opinion of the public are much influenced , are sometimes written without special knowledge respecting the several subjects described . It is necessary to say something ; and where the history of the scene depicted is tout imperfectly known and understood , the author may find it necessary to draw upon his imagination for his facts , or to take a random shot at what he supposes to have been the intention of the artist . For example , in a critique on a picture by Sir E . Lanclseer , soine years ago , representing a hare and a weasel , it was remarked : — 'We thirik
the rabbit is too much like a hare , and we never saw a ferret of that colour . '" We fancy the public are-slow to rely upon such criticisms as the above , arid we hardly think it is a specimen unless it be a unique one [ which is perhaps an Hibernieism ] . The joke is , however , a good one , and we enjoyed it , as we ftincy the reader will . The relative value as guides , of professional or amateur critics ,, we need hardly inform Mr . Bell , has been a thousand times discussed in fine art circles , but is not yet settled . We have tried both , with advantage—both without ; but we should be delighted to welcome to our columns one who combines so evidently as Mr . Bell the quality of smart writing with that of excellent taste .
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GERMANY . March 30 th . The proceedings in the Prussian arid . Bavarian representative assemblies are quite overlooked by the general public , entirely absorbed in the war question . The Prussian Tipper House have displayed their hostility to the liberal ministry . Their first move was an opposition to the proposed modification of the Game-laws . The move was unsuccessfuli and has only tended to lower the feudalists in public estimation . Ministers have been defeated in their endeavours to bring all the railways into the hands of the Government . The dispute between the King of Bavaria and his House of Representatives , has reached such a height , that it may be regarded as a
constitutional conflict . If the King refuses to give ear to the addresses of the representatives , expressive of want ; of confidence in his ministers , but retains his . unpopular advisers or agents , it will be tantamount to an assumption of despotic power . Whether the Ministers will continue to face a unanimously hostile assembly remains to be seen . Important as this dispute is , it excites no interest here , that is to say , amongst the great body of the people . The war , and that alone , is the topic of conversation , and in proportion as the Tuileries become peaceably inclined , the German courts grow warlike , more particularly the lesser ones , the boldest of all being Hanover , which , after giving ;
Louis Napoleon a good round of abuse , votes one million of thalers extra for war contingencies . The million is , it is said , to be expended in fortifying Geesteminde . The prohibition of the exportation of horses , although riot unpopular among the townspeople , who think it evinces patriotism and unity among the crowned heads of Germany , is not much in favour with the rural population of the Zollverein States , a chief source of whose yearly income is thereby cut off . It lias been widely reported that the Zollverein has been led to this step in consequence of large purchases having been effected by the French Government ; but _ frorii inquiries which I have riiade amongst dealers , I am inclined to doubt the truth of this statement .
This prohibition , which , confined to the Zollverein countries , was not more inimical to France than to Austria , Mecklenburg , Holstein , Lauenburg , and the Hanse Towns , Avlrich are not iriembcrs of the Zollverein , is now likely to lead to fresh complications ; for the Bavarian Government , in their prohibitory orders , except Austria from the prohibition —thus , making Bavaria , with Austria , a direct party in the conflict , and affronting France by aiming the prohibitory measure expressly at her . Disunion is thus produced in Germany itself , and the surmise I expressed in my last letter is likely to be verified before the time anticipated . Bavaria can
surely not imagine that such a bold and defiant step will meet the approval of Prussia . Northern Gerniany is by no means so warlike as Austria and Bavaria . In the north are the chief seaports , and the most wealth and greatest progress : there , too , is a certain degree of liberty , which helps a little to render the people indifferent to Louis Napoleon ' s death , and the revolution consequent thereupon , both of which must come some day or the other . They know that a war would not be disagreeable to Austria and Bavaria—that is , the Governments , not the people . A war might possibly prevent the expected revolution , and therefore Austria ' s
boldness . . . Notwithstanding the , rumours of peace which , by the way , do not take any hold upon the public mind , tho preparations for war are still goingon with great activity , more particularly in Austria . Lnst week there was a complete razzia made upon the Vienna papers . Six morning and four evening papers wore confiscated . None are allowed to give the least information with reference to the warlike preparations on the part of Austria . At the , same time , the most violent tirades are permitted against Louis Napoleon arid the French nation . This evinces no desire for peace on tho side of Austria ; indeed , a peace , such as it is just now , is almost as bad as war to the government who cannot maintain such an enormous forco without pressing still heavier upon the people , and making thorn thus riper still for revolution . One of two evils—war or revoltand Austria naturally prefers tho former .
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The Congress . —The Times lias the following 1—• " It is now stated that the Congress will bo hold at Biulen-Budon , instead of at Aix-la-ChapoIle , Franco having objected to Aix as being within tho territory of Prussia , one of the powers to bo represented at tho Congress . It is said that Count Walowski , assisted by M . IDrouyn do L'Huys , -will represent Franco , and thai England wilj . be represented by Lord Malmosbury , assisted , as Second Commissioner , by Lord Oowloy . " A telegram from Berlin , however , tells us that the European Congress will assemble at Mannhelm , anil that It is understood that it will meet this month . The Memorial Diplomatique , an Austrian organ , numos Geneva as the place of wefitiaw .
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Leader (1850-1860), April 2, 1859, page 437, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2288/page/21/
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