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May 4, 1850.] Mt)t .&*&&£?? 135
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SCIENCE IN FABLE. The Poor Artist; or . ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Madame Pulszky's Hungary. Memoirs Of A H...
events by a person thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the Hungarian movements , the book must be considered a valuable contribution to history . The authoress ' - foreign extraction adds an additional qualificati n for the particular task , since it contributed a certain freshness of observation and the power of regarding things from without ; while her domestic familiarity enabled her to acquire perfect knowledge of the subject upon which she treats .
The spirit and significance of recent events in Hungary would be very imperfectly understood without a knowledge of the anterior history of the country , and of its national customs . The retrospective ess-ay , therefore , which prefaces the work is a very useful memorandum . It draws the narrative of Hungarian progress from the depths of the middle ages ; it shows how the belligerent character of th «' dominant race esta ^ l-shed the custom of electing the « Duke , " early representative of the future Kins , but only primus inter pares . " You thus see what p laced the King from the first in a position not unlike that established by the English Barons at Runnymede .
The geographical situation of Hungary , and the successful contest of its inhabitants against the Mussulmans , not only procured for them the respect of neighbouring powers , but also fortified the national character , its independence and self-reliance . Its junction to a feebler but vaster state , however , has in the end proved practically fatal to the independence . If the recent Emperors of Austria and their ministers had had more intelligence , it does
appear possible that they might have taken their stand upon Hungary and her free institutions , rather than upon mongrel Austria and its bureaucracy . The choice would have been safer for all parties . But the Emperor and their Ministers mistook their true interests . Hungary was governed by its royal Palatine as an alien province ; and by a succession of compromises , the struggle for power which upset that impracticable delusion , a coordinate jurisdiction ,
was postponed until the year 1848 . Down to this year , in spite of the considerable improvements made by the Hungarian nobles , not altogether exempt from domestic pressure , the people had preserved the main characteristics of the national character , simple intelligence , manly and equestrian habits in the country , the practical exercise of traditional institutions in the towns . Madame Pulszky ' s earlier volume is full of instructive illustrations . The manor in
which the family resided was sixty English miles from Pesth . A castle in a fertile valley , with a conservatory and other modern addenda , surrounded by a semi-circle of eight villages : —
COUNTRY IilFE OF THE HUNGARIANS . " The borough , with whose inhabitants we were in this uninterrupted contact , derived its origin from the times when the fortress , delivered from the Turks , had been abandoned by its garrison , who became the nucleus of the little town . Their magistrate still bore the title of Hadnagy ( lieutenant ) instead of mayor ; and young and old were rather proud of their borough , and thought themselves ill-used when short-sighted ignorance chanced to mistake for a village what they complimented themselves by considering a town . four thou
" The population consisted of from three to - sand ; a fourth of these were Jews , and about a hundred gipsies . There was a market , which , though on a small scale , was attended by many of the inhabitants of the surrounding villages . The place had a pleasant aspect . There were shops of all kinds , certainly not like those in liegent-street ; indeed , with a twentieth part of a London mizzling fog , the imperfect pavements would have vanished not only from the sight , but likewise from the foot of the pedestrian ; for much less moisture than the Enslish coachmen call damp , sufficed to mash the loam into mud My Viennese silk shoes were therefore soon exchanged for stout leather boots , more peasant-like than lady-like in appearance .
" The majority of the traders were Jews , who were more active in Hungary perhaps than anywhere else , owing to the natural propensity of the Hungarian peasant to have some one to deal for him while he prefers to bask as much as may be in the comfort of oriental e « se . This , united to the good-humoured turn of mind of the Hungarian people , affords to the Israelites a position much preferable to that which they are grudginaly allowed in Germany . In Hungary , it is only where the German element predominates among the merchants in the towns , that the antipathy to the sons of Judah is retained . The latter , when poor , are generally very dirty , when rich , often arrogant ; but always industrious and religiously beneficent .
" I found them so with us . Moat of them were poor , but this did not prevent their association for the mutual support of those who most needed assistance ; and , in spite of adhering firmly in their habits of life to theirexclusive Mosaic forms , they readily joined with Christians for the furtherance of charitable objects . Though in constant friendly intercourse with our people , they are still as strikingly distinct from them there as anywhere in . the world . In their well-conducted synagogue I
involuntarily fancied myself transported back to the Galilee of the O 1 < 1 Testament . Doubtless , nothing convey * more vividly the indestructible vigour of a nationality up held by religion , than the historical phenomenon ot the Jewish existence . " The position of the lord in a Hungarian manor was that of great feudal power . One anecdote among the many that diversify the volumes will illustrate this forcibly : — HUNGARIAN MAKRIAGE . —FEUDAL LAW .
" Baron Palocsay ' s castle mver preset , trd a more cur ious aspect , than every year in autumn , which , in the highlands , is the general wedding season with the peasant , who rarely enters into this auspicious state until after the harvest , when his most pressing labours are over . " At that spason the baron used to assemble in h ' s hall all peasanr-f cirls . from sixtr-en to twenty years o'd , and all the lads , from twenty-two to twenty-six , belonging to
his manor j which had a Slovak population He had them ranged opposite to one another , sorted them pair by pair , and said : « Thou Jancsi ( John ) art . precisely fir for Marcsa ( Mary ); and ihou Andia < ( Andrew ) , for Hancsa ( Anne ) , ' and so on . The couples thus desif ? nated went to the chapel , where the chaplain announced their marriages , which after a fortnight were perfoimed , and every one of the newly married received a cow and manv other accommodations for their establishment .
" When , however , one of the lads objected to the choice made for his benefit , and mentioned his disinclination for Hancsa , and his preference for Ilya ( Ellen ) , the baron would reply that he did not believe it , and obliged the lad , as a proof of his love , to endure twenty-five lashes . If he underwent this trial he was free to chose for himself . " This subject position of the labouring classes had been under a process of gradual emancipation ; but the subjection was not without its favourable side . If the lord possessed considerable power , he also
possessed the means of bestowing great benefits upon his people ; and where a generous personal spirit tended to develope the generous turn of the national institutions , there can be no doubt that the social relations were in many respects better than those in some countries that can boast more perfect technical freedom . During the year 1847 , there was a famine after two bad years , Pulszky and his wife were able to assist the people on their estate , not only by giving them employment and remuneration , but also by stimulating and directing their industry into productive channels facilitated by means of loans .
As a nation they are impressed with their own superiority to the servile Germans ; they believed that they had , in fact , retained their independence which had been nominally conceded . Conscious of great courage and military tact , they relied upon that to maintain their independence . The traditions , affections , nay , the pride of such a people , might have been made sources of power to their rulers . On this point not less instructive than the more palpable bad statesmanship that tampered with institutions , is the contrast between the spirit with which the astute Maria Theresa treated her Hungarian subjects and the pedantry of her son Joseph .
Leopold the Second had shown in Tuscany that he could unite the philosophic statesmanship of Joseph with Maria Theresia ' s power of appealing to the affections of the people . He had scarcely attained the Austrian throne , however , ere female jealousy removed him , by poison . Had that accident not turned the course of the imperial history , it is probable that Leopold would have made Hungary a powerful lever by which to elevate the whole empire : the bureaucrats of Vienna endeavoured to evade and circumvent the independent kingdom .
All the mistakes , however , have not been on the side of the Imperialists — indeed , the impartial reader will become a sadder and a wiser man in noting the mistakes which Madame Pulszky ' s narrative indicates , even where she does not expressly mention them as such . The whole war was full of errors on both sides , errors which have before been painted , but which become more glaring when they are brought together by a connected account . Kossuth refused to recall the Hungarian troops from Italy , lest Austria should release the Croatian troops from
that peninsula ; a calculating policy which prevented the effective cooperation between Italy and Hungary that might have strengthened the national cause for both . The Hungarians werepaid in kind ; and when the Viennese hesitated to summon them to the Austrian capital , the ultimate defeat of Vienna repeated the lesson which Hungary had learned . The English politician has a difficulty in understanding by what practical considerations the Italian nationalists were moved , in failing to make better use of certain Princes amongst them . In like manner the Hungarians appear to have neglected the manifest
goodwill evinced in the conduct of the Palaum bt < phen , and unuiist ikeabiy recorded in his letter to ' the Emperor published in the appendix to Madame Pulszky ' s book . No doubt the Hungarians relied on their Palatine ; but they did not make the most of him . The authoress confirms the general belief in the treachery of Gorgey , a man of unquestioned ability and courage , and even patriotism , but anxious for personal distinction . » nd jealous of others' supremacy : h « r narrative suggests the doubt whether he was sufficiently conciliated .
The volumes also have a graver lesson . All the errors of the Hungarians are trivinl and venial compared to that vast error which has dem-ralized the whole of Eu < ope—t >» e exaggerated doer me of m > n « intervention . Not to interfere in the affairs ot a foreign state for purposes of dotation , is soun » sense in international conduct as \* wnuM he in the conduct of individuals ; but exprrhsly to abs'ain from defending the right because it is assailed in a whole nation , is to grant immunity to wrong . And the nations of Europe that stood aside while Hungary was oppressed by a conspiracy of crowned heads and a combination of alien armies is a crime among the nations which they will have to repay in many a struggle against the same conspiracy .
May 4, 1850.] Mt)T .&*&&£?? 135
May 4 , 1850 . ] Mt ) t . &*&& £ ?? 135
Science In Fable. The Poor Artist; Or . ...
SCIENCE IN FABLE . The Poor Artist ; or . Seven Eyesights and One Object . Van Voorst . A poet wrote this book . It bears no signature ; but its science , no less than its beauty , bears the unequivocal signature of a poet ; and a very charming work it is . Nothing prevents its being a chef-d'oeuvre but the unhappy weaving of a thread of feeble and
somewhat querulous satire in the bright web of fancy embroidered by observation . That affected us like a dissonance . We cannot applaud the tone taken respecting " neglected genius " and the indifference of the public ; the whole argument is grounded on an ignoratio elenchi , or on a positive misapprehension of actual life ; but , greatly as we should be disposed to question its appearance in any book , its appearance amidst so much that is fanciful , true , and
beautiful is peculiarly objectionable . A sad wail of despondency—a deep and bitter curse of despairthe agony of impassioned self-love frustrated in its aims — would have better assorted with the poetry of the book , because passion idealizes and ennobles ; but to make a framework of the complaint— half fretful , half satirical — that , for an artist , something more is requisite than to do a thing well , he must also make a name—to squirt acid
upon the world because it is an ignorant world , needing to be taught an artist ' s merits—to insinuate that , unless an artist is also a charlatan , there is no hope for him in life—this , we say , makes a framework singularly inappropriate to the picture , full of delicate observation and curious science which it contains . Such a framework spoils a chef-d ' oeuvre ; fortunately it is no more than a framework , and might be cut away without destroying what is
excellent . " The Poor Artist" is the story of a struggling man of genius vainly endeavouring , by his genius alone , to get bread ; but although his pictures , when sold under his master's name , fetch high prices , no one will look at them when he avows them as his own . Does any one believe this ? Does the author himself believe it ? Well ; in his poverty he meets
with Aurelia , and , somewhat rapidly , they fall in love with each other . That is but le premier pas , and not the pas qui coule ; for " sensible " uncles interfere , and represent to the artist that , till he has made a name and become " somebody , " no mention of marriage can be listened to . Make a name ! Ay , that , according to our author , is the grand thing in life ; a name is a talisman ; but how make it ?
« ' Oh how , sir ? ' asked the poor artist , earnestly ; ' and of what sort ?* < Of a capital sort , to be sure ! ' shouted the unoli * . < I would astonish—that ' s the point—I would astonnh people . I would point something that the eye of man had never bf ? fore seen . ' " ' Then , perhaps , nobody would understand it , said the artist , innocently .
•« Pooh ! what has understanding to do with the matter , so that people are astonished ? Mankind are not led by their understandings , but by what they do not understand . The world will run after any j giiisfatuusj but no man will run after a wax taper , though it be carried by a prophet , I say . you must . astonish— . astound—confound ! Underfttamuug is the destruction of astonishment When pcop'e know all about things , wonder ceases . Yes , yes . Go and paint something perfectly wonderful—incredible ; something , 18 ay , vrhicn
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 4, 1850, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_04051850/page/15/
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