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Leader (1850-1860), 5th January 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 20, THE JENNY LIND PERFORMANCES. Madank Gold...

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      20 The Leader. [No. 302, Saturday.

      20 THE LEADER . [ No . 302 , Saturday .

      An Historical. Olio. A New History Ofeng...

      AN HISTORICAL . OLIO . A New History ofEngland : Civil , Political ^ and Ecclesiastical By G . S . Poulton . ¦ William Freeman . I / ectureson finglish History and Tragic JPoetry , as illustrated by Shakspeare . By Henry Reed , late Professor in the University of Pennsylvania . Triibner and Co . Introduction to the Literature of Europe , in the V ) th , 16 * A , and I 7 th centuries . . By Henry Hallatn , L . L . D ., F . R . A . S . John Murray . The first work on our list might be called the . Nonconformist ' s History of England . In the preface we are told that it is by far the most complete history of our country which has ever been compiled in one volume . But the process of compression or distension has been regulated rather by the influence of any particular epoch on the Dissenting interests , than by its general importance . Thus seventy pages are devoted to the reign of Charles I ., and fifty-seven to the Commonwealth , while the four Georges are all disposed of in seventy-six pages , and sixteen are barely spared for the period which occupies the last two volumes of Macaulay . It is true that the author scornfully rejects the vulgar notion that the province of history is to record ' * battles by the sword , the brilliant achievements of arts and arms , and the follies and vices of kings . " This philosophical manner of viewing events enables him to dismiss Marlborough ' s campaigns in a single page , and double that space is deemed sufficient for the Peninsular War , coupled with Napoleon ' s invasion of Russia . Ordinary minds may possibly be inclined to think that wars which change the political aspect of Europe , which place new dynasties at the head of nations and affect the social condition of the people , are worthy of something more than a passing notice . There are even those who regard the Norman Conquest as a matter of some moment to the English nation , and who would speak more earnestly of the Crusades than as a mere ** jseheine of folly . " It has seemed otherwise to Mr . Poulton , and we bow to hiV superior judgment . Unhappily , we cannot as easily acquiesce in his fierce denunciations of Popery , albeit we do most sincerely protest against the errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome . . Nor do we see the advantage or propriety of such an outburst as follows : —

      To call that religion Christianity Beems a strange contradiction . Mow can a . religion , which consists in ostentatious ceremonies , large edifices , delicately embroidered robes—numerous priests—one Pope , and servile subjection to bim long faces , and long coats—lying vanities—violent discussions—murders and abominations of all kinds—lives of the Saints , and no Gospel , be the same as the religion of Christianity ? How can error be the same as truth , or darkness identical with , light ? The last interrogation is really unanswerablet but we much question if the Roman Catholics are at all aware of being such very abominable creatures . It is evident

      that a good Romanist must be a very bad man , notwithstanding the "lives of the Saints /* and we are therefore much surprised that Mr . PoultoxL should exult with exceeding joy at their emancipation . Or- is it merely as a foreshadowing of the good things in store for Dissenters , that he welcomes this act of justice with gushing cordiality ? It may be hyper-criticism on our part , but ever and anon it seemed to us that familiar sounds smote upon our ear , as we read aloud his narrative of bygone days . But the resemblance of such passages as the following is clearly nothing inore than a strange coincidence of thought and . expression , very natural in historians of such similar views as Mr . Hume and Mr . Poultoa : _ HUME . POULTOIf . Henry , jealous of the progress made The King of England , surprised at by his own subjects , sent orders to recall the success of his subjects , and not all the English , and he made prepara- choosing to yield to them all the glory turns to attack Ireland in person He of subduing a country into subjection found the Irish so dispirited by their made preparations to attack Ireland in late misfortunes , that , in a progress person . On bis arrival , however inwnich he made through the island , he stead of opposition , he found tlie dishad no other occupation than to receive pirited Irish everywhere ready to offer the homage of his new subjects : he left Mm homage as his subjects . He gave most of the Irish chieftains or princes most of the Irish chieftains possession of in possession of their ancient territories ; their ancient territories-, which tbev bestowed some lands on the English were to hold in vassalage to the Crown adventurers ; gave Earl Richard the of England ; bestowed some lands on coraaussion of Seneschal of Ireland ; the English adventurers ; created and , after a stay of a few months , re- Strongbow Seneschal of Ireland conturned m triumph to England . By these vened a meeting of the people , afc which trivial exploits , scarcely worth relating , arrangements were made that the Entrexoeptforthe importance of the con- Ush . laws should be extended to Irelandsequences , was Ireland subdued , and ... and returned to England ' annexed to the English crown . . triumphing ia the fact that a new oounm Abe same day , Riohard , accompa- try was annexed to the English crown nied by Mareade ' e , leader of his Bra- While surveying tlio walls to see batons , approached tho castle in order whore the assault should bo made a to survey it ; when one Bertrand de youth , by name Bertrand do Gourdon Gourdon , an archer , took aim at him , recognised the King from tho ramparts ' and pierced lus shoulder with an arrow , and discharged an arrow , which hit The king , however , gave orders for the Richard on the left Bhouldor The assault , took the place , a , nd hanged all assault was made , the castle taken and the garrison , except Goardon , who had all the men in it put to death with tho wounded him , and whom he ro & erved exception of Bevtiand , who' was rotor a more deliberate and a more cruel served for greater tortures . The Kinc ' s execution . The wound was not in wound was not in itself dangerous but itself dangerous ; but fee unskilfulnoss an Unskilful aurgeou , iu takiupr out the of the aurgeon made it mortal : lno so avrow , so irritated tho shoulder , that rankled Richard 8 shoulder in pulling mortification enauod . Feeling hia out-the arrow , that a gangrene ensued ; death approach , Richard ordered Bor-. ^ . W Jnwie was now sensible that trand to bo brought before him & c bia life was drawing towards a period . ' He aent for Gourdon , Ac , & c . ? n ^ n ?™ *^ 00 tO i ! " strate tlie manner in which Mr . Poulton undertakes to till the obvious void" in our historicnl literature , and to show " how this ™ LTTl h f * be ( 5 ft governed ; how she baa risen , with the blasts of war S ^ SiS ? ' li ° ? f tllentiftl ^ " ^ n ^ a of feudal seinslmcss and withering SK ^ h ^ it >^^ tolwr Pre-CBtBIoiry ; or ' how flhe i 8 stm ablet « inTXJhnlfT T * ° T ' " ^ withstanding »» the spiritual wickedness in the high places , awl , a * the sure result , all the poverty and ignorance in the low places , , the land . " Ah 1 and that ia only half tic cit r ^ fl « ntcncc

      Professor Reed ' s worlc belongs to a . very different order , and must be classed with a much higher rank of literature . His lectures evince a genial but refined taste—perhaps too refined . That he was a gentleman and a scholar , is beyond all doubt ; that he can be regarded as an historian , or a philosopher we very much question . On all occasions he quotes Wordsworth , while he loses no opportunity of expressing his aversion for Hume . His criticisms are always pleasant , and not infrequently ingenious , but seldom original As a straw may point out the direction of the wind , so two trifling prejudices may serve to indicate the Professor ' s frame of mind . He cannot endure the idea of Falstaff ' s cowardice , though he acknowledges that danger had no charms in Jack ' s eyes . He was simply " an old soldier , with such a sensual and self-indulgent nature as would be very likely to settle down in London , to grow fat , and lazy , and luxurious . " In the same anirit

      of idolatry Mr . Reed cannot bear to think so meanly of Othello as to believe that he ever stooped to jealousy , because " jealousy is a little , a mean passion — something which dwells in small minds , whereas all the passions of Othello are heroic and magnanimous . " This sad tragedy was never meant to give an admonition so superficial as to warn against the evil of jealousy—the moral of Shakspeare ' s dramas always lies deeper , because they are works of pure imagination—the noblest faculty of the human mind . There may be discovered in that tragedy the loftiest moral that poetry ever shadowed forth—the victory of faith . When Othello was tempted to cast his faith from out his heart , his whole nature was given over to misery and desperation and guilt—he lost the inward spiritual principle , which was the very life of his moral being . But Desdeinona clung to her faith , aud it kept her heart in its perfect integrity and innocence—even through all her sorrow , and to the last moment of consciousness on her fearful death-bed . Comparatively she was happy ; for the chief sufferer was the faith-bewildered Othello .

      The same tendency to the ideal rather than the practical—the same disinclination to face common-place facts-makes the critic spurn at Miss Halstead's generous labour to straighten the crook-backed Richard , and vindicate his character as a ruler . He is willing , indeed , to admit that Shakspeare has exaggerated his ugliness , and that Richard ' s soliloquy over his own personal defects arose from " a malignant and spiteful feeling , " when he contrasted himself with "the elegance efface and form of his voluptuous brother Edward the Fourth . " He argues

      that—The general popular impression as to Richard ' bodily unsightliness seems to show how intense was the hatred of his character—how odious the recollection of his life . The detestation which lie had inspired aggravated the conception of hi 3 personal defects ; and he was , perhaps , thought tenfold more deformed than he really was , because bis body was the visible exponent of the spiritual deformity of his nature . If Richard was the comely person bis modern apologists maintain , then the notion of his deformity could have its origin only in the deep conviction of the inhuman wickedness of his invisible nature ; men must have made him crooked and hideous , because his life was so . ¦

      But however fanciful may be some of his criticisms on tragic poetry , the Professor ' s appreciation of the under current of history is generally dear and correct . Like all well-educated Americans , he was evidently proud of the ancient glory of his race , and loved to speak of the heroic times when his ancestors achieved liberty at home , respect and deference abroad . He has been fortunate , too , in an Editor to whom it has been a labour of love to rescue from oblivion the name of a brother whom lie loved and honoured . Wisely and well lias Mr . Murray judged in publishing a cheap edition of Hallam ' s Works . It is too late in the day to hang a new wreath on this illar of fame Hallam

      p . Mr . ' s reputation is too firmly established to need , or accept the hoinagje of student or critic . But the high price—speaking commercially—at which his works were originally produced , rendered them unattainable by the less wealthy members of the middle classes . This sole obstacle to their universal popularity is at length removed , and there are but few who cannot now afford themselves the long coveted luxury of beholding , upon their own shelves , the volumes which hitherto they could only obtain from a public library . We trust that this edition will command the safe which its intrinsic merits richly deserve .

      , Aj≫ J P* I ^Fi≫Ll0 ^ Yfl T*Tlg( C *

      Che Irts .

      " Professor Mathews " At Drury Lane. Cov...

      " PROFESSOR MATHEWS " AT DRURY LANE . Covent Garden henceforth will not be alone hi boasting of a " Professor : " Drury Lane now possesses one in tlie person of our old friend , Charles Mathews , whom , we must confess , we could never have expected to see in so grave a character . However , there he is , and there , in all probability , he will be for some weeks to come- —Professor Mathews , "the original Lyceum Wizard , " , in other words , " the Wizard of the South-Soutb-West-hy-South . " In this new character he performs every evening a Great Gun Trick , and gives an astonishing imitation of the Northern " Professor " now working his enchantments at Cqvknt Garden—an imitation so exact that the Andicrsonian face , expression , tones , manner , and other peculiarities , arc reproduced to the life . The scene represents a chamber provided with all proper necromantic fittings ; and some conjurings arc gone through with considerable adroitness , Mathews , of course , performs the part of a devil-may-care , uun-haunt «< l , scampish gentleman with plenty of ingenuity and spirits . He is pursued by sheriff ' s officers ; but nn extinguisher ( literally ) is clapped over one of thcac , and his place knows him no more until the end of the piece . A hard-hearted creditor gets upon the stage , only , however , to have a , £ 100 note conjured from his pocket fund , ultimately , the " Professor" is made happy . A young lady , with whom he has had a previous romantic acquaint anceship , turns up in ihe person of tho hard-hearted creditor ' s daughter ; whereupon the hhrd-henrted creditor softens , and love nnd constancy receive their reward . The piece ia sli g ht , but it has achieved a great success , " and " Professor Mathrws " conjures to some purpose .

      The Jenny Lind Performances. Madank Gold...

      THE JENNY LIND PERFORMANCES . Madank Goldbchmidt Lind on Monday evening again transported tlw > musical critics , nnd delighted all lovers of sacred harmonies , and of consum-

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 5, 1856, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05011856/page/20/