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September 9, 1854.] THE LEADER. 853
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^?( > t"h>t*rY'l'1tt*T^ ^Llli-lUlUl t«
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Critics are not the legislators, but the...
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The Dublin University Magazine of this m...
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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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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
September 9, 1854.] The Leader. 853
September 9 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 853
^?( ≫ T"H≫T*Ry'l'1tt*T^ ^Llli-Lulul T«
iCifenitaw-
Critics Are Not The Legislators, But The...
Critics are not the legislators , but the juage 3 and police of literature . They do not make laws—they interpret and try to enforce them . —2 : dinburg 7 t Review .
The Dublin University Magazine Of This M...
The Dublin University Magazine of this month is more than usually Irish in its topics , but very good . It gives us , of course , the verdict of the Irish Conservatives on the Coalition Government and the past session . This is , in brief , that " through sins of omission and of commission , death has come over the prestige of the Coalition ; that the Government has suffered in character , and no one seems to have gained by the loss . " From an article on The Irish Industrial Exhibition of 1853 " we extract the following , referring to one important result of that Exhibition— - the institution of an Irish National Gallery of Art . "At present Art is almost nothing in Ireland . It is unpatronised , undervalued , if not despised . Our great names adorn the English Academy ; not that they prefer another country to their own , but because they are unappreciated at home * If , however , the love of
Aat should spread , and exercise as wide an influence among us as in some of the Continental states , then may -we expect to mature a Barry , a Maclise , a Foley , and a M'Dowell , and retain them wlere all their sympathies are centred , in the land of tlieir birth . To cultivate this extensive and intelligent appreciation of pure Art we have looked with sanguine hope to th ' -e Irish Institution , as the . germ of a Public Gallery , founded on a proper basis , and open to all classes of the people . ; But we certainly did not anticipate tiiat Success would follow the exertions of the committee of that institution so rapidly as it las done , and the result , therefore , is all the more gratifying . The Irish National Gallery is now legally constituted by ah : . Act ,- ; whose provisions . seem to place it pn a proper basis ^ and , to guarantee its efficient management . I . tsgoverniiig Isody , which is to hold office for fivfc years ,, contains the names of several Irish artists and well-known connoisseurs j and we trust that everv lover of Art will ' promote theirobjects by all means within lrispower . "
Ire land , thiis rejoicing in the prbspecfeof a native school of painting and sculpture , seems £ o be no less interested , at present , in looking up her niusiq . We leara at least froma prospectus , inserted in the Dublin Monthly Journal of Industrial Progress ^ that a society ; has been fornied for the preserr vation and publication of the Melodies of Ireland . Db . Tetbie , the wellknown Irish antiquarian and historian ^ himself an enthusiast in music , and the possessor of a collection of upwards of 50 < 5 unpublished Irish airs , is the President of the Society , and has placed his collection at its disposal 5 various Irish noblemen are among the viee-presidentl . The following is an extract froiia the prospectus :
" The preservation and publication of the immense quantity of National Music still existing in Ireland , and of which much is yet unwritten , have long been a desideratum among those who are acquainted with the great extent a . nd value of some private collections . Among these _ lie , almost unknown , many hundreds of Airs hitherto unpublished in any fwm , and whi « h range through every class of pure Irish Music , from the most elevated style of ancient vocal melody , down to the smooth-flowing graceful songs of . th « last two centuries ; and among which are preserved ^ ver y many ; too , of those vigorous , dance-compelling , quick tunes which cannot be equalled by any similar music of other countries . Besides these collections , a considerable quantity of iairs , hot yet noted down , is to be found current , as is -well-known among the peasantry in all parts of the country . The Society has been instituted for the purpose of Preserving , Classifying , and Publishing these airs of every kind , and likewise all such words ( whether in the Irish or English laniruace ^ con
nected with any of them , as appear to possess any peculiar interest . The Preservation of existing Irish Mu 3 ic is proposed to be effected by the collection and classification of all such as has been already noted down on paper , and by the formation of a central depot in Dublin , to which persons haying opportunities of noting down what is still unwritten may be invited to send copies of any airs which they can obtain , either in Ireland or among our countrymen ia other lands . Many very beautiful Airs have been already procured since the establishment of the . Society . The Council invites every Irishman and every Irishwoman too , to send copies of any Irish Airs they may possess , or vmy jind any means of procuring , to either of the Honorary Secretaries , by whom they will be submitted to the Committee charged with their arrangement « nd preservation . The Publication of our National Music will also be proceeded with by the Society , to the utmost extent that the subscriptions they may receive will allow . "
Our next note from the Magazines refers to Ireland too . The Ilamller , the able monthly organ of the English Catholics , thus speaks of the-duties of Catholics with respect to the new Catholic University established in Ireland , more particularly as tha t University is likely to be affected by the movement for admitting Cntholics to the English Universities . The following will bo read with interest by those who watch the c Catholic clement' in British society : —• " The third of next November will l > o ' tho commencement of a now era in the history of tho Cathohoa . of Groat Britain and Ireland . Whut oui- forefathers did for this country in Oxford and Cambridge is « bout to bo repeated for the advantage of the present generation in , Dublin , lu'om those nncicnt seats ol learning we . the children of their founders , have for three centuries boon expelled . At Cambridge , indeed , Catholic students hnve long been admitted , but they havo not been permitted to tuko a degree \ nnd Oxford , under compulsion , is about to grant us the smno , favour . ' For ourselves , however , wo most heartily trust that np Catholics wUHo found to avail themselves of the permission thus accorded . It WOUld bo SI mOSt DCliliuioilS tllillff fnr miv vnnnrr OiiHinlui tr > i-nnniwn ) ii « i nitunnlimt of
l _ rotoatanfc hands , whothor thoso hands were High-Church , I , ow-Ohuroh , LntUudinaiinn , Wonconioruuat , or Inlidol . Education can no more bo dissovored from religion than matter trom its properties of form mid colour . Wo had better remain as wo are , exilea froja our natural homes , till JMiglnml contjcB to bo a kingdom , than barter our faith , our honour , our manliness , our Helf-respoot , our clmrnotor among our fellow-countrymen , for the questionable advantages of such a . touching ns Oxford mid Cainbridgo can give , and that worldly position which the distinctions of those Universities confer on tliosa who ahnro tliein . Wo tueretoro trust that , notwithstanding the ' opening made for us by acts of the legislature « i \ ff lin S' \ Universities thoinaolvoH , our gentry and uristocraoy will hold themselves i , nn « «• X 8 «( 1 « cing bjiit , and will prefer the advantagea of Catholic learning and the uonouraot a Catholic Boininnry to that Ikthious knowledge ) and tlint tarn ' mhod reputation H B 7 , " >|\ t Oxford nnd Cambridge could conforon t « r . Wo do not Bay that nil the tJ ^ Zif . loUt i t « Iul Jl 11 tho ropalHtion tarnished , which Uioy confer on their Proforfeit ., ™ m *'• Ifc ia fwUH only tllllt th ° y lmvo notliinR to give , without tho n " f U ti ow l w \ t of nil tlmt is moat honourable in this lift and moat prori-. ua in tho Woa 4 Jjm " ' - ° pim 51 * » tholi ° sominarios , therefore lot thorn bo puroly l > roto » tant . 7 « Ji « l * * i ftainiKBlon i"t » tlunr walla , no ulmro in their splendid possessions . Wo « ro content l 11
BliadAwv 3 ™» f | UIS > to tread thoao antique cloisters , to wundor mnidat those wasnnl ^ tt ? d blo () rni » e g « rdon » , a » strangers , as exiles , na inon from whom tho Wrr ^ 3 ° ~ i . ' 7 « y with gloomy frowna and loota aaknrwo ; oursolvos content to who , ? , !< - n , ot / opiI i ' nnohnritnblo bigotry , but nn omnlation of tho groat men w » o , contnnea boloro Protestantism ivna born , io « rcd churches , schools , libraries , nnd
colleges , in the service of that faith which still is ours , while all else is lost . Emulating , therefore , the wisdom and works of our ancestors , and not envyine those who have so long enjoyed the fruit of their l ^ ours , the Irish episcopate , under the direction of the Pope , have laid the foundation of another Catholic University , which will commence active work on the 3 rd of next November . " Among English Magazines of the month , besides Blackwood and Fraser , noticed last week , we have a good , but somewhat chaotic Tait , containing , under the title of ' Glimpses of the Church-World , ' a prediction of , and aspiration after , the ultimate evanescence of what the writer calls ' Priestism ' from the face of the earth—the notion being that each man ought to be his own priest , and that though churches and church-officers may exist , they must exist apart from any sacerdotal organisation . We have also a tolerably varied National Miscellany , with an interesting article on that scholarly
subject , " English Hexameters . " We have also our monthly democratic friend , the Northern Tribune , published in Newcastle-on-Tyne , -with the dying words of Goethe , "Light , more light V" for its motto ( a version surely , in this instance , of the more common saying , " Coals to Newcastle" ) , and containing , inter alia , a capital introductory paper , advocating the necessity , in the present lock-ifast state of politics , of a new national party , and urging Newcastle , as a stronghold of democratic opinions , to take the initiative in the out-of Parliament agitation for compelling the formation of this ' party . ' After commenting oh the present powerlessness of the country , and even of the ; Parliament on all matters of foreign policy , the writer recommends a movement for the"formation of a party pledged not only to Liberal measures at home , but also to a resolute crusade against Secret Diplomacy . He says : — . ; . ;\ ¦ . ; . " \ V - ' : ¦• ; " - ; ' . "V ¦' "' ¦• ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ¦"¦ ¦ ' . '¦¦ ¦ ¦¦¦'¦ :- ¦> . " ' ¦'' ' " ¦ '¦ ' :. - ' .
• Somebody must begin , Why not Newcastle ? Have we not men enough , hearts , and intellects , and wills ? Let an association be forriied of all who acknowledge tie right of manhood : nornatter how few begin , so that they are men of character whorti theii" fellowtownsmen can be content to intrust with ; a temporary leadership , merely as initiators of the movement . Let Newcastle men , so many as think only the carrying out of this war a matter " which should be under the national direction , let Newcastle men who would make an united : nation of the various classes now at war in our own confines , let all Newcastle men who respect right , and who can forget little differences , join together in this Newcastle Association . It will 'Thesomething . Other towns , even to the whole cpuntry , may follow ; ; the one earnest lead , and the nation be established . Only make the earnest begiririirigi ? ' : ; '¦ " - '¦¦ ¦ '¦ ¦ .: . . "¦ ¦ '¦"¦ ¦¦ ¦ . ¦ ¦¦'¦ ' ' : ' . . ' ¦ " ¦ ¦ ¦¦ . ¦'¦¦' ¦¦ ¦
It is curious to observe the different verdicts that come from different quarters on the late session of Parliament . We have mentioned what the monthly Irish Conservative Magazine says on the subject ; and we have just hinted what the Newcastle Liberals think on the subject . From almost all quarters ^ in fact ^ ther e is a pretty unanimous profession of fatigue with the coalition experiment , and the late session of coalitioni 3 m . Here , however , we have an . English voluntary or Anti-State-Ghurch organ , called the Monthly Christian Spectator , congratulating itsi constituents on the Results of the session for their cause . The Irish Conservative organ , as we saw , said that the upshot of the session was that Government had lost its prestige and
that no party had been the gainer . The Christian Spectator , however , taking stock for the voluntaries , as distinct from either the coalitionists or their opponents , boldly says that , having during the last session , pursued a line of action , " sharply defined and unswervingly adhered to , " they have now the felicity of finding that their position has been strengthened contemporaneously with the decline of every other political section . " Among the items of gain to the voluntaries during the session , this figures very promincntl y '—that " the session has been fruitful in successful resistance to mischievous measures . " " Fruitful in successful resistance "—what a phrase ! Fruitful in negation !
But , among the minox Magazines of this month , we have been pleased with none so much as with a modest sixpenny one , entitled Our Friend , published by Mr . Shaw . It seems to possess superior literary merit throughout . ' Hogarth , and the Times he lived in , ' is a careful and pleasing biographic sketch—just such as we like to find in a magazine . Here is a piece , of it : — " He was in tho habit of taking notes of characters on his thumb-nail , or tho palm of hU hand . Of these mere sketches , the most ainusing are a man drinking at a pump ; a fat man rolling oa his back liko a turtle ; two fut members of tho Bedford Arms Club asleep ; and , among others of the unfinished' Happy Marriage , ' a wntqh-innker , n pariah parson , and an old maid ; tho latter of which is tho portrait of an old maiden relative—who cut liim off , in consequence , with a shilling . " On another occasion , wuon with his friend Havman , ho stopped to sco two women who
were quarrelling in a cellar ; ono of them filled her mouth with brandy , anil spirted it into hov antagonist ' s eyes , ? Look at the brimstono ' a-mouth ! ' cried Hogarth , and ixistantly it was down on paper . It ia to bo still viewed in the tavern scene in tho Rako ' a Progress . ' " Hogarth is described ns n fond hnsbund . He aooma never to hnvo employed lus wifo nn a model , unless she sat for his ' Segisniumla , ' It ia remarkable , too , that , with only ono exception , he should never have illustrated any scone from ( Sliakupero . His dog Trump , whUsh ho has introduced into two pictures , Is as woll known aa Sir Istuxo Newton ' s Diamond . Barry says , ' ho buw Hogarth onco in Crhnbourno-alUiy , dressed ia a sky-blue coat , encouraging a boy who had been bullied to fi & ht \\ o was patting tho follow on tho baolc , and looking Btedl ' astly at tho oppression in tho coward' 0 law , cried , " * Damn him , if 1 would tako it of him ; at him again . * ' " Ho is dusuribod us Htruttinc about tho auction-i-oom , when liis ' Rlarriugo 2 i 1 « M 01 I 0
was to bo sold , full dveaaud—taking grosit precaution for i'oar tho rooms whowlii bo overcrowded . Bitter was his dismay wlion only two ' persons arrived , nnd tho pictures were knocked down for ono hundred and ton guinnau . .. . 41 Hognrth \ vi \ h a thorougli Engliahman ; hia Fronohmen aro nhvnys thin , his Knglwummi ntout . Walpolo dascribos a dinner , at which ho Hat b « twui > it Gray i * nJ Jlognrtu tmcouy nn < l coinody—na the most nriticrablo night he over apent , ho being tho only person who iwyi up thu convoraation . , . . ,. , , " Hogarth ' s nltttera kept n ready-inado clotlio » -Hli <» p in Littlo JJritiun j 10 w « b kina to them , and helped thorn with money . O « io Hlator Hurvlvoil ' •! ' » ' i . " " ' '?" ' . , ^ " JI " , 7 supported by tine salo of his printH , and a Uoynl Aowlotny niinuU / f ' » . - " , ? , " ??„ , * " i » , " hia relations , > , nd ho died in ho arma of hb wiwin , Wi . ry . lA ) ww , «»«« hv « d with hi n . domoatica remained manyyoara in his « orvlco , •« ...
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 9, 1854, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_09091854/page/13/
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