On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (4)
-
44 THE LEADER [No. 303, Saturday.
-
LAURA aAY. Laura Gay. A Novel. 2 vole. H...
-
»j» r s+t t V\A\t % t*f gf a^*j * avvvai .
-
THE HAYMAKKET REVIVAL OF THE " BEAUX' ST...
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Sir Edward Belcher. The Last Of The Arct...
him and a Woolwich waterman politely intimating that " the last boat would Btart ixwa-TivE-ly at eleven . " As we were unable to hear , it is almost needless to add that the excellence of the acting entirely superseded the noise of the tempest ; and between it and the music , of which " Cease rude Boreas" could not be heard , and but imperfectly understood by the tremulous fingers of the musicians , the evening terminated satisfactorily . The manager , being most loudly called for , at length appeared , and , having overcome his modesty , made a very taking speech , not omitting Allsopp in conclusion , and retired , promising to omit no exertion to please at a more propitious day . The temperature during the performance may be assumed as near 17 ° as possible . This would be warm if calm , bxit the breeze in the boxes made it cutting : nothing but the most determined loyalty rendered it endurable .
" Hamlet" was afterivards performed , on the shortest day , with more success . Sir Edward , with a few apologies for the sake of dignity , tells how he consented urbanely ( though all " who knew him well" knew that " such pageants are not to his taste " ) , to . ride from the Assistance to the Pioneer , in a State sledge , with twelve of her Majesty ' s " Polars " to draw him . The result of the expedition is well known . It proved the futility of Franklin research . Sir Edward Belcher determined , in September , 1854 , to prefer the safety of a crew to the safety of a ship , and took those steps which involved him in an Admiralty investigation . He was acquitted professionally , and we think public opinion has ratified the finding of the Court . In the chapter devoted to his defence , his style is more malily than in any other . Accused , by implication , of timid and selfish conduct , he maintains that , on the contrary , his conduct was generous and bold . He gave up chances of fame , and risked the displeasure of the naval lords , to bring home safely those who had been put under his command . It is to be remembered
that his duty was , not to explore the north-west passage , but to search for Sir John Franklin . When that search became hopeless , it was equally his duty to return ; and as , upon his conscience , he believed all the vessels could not help-ought away without a loss of time , which might risk the existence of the crews , he chose a prudent part , and deserves praise instead of suspicion . On the subject of the North-West Passage , however , he has opinions to state . The original intention of Parliament was , to reward any navigator who , by discovering a channel to sea to sea , and proving America to he an . island , should open a new path to commerce . Parry , completing-a portion between the meridians undiscovered , started and established his claims : Franklin , Richardson , Dease and Simpson , though they saw the opening did not pass through , and lost the recognition of their labours . Sir John * ranklm , it is now maintained by his family and friends , did sail down Peel ' s Strait m open water and arrive at all the discoveries that M'Clure believes to be his own . This , however , is a question impossible to determine . Not knowing whither Frantlin went , who can predicate the extent of his
researches ? Sir ^ Edward Belcher anticipates a time when trade currents will set through the North-West Passage , and when there will be a safe and easy line of navigation through the Arctic . The way having been found , the' next St ; Wllj , ° . e to use it . We should like , however , to have a practical solution of the difficulty—such a solutioa as Magellan gave when he arrived in the i-iulippmes , alter sailing under the coasts of Terra del Fuego . This narrative , we have said , is disfigured by its writer ' s vanity . It is pretentious , and not always grammatical ; but these defects do not deprive it of contains much
m vl re ?\ ? new information * and is beautifully illustrated with tinted lithographs The sketches of Arctic scenery , with its hard brown and yellow cliffs , like the protruding bones of the earth , its sea and sky of deep , cold blue , its white coasts , its gigantic icebergs , broken fantastically into horns and crags , and the magical aspects of its sun and moon , are singularly vivad and faithful . The appendix contains valuable papers , on Arctic fish , by Sir John Richardson ; on fossils , by J . W . Salter ; on the remains of an ichthyosaurus , by Professor Owen ; on the crustacean bv Mr . Thomas Bell ; and on the shells , by Mr . Lovell Reeve , whose attainments in that branch of natural history equal those of any European professor .
44 The Leader [No. 303, Saturday.
44 THE LEADER [ No . 303 , Saturday .
Laura Aay. Laura Gay. A Novel. 2 Vole. H...
LAURA aAY . Laura Gay . A Novel . 2 vole . Hurst and Blackett . Ihere are politics in this novel . The hero is a member of Parliament ; the hero s toil is a member of Parliament also ; both are representatives of boroughs , the one being a money-lover , with the arts of a demagogue , the Ottier a Casuistical and vtrtnmis * ' inAananAcxn * » + «~ Kl l . » . „ l nn ° . .. __ otneracasuistical and virtuous " independent" too liberal to be too
, a Tory , honest to be a Whig , too cold to be a Radical . Some of his adventures in life are designed as illustrations of the English electoral system . For instance , on returning from a Roman tour , he finds himself the chosen of Hyde , simply because he is his own father ' s son . A third personage , Lord Flaxlev , heir to an earldom , is added to the list of parliamentary " characters . " He is introduced , begging votes from a lady who is fortunate enough to have the consciences of a numerous tenantry in her Iceeninp-. Sn fnr T . n > . * . n a ™ . „*„„ . !„ SeaS ItS aket
verSn'r ^^^ r ^ , ^/^ ° ' *' oliticftl ^ s are not SL of k ^ r f { V ? fr wlnch . 8 ° ' worked o « fc with sufficient knowledge of English pubhelife , or with sufficient command of detail . The narraoc 7 aso ° nXS id ° Y 1 ^ Evenly , . Uia disfigured by no extravagance ; occasionally it presents a well-conceived p cturc . In nil parts excent the dialogues , which are stiff with the starch of nedantrv . thlK ?™» - ? 1 , Y to convince " £
, u , that aIthough Uie ^ h oT Q - ^ VTSSS St >; DHcatSn . gS m ° rCadablC than ^ - "bviously hicourSc be ! . mH " 1 ? P ;^ «*» ring there is , of course-or , rather , not of LT ' lt ¦ ^ plulosoplwcol novel" excludes sentiment-a plot of some need e ^ elabor /' T * ! ° ° a 8 ir f ° incidcnt ; hut ' ? " ******« not that wl- tlO | ! ' atovy cxcltC 3 and sustains a powerful interest : " he t ote t I 1 S ? " 8 lnality in f » e " »« in conception-itself a trifle-but that another ll ^ fijT *? W P " " ** ™ " might be by one friend to
and Mr . Redford ever did meet in the Capitol , at Rome , their dialectics werP not such as are here represented . Mr . Ballennie , especially , who is described with much malice as a " literary man , " talks like the exponent of a ( client panorama . When Laura herself quotes Latin , it is with a firmness of exm-es sion most unconversational . B y all means , therefore , when this writer nub hshes his second romance , let bis dialogues be as brief as possible , or let him extend his studies and mend his style . The following , between Laura-who is tin indefinite Liberal-and a Whig peer , is by no means the worst in the volume : — " "So you are one of my son ' s chief constituents , Miss Gay ? I hope you have uo fault to find with his representation in Parliament . " " \^ ° W " ^ ° . Flaxle y ' " ***¦ Laura > with a smiled " when lie came to canvass me , that talking was more in . my line than voting . " 41 Did you talk him into a proper conception of his duties ? "
I did not attempt it I believe he received his orders from Mr . Siinkins and your lordship ; you know , therefore , far- better tlian myself how far they were compatible , and to what extent they have been followed . " " I fear you are not so staunch a Whig as I had hoped !" ' * I am not a Whig at all . " " Not a Whig ! " exclaimed his lordship , with a comical expression of surprise you surely- don't mean to say you are a Tory ? " ' " No , " said Laura , " nor a Radical either . " " Thank God ! you are not the latter ; but what are you , tlieu ? " "A mere looker-on—quite satisfied with things as they arc , or rather as tliev are going to be , and a staunch partisan of honest and capable men . " " Well , but that is exactly what all Whigs profess to be . " well
' Very , ' replied Laura , " they are happy if they can believe so much good of themselves ; but , surel y , you know that there is a different opinion current respecting your party . " " And pray what is it ? " " That they are an old family faction , who did good service in their day , ami were well paid for it ; but that now they are devoted to patronage , and not to patriotism . " " That ' s the uukindest cut of all , " rejoined his lordship , rising to go . Indeed , in this bit of dialogue , the author exhibits liis political theory , which is , that Toryism has become an impossibility , and Whiggery an imposture , and that Radicalism means nothing . Since , however , the word Radical has a meaning , which the words Whig and Tory have not , he is wrong . . Redford is another effort at political sketching . * He is the demagogue—tliat is , the trader . We have heard of men like him : ¦ —
His manners were sufficiently ill-conditioned and selfish to exclude him from the society of equals and superiors . Pride forbade a contented association with inferiors . The career he naturally espoused was that of the demagogue , who -with midj tongue and specious wit can mislead the mob , by representing its passions , siml by expressing with heartfelt rancour its hatred against all those who seem t < j possess the material gratifications it desires . Thus , too , he might settle old scores with the governor and the parsons , by irritating the former , and holding up thefrailties of the latter to public scorn and ridicule . Yet , clever as he supposed himself to be , in the knowledge of the worst impulses of the human heart , he ha < l not justly estimated that of his worthy sire . Old Itedford - \ vas , it is true , greatly aggravated against his flesh and blood , -when first it broke iuto open rebellion . The Radical club , the Chartist meetings , the abominable , scurrilous periodicals , the low political associates , were all so many thorns added to the goad of defiance .
His son was of age , and nothing remained to the parent by way of correction , save a withdrawal of the ways and means : this corrective , promptly applied , aud continued during two years , failed not to procure both father and sou the gratification of their direst enmity . The one was supported in his righteous indignation by his patrons of the Church—the other supported himself by pungent writing in monthly periodicals , and the more independent pleasure of reviling his father . So the feud might have continued , until the zealous had reaped the reward of their labours , if the talents and bitterness of the unscrupulous writer had not found an echo in the breasts and the interests of a section of the community , whose country extends no further than their own party and their own friends . Not that they adopted him into the boBom of their clique ; they only accepted him as a formidable ally . He visited at one or two hoimes of the great , and liy bullying he attained a better position than , with all hie wheedling , old Itedford had won .
One merit of Laura Gay , and in a first book it is a rare merit , is , that tltc author shuns fine writing . When lie attempts landscape , even in . Italy , his colours are soft ; he spreads them gently , they do not blind the reader . When he studies the human passions the picture may be confused , but it is not violent . Laura Gay , therefore , is a book of good promise , interesting as a story ; and though wanting in fine effects and subtle suggestions , undoubtedly clever .
»J» R S+T T V\A\T % T*F Gf A^*J * Avvvai .
€ \) t Irta .
The Haymakket Revival Of The " Beaux' St...
THE HAYMAKKET REVIVAL OF THE " BEAUX' STRATAGEM . " The comedies of Wyciierley , Congrevjc , Vanbiujgh , FAiiauiiAR , and their contemporaries , once occupying the very height of popularity , have for many years ceased to lioltl a position on the stage , ami arc almost unknown to the ordinary theatre-goer . The reason for this is not difficult , to find , though we think it has been generally missed by the writers on the old school of comedy , who assign , as thc causes of a clrnnge so remarkable , thc profligacy of the elder writers , and the high intellectual subtlety of their \ v \ t , which it » s thc fashion to suppose is far above thc comprehension of these times , though properly appreciated by the superior beings of tlic days of Oh a ni , bsill . and Queen Annk . Now , we venture to doubt both assertions . Asinraa licence ia concerned , it would be as well to consider tlmt nn age which not only tolerates , but encourages , translations from the French , wheni the characters arc perpetually toying with adultery , ami gambolling in a sort oi mtuqucrado habit on the borders of illicit passion , cannot bo excessively prudish ; and , with respect to subtleties of wit , audiences who cm give success after success to the plays of Douglas Jkurold , despite their uninteresting plots , and merely for thc sake of their HpnrlUing repartee and intellectual matter , must possess some admiration for that which appeals
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 12, 1856, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12011856/page/20/
-