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812 THE LEADER. [S^tu^pay,
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Xxiitamtt do
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Critics are not the legislators, but the...
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In the dearth of any news' 6r gossip thi...
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It may be worth passing mention, that th...
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^The use of the word "party" has been fr...
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AN AUTOLYCUS IN LITERATURE. Sketches ami...
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THE DEVELOPMENT HYPOTHESIS OF THE "VESTI...
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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Transcript
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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.
812 The Leader. [S^Tu^Pay,
812 THE LEADER . [ S ^ tu ^ pay ,
Xxiitamtt Do
Xxiitamtt do
Critics Are Not The Legislators, But The...
Critics are not the legislators , but the judges and police of ™?™ ? -i , j 2 ^ not make laws-tley interpret and try to enfoTcethem .-EdinburghBevteu ) .
In The Dearth Of Any News' 6r Gossip Thi...
In the dearth of any news' 6 r gossip this week , we turn to France , in the hope of gleaning something of interest there . We find nothing but a small volume by Stendhal , who established for himself in Parisian society , a reputation for wit which his published works have never borne out . Quite recently his name has been rather frequently before the public , and this , with its old reputation , made us curious to read the repubhcation of his work , Del'Amour . Love is a subject upon which an infinity of nonsense has been written ; but yet , such is its irresistible charm , that the infinity of nonsense may still be read without much ennui . Stendhal s book is not deep , nor is it subtle ; does not show a very generous nature in the writer , nor a delicate appreciation of the subject . It is not written
by a man who has loved ; yet there are some amusing anecdotes , and some traits d ' esprit . Here is one , which has subtle truth : On se dit , "j ' ai manque d ' esprit , j ' ai manque de courage , " mais Von n ' a du courage envers ce qu ' on aime qu ' en Vaimant moins . Here is another ; " Souvent un homme d ' esprit , en faisant la cour a une femme , n ' a fait que la faire penser a Vamour et attendrir son dme . Elle recoit Men cet homme d ' esprit qui lui donne ce plaisir . II prend des esperances . Un beau jour cette femme rencontre V homme qui lui fait sentir ce que I ' autre a decrit . "
It May Be Worth Passing Mention, That Th...
It may be worth passing mention , that the energetic efforts of Mr . F . O . Ward to indoctrinate the continent with the principles of sanitary reform , and the virtues of the " Bright Water-jug , " have at last obtained for him a hearing in Paris , as we see by a notice of his pamphlets in the feuilleton of La Presse . Truly does the writer say of Mr . Ward , that "he is of that class of men , almost unknown in France , who agitate reforms which are simply useful with the same passion formerly devoted to religious and political reforms . " -
^The Use Of The Word "Party" Has Been Fr...
^ The use of the word " party" has been frequently ludicrous enough to procure its banishment , but nothing we have met with surpasses the following , sent us by a correspondent : — The preacher—a man with leathern lungs , stout , black hair , and coarse whiskers rolled out every word with an emphasis quite painful . After speaking of a universal want in man of a medium to interpose between the offended Majesty of Ileavon and himself , he said , suddenly , " The position of man forms itself after this fashion , to me : there , " pointing to the " body" of the chapel , a great gulph yaivns , ( tremendously emphatic , and pause for effect . ) " Who is to bridge it over ? Who can throw an arch over ? Who is to lay ' the sure foundation ? ' & c . & c . ; who is to put in the key-stone ? " & c . & c . " Man cannot , angels cannot , archangels cannot , devils cannot , & c . & e . Then there remains but man and God ; and , as we have before shown that man is incompetent to this tremendous task , there remains but this conclusion , that , if it is to be done at all , it must be done by the other— " tarty !"
An Autolycus In Literature. Sketches Ami...
AN AUTOLYCUS IN LITERATURE . Sketches ami Characters , or the Natural History of the Human Intellects . By James William Whitecross . Saunders and Otley . Mi ? . James William Wtiiteckoss lias undertaken a theme which " fitly to rehearse" might task the highest powers operating on a most extensive basis of observation and culture . lie has given us an alarming history of his preparatory studies : — " Having to survey the whole range of mental excellences and deficiencies , from stupidity up to the highest class of human intelligences , I was soon aware that it wan next ' to impossible to confine my range within the Binall circle of observations upon my own intellect ; however , as a necessary outset of my inquiry , I began with observing my own qualities and deficiencies ; and this was tho first step in my
career . Next I extended my observations to those with whom I had daily intercourse , and whose moral as well as intellectual qualities and deficiencies I could read with accuracy , and coinparo with observation upon my own mind ; thus I went on with closely observing my chum , and soon extended my observations to all my school-fellows , and , as it generally happens , I began with remarking exclusively their faults and failings in . morals , as well as their most striking intellectual deficiencies , being a confirmed ' hater of fools , ' and having a precocious dislike of blockheads—or perhaps because the first fruits of observation upon men arc most
commonly found to issue- in satire , ihis was , then , the second stop of my investigations , which 1 entered into in early life . At the outset I had frequent occasions to note down a great many interesting—at least I thought thorn to he soobservations , but with time their number begun to grow short , their stock did not correspond with my expectations , I was at a loss to find a , general law—some duo to < nu " de me ; they seemed to me not to afford materials enough to build up a system with . However , the early habit of such observations was not without some profit , as'it enabled me to frauic many useful rules for developing my own abilities , nnd making up the deficiencies of Home faculties of my mind . "
Tho , history , in continuation nets forth how-in Italy Jamos William WhilocroBS carried , this " investigation" through all the schools of painting —not to mention tremendous excursions -in the ¦ realms , of erudition ( Xenopliontes and ITorodote , casually mentioned , giving one n lively sense thereof!)—nil of which ( lid noi ; greatly impose on areviewer accustomed to magnificent programmes and miserable ¦ performances . The small passage carelessly thrown in towards the close is worth bearing in mind : — " 1 availed myself of sundry observations fit to bo brought to hour upon tho subject of my inquiry , tlmfc lie scattered in muny philosophical as well as critical works , observations that dropped unconsciously from the pen of some distinguished
What may be the extent of Mr , Whitecross ' s appropriation unconsidered trifles we cannot say , for we have not read his book , nor do we mean to read it . Our preliminary experience was unfortunate ; and wo stopped there . Talcing up his volume and casually inspecting it , as is our wont , previous to a deliberate reading , the name of A Igazel caught our attention . Except the article on Algazzali in the Edinburgh Review for April , 1847 ,-we are not aware of any circumstantial account of that philosopher existing in the English language ; and as we happen to be the writer of that article , the reader will understand the interest with which we sought what Mr . Whitecross had to say on the topic . By the strangest of coincidences Mr . Whitecross has selected from the work of Algazel the very passages we had selected , and omits those we omitted ; nay more , while he , by implication , translates from the original Arabic , it turns out not from the Arabicbut
of writers , who appear to be familiar with inquiries connected with the philosoph y of the human mind . " He is like Autolycus , a " snapper-up of unconsidered trifles , " and like Autolycus labours tinder no anxiety to name the owners . JS " ow it happens that the writer of this notice is one of the " distinguished writers" whom Mr . Whitecross has honoured by " conve yance " ( of the Pistol kind ) , andspeaking in . our own name we beg distinctly to assert that the observations so far from " dropping unconsciously" fVom our pens were made in perfect consciousness and with deliberate intent ; as indeed the reader may judge on learning that Mr . Whitecross has taken seven pages from one article , with nothing of his own , save an occasional - ' adulteration'of ignorance . ! .. # . ;
that his version is identical with ours , which was , from a translation by Herr Sehmolders ! In fact , Mr . Whitecross lias shamelessly decked himself in borrowed feathers as if we . were all safe to admire unsuspectingly his Arabic splendour . Mr . Whitecross is utterly ignorant of the subject , but he thinks by snapping up the observations of " distinguished writers" when they are " unconscious" of their value , lie may make a presentable figure . Turning backwards a few pages we light upon some " observations " touching female genius , in which the "distinguished writer" again recognizes himself—this time in sentences certainly not worth claiming or stealing—and claimed only to show Mr . Whitecross in his poverty . The way in which he has appropriated these tells more against him than anything we could say : — ~ WHITECEOSS . Edinburgh Review of Shirley , Jan . It
1850 . _ « -. " But their inferiority * in music is "It is in music the inferiority of morenfriking and unaccountable , though women is most marked and unaccountit is cultivated with great eagerness , able . . . ' . . They have been often great Often great as performers , they never indeed as performers ..... yet in . excelled in composition ; they have never musical composition they are absolutely been able to create the tumultuary liar- without rank . We can understand their monies of a Beethoven , nor have rivalled , not creating the stormy grandeur and the moonlight tenderness of a Bellini , tumultuary harmonies , the gloom and tlio enchanting loveliness of a Beethoven ; since to that height women have never
attained in any art ; but why no one among them should yet have rivalled the moonlight tenderness and plaintive delicacy of a Bellini is a mystery to us . Having achieved success in literature , ..... It is curious too that women especially in every department of fiction , have achieved success in every departthey , however , never succeeded in humour : went of fiction but that of humour . the lusty mirth and riotous humour of They deal no doubt in shy h umourous
Shakespeare , Swift , Melding , Dickens , touches often enough ; but the broad or Thackeray , when compared with provinces of that great domain are alhumourous touches of Lady Mary most uninvaded by them . Compare Montague , Miss Ferriar , Miss Edge- Miss Austin , Miss Ferriar , and Miss worth , Miss Austin , look like a quiet JEdgeworth , with the lusty mirth ana smile opposed to the inextinguished riotous humour of Shakespeare , Rubelaughter of the Homeric gods . " ' lais , Uutler , Swift , Fielding , Smollet , or Dickens and Thackeray . It is like
comparing a quiet smile with the iw ' ' linguis / table' laughter of the Homeric gods . " Surely it was quito unnecessary that one should read more of a worlc in which a cursory turning over the leaves detected such an A-wtolycns of . authorship . There is an attempt to make the foregoing passage original by means of transpositions and omissions , which forbids our supposing i ^ " conveyance" due to carelessness . Tho rest of the book is construct on similar principles .
The Development Hypothesis Of The "Vesti...
THE DEVELOPMENT HYPOTHESIS OF THE " VESTIGES . " Vcsth / os of tho Natural History of Creation . Tenth Edition . With extensive Additions and EiaondatioiiH , and illustrated by nuinorouu Engravings on " Wood . . ^ [ hHCOJS D A ItTIOTil' ! . ] Before proceeding to consider the treatment tho Development Hypothesis receives in tho Vestiges , it will be well briefly to indicate the p ^ liarities of this new edition , which varies verv considerably ii ' , '
early editions , both in form and doctrine . It is muoli enlarged , - many new facts and illustrations , has had the benefit of critical- . l ji vision" from a -distinguished physiologist , who adds a few notes of hifl oW ^ not however very important ; . while in the form of appendix , there x seventy pages of citation from the works of authorities on the v " j . j lC sciences , all tending to show the countenance given by authority t 0 ' , separate positions . Besides these , the book is well illustrated by ?* ° q [ cuts ; they arc not so frequently diagrams an we could have wished . ^ tho changos the doctrine receives we shall have to speak hereafter . ^ us , however , note one not pleasing peculiarity , —namely , the tunia I fusion with which tho terms " Providence" and " the Almighty j apologetically brought forward , as if in meek intercession wit " jn < j " j ^; Orthodoxy . Wo said in our last that a pioua spirit animated the- u
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 20, 1853, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20081853/page/20/
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