On this page
-
Text (6)
-
Ko. 496. Sept. 24, 18.59.1 THE LEADER. 1...
-
LITERATURE.
-
LITERARY NOTES OF THE WEEK.
-
—: ? Messrs. Black-wood and Sons announc...
-
THROUGH NORWAY WITH A KNAPSACK. By W. Ma...
-
• Should any trunk-maker or othor trades...
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.
Ko. 496. Sept. 24, 18.59.1 The Leader. 1...
Ko . 496 . Sept . 24 , 18 . 59 . 1 THE LEADER . 1085
Literature.
LITERATURE .
Literary Notes Of The Week.
LITERARY NOTES OF THE WEEK .
—: ? Messrs. Black-Wood And Sons Announc...
— : ? Messrs . Black-wood and Sons announce the publication of a library edition of the novels of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton , to consist of forty-three volumes , at 5 s . each . The first -work-to-be issued is the Caxtons , " which will be commenced in October . The volumes will be brought , out once a month , and be printed in large , readable type . Judging ; by the great popularity which Sir E . B . Lytton ' s late works have attained , a . large sale may be predicted for this series .
The Publishers Circular says : —Mr . Thackeray s new monthly magazine will , it is decided , be published at the bold price of , 1 s ., and a vigorous effort will be made to attain a success shadowed out to it by the great magazine of Messrs . Harpers , of New York , which , by a rare combination of good contributions from pen and pencil for Is ., circulates some 170 , 000 monthly . The Berlin Volkszeitung denies the statement made by many German and English newspapers , of the library of Alexander von Humboldt having been sold to Lord Bloomfield , on account of the trustees of the British Museum . The paper adds , that several gentlemen are still busy making a catalogue of the library , which will riot be finished before the end of December , the books turning out to be much more numerous than was at first believed .
The Bengal Hurkaru property was brought to the hammer the other day . A Jew brought the buildings for rs . 161 , 500 , but no bidder could be found for the paper , burdened as it is with an annuity of rs . 500 a niohth to Mr . S . Smith . The French provincial papers announce that the yacht built at Syra for Alexandra Dumas has arrived at Cette . She . is a galliot of 78 tons , with raking masts . The crew is composed of six Greek sailors , under the command of Captain Podimatas . The yacht is called the Monte Christo . Mr . Weale ' s well-known Rudimentary , Educational , and Classical series , will in future be published by the Messrs . Lockwood and Co ., of Stationers ' -hali Court .
Messrs . Constable and Co . announce a new and cheaper edition of Sir t ) . Brewster ' s " Memoirs of the Life , Writings , and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Nekton ; " second series of " Horse Subsecivab ;" a " Monograph of Dura Den , and its remarkable Possil Fishes , " by John Anderson , D . D . ; also , by the same author , " The Course of Revelation . " Messrs . Hogg and Sons publish a reprint of Mr . Frank B . Goodrich-s " Man upon the Sea , " under the title of " The Sea and its Famous Sailors , " following up their series of " Books for the Young ;" also announce " Pictures of Heroes and Lessons from their Lives "—both with illustrations . M . Legouve , of the French Academy , and M . Henri Martin , the historian , have left Paris for Italy , to represent the friends of Italian liberty in France at the approaching funeral ceremonial in hononr of Manin , the brave defender of Venice .
The following observations are from the columns of our contemporary the Critic : — " There is something peculiarly sui generis in the annual meeting of one of our old public schools , such as took place on Wednesday at Christ ' s Hospital . The masters have always , until lately , been ex-pupils of the place . The preacher-who delivers the preparatory sermon—whoso eloquence the four of five senior scholars have , we believe , the special privilege of not being obliged to listen to , unless they choose—is invariably a former student of the foundation ; the audience—at least the male part of them—have either been in the school themselves , or else have had sons or brothers or nephews there , or have been intimate with persons who fulfilled these conditions ; and the ladies present are invariably ready on these -occasions to bo exceedingly interested in anything that concerns their
most distant relatives or acquaintances . Wo shall not pretend to criticise the speeches ; they are , we think , on the whole , equal to those of any other publio school in England ; and it used to be said that they were the least touched up and embellished by the Head Muster . The reporters of some of the morning papers toll us that the Greek was delivered in pure Attic ; and to speak Attic Greek purely is , we need not say , a task which cannot be exceeded in difficulty . None of the youthful orators , we perceive , alluded on the present occasion to the heinous proposition for removing the school worn London into the country . The Times is , for the nonce too busy with " aerial navigation " and the njon-flogging of soldiers to moot the question again at present . We noticed the kindly allusion made by Mr . A . M . Wood to , his lato French master , M . 0 . J . Delillo , that gentleman has loft very many sorrowing friends behind , and deserves as much and
more than his warm-hearted pupil could say in his favour . But why , we may ask ; have none of the Grecians alluded to the very recent death of Leigh Hunt ? He was one who deserved this kindly token , not only for-his own great literary merits , but for the exceeding : affection he always bore to the place of his education . Could not some one of the senior scholars ( we hope they did , and that the error is ours , not theirs ) spare a word or two from describing Magenta and Solferino to allude to the " old man eloquent" who ever had a good word for all connected with his old school in his talk and in his books ? We ihay notice one fact in the distribution of the several speeches , that the mathematical medallist delivered the English poern . To the poet himself we sh all give the sanie compliment as the "Virgilian swain gave to his fellow :
Tale t uum nobis carmen , divine poeta , Quale sopor . We may add , that the present" Master of Trinity Coll ., Cambridge , whose mathematical eminence all will allow , carried off the Cambridgejaurel for poesy there one year , in the most mathematical of poems . May we say one parting word without offence ? Why does the glove still go round ? This is an eyesore and offence to many who feel the warmest interest for Christ ' s Hospital and all that belongs to it .
The Eton Montem has been abolished ; and even the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex will no more be introduced to the Barons of the Exchequer with the ancient ceremonies Of counting nails and cutting sticks . The sum collected on the occasion of the annual speech day at Christ ' s Hospital is but small , and brings a blush to the cheek and a pang to the heart of many a youthful collector . Let this money be made up . to the senior scholars henceforth from the funds of the school , or else by an appeal to those who have once themselves been senior scholars , "
Through Norway With A Knapsack. By W. Ma...
THROUGH NORWAY WITH A KNAPSACK . By W . Mattieu Williams . Smith , Elder and Co .-Travels through Norway are generally interesting , the present , a pedestrian one , is'on that account more than usually interesting . Right early did our traveller discover that the Norwegians are a deliberate and phlegmatic people ^ "who do nothing in a hurry , for he had to wait long at the hotel on landing at Cfvristftmsnnd for his breakfast . The roofs of the houses consisted of a framework of heavy beams , covered with planks , overlaid with sheets of birch bark , called " naver . " Moss or peaty soil is spread upon these to a depth , of several
inches . A rich vegetation is common upon such roofs , and occasionally a goat may be seen grazing luxuriantly upon the house-top . The remarkable character of the sunsets is , as might have been expected , one of the first descriptions in the book , as it is in most books of Norwegian travel . The rising moon appeared like a ship on fire , and was mistaken for one by the captain and mate . The politeness of the Norwegians induced Mr . Williams to give up a theory which he had formed , that a soft , southern climate , bright' skies and outof-door existence had much do with the refinement
and courtesy of the poorer classes on the Continent The cerempnious bearing of the people of Cliristiania proved a different position . The rich bowed to the poor in the same way that the poor bowed to the inch . Our trnvejlei' saw a rich merchant , alighting from his carriage , take oiF his five-guinea Panama ha $ , and describe with it a large semicircle , terminating , according to custom , at the knee , as homage to the servant who opened the gate of a mansion . " The servant did the like , neither more nor loss respectfully than did the gentleman—ergo , both were gentlemen . The following is apropos of the title of the book , and "will amuse the x ' eador : —
Before advancing on tho journey I must describe my knapsack . I have- had much experience in knapsacks , and mado many improvements ahel inventions in them ; my lust invention , previous to the , present one , being a knapsack of zinc , suggostod by a , botanical vasculum , and somewhat resembling one . I walked through Wales and the Lake district with it , and found it had many advantages ; but that for whioh it was mainly constructed was not
among thorn , viz ,, roliof from tho heat and porspiration at that part of tho back upon which the knapsack rests , and which are the chief objections to carry ing a knapsack . Bosidos this , tho country people were continually inquiring the price of candles j assuming , from tho shape and material of tho boxon my back , that I was travelling for a house In tho tallawchancUory lino . , " My present knapsack is made of strong open wiokerwork , ourvod , like an angler ' s basket , to tho shape of the back , and lined on the inside with
waterproof cloth , so that the , bare wicker rests upon the back . A free ventilation is thus secured , which effectually carries off the perspiration . The top is closed by a leathern flap with straps . The attachment of the shoulder-straps is the same as in the Swiss and German knapsacks , viz ., from the middle of the upper part of the back of the knapsack ; so that the straps cross the shoulders diagonally , and require no breast-straps : which last are abominable inventions , most ' . uncomfortable arid injurious to health by pressing upon the ribs and contracting the chest . This wicker knapsack combines
lightness and coolness in the highest degree ; strong , and keeps its shape firmly , and is altogether the best I have seen , * It is a great mistake to make a knapsack of pliable material , such as waterproof cloth ; such a knapsack becomes a mere unmanageable dangling bag upon the back . " There is also good advice on the contents of the knapsack , which should not be too abundant . Two shirts are sufficient , one on and one off "; other gear in proportion . The following is a pleasing dramatic pic t ure : — ;
" Stopping at the new station of Dombaas , I met an English lady and gentleman with a ' folk , ' or interpreter . The hostess was the perfect embodiment of womanly goodness : just the sort of woman that every man rnust instinctively liken to his own mother . The English lady was in delicate health , and had but a small appetite . This was desolation to the soul of our good hostess , who had exhausted nearly all the resources of Norwegian cookery , and was almost-broken-hearted at finding that' her fair guest did not consume every dish . She evidently supposed that the lady was dissatisfied with the delicacies she had prepared , and that the plea of illness was only an excuse . We were all amused and conmost
cerned at the good woman ' s anxiety ; but the attiused of all was the folk , for he devoured all the nice things the lady and her husband were unable to grapple with . At last came the crowning effort of the kitchen ; some porridge made of fine meal , boiled in milk , coated with sugar , and over that a pool of oily butter , all boiling hot . This was brought in triumphantly ; and I foresaw plainly that if this failed the good woman would have no sleep that night * The fair patient , with the amiability , of a woman , and the self-denial of a martyr , ate two or three spoonfuls ; but human nature could no farther go . What was to be done ? for the hostess , thus evidentldetermined that her
encouraged , had now y guest should cat the whole , though there was a good - sized Staffordshire - ware willow pattern pie-dish full . Suddenly we hit upon an expedient which our unknown tongue enabled us to organise and carry out . It was that the tol / t should stand behind the lady ' s chair , so that lie could reach the pie-dish over her shoulder , and while I diverted the attention of the hostess by asking for something , he hastilj " , and with great glee , helped himself to piled up spoonfuls of the porridge . Thus every time the good old lady returned , she found the porridge diminished , and was delighted with her success ; manifostintr her clee by patting her guest on the
back , and exclaiming , " ihke sic ft I ihhc sick ! ( not sick 1 not sick !) Thus all parties were gratified , especially the talk , who was grinning with delight for the . rest of the evening . " Here , too , is a curious speculation : — "Ifound Mr . Gould hard at work , skinning and preparing his day ' s spoil , which was ve considerable ; a young bird I had oaught on the way was added to tho collection . I was surprised nt the variety of birds Mr . Gould had killed ; he had , in mere numbers , more than double tho amount of what an ordinary sportsman , accounted a crack , sliot , would consider a good day ' s sport hproabouts . The skilful naturalist , without ; any of tho paraphernalia of sporting—no pointers for setters with wonderful instincts , nothing but a very old-fashioned looking gun , and tho Imro requisites for , making it go o _ - for tho first time in WMb with
Son es to to l » lac « . a predetermination to shoot particular kinds of birds only ? and those of particular agos , ho wallw strajght to Soir haunts , and shoots nearly all he soaks , and bouts tho moro bird- «! ayor who bangs at ovurything he soos How any man can bo a sportsman without bolng a naturalist , 1 cannot unuurstaml . buoh a phonomonon would , I suspect , bo unknown , if , in tho curriculum of our great universities , sconces and natural history , tho laws and phenomena of creation , " veri imulq the leading objects of study , instead oi tlio obscenities of Jupiter and Co . and the poetic laudations of Koman ropino and Greek treachery : all of whioh might with much advantage be buried In the darknoss of populai ? oblivion and the keys oi their sepulchre loft in charge of a few special antiauarlaiis . Tho languages in which they are written --or at any rate , the stiltod , pompous Latin that
• Should Any Trunk-Maker Or Othor Trades...
• Should any trunk-maker or othor tradesman undortako to innnufliotura suoh knnpnuok » for sale , twill gUclly aid nun In constructing hla flrat jrnodul .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 24, 1859, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24091859/page/17/
-