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Leader (1850-1860), 28th October 1854, Edition Country of 2, Page 15, October 28, 1854.] THE LEADOEK. Q023

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      Lord John Russell's Two Educational Spee...

      to what is popular . What kind of literature commands the market ? Cheap trash circulates by tons ; the reprints of good and high works , even when cheap , have not been successful . Is not the failure of mechanics' institutions , -with one or two exceptions , a fact of the age ? How little , too , after all read—particularly by the middle class—is shown by the slight circulation , as compared with the-population , of newspapers and periodicals . This , no doubt , may in some part be attributed to the " taxes on knowledge ;" and is it not , indeed , a fai-ce to see a President of the Council , who , in twenty years of office , has done nothing for the repeal of-these imposts , going about the country recommending " education !"

      October 28, 1854.] The Leadoek. Q023

      October 28 , 1854 . ] THE LEADOEK . Q 023

      If The People Of London Knew An Importan...

      If the people of London knew an important-event when it was under their eyes , there ought to be a considerable public sensation in connexion with such a fact as the opening of the Working Men ' s College , in Red Lion-square . On Monday next Professor Maurice , as principal of the college , is to deliver the introductory lecture . Actually , then , a working man ' s college ias been instituted , with all the forms of a college . It has a staff of twelve teachers , in addition to the principal . There is to be a class . of Geometry ; one of Public'Health ; one of English Grammar ; one of Law , - particularly the Law of Partnership ; one of Politics ; one of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy ; one of Mechanics ; one of Drawing ; one of Arithmetic and Algebra ; one of

      Geography ; one of English History ; and one of Vocal Music . The teacher of drawing in the college is to be no less distinguished a person than Mr . JoHN ^ RusKiN ; and the other teachers are all Oxford and Cambridge men of academic note . The classes are to meet in the evening , and small fees are to ^ be charged . All working men who have attained ordinary elementary proficiency are to be admitted to whichever of the classes they may choose . Should a sufficient number of students join , there is no limit to what this movement may lead . It is a bold step in the right direction ; and we . are glad to see that the intention , is io keep up , even punctiliously , in the new institution , all academic forms , so as to make the name Working Men ' s College strictly accurate .

      Lord Carlisle In The East. Diary In Turk...

      LORD CARLISLE IN THE EAST . Diary in Turkish cmd Greek Waters . By the Hight Hon . the Earl of Carlisle . Longmans . The great moral defect of travel-writers , in general , 5 s want of goodhumour . Par too many of our literary travellers seem to think that it is necessary to the assertion of their dignity , or the vindication of their wit , to let themselves , as rarely as possible appear before the reader in the capacity of men who can be easily pleased . The flippantly-severe style , the querulously-severe style , the sentimentally-severe style , and the eloquentlyle the les most in

      severe sty , are sty vogue among modern travel-writers of the third , the second , and often even of the first-rate class . Let any of our readers (" gentle" readers , of course ) , who may doubt this , ask themselves , in reference to the majority of books of travel which they have read for the last ten years , how they would like to accompany the authorSj judging those gentlemen by their books , in the capacity of travelling ' -coinrjanion f—and they will subscribe forthwith , as we venture to think , to the general truth of the assertion just made . The good-humoured traveller is the rarest of men —in books . " Smellfungus" is abroad still , as well as Lord Brougham's famous " schoolmaster . "

      It is the main merit of Lord Carlisle's new work that it exhibits him to the reader in the light of an amiable , warm-hearted man , who goes abroad with an honest predisposition to see , as exclusively as possible , the best side of things , and a frank resolution to write down the impressions thus produced exactly as he felt them at the time . If we were in any humour to be severe , we might find all sorts of faults with the Diary in J ^ irkisJi and Gretk Waters . We might show that it wanted the originality and depth of observation , the various flow of narrative , the skilful selection of subjects , and the vigour of style , which are required to make a good book of travels , no matter in what form it may be written . But wo prefer , in reviewing Lord Carlisle ' s work , to take a lesson from Lord Carlisle himself—to look with forbearance and kindness at his book only in the most favourable , aspect that it presents , as a frank , genial Diary of a visit to those parts of the world on which the public attention is now fixed with the greatest interest . If we do this , and if -wo present such extracts from the Diary as may be of some

      service in helping its circulation among our readers by making them acquainted with its better passages , wo shall have discharged ourselvesneither ungraciously or ungenerously towards the author , it is to bo hoped —of the duty required from us by Lord Carlisle ' s book . Our traveller journeyed to the East by Cologne , Dresden , and Viennapaid si flying visit to Varna on his way to Constantinople—saw the allied fleet in Besiica Bay—looked in at Smyrna—revelled in all the wonders that Greece could show him during the brief pev-iod of his sojourn there—saw Mount Carrnel and the peaks of Lebanon—landed at Alexandria—and returned to the North by way of Malta and Venice . Such is tho outline ) of Lord Carlisle ' s very interesting tour . Of the manner in which his Diary relates it , wo will now oiler some specimens , taken from the passages in tho book which uro most likely to interest tho general reader : —

      Til JO PANUHIAN KAOKS . Wo mado another hulfc nt SoKovony , tho Roman Scvorinum , wlioro tho passports wo Hubmitlod to a Wiillachiim officer , —a iiscIchm operation , our captain thinko , an tho oilioor imdorntandti no language but ' Walluehiun . Hero I full in with a countryman who haa boon Hcvcntoen yonra in tho Coinpiniy ' rt nervieo an engineer or agent . BoaicUi . s apparentl y having the energy and atrui tf ht ' . fordwardnuMH winch , I tnwt , wo may coiiNidornot uncommon uUrilxituH of hi « countrymen , lio hooiihkI to linve n yrtjut iiptlliidd for aK'quiring hing-uagoH , which I do not . think ho common a oho , uiul spoke fluently , imcl ho n « id well , ' in French , ( Jorinnu , IUlinn , mid WiuIhcIhmi . Il « my » ho has not . found tho natlvoH diahonoMt , but inont incurably la / . yi it ifl quito impotable to mnWo them work , except under th « proHatiru of immodiuto hunger , and that in by no mcwid « constant iucontivo in a country of innnunuQ natural fortuity . Many wore

      standing and lying about in their loose tunics , red sashes , high , woollen caps , and most unwashed sheepskins ( a common vesture , it seemed to me , of all the £ > anubiaa races)—models of picturesque filthiness . I da not karw what is most to be wished for these populations . I am inclined to believe that they have scarcely advanced a single step since the conquests of Trajan ; and one gets to' feel that almost any revolution which * could rouse their torpor and stimulate their energies— -which could hold out a motive to exertion and secure a return to industry—with whatever ingredients of confusion and strife- it might be accompani « d , must bring superior advantages in the end . As far as I can make out , there seems to fee general distaste for the Russians . The hopes of human progress do not lie in that quarter . " When I remark on the neglected and abused opportunities which surround me on every side , I do not disguise from myself what may be retorted upon an Englishman with respect to Ireland . ; but even if there should be no people whom the Irish may not match in their occasional misery , there are , at all events , among them copious indications of energy and character in whatever direction they may "be developed , while in these regions , blessed with a genial climate and generous soil , man , as yet , has only seemed to vegetate .

      GAXATZ AND THE P 3 HKCIPAL 3 TIES . June 21 st . —On getting up , I was rather concerned to learn that the steamboat which -was to take us up here for Constantinople had not yet arrived ; it is , however , expected in the course of the day . The English consul , Mr . Cunningham , came on board to see us ; he has lived here for eighteen years , which , I think , must be a sorry destiny . They expect to hear shortly of the Russian entrance : he says the poor Principalities have always to bear the expenses , though Russia professes to pay them . Another agreeable concomitant of the occupation is , that the Russian armies never fail to introduce the plague , or at least some bad : fever which"passes under that name . The quarantine seems to be the real plague of these districts : every one who

      crosses over from the opposite bank is subject to it ; and it even prevents their getting any supply of fish , as the boatmen are not allowed to pass to and'fro . We asked what -was the object of the . line of pickets which had continued : at regular intervals all down the Danube , and . were now , for the most part , stationed in 1 the midst'of the water z -we were told that their main object in the Principalities ^ was' to prevent the peasants from running away from their masters : as their place of refuge- would be either Turkey or Russia , it did not give me an elevated idea of their'present condition . The system of serfage is very complete ; and as they are obliged to secure the harvest of the Lord or Boyard before their orm , in unfavourable seasons they sustain the worst extremities of hunger .

      A DINNER AT CO 3 ISTANTIN" 0 PI , E . I had brought letters to Dr . Sandwith , who is a physician here , for the . present a correspondent to the Times , above all , a Yorkshireman . He very sensibly told me , that if even I did dine at any great repast given by some Turkish Basha qt minister , I should probably only find a reproduction of European , customs , . knives and forks , & c . * so he undertook to show me- -a genuine Turkish , house and . dinner . We yieat to-day j our host was the chief physician of the Sultan . We : arrived at hia house at Scutari about half an hour before sunset ; and as we could not dine during the Ramazan till afterit , neither food nor pipes being allowed between the rising and setting sun , we sat in . the garden with our host , who , not in . good keeping with his art , plied ns -with unripes fruits . A young Circassian girl , of about twelve , and so not of an age to prevent her appearing before Franks , was sent from the Seraglio , that the state of her health might be examined . At last the cannon fired i" Hark I peal'd the thunder of the evening gun ; It told ' twas sunset , and wz bless'd that sun . "—^ 'Corsair .

      There was quite a rush to the meal . The party amounted to nine : tlere was a Priest or Imaun in a violet robe ; but the person who ^ was the best dressed ,-and , seemed to be made most of , was a perfectly black gentlemaai from the Seraglio- ' Our host talked some French ; the rest nothing but Turkish , In which Dr . Sandwith is very fluent . All sat down on low cushions upon their legs : this I could not quite effect , but managed to stow mine under the Small low round table . Upon this was placed a brass or copper salver , and upon this again the dishes of food in very quick and most copious succession : we all helped ourselves "With our right hands , except-that just for the soup we had wooden spoons : this is not quite so offensive as its sounds , since they hardly take more than one or two mouthfuls in each dish from the . part immediately opposite them , so the hands do not mingle in the platter : it seems to me , however ,, that the first advance in Turkish civilisation to which we may look forward will bo the use of spoons , and then , through succeeding epochs , to knives and forks , —

      Tho diapason ending full in jplates . I must say that I thought the fare itself very good , consisting in large'proportion of vegetables , pastry , and condiments , but exhibiting a . degree of resource and 1 variety not unworthy of study by the unadventurous cookery of Britain . We drank sherbets , and - water . Some of the company had become so ravenous for their pipes after tliolong abstinence of tho day , that they could not sit out tho mool . We transferred ourselves to another room , where wo all tucked up our legs on tho divan , which , however , soon gave me the cramp ; but I was kindly encouraged to stretch out my feet . Tbia portion of tho evening -was very long , ns coffee and pipes were incessantly brought in i occasional relief was effected by tho black gentleman condescending to sing , with rather a cracked voice to a taniborinc . I was given to understand that ho was ono of tho Sultan ' s favourite musicians . Our host talked with regard of tho Sultan , a-nd

      seemed much pleased with his having assured him that ho might treat him quite fearleBsly , and not bo afraid of tho responsibility . Dr . Sandwith appeared to think this waa not wholly a superfluous recommendation , uh lately our friend had called him into a consultation upon the rather grave case of somo l asha , and upon Dr . S . ' advising some calomel or other efficient treatment , his Turkish colleague expostulated , " Oh , but this is a very great man . " AH woro extremely courteous to me , and wished to impress upon mo tho groat military ardour that now existta against tho 'Russiano , mot at all relishing the opinion I expressed that thoro would bo no actual waT at prooont j upon which our host pertinently inquired , " Will tho KunnlauH , then , pay our cxpoiiBos V" Upon our return homo , it , was a very pleasant transition from tho divnn and pipes to tho cnXquo on tho perfectly smooth IJoflphorns , under' tho still « lsy , with all the minarets of thu wide city wound Illuminated for tho liamagan , and ft military band playing under one of the Sultan ' s IuohUh or paviliona .

      TBH SULTAN AND HIS COTJH . T . Jnlfj 7 th .- ~ -A \ , about half-past two a . m . there wor « thundering flnlutwi to announce ) tho foHtival of tho ltalram , -which lasts fur three dnyw upon tho expiration « f th « month of fitting . At half-past threw a largo jmrty act , oil' from Hid hot . ol j wo wore rowed by tho boatH of thoNigor over tho ( joldcn Horn blualiUitf mwlor th « opoiiliiff dawn , and with the onrlicHt ruy of tho huh wo wore in tho Ini ^ o court , of tJio Honitflio U > hco tho procwHion of tho Sultan to tlm monoid of Siiluin -AHuihmI . W « woro placed in a houflo commanding tlm gateway from v « ry convenient , window * . Tho night wuh very pretty j there wor « « iimiiiIkt nrlno » K ; tbflii a long huc- niniw \ in Sir David WilUio'H picture lm tho corrUloi

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 28, 1854, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28101854/page/15/