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it , but the enthusiasm does not express itself successfully . The exaggeration of youth , and the prevalent cant about art , that is all we see in it . And , to us , even this exaggeration has its interest . We cannot see young women so " romantic" in their pursuits without bidding them God speed ! sure as we are that experience will abate it , in due course . What a glimpse , for example , does such a-passage as the following give , into the lives of young visionaries taking their visions seriously : — « What schemes of life have not been worked out whilst we have been together ! as though this , our meeting here , were to be the germ of a beautiful sisterhood m Art , of which we have all dreamed long , and by which association we might be enabled to do noble things .
" Justina , with her expansive views , and her strong feelings in favour of associated homes , talked now of an Associated Home , at some future day , for such ' sisters' as had no home of their own . She had a large scheme of what she calls the Outer and Inner Sisterhood . The Inner , to consist of the Art-sisters bound together by their one object , and which she fears may never number many in their band ; the Outer Sisterhood to consist of women , all workers , and all striving after a pure moral life , but belonging to any profession , any pursuit . All should be bound to help each other in such ways as were most accordant with their natures Elizabeth
and characters . Among these would be needle-women—good : s , whose real pleasure is needle-work , whose genius lies in shaping and sewing , and whose sewing never comes undone , —the good Elizabeth ! how unspeakably useful would such as thou be to the poor Art-sisters , whose stockings must be mended ! Perhaps , too , there would be some one sister whose turn was preserving , and pickling , and cooking ; she , too , would be a treasure every day , and very ornamental and agreeable would be her preparation of cakes and good things for the evening meetings once or twice a month . " There are many glimpses at life and art in Munich we should be glad to quote , but can only find room for the following account of the FEET-WASHING OF THE APOSTLES . " The door at the further end opened , and in streamed a crowd . Then tottered in ancient representatives of the twelve ' Apostles / clothed in long violet robes , bound round the waist with white bands striped with red , and with violet caps on their heads : on they tottered , supported on either side by some poor relative , an old peasant-woman , a stalwart man in a black velvet jacket and bright black boots reaching to the knee , or by a young , buxom girl in her holiday costume of bright apron and gay boddice . On they came , feeble , wrinkled , with white locks falling on their violet apparel , with palsied hands resting on the strong arms that supported them—the oldest being a hundred-and-one , the youngest eighty-seven years old !
My eyes swam with sudden tears . There was a deal of trouble in mounting them upon their long snowy throne ; that crimson step was a great mountain for their feeble feet and stiff knees to climb . But at last they were all seated , their poor friends standing behind them . A man in-black marshalled them like little school children ; he saw that all sat properly , and then began pulling off a black shoe and stocking from the right foot of each . There , with drooped heads and folded withered hands , they sat meekly expectant . A group of twelve little girls , in lilac print frocks and silver swallow-tailed caps , headed by an old -woman in similar lilac and silver costume , took its place to tho right of the old men in a little knot ; they were twelve orphans who are clothed and educated by the Queen , and who receive
a present on this day . " The hall at the further end was by this time filled with bright uniforms—blue , scarlet , white , and green . In front were seen King Max and his brothers , also in their uniforms ; numbers of ladies and children ; and choristers in white robes , who flitted , cloud-like , into a small raised scat , set apart for them in u dark corner behind the uniforms . A bevy of priests in gold , violet , blue , and black robes , with burning tapers and swinging censers , enter ; prostrate themselves bofore the King of Bavaria , and before the King of Hosts , as typified to them ou the altar ; they
chant , murmur , and prostrate themselves again and again . Incense nils the hall with its warm , odorous breath . They present open books to the King and Princes . And now the King , ungirding- his sword , which is received by an attendant gentleman , approaches the oldest ' apostle ; ' he receives the golden ewer , as it is handed from one brother to another ; he bends himself over the old foot ; he drops a few drops of water upon it ; he receives a snowy napkin from the Princes , and lays it daintily over the honoured foot ; he again bows over the second , and so on , through the whole twelve ; a priest , with a cloth bound round his loins , finishing the drying of the feet . A different scene must that have been in Jerusalem , some eighteen
hundred years ago ! " And now the King , with n gracious smile , bangs round the patient neck of each old man a blue and white purse , containing u small sum of money . The priests retire ; the altar and reading desk are removed . Six tables , covered with snowy cloths , upon each two napkins , two small metal driiiking-cup . s , and two sets of knives , forks , and spoons , are carried in , and joined into one long table , placed before the crimson step . In the meantime the man in black bus put on tho twelve stockings and the twelve shoes , and , with much ndo , has helped down the twelve ' jipostles , ' who now sit upon the step as : i seat . Knter twelve footmen , in blue auid white liveries , each bearing a tray , covered with u white cloth , upon which smoke six different meats , in white wooden bowls ; a green mmp—remember it is
green Thursday ; two baked fish ; two brown somethings ; si delicious-looking pudding ; bright green spin ; ich , upon which repose n couple of tempting eggs , and a heap of stewed prunes . Knell footman , with his tray , is followed by a fellow-footman , carrying « large bottle of golden-hued wino , smcl ii huge , dark , rich-looking roll on silver waiters . Tlie twelve iootnien , with the trays , suddenly veer round , and stand in a long line opposite to the table , suid each opposite to an ' apostle ;' the twolve trays held before them , with their seventy-two bowls , all forming a kind of pattern—soup , fishes , spinach ; isoup , fishes , Kpinaieh ; puddings , prunes , brown meat *; puddings , prunes , brown meats , — -nil down the room . Uebind stand the of wino ami their twelve rolls
other footmen , with flioir twelve bottle * . I can assure you that , seen from the gallery ahove , the cflbcfc was considerably cornier . " A priest , attended by two eourt-pagos , who carry tall , burning tapers , steps forth in front of flu ; trays and footmen , and chants a blessing . The King and Ins broUun-B again approach " the ' apostles ; ' the choristers burst forth into a glorious « twu » t , till the whole ? hall is tilled with melody , amhtho King receives tlio dishes from hiH hrotlu , ™ , and places them before tho . old men . Again I felt n thrill rush Um « , \ , . iH H () Krm . ( , fu i _ _ t , bough i ( , be but a wore form , a men ! shadow of tho frT "J ^ Wnt of Wo—tony gtmtlo act of kindness from tho ntrong to tho weak , " » u > o powerful to the Tory i > oor . As tlio Kiug bowed himself boforo tho foeblo
old man of a hundred-though I knew it to be but a mere ceremony—it was impossible not to recognise a poetical idea . _ , « It took a long time before the seventy and two meats were all P lRCed U J *» ™> table , and then it took a very long time before the palsied old hands couldI convey the soup to the old lips ; some were too feeble , and were fed by the man ** ™ £ * : It was curious to notice , the different ways in which the poor old fellows ^ eceivea the food from the King : some slightly bowed their heads ; others sat stohdly , others seemed sunk in stupor . ^ . , " The Court soon retired , and twelve new baskets were brought by servants , into which the six bowls of untasted food were placed ; these , together with the napkin , knife , fork , spoon and mug , bottle of wine and bread , are carried away by tni > oia men ; or , more properly speaking , are carried away for them by their attendant relatives . Many of the poor old fellows—I see by a printed paper which was distributed about , and which contains a list of their names and ages—come from great distances ; they are chosen as being the oldest poor men in Bavaria . One only is
out of Munich , and he is ninety-three . , " We went down into the hall to have a nearer view of the « apostles ; but , so very decrepit did the greater number appear , on a close inspection , —their faces so sad and vacant ; there was such a trembling eagerness after the food in the baskets , now hidden from their sight ; such a shouting into their deaf ears ; such a guiding of feeble steps and blinded , blear eyes , that I wished we had avoided this painful part of the spectacle . "
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NEW BOOKS . In rapid summary manner we must once more clear our Library Table of several volumes mutely demanding notice . „ 1 j And first , of J . P . Collier ' s new edition of Shahspeare ( Wmttaker and Co . ) , a reprint in one volume of that much-talked-of volume which Mr . Collier discovered written over with emendations and additions . We have already , in our notice of Mr . Collier ' s former work , expressed our opinion of the value of many of these emendations , which , let their source be authentic or conjectural , deserve adoption ; but we must doubt whether it was desirable to print all the MS . corrections as they stood , merely giving a general disclaimer in the preface . It was a delicate task , no doubt , to settle which emendations should be accepted and which rejected ; and the present edition of Shahspeare can only be regarded as a curiosity , until the authenticity of the volume from which it is printed be established .
For those who love controversy and controversy about " readings , " there is Mr . Singer's Text of Shahspeare Vindicated ( Pickering ) , full of minute ardour , unrestrained conjecture , indisputable learning , and questionable taste . He gives Mr . Collier no quarter ; will accept none of Mr . Collier's discoveries ; but his Vindication produces no conviction in our minds , and will only interest a few squabblers . It is a huge stride from the laborious searcher among blackletter marvels to the laborious searcher among the marvels of organic life , from Mr . Singer to Prof . Valentin , whose Text-booh of Physiology ( Renshaw ) has been translated by Dr . William Brinton , and illustrated with more than ood at Valentin is not
five hundred drawings ou -n-, aapper , and one . a writer who lends himself to translation , yet this translation I } 08 been made with great care ; it is somewhat stiff and obscure in the earlier pages , but grows easy and clearer as it proceeds . The measurements are reduced to English standards , and the weights to the avoirdupois standard . Only the first part is published , and we must wait for the completion before giving it the examination it deserves . Meanwhile , let us note , in contradiction to the preface , that it is by no means a work for the beginner . It throughout implies a previous knowledge of the subject ; and although an admirable work for the advanced student , its multiplicity of details , valuable in themselves , will confound the beginner . The book is beautifully got up .
Of tho work on cholera by Dr . Stevens—Observations on the Nature and Treatment of Asiatic Cholera ( Bailliere)—there are several reasons why we should withhold an opinion . In the first place , a work so purely professional exceeds our jurisdiction . In the next , it is the work of " injured man , " who states his own case against the Board of Health , and as we have no means of correcting his statement , we decline entering into the quarrel . There may be among our readers many who will welcome Dr . Donaldson ' s Longer Exercises in Latin Prose Composition ( J . W . Parker and Son ) , which are intended to facilitate those who deaire " to acquire and
exercise the accomplishment or faculty of expressing their thoughts ia the diction of Cicero ; " but for ourselves , while indicating the existence of such a work , wo must protest against so prodigal a waste of human labour on so frivolous an attempt . When Latin was the language of literature , the accomplishment of writing it elegantly and idiomatically was desirable enough ; but now that it has utterly ceased to hold such a position , now that even notes to classic writers are writen in tho vernacular , and a general protest is raised against tho use of Latin , to maketho writing of Latin a desirable object , is the merest pedantry of a pedagogue to whom a college is . the universo . Dr . Donaldson is am old !
pleader for " tho revival of writing Latin , " and resolutely decliaeeBi " there is nothing like leather . " But if any one conscious of the fabout necessary to attain oven a respectable proficiency in an art which none enn practise with success , will think of tho vuluo derived thereby , compared with that derived from a similar amount of labour bestowed on a science , on natural history , or any other branch of education commonly neglected for Latin , lie will nee tho utter frivolity of such labour .
" Apart from all opinions respecting the practical use of the Latin Ianguage as a medium of communication , I . fully concur , " Dr . Donaldson says , " in the opinion oxpressod by JNiebuhr , that Latin composition is a capital school for the formation of a good style in general . " If so , it is a capital school which turns out infamous scholars ! Niebuhr himself was surely no sample of huccohh ; indeed , the writers of Latin ( with an occasional exception , such us Jlobbes and Landov ) aro distinguished for tho inaccuracy and cumbroutmoHS of their stylo ; Dr . Donaldson among the rest . It was a good idea that of making a volume on . JSnalish Forests and
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Ma THE LEADER . [ Saturd ay ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 4, 1853, page 548, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1989/page/20/
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