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No . 492 . *™ * 7-iH *> . 1 THE UADEE ¦ 931
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cracv Taking these to itself the English democracy ' might -well leave the mother country to the mfluence of the aristocracy . But above all , England is indebted to her profound religious sincerity . Whereas the French revolution was ushered in by the infidelity of literary men , who -were patronised by the Court . Nothing might be done until . tib p fault was cleared away . Napoleons I . jand jji accordingly , had first to re-establish the traditional re ] igLn , lnd secondly to raise and strengthen the Supreme Pontiff of that religion . Much , of the difference , too , is owing to the different methods of education .
"In France the child is brought up , develops itself , grows and studies under the eyes of its mother . She walks , she watches him ; if he speaks , she listens ; if he weeps , she pities him ; if he laughs , she laughs with him ; if he plays , she joins him His thoughts , emotions , tears or smiles , joys or griefs—all are shared . The family is not numerr ous hardly more than two or three brothers and sisters ; but this little world lives under the eyes of the father and mother , and the anxious , active foreseeing affection of the latter anticipates their wants and wishes . Ther
" Iii England there is nothing parallel . e you will not find the tender intimacy and foresight of our domestic hearths . Ahaaost as soon as-a child is born , it is confided to strange hands- —a Frenchwoman or German takes care of it , and . teaches it her own language . Later , it joins its numerous brothers and sisters , and plays and studies with them , under the care of a governess . Once a day , at lunch , the father and mother descend and mix with their children ; and in these short moments , when the family is united , I do not know whether respect does not close their young mouths and restrain the rapture of their youthful hearts . , The
repast finished , the noisy recreation follows , animated and joyous , far from their parents , in separate apartments , under the cold and indifferent eye of the governess . There each child developes itself , not only physically but morally . What he thinks , wishes , or does , it is himself who thinks , has willed it , and has done it . In contact with his brothers and sisters , who have the same independence as himself , his character is formed , tractable and strengthened at the same time . He resolves , but learns what is far more difficult * he learns
riotic traditions of her history , by associating them with the liberal prlnciples . of modern times . " Inspired by all the tendencies of past ages it has consecrated democratic principles , the social , civil , and political equality proclaimed in 1789 ; and has tried to associate them with modem principles of liberty j but it is supposed to that liberty ; which , Supporting itself On equality , degenerates into license , and from license into popular tyranny the worst of all tyrannies . " Proclaimed and recognised by all the nation , the Empire has been the arch of union between the past and the future ; it has equally wished to be so between the different classes of society . It has given France a French Government , in conformity with its traditions , wants , interests , manners , characterand genius . '
, "It has resumed the sword of Brennus , and . it has thrown that sword into the balance of the destinies of the world ; but it has made that balance lean in favour of the rights and liberties of the people . " The people suffer when France suffers ; the people prosper when France , under an energetic and popular power , develops in peace all the magnificent faculties that God has given her . The prosperity and respose of the world depends on the prosperity and respose of France .
" God has- made our country a magnificent part in the history of humanity . However melancholy has been her infancy , or sad her humiliations ^ however bloody and numerous her revolutions , she lias such energy , youth , and greatness when she finds her path again that it seems she is the head and heart of humanity , and that humanity would cease to live should her heart cease to beat . Such is the apology for the existing system of things , to be found in this production . Our analysis has simply aimed to suggest the contents of the volume , not to . argue the matter with the understand
author . It is much more important to his position than to declare our own . The author , it will be seen , shows talent and ability , corroborated by extensive information and legitimated by logical dexterity . It will be well for English politicians to read the work carefully , as most certainly they will have to deal with the practical conclusions to which it leads . On , the basis whicli it lays d , allying system has been edified , the direction of which is in the hands of a man of genius—a philosopher on a throne . We cannot know too much of the motives by which his conduct is guided , or of the objects at which he probably aims .
how to resolve . He learns also to depend on himself , ana himself only . Thus , from the cradle , there is nothing ideal , no holy and tender expansion of blind but sublime maternal love . No ; but real life , noisy and animated , with already its difficulties and struggles ; and with this independence , whereby the character and the temper are thus strengthened , is a singular spirit of subordination . There is one child in the family who morally leads , who every where is first , and treated more respectfully , is habituated from an early age to consider himself as the future head of the family—this is the
eldest son . The French hate inequality , and to secure its opposite have sacrificed liberty . Democracy destroyed the ancient order of things but was itself thoroughly disunited , and the same barrier existed between the bourgeoisie and the people that had divided the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy . Not only did the bourgeoisie live carefully apart from the country people , but they lived apart in the same manner from the town people . But the time came -when the bourgeoisie had to submit to the
people , as the aristocraoy had had . to submit to them . They dared not repress the excesses of the populace , while they implored its concurrence . " Even as they had deprived the aristocracy of thoir privileges , the people took from thorn those they wished to preserve or to acquire . To overturn the nobility they had supported themselves on philosophic theories , and had invoked the rights of rniin . The people , enlightened and raised by thorn , invoked in their turn the same rights against thorn . " On suoh a basis , an English constitution cannot be reared ** France .. "Where ia $ he
aristocracy P Where is the nobility ? Where is thenterritorial fortune ? . . We have seen in this country three great revolutions ; 1815 , 1830 , 1848 . The first gaye the power to the nobility , the second to the bourgeoisie , and the third to the people . And in . this manner each of the revolutions seemed to bo a viotory of one sooial class over tho two others . " In 1852 , wo ore further told , that tho Empire called for by France was the energetic representation of the interests and rights of all classes of society . Thi& it found in that constituted by Napoleon III ., which has united France in one common love of country , and religiously preserved in the laws and administration the great and pat-
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TWENTY YEARS IN THE CHUItCH . An Autobiography . By the Rev . James Pycroft , B . A , —Lionel Booth . FEMALE INFLUENCE . By Lady Charlotte-Maria Pcpys . In 2 vols . —Hurst and Blackett . HAWKSVTEW ; a Family History of our own ti mes . By Holrao Lee , author of Sylvan Holt ' s Daughter , &c . &o . —James Blackwood . MARCO GRIFFI ; the Italian Patriot . By Mrs . "Webb author of " Naomi , " &o . &c—Richard BOntley . WRECK AND RUIN . By Kinahan Cornwallis , Author of " Two Journeys to Japan , " " Panorama of tho New World , " &o , In 3 volB . —T . 0 . Newby . THE DUDLEYS . By Edgar Dowslaad . —James Block .-wobd .
The novel season is over and we may take our run into the country . There will of course be a few followers in the rear , but none of sufficient importance to keep us at our post . 3 jt will not be out of place here , perhaps , to offer a few remarks on the Reason just over . We believe there have been more novels published this season than any preceding one . Since October last there have been upwards of 170 novels issued , or about 800 volumes , making an average of nearly four novels published every week . Of thte mass of fiction it would be rather difficult to name more than twenty that will not be forgotten by the next season , many of which are already buried under the oblivion of others .
now published than mthe writings of some of ta& people just named . Although recent writers may not have that ability to write an exciting storywhich is very doubtful—they generally employ their talents with a good' intentj however deficient they may be in natural abilities , to work out their plan . , . The novel , now , is , in most cases , only the vehicle through which art , doctrine , or grievance are illustrated ^ as in the case of " Tom Brown ' s School Days . " Why the " school" system should be moralised it is difficult to conceive ; unless it be that were it not written in the form of a fiction it would find less favour with the public . We have hei * e the life of the school-boy depicted in all nhases . There is very little attempt to interest
the reader with a love story . Thackeray , Dickens , Bulwer , Anthony , Trolloppe , and many more of our great novelists , send forth their views through the mouths of their characters , doubtless , but they never write a novel on one phase of life . Their characters rarely say anything but what is consistent : the writers so model their characters that they say or do nothing only that which is true to their nature . They present their readers with every phase of life and character , manners and customs , and their great minds enable them to view and treat every question much m the school
same manner as Mr . Hughes has done the - boys . Indeed it is very doubtful whether this new class of fiction , if judged by strict rules , would stand any of the tests of the novel , righlty so called , i . e ., when judg ed by the standard of our classic novelists . Without subscribing to tihs system of novel making , we may remark , however , that it has a far better tendency and more healthy effect on the reader than the fashionable and criminal school of fiction popular twentg years & ™ o . That such novels as " Tom Brown are read , and the class likely to become popular , is to be expected , from the immense success of
Mr . Hughes' book . " Twenty Years in the Church " is a novel of the same class as" Tom Brown ' s School Days . " It ia wr itten with the avowed purpose of doing for the church system what Mr . Hughes has . done for the system of education at our public schools The school-boy fag is the fag curate , who lives a hard , laborious life , and does the work for which another receives the pay . The style of the book is autobiographical . It purports to be the life of the Rev . Henry Austin , a man of more than average intellect and of not much influence . Not rich enough to purchase a
living , so that he has to labour for seven years as a curate on 150 Z . a year , keeping a wife and family *—as many of our poor curates have to do , and many much less , unfortunately . He is just the sort of person to enlist the readers sympathies , and preaches the word of God in " the highways and byways , " as Our Saviour did before , him . He does not say whether he is High Church or Dissenter , consequently his " preacbjng can offend no sect , and it matters little to him of what denomination a fellow creature is ; if ho be m trouble he will always find a sympathiser . . Nor is he too wise to be able to take note Qt' the wishes of the poor , as will be seen from tho following extraot . The talk is on the Bible , and Dissenters , and Edwards is the driver of tho Oxford coacb , and a man that has seen " bettor days . "
« ' I do have a good deal of talk and argument with them , and there ' s one story they all ;^ { £ * JgjJ «* t s sss as s ? £ s ems oK bookiBlTtho o » e to Uko talking to n man , tho out ten »«¦
tho othor nino sormons or , ns * w *«« poor man is concerned , might just as well . be Greek . ' P * But you would not hare us preach m rod * a coaraoancT vulgar manner as the Dissenten i " « No eir ; I say , copy what ' e good , not vrliavs bad in thorn They oan command attention when Key proao " and you church clergy cau't . Suppose I mJcfur my convocation before I started , yrixo ! d listen to mo / As it is , I huvo a certain quantity stowed aw in * "y hcad / ifc « 0 m ^ out wWjhm * whe ? o it ' swanted / W '» Uko the DtaBontpro . A doctor on our coach once said , smartly enough , that a Churcli-of-En gland sermon ought to bo like a separate proecription t but Instead of that it is more like a box of flunlly pills , ft kind of general
prwerip-Thore have been fewer successful novels published during this season than usual , ^ especially considering the quantity issued . This is attributable to many oausos ; first of all it is remarkable how few of the " stock " novelists have published . Where is Mrs . Marsh , Miss Jewsbury , Misa Julia Kavanagh , G . P . R . James , Harrison Ainaworfch , and many others whose writings have always had their fair meed of sucoesaP It oan scarcely bo that tho novel is degenerating ; there is more good healthy art and doctrine in the fictions
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ftEW NOVELS .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 27, 1859, page 991, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2309/page/19/
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