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Northern Star (1837-1852), 1st March 1851, Edition 2 of 2, Page 3, . OLYMPIC THEATRE. A New comic drama, in...

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      March 1 , 1851 . THE NORTHERN STAR J "^ ^ " ^¦ ———— ——¦———— , __ mmmm —— —— - * __ ft 1 ~ ' " ' '"" " — - ¦ ^ ^ t /

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      Ihre Ibe Crt Of The -^W*Ra Whtebss Nrmcl...

      ihre ibe crt of the - ^ w * ra whtebss nrmClrmClTED TO CHtlAIN 0 BP 0 SKSI 3 OS HATJOSAL B 51 M « - $ !»«• SDTJCiHOS . " . < ijl people dwelt in darkness , In g loom and blinding night , Ti Till some grew tired of candles , And dared to long for light . "ff When straight the established lanterns Were stirred with hate of day , A . And loud the lawful rushlights In wrath were teard to say , « Oh , nave you not yonr lanterns , Yonr little shining lanterns ! "What need have you of sunshine ? What dp yon want with day ?'

      a f Thenlond tbe people murmured , And vowed it was n t right ] Jor men who could get daylig ht , To grope about in night ; Why should they lose the g ladness , The p leasant sights of day ! But still the established lanterns Continued all to say , « Oh . have yon not your lanterns , Tour nice old glimmering lanterns "What need have you of sunshine ? What do yon want with dav ?'

      " Rat people loathed the darkness , And dared at last to say , You old-established rushlights Are good things in yonr way ; But are you , candles , sunlight , — Yon lanterns , —are you day ? * Still loud the lawful lanterns Sid answer make and say , ' Ob , be content with lanterns Your good old-fashioned lanterns Yon really want too much light ; Don t ask again for day . ' " At last the crowd ' s deon murmur Grew , gathering to a row . And that they would have daylight , In lanterns' spite , they swore ; And fear was on all rushlights ,

      And trembling and dismay ; Alas , alas for lanterns " The people heard them say ; * Oh , woe—oh . woe for lanterns ? What will become of lanterns I Alack , they will have sunshine : Alas , there will be day V " And , as the tempest thickened , Aloud they shrieked in fright , 1 , once let in the sunshine , And what will be oar light , "We , shining lights in darkness , Shall nothing be in day ; Oh , don ' t admit the sunshine ! Keep out the daylight , pray ! Oh , don ' t put out your lanterns ! Your own old little lanterns ! Oh . do without the sunshine ! Oh , don ' t let in the day I

      " Tbe day came in , but prophets Do say , ' t is certain , quite , That long , through coming ages , Will lanterns hate the lig ht , That to our children ' s children , In sorrow still they'll say , « Ob , for the times of darkness , Ere lanterns passed away ! Why laid they by lis lanterns , Their fine , their good old lanterns . We re sure it ' s bad , this sunshine , This horrid glare of day . " Bennett ' s Poems

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      The Planetary System J Its Order And Phy...

      The Planetary System j its Order and Physical Structure . B y J . P . ISlCBOt , LL . D . London : Bailliere . Dh . Uichol may take the same place in astronomical , as Southwood Smith and the late Andrew Combe in medical science . If he has sot himself advanced astronomy , he has extended its knowledge and its study , not merel y by rendering the great , but very often scattered , discoveries of modern astronomers accessible and intelligible , hut by the manner in which he popularised the science . So-called

      " popular " compendiums were rife enough before him , bat they were of a dry school-book sort ; the elements were presented , and perhaps p l ainl y , but after the plainness of a " rule " in grammar or arithmetic . Dr . 2 \ ichol was the first who brought to astronomical compilation the knowledge ef an astronomer and the sp irit of p hilosophy , united to breadth of view and warmth of manner . He not only elevated comp ilation himself , but set an example to others . Since the appearance of "The Architecture of the Heavens , "

      greater largeness , vigour , and life , seem to have been infused into most books tbat treat of any section ef cosmogony . . The present volume is desi gned as an introduction to astronomy , for "that numerous class who cannot boast of acquisitions in mathematics , " and is preliminary to a more profound and elaborate work which Dr . Nichol is preparing . In strictness , the theme is confined to a description of the solar system , and an investi gation of the principles which sustain and rule it But Dr . Kichol is not the

      man to confine himself too narrowl y to his subject . The probable formation of the system enables him to enter , not so much upon the nebular hypothesis , as tbe demonstrative speculations of La Place , with regard to the formation of the p lanetary system ; assuming tbe existence of a central body like the sun , instead of attempting to show , with the elder Herscnel , how it was formed- The appearance of comets in our system takes the reader "beyond tbe visible diurnal sp here , " into space . The powerful telescopes of modern tiroes enable Dr . jSichol to describe the

      vallies and mountains of the moon , to speculate vpon the nature and constitution of its matter or groundwork , since we must not say earth , and even to p ierce throug h the atmosphere of the sun to the luminary itself . The general subject of the book has been frequentl y handled in a jog-trot conventional manner b y various compilers , as well as by Br . Xicholin his "Phsenomena of the Solar System . " Novelty is g iven to the matter of the present work by the introduction of the cognate subjects we have already mentioned , and b y embracing the latest discoveries in astronomy . He imparts interest by his genial feeling and his eloquent style . The plan and

      treatment of the subject , however , is the great source of variety and freshness . Dr . Xichol embraces the history of astronomical discovery , and notices its great discoverers in connexion -with , the account of the p lanetary system . -This method not only presents the student with an outline of the history of the science , but , as tbe discoveries were made in the order of the pal pable , he is enabled to present the simplest to the reader first , and to impress princi p les firml y in the mind , by noting the early errors and the causes of them . In tbe same way , he is able to combinea human interest with the exposition of an abstract science . The fact that the earth moves in its

      orbit round the sun , that tho sun itself turns tt pon its axis , and similar commonplace truths of astronomy , possess a living interest when tbey are associated with the long prevalence of erroneous notions in the world , the opposition Copernicus encountered , and the persecutions to which GalBleo -was subjected . In later tunes , and less priestridden countries , persecution was not to be feared ; but a biograp hical

      ttterest still continues , and one beyond a Merel y scientific attraction rises up with the Jaw of progression . It is interesting to see « ° w each discovery is imperfect ^ or leaves a difficult y which future inquiries have to solve , « own even to the last p lanet Neptune : its discovery was facilitated , and in part suggested b y Bode ' slaw , b \ it the p lanet proved ° a discovery to be an excep tion to the rule .

      . "e have mentioned how the history of error ' 3 made use of to exp lain or enforce truth . * e natural difficult y experienced b y the antten ts in discovering the actual movement of oar system , may be taken as an example : —¦ The obst acles in the way of our discovering tho attiial character of the planetary system are twofold : ~! ey arise from tbe position and circumstances within which we view it ; and both act in the same J . ? . viz ., ( her withdraw the truth from simple or wect inspection , and reduce as to the necessity of in terring or deducing it from what is only apparent . * & the first place , we look at the system as an

      The Planetary System J Its Order And Phy...

      external object sideways . If from some point far aloft—the eye in a position similar to that from which one examines the diagram of Plate L—we descried the planetsrolling below as on a great plain . no doubt regarding their motions could possibly remain , as each would be seen steadfastly describing its allotted circle ; but the opportunity of thus discerning the phenomena we would disentangle is evidently denied us . In consequence of our residing on the earth , we are not above that system , but in the midst of it ; and because of our system ' s special structure , we are limited to a view like the following ; Suppose a ball set in motion bo as to revolve in a circle on the surface of a table ; its actual motion , with all its circumstances , wonld be m ATf Awfflfll fttlin / lt et / famAva Tf f-- . -

      seen directl y by an eye raised above the table , and looking down on it ; but if the eye were only at the height of the table , and therefore coasttained to look on the relling globe sideways , the circular motion would not be a direct perception , but an inference . The visible fact would simply be , that the ball passes alternately by some path to the right and left of the eye ; but what the path is , whether merely a straight line through which the ball passes backwards and forwards , or a curse line , circular or otherwise , this could not he ascertained , unless after observation much more minute and prolonged than that which revealed mere alternations hi the object ' s apparent place . But there is a second characteristic of our position as observers , which renders the task of evolving the true planetary paths

      more difficult still . We do not look at these moving bodies from a position of rest ; and as the motion of the earth is not felt or originally understood , we are inclined to suppose that all apparent changes of place in external bodies spring from their actual motions ; so that we are obliged almost to mix up with what is real a large amount of what is unreal , viz ., all those alterations in the relative positions of our globe and the other planets which are caused by onr own positive hut unfelf . revolutions . . Notice a body of cavalry on a field-day imitating a skirmish ; it would he difficult even for an attentive observer to follow and record the complex careers of these horsemen ; but how different the condition of any actual rider in the imaginary affray!—how

      unlikely that , by tho utmost stretch of attention , he could discern so as to narrate , when the scene terminated , the exact conduct of the nearest of his comrades , the directions and distances of bis various courses . And with regard to the planets , such a Erocess of discrimination is rendered yet more opeless , by the fact that there are no fixed neighbouring bodies by comparison with whose known stability we might infer our own changes or . measure those of our companions . The stars are fixed , indeed , in relation at least to onr evolutions ; but they are so remote tbat tbe motion of the most distant planet—tbe one whose orbit has the widest range—could not be detected through effect of any apparent change thereby impressed on their posiof

      tions ; nay , the entire sphere the planetary orbits , seen from the nearest of these luminaries , could not be discriminated without great difficulty from that mere point which marks the position of tbe san . I sm not sure , indeed , that in the whole history of science there is ought more instructive than the chapter recording the mode by which these serious hindrances were withdrawn from our way to a right understanding of the structure of the heavens . In the first place , we have the surprising efforts of the Greeks , artificial undoubtedly , and , like other physical speculations of that remarkable people , chiefl y distinguished for their logical ingenuity , but pregnant with interest as a milestone in the progress of humanity , and the ground also of all succeeding achievements .

      Complete Works Of " Fi Garo " (Mariano D...

      Complete Works of " Fi garo " ( Mariano de Larra . ) Vols . XLVII . and XLVIII . of the " Collection of the best Spanish Authors . ' * Paris , Baadry . Larra was horn in Madrid ( in 1809 ); but his father , a physician of some repute , having a medical charge in the Imperial army , followed it to Prance in 1812 , and remained there for six years ; during which the boy forgot his native tongue , and on returning to Spain had to study it anew . The education there given him was as good as the extant schools could afford : he learned

      quickly , but did not , like many precocious talents , disappoint the promise of his earl y years . At the usual time he went to college , where his father wished him to study law j but here the derangement of his course began with " a mysterious circumstance , " tbat made him quit the University of Valladolid . After some attempts to continue his studies at Valencia , he was called by the influence of friends , who gained him some public appointment , to Madrid . Here , however , hesoon shook off a charge which he had never liked , and threw himself on literature for support . After

      this , he soon took another rash step in marrying , at twenty , a wife whom he did not long treat with common respect , but forsook for other amours . Altogether , his personal dispositions and conduct were not such as lead to happ iness or credit . He is described as morose and suspicious in temper , and prone to fits of dejection which excesses were not likely , in cure : — -while flattered and popular abroad , he was wretched at home . For the last five years of his life every other

      uneasiness was aggravated by an intrigue with a . married woman , who felt or feigned so much remorse at the connection as sufficed to trouble it , and at length peremptoril y broke it off . Larra vainl y tried to dissuade her from this step ; and , after the last interview , finding her inflexible , at once went home , and blew out his brains with a p istol before a lookingg lass . In the house , it is said , the cause of the noise was not suspected ; the children of the unfortunate man were the first to discover

      the catastrop he on entering the room some hours afterwards . This was on the 3 rd of February , 1837 , —he had not yet comp leted his twenty-eig hth year . Larra began his career under Calomarde , in 1833 , with a periodical of his own , called the "Pobrecito Hablador" ( "TalkativePoor Gentlemen" }—as a decided liberal : and was forced to cease its publication in a few months . TMer the Monarchy of the "Estatuto , '' his articles si gned "Figaro" came out , some in the " EevistaEspanola , " others in the " Observador , " and later in the " Espanol . " In

      these we find the writer by degrees detaching himself from the party he first espoused : — whose sincerity or vigour he had little reason to admire . He does not , however , go to the opposite side entirel y ; but takes , as it were an Ishmaelite position , shooting at follies , knaveries , and oppressions on all sides , from a ground of sceptical distrust in men ' s professions and promis e s , which tended—as suspicions always will—towards a certain shade of conservatism . In this basis the growing wei g ht of private vexations may have had a share : —

      his latter essays are not less pointed or clever than before ; but tbey are often severe where in early days they wonld have been humorous . A certain caustic mockery takes place of more genial wit ; and the satirist beg ins to fallout with the species itself instead of assailing its deformed specimens only . Larra was not merely eminent as a writer of political" leaders . ' He composed a novel on the story of the Troubadour Macias , some orig inal comedies , and translated some from tbe French .

      Beyond this , he was a livel y observer and dexterous painter of manners . Of these he has left some admirable sketches—writings the most acceptable to forei gn readers ; in which much of what is peculiar in the usages and disposition of the peop le , in the ways of thinking and living in Madrid , is set down with a skill that belongs to the hi gher order of essays . From these compositions we take a specimen or two of Larra ' s manner : —

      UK is SBALV . We are bound to confess that our native land is not a country in which men live in order to eat : — wo may give thanks , on the contrary , if wejeat iu order to live : —this , in truth , is not the only point in which we show how little we love ourselves : there is no species of entertainment in which weave not wanting : there is no sort of convenience we are not destitute of . " What a strange land is this . ' " exclaimed to me , not a month since , a foreigner who had come to study our customs . It must be oh-KPrved . indeed , for truth ' s sake that the stranger

      was French ; and that your Frenchman of all men in the world is the least apt to comprehend the monotonous and sepulchral silence of our Spanish way of life — " There will no doubt be races here on a orand scale , " he said to me tbe first thing in the moruintr . " We will make a point of seeing them . " — "Pardon me , sir . " I rep lied , * ' there are no races here "— " What , do not the yonng men of family like the course ? Do not the horse * even go at full sneed here ?"— "Hot even horses . '— "Let us go aSiooting , then . " - " There is no shootinghere ; we have neither the where nor the what . — We

      Complete Works Of " Fi Garo " (Mariano D...

      will go then to see the carriages promenade , "" Carnages there are none . " -. " Very eood , to some country house where we can pass an agreeable day . —'" There are no country houses , we do not pass agreeable days . " - " But surely there are a thousand different kinds of amusement , as every where else in Europe ; public gardens for dancingon a- smaller jscale , may be ; but you hare your Tivoli , your lUnelagh , —your Champs Elyseessome kind of diversion for the public . "— " There IS nothing for the public , the public does not divert itself . " It is worth seeing the foreigner ' s face of wonder when he is frankly informed that the Spanish public either feels in itself no want of amusement , or amuses itself like the wise man ( for ...

      in this respect ail may pass for such ) with its own thoughts . My foreign friend thought I wished to impose on his credulity ;—and said at last with a look between discomfiture and resignation , — "Patience , then : —we will content ourselves with going to the balls and soirees given in private houses of good society . " — "Gently , good sir , " I interposed , "it may be as well to tell you as the proverb : says , there are no fowls , and you come asking for eggs , in Madrid there are no balls , no soirees . Everybody talks or prays , or does what he liles at home with three or four ' intimate friendsand that is all . " * * As for tho poor middle class folks whose limits are every day growing fainter ,- on this side shading into high society ,

      which has now cot a few intruders from thence—on that sinking into the lower stratum of the populace that are gradually assuming its habits—these have one way only of amusing themselves . Does some holiday come round ? Is there a marriage ? A child born ? Has the master of the house got a place—which in Spain is the highest pleasure known ?—the celebration is one and tbe same . A great hired coach , a tolerably hard bargain—filled with a party still harder to cram into it : —some six , -ouls at the most it may contain . Bat papa gees in , and mama , the two girls , two intimate friends who had been invited , a female cousin whojvist dropped in by accident , the brother-in-law , the

      nurae-maid , a child , of two years old , and grandfather . Grandmother does not go too , because she died last month . The door is shut at last with the same difficulty as the lid of a trunk overfilled for a long journey , —and now for the inn-where . they mean to dine . The hope of this grand repast , towards which the coach is carrying them after a fashion Of its own—the being borne along on high —the blushing of the girls who have to sit on the guests' knee—and above all the absence of the daily puchero , put the good folks into such an excitement , that you may know half a league off the coach that is taking to the inn family going on a party of pleasure .

      A stranger from France is addressed to the " Poor Gentleman , " with letters of introduction . . He comes to Madrid on several important affairs : — Intricate family concerns ; claims on the Government ; anJ some large designs besides , which he bad formed in Paris , of investing considerable sums in some kind of business or manufacturing speculations , were the motives that had brought him to our country . Accustomed to the activity prevailing among our neighbours , he formally assured me that he meant to spend but a short time here , especially if he did . not promptly meet with a safe investment for his capital . Tho Stranger appeared a man deserving my attention ; I soon

      conceived a regard for him , and in the sincerity of mycompassion tried to persuade him to return home , the sooner the better ; provided , of course , he had any othar end in view than a journey of pleasure . He was surprised , and I was forced to explain my self more clearly . " Look here , M . Sans-Delai ( that was his name ) you come with the design of staying a fortnight and expect in that time to finish your business . "— " Certainly , " h «> answered , ' a fortnight only—and that is no trifle . The first thing to-morrow , let us find out a genealogist for the information I want in my family affair ; in the afternoon he can examine his registers , trace my pedigree , and at night I shall know how 1 stand there . As lo my claims , the day after to-morrow I send them in , fortified by the proofs he will have

      given me , and dul y legitimated , and as this will be a thing of clear and undeniable justice ( for in that case only I shall pursue my right , ) the cause will be decided on the third day , and I shall have what belongs to me . As to my money speculations my proposals will be offered on the fourth day . They will be found good or bad , accepted or refused on the spot—this on the fifth day . On the sixth , seventh , and eighth , I visit the sights of Madrid , rest on the ninth ; take my place in the diligence on the tenth , unless I-have a mind to stay a little longer , and so return home : — there are st'll five daysofthefifteentospare . " "When M . Sans-Delai had reached this point Itried to repress a burstoflaughter thathad been nearly choking me for some minutes ;

      and though good manners supported me in stifling the untimely merriment , it could not keep from rising to my li ps a gentle smile of pity and astonishment ,-in spite of myself , at bis plans of execution . " Allow me , M . Sans-Delai , " I said , with a manner serio-comic , " allow mo to invite you to dine with me on the day which completes your five months' stay in Madrid . * * * I assure you that within tbe first fortnight of your reckoning you will not have got speech even of one of the persons whose assistance you require . " * _ * * The following morning came : we set out in company to seek a genealogist ; which could only be done by asking from friend to friend , and from one aqua ' mtance to another : —at last we heard of one ,

      but the worthy man , confounded at our haste , frankly declared that he must take due time ; we pressed him , and at length as a great favour he said tbat we might call on him in a few days . I smiled , and we went away . Three days passed ; we went again . "Call to-morrow , " the servant answered , " my master is not up yet . " Next day , "Call to-morrow , " she said , "for he is just gone out . " Call again to-morrow , " was the reply the day after , "for master is taking his siesta . " On the Monday following , " Call to-morrow , for he is at the bull fight to-day , " On w-hat day at what hour can you see a Spaniard ? At length we did see him , "Please to call again tomorrow , " he said , " for I have forgotten something . Call to-morrow , the papers are not yet

      copied out fairly . " By the end of tbe fortnight the copy was ready ; but my friend had asked for particulars of the name of Diez , —and the man had understood him Diaz—the information was useless . While expecting what tho new search might bring I ¦ said no more to my friend , who bad already lost all hope of getting within sight of his ancestors . It was clear that in default of this . first step the subsequent claims could not take place . l < or the proposals , he thought of making in respect of various undertakings of utility , a translator had to be engaged ; the translator led us the same daneo as the genealogist had done ; from day to day he kept us to the month ' s-end . We found tbat he required with the utmost

      urgency money to subsist on daily ; while at the same timehe could never find a moment of leisure for his work . The copyist afterwards did just tbe same , besides filling his transcripts with falsities ; for a writer who can write properly is not to be found in this country . This was not all—a tailor was twenty days in making a coat that he had been ordered to finish in twenty-four honrs :-the shoemaker with his delays obliged my friend to buy a pair of ready-made boots—the laundress required a fortnight to wash one of his shirts , and the hatter to whom he sent his hat for an alteration in the brim kept him for two days at home with a bare head . His acquaintances and friends never' kept a single appointment , nor sent word that they could not come nor once answered his notes .

      Meanwhile , as . time went on , he had sent into Government a proposal of important improvements in a branch I need not here specify , —it was , however , supported by excellent recommendations . Four days afterwards we called to learn the result of our applications . " Call again to-morrow , " said tho porter . "The officer of the Board is not at the office to-day . "—Something serious must have detained him , said I to myself . We went to take a walk , and met—what an accident . '—the officer of the Board in the Retiro Gardens most busily engaged in enjoying with his wife the sunshine of our

      clear Madrid winter . On Tuesday , the next day , the porter said , " Call asain to-morrow—his worship the officer of the Board does not give audience today . " " Some important business on his hands , no doubt , " said I . But as lam a kind of devil , and have been an imp in my time , I took occasion to peep through a key-hole . His worship was standing before the brasier making a paper cigar , and looking at a charade in the Como ( newspaper ) which I dare say was hard enough to guess . ' It is impossible that we should see him to-day , " I said to my companion ; "bis , worship in fact is extremely busy . "

      So the comedy of idleness and procrastination goes on , through many other details of the same kind , described with equal sharpness , until at length poor M . Sans-Delai , having lost six months' time , and effected not one of the objects he expected to have done within a fortnig ht , returns home in despair , — " taking back to his foreign country an admirable notion of our customs , —with this for his leading observation : 'that for six months he had been unable to do anything in Spain , —but call again to-morrow . ' "

      This p icture bears the date of 1833 : —it is , we have some reason to think , as true at this moment as it was seventeen years since . ^ The bad habits that spring from certain national propensities , depraved by the misgovemment of ages , are not corrected in one generation . Yet they are surely in the way of being cured

      Complete Works Of " Fi Garo " (Mariano D...

      when pens such as Larra ' s begin to lay their defects open io public notice fnd ridicule - : and although the . press of Spain is not yet ™ J ^ T wrtwSnte » ore fatal to ' its better ends than preventive of some of its worst abuses , still this organ , lame though it be , is a potent as well as a new instrument in the hand of improvement , - ™ the presence of whmh a state of things that prevailed in days of complete obscurity and silence can never return ; while b y degrees , ' however slowly , light creeps in , prejudices are sapped , and a public opimon is growing . up-even in spite of the civil prohibitions or military violences applied to keep down an influence that all kinds of despotism instinctivel y fear .

      Eupkranor S A Dialogue On Youth. London ...

      Eupkranor s a Dialogue on Youth . London ; Pickering . How the youth should be treated in order that the man may arrive , in due season , at a healthy maturity of mind and bod y , is the general question which forms the subject of this book . But the interest is not lost in generality . The argument is broug ht home , by . being speciall y directed against certain p lausible and popular theories of education , whicb appear to be gaining ground , and which , if carried generall y into practice , may cause the ruin of one generation before the error be detected , and of another before it be retrieved . It is by a lively apprehension of this danger , that the author seems to have been moved to take up his pen ; ' which , once taken up , carries him lightl y over a larger field of speculation than he probably meditated when he began . <

      The form which he has selected to cast his thoughts in , is that of familiar conversation ; the scene being laid at Cambridge , on a fine day in the May term , and the topics and characters " ( in spite of their classical terminatious ) being perfectl y English , modern , and natural . The dialogue is framed on the Platonic model , with a little narrative introducing , running through , and closing it . Two passages will suffice as specimens , the first showing what the author would not have , the second what he would have .

      Then , you know , there are your Religious Establishments , where the intellectual and moral culture of the boys is incessantly attended to-not a moment spared for mischief ; and then , " such care taken of their healths ' . " Ten hours a day hard study of the hardest stuff , most , indigestible by the young—moral essays ; sermons ; the little play time cut up into little intercalary snips of time , not allowing of any generous and invigorating game , even if the few square yards of gravel , or the strict edict against all amusements that threaten tho hoys ' limbs , or the master ' s window panes , ever so remotely should allow it . No cricket , no footballperhaps a little gymnastic gallows , where boys may climb , and turn over , and swing like monkeys , in perfect safety ; no rowing ' , no sailing , no stolen ride on horseback or on the coach box ; no running and leaping over hedge and ditch , animated by

      the pursuit of some infuriated gamekeeper ; but a walk two and two , in clean dresses , along the high road , dogged by the sallow usher——" "Of course no fighting , said Enphranor , " and , I suppose , no flogging neither . " " And yet , " said 1 , "the clenched fist so soon resolved into the open hand , when once the question of might and . right was settled—bow much better than the perpetual canker of a grudge never suffered to explode ' . And the good flogg ing had its humour—soon passed away , shame and smart , from fore and aft—much better than the heart-pining , bod y-contracting confinements and impositions which double the ' already overloaded task-work , and revenge a temporary fault with lasting injury . " "Youget quite excited about it , doctor , " said Enphranor . " But it is enough to make me angry , if it be as you say . '

      "Ob , it succeeds well , " I continued ; . " the hoy who came to school with some troublesome activity about him is soon tamed down , grows pale , cheerless , spiritless , hopeless , and very good—s . credit to the school—and likely to be a blessing to his parents . " ... . . "I have no heart to follow him , " said I . " Poor fellow J the last L heard of htm was , that after a most unimpeachable progress through school and college , getting all the prizes , he was going off to sonve new German baths covered with boils and blotches ; or at the Old Bailey , laying his hand on that part of his coat under which tho heart is supposed to beat , and calling God to witness the innocence of a murderer who had already confessed bis crime to him . " Take now , by way of contrast , the portrait of a boy of sixteen , who has had . the benefit of such an education as the author approves .

      " I doubt I shall be content with him , " said I , " if ( at sixteen ) he shows mo outwardly , as before , a glowing cheek , an open brow , copious locks , a clear eye , and looks me full in the face withal , - his body a little uncouth and angular perhaps , because now striking out into manly proportions , not yet filled up ; flesh giving way to fibre and muscle ; the blood running warm and quick through his veins , and easily discovering itself in his cheeks and forehead , at the mention of what is noble or shameful ; his voice ' sweet and tuneable , ' as Margaret of Newcastle notices of her brothers—she does not moan , she says ( nor do I ) an emasculate treble , but no' husking or wharling in the throat ' —that is her word—a clear , open , bell-like voice ,

      telling of a roomy chest , and in some measure , I think , of a candid soul , However that may be , " continued I , seeing Eup hranor shake his head at me withasmile , "candid of soul I hope he is ; fori have always sought his confidence , and never used it against himself ; never arraigned him severely for the smaller outbreaks of youthful spirit ; never exacted sympathy where it was not in the nature of youth to sympathise . He is still , passionate , perhaps , as in his first septenniad , but easily reconciled ; subdued easily by afivction and the appeal to old and kindly remembrance , but stubborn against force ; generous , forgiving ; still liking to ride rather than to read , and perhaps to . settle a . difference by the fist thin by the tongue ; but submitting to those who do not task him above his due ; apt to sleep under the sermon , but not ceasing to

      repeat morning and evening the prayers he learned at his mother ' s knee ; ambitious of . honour , perhaps—but of honour in action rather than in talk ; somewhat awkwardly disposed to dancing , and the accomplishments of the drawing-room , which even now he shirks in order to go earth-stopping with Tom and Jack , who used to sot him on Topsail's back in days gone by . In short , I shall bo content to find bim with all the faults of a vigorous constitution of soul and body , which time and good counsel may direct into a channel of action that will find room for all , and turn all to good . One must begin life with all the strength of life , subject to all danger of its abuse ; strength itself , even of evil , is a kind of virtue ; whereas weakness is the one radical and inciwaldo evil , growing worse instead of better with every year of life . "

      Ipxmu Nmwmwi*

      ipxmu nmwmwi *

      . Olympic Theatre. A New Comic Drama, In...

      . OLYMPIC THEATRE . A New comic drama , in one act , entitled That Odious Captain Cutter , was produced at this theatre on Monday , evening with complete and wellmerited success . It seems that the chivalry and generous daring of a Captain Cutter ( Mr . Leigh Murray ) has taken the town by surprise , and his nohle deeds are made the subject of : constant paragraphs in the journals of the day . Amongst the admirers of this military hero , whom by the way she only knows by report , is the Widow Harcourt ( Mrs . Stirling ) , but her elderly attendant , Mistress Prudence ( Mrs . B . Bartlett ) , is so bored b y constantly reading his name in the papers , that she

      designates him the Odious Captain Cutter . The Widow , in the event of her . marrying again , must give her hand to a relative of her late husband ' s , or forfeit her fortune . The consequence is , tbat she is persecuted by the attentions of Mr . Peregrine Harcourt ( Mr . G . Cooke ) , an elderly suiter , and by Mr . Valentine Harcourt ( Mr . Kinlock ) , an affected coxcomb , who is satisfied that his personal qualities arc sure to have tbe desired effect upon the My . Mr . Peregrine Harcourt finding tbat he is not likel y to make much impression upon the Widow , is resolved , if possible , to get her fortune , and with that view he writes a letter to Captain Cutter , who is known to Valentine Harcourt , and induces ¦ . him to vuit the

      Widow ' s house as Captain Jenkins , hop ing that the Captain will make such an impression on the widow , as to induce her to marry him , which would cause her to sacrifice her fortune . The Widow and tbe Captain meet under very peculiar circumstances , for the latter has been locked in her apartment by Mrs . Prudence , who believes his visit is of a most deadly character . Nothing leas than to kill Valentine Harcourt , in whose interest she is . The Widow is struck with tbe person and wanner of the Captain , who , however , is not . as enthusiastic in his admiration of Captain Cutter as the lady could desire . The entrance of Valentine Harcourt leads to the knowledge that Captain Jenkins and Captain Cutter is one and tbe same person ; and after some agree-

      . Olympic Theatre. A New Comic Drama, In...

      able difficulties are got rid of , the Widow Harcourt surrenders to the assaults of her military lover , who in the end turns out to be Harcourt and a son of a cousin of her late husband's , the name of Cutter having been assumed to cover some extravagances which he was guilty of in youthful days . The gallant Captain , consequentl y , not onl y secured the hand of the . lady , but her fortune also . Mrs , Stirling -was as effective as usual , and made quice a feature of the Widow Harcourt , and Mr . Lei g h Murray looked and played The Odious Captain Cutter admirabl y . The piece was put upon the stage with strict regard to the period when the events presented are supposed to have occurred , namel y , 1745 , and the applause at the fall of the curtain was expressive of the unmixed satisfaction of the audience . The author was called for , and be bowed from his box .

      Surrey Theatre

      SURREY THEATRE

      On Monday Evening A New And Interesting ...

      On Monday evening a new and interesting drama , in three acts , was produced at this theatre , entitled the World ' s Games . It is made up of a variety of incidents , which , while they render it most interesting to an audience , make it difficult to comprise a detail of them in the limited space of a notice of the performance . The piece professes , to give an exemplification of the vices , vir t ues well-doings , and ill-doings of the year 1851 , and such being iis comprehensive scope , it may be supposed that iu the course of its development much amusement was conferred . Such was the case ; for the manner in which all the characters in the piece were gone through elicited unbounded applause , so much so , that at its conclusion the whole of the leading characters in the piece were called before the curtain and received the hearty plaudits of a numerous

      auditory , for the excellent manner in which they bad performed their respective parts—as a guarantee for the success of the piece , 'it ma ' y be only necessary to state that Mr Bruce Norton , Mr . T . Mead-Messrs . Shepherd aud Widdicomh , Miss Cooper , and Miss ff . Coveney , represented the principal cba , ractersof the piece . The acting Of Messrs , Shepherd and Widdicombe in the piece had a most decided effect , arid called forth the hearty applause of the audience . Mr . T . Mead , as a man who bad risen from the ranks , and made his fortune b y perseverance and industry , against the greanst odds , also did bis part admirably . The piece was announced for representation amid much applause , and bids far to be a ' great favourite with the public . The performance concluded with the favourite pantomime of the Merry Wives of Windsor .

      •Dbury . Lane Theatre. Mr. Macready's Fa...

      • DBURY . LANE THEATRE . MR . MACREADY'S FAREWELL TO THE STAGE . This event , which will be long memorable in the annals of the English drama , took place on Wednesday evening . Mr . Macready took bis parting benefit at Dtury-lane , and appeared , for tbs last time , in the character of Macbeth . For some time past , tbe public excitement had been im . mense , the demand for places was almost unprecedented , and long before the doors were opened they were besieged by crowds eager for admission . The arrangements , however , both outside and inside th * theatre , appear to have been excellent ; for though the house was filled in every part , from the floor

      to the ceiling , with unexampled rapidity , yet there was not the slightest confusion or disturbance . The boxes and stalls were filled with persons , distinguished in the circles of fashion , literature , and art ; and many , we learned , came from distant parts of the country to be present on an occasion so striking and interesting . The scene ontside the theatre prior to the commencement of the perform , ance was most singular . Drury-lane , Vinegar-yard , and the Western end of Great Russell-street , were completely occupied by a crowd , which had begun to collect as early as two o ' clock in the afternoon . Mr . Macready ' s reception may be imagined . The whole audience , by one impulse , sprang to their feet the moment he appeared ; and the house rang

      with peal upon peal of app lause , while hats and handkerchiefs waved in every quarter for more than ten minutes . Mr . Macready evidently strove to restrain his feelings , and to keep himself calm and collected , to meet the exertions of the evening . When the house had given vent to its enthusiasm , he addressed himself to his part , and certainly he never in his life displayed greater physical power , or greater mental energy , than he did on this trying occasion . He was admirably supported by Mrs . Warner , who reall y outdid herself , and shared largely in the applause bestowed on the performance . Mr . Phelp 's Macduff gave some foreshadowing to not a few , that when he who that ni ght parsed away was gone , the mantle must descend to him . The audience were vociferous in demanding his appearance at the close of Act IV . When tbe play

      was ended and the applause which attended the fait of the curtain bad subsided , an interval of great expectation succeeded , while Mr , Macready was chang ing his dress and preparing himself for the trying scene he had still to encounter . At length the curtain rose again , and he came forward in bis ordinary , attire . Again the whole audience rose , and shout after shout burst from every part of the house , as if the enthusiasm of the audience could not be exhausted . ' At length they prepared themselves to listen ; and nosomiT did Mr . Macready ' s first words become audible than a p in mi ght be heard to fall in the house . His address was listened to in the deepest silence , interrupted only by the vehement bursts of applause with which the most striking passages were received . He spoke as follows : —

      My last theatrical part is played ; and , in accordance with long-established usage , I appear once more before you . Even if I were without precedent for the discharge of this act of duty , it is one which my own feelings would irresistibly urge upon me ; : for , as I . look back on my long professional oareet' , 1 see in it but one continuous record of indulgence and support , extended to me . cheering me in my onward progress , and upholding me in the most trying emergencies . Ihavetherefore been desirous of offeringmy partingacknowledgments for the partial kindness with which my humbleefforts have been uniformlyreceived . and for a life made happier by your favour . The distance of more than five and thirty years , has not dimmed my , recollection of the

      encouragement , which gave fresh impulse to the inexperienced essays of my youth , and stimulated me to perseverance , when struggling hardly for equality of position against the genius and .. talent of those artists whose superior excellence I ungrudgingly admitted , admired , and honoured . Thatencouragomont helped to place me , in respect to privileges and emolument , on a footing with my distinguished competitors . With the growth of time your favour seemed to grow ; and undisturbed in my hold on your opinion , from year to year I found friends mora closely and thickly clustering round me . All I can advance to testify how justly I have appreciated the patronage thus liberally awarded me , is the devotion throughout those years ,

      ofimy host energies to your service . My ambition to establish ft theatre in regard to decorum and taste , worthy of . our country j and to have in it the p lays of onr divine Bhakspearo fitly illustrated , was irustratcd by those whose duty it was , in virtue of the trust committed to them , themselves to have undertaken , the task . But . some good seed has yet been sown ; and in the zeal and creditable productions of certain of our present maaageva we have assurance , that the corrupt editions and unseemly representations of past days will necer be restored , but that the purity of our great poet ' s text will from henceforward be held on our English stage in the reverence it should ever command . I have little more to say , Ry some the relation of an actor to bis audience is considered as slight and

      transient . I do . not feel so . The repeated manifestations , under circumstances personally affecting me , of your favourable sentiments towards mo will live with life among my most grateful memories ; and , because I would not willingly abate one jot in your esteem ; I retire , with the belief of yet unfailing powers , rather than linger on the scene to set in contrast the feeble style of ago with the more vigorous exertions of my better years . Words—at least such as I can command—are ineffectual to convey my thanks . In offering them , you will believe tbat 1 feel far more than I give utterance to . With sentiments of the deepest gratitude I take my leave , bidding you , ladies and gentlemen , in my professsional capacity , with regret , and most respectfully , a last farewell . ' . '

      At the end of this speech , which was especially cheered in several places , Mr . Macready retired with somewhat of a look of lingering regret , and , though the audience shouted for his reappearance , he came before them no more . The impression he leaves on the public mind is most forcibly shown by this demonstration . London seemed to declare with one voice its respect for a great artist and accomplished man .

      Death Of A Veteran Rbfokmer.—Mr. Kirker,...

      Death of a Veteran Rbfokmer . —Mr . Kirker , long and honourably known among the Reformers of the north oi England , brcatfisd his last at i'i , Oakwell-gate , Gatchead , Newcastle-on-Tyne , on the 7 th of February , having lived to the advanced age of 81 . The deceased was a staunch disciple of Thomas Paine , and cied confirmed in , and prophesying the ultimate success of , the political opinions he had so long cherished .

      Vavttim-

      vavttim-

      •T 5 N T , 18 A Palm-Tree Like A Cbronol...

      • t 5 T , Palm-tree like a cbronologer ?—Because it furnishes dates . Legal Question . —If an auctioneer knock a dumb-waiter * ' down , is he liable for an assault ? « HY is a papsr-maker like a man with an overscrupuiousconsciencc ?~ Because he ' s oppressed with a sense ot dut y . —Punch . tK „ f Ml ° ! . f 0 , ? RUSSIC ' AcID --W' ' - - Murray states tha chl ridof hmeand bi-chlorid of-iron are effectual antidotes to prussic acid . f % M S M ? 1 i ? Gt 7 K u s -r After : v ^ ng experience of the world . I afhrm , before God , I never knew a ro » ue who was not unhappy . —JuniW . Bad weather . —An editor received a letter in which weather was spelled " wethur . " He said it was the worst spell of weather he had ever seen . Perfidy . —The perfidy of an apparent friend is the last truth that strikes a feeling mind with conviction . —Eliza Cook's Journal .

      Did St . Paul ' s clockeverstrike thirteen ?—Once ; when a verger of the cathedral , from mere goodnature , let a little boy in without taking his twopence . — Punch . Setting the riveh ow Fibb . — "Molly , " said a lady to her servant , "I think you'll never set the river on fire . "— " lndade , ma am , " innocently replied Molly , " I'd never be after doing anything so wicked—I'd bo burning up all the little h ' she ? . " MATCiiEs . whereiii one party is all passion and the other all indifference , will assimilate about as well as ice and fire . — £ lixa Cook ' s Journal .

      Tender hearted children . —A lady living at Cheltenham nffirms , that her boys are the most tender-hearted children she ever knew She gays , that if she asks one ot them to draw a pail of water , he instantly bursts into tears ! Resignation . — H is difficult to conceive anything more beautiful than the replv ^ iven by one in affliction , when he was asked how " he bore it bo well . " It lightens the stroke , " said he "to draw near tollim that handles the rod . " Fukny Books . — A party of Chinese , in thanking the missionaries for a bountiful supply of religious tracts , said- "We like a good deal to have books , nnd shall , no doubt , find them very agreeable and funny . "

      Time is an old novelist , who takes p leasure in priming bis tales on our countenance . He writes the first chapter with swan ' s-down , and engraves the last witb a steel pen . T h e i xcome of the counties of Eng land and Wales amounted , in 1848 , to £ 1 , 584 , 7 * 8 4 s . 7 id . ; and in 1849 , £ 1 , 541 , 887 8 s . Gd . The expenditure in the same two years amounted , in 1848 , to £ 1 , 406 , 728 Os . Hid . ; and in 1849 . to £ 1 , 382 , 00423 . 31 d . , Intemperance . — Recollect , all ye men who

      drink brandy and whisky to make yon strong , and all ye delicate ladies , who sip brown stout , porter , and ale , to make you fat , that" all drinks supply the wants of nature only by the quantity of elementary water whicb they contain , " Buddhuism . —Looking to its influence at the present day over at least three hundred and fifty millions of human beings—exceeding one-third of the human race—it is no exaggeration to say that the religion of Buddhu is the most widely diffused that now exists , or that ever has existed since the creation of monkind .

      UNr-LKASANT Invitation . — The following was posted on the door of the Ludlow Church , in Hertfordshire , some timo back : —" This is to give notice , that no person is to be buried in this churchyard but those living in the parish . Those who wish to be buried are desired to apply to me , Ephraim Grub , parish clerk . " Danger op Coquetry , —Women often lose tbe men they love , and who love them . By mere wantonness of coquetry they reject and they repent ; they should be careful not to take this step too hastily , for & proud , high-minded , gifted man will seldom ask a woman twice .

      Progress of Temperance . —During the fifteen years , from 1836 to 1849 , the decrease in tbe con- , sumption of rum and British spirits has been nearly 6 , 500 , 000 gallons ; in beer , 3 , 708 , 000 barrels ; and in wine , 1 , 200 , 000 gallons ; while a proportionate increase has taken place in the consumption of coffee , tea , and cocoa . Ra k e . —An instance of real and permanent conjugal affection was produced at the Somerset Sessions , which has never , perhaps , been paralleled in ' the annals of humanity , In an appeal cause , a woman , who was there as a witness , swore that she had never lost sight of her husband for twelve hours ' together , at any one time , either day or night , during a period of fifty years . The amount of land'in the United Kingdom is estimated at seventy eight millions of acres , of which fortv-seven millions are cultivated as meadows , pastures , arable , and gardens , while sixteen millions are put down as incapable of being brought into cul «

      tivation . Thb THAJno of London streets has lately been calculated , in order to provide facilities for the great increase at the Exhibition . It appears that tho number of vehicles that daily pass Bow Church , Cheapside , is 13 , 796 , containing 52 , 092 passengers ; and adding the pedestrians to these , not fewer than 119 , 602 persons pass this point daily . & N 11 D 01 E against Poison . — Hundreds of lives might have been saved by a knowledge of this simple recipe—a large tuaspoonful of made mustard mixed in a tumbler of warm water , and swallowed R 9 soon a * possible . it acta aa an instant emetic , sufficiently powerful to remove all that is lodged in the stomach .

      Sppebstitious Delusion . —Servant girls and damsels of a . higher degree—maids-of-no-wovk aa well as maids-of-all-work—occasionally seek a knowledge of futurity in coffee-grounds . That they aro m . t only deluded in their belief , but also frequently mistaken in their grounds , is proved by the fact , that the latter , in many instances , consist chiefly of chicory , roasted corn , beans , and potato flour . — Punch . A Paradoxical Pie . —A poor widow and her numerous progeny were seated around their humble board , on Christmas-day , with a pie before them for dinner . It was but a small pie—much too small for the number of platters hy which it was surrounded . " I ' m afraid , Billy , " said the anxious parent to her eldest son , a blithe , hard-working lad of sixteen , " that the pie is baked rather too much , "— " Never doubt it , mother , " replied the hoy , drily ; " my fear is that it will prove hardly enough . " — Sheffield Times .

      An Odd Wish . —We often hear strange sayings from Brother Jonathan , - but we question if he has ever surpassed the following : —There is a man now living in the far north of Herefordshire who was heard the other day to express a wish that bis mouth had been made on the top of his head , that he might put his victuals in his hat and eat and work at the same time , to prevent the Joss of time for meals these short days . . Insect Life —Insects ' generally must lead a truly jovial life . Think what it must be to lodge in a lily . Imagine a palace of ivory and pearl , with pillars of silver and capitals of gold , all exhaling such a perfume as never arose from human cornier . Fancy , again , the fun of tucking themselves up for trje night in the folds of a rose , rocked to sleep by the gentle sighs of summer air , nothing to do when you awake but to wash yourself in a dewdrop , and fall to eat your bed clothes . '

      Curran ' s Spikit of Eccentricity . —A relative of Bushe ' s . not remarkable for his Hindoo ablutions , once applied to him for a remedy for a sore throat . "Why , " said Bushe gravel )' , "fill a pail with water as warm as you can bi-ar it , till it reaches up to your knees ; then take a pint of oatmeal , and scrub your legs with it for a quarter of an hour . "— " Why , hang it , man , " interrupted the other , "this is nothing more than ivaihing one ' s feet ! " — " Certainly , my dear John , " said he , " I do admit it is open to that objection . "—Curran and Ms Contemporaries .

      Courtship . — " My < kar Amelia , " snid a danily , falling upon his knees before his adorable , "I have long wished for this opportunity , but hardly dare speak now , for fear you will reject me ; but I love you—say , you will be mine ? You would be to aie everything desirable—everything my heart could wish—your smiles would shed' '—here he cnmeto . a pause . "Yoursmileswoiddshed , " and ag'dri csme to a stop , for he could not think of a word suitable to be applied . "Never mind the woodshed , " acclaimed Amelia ' s younger brother , who had slipped into the room unperceived , at this moment , " fcutgo on with your courting . "

      A Steam Boat Incident . —A rather amusing story is told by the Boston . Advertiser . On the Ocea ^ steamer , a few weeks since , an elderly gentleman i pacing up and down the upper saloon , stopped in front of the mirror , and suspecting that he recognised a family re-emblance in the individual before him , walked up to the glass , and deliberately inquired- " Is your name Brown ? " No answer . ' Question repeated louder— " Is your name Brown ?" still no answer . Question again repeated louder still— " Is-rowr-NAMi—Broww ? " Still no answer . "Well , " said the questioner , " you are either no gentleman , or cursed deaf . " The saloon was in a roar .

      Mk . v and VVoME . v .-ifen love things , as facts , possessions and estates ; and women , persons ; and while a man regards onl y abstract scientific fact , a woman looks only at the person in whom tbey are embodied . Even in childhood tho girl loves an imitation of humanity , her doll , and works frit ; the boy gets a hobb y horse or tools , and works with them . But the noblest quality wherewith nature lias en « dowed women for tho good of tbe world is Jovemat love which seeks no sympathy and no return . The child is the object of love , and kisses , and watching , hut it answers them only by complaints and angev ' ; and the feeble creature that requires the most repays the least . But the mother poes on ; herlove . only grows stronger the greater the need and the greater the unthankfulness of its objectami , while lathers prefer the strongest of their children , the mother feels most love for the feeble audgarrulous .

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), March 1, 1851, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_01031851/page/3/