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MrBeecroft shewed- him silk handker 33nc...
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33ncrrti ipoetrp
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WHAT IS 2J0BLE? BT CO-BIBS SWA1S. What i...
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Dahomey and (he Bakomans. By FREDERICK E...
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A Trip to Mexico; or Kecollficlions of a...
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A Popular Narrative of the Origin, Histo...
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The Wanderer and his Home;, by M. De Lam...
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A Dialogue on Competition ; by S. M. K.y...
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Don't Burn Us! or, the State Church and ...
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tywlit &mujttm*m0
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DRURY LANE THEATRE, ' Tho performances o...
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. The constituency of the borough of Sal...
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vmeim
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The Lords and thb Army.—There are upward...
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Mrbeecroft Shewed- Him Silk Handker 33nc...
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33ncrrti Ipoetrp
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What Is 2j0ble? Bt Co-Bibs Swa1s. What I...
WHAT IS 2 J 0 BLE ? BT CO-BIBS SWA 1 S . What ia noble ? to inherit Wealth , estate , and proud degree There most be some other merit Higher yet than these for me !—Something greater far most enter Mo life ' s majestic span ; fitted to create and centre True nobility in man What is noble ? ' tis the finer Portion of our m ' uul awl heart ; Linked to something still diviner Than mere language can impart Ever prompting—ever seeing-Some improvement yet to plan ; To uplift our fellow-being—And . like man , to feel for Man !
What is noble ? is the sabre Xobler than the humble spade ? There ! s a dignity in labour Truer than e ' er pomp array'd ! He who seeks the Mind ' s improvement Aids the world—in aiding Mind !—Every great commanding movement Serves not one—bat all mankind . O ' er the Forge ' s heat and ashes—O ' er the Engine s iron head-Where the rapid shuttle Sashes , And the spindle whirls its thread ; There is Labour lowly tending Each requirement of the hoar-There is genius still extending Science—and its world of power !
Mid the dost , and speed , and clamour Of tbe loom-shed and the mill ; 'Midst the clink of wheel and hammer Great results are growing still ! Though , too oft , by Fashion ' s creatures , Work and workers may be blamed ; Commerce need not hide its features ! Industry is not ashamed 1 ¦ What is noble ? That which places Truth in its enfranchised will ! Leaving steps—like angel-traces—That mankind may follow still ! E ' en though Scorn s malignant glances Prove him poorest of his clan , He ' s the AWc—who advances freedom , and the Cause of Man I
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Dahomey And (He Bakomans. By Frederick E...
Dahomey and ( he Bakomans . By FREDERICK E . Fokbes , Commander E . N . Two Vols . London , Longman and Co . Afieu the late Mr . Duncan retarned from his successful expedition to the Kong Mountains , lie was appointed Vice-Consul at the court of his former friend tie King of Dahomey . Consular business could only turn op at the Dalioman port of Whydah , and that with British subjects suppl ying goods to tbe slavers " ; but Mr . Duncan was directed to proceed to the capital , charged with somemissionabouttheslavetrade . When the Consul arrived upon the
coast , he wished a naval officer to accompany Mm to court . Captain Forbes had been longing for the journey , he "volunteered his services , and was permitted to join . From Whydah to Abomoy , the capital , is only a few days' journey , and by providing relays of bearers , it may be done in fourteen hours . Under royal patronage , the mission reached Abomey comfortably enough ; and there they were hospitably entertained ; made their presents , which were graciously received ; accepted an invitation to be present at the King ' s Customs , or national fetes and games , in the spring of 1850 ; when
his Majesty said he should be able to get up a palaver , and give an answer to the proposition . On the return of the mission , Mr . Duncan was taken ill . He was got on board with some difficulty on reaching "Wh ydah , and died soon afterwards , of a liver complaint , caused , no doubt , by his African exposure in the Buxton 2 viger expedition , and his various travels in Dahomey . To the Customs , therefore , Captain Forbes returned alone , and as sole envoy . His volumes contain an account of his
two journies to Abomey , and of what he saw there ; a description of the features and productions of the country , as well as of the manners and customs of the people , together with sketches of the history of Dahomey . An appendix contains - some illustrative details , chiefly statistical , with extracts from previous sojourners in the country : the author's own ideas upon the African slave-trade , and the various vexed questions connected therewith , are expounded in various places .
There is something in the almost childish nature of the African mind , which renders it devoid of strength of character—so that social descriptions or personal portraits furnish little variety or interest : one is a type of all . But , notwithstanding this , the social institutions of this part of Africa appear worthy of a more philosophical observation than they have yet received by men -whose forte is action rather than speculation , and whose sole medium of communication is an interpreter with feeble
intelligence and imperfect language . The Dahomans , like many other barbarous people , have not only the germs of a regular , but even of a constitutional government . The King is despotic enough in the power of taking life ; but this is the custom of the country . Every great man has slaves slaughtered on his death , like our Scandinavian ancestor of yore ; and Ms favourite wife is expected to commit suicide . No quarter is given to enemies , unless a profit can be made of them as slaves ; and war is a constant cravins with monarch and
people , as it was in the middle ages of Europe , and from much tbe same stimulantslove of gain and glory . Justice is prompt , and often doubtless works as much wrong as delay elsewhere ; and punishments are bloody : but great allowances are to be made for the savage mind , which looks upon mildness as weakness and can only be controlled by fear . Theskulls tbat surround tbe palaces and figure
in the heraldry of the Dahomans , are barbarous to our notions ; but Europe had something like it formerly , ar id Oriental nations as long as they remained powerful . To count the victims who are annually sacrificed by royal command at the Gustoms f " watering the graves * ' as it is technically termed , the King would seem a blood y barbarian ; but , despot as he is , he cannot help it . Captain Forbes could onlv save the lives of three
victims by buying them off , aud the King dared not sell Mm any more ; it was " as much as his place was worth . " According to etiquette , his two chief Ministers ( one of whom , by the by , is royal executioner ) grovel in the dust before him , but the two nnited have more power than the King . The postponement of the bnsiness of the Mission on its first arrival might originate in a diplomatic ruse ; but there is no doubt that the power of the chiefs in " palaver " is very great ; in
fact , nothing can with safety be ventured upon against their opinion , or without it in any new matter . The King , in short , is despotic for popular evil , powerless for good . Give him an order for any number of slaves , and it will be promptly executed ; ask him io abolish the slave-trade , and the absolute monarch would find his power slip away . Unluckily , while the monarch is different or at best diplomatically civil , Ms great men are all engaged in the business .
The mayo called . He is a little old man , with good Roman features , nothing of the TSesro , about seventy-five years of age , and a confirmed slavedealer ; his forefaiheri ~ wcre , and he has been such all his life . litre is a difficulty : the power of the mayo is very great ; tbe monarch dare not enter into a treaty unless the i & ieganand the mayo coincide . The miegan , a man of forty , is also a slavedealer by descent ; as also are the caraboodee and ee-a-voo-gan , reaping all tbe benefits and deriving luxuries from a trade of which they have not sense
to know the horrors . In conversation , the minister complained tbat British goods could not be bad in the same quality as those sold in former years ; and . producing a piece , half sift half cotton , he said the King bad had it twenty years , and had directed him to ask if we could procure more . Ilaving explained to him tbat an honest-inmied British merchant would not trade with slave-dealers , and that such as did trade could not be expected to offer g « od articles , we promised to make a note of tho royal wish .
Dahomey And (He Bakomans. By Frederick E...
Mr . Beecroft shewed- him some silk handkerchiefs , such as are bartered oa the rivers , and told him if he would grow palm-oil he might have . sbiploads of such ; and explained to him ' the . position of the natives in those countries ' that had relinquished tho barbarous , infamous slave-trade ; and had become civilised by intercourse with honest traders and the all-civilising powers of trade : but I fear to little purpose . Pocketing two gold rings and a handkerchief , he bid us good-bye , explaining that the slave trade was very lucrative , and it would take some time to grow the palm-trees . : : TWr TWj . rr . ft- nhnn-a , l . v : ~ -11 . t-- _ . ii .
The Customs , where the' courtiers , the army , and vast numbers of the people were all assembled ' together , to be present at . the . " waterings , " to join in and witness the reviews and processions , and to partake of the King ' s hospitality , or whatever might be going on , supply some novelty . At a review , Ms Majesty himself bore a part in the ceremony , in a manner contrary to our ideas of fitness : — The king took his seat under a canopy of
umbrellas , and placed us on his right . About the royal person were the ministers and high military officers ; at the foot of the throne sat the too-noonoo ; and now in the distance , ready at call , appeared the mae-hae-pah , a soldier , too . As soon as the king was seated , the troops , male and female , marched past in quick time ; seventy-seven banners and one hundred and sixty huge umbrellas enlivening the scene ; while fifty-five discordant bauds , and the shouts of the soldiers as they hailed the king en passantalmost deafened the observers .
, The royalmalei'eoiment 9 , s 6 paRitingfrom the main body , headed by an emblem of a leopard on a staff , skirmished towards the royal canopy , keeping up a constant independent fire . In advance was a band of blunderbuss-men iu long green grass cloaks , for bush service . Halting in front , they held aloft their muskets with one hand , while with tbe other they rattled a small metal bell , which each soldier carried , and yelled and shouted . Some having light ornamental pieces , flung them into the air to catch them again . This is the Dahoman salute ; and in
answer to if , his Majesty left his war-stool , and , placing- himself at their head , danced a war-dance . First , he received a musket and fired it ; then daneed , ' advanced , and retired ; he then crept cautiously forward , and standing on tiptoe , reconnoitered ; this he did several times , dancing each time a retreat : at last , making certain of tbe position of the enemy , lie received and fired a musket ; and this was tne signal for all , with a war-cry , to rush on and recommence firing . On their recall , having again saluted , tbe king returned to his tent , and told us He had been to war .
After much firing , the amazons took position to the left , and having formed a canopy in the centre for their officers , who sat on stools , squatted , on their haras . In this undignified but usual position , with their long Danish muskets standing up like a forest , they remained observers of tbe remainder of tbe operation . Tbis now became a sort of military levee , at which each chief prostrated before the king , introduced his officers , and reported the number of his retainers . Having taken ground at the further end of the field , one at a time , the squadrons enfiladed
between two fetish houses , and commenced an independent open fire , and deploying into line , passed to the right of the royal stool , while the officers came up at double quick time , prostrated themselves , danced , fired muskets , and then received each as a mark of favour a bottle of rum ; After the cabooceera had thus passed , the ministers performed the same ceremony . ¦ Among them was Senor Ignatio Da Souza , the slave-dealer and caboocccr , at tbe bead of his brother the cha-cha ' s levies . As they danced down towards the royal seat , tbe King left his throne and went out and danced with him .
A regiment advanced guarding tho idols of the military fetishes ; ibe King agais left his stool , and poured some rum on black puddings of human blood , which were carried by the fetish priests . At seven tbe last body had passed , tbat of the mayo ' s company of three hundred men , which ended the
. Order and discipline were observable throughout , uniforms and good accoutrements general ; aud , except in the most civilised countries in tbe world , and even there , as regarded the order of the multitude , no review could have gone off better . There was nodelay , no awkwardness , no accident : aidesde-camp were rushing about with orders ; it was noble and extremely interesting . Every facility was offered us towards acquiring information , aud , except an exaggeration in numbers , truly given The King has great pride in his army , and often turned to us with au inquiring eye as the amazons went through their evolutions : he is justly proud of these female guards , who appear in every way to rival tbe male .
Captain Forbes has his schemes for abolishing theslave-trade . He speaks of education and moral means , and undervalues coercion , as useless in putting , a complete stop to the trade , and therefore as aggravating its horrors ; yet he has a project for a still more extensive blockade by means of decked boats , and contemplates more forts , and an attack upon those European residents , or their agents at Whydah , whom he alleges to be concerned in the trade . The blockade , however , is only intended to be partial ; and there is consequently the risk , if not the certainty , of the trade breaking out afresh . If it be true , as
Captain Forbes states , that tbe alare-dealere will turn out of a barracoon , as "dangerous , " any man who can read , it is possible that if all Africa were educated the slave-trade might be pnt an end to ; but it might not , any more than work was pnt an end to ( as some of our forefathers predicted it would be ) when the " lower classes " were taught reading and writing . But who is to bell the cat ? The climate is a bar to Europeans , and the author ' s own pictures of many liberated Africans do not promise much from them . Liberia , from which such g reat results were expected , is not altogether a country of the free .
The Liberian people are doubtless held up as an example to the general state of the African , but I prefer not instancing that state further than to prove I have not overlooked it . For in Liberia ther & isasroncb , if not more , domestic slaverythat is , the buying and selling , of God's image—as in the patent States of America , over which flaunts the flag of Liberty (?) It is difficult to see the necessity , or the justice , of the Ifegro who escapes from slavery on one side , crossing the Atlantic to enslave his sable prototype on the other ; yet such
is the case : and so long as it lasts , notwithstanding the attractive reports that emanate from this new Republic , it cannot be held as an example of future good , but , if possible , should be remodelled , even if at the expense of internal revolution , or even total annihilation . I doubt if many benevolent Christians in this country are aware , tbat tbe Model Republic is , in reality , a new name and form for slavery in enslaved Africa , and , until the system be altered , totally undeserving of the high support and liberal charity it receives from the benevolence of Englishmen .
The English residents , according to Captain Forbes , are not much better ; and his assertions lead to the question , whether , in a state of society where slavery has long existed , any service can be procured or work be performed without a power of coercion ? The system of domestic slavery is by no means confined to the Libcrian portion of civilised Africa . Pawns ( as the fashion terms the slaves on the Gold Coast ) are received and held by Englishmen lndirectlv , and are to all intents and purposes thenslaves . The plan adonted is this . The m erchant takes unto binuelf a femme du pays , and s he manages his establishment . Xor does he inquire how she hires bis servants . Ilcr mode is to accept
pawns , i . e . purchase slaves , by receiving man , woman , and child , in liquidati"U of debt—in other words , selling goods to native merchants , who for convenience leave slaves in payment . These pawns are as directly slaves to their master as any slaves in the United ' States , but cannot be sold out of the country . I myself am aware of one femme dujiays of a British merchant being the owner of forty pawns , who perform tbe household and other services of the master , and are , except in name , his SlaTCS . Ills money purchased them ; and they obey his commands on pain of corporal punishment , and draw him to and fro iu his carriage when taking exercise . How far is this removed from actual slavery ?
Captain Forbes adduces the Bonny , as an example of what can be done by legitimate trade ; for there the merchant-kings import silks , & c , and drink champagne ; but his instance ia not conclusive . Bonny is the focus of a great water communication , and has for years been the head-quarters of a commerce which grew up naturally , though the blockade may have g iven it artificial encouragement .
A Trip To Mexico; Or Kecollficlions Of A...
A Trip to Mexico ; or Kecollficlions of a Ten Hlonths Ramble in 1849 50 . By a Bamuster . Smith , Elder , and Co . "We miss in this work the lively and graphic pen , combined with quick perception , which characterised the recently published work of Air . Bayard Taylor , on California and
A Trip To Mexico; Or Kecollficlions Of A...
Mexico . The writer , indeed ,. confesses that he has composed the work from recollection , and urges , as an excuse for its imperfections , that hacknied apology— "the request of friends . '' What the writer did see he tiells'in & very readable style , but he has yet to acquire the traveller ' s eye . Meantime we give a specimen or two of his manner , and a glimpse of Mexico : — Mexico is full of convents and nunneries , though I was unable to gain admission to one of the latter . Friara wearing gotvns of all colours are swarming all day in the streets , and the incessant diti of bells is very unpleasant . The Host is . perpetually per-. .
ambulating tbe town , and toa stranger thisceremony is the most disagreeable I know . All persons within sound of the warning bell are expected to kneel , in the mud or otherwise , ' as tbe case may be , and remain in tbat . posture > ntil the sound dies away , even if he is two streets ' off , and does not see the actual procession at all . . On my first arrival I took alarm at every bell I . heard , and- many a water-carrier with his tinkling mule-bell has put me to full flight , Afterwards I learnt to distinguish the true tone , and , if possible , took refuge in a shop till the cortege had p assed . It is dangerous not to comply with the custom of kneeling , as I have beard of knives being used to force people to comp liance . I once got hasdsomely abused myself for only taking off my hat . - ' . ' " ¦ The chief delights and amusements of the Mexicans of the upper class are the theatre and the Paseo or carriage promenade . The . latter is
thronged every day , between five and . six , with carriages and riders ; the carriages , many of them , very good , and well-appointed , but drawn mostly by mules , and , except on Sundays and feast-days , rendered ridiculous by the blackguard aspect of tbe servants ., I have actually seen a ^ handsome carriage , containing elegantly-dressed ladies , with a dirty rascal behind wearing a jacket , and with trowsers embellished by a vast aperture in the most conspicuous part of them . - On the days I have mentioned , however , all the servants come out in livery ; bat from not knowing how to put it on or keep it clean , their appearance is not greatly improved . The Paseo might , with a little care , be made a pleasant place enough ; but to reach it one has to pass some horridly-odoriferous refuse heaps ; and the drive itself is either drowned in mud or ankle-deep in dust . The watering part is done by convicts , whom I have seen chained together by the half dozen , sluicing the road with water from buckets , as if it were the deck of a ship .
In addition to the Pasco , there is a pretty Alameda , containing many fine trees and shady walks , and with a largo fountain supplied by the aqueduct in its centre ; but nobody appears totakc the slightest trouble in keeping it in order , and it is generally so full of drunken leperos that ladies never think of walking there ! The theatre is large and very neatly decorated , not so big as either of tbe Opera bouses in London , but as large as any theatre in Paris ; the entrancehall , however , is very dirty and odoriferous . There are no private boxes , as in England , closed up with curtains ; but though every box is really private , each circle , from the Iowness of the partitions between them , appears as if entirely open . The fronts of tho boxes are very low , not higher than the knees , and display the ladies' dresses to the best
advantage . Each proprietor furnishes his own box ; a circumstance which adds much to the beauty of the house , the furniture being of varied colour and pattern , and generally very splendid and luxurious . The pit is entirely divided into stalls , and the aspect of the house on benefit or feast-day nights would be very beautiful from the splendid dresses and jewellery of the ladies , were it not for the cloud of blue incense ascending from the pit , where smoking " puros" is allowed to any extent . Each box has attached to it a little room where the ladies retire between the acts to smoko their papelillos . All ladies in Mexico smoke more or less ; but the younger part of the community seldom in public . Tbe acting , whilst I was in Mexico , was good , and once a year they generally manage to get an opera company from Ilavannah . .
The ladies in Mexico have a very curious methodof acknowledging the presence of their friends , either in the theatre , paseo , or street , which consists in shaking the fan slightly open for a minute or so , looking at tho same time in the direction of the person they wish to acknowledge . Here is a custom , which , must be rather puzzling to strangers when making morning calls : — Some of tbe domestic arrangements arc , however curious . One goes , say to pay a morning visit , and , in place of finding a bell-ropo with a
servant at the end of it , discovers that it is necessary to mount the stairs , and explore each room individually , until he either stumbles upon some servant who can give him information , or find the lady or gentleman whom he came to seek . All Mexicans—ladies especially— have a wonderful aptitude for sitting in their bed-rooms , - and it is often necessary for an intimate acquaintance to walk through half the rooms in tbe house , ladies ' bed-rooms and all , before he meets with anybody . Oysters on trees sound somewhat apocryphal , and yet they do grow in Mexico : —
On my second visit to San Bias I remained a whole week , and had thus time to see something Of the country . The immediate neighbourhood , with the exception of the hill before mentioned , is all marsh , covered by an impenetrable thicket of mangrove and acacia bushes . On the former of these , curious to relate , are borne that well known and favourite fruit the oyster , which is considered to bo in perfection at San Bias . These mangroves overhang the esteros , and their branches drop into the water ; to these during the floodtide the oysters adhere , and when the water ebbs the branches with their living burdens are left high and dry ; so that a hungry man in a canoe , at the right time of tide , may gather any quantity of this sort of fruit he pleases .
A Popular Narrative Of The Origin, Histo...
A Popular Narrative of the Origin , History , Progress , and Prospects of the Great Industrial Exhibition . By Petkk Berlyn . J . Gilbert . The Palace of Industry . ; its Construction , Machinery , and Statistics . By W . J . B . Saunders . Effingham Wilson . Whatever differences of opinion may exist as to the economical and social results of the approaching Exhibition , there can be none whatever as to the marvellous rapidity with which tho Industrial Palace has been constructed—the novelty of the principle—and the profound knowledge of science which has been exhibited in every section of its multitudinous details . It is not going too far to say , that it has commenced a new era in
architectural art . Already , it is said , America and Russia are preparing to copy the Glass Palace ; and the application of glass and iron to extensive structures for purposes of utility , seems likely to spread in this country with great rapidity . The two works at the head of this notice are conjointly necessary to an understanding of the origin , growth , and completion of this marvellous edifice . Mr . Berlyn ' s book is all it professes to be . It contains an ample and popular narrative of tbe circumstances connected with the inception and ultimate realisation of the idea ; and incidentally throws much light upon the progress and effects of similar Exhibitions abroad . If the author can
lay little claim to orig inality in the production of such a work , he deserves tho greatest credit for the lively , interesting , and accurate manner in which he has recorded all the leading events connected with the Exhibition . In doing this , we are happy to perceive also that he has the manliness to do justics to those who first introduced the idea of such Exhibitions into this country , and who had to struggle with all the difficulties which usually dog the footsteps of innovators and inventors . The first Exhibitions had to encounter prejudice and apathy and the funds for carry ing them
, out were comparatively small , and difficult to be procured ; they had not tho prestige of p rincely and titled names , to give them acceptance with the vulgar herd , who eagerly copy the fashion set by the great . They were the production of a pure love of art , aud science , and industry , and a desire to promote the improvement of public taste and skill . One of the first promoters " of the plan of National Expositions , similar to those on the Contiformerl
nent , " was Mr . George Wallis , y master of the Manchester School of Design ; of whose exertions Mr . Berlyn makes honourable mention . We have had the p leasure of that gentleman ' s friendship for many years , during which wo have ever found him foremost when anything practical could be done ^ to promote the intellectual and social improvement of'his fellow men ; . and we are 'happy to find that his initiatory aiid valuable e fforts have not been overlooked in
A Popular Narrative Of The Origin, Histo...
the narrative before us . , It . is exceedingly 2 Zlr ? S \* Mv ° *™<* t * i at one viewy ItlJ V ™ WW m of the original idea ifSnSrS't ^? ^ . of- varied phases , to hVrSF aode ^ Pment-a an Exhibition of tSTfv Al |) erfci 8 ! ' entitled t 0 themeritof fvl-kv v cosmopolitan ; character { ' other r exhibitions have always been eitherlocal , ' pro . vmcial or national , - The idea of makingthat £ ml - al > ! due t 0 ttiePrinceConsort aione . ihe circumstances , under which Mr . I axton conceived the idea ; of the structure , which now attracts , the admiration of every beholder . u , Hyde p arkf , read Iike , grr
more . a sketch of theimagination , than a sober reality ; and the almost incredible . rapidifcy with which the plan has been translated into a great fact , is one of the proudest testirnonjeadhat can be boraeto the industrial resources—skill and enterprise of this country . ; Of all the marvels that will be exhibited at the World ' s Pair next May , none will be so marvellous as the structure iu which they are collected ; and we confidently commend Mr , Berlyn ' s book as an agreeable companion and guide to every visitor , as well as a record of the growth of the Exhibition , well deserving of preservation on account of its intrinsic merits and historical value .. :. -,,.,
i The work of Mr . Saunders is also v & luable , though on a different account . , It is a careful and scientific , but popularly written account of the mode in which the building was-constructed , from the la ying outof the ground to its final completion , B y ; -the ; aid of Mr . Saunders , the reader is enabled to proceed , step by ; step , with the workmen engaged in the various' departments of the : edifice , -to comprehend the truly scientific principles and profound - constructive skill exhibited in every one of ; itsdetails , andtoform an accurate idea of the wonderful and varied machinery by which its completion was so much facilitated . To use his own words : .. V . The natural : succession
of the various operations has been followed as closely as is compatible with clearness ., The iron frame work of the edifice , and all the pre . liminary matters upon , which its security depends , are first taken ; then the carpentry and construction of the roof ; and , lastly , the glass and miscellaneous subjects . '' Mechanics , engineers , and all engaged in the constructive arts , will find -the work of Mr . Saunders a mine of valuable information , and to manyj still more valuable suggestions . Both works are appropriately illustrated .
The Wanderer And His Home;, By M. De Lam...
The Wanderer and his Home ; , by M . De Lamartine . ( Parlour Library . ) Simms and M'lutyre . The theatrical elements of French nature , were never more glaringly displayed than in this autobiography of M .. Lamartine . A painful seuso of unreality , glitter , show , varnish , and acting , impresses the reader in every page . The characters are no more like real human beings than a figure in a , poses plastique—a , tragedy queen in her mimic robes and tinsel crown , or a ballet dancer ia the midst of scenery supplied expressly by the scene painter . Had not M . Lamartine
achieved renown by his connexion with the Kevolution of' 1848 , a work like this would have been received with universal ridicule ; but though his political conduct has not been without . faults , he did iu the hour of trial develope genius and capacities of the loftiest kind .: A great crisis found him equal to its demands ; and for the sake of the earnestness and the greatness he then displayed , we are content to wink at the foibles and the artificiality of his l - Confidences . " In spite of . the improbable ajpecfc and . glowing colouring he has g iven to the episode of the Princess Regina , there is much in the narrative to arrest and enchain
the attention of the reader ; and though most of the sketches of French society and of individuals , are too much idealised , and too much coleur de rose , for our taste , yet they are not devoid of attraction , resulting from the rhetorical and poetic style of the writer .
A Dialogue On Competition ; By S. M. K.Y...
A Dialogue on Competition ; by S . M . K . ydd . This constitutes Tract No . 7 , issued by the "Political and Social Tra < 't Society , Johnstreet , Fitzroy-square , " and contains in a short space , much sound and valuable truth on the important subject of which it treats . We az-o happy to find that the Society continues its good work of sending out theso silent instructors . It is a method of diffusing political aud social information among the musses , which is too much neglected . An example should
betaken from the sects who war so fiercel y with each other about their respective dogmas , —their zeal in the distribution of tracts , and the largo sums annually expended iu that mode of propagating their opinions , stand out in sad contrast to the apathy of the socalled Reformers of this country . A comparatively small sum yearly , placed at the disposal of the John-street "Society , would enable it to give an immense accession to the ranks , the power and the energy of the democratic party . '
Don't Burn Us! Or, The State Church And ...
Don ' t Burn Us ! or , the State Church and the Catholics . By L . Ttoian . London Strange . This brochure is compiled very much on tho well known principle so p ithil y indorsed on the back of the counsel ' s brief— " No case : abuse the p laintiff ' s attorney . " It professes to be " a Catholic appeal , " but the merits of the question are entirely kept out of sight , and the staple of its pages are the tyrannical and sensual character of the founder of the State
Church—his plunder of the Bomau Catholic Monasteries and Church Estates , aud partition of them amonghis favourities—the persecutions inflicted by the State Church upon Papists , when it was struggling to establish itself— -its exclusiveness since—tho selfishness and cupidity of its dignitaries , and the obstacles they have always thrown in the way of every liberal measure , including the education of the people . Now supposing -that every statement made by the writer was true to the letter—and we
think it would not be difficult either to detect exaggerations , or suggest palliations—what does it all amount to ? " Two blacks do not make a white . " The Anglican Church may be a Pandemonium , and its Bishops Devils , if you please ; but is that a sufficient reason for making Pandemonium worse , and btinishjng our present devils for a legion of fiends infinitely more wicked , and adverse to popular liberty and enlightenment ? The question of Church Reform , or of Voluntary Churehisvn , is ono by itself . It is . an important one , too , that requires to be kept apart from other
matters which might confuse and bewilder the public . " One at a time " in such cases , we say , " is good fishing . " First let us settle the questions which arise out of the vocent policy of the Vatican , and then wc shall bo all tho more prepared to deal with spiritual domination in high places at homo . It is , however , quite right thiit a warning should be given to the people , against running into the mistake of propping up a diseased and unjust Ecclesiastical system , in their endeavour to avoid a worse tyranny ; and whoever is curious as to tbe manner in wliich our great territorial
families acquired the estates and titles , which now give them a monopoly of government in this country—whoever wishes to know how the enormous revenues of the Church of England are ab *> rbed by its dignitaries , themselves frequently connected with the great hereditary families , may usefully consult this pamphlet . The writer would have suceeded better , however , in his main object , if he had been less of a partisan . The reference to Alfred , and'English Catholicism in past times , cannot for a moment impose on anybody who kuowswhat the state of education aiid public freedom now is , in countries purely Catholic .
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Drury Lane Theatre, ' Tho Performances O...
DRURY LANE THEATRE , ' Tho performances on Monday night commenced with the musical farce of the Turnpike Gate , and notwithstanding the advantages of railway speed over , the ' jog-trot road , the toll of applause was cheerfully paid by acrowdedand delighted audience . Mr . Emery ably sustained the part of Crack , and Mr . Barrett as joe- Standfast was to the life ; the old veteran . 'Jngh ' ting'h . is battles o ' er again . " Indeed . aU the characters were well supported . But the . novelty ; of the evening was a petite comedy by Charles Dance , Esq ., entitled a Morning Call . It is' a witty , sparkling affair , full of the rattling dialogue ior which tbis talented author is distinguished . Mrs . Chillington ( Mrs . SisbettJ . a widow , who is " determined not to marry again , " receives a letter from a female friend , informing her that her determination having been discussed at a
certainclub , Sir Edward Ardent ( Mr . James Anderson ) had wagered a heavy sum that she should change her resolution within a week '; ' The Morning Call is made . Mrs . Chillington . feigns to sleep , and snores during the fascinating Sir Ed card ' s most passionate declarations j he is piqued , and makes love in earnest . She plays an affectionate part ; and he , remembering the ridiculous position in which lie is placed ; flies off at a tangent , supposing she is fooling him . In this manner thev play at loving , until they love in earnest , and are married . - Tile piece was highly successful . Mrs . Nisbett ' and Mi-. Anderson came before the curtain , at the destro of the house , but theauthor , though repeatedly called tor , did not appear . The . splendid oporatical spectacle of jizael the Prodigal , concluded -the ontainments , which continues to attract crowded houses .
OLYMPIC THEATRE . A two-act piece , called Charles King , was produced at this theatre on Monday night , and received with some favour . Its subject is founded on tlie gallantries of . Charles . II ... who fii > ures among the characters , along with the Earl of Rochester , Sir Charles Sedley , Nell Gwynne , and some other notorities of that time . Charles King , tho hero of this piece , is a sailor , the master of a trading vessel , who , in his trips to the French coast , lias fallen in love with a little . grisette , a fisherman's daughter , and has carried her off , to save her from a marriage into which she was about to be forced , Ho brings her home to his mother in Wapping , and they are going to be married , when , walking with
her lover in tho park , she attracts the King ' s attention , His unscrupulous Majesty gets rid of the lover by making his attendants involve him in a quarrel , and drag him to prison for fighting in the park , while the girl , after resisting tho honeyed words , of the seducer , is carried to n petite maison of the king ' s . In this state of durance she is discovered by Jfell Gwynne , who hears her story and becomes interested in her behalf . The denouement is rather clumsy . The girl's father , years before , had saved the king from being taken in his narrow escape to France , who had given him a ring in token of his gratitude . This ring she now uses in appealing to tho king ' s generosity and honour . To
resist such an appeal is of course out of the question : the king instantly abandons his criminal pursuit , and restores the girl to her lover . The success of the piece ( suoh as it was ) was mainly owing to . tho clever , acting of the principal characters . Mrs . Stirling was as piquant a little grisette as can be imagined ; aiid . 'Mr . William Parren , jun .. acted the sailor lover with a hearty bluflhess that was very agreeable . Mr . Henry Farren looked and dressed the merry monarch very well , but he lacked ease , and was somewhat formal and stately . Mr . Leigh Murray , by . his capital making-up and quaint acting as a Dutch seaman , enlivened several scenes which otherwise would have been heavy enough .
HAYMARKET THEATRE . The Macbeth of Mr . J . IV . Wailaek should by no means disappoint those who witnessed his Othello . There is much that is crude , much that is odd in his ' performance , but the intelligence and carefulness which ho displays , more than counterbalance defects in the details of execution . The sensation of mental horror prior to the murder of Duncan could not have been more profoundly conceived than by this young actor , and when he deadened the effect it was through over-zeal to make the most of the situation . The pause that preceded the dagger speech was too long ; the general delivery was too slow ; but the dreamy state of mind was aptly represented , and the weight of apprehension oou ' ld be perfectly appreciated by those who beheld Ihe sufferer . In the banquet scene the terror at Banquo ' s ghost was expressed with the same earnestness of
purpose ; 'and " it is this earnestness of purpose which is tho grand element of promise in Mr . Wallaces acting . Tbe elocutionary perfection by which every word can be rendered distinct , and the thorough command of face and gesture he has not yet attained , but ho is evidently serious about his art , and he does not utter a single speech that does not bear the mark of deliberate thought . In the character of Lady Macbeth , Miss Liura Addison likewise discovers a most laudable desire to realise the author ' s meaning . She enters into the situation of the character , she gives her interpretation with force , and it is this very desire co spenk forcibly that makes iiOT too liberal with her emphasis , Some of the attitudes with which she accompanied the murder of Duncan , were remarkable for their picturesque effect . The manly , kindly Macduff , finds its usual representative in the most hearty of actors , Mr . James "Wallaek .
PRINCESS'S THEATRE , A throD-act melodrama , entitled Pauline , adapted from the French Of Dumas , by Mr . Osenford , was produced at this theatre on Monday night . The Count Horace do Beaupre ( Mr . Charles Kean ) , the representative of a decayed and noble family , who has just returned from India , broken in fortune , meets at the chateau of a Madame de Nerval , Pauline , her niece ( Mrs . Charles Kean ) , with whom he has previously formed an acquaintance in India . By a sort ot mystical power he induces her to marry him , although she has a preference for her cousin , Mons . Lucien de Nerval ( Mr . James Vining ) . The second act reveals to us this strange couple at their ruined chateau , whither the Countess has
followed her husband , without his assent , for in truth he is but a chieftain of a gang of brigands . The melodramatic interest of the piece now commences ; and it consists of a series of perilous situations in which the Countess is placed . The finds an old acquaintance of her own , an English girl , Harriet MorJand ( Miss Carlotta Lcclerq ) , in the hands of the brigands , who is shot before her face for recognising the Count de Beaupre . Pauline betrays herself by her emotion , and falls apparently lifeless amongst the enraged brigands . Tho third act opens with the supposed death of Pauline , and the contemplated marriage of tho brigand Count to her cousin , who inherits the fortune of his first wife . These nuptials are however , frustrated by the
brother of the intended bride , whereupon a deadly French duel , wherein there is only one bullet and two pistols , the selection of which is made a matter of chance by taking themfromunder the table cover , ensues . Dramatic justice awards the loaded pistol to the hands of the better man , and the scoundrel is uupaiclied , to the infinite relief of the iludiOUCe , who have b y this time got woary of his French ruffianism . This violent piece is cleverly contrived and constructed ; hut all its ingenuity can hardl y reconcile an English audience to so much gratuitous bloodshed and villany . The acting ' of Mr . and Mrs . Charles Kean was tbat of excellent melodramo ; and tho piece must be pronounced successful , though not triumphantly so .
QUEEN'S THEATRE . A new nautical drama has been produced , called Life ' s Helm and Hope ' s Anchor . The piece is full of romantic adventure , critical situations , terrific combats , & u ., and is well put upon the stage . The principal character ( Tom Starboard ) was ably supported by Mr . E . Green . We were sorry to learn that Mr . Dean had met with a serious accident , which would probably prevent his appearance for some time . The extravaganza of Brown , Jones , and Piobinson followed , and the entertainments concluded with Ihe- Camp Follower , in which Mrs . C . Boyce appeared as the heroiuo Marianne .
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION , Last week a lecture was delivered at this Institution by Thomas Beale Browne , E > q ., on the Cultivation of Flax , who , from his position in the agricultural world is one of tho most considerable growers of fl-ix in this country . His observations « ere confined very judiciously to the advantages of employing land for this purpose , and he showed clearly that much of the surplus labouring population might reap benefits , from which the mere routine of general agriculture could not hold out hopes . He produced some very beautiful specimens of fabrics , kindly furnished by Messrs . Siorar , of Cheapside , and it was manifc-it that , not only may
we expect from its general cultivation , that the English grower may furnish material for the most delicate manufactures , but that we maybe quite independent of Belgium mid other foreign countries for an ample supply , thereby giving employment to the poor of all classes and npe 8 . To prove Ihe many advantages of fi .-ix growing in this country , the directors of this establishment have determined to havo a course of lectures on the bleaching and preparation of the flax crop , by their chemical professor , Mr . J . H . Pepper , who will follow up tho subject , and show the different methods for adapting it to purposes of general utility . The lecturer was attended by a large and hi ghly respectable audience .
. The Constituency Of The Borough Of Sal...
. The constituency of the borough of Salford has increased , during the last two years , by 904 votes .
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The Lords And Thb Army.—There Are Upward...
The Lords and thb Army . —There are upwards of forty peers connected with the army in the House of Lords . A Tear . —Gravitation has , amid all her immensity , wrought no such lovely work as when she rounded a tear . Aristocratic DEBT 8 .-Mr . Disraeli , when professing to plead the claims of the landed interest in Parliament , estimated their mortgage debts at £ 400 , 000 , 000 sterling \ . CuHious Descrip tioh .-A New Orleans paper advertt es a runaway negro as a " stout bov . with a low-crowned bat , made to carry bricks'" ' Extraordinary virtues are ever defamed by hose who want the courage to imitate them . —Elisa Cook ' s Journal . , ' Baths , and Lectures . — -Aristo used to say , that neither a bath nor a lecture did signify anything , unless they scoured and made men clean .
Amkiucan Parsing . —I court . —Court is a verb active , indicative mood , i-resent tense , and agrees with all the girts in the neighbourhood . Christianity among the Jews . — " More Jews ( say ? Professor Tholuck ) have been converted to Christianity during the last twenty years , than during the seventeen centuries preceding . " Loyal War-Cry for Protectionists . — " Rally round the Crown "—that is , round Five Shillings fixed xluiy on Corn . —Punch Parmambxtary . —The bill to legalise a marriage wl-. h tbe . dccensrd wife ' s sister Iihs been rejected by the House of Lords , therrby declaring that such marria-ics ate of prohibited .-iflinity . A Puzzle . — "I say , Dick , di i you . wit done !" " No . Ban , I was not an eye witness , but an car witness . "— "A near witness and not a nigh witness ? That ' s what I call a distinction without a difference !'
Foreign Passports . —The fee on Foreign Office passports is to be reduced to 7 s . Gd ., and thsy are now attainable by all who are personally known to the foreign secretary <* r recommended to him , or ^ on the application of a London banking firm . An innocent young sportsman , in order to shoot a squirrel on the top of a tall tree , climbed another one near by ; and on being asked his . reason fur so foolish a freak , said that "ho didn ' t want to strain his gun by u long shot . ' " Machinery v ; Manual Labour . —The compositors are threatened with annihikrion by a French genius , who proposes to send to the Exhibition a machine for composing and distributing type at the rate of I en thousand per hour . Amkricas Conundrum . —The JVew lorfc Evening Post has the best conundrum that we have seen for
many limning : — " Why will Barnuni and Jenny Lind never quarrel . ' —Because she is al trays forgiving arid he ( nr-getting Tim Inquisition . —When the Spanish Inquisition was thrown open in 1 S 20 , by order of the Cortes of Madrid , twemy-one prisoners were found in it , not one of whom know the name of the city in whichhe was confined , nor of what crime he was accused . ; Traoiaiiian Illumination . — " Papa , " said a precocious bay tit his literal papa , " why do the Pu > eyites burn candles ? " " Why , Tom , " replied the matter-of-fact governor , " I suppose because they are , in the dark . " —Punch . Pompous Funerals . —Men think it no shame to give handsome obsequies to those dead , whom living they had suffered to starve unnoticed ; but the struggle of shrinking poverty passes unseen in its comer ; the pompous trappings of deal li are witnessed by all the world .- Eliza Cooh ' s Journal .
A Hint to Woolo-be Pouts . —The New York Mirror , in noticing " a thin volunin of thin p' -ctryvery poor and very pious , " says " no man should attempt to write poetry except from huh internal pressure . It is an article that can ' t be manufactured , any more than we can manufacture corn or grapes . " An Editor , summing up the . virtues of a soapboiler , lately deceased , concluded bis eulogy with the usual phrase of " peace to his ashes ! " The remark gave great offence to the family , one of whom threatened the ediior with personal violence . A Capacious Medicine-chest . —A navy surgeon loved to prescribe saltwater . He fell overboard one day : " Zounds , Will , " says a sailor , " there ' s the doctor tumbled in- 'o his own medicine chest . "SoKt / tey ' s Commonplace Book .
Eliiiu BuRRixr lias found it preferable , in s me countries , to publish his "Olive Leaves , " not . iu the form of tracts , but as newspaper articles , paying a stipulated sum for their insertion . He thns . bnngs them periodically before five hundred thousand continental newspaper readers at the rate of a crown per thousand . Usefulness on Little Occasions , —He that , can be useful only on great occasions may die without exerting his abilities , and stand a helpless spectator of a thousand vexations which fret away happiness , and which-nothing is required to remove but , a little dexterity of conduct and readiness of cxpedi ' ents . —Dr . Johnson .
Floating Hotel . —We hear that an mtellu / eut and enterprising neighbour of oars ( a shipowner ) intends to fit out a vessel as a " floating hotel " to take passengers to the Exhibition , provide them the necessary accouimodatiun whilst there on board his ship , and bring them homo again , at highly veas . niable charges . This is as it ought to be . —Qaieskad Observer . Boot and Shoe Cleaner . —A newly invented ma-Chine for this purpose has been registered . H is very simple in its construction . A pair of circular brushes , mounted on a spindle , are set in motion by
a treadle , through the agency of a connecting band and pulley ; aud thus the operations of brushing , blacking , and polishing are rapidly performed-A Consecrated Barrow . —A man was one day wheeling a barrow across a churchyard , not twenty miles from Manchester , when he was threatened by a clergyman with a condign punishment , for his daring outrage in polluting the consecrated ground by his wheel-barrow . The man , scratching his head , said , " 1 did not know but the wheel-ba- row was consecrated , too , for I borrowed it of - . he sexton . "
Toleration . —The Roman Catholics aro just ; . ow talking much about toleration , an « accusing England of not exercising it . " We ( The Church and State Gazette ) say , let Popery allow Father Gavazzi to preach unmolested throughout Italy for a year . At the end of the time there would he some chance of a Universal Church , for Popery would be delu .-ict , and Christianity would have succeeded to it . " Americas Sestimest . —Among the more particularly patriotic sentiments offered at a late fesiival of American authors and publishers , was the following by General George P . Morris , of the // nine Journal : —" Tbo American Union , a noble folio work of thirty-one pages , by the best authors in the Republic of Letters—set up , stereotype *) , printed
at'd bound iii a form that will last for ever . Additions , not erasures may be made ; but follo w- rb . e original copy—even "if it goes out of the window I " Wives Caught by Traps —It is said that the Winnebago Indians catch their wives by set'ing traps for them , in other words , whenever a younr . Indian takes a fancy to a young squaw , he leaves a steel trap in front of a lodge at night . If this is tf ken in by the father , the squaw is nut expected to " put her foot" in tbe matter at all , and the contract is considered settled ; if not , and the young man deems the copper coloured fair one worth an extra trap , he leaves two , sometimes three . Whenever tbe tra . ) or traps are taken in , the marring !; ceremony at once comes off ' . This is about the last way of catching a wife we should have thousbt of .
Woman ' s Wihh . ^ -Vin the Atlantic ocean dry with a teaspoon—twist your heel into the toeof your hoot —make postmasters perform their promises , and .-ubscribers pay the printer—send up fishing hooks with balloons and fish for stars—get astride a gossamer and chaso a comet—when the rain is coming down like the cataract of Niagara , ri'roembev where you left your umbrella—choke » mosquito with a brink bat —in short , prove ail things hitherto considered iovpo'sible to be possible , but never attempt to twix a woman to say she will , when she has made up her mind to say she ivont . ~ -Aincrican Paijcr .
M . Mazzini ano the Papal Question . —Two year s " ago M . Maazini exhorted the Protestant pe- > ple of England as follows : — " The Hunan question k « far from being settled . Assemble yourselves , associate yourselves , organise » vast agitation for the religious and political independence of the people , and say to your government , that honour , duty , and tho welfare of England , demand that her flag shall not hang idly in Atheistic immobility amidst the continual violation of the principle which it rep resents , that Prance lias not the right to dispose of the Roman States as she pleases , that the will of the Roman people ought to be expressed , and that it cannot be freely expressed while hostile armies are encamped upon its territories Call upon Franc ? to fulfil her promises , *' — Weekly News .
On tub Choice of Acquaintancks . — Among olbt'r observations which 1 have nude in tlio short period of life ( said ths celebrated Sydenham ) , ibij one thing appears to me particularl y deserving of notice ( and which I am anxious should be most strongly impressed on theminil . of my son)—that the acquaintance ot those who are distinguished by integrity and other graces of character , has invariably turned to my prone . and advantage ; and , on tbe other hand , that the friendship of the wicked lif indeed tbat alliance which is not based in virtue should not rathor be called a comotnatfon , or even a conjuration , Ium \ a friendshi p ) , although ther may neither have injured me either by word or look , has in some way or other at length done mischief or damage to me and iay affkirs .
A Daring Aeronaut . —( hlignani state ? that an aeronaut , named Gallon , w now exhibiting feats at Pau , which throw the adventurous performance of MM . Poiteviu and Gale completely in the & h : «! e . This gentleman , when at a considerable heiaht in the air , left the oar , and placing his feet in two ir > n rings suspended from the net work , suddenly flung himself head downward * , and remained in that position fur several minutes . He afterwards recovered Jut' place in the car , and desceuded safely .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), March 22, 1851, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_22031851/page/3/
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