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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.
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THE TWO "WISHES . ( Fromthe Athenamm . ) One morn upon a rocky steep , High up above the level earth Two youths , escaped the bonds of sleep , Felt first ambition's earliest birth . Aspiring o ' er the tardy race Of common minds that height to reach " Which towers above the common place , Each turned his glowing thought to speech " Brother , I would , " the elder cried , " like this high rock my fate might
be—Commanding nations far and wide , And famed throughout eternity ; O ' er grovelling minds and puny things In kingly power to soar and soar , — Mounting on still aspiring wings , Forfhshadowing God for evermore !" "Not thus would I , " the younger said , " Pursue the pomp of lonely state ; A simple wreath should cro \^ n my head , By simple goodness grown to great . Would that my soul—like yonder sun—Still blessing all , by all things blessed , Her glorious race of love might run—God ' s poet from the East to West V
Each wish was heard . The years rolled by—The golden time of youth fled past—And , changing with the changing sky , To men these brothers grew at last . The elder graced a kingly throne , In purple splendour full arrayed—The younger ruled by song alone , And reigned beneath the sylvan shade . Lesser in love than pride of power His iron sway the elder bore , — Till , wroughtto madness , one dark hour Their fateful oath eoxrapirers swore . 2 fot less in power than pride of love , His truthful songs the younger sang , — Till soon through every sylvan grove The lays of freedom loudly rang . Through many , a grade of strife and wrong
The tyrant's power and love declined ; Through many a golden sphere of song Still upward soared the Poet ' s mind . Till came , at last , the avenging hour That broke for aye the Oppressor ' s rod , That trampled down tyrannic power , — And crowned the poet half a god . And still again the years rolled by ; And through a plain there went alone , "With gaze towards the sunbright sky , The Poet—but the steep was gone . Shivered beneath the lightning ' s shock , Whose bolt its massy bulk had riven , In crumbling fragments lay the rock , While beamed the noontide sun in heaven
Still high above the exalted hills , As on that wishful morn he shone , That sun his burning throne fulfils In love serene , sublime , alone . And lofty powers of earth that frown Unkindly on the mean below . God ' s wrath still hurls in thunder down , 'Neath Love ' s eternal changeless glow . Some . C . H . Hitchixcs
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HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION . By J . Michelet . — Translated by C . Cocks , B . L . London H . G . Bohn , York-street , Covent-garden . The title of this work is well-chosen . "Historical View" is more fitting than " History " ¦ would have been . Michelet is not the man to write the History of his nation ' s internal and external struggles . He is too discursive , too obscure , too full of a narrow-minded "
nationality , " to write History as it should be ¦ written . But with all his faults as a writer , it is impossible for Michelet t o write any number of pages—few or many—without interesting and instructing his readers by his originality of thought and unchecked freedom of expression ; by his sometimes fiery , but oftener plaintive eloquence ; and bythematerials for thinking wMch . he lavishes upon those who will but be at the trouble of giving him their attention .
Michelet possesses one grand quality , —he is terribly in earnest Introducing the case of Latude the celebrated prisoner of the Bastille , Vincennes , Charenton , and the horrible Bicetre , he says : —" For my part I must acknowledge the extremely agonising effect which the prisoner ' s letters produced on me . Though a sworn enemy to barbarous fictions about everlasting punishment , I found myself praying to God to construct a hell for tyrants . " Amex !
Intensely " national , " Micheletseems to have a profound contempt for England and everything English . He says many hard things that are trae , and some that are not true , of our countrymen ; but we forgive him in consideration of the great lesson he reads us in his matchless , exposure of the horrors of our manufacturing and commercial system . Some weeks ago we extracted ( and re-published in tiie " Star" ) this most true and eloquent portion of his work .
Michelet is an enthusiastic admirer of the Revolution , which he defines to be " The Advent of the Law , the resurrection of ri g ht , and the reaction of Justice . " The necessity of the Revolution—the natural results of long ages of oppression on the part of the privileged orders and of Buffering on the partof the people—is demonstrated by the miseries borne with by the masses till no longer bearable . Well does itfiCHELET exclaim—" Kind-heartedmen , you who weep over the evils of the Revolution ( doubtless with too much reason ) , shed also a few tears for the evils which occasioned it .
Michelet ' s examinations of the characters of some of the most famous of the Revolutionists are very curious ,. particularly his inquiry into the life and writings of Marat . Out author philosophically observes : — " A fact , too little noticed—but which enables us to understand a great many things—is , that several of our 'terrorists' were men of an exquisite feverish sensibility , who felt cruelly the sufferings of the people , and whose pity turned into
fury . " As much a hero-worshipper as Cakiyle himself , Michelet naturally leans to Dxsroy , and sings the praises of Mirabeau . He acknowledges the corruption of the great orator , but , nevertheless , pleads eloquently for the restoration of bis remains ( if any there be ) to the Pantheon . He argues that " the banishment was deserved , but the restoration would be just" The following extract tells the oft-told , but ever interesting story of
- THE DEATH OF MIRABEAU . On Sunday , the 27 th of March , he was in the country , at his small residence at Argenteuil , where he was charitably employed in doing good to the poor . He had ever sympathised with the miseries of mankind ; and he became still more humane at the approach of death . Here he was seized with a choHc , of which he had previously had attacks , accompanied with inexpressible agony , and found himself dying alone , without a physician or any assistance . Assistance came at length ; but it was of no avail , ' for , in five days , he expired . Jfevertheless , on Monday , the 28 th , though death was stamped upon his countenance , he was
obstinately resolved to go once more to the Assembly . The question on the mines , a very important affair for his friend , 3 L de Lamarck , whose fortune was engaged in them , decided him . Mirabeau spoke five tunes ; ' and , though inore dead than alive , was once more victorious .- On leaving the Assembly all was over . " "With that last effort he sacrificed the rest of his life to friendship . On Tuesday , the 29 th , a report that Mirabeau was ill spread a strong sensation throughout Paris , and all'men ; even his adversaries , then felt how much they loved him . Camille Desmoulins , who was then waging war so violently against him , feels his heart yearn once more towards his former friend ; and the furious editors of the " Involutions of Paris , " who were at that moment proposing the suppression of royalty , say that the long has sent and add Let feel
to inquire about Mirabeau , , " us sratelul that Louis XVI . did not go himself ; it would have occasioned a fatal diversion ; for the people would have adored him . " ^ On the Tuesday evening the crowd thronged about the sick man ' s door . On the Wednesday , the Jacobins-sent him a deputation , headed by Barjiare , from whom he received with pleasure an oblig ing expression that was related to him . Charles de Lnmeth had refused to join the deputation . Mirabeau was afraid of being beset by priests , and had given orders that the curate should be told , if lie came , that he had seen , or was to Eee , his friend , ihe bishop of Autun . Sobodv was ever more noble and affectionate in death . He spoke of his life as of the past , and of himself , who had letn , and had ceased to be . Be
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would have no other physician than his friend Caba " nis , and was totally given up to friendship and to the idea of France . What gave him the most uneasiness in dying , was . the doubtful threatening attitude of the English , who seemed to be preparin war . " That Pitt , " said he ,. " is governing with threats rather than with deeds ; I should hare given some trouble if I had lived . " They spoke to him of the extraordinary eagerness of the people in inquiring about his health , and of the religious respect ana silence of the crowd which was afraid of troubling him . "Ah ! the people , " said he , " such good people well deserve that a man should sacrifice himself for them , and do everything to found and strengthen their liberty . It was
my glory to live for them ; and it is my consolation to feel that I am dying amidst the people . " He was full of gloomy presentiments about the de 9 tiny of Trance : "I am carrying away with me , " said he , "the funeral of monarchy ; its remnants will become the prey of the factious . " The report of a cannon having been heard , he exclaimed , with a start ; " la this already the funeral of Achilles ?" "In the morning of the 2 nd of April , " said Cabanis , ' > he ordered his windows to be opened , and said to me in a firm tone : ' Friend , I shall die today . On such a day , it only remains to perfume oneself , and then , crowned with flowers , and
surrounded with music , to be lulled agreeably to that sleep from which there . is no waking . ' He then called his valet-de-chambre : ' Gome , ' said he , ' prepare to shave me , and to dress me carefully and completely . ' He ordered his bed to be moved nearer an open window , in order that he might contemplate the first symptoms of vernal vegetation on the trees in his little garden . The sun was shining , and he exclaimed : 'If this be . not God , it is at least his cousin-german . ' Soon after he lost the use of his speech ; but he still replied by signs to the proofs of friendship which we Bhowed him . The sli g htest attentions affected him and caused him to smile ; and when we approached him he did all he conld to embrace us . "
His sufferings being excessive , and as he was unable to articulate any longer , he wrote the word " Sleep ; " and , desirous of abridging this useless agony , he asked for opium , and expired about halfpast eight , after having just turned round and raised his eyes to heaven . The plaster that has taken the impression of his countenance thus fixed , exhibits only a sweet smile , a calm , sleep , and pleasant dreams . Pains-taking readers will be cautious of how far they allow Michelet to lead them when discussing the character of Robespierre . The following extract introduces
ROBESPIERRE AT THE JACOBIN CLUB . The Jacobins are a meeting of distinguished and educated n . en . Here , French literature has a majority : Laharpe , Chenier , Chamfort , Andrieux , Sedaine , and so many others ; and artists are also numerous , —David , Vernet , Larive , and ( the representative of the Revolution in the theatre ) the young Roman Talma . At the door , to examine the cards , are two censors , Lais , the singer , and a handsome youth , the' promising . pupil of Madame de Genlis , —the son of the Duite of Orleans . That dark man at the bureau , who is smiling grimly , is the very , agent of the prince , the too notorious author of the liaisons JDangereuses , Laclos and , as a remarkable contrast , M . de Robespierre is speaking hi the tribune .
This is an honest man , who adheres to principles : a man of talent and austere morality .- His weak and rather shrill voice , his sad and meagre visage , and his everlasting olive-green coat ( his only coat , thread-bare and scrupulously clean ) , altogether bear witness that his principles do not enrich their votary . Though seldom listened to at the National Assembly , he excels and will ever excel at the Jacobins . He is the society itself , —nothing more or less , expressing it perfectly , moving with it at the same pace , without ever outstepping it . We will follow him very closely and attentively , noting and dating every degree in his prudent career , and noting likewise on his pale countenance the deep traces that will he made by the Revolution , the untimely wrinkles of vigils , and the furrows of meditation .
The author , in describing an infamous plot of the " Jacobin nobles" to render the tribune of the Democracy ridiculous , records in the following extract
inRABEATj ' s ESTIMATE OF K 0 BESP 1 EBRB . To make a man ridiculous , there is one easy way ; ¦ which . Is , for bis friends to smile' ^ henever he speaks . Men are generally so frivolous , so easily led , and so cowardly imitative , that a smile from the left side , from Barnave or the Lameths , infallibly excited the risibility of the whole Assembly . One man alone seems to have taken no part in these indignities ; and this was the truly powerful Mirabeau . He used always to reply seriously and respectfully to this weak adversary , respecting in him txe image of fanaticism , sincere passion , and persevering labour . He shrewdly distinguished , but with the indulgence and generosity of genius , Robespierre ' s profound pride , the religious faith that he had for himself , his person , and nis words . " That man will go far , " said Mirabeau , "for he believes all he says . " The constant tension of his muscles and his voice , his straininc utterance , and his short-sighted look ,
left a painful , tiresome impression which people tried to get rid of by laughing at him . To complete the measure of annoyance , they did not allow him even the consolation of seeing himself in print . The journalists , through negligence , or perhaps' on the recommendation of Robespierre ' s friends , cruelly mutilated his most elaborate speeches . They were ' obstinately bent on not knowing his name , always designating him as a member , or M . N ., or Mr . To forget such mortifications , so extremely galling to his vanity , Robespierre had no resource , neither family nor the world—he was alone and poor . He used to carry home with him his mortification to his deserted neighbourhood , the Marais , and to his lonely apartment in the dismal Rue de Saintonge : a cold , poor , and ill-furnished lodging . He was very frugal , dining for thirty sous ; and yet he scarcely had money enough to purchase clothes .
In the following extract the author states fHE PEOPLE ' S OPISIOS OF BOBESPIEBHE . One countenance alone comforted them , and seemed to say , " am honest ; " and the dress of the man and his gesture seemed to express the same . His speeches were entirely on morality and the interests of the people , —principles , eternally principles . The man himself was not entertaining , and his person was austere and melancholy , by no moans popular , but rather academical , and , in one respect , even aristocratical , in extreme cleanliness , neatness , and style of dress . He seemed also a stranger to friendship and familiarity ; even his former college companions being kept at a distance .
In spite of all these circumstances , little calculated to make a man popular ,. the people so hunger and thirst after righteousness , that the orator of principles , the partisan of absolute right , the man who professed virtue , and whose sad and serious countenance seemed its very image , became the favourite of the people . The more he was disliked by the Assembly , the more he was relished by the galleries ; so , he addressed himself more and more to this second assembly , which , from above , presided over the deliberations , believed itself in reality superior , and , as the people , the sovereign authority , claimed the right of interfering , and hissed its delegates .
We conclude our extracts with the following exciting account of
A SCENE AT TI 1 E CORDELIERSWhat a crowd ! Shall we be able to enter ? Citizens , make a little room for us ; comrades , you see I have brought a stranger . The noise is deafening ; and , by way of compensation , one can scarcely see Those smoking little lamps seem there only to render darkness visible . What a mist envelopes the crowd ! The air is dense with the hum and shouting of men ! A young lady enters and desires to speak . Why , this is no other than Mademoiselle Thfiroigne , the
handsome aniazon of Liege . ' Behold her in her red silk riding-habit , and armed with her large sabre of the 5 tn of October . The enthusiasm is at its hei g ht . "It is the-Queen of Sheba , " cries Desmoulins , " who has come to pay a visit to the Solomon of our district , " She has already passed through the whole of the Assembly , with the springing gait of apanthor , and ascended the tribune . Her beautiful , inspired countenance ^ beaming with enthusiasm , appears between the sombre apocalyptic visages of Dantonand Marat . . . .
"If you are truly Solomons , said ; ThGvoigne , " you will prove it by building the temple , the temple of liberty , the palace of the National Assembly . And you will build it on the spot where the Bastille formerly , stood . .. . .... " What ! whilst the executive power inhabits the finest palace in the world , the pavilion of Flora and the porticoes of the Louvre , the legislative power is still encamped in tents , at the Tennis-Court , the Menus , or the Riding-School—like Noah ' s dove , tha t t «?? find no resting-place ? Things cannot remain so . The people must -earn , by simply beholdins the edifices which the two
powers inhabit , where sovereign power resides , nnat is a sovereign without a palace , or a god without an altar ? . TVho Wiii acknowledge his worship ? Let us build up that altar ; and let all contribute , bringing their gold : and precious stones ( for my part , here are mine ) . Let us build up the only true temple . J » o other is worthy of God than that where they pronounced the declaration ' of the rights of man . As guardian of that temple , Paris will he less a ctby . than the common Patria of all others , the meeting-place of the tribes , their Jerusalem !" " The Jerusalem of the world ! " exclaimed the enthusiastic auditory ; for a real frenzy , an ecstatic
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J oy , had possessed the whole Assembly . If the ancient Cordeliers , who had formerly g iven free course to then- mystic ravings , under those same vault ?' roofs , had returned thai evening , they would sti-1 have found themselves at home among their fellows ; for , all of them , whether believers or philosophers , disciples of Rousseau , Diderot , Holbach , or flelvetius , all prophesied , in spite of themselves . The German Anacharsis Clootz was , or imagined himself to be , an atheist , like so many others , from hatred of the evils that priestB haTe occasioned But
( Tantwm religio poluit suadere malorum . ' ) with all . his cynicism and his ostentation of doubt , this son of the Rhine , and fellow-countrymen of Beethoven , felt strongly all the emotion of the new religion . The most sublime words inspired by the great confederation are in a letter from Clootz to Madame de Beauharnais ; nor did anybody exp ress any more strangely beautiful on the future unity of the world . His accent , his German Blowness of utterance , his smiling serene countenance , and that beatitude of a mad genius , inclined to jest with itself , added amusement to enthusiasm .
" Why , indeed , has nature , " said he , " placed Paris at an equal distance from the pole and the equator , but for it to be a cradle and a metropolis for the general confederation of mankind ? Here , the States-General of the world will assemble ; and I predict that the time is not bo remote as people believe . Let but the Tower of London fall to pieces , like that of Paris , and tyrants will be no more . The flag of the French cannot wave over London and Paris , without soon being hoisted all round the globe Then there will be no longer either provinces , armies , conquerors , nor conquered nations . ...... People will go from Pans to Pekin , as they do from Bordeaux to Strasbourg ; the ocean , by a bridge of ships , will join her 6 hores ; and the east and the weat will embrace hi the field of confederation . Rome was the metropolis of the world by
war ; Paris will be so by peace . Yes , the more reflect , themore I conceive the possibility of one single nation , and the facility with which the Universal Assembly , sitting at Paris , will conduct the government of the whole human race . Ye rivals ot Vitruvius , listen to the oracle of reason ; if universal patriotism kindles your genius , you will know well how to make us a temple to contain all the representatives of the world ; there are-wanting scarcely more than ten thousand . " Men will be what they ought to be , when each will be able to say : ' The world is my country , the world is my own native land . Then , there will be no more emigrants . There is but one nature and one society . Divided powers clash together , and nations , are like clouds which necessarily burst against each other .
" Tyrants , your thrones are crumbling beneath you . Abdicate , and you shall suffer neither misery nor the scaffold Ye usurpers of sovereignty look me in the face . Do you not behold your sentence written on the walls of the National Assembly ? Come , do not wait for the fusion of sceptres and crowns ; come forth to welcome a revolution which delivers kings from the snares of kings , and nations from the rivalry of nations !" "Long live Anacharsis ! " exclaimed Desmoulins , ' * Let us open with him the cataracts of heaven . It is nothing that reason has drowned despotism in France ; it must also inundate the globe ; and all the thrones of kings and Lamas must he washed from their foundations by this universal deluge What a career from Sweden to Japan ! The Tower
of London is shaken . An innumerable meeting of Irish Jacobins has had , from its first sittings , an insurrection . At the rapid rate at which things are going , I would not give a shilling for the estates of the clergy of the Church of England . As for Pitt , he is destined to be hanged ( lanterne ) , unless , by the loss of his place , he prevent thelosB of his head , which John Bull is about to demand . The inquisitors are already being hanged on the Manganarez ; the breath of liberty is blowing strong from France to the South ; and presently people may safely say' There are no longer any Pyrenees [ ' . " Clootz has just transported me , as the angel did the prophet Habakkuk ,. into , the upper regions of policy ; and I now throw back the barrier of the Revolution to the uttermost parts of the world !"
This volume closes with an account of the King ' s flight to Varennes . We believe the continuation of the work has already appeared in Paris , and we trust that , by an extensive sale of the present volume , Mr . Bohn will be encouraged to continue the publication of Mr . Cocics ' s admirable trapslation . Good and cheap—remarkably cheap—this volume commends itself to * every- student of history—to all who desire to know the unparalleled events of the wonderful Revolution of 1789 .
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Uniformity of Railway Accounts . By GtEouge King . -London : E . F . Gooch , 55 , King William-street . The object of this pamphlet is "to attempt an elucidation of certain points of railway economy , and to offer such suggestions with respect to them , as will , if acted upon , place railway property generally up on a sounder basis ; and will , by the aid of a better and more uniform system of accounts , enable a more correct judgment to be formed than is now possible , of the respective merits of each railway , and its value as ah investments "
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CHARTIST TRACTS FOR THE TIMES . No . V . What is Liberty ? How shall we obtain it ? By the Kirkdale ' Chartist Prisoners . London ; J . Watson , 3 > Queen ' s Head-passage , Paternoster-row ; Leeds : J . Barker , Wortley . By far the most eloquent , and not the least important , of this series yet issued . We earnestly recommend the Chartists in every locality to form committees to promote' the sale of these tracts . Their circulation would effect incalculable good . Pinched for room this week , and pressed for time , " haying received this number only just before going < i > press , wo must postpone till our next the quotation of several eloquent passages we have marked for extract .
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Want of Fresh Aib . —The Hon . Horace Minn , alluding to ill-ventilated school-rooms ,, remarks as follows ;— " To put children on a short allowance of fresh air , is as foolish as it would have been for Noah , during the Deluge , to put his family on a short allowance of water . Since God ; has * poured out an atmosphere fifty milesdeep , it is enough to make a miser weep to see our children stinted in breathing , " . ¦ ' . [; . A Safe Investment . —Dr . Franklin , speaking of education , says , " If a man empties his purse into lis head no man can take it from him . An investment in knowledge always pays tho ; best interest . " Tkuuts . —A gentleman playing whist with an intimate friend , who seemed , as far tis hands were concerned , to hold the Mahometan doctrine of ablution in supreme contempt , said to him , with a countenance more in sorrow than in anger , " My good fellow * if dirt were trumps , what a hand you would iavef ' -
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SUNSHINE AND SHADOW ; A TALE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY . BI THOMAS MAimN WHEBLBB , Late Secretary to the National Charter Association and National Land Company .
Chapibb IV . Strange that the mind should ever dwell upon lhose years of childhood , ever fondly ding lo every dream that waits on memory ' s dawn , u ershadowing youth with gay imaginings ; Like wild flowers , 'neath whose buds live waters run , Scented by tangled buds , that o ' er them fling An arch that hides their source , but bathes the tide In sweets unmatched in all its wanderings wide . Bate .
Arthur Morton found plenty of leisure in his uncle ' s lonely house to continue his studies , but solitude had lost its wonted charm ; he longed for the presence of his bosom companion ; he yearned to commence his career in the world ,, to relieve his relative of the burthen of his support . A spirit of independence is generally combined with a shy and reserved disposi-• wn ; the mind naturally leans upon itself , it consiaersf&vontR as heavy obligations , and , conscious of its difficulty adequately to acknowledge them , is anxious to avoid their incurrence . Arthur , therefore , requsted that he might be apprenticed to some handicraft , in order to enable him to earn his future subsistence . Thja agreed too well with his uncle ' s wishes to be denied , and Arthur was speedily
consigned lor seven years to the care of a Mr . Austin , a printer , in a small town about thirty miles south of London . A partine visit was paid to his friend Walter and his sister Julia , and with many ' protestations of kindness and mutual remembrance , they parted , and years rolled by . and Walter North had forgotten the very existence of his quondam friend and schoolfellow ere they met again . Dear are the reco lections of our schoolboy hours . Memory imprints the names , features , and remembrance of the prominent actors . upon the tablet of our brain ; though seas divide , though all trace of their existence is lost , yet can its potent spell collect the scattered family , and vividly recall the dear remembered past . But , alas for schoolboy friendships , how seldom are they lasting ! How few of the number can we recall , even by name , when twice seven years have past ! Love , the grand wizard , blots out the record , and the battle of life destroys its very
existence . True , there are exceptions ; and Arthur Mitrton , as far as the ordeal of time had yet been tried , was one . Never was the image of his friend entirely absent from bis mind . In sickness and in sorrow he flew for consolation to the recollections of the past , and friendship supplied to him the place of parents and of kin . For some months a regu ' ar correspondence was maintained between the friends , but by degrees it ceased on the part of Walter . Several letters having been unanswered by his friend , Arthur at length received one from Julia , informing him that her youngest brother was dead , and that Walter was taken into partnership with his father , and had removed to Liverpool , to superintend a wholesale establishment they had opened in that town , and the neglect of Walter in not writing must be occasioned , she presumed , by the extra duties he was called upon to attend to , at the same time assuring him of the best wishes of her parents , and of hev own undiminished friendship .
Welcome was this letter to our hero , the first he ever received from a female . Often did he gaze with fondness upon the neat handwriting and * he pretty signature ; and though he deeply felt thecontinued neglect of his friend , yet , with true faith in his friendship , he excused it on the ground that he was occupied with business , that he had many other ties , many other outlets for his affections , whilst he was alone in the world . Courteously did he reply to the letter from Julia , and enclosed one for Walter . An answer was returned , stating that she had duly forwarded it to her brother . Patiently did he ffait for Walter ' s answer to this last appeal-to his friendship ; but it came not . He had no excuse to continue nis correspondence with Julia , and , being too diffident to frame one , all correspondence between himself and his only friends finally ceased .
Long and wearily did the seven years of his apprenticeship pass .: His master was a demure , hypocritical pretender to sanctity . His youth had been passed in excesses , from which his constitution was now suffering , and , unable to enjoy pleasure himself , he detested even the semblance of enjoyment in others . His wife was a thin wiry woman , wrapped up in her own merits , and jealously alive to the oemerits of all around her , not forgetting those of her demure rib . Family they had none , much to the chagrin of the self-sufficient Mrs . Austiu , whose irritable temper kept the whole household in continual hot water . Such being his domestic position , with few acquaintance , nnd none intimate , no wonder that he relapsed into his old habits of reserve and
abstract meditation . But a change had been worked in the character of his thoughts , chiefly wrought by the practical nature of his avocation . They printed the County Chronicle , a Liberal newspaper ; and new views of society thus accumulated , he no longer pondered on imaginary dreams . He looked at the world by which he was sutrounded , the laws , and the customs adopted . He saw the injustice of the former , and the general absurdity of the latter , and wondered such things were . Oh ! how often did he —when speculating on these things in his Joneiy rambles—give vent to the aspirations of his soul , and unconsciously fit himself for a- future career , of which the idea had not then entered his imagination . The good people of M , when they met the young
enthusiast , and overheard his solitary but not silent musings , and observed his general absent manner , thought , and significantly said , that all was not right there , pointing to his head . But he was so goodtempered , so well'Conducted , and inoffensive , that he was a general favourite « Attentive to his business , simple in his habits , never causing any anxiety or trouble , even his sour master and termagant mistress could scarce behave unkindly to him . During this time he only received a letter from his uncle at long intervals , which generally contained a small remittance . The last ) containing a £ 5 note , informed him of his marriage , and that he must no longer look to him , but depend on his own exertions for his support . Arthur grieved not at this intimation—but
the cold language in which it was conveyed certainly made him feel more lonely than heretofore . His friends had deserted him—his only relative had coldly cast him off ; but he had sipped of sorrow until the bitterness thereof was destroyed , ¦ In this manner passed his apprentice years , dark shadows with occasional , gleams of . sunshine . His character was fast maturing—he was emerging from the part of a dreamer to that of a worker . But a want was still gnawing at his heart . He was alone in the midst of a crowd—he longed to have some definite object to do , some sntisfactory employment for his mind . He wept in very bitterness of spirit at the vague , unsubstantial nature of all that he saw , or was surrounded by . His spirit
yearned for something , of the very nature of which he was yet unaware . He would have turned a religious fanatic ( the ultimatum of many minds similarly constituted ) , but his shrewd sense had shown him the hypocrisy of the Austins , and further experience bad not demonstrated to him whether religion was aught more than a cloak to vice , or , at best , a Sunday garment , worn because it was customary . Poor buy ! tlw germs of young ambition were rising in thy soul , and thou . wnst unconsciously feeding that fire which more often consumes than . enlightens . Like the bird charmed by the rattlesnake , thou flut erest uneasily before it , but cannot resist the spell . Thou see&t naught but the fascination , and rushest blindly , yet
wilfully , into its toils .. Oh ! why should high and lofty inspirations be productive only of misery and destruction to their possessor , causing him to sacrifice all that renders . life endurable , in order that he may promote the good and well-being of that public , who , in return , either persecute or ridicule him , until death mercifully snatches him from their fangs ? Oh ! when will that true millennium arrive—that millennium of reason and liberty , which Voltaire and Rousseau were the prophets ; Paine and Robespierre the harbingers ; and Shelley—the amiable and gloriously-gifted Shelley—the Messiah ? 'Speed , oh speed , its advent . ( To be continued . )
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TO LORDS JOHN RUSSELL AND STANLEY , SIR ROBERT PEEL . AND MESSRS . COBDEN AND FEARGUS O'CONNOR ,
G-entleme . y , —You are the active leaders of different sections of the British population ; but so divided into opposing parties that , individually , ¦ with your followers , you cannot accomplish any substantial change for the benefit of the empire ; while unitedly you may easily effect the most permanent advantages for every class at home and abroad .
But you cannot unite in any practical measures , and therefore all classes suffer , and many most grievously . A question arisesthe true answer to which is of the last importance , not only to every British subject , but to the people of all nations . You cannot unite because each of you is a leading advocate of a false principle , and , in consequence , of injurious and very defective practical measures . Each can , therefore , discover the error of the others , but through the prejudices of the education and position of each , is blind to his own .
Could you be united in the advocacy of the same general principles , provided they were based on truth , and , therefore , universally beneficial for practice , the nation could be easily induced to adopt them . Of yourselves , it is true , in accordance with unchanging laws of nature , you can only think and act as you are doing ; but like all other men , you can be acted upon by now influences , and especiall y by truths , when plainly stated . I will here state to you irresistible truths , in order to create these new influences in your mind , that those who now suffer from your want of knowledge may he relieved , and that all classes may be essentially benefittcd .
It may first be useful to remind you of some general truths , which admit of no doubt . 1 st . That the object of human existence is individual happiness . 2 nd . That the highest individual happiness can be attained only when all are happy . * 3 rd . That the highest individual happiness can be experienced only when all the organs , faculties , propensities , and powers of each individual shall be well cultivated , and regularly exercised , according , to the peculiar constitution of each , to the point of temperance .
4 th . That to attain the highest happiness for each individual , all should be secured in the enjoyment of the necessaries , comforts , and beneficial luxuries of existence ; and be physically , mentally , morally , and practically , as well formed and educated as the born organisation of each will admit , and be well placed in good society . 5 th . That to attain this happiness , useful , beneficial , and , agreeable occcupations , as far as practicable , should be provided for all through life , according to the natural , physical , and mental powers of each . Gth . Also , that the most useful and valuable wealth should be everywhere made to abound , and be justly distributed .
7 th . And that a cordial and sincere union should exist between man and man , and peace be permanently established between all nations . 8 th . And lastly , that the many evils and inconveniences arising from various languages , and apparent opposition of interests , should be overcome as soon as practicable , and humanity trained to become of one language and one interest . All will admit that these principles and practices are necessary to secure the highest happiness of all , but that they cannot be at once attained .
Yet it is now practicable , in consequence of immense modern discoveries and inventions , to make a daily advance in peace and harmony , towards the attainment of this most desirable state of united human existence ; and by its progress to give a cheerful , healthy activity to the physical and mental powers of all . Pardon me for saying that you , gentlemen , and your partisans , are without any real knowledge of human nature , so as to know how to educate it from birth , or how to construct a rational or progressively prosperous state of
society . You have hitherto only advocated measures based on the principle of evil , and upon this principle you never can succeed to introduce any permanent benefits for your fellow-men . Your proposed measures , if successfully carried out , would produce misery continually ; they are words proceeding from false imaginations and there is no substance in them . When these clouds of error , created by your respective false positions , can bo removed from your minds , you will discover how much more easy and delightful it will be to introduce practical measures to insure happiness than to recommend those based on the principles of evil . The latter can produce only disappointment to the many and increasing
danger to the few , If it can be proved to you that , by simple , plain , and economical measures , based on the principle of good , all the industrious classes may he continuall y well and profitably employed ; their children made to become valuable members of society , always creating more real wealth than they consume , and by these and other improvements made , gradually to diminish ignorance , poverty , disunion , crime andmispry , will you forget your little petty party politics aad personal strifes , which produce so much trouble , anxiety , and evil to all and good to none ? Form a committee of inquiry , and investigation of these allimportant subjects , I will undertake to demonstrate to it : the truth and practicability of all which has been now stated .
I address myself to you unitedly , because , in the false and artificial state oi" the public mind , and with the irrational views of those whom you respectively represent and lead , it cannot be expected that , individually , you could have sufficient moral courage , absence of prejudice , and varied knowledge , to investigate subjects so comprehensive and new for practice , especially when it is known that all which has been made to influence you from bivth has been most erroneous and irrational .
Unitedly , however , it is expected that the prejudices of one would counteract the prejudices of tl \ c others ; that the deficiency of practical knowledge on some subjects of one would be remedied by the knowledge of others ; thus , when the truth , in principle and practice , shall be' fully placed before you , their order , simplicity , innumerable advantages , and beauty , exhibited in one comprehensive view , each part consistent with , and supporting the others , you will acquire the necessary moral courage ; to declare to your respective partisans in both Houses of Parliament ^ the
important discovery that the world , so far , has been . governed solely on the principle and in the practices of evil , to the great injury of all ; that" the population pf tho world has bcon tlwjy e \> y taught to be irrational in thought , word , and action ; also , that it will now be for the high permanent interest of every one openly to abandon this principle of Evil and Falsehood , and gradually to supersede all the irrational practices which have emanated from it ; and that , instead of continuing this heterogeneous mass of inconsistencies , follies , and will
Wickedness , you ' now assist with your united influence to establish society at once on the princip les of Good and Truth , and gradually supersede in ' practice existing erroneous arrangements withont creating disorder or illwill through the change ; and effect these results by commencing according to a well-considered ahd arranged plan , a new combination of external arrangements to create the wealth required , to 'distribute it wisel y , to reform the character based on truth alone , to govern without producing fear or punishment , and , by a well-devised process , change every inferior circumstance for thoso only which are superior
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The practical measures to effect th ' m dmngq worn all that is irrational and mi * • r .-. ble to all that vrill produce continual pi-iVj ^ ssive happiness , are more simple and ..- ^ ..-i construction than many of our present » .. vcrnment establishments , or than souv ,. - " . V ated and conducted by private individual .-, Aot to rmvko this letter too long , I \ u- v , - now only to state that it is in your pi , » vr . U- the adoption of the means recommended , ^ . i ^ 'iially and peaceably , and most boncficialTy & < r all , to terminate ignorance , poverty , disunion , war , crime and misery . If you , Gentlemen , will make tliu ; ii wmpt as proposed , I promise you full ; v > iii ci-in-. lete success , and , from your success , tha most heartfelt satisfaction with your labour oi' love for the human race . But to allow Ireland to remain in its ]• : aent condition , with the immense resoim-es of the British empire , will demonstrate lir ^ ibund ignorance , or the essence of cruojly . ; a the statesmen by whose legislative i \> -U it J 3 governed . Robert Owe >\ London , April , 1849 .
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TO ROBERT OWEN . My Dear Owen , I look upon you as one of the ho ] , \<; ht and most consistent men of this or o > " ;\ n ? other ago , and I have sufficient courage U > acknowledge that I have a great regard ami nHuction for you , while , at the same time , 1 air : very angry with you for placing mo m i-u-.-it bad company . That is all I shall say for tin ,- present , next week I shall answer your letter ; and when the columns of the " Star" aro removed from Parliamentary twaddle , an « l whori its space is more at liberty , I will challenge you to a controversy between your opinions aiid ' mine . Meantime , 1 remain Your affectionate frli . tn ! , FlSARGUS O'COVSOII .
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American Biblical Criticism . —T 1 h > Anvrican editors have been terribly perplexed to accniiu for Jacob ' s conduct in the following p . iss . -igo ;— - . l ; icot » kissed Rachel , and lifted up his voice and ve )> t . " We subjoin a few of tho comments : — If Rachel was a pretty girl , and kept hc-i- face clean , we can't see that Jacob had inueii t « cry about . —New Fork Globe . How do you know but that she slaved hh face for him ?—iVbw York Delta . Gentlemen , hold your tongues . Tho causo of Jacob ' s weeping was the refusal of R .- tchcl to allow him to kiss her again . —Taylor Flag . It is our opinion that Jacob wept because iic had not kissed Rachel before , and regretted the tinw he had lost . —Age . Green , verdant , all of ye . The follow boohoood because the gal didn't kiss him . —Manchester Exa ~
• miner . Greener yet ; what Jacob imagined svect . jroved bitter , and , disappointed and aisgustwi , Lo wept over his own folly . —Coldivater Standard . Sour grapes , old boy ! To kiss a sweef , pretty girl , systematically and understanding , as Jacob did , will lift any sensible man ' s voico \ 6 liio-li , that the returning force of nature alone sqiw / iw ajiiice of satisfaction out to heal his blistered lip . s . ' Try it ! The disease and cure are both delicious . — Montreal Herald . Diffidence . —An Irishman charged with : w assault in America , was asked by the . ]¦ . «! : ;< . whether he was guilty or not ? " How can I i- 'U , " v >;< a the
reply , " till I have heard the evidence !' " ' IIeroes . —It were well if there were fr wt-r heroes , for I scarcely ever heard of any but dti movu i » iachiefthan good . These overgrown . mortals commonly use their will with their right hand , and tl-eir reason with their left ; their pride is their titlo . and thoir power puts in possession ; their poinp U iurnishea from rapine , and their scarlet is lived v . ith . human blood . If wrecks , and ruins , a , \ . l desolations of kingdoms are marks of greatness , why «> . > w : not worship a tempest , and erect a statue ro n pi ; i £ ue « A panegyric upon an earthquake is every joi ; i * reasonable as upon such conquests as Uic ' ^ e . —J ' rom Pearls of Great Price .
Why is a man who carries a watch invariably too lato in his appointments ? Because lw is alV : iya behind his time .
SACRED 2 DE MEMMUBI OIUI DE FOIfETIC NUZ , WITCH EXPIUKKD MARTSII , 18-V . , APHIUB LIN CURING 4 SUM . VJGVX , IN DE GKEATEST PAXi : Oph de Publishers' v / iiiffo . KNOT ! WITI ITSELF , BUT DE COHS OPII WJT IS OOZttS } ITZ DESEES WILL BE S 1 KSEERU Uecitv . Ty . u
BY ITS SVRTtnsa PUBLISH ! : !! . Afflixyuns soav long tyme it boar , Fmslluns was in vane ; It wood knott sel , sow doun it ;>} i' .- ! . And eye hope dey wont tri it : i , u ; ml ' . WKEK-WIIT-ESS-KAt IUN VAZr . X ' . I —Man in the Moon , A man being commiserated with , on account of Ms wife running away , said , " Don't pity ma till she comes back again . " Scotland . —The" number of counties is
thirtythree : tho number of parishes , in 18- ° . I , wt « 018 ; and the number of post-towns , sub-olliocs , & : e ., according to the last published lists of the Post-oth ' ce , is 804 ; the number of banks and lwnkm « t ! i > i \\ y > TLnios , with their branches , is 300 ( this t 5 ou « nol include savings' banks , of which there is a branch ha almost every post town ); the number of ne-vvpapers is 01—of which only one is published 'My , three thrico a week , seventeen twice a svWk - ;> ftytwo once a , week , six fortnightly ,-and . twelve monthly .
The Holt Land , —Tho New Orleans Mia say a : — A colporteur [ Anglice ' . hawker ] opened the iloor of an Irishman ' s shanty in the . Second ] Mnniei {> . ' iJity , and , putting in his head , in a very pious tone ; i- ! ced the owner of the domicile , who happened to he in at the time , " if he would accept of a tmi . oi' the Iloly Land , " meaning of course , an essay on that interesting portion of the world , — "Yis , ' be . jal ; vs , " was the reply of the Hibernian , " a hoiu «(; :-. i-: > i , if you give a good title deed . But I should ilk <; to know if there is much of it prairie , or it' wr-v settlers are subject to the agur there ?" Monopolies . —If the power of tla- peoiiie U-. committed to a single person , the common inuir ^ t is submitted unto that of a family ; ami , ifit be committed to a few , it is submitted to tli « ititercf . of a
few families . —Harrington . " I can take no pleasure in you wltou you £ ¦ - into one of your snappish ways , " as the m sai'i io the trap . NorniSG j Sew u . vder the So . v . —TJioro i * nn new thing under the sun . M . Stanislaus Julien iia » discovered that the Chinese in the third ewitiiry » i ' our era were in possession of an auwsthetic ; ycnt which they employed in the same manner a « t , v use chloroform and ether for producing- insensibility during surgical operations . In a biographical n .-. tice of Hoatho—who flourished under Hie dynasty of Wei , between the years 220 and 230 o ! our <> r«—it is stated that lie gave to the sick a pn-paratiuJi of
Chanvre ( Ma ' yo ) , who in afewmomunis beuuuicas insensible as one plunged in drunkenness or dqu-ived of life : —then , according to the case ho inadu incisions , amputations , and the like . After a certain number of days the patient found himself re-ostablished without having experienced during t v < . ' operation the slig htest pain . It appears from ilio biography of Han that this chanvre was propi- ' .-il by boiling and distillation . There can be but little doubt that this anresthetic agent of tlis Chinese- was the Indian hemp ( Cannabis Indica ) , wiiiuii is taken even now by the Arabs to produce an agreeable drunkenness .
Abstemious and Stbajiious . — " Is Mr , abstemious in . his living ? " asked a physician of a rather obtuse attendant upon a patient labouring under an inflammatory complaint . " He ' s abstemious enough in the eatin' part , but he ' s rather steamiom whoa you come to the drinkin ' . " Calves . —A person , riding on horseback , rnot on © day an awkward fellow leading a calf , - > vhorn he accosted as follows ; " How odd it looks to sec one calf leading another ! " " Yes , " said the man , " but not so odd as to see a calf on horseback 5 " The horseman went on his way , and was seen no more .
The Iron Crown of Lombardy . —Tins famed symbol of kingship was deposited in tho Cathedral of Monza ; it is a broad circle of gold , set with large rubies , emeralds , and sapphires , and was secured in . an ornamented cross placed over an altar , closel y slmt tip within folding-doors of gilt brass . The crown is kept in an octagonal aperture in the centre of the cross . It is composed of six eq \ ml pieces of beaten gold , ioined together by close hinges ; and the jewels and embosseu gold ornaments arc set in a ground of blue and gold enamel , interesting as
exhibiting an exact resemblance to the workmanship of the enamelled pavt of a gold ornament now in the Ashmolean Museum , which once bclongnd to King Alfred . But for those who have an ' appetite for relics , the most important part of this crown is a narrow iron rim , which is attached to the inside of it all round . The rim is about tbree-oi- ? iiths of an inch broad , and a tenth of an inch thick , made out of one of the nails used in the Crucifixion . The crown is said to have been presented to Constantino by his mother ; and the sacred iron rim , irom vflicii it haa its autoe , ^ aa to wotect tarn , ? . ? atue »
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William the Norman ; or , the Tyrant displayed . A Tragedy . By E . Otlev . London : J . : Watson , 3 , Queen ' s Head-passage , Paternoster-row . Regarding this tragedy it will suffice that we quote the following observations from the author ' s preface : — " The personages are delineated and . coloured as they are to be met within history ; the language is that of the author ; but many of the sentiments and articles of faith are not his ; but are peculiar to the age and the personages who are made to speak them . The Monk Robert and the royal Sarage are truthful portraitures of priests and kings in general , in all ages and in all
countries . In the reign of the Norman William , some hundreds of thousands of the industrious peasants of England were driven into the fenlands of Lincolnshire , and perished of cold and hunger ; in the reign of Victoria the first and last , several hundred thousands of Irish peasants , surrounded by wealth , civilisation , and religious devotion , have died in one year from the same causes . The worthless splendour of palaces and thrones , has always been accompanied with the sighs of sorrow and the death groans of the unoflending industrious people . " We may add , in the words of the concluding lines of the tragedy : — " Why should vain man , thus be the scourge of man , And Heaven foredoom a race to sweat and toil , To gild a palace and exalt a knave ? If not—an idiot , madman , fool , or slave ?"
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? The Progressionist . April . London : F . Ward , 54 , Paternoster-row . Another cheap monthly publication , '' devoted to the advocacy of social , political , and moral reform . " The number before us contains articles on "The People ' s Charter , " Temperance Reform , &c , &c .
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1 - ^^^^ ™ ' VatltHti .
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The Ikcx » p Tax . —On Wednesday the following notice was issued from the office of tho commissioners of the income tax in the City;— " That all persons are required by- the Property and Income Tax Act to make returns of their profits , ^ from trades , professions , &e ., -within twenty-one days , as the assessment made in the year 1848 , under schedules A and B , in respect to lands , tenements , &c , remains in force for three years from tho 5 th . of April in that year , no return is refluired to bo . inade tov the pre&Gwt joas wadw ttesft schMtotas , fcxeept in cases where lands , tenements , &c , have-heen
charged in the assessment already made , or where any buildings have been since erected . " t A Mebting of the in . and out-door workers of journeymen tailors of the West End , took place o « Monday night last , at the " Coach and Horses , " Silvor-streot , Golden-square , upon the Trades Organisation of Labour . Mr , Ooodfollow in tho ohair . Messrs . Bcardon , Thompson , Nowell , and others , addressed the meeting . The meeting was adjourned to Monday next , at half-past eight o ' clock , ami the out-door workers were particularl y invited to attend . ¦ ' '
A New Convict . ' Settlement . —Her Majesty ' s Secretary for the Colonies having consented to the transportation of-convicts : to Moreton Bay , New South Wales , a vessel is about to be despatched with 400 males to that colony , a great number being Pentonyille exiles , who , from good conductj have had their sentences mitigated . •¦ PROBABLE Defeat of the Ministry . —It is said , on "high " authority , that there will be a majority against them of upwards of forty on the contemplated repeal of the Navigation Laws , and that Lord Stanley has the list in Ms pocket .
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April 1 , 1849 . THE NORTHERN STAR .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), April 21, 1849, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1519/page/3/
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