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THE DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW. A Personal Narra...
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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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Oulita. Oulita The Serf: A Tragedy. J > ...
esiuaBia & e * Bwfc it is also a . storj of love and self-sacrifice , and so appeals ^ gyrvp ^* kwM which are exclusive property of any naiion . Oulita , tbe ^ berauoe of tbe tragedy ,, ia a serf belonging to the Prince I < an 6 ko £ a Borard noble . She attends on the Prince ' s d * ugfaitery who is betrothed t & Com * Edgar van Straubeaheun . The Count , -who has no strong affection fbr thePrmceed { though she loves him ) , seeks a union with her for reasons of state j but it is not loh £ before be finds himself deeply in lore ^ with Oulita , who is ' beautirbJ , affectionate , and graceful , an accomplished singer said a fascinating dancer . The Princess , discovering the ^ truth , upbraids her serf * who answers sharply , and is condemned to . the punishment of the lash . But tha Caunt and his dependants set a part of the castle on fire , and bear off Oulita in the confusion that ensues . Thea follows a complication of police espionage and of counter plotting on the part of Sitaanbeaheim and his
Alone the duty-task of shining out In regal pomp—rivhere the fierce king of day Takes leave of all the courtly hemisphere At once—a sunset wholly-inconceivable To those -who dwell in pallid Russia . The drama , however , must be judged in its totality , and nofc by isolated passages . ¦
secretary , Ermolaf ; and at lengthjthe former is banished by tne uzar to Siberia . To save him from this misery , Oulita seeks out her passionate enemy , tbe Princess , and renounces all hope of marrying the exile , whom . she thus thinks to save ; the Princess , softened by her devotion , is reconciled to the serf ; and the Czar promises to forgive the Count if be consent to marry his betrothed . Ou « fca and the Princess follow him on the road to Siberia ; and the girl , to prevent his being distracted between love and a £ ense of duty , poisons herself in his presence , and joins his hand to that of the Princess- But the Count refuses the compact , and passes away , brokenhearted , into the land of mist and snow—the prison of his life-Long exile . Thus barely narrated , the story may seem , almost repulsive ; but it is not
so in the drama itself . The characters are so well elaborated—the incidents « re evolved so carefully and gradually—that , the reader is not startled or ^ hoeked by the catastrophe , but is reconciled to it as the only natural path out of the fatal complication of events and passions . The cruel entanglements of state policy , of aristocratic caste , and of seeret surveillance , hanging Eke an inexorable destiny over the lovers , can only be unravelled by some sublime act of devotion , stronger than all opposing combinations , because nature is stronger than art , and affection mightier than selfishness . The love of a person like Oulita wiU not be -wholly cheated of its reward by any force of nobles , Czars , and spies . Baffled in attaining happiness , it finds its guerdon in the very sacrifice of self ; and , finding life an inaprac-( tieable . riddle , retires into the reconciling serenity of death .
It is in the delineation of hia characters that the author of Oulita chiefly ¦ exhibits his faculty . In poetic feelrag w-e conceive him to be defective . _ A few lines , and one or two speeehes , show that he has the power to write wiih a poet ' s ardour ; but these are exceptional . The general tissue of the writing is prosaic . The blank verse is devoid of harmony , besides being deformed by the frequent use of double terminations ; and the portrayal of emotions and motives is rather by elaborate analysis than by imaginative insight . For the same reason , the play is not conspicuously dramatic , but seems like the work of an essayist and critic thoughtfully observant of human nature . Intellectual , rather than passionatesagacious , rather than beautiful—it exhibits , on the part of the writer , the traces of much study , and a familiarity with the complexities of the heart .
The conception of the Count von Straubenheim is excellently developed . The mixture in his disposition of quick generosity and doubting scepticism the way in which , through the intensity of self-will , he mingles some element of evil with his best actions—and the gradual elevation and purification of his character in the warmth and tenderness of Oulita ' s love—• cause him to stand out from the page with lively distinctness . Oulita herself ! too , is womanly and real ; and we must not forget to mention , as apiece of picturesque portraiture , * the Small Wise Man , ' Nicholas Pougatchof . We have said that there are a few exceptional passages of poetry in the volume ; and , in order that the reader may haye some taste of Oulita , we will quote two of them . In the first , the Count , after alluding to the manifold crimes and miseries of human nature , utters a very striking and
original thought -. — ¦ „ , _ ., T The earth may smile , I Bay , But like a new-mado widow's mirth , it shocks one . And she , the earth , should never quit her weeds ; And should there come a happier naoe npoa her , Ever there'll be a . sighing ; of the wind , A moaning of the sea , to hint to that More favoured race -what we poor men have suffered . There must have been a history , they'll say , To be interpreted by all these sighs And moans . In , the second passage , the Count ( Othello-like to Desderaona ) is relating his travels to Oulita : — I told you of the stillness in the North Bewitched in ice ; and then we wandered towards The joyous , noisy South , where the perfume Quf orange-groves pervades tbe charmed air , And overcomes the incense in the temples ; And where the yellow rocks uprise from out A tidelesa sea that purples a « you gaze , And seams like tho unreal waters of enchantment You read of in a mngio tale—that might , Some potent word pronounced , vanish away . And then I told you of a bay of sand , Quite black—like mumbled memories of * life All spent in sorrow— -so it seemed to me As I dismounted , and the hours went by , Leaving me gazing at this ebon shore , — " -- <) n-which * th © ottlin ~ Mue"ri ) pij » l « Iik « . » lbiwrd ~ , —— — , ——r Up a dark waII , stole softly : then , to Africa We sailed , and in tho desert drew that breath £ 0 full , so deep , that over afterwards There is a sense of stifling in grand palaces , When we recal our oojpurn midst the sand , And s « o again brown caroola mooted about Out tent , * nd watch the all-pervading « un «* b- ~ One . Aery dome—tUo north , the eaafc ,, the south , Reddwtag ftlito , nor Jawing to the west
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The Defence Of Lucknow. A Personal Narra...
THE DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW . A Personal Narrative of tlie Siege of Lucknow , from its Commencement to Us Relief by Sir Colin Campbell . By L . E . Ruutz Rees . ( Longman and Co . ) ¦—Of the three volumes containing narratives of the siege of Lucknow , that by Mr . Rees is the most ample and the most interesting . Its author , one of the survivors , was a merchant of Calcutta , who was accidentally at the capital of Oude when the insurrection broke out , and who fought through the entire struggle . His volume , embellished with a characteristic portrait of Sir Henry Lawrence , and a plan of Lucknow , bears a few slight traces of bookmaking ; but it is generally a graphic and simple record of events ; his account of the first great assault is quite dramatic , and attains a climax which must stir the emotions of the least excitable reader . Altogether , the story , as here related , is thrilling , not as three -volume novels always are , but literally and naturally . Mr . llees was unlucky in a journey which he undertook to the Upper Provinces on the 10 th of Slay , last year , for he was just in time to be isolated by the rebellious inundation . Even then the country of Oude had been thrown into confusion by the outbreak of a prowling population , made up of disbanded soldiers and the retinues of
disreputable petty chieftains ; but no positive danger was apprehended , and Sir Henry Lawrence , haranguing the native troops in Hindostanee , stimulated their loyalty until the end of June . Then the inferior towns and villages , Fyzabad , Sultanpore , Duriabad , Salorc , Purseedapore , and other places , having fallen away from their British allegiance , gave forth swarms to swell the besieging army ; military executions broke in upon the route of military management ; the enemy appeared in force , and an individual , fair , well-built , with lig ht moustaches and a European uniform , was seen in command of their cavalry . From a diary kept by Lady Inglis , Mr . Rees quotes some very interesting passages referring to this period of the siege . Upon comparing the succession of incidents as here recorded with that of ' The Staff Offieer / we find them so exactly parallel that not the shadow of a doubt can rest upon the simple authenticity of either narrative . As we have indicated , however , that by Mr . Rees , besides covering a larger space of time—reaching to the relief of Lucknow by Sir Colin Campbell—is more complete and anecdptical . With small space for extracts , we select two or three as illustrations of that tremendous conflict and the spirit it engendered .
This 15 suggestive : ¦ — July 1564 . —The enemy plays the same game as yesterday . Unfortunately the shots tell ; but they have of late been , less numerous : still our European deaths now average about ten a day . The natives we of course don ' t count . We feel their loss is nothing very great ; but it pains us all to hear of a poor European being knocked over . We not only deplore his" lose as a man , but we are seliish enough to regret that we have one less in our garrison , and anticipate the future with no enviable feelings . When the enemy made their great assault in July , the sick inmates of the hospital turned out to resist them : — couchesseized musket
Even of the wounded and the sick many had left their , any they oould lay hold of , and fired as often as their strength enabled them to do so . It was indeed heartrending to see these poor fellows staggering along to the scenes of action , pale , trembling with weakness , and several of them bleeding from their wounds , which reopened by the exertions they made . One unfortunate wretch , with only one arm , was seen hanging to the parapet of the hospital entrenchments with his musket , but the momentary strength which the fear of being butchered in his bed aud the desire of revenge had given him , was too much for him . He died in the course of the day . This was war upon a scale to which not even the oldest soldier had been accustomed . Another incident of the same day is worth commemoration :- — Meanwhile another part of the outpost was stoutly held by a little fellow of tho name of liailey , a volunteer , the son of a native Christian captain formerly of the king ' s service , and a couple of Sepoys . The young man spoko Hindostanee so woll , that the mutineers , whom he , native like , abused from behind the palisade that sheltered him , fancied him a Mohammedan or Hindoo Sepoy , and offered to spare his and
life if he -would throw down his arms and assist them . A very interesting animated conversation took place . " Come , " cried one of the rebels , who had found shelter in , one of a large number of huts , not five yards away from tho palisude which Bailey defended , come over to us , and leave those cursed Ferlnghees , whose mothers and sisters we have defiled , and whom we shall kill this day . Come over to us ; what have you to do with them ? Will you bo made a Christian too ? ( pop , pop ) or havo you already lost your caste ? " " Take that , " iiriug hia piece , cried liailoy ; " do you think that I have eaten pig ' s flesh like yourselves ? Do you think that I too shall disgrace myself , by proving unfaithful to my salt ? Take that , thou son of a Jog ! ( pop ) . Thou whose grandfather ' s grave" I have dishonoured ! " ( pop ) " Wait you offspring of a dishonoured mother , " cried another , " wo aro coming . X shall just be with you , and jump over your wall . My sword is sharp . " " la it , " cried Uniley , " but thy heart is craven . Come along then , boaster . My bayonet is ready , scale the wall . We are all prepared , and as for you , 1 shall catch yovi on tho point of my bayonet . But first , here ' s for you . " Were it not that this narration will speedily bo in the hands of every subscriber to tho circulating library wo would eladlv increase the number of our
extracts ; for the book is one of strong and universal fascination . The Defence of Lucknow : a Mary . By a Staff Officer . ( Snuth , Elder , and Co , )—Tbe Stftjf Office *' * narrative records the daily incidents during tne « te £ « © f-tlw-Europeun- ^ t & mbtir , from tUe nrst . momont of alarm to the arrival of Wuvelioek and Outram at JLucknow . Unadorned and simple , the story is , nevertheless , an eloquent one , vividly suggesting tlie long and close eorieB of battles , the unrntermitting daughter , the coming and going of hope , all that was trngio , nil that was heroic during that miparnWelcd conflict . Wo have been , presented witij other versions , one of which , at leaat— -that by Mr . Lcee—h more historical in its picturesque amplitude and circumstantial detail ; but this volumo win bo eagorly reacL and will in all likelihood oahwnco the popular zost for a loss
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 6, 1858, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_06031858/page/18/
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