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39S THE LEADER. Wo. 470, March 26, 1859.
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AMERICAN LITERATURE. Trubner's Bibliogra...
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Two Journeys to Japan, 1566-7. By Ivinah...
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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 People, Talked Their Language, Adopt...
theless ^ Mr . Kaye -insists on holding the scales justly . Many a European , says he , niade " the native concubine the companion of his life , and worshipped her with his body , in all fidelity , as truly as though the Church had sanctioned the bond . " With . this fidelityjyften went unfailing kindnesseven tender affection , surviving the youth and beauty of the mistress ; and when circumstances , as they sometimes did , prevented the performance of the ¦ union— -when the English officer returned to England , or -when he married an English wife , he was sure to
make provision for the woman who had shared his bed . It was for a higher state of social civilisation and Christian morality than that of which those much-reviled Anglo-Indians boasted , to sanction the practice of casting adrift upon a cruel world the unhappy victim of the sated lust of an English gentleman . Such victims added in India none to the list of public prostitutes . The concubinage , which custom sanctioned , may have been reprehensible in itself , but there was not one seduction at the one end of it , and desertion at the other . "
opinion must be indulged in that liberty which is the element of discussion ^ and without -which we can never be sure , when victory is obtained , that it is Trath that has triimjphed .
Mr . Kaye is careful to trace the steps of innpfoveinent in the social morals of India ; for , notwithstanding all , improvement was possible ; and the India of later years has not been so far behind the standard of the mother country . In both , indeed , the standard has wanted elevating ; nor , in fact , can we point to any country as a nation of Christians , strictly speaking . That , at this period , Cambridge was
not a Christian university , is sufficiently proved by the tale told in this volume of Mr . Charles Simeon , through whose agency the Indian mission -was recruited . Well might [ Lord Cornwallis think that there was small chance of converting the Hindoo ? small chancej indeed , of obtaining proper converters . Mi \ Chai-les Grant , however , a Director of the East India Company , thought differently , and to his exertions both countries have been
much indebted . The nineteenth century , as we have intimated , shows fairer than the preceding . Its great missionary , ornament was Henry Martyn , whose labours are charmingly recorded by Mr . Kaye . IsFor must we neglect to acknowledge the merits of Bishop Heber . Great efforts were made by these men , and others ; yet the work of conversion has been confessedly slow . Evety attempt to force the Hindoo to become a conyertite lias failed . Always has it alarmed the native , and of his alarm the Mahomedan has constantly taken advantage . Public controversy even was dangerous , it went to the extent of condemning the religions that it ¦ would substitute . Christianity in India can only be promoted by example , not by the denouncement of error . The Mahomedan and Hindoo -will
have it proved affirmatively and practically , not negatively and theoretically . They will hot hear that their own creeds ave false , until , by their conduct , Christians have demonstrated that their own is true . This is the only way lef t . Ought ¦ we to regret it ? We think not . The true Christianity is not a speculation , but a lafe . It must be taught by Xiifo , not by incomprehensible logomachies . The revolt of 1857 lmd its prototype in , the mutiny of 1806 . There is a marvellous similavitv in the antecedents of both ; and both teach the same lesson . There wns in 1806 the same kind of
apprehension excited , that a "for cible conversion of the native anivy to Christianity " was intended . What , however , is meant by those who spread the alarm , according to Mr , Kayo , is the destruction of caste . " The appearance of a Christian ministry in every village in the country would excite little apprehension in comparison with even a nunour that tho Government . ' . are greasing , tho cartridges in the magazines with animal Tilt , or mixing animal bones with tho floiu ' animal Tat , or mixing animal bones with tho flour
sold in tho bazaars . Tho natives know that they may meet the niissionnry witji argument , or that they may turn a deaf oar to hjs enarmings , charm lie never so wisely ; but covert attempts to destroy caste thoy can neither grapple with nor evade ; and when they believe that the immense machinery of a powerful foreign Government is set at work to compass their pollution , no wonder that a panic is engendered , and that panic rapidly ferments into iroyolt . There is tho moral of the entire history . Enlightoned bv it , wo must proceed cautiously . We have an Oriental empire , mud wo must consider the temper and 'wishes of our subjects , whether Hindoo , Buddhist , M » vliQinedan ; or Christian . The sceptre mmst bo wielded with impartiality , arid matters of
39s The Leader. Wo. 470, March 26, 1859.
39 S THE LEADER . Wo . 470 , March 26 , 1859 .
American Literature. Trubner's Bibliogra...
AMERICAN LITERATURE . Trubner ' s Bibliographical Guide to American Literature ' , a classtd list of boohs published in the United StatesofAmericaduring the last forty years . ^ RWi Bibliographical Introduction ., Jyotes , and Alphabetical Index . Compiled aiid edited by Nicolas Triibner . Trubner and Co . The literature of a colony may very properly be said to belong to that of the parent state , more particularly when , as in the case before us , the same language is spoken , the same habits ^ of thought prevail , and the same ardent aspirations after liberty and religious toleration are the chief
characteristics of both parent and child . Such would appear to have been Mr . Trubner ' reason for confining his researches to the first half of the present century , or rather to the last forty years . As in all young states , after the American declaration of independence in 1776 , the national enterprise found many other and more congenial fields than literature for its development ; and though there are most honoured names and giant intellects which make the exception , it was not till about the year 1820 , that the United States of America literature
progress of any nation , in which the titles of all books published In Germany for a lengthened period are given in full , . with the sizes , number of pages , names of publishers , and such other particulars as can interest any one .-who is occupied in literary pursuits , or in the formation of libraries and collections of books . Mr . Triibner has produced a work on the literature of the United States of America on a plan every way sii 2 > erior to that of the London catalogue . If not so full as that adopted byKayser , it must be recollected that he had to gather his materials in . many cases ' , not from the books themselves , but from the very imperfect
and too often slovenly lists of their publications issued by American booksellers . On turning over the pages ,, it will be seen that the titles are given sufficiently at length to represent the contents of the books , that the places of publication , the dates , and sizes are given , and in many cases the number of pages enumerated . There is one feature of the Avork which claims particular riot ice . Of all encyclopaedic works , transactions , memoirs , and journals of learned and scientific bodies , a most prolific
class of American publications , the enumeration of which fills thirty ^ five closely printed pages , there arc full and accurate tables of contents , drawn out upon the p lan of Iteuss ,, whose " Repertorium Bibliographicum . " "furnishes similar tables of contents of this class of books published in Europe . The importance of these tables is beyond all value , and if the whole work were even less carefully compiled than it is , it would still put forward a claim as one of the greatest utility , on their account alone . ( To be continued . ')
may be said to have possessed a national . Indeed , in confining himself to the limits he has ; chosen , we think the compiler has used a wise discretion ; for the book-trade of the great republic has of late years become so important a branch of her commerce , that any national writers she may have had before then , whose works properly belong to a nation ' s literature , have no doubt appeared in new editions since the year 1817 , which may be said to be the commencement of her ehiim as a nation , to be counted amongst the contributors to the Hterature of the world . "In a work of general reference , like the present , one of two methods must necessarily be adopted it must either be subdivided into classes , or be alphabetically arranged throughout . I am not about to raise the vexed question of the impossibility of forming a strictly philosophical classification of the productions of the mind ; 'nor am I going to defend the arbitrary classes which I have adopted , in compliance with the wishes of many competent judges , who A-alue the practical utility pf the work more than its extreme bibliographical accuracy . These claim the readers indulgence , as all other imperfect , productions of mankind must ever do ; and the more so , as a full and general alphabetical index has been added , by which a facile reference can readily be made to any work sought , if it is not found at once in the class first referred to . "
The classification , however , needed scarcely this apology . It is true it is not according to the strict rules of bibliographical science ; but we live in fast days—days of progress would , perhaps , be the better expression- ^—and the classification of books adopted by bibliographers towards the close Of tho last century would scarcel y meet our present re * quirements , when the facilities of the printing press , by the aid of steam , multiply books with a rapidity those bibliographers could never have calculated upon . Besides , it is within the memory of most of us what a miserable failure the picked staff of our own British Museum made in their attempt
to produce a classed catalogue of our national collection ; and what a far more abortive and laughable affair , had it not cost such a ruinous sum of money , is tho first volume of tho Catalogue of Printed Books in the Library of the British Museum , prepared according to the rules ^ prefixed , which boar tho signature of its present principal librarian . Mons . Tacuereau , to whom the present Kmperor of tho French has entrusted tho production or the catalogue of tho printed books in the Imperial library _ . at Paris , candidly admits tho difficulty of producing a classed catalogue according to strict bibliographical canons , and Mr . Trubner may
< juote mm as sufficient authority for having deviated Irora them in tho tho present instance . Anglo-American literature , by its rapid rise and increasing Importance , forces itself daily more and more on our attention . Tho Americans themselves appear to have ' no notion of ( Whialiing a catalogue which can supply a groat and , admitted want ; far they have nothing even lijko our London Catalogue , the English BooltaolUrs Trade Manual , nnd far less any prospect , of euoh a work , as Kaysor ' s " BUoher Lexicon , '' one of the most valuable of all attempts to give ft perfect record of the literary
Two Journeys To Japan, 1566-7. By Ivinah...
Two Journeys to Japan , 1566-7 . By Ivinahan Cornwallis . 2 vols . ' T . C . Newby .. Me . Cornwallis must be accounted the most fortunate or . foresighted of literary travellers , for scarcely had he allayed , the cravings of the public for " all about " British Columbia , when that hydraheaded monster , hungering for information that might enable it to comprehend the full advantagesof Earl Elgin ' s treaty with Japan , than our alike ready writer and traveller announces as in preparation two volumes of adventures on the identical subject— -the land of fogs , earthquakes , and— innocence , Strangely too , if we do not miscalculate , these travels must have happened about tho same time that we , in our ignorance , should ' hare supposed him to have been in the neighbourhood of the Fraser River , picking up materials for his work on British
Columbia . lie this as it may , these volumes contain a vast amount of information abo , ut Japan and her people , which will be new to those who havenot tit hand Charleroix Albertus Moiitanus , Kacmpfer , and Thunberg , or those of more recent date , by Titsingh , Doeff , Fischer , Meylan . Siebold , and the author of tlic narrative oi the American expedition to Japan in \ 84 ' 2-ti . lo _ we latter of which , if we except the carelessness of Mr , Cornwallis ' s diction , and certain personal adventures , which , in despite of ourselves , we must take cum gravo salis , the book before us boars a strong family , likeness . This , however , may be . accounted tor py the fact that our author , iu company with Americans , visited those parts only which are opened uy "Ciuy to our Trarisatlatie relatives ; _
. For so cosmopolitan a traveller ns , from the many hints in these pages with reference to visits to otner countries , we take tho author to bo , ho surprises by tho one-sided ; rose-tinted view liotnkos ol tlic interesting but semi-barbarous people of Jupun . we will have no snots upon his sun among nations ' , even his vision and bis lungs , wore too Btrwjg to feel tic effeots , or even notice , either tho precipitous streets of Nangasaki , whicli it is inconvenient , it not "' „ ' " gerouS , for equestrians to truvcyse , or those roarnuy dqnso and frequent fogs for which this laml ot ^ wcanocs is proverbial . T » on , > " his cnthusyism tor theso children of tho sun-goddess , hu will floiircoiy fuhnit tho noeossitv of Cliristijinity ; and _ boU » y >
liko an honest enthusiast , not only hints tho nonnecessity for their ehristianisation , but insists « they are tho most ingenious , nmiuble , bnt ospcemuy most modest and virtuous people lit the worni ,- * that they are ohildron of l ' aradiso , now living in J garden of Kdon , with hearts unalloyed ns provious io the lull of man . , „ It is scarcely possible that ono bo well 'up [ Japaneso matters can bo . Ignorant , q * h . "' f '" institution at which evon tho Ohlnvao !> lu ?» ' " 1 " which at once , in our opinion , sots asidq tho attdrnp " which have recently boon made at foisting « P «» tho public absurd notions of Japan OBo innoeonco . w « allude to tho public tea houses , wlilolj , " Ithougo JJJ noticed by pur observant traveller , all v » l * or « 2 " ™ j earliest and the Jfltest—decry as tho srottt social o ™
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 26, 1859, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26031859/page/14/
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