On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (5)
-
740 fflfrt QLtalttt* [Saturday, - - - — ...
-
A NORTHERN STORY. Anschar ; a Story of t...
-
===r:======== rf lf ft * (J| f f« «8b Ij ? ili ii3 *
-
v AN OLD NEW PIECE. "We are in a grumbli...
-
At the Princess's we have only to record...
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
The Berber. The Berber; Or, The Mountain...
drive the rowels into him ! Allah , most merciful ! aid him !' " « Spur ! spur !» exclaimed Edward , mad with excitement . « Drive the rowels into him ! By Heaven , they are upon you ! Ha ! well done ! ' he shouted as the horseman dexterously recovered his fallen steed . * Hold out to the thickets , and you may go clear . ' " « He cannot do it , ' whispered Abdallah , breathless with excitement , and the exertion of spring up to the parapet . ' They gain upon him too rapidly . He can barely cross the bridge , unless he throws away his load . He is lost ! By Allah , he is lost !' " No , ' shouted Xaripha , starting and throwing aside her haick . ' Never ! It shall not be . To the bridge ! quick ! To the bridge ! ' . _ _ . .
" As she shoke , she seized the hilt of her father ' s scimitar and drawing it from its sheath , darted with the glittering blade in her hand to the gateway of the ruins . With the impulsive promptitude of a lover , Edward was the first to comprehend and follow her movement . He sprang after her , but , ere he had issued from the archway , Xaripha was half way down to the bridge . The remaining more open and level space she passed as if with wings . Her tight-fitting caftan and short skirt afforded every facility to the motions of her well-turned limbs . Her long hair floated in a cloud of ringlets behind her , and her slippered feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground . But rapid as were her motions , ere she reached the bridge she was overtaken by her lover . ' Xaripha ! ' he madly shouted , * Hold ! Give me the sword . I will defend the passage though they were a thousand . Back to the ruins . Give me the sword and
leave me . " Xaripha had but obeyed the first impulse of her woman's wit , without considering the danger , or her lack of the requisite strength . She felt the hot breath of her lover on her cheek , and his touch upon her shoulder , and , overcome by excitement and exertion , she stopped and sank to the ground . " ' No , no ! ' she exclaimed , breathlessly . * Defend not the bridge ! Cut the cords behind the Berber ! Quick ! Away !'
" Edward seized the sword . An impatient gesture from Xaripha permitted no pause , even had he been disposed to make one . With a bound he reached the bridge . The Berber was but a few yards on the other side . His labouring horse , struggling upwards slowly , but with that determined courage and perseverance , which , as much or more , than physical power , characterizes in all animals the pure-blooded , thorough-bred . Xaripha , having recovered her breath , sprang to her feet . She waved her hands . She shouted and gesticulated , —
• ' « Come on ! come on ! Ha ! Have a care . They are close upon you . Spur , spur ! A few steps more and you are safe . Oh , Prophet of God , help ! help !' " The Berber glances up to the young girl . It seems to him the vision of an angel . Both man and steed gather fresh energy from her encouraging shouts . Boroon lengthens his stride , and gathers himself more quickly . For a moment he gains rapidly on his pursuers . A few jumps , and the foot of the faltering steed is upon the bridge . The Moors are not fifty yards in the rear . The bridge is passed , and on the instant the scimitar in the hands of the young Englishman swings in the air . As
the hoofs of Boroon strike the last plank , the keen blade falls on the tightened cords . Again and again ; and quick as thought the cords are severed , and the bridge hangs dangling in the abyss . The Moors are at the yawning gulf . With difficulty do they save themselves from going over into it . With difficulty are their trained horses checked upon the brink of the precipice , from the very edge of which their hoofs topple down earth and stones , as they crouch to the desperate strain of the curb . " Casbin threw himself from the horse , tossed the wearied child into the arms of Xaripha , and then , darting back , seized Edward by the arm , and hurried him a few steps up the ascent . "
740 Fflfrt Qltalttt* [Saturday, - - - — ...
740 fflfrt QLtalttt * [ Saturday , - - - — - r .
A Northern Story. Anschar ; A Story Of T...
A NORTHERN STORY . Anschar ; a Story of the North , Parker . Thbrb are solid excellences in this work which ought to make it more interesting than it is ; from some cause or other we admire it more than we like it . The author has set himself a difficult task , namely , to depict the early life of Sweden on the ad-Tent of Bishop Anschar , who came to teach them Christianity ; anil , although we profess no acquaintance with those historic scenes , such as would enable us to detect minute errors and anachronisms , yet we
must say that few historical fictions have impressed us with an equal confidence in their veracity . Not only does the author seem to have thoroughly realized to his own mind a picture of the life led by the Northmen , but ho maintains it with perfect consistency , never allowing the modern writer to obtrude upon the scone . As a work of imagination , it is remarkable for the su 8 tainment of its flight . The nrehreologieal details aro naturally arid unostentatiously woven in as explanatory , never as matters of display .
But , although criticism must recognize its merits , there is a certain heaviness about the book which seriously detracts from it ; the story moves slowly , nnd drags through the descriptions a weary length ; " the subject , ton , has lost its freshness , and we must confess tlvat , having once laid Ansc / tar down , we only took it up again from a senso of duty . Nevertheless , as wo are impressed with its excellence
in some respects , we are willing to suppose that the want of interest may lie with us , and would , therefore , counsel the reader to try it himself . The book is rich in descriptions ; they are of all kinds . Here is A NORTHERN TWILIGHT . " The sky , Leonardus , resting upon the circle of great mountains which gird afar off the plain that lieth about thy holy house , is ever bright and glowing . Even as I write I seem to behold its deep and glorious blue reflected in the clear waters of the lake ; and again the sunsets of thy southern land come back to my recollection , with the dark green cypresses in the convent garden , rising upwards into the air like flames of fire , whilst the groves of chestnut and ilex upon the mountain sides stand forth all golden and transfigured ; and above , the purple cones of the mountains rise like heavenly sentinels , not shining the less gloriously because , here and there , a patch of the winter snow still lingers upon their crests . I remember well , Leonardus , the delicious air of the south ; I love it well as of old ; yet even thou , couldst thou know the gentle and holy calm of a northern twilight , and breathe the air of our northern woods , clear and fresh , and not without the fragrance of many a leaf and flower—even thou wouldst acknowledge that the northern sky is not without its great and powerful charm ; and , perchance , thou wouldst admit , with me , that its veils of silvery mist , wherewith it softens the radiancy of the sun , and its piles of snow-white cloud that lie sleeping in the midst of the blue , —nay , even its piercing winds and its thick falling rains are more in harmony with what the thoughts of men should be in their pilgrimage through this world of trouble and of sorrow , than the unceasing and sunbright splendours of thy well-loved clime . " Here is another of A NORTHERN HEARTH . " An enormous fire of pine logs was blazing on the central hearth , and its light , which flashed redly against the walls and roof , rendered every corner of the apartment distinctly visible . The refectory , together with the adjoining church , had been built by Anschar soon after the commencement of his residence at Hamburgh ; the walls being formed of unwrought stone procured with difficulty and from a considerable distance , whilst the roofs were more readily provided for from the timber of the surrounding forest . Wilfred , a brother of our house , of Saxon race , but who had been educated in a southern convent , had painted the walls of the church with subjects from the blessed Gospels ; and along the walls of the refectory he had pourtrayed , with no unskilful hand , on the one side the story of Sampson , — how he brake the jaw bone of the lion , and carried off the gates of the city in the night time ; and on the other , the story of Pharaoh , and of his wise men , who strove with Moses for the mastery . Their huge and mysterious figures , which almost seemed alive as the light from the burning hearth played fitfully upon them , looked down from their lofty station on the groups of attendants , to me almost equally strange , which were variously dispersed about the hall . In one corner a falconer , whose matted hair fell in dark masses over his shoulders , was feeding a cast of those rare and beautiful hawks which breed in the cliffs of Norway . In another , the hirdmen were piling together their long Saxon lances , with their broad leaf-like blades and stout handles of ash-wood . Wolf and stag hounds were flung at full length on the floor , and as we entered one or two of them raised their heads with a low deep growl , as if , like their masters , they considered themselves at home in the houses of the poor monks , and only allowed them to approach even their own fire-sides by sufferance . The youths of noble birth , who are always found attached to the household of such great chiefs as Count Gerold , were gathered together nearer to the hearth , conspicuous by the narrow band of fretted goldsmiths' work which encircled the necks of their kirrles . Close to the hearth stood the Count himself ; a tall and commanding figure , with fair hair and ruddy complexion , evidently more fitted for the command of such a rude and wild frontier as that of j Hamburgh than for the refinement and lettered amusements of the halls of Louis the Debonair . "
THE OrEN SEA . " The shores of the lake of Sleswick , constantly indented by smaller inlets , were in many places well cultivated ; and here and there we saw small collections of cabins , the huts of fishermen or of hunters . But as we advanced toward the open sea these became gradually scarcer , and at last , where the coast was most exposed to piracy and rapine , there seemed to be as few inhabitants as in the woods south of the Daneswork . After passing for some hours through this desolate country , we suddenly rounded a high stoep bank which had hither toconcealcd the view ; and there , stretched out far in the bright sunshine , beyond a low bar of sand , lay the great open sea , —that sea so full of terror and of danger , and to us so completely unknown .
"I have passed , since that day , through many difficulties and perils , some of which I never thought to survive . But I still remember , as among the most impressive moments of my life , that in which I first caught sight of the great waste of waters , without a single sail on its wide expanse , sparkling nnd glancing in the sun , and broken into a narrow fringe of snow-white foam , where the waves burst ovrr the sandy bar in front . As I looked upon the long tracks of deeper blue that here and there strongly marked the surface of the waters , and followed the motions of the numerous sea birds , sometimes swinging on the surface of the wave , and sometimes floating in wide circles above us , with their white wings glancing in the light , it was with a feeling of deep awe , rather than anything like dread or terror , that I reflected on the strange situation in which we were placed ; for the vast untenanted surface of the ocean , overhung by and reflecting the clouldless canopy of the sky , seemed to
bring us more immediately under the protection of Him whose way is in the sea , and whose paths are in the great waters , and whose footsteps are not known . " All the accompaniments of the scene were to me full of wonder and novelty . As the land slowly receded from us , I marvelled more and more at the daring which could take so slight a bark , as that now appeared to me in which we were , far out into the open sea , without the possibility of obtaining shelter from the storm which might at any moment break over it . There was now , however , but small appearance of cloud or tempest . A light breeze only , from time to time , swept the sails and
cordage with a wild and not unpleasing music ; and our little fleet , with its gilded masts shining brightly in the sun , danced as merrily over the waters as the sea birds that screamed and fluttered above it . As we advanced , too , the thin veil of mist , which had rested along the far horizon , began slowly to disperse , and we could trace indistinctly through it the rocks and headlands of numerous small islands , rising far off in the distant sea . They appeared to encrease in number and in size as we approached them ; and towards evening we found ourselves slowly floating along under the rocky coast of one of the largest of them , whilst the low sandy shores and
green sloping hills of numerous smaller islets were visible about us on all sides . Some were only tenanted by sheep , which stood gathered together on some grassy point that stretched out into the sea , gazing at us with wonder as we passed . Others were occasionally tufted with wood ; and upon these , rude dwellings were sometimes seen by us , constructed by the fishermen who frequented the coast , but now untenanted and abandoned for fear of the pirates . It was in a narrow inlet on the coast of one of these wooded islands that our ships were brought to
anchor for the night ; and , as the sun set behind the western sea , the Northmen commenced that wild and singular hymn which they are accustomed to sing , in honour of the spirits of the waters , at sunrise and sunset . I heard it now for the first time ; and it was reechoed from the woods and the rocks with such accompaniments of shout and clashing of weapons , as , together with the fierce excitement into which the singers were thrown , brought strongly to my recollection those tales of the ferocity and untameable nature of the Sviar , to which I had so often listened . "
===R:======== Rf Lf Ft * (J| F F« «8b Ij ? Ili Ii3 *
€ ht % tts .
V An Old New Piece. "We Are In A Grumbli...
v AN OLD NEW PIECE . "We are in a grumbling humour . Mr . Selby , sir , stand up and answer for your Husband of my Heart , with which you lured us to the Haymarket under the promise of a new comic drama . Sir , it was not new ; sir , it was not comic ! The laughter of the audience , the hoarse bravos at the close , the call for the author , and your avowal of an identity with that personage , cannot alter our verdict . Sir , the laughter was the laughter of fools ; the bravos were undeserved ; you should have preserved the mystery of authorship—to own it was an excess of audacity surpassing even that required to write the piece ! Don t reply , sir ; it is useless . The Husband of my Heart is a
rifaccimento of the Pride of the Market , or rather of the original from which that was taken , —a bad original , Mr . Selby , but worse copies ! Hold your tongue You would say that in your piece a serious element is introduced . Perfectly true , and it affords Miss Reynolds an opportunity of showing how charmingly she can play the neglected loving woman . She carries oft' the piece ; she makes it worth seeing ! But while gallantly kissing her hand , sir , we frown at you all the same . We will not accept the excuse for a bad comic drama that it has a serious interest .
We went to see a comic drama ; it was not comic . We went to see a new drama ; it was not new . All the incidents p . re worn threadbare ; every turn in the dialogue was familiar even to weariness . What are we to say to such assaults upon , good taste as the whole scene of the poissardes and your well-drcseed self ? W hat are we to say to Buckstone ' s appearance crowned with a saucepan , armed with a rolling-pin , and bearing a dishcover in guise of breastplate ? Is that comedy , sir ? Are you the author of that wit ? Do you own it ? Ought we to put up with it ? We blush : blush you ! . . . . ........ moral incan
The above was written in a state of - descence . We have cooled down somewhat , and are ready to confess that the Husband of my Heart succeeded in spite of the antiquity of its mechanism . Buckstone and Mrs . Fitzwilliam cannot appear together—make love together—quarrel and kiss—without moving the mirth of the audience . Miss Reynolds looks very pretty , and plays with delicacy , and these favourites make the public content ! Mr . Henry Bedford , nephew of Believe-you-mybov-Bedford , made his debut as Billy Lackaday , and showed himself well versed in the " business ; 'but we must suspend our judgment of him till we see him in another part , for we suspect he will bo found to have a power over a certain class of quaint , dry characters , which ho has not over the broadly humorous . Pace and voice are dead against him in broad humour . Maercady next week !
At The Princess's We Have Only To Record...
At the Princess ' s we have only to record the success of a now ballet , which wo did not see , and the production , too late for notice this week , of Sent to the Totver , a new romance of history , to be noticed in our next .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 26, 1850, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26101850/page/20/
-