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¦ -ix '- A - nti at ,, 97 1S1QT - THE LE...
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:new novels.
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TWENTY YEARS IN THE CHURCH. An Autobiogr...
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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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Prance Astd Engi-And, Socially And Poiil...
craev Taking these to itself the English demo-Sc ? might will leave the motlier country to the £ fluenc ? of the aristocracy . But above all , England is indebted to her profound religious smcerity . Whereas the French revolution was usheredm . by the ^ fidelity of literary men , who were P »* w « g by tke Court . NotWng mi g ht be done until es fault was cleared away . Napoleons I . and ILL accordingly , had first to re-establish the traditional reKgfo ^ ' and secondly to raise and strengthenthe Supreme Pontiff of that religion , ^ h ^ f the difference , too , is owing to the different methods of education . .
"In France the child is brought up , develops itself Brows and studies under the eyes of its mother . S S ' she watches him ; if ^ speaks she listens ; if he Tveeps , she pities him ; if he laughs , ahe laughs with him ; if he plays , she joins him His thoughts , emotions , tears or smiles , joys or griefs—all are shared . The family is not numerous hardly more than two or three brothers and sisters ; but this little world lives under the eyes of the father and mother , and the anxious , active foreseeing affection of the latter anticipates their wants and wishes . _ .
"In England there is nothing parallel . There you will not find the tender intimacy and foresight of our domestic hearths . Almost as soon as a child is born , it is confided to strange hands- ^ -a Frenchwoman or German takes care of it , and . teaches it her own language . ' Later , it joins its numerous brothers and sisters , and plays and studies with them , under the care of a governess . Once a day , at lunch , the father and mother descend and mix with their children ; and in these short moments , when the family is united , I do not know whether respect does not close their young mouths and
riotic traditions of her history , by associating them with the liberal principles of modern times . " Inspired by all the tendencies of past ages it has consecrated democratic principles , the social , civil , and political equality proclaimed in 1789 ; and has tried to associate them with modern principles of liberty ; but it is supposed to . that liberty j which , supporting itself on equality , degenerates into license , and from license into popular tyranny the worst of all tyrannies . ¦ ; "Proclaimed and recognised by all the nation , the Empire lias been the arch of union between the past and the future ; it has equally wished to be so between the different classes of society . It lias given France a Erench Government , in conformity with its traditions , wants , interests , manners , character , and genius .
" It has resumed the sword of Brennus , and it has thrown that sword into the balance of the destinies of the world ; but it has made that balance lean in favour of the rights and liberties of the people . 4 i The people suffer when France suffers ; the people prosper when France , under an energetic and popular power , develops in peace all the magnificent faculties that God has given her . The prosperity and respose of the world depends on the prosperity and respose of France .
" God has made our country a magnificent part in the history of humanity . However melancholy has been her infancy , or sad her humiliations , however bloody and numerous her revolutions , she has such energy , youth , and greatness when she finds her path again that it seems she is the head and heart of humanity , and that humanity would cease to live should her heart cease to beat . Such is the apology for the existing system of things , to be found in this production . Our analysis has simply , aimed to suggest the contents of the volume , hot to argue the matter with the to understand
author . It is much more important Ms position than to declare our own . ^ The author , it will be seen , shows talent and ability , corroborated by extensive information and legitimated by lo < ncal > dexterity . It will be well for English politicians to read the work carefully , as most certainly they will have to deal with the practical conclusions to which it leads . On the basis which it lays down , a living system has been edified , the direction of which is in the hands of a man of genius—a philosopher on a throne . We cannot know too much of the motives by which his conduct is guided , or of the objects at which he probably aims . '
restrain the : rapture of their youthful hearts . The repast finished , the noisy recreation follows ., animated and joyous , far from their parents , in separate apartments , under the cold and indifferent eye of the governess . There each child developes itself , not only physically but morally . What he thinks , wishes , or doesiit is himself who thinks , has willed it , and has done it . In contact with his brothers and sisters , who have the same independence as himself , his , character is . formed , tractable and strengthened at the same time . He resolves , but learns what is far more difficult , he learns
how to resolve . He learns also to depend on himself , and himself only . Thus , from the cradle , there is nothing ideal , no holy and tender expansion of blind but sublime maternal love . No ; but real life , noisy and animated , with already its difficulties and struggles ; and with , this independence , whereby the character and the temper are thus strengthened , is a singular spirit of subordination . There is one child in the family who morally leads , who every where is first , and treated more respectfully , ia habituates from an early age to consider himself as the future head of the family—this is the
eldest son . The French hate inequality , and to secure its opposite have sacrificed liberty . Democracy destroyed the ancient order of things but was itself thoroughly disunited , and the same barrier existed betweon the bourgeoisie and the people that had divided the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy . Not only did the bourgeoisie live carefully apart from the country people , but they lived apart in the same manner from , the town people . But the time came when the bourgeoisie bad to submit to the
people , as the ainstocracy had had to submit to them . They dared not repress the excesses of the populace , while they implored its concurrence . ' * Evon as they had deprived tho aristocracy of their privileges , the people took from them those they wished to preserve or to acquire . To overturn the nobility they had supported themselves on philosophic theories , and had invoked the rights of man . The people , enlightened and raised by them , invoked in their iurn the same rights against them . " On such a basis , an English constitution , oannoi ; bo reared in France .. " Where is tho
aristocracy P Where is the nobility P Where is their territorial fortune P . . We have seen in this country three great revolutions ; 1815 , 1830 , 1848 . Tho first gave the power to the nobility , tho second to tho bourgeoisie , and the third to the people . And in this wanner each of the revolutions scorned to bo a victory of one social class over tho two others . " In 1852 , we are further told , that the Empire called for by tfranoe was the onorgetie representation of the interests and rights of all classes of sooiety . This it found in that constituted by Napoleon III ., which has unitod Franco in one common love of oountry , and religiously preserved in tho laws and administration the groat and pat-
¦ -Ix '- A - Nti At ,, 97 1s1qt - The Le...
¦ -ix ' - A - nti at ,, 97 1 S 1 QT - THE LEABEK -99 t .. ? tfn . 4 Q 2 . Aug . 5 s 7 , looy . j ¦ ¦ ••¦ ¦ ,.- ——————
:New Novels.
: new novels .
Twenty Years In The Church. An Autobiogr...
TWENTY YEARS IN THE CHURCH . An Autobiography . By the Rev . James Pyoroft , B . A . —Lionel Booth . . ¦ . ' FEMALE INFLUENCE . By Lady Charlotte-Mivria Pcpys . In 2 vols . —Hurst and Blackett , IIAWKSVIEW ; a Family History of our own timesi . By Holmo Lee , author of Sylvan . Holt ' s Daughter , & c . & c . —James Blackwoocl . MARCO GRIFFI ; the Italian Patriot . By Mrs . " Webb author of " Naomi , " & c . < fcc— RicliaifU Bcntley . WRECK AND RUIN" . By Klnahim Carnwullis , Author of " Two Journeys to Japan , " " Panorama of tno Now World , " & o . In 3 vols . —T . C . Nowby ' . THE DUDLEYS . By Edgar Doweland . —James
Blackwood . The novel season is over and we may take , our run into the country . There will of course bo a few followers in the rear , but none of sufficient importance to keep us at our post . It will not be out of plaoo hero , perhaps , to offer a few remarks on the season just over . We believe there have been more novels published this season than any preceding one . ' Since October last there have been upwards of 170 novels issued , or about 300 volumes , making an average of nearly fbur novels published every week . Of this mass
now published than in the writings of some of the people just named . Although recent writers may not have that ability to write an exciting storywhich is very doubtful—they generally employ then ? talents with a good intent , however deficient they may be in natural abilities , to work out their The novel , now , is , inmost cases , only the vehicle through which art , doctrine , or grievance are illustrated , as in the case of " Tom Brown s School should be
Days . " Why the " school" system moralised it is difficult to conceive ; unless it be that were it not written in the form of a fiction it would find less favour with the public . We have here the life of the school-boy depicted in all phases . There is very little attempt to interest the reader with a love story . Thackeray , Dickens , Bulwerj Anthony , Trolloppe , and many more of our "Teat novelists , send forth their views through the mouths of their characters , doubtless , but they nfiver write a novel on one phase of life . Their
characters rarely say anything hut what is consistent : the writers so model then ? characters that they say or do nothing only that which js true to their nature . They present their readers with every phase of life and character , manners and customs , arid their great minds enable them to view and treat every question much in the same manner as Mr . Hughes has done the schoolboys . Indeed it is very doubtful whether this new class of fiction , if judged by strict rules , would stand any of the tests of the novel , righlty so called , i . e ., when judged by the standard o £ our classic novelists . Without subscribing to tins
system of novel making , we may . remark , however , that it has a far better tendency and more healthy effect on the reader- than the fashionable and criminal school of fiction popular twenty years a « -o . That such novels as " Tom Brown are read * and the class likely to become popular ^ is to be expected , from the immense success of Mr . Hughes'book . " Twenty Years in the Church " is a novel of the same class as " Tom Brown ' s School Days . " It ia written with the avowed purpose of doing for the church system what Mr . Hughes has done for the system of education at our public schools . The school-boy fag is the fag curate , who lives a hard , laborious life , and does the work for which another receives the pay . The style of the book is autobiographical . Ifc purports to tin
be the life of the Jttev . Menry Aus , a num . of more than average intellect and of not much influence . Not rich enough to purchase a living , so that he has to labour for seven years as a curate on 150 ? . a year , keeping a wife and family—as many of our poor curates have to do , and many much less , unfortunately . He is just the sort of person to enlist the readers sympathies , and preaches the word of Godin "the highways and byways , " as Our Saviour did before him . He does not say whether he is Ipga Church or Dissenter , consequently his " preaching can oflfend no sect , and it matters little to him of what denomination a fellow creature is ; if he be in trouble he will , always find a sympathiser . Nor
is he too wise to be able to take note of the wishes of tho poor , as will bo seen from the following extract . Tho talk is on the Bible , and Dissenters , and Edwards is tho driver of the Oxford ooacli , and a man that has seen " better days . " ' < ' I do have a good deal of talk and argument with them , and there ' s one story they all agree in , which is , if the clergy would only talk plain English from the pulpits , and speak from the heart , tho l ) issenters might almost close their chapels . . Now , sir , you 11 allow there are two sorts of English : one that is spoken in drawing-rooms , the other spokdn in cottages : tho ono is a conversational language , the other bookish ; the ono is like talking to a man , tho other like preaching to him j tho ono is sound , the othor sense . Tho Dissenters uso ono , your clergy
tho othor ; nine sonnona out of ten , aa mr as ww poor man is concerned , might just as well be Greek . ' " But you would not have us preach in sucn a coarse and vulgar manner as the Dissenters ? ' " No , sir ; I say , copy what ' s good , not what's bad , in them . They can command attention wlxen they preach , and you church clergy can't . Suppose I made up my conversation before I started , wtio'd listou to mo ? As it is , I have a certain quantity stowed away in my hoftd , and it comos out when and whore It ' s wanted . That ' s like tho Pissenters . . A doctor on our coach onoe said , smartly enough , tntft a ChuTch-of-England sermon ought to be Uko a separate prescription ; but instead of that it is more iko a \> ox of family pills , a kind of general
prescripof notion it would be rather difficult to name more than twenty that will not bo forgotten by the next season , many of which are already buried under tho oblivion of others . There have been fewer successful novels published during this season than usual , especially considering the quantity issued . This is attributable to many causes ; first of all it is remarkable how few of the " stock " novelists have published . Where is Mrs . Marsh , Miss Jewsbury , IVIiss Julia Kavanagh , Gr . J ? . R . Jamos , Harrison Ainsworth , and many others whoso writings have always had their fair mead of suooessP It can scarcely bo that tho novel is degenerating ; there is more good healthy art and doctrine in the fictions
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 27, 1859, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_27081859/page/19/
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