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926 THE LEsABER. Saturday,
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~y*t « iLll^nitir* * _^_____
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3rities are not the legislators, bub the...
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Oxm news this week is mostly from abroad...
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On the Continent, some new books of impo...
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At homo there is nothing to report but t...
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Although this is Magazine day, we have o...
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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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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926 The Lesaber. Saturday,
926 THE LEsABER . Saturday ,
~Y*T « Illl^Nitir* * _^_____
Eitottut ,
3rities Are Not The Legislators, Bub The...
3 rities are not the legislators , bub the judges and police of literature . They do xtat jaaake Iaw 3—they iaterpret and try to enforce th . em .. ~^ Mdinbnrgh Review .
Oxm News This Week Is Mostly From Abroad...
Oxm news this week is mostly from abroad . Many readers of the Leader may be glad to hear that two young poets of this country , whose works , on their first appearance , we welcomed with hearty and sincere praise , have just been honorably introduced to the notice of the literary -world of Prance in the columns 1 of the Revue des Deux Mondes . The article on Poetry , in the last number of that journal , is devoted to Alexander Smith and Mathew Arnold . The writer of the notice exhibits no originality of ¦ view . He follows the lead of the English critics in estimating the two poets ; notices the influence of Sheliey , in different ways and degrees on each of them ; assigns the first place to Alexander Smith * but warns him to repress bis tendencies to extravagance ; asserts , as an objection to the classical
theories ofMATHEw Aknouj , that he is obviously not indebted to them , but to bis oira genius for the success which Tie has achieved ; praises the earnestness and . reverence in " matters of Art , which are becoming more and more the characteristic of the present generation of thinkers in England ; and then , rather unhappily , mentions some of these thinkers by name , beginning the list with Cakdylje , and actually ending it with Tup ^ peb ! Judged only "by its literary merits , such a critical review as we have indicated would call for no special remark . It Is not for its own sake , hut for the sake of its subject , and in consideration of the honest fairness and even warmth of its tone towards our two young poets , that we direct attention to it here . Both deserved a generous recognition from foreign critics ; and we are unaffectedly glad to report that both , so far as the Trench world of letters is concerned ,
have now obtained it . What the poets themselves will say to the extracts from their works in French prose , we will not venture to anticipate . The translations seem to us to be carelessly and unintelligently executed . For example , in the noble close to Sbhrab and Rusium , the river ' s " luminous home of waters" is translated la plaine liquide vers laquelk iltend toujours ! — while the expression in Alexander Smith ' s Life-Drama , " clothes me with kingdoms / ' is rendered me fait un vetement de royanmes !! Prom this disastrous ordeal of French translation , M athew Abnou > comes out least injured , in consequence of his resolute adherence to the most classical simplicity of expression . As for Auexvndeb Smith , if the French readers of the Revue des Deux Mondes wish to do Mm justice , they must take his merits on trust , or learn English , or do anything , in short , but read the translated extracts presented to them from his poems .
On The Continent, Some New Books Of Impo...
On the Continent , some new books of importance have appeared , or are about to be published . In Florence , a sensation has been produced by a novel on the frightful and impracticable subject of The Cenci , from the pen of the politically-famous Guibazzi . The literary merit of the book , judging of it by report , does not seem to be remarkable , but the authorities have secured its success by prohibiting it . The unseized copies of the first edition circulate everywhere in secret , and a surreptitious sepond edition is preparing for publication . In Germany , the Reminiscences of the Poet Heine are about to appear at Hamburg , from the publishing house of Messrs . Hoffman abi > Campus . In France , the magnificent , the indomitable book-maker , IiAMAB-rrNE , has just favoured the reading-world with the first volume of his
Histoire de , la Turquie . " The tocsin of European peril has rung at St . Petersburg , " he exclaims in the preface to his History , with his usual ingenuity in the art of saying a very plain thing in a very fine way . " All nations who desire to preserve their hearths free , ought to rush to the fire . The powers , according to us , have been too slow in hearing this appeal . They hear it at last : it is time to speak . " Time to speak—consequently , I * ama , rtine cannot be silent—therefore he writes the History of Turkey , " Vol . i ., 5 s . " & c , & c . How many more " Vols " are to come we are not told * Perhaps as long as the " tocsin . " goes on ringing , ILamartinb will go on " speaking , "—and , in that case , we think it not at all improbable that the tongue of the bell will be the tongue that is first tired out .
At Homo There Is Nothing To Report But T...
At homo there is nothing to report but that tl » e Pbincess ' s Theatre is to open with Douglas Jehkoud ' s long deferred play , The Heart of Gold ; and that the now management of the St . James's Thmatbhi starts with a drama called The King ' s Rival , by Mr . Tom Taylor , and Mr . Chaises Reaiho . While referring to theatrical matters , we may take an opportunity of mentioning that The Vicar of Wakq / ield has been dramatised for the French stage , and aotod with success at the Orkon . Wo lore and honour that Bwootost and tonderest of all domestic stories so fervently , that wo can hardly
endure to think of ita being turned into a drama for tho Parisian stage . It is provoking even to rend a criticism on tho performance from ono of tho Paris newspapers . Think of a flippant French feuilletonniste patronisinglv alluding to tho dear noblo old Vicar , as ce bon JPrimerosa I snarling stupidly At delicacies of humour -which ho is utterly incapable of appreciating grinning mischievously over the exquisite , tho unrivalled tenderness of the ead scenes in tho story—in short , criticising , absolutely criticising in tho most complacently sarcastic manner , and at this time of day , Ox . ivk » Goijd smith 1
As a companion-piece to this exasperating literary curiosity , we cannot refrain from quoting here an epistolary curiosity which is also of French origin . " We have found it in a number of the Colonie Jcarienne a . French newspaper published at Nauvoo , and devoted to the fame and general interests of M . Cabet ' s well-known Socialist Colony- The affairs of Icaria seem to be in anything but a flourishing condition - " A . h , if the Rappists ( another colony ) would but lend us 500 , 000 dollars ! ' exclaims M . Cabet himself in the columns of his own newspaper . We have not ascertained , as yet , whether this very modest , sensible , and business-like wish has been complied with . Pending the fulfilment , however , of M . Cabet ' s pecuniary desires , a gentleman is willing to join the Icarian Colony , whose moral value ( according to his own account of it ) is quite priceless . Here is tBe letter ( literally translated from the French ) in which the Most Virtuous Man in tie World offers to fraternise with M . Cajbet : — COREESPONDEN-CE FOR ICARIA . II . ALBEECHT TO M . CABET . Tenekated Monsieur Caeet , —Long since , united with yon in heart , I have also long since desired to be admitted a memter of your Icarian Colony . For the last six years my favourite study has been the study of the Socialist and Coinmunist . systems . I have visited with thi 3 object all the Communist . Colomes , and I have never failed to p-roselytise according to the Communist principles . As for rny morality , it is , I think , fit to tie submitted to the most searching inquiries . Since childhood , I have been aiming-at perfection , aad to ensure happiness'I have had mo other rule of conduct than moderation In all enjoyments . I am a stranger to those bad habits , -which may fee called vices—such as the use of tobacco ( either for smoking , Stifling , ox chewing ) , the imbibing of strong waters , the playing at games of cards . & c , & c .
My creed is the fraternity of men . My form of worship t"he contemplation and admiration of the beauties of Nature . A musical society called Germarda , of which I am a member , sticks to this principle—Each for all and all for each z equality in rights and in duties . All our members , therefore , freely rencruncepecuniary advantages , because laws 3 iot founded on social principles cannot insure the liberty and independence of associated , bretlren , seeing that-wherever there is inequality of fortune , true freedom is rendered an illusion , or rather a lie . Fraternity and not Egotism ia the great stimulant to useful activity . Trusting that Communist principles may soon , be generally adopted , and hoping that you , venerated Monsieur Calbet , will favour me with a few lines of reply , I remain , respeetfully , your devoted . Hi . AXiBKECHT .
Mourn reader for the Old World , which is about to lose that rare and priceless human gem , a perfectly Virtuous Man . ! Leap ye little hills of Icaria , smile fertile valleys of Communist N " auvoo , for a Colonist approaches you who aimed at perfection as soon as he was weaned , arid has never known what it was to have a bad habit since . And , oh !—above and before all—rejoice and sing , Venerated Monsieur Cabet ! Of how little value are those 500 , 000 dollars you languish for , compared with the one inestimable stranger , who now freely offers himself to you , and does not even so much as mention a price !
Although This Is Magazine Day, We Have O...
Although this is Magazine day , we have only received two—Blackwood and The Dublin University Magazine . Why cannot the publishers infuse a little system into the issue of their early numbers ? Surely it would ba to the advantage of everybody—themselves included . Blackwood has made up a capital number ; varied , readable , and for . the most part good . The opening article , Specidalors among the Stars , deals impartially ( in a summing-up style ) with the controversy headed by Whewem .
and Brewsteb . about the population or non-population of the planetarybodies . The writer offers no opinion , but treats Sir Daved ' s Wok as being too popular to be worthy of his reputation , and reminds the disputants of Jeremy Taylor ' s trueism that—" whatever we talk , things are as they are ' In an article entitled King Otho and his Classic Kingdom , tho occupation of Greece by tho -allied forces is pronounced to have been " absolutely necessary to enable any ministry to commence the task of improvement . " The moderate defence of tho Gi-eek nation contained in tho article TBtcoupi ante .
Alison on the Greek Revoliction , in the August number , as hero followed with a pretty smart lecture to the Greeks themselves . King Otho is pronounced to be silly and incompetent ; and , if the nationality of tho Greeks is held in low estimation , it is entirely their own fault . * ' They have hawked about their nationality to Munich , Paris , and St . Petersburg , for illicit gains in a falling market , at a very unpatriotic price , " In charging them with vanity 3 tho writer says : — " Thoso who beliovo in the unmixed purity of the Hellenic blood might cite this boaotted pride , aftov two thousand years of nationa . 1 degradation , aa a proof that the Greeks of tho present day are lineal descendants of thoso who sold their country to tho Macedonians and tho Romans , as they havo lately attempted to sell it to the Russians-. "
This is severe Imfc just . For all this , tho writer gives a fair character ; to tho classes of Greeks who live beyond the sphere of court and political influence- " If a Greek is neither a courtier , a government official , nor a palikar , he is generally a tolerably lenient man , and by no moans a had follow , unless ho bo an Ionian , or a Phanariot . " An article upon Spanisft Politics and Cuban Perils , from tho pon of tho resident of Madrid , who has lately Ibeon illuminating that subject in tho pages of Blachvood , throws some light upon tho position of America , as regards Cuba . Tho writer appears to think it probable that Cuba will not now bo sold ; that ominent dijplomato JVI . IT . Soujmb ( of qusidrupnrtifco duol celebrity ) , Jmving given it as hit * opinion it muat * 'fall into tho lap of tho Union without costing a dollar . " Uo appears , however , to regard tho JUUlmstcro expedition with more certainty and apprehension , and Iclira that , " owing , perhaps , to tho weakness of the
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 30, 1854, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30091854/page/14/
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