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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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We should do our utmost to encourage the Beautiful , or the Useful encourages itself . — Gokthe .
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TO ELIZA LYNN , Author of " Azet / t , " " Amymone , " " Realities , " $ c . Eloquence often draws the mind awry By too much tension , then relaxes it " With magic fires , round which the Passions stand Crazed or perverse : but thine invigorates , By leading from the flutter of the crowd , And from the flimsy lace and rank perfume , And mirror where all faces are alike , Up the steep hill where Wisdom , looking stern To those afar , sits calm , benign ; the Gods But just above , the Graces just below , Regarding blandly his decorous robe . There are , my lovely friend , who twitch at thine . Suffer it : walk straight on : they will have past Soon out of sight . The powerfullest on earth Lose all their potency by one assault On Genius or on Virtue . Where are they Who pelted Milton ? Where are they who rais'd Fresh furies round Rousseau ? Where , outcast vile , Thrice a deserted , thrice a fugitive , Always a dastard , who by torchlight shed A Conde's blood ? His march the wolf and bear Most signalized : he gorged them till they slept And howl'd no longer ; men alone howl'd there , Under sharp wounds and Famine ' s sharper fang . He ridged the frozen flats of Muscovy , And bridged the rivers , paved the roads , with men , Men in the morning , blocks of ice at noon .
Myriads of these are less than one he threw To death more lingering in a dungeon ' s damp , The sable chief who made his brethren free . What profited these crimes ? what followed them ? A gang of galley-slaves , eath ancle chain'd , A troop of felons sergeanted by priests . Away from such foul imps ! look straight elsewhere . Malevolence , in guise of Flattery , Will bow before thee . Men I know of old , la whose wry mouths are friendship , truthfulness , And gentleness and geniality ,
And good old customs , sound old hearts . Beware L , est they come sideling , lest they slily slip Some lout before thee whose splay foot impedes Thy steps , whose shoulder hides thee from thy friends . Leave such behind : let pity temper scorn . With this encouragement , wilh this advice , Accept my Christmas gift , perhaps my la ^ t . Behold Five Scenes : scenes not indeed most fit For gentle souls to dwell in ; but the worst Lies out of sight , dark cypresses between , With hideous monsters everywhere around : Another dared pass through them ; I dared not . ABkest thou why none ever could lead forth My steps upon the stage ? I would evoke Men ' s meditation , shunning men ' s applause . Jjet this come after me , if come it will ; I shall not wait for it , nor pant for it , Nor hold my breath to hear it , far or nigh . Orestes and Electra walkt with me , And few observ'd them : then Giovanna shed Her tears into my bosom , mine alone . The shambling step in plushy loose morass , The froth upon the lip , the sluvering tongue , The husky speech interminable , please More than the vulgar , tho' the vulgar most . How little worth is fame when even the wise Wander so widely in our wildering field ! JSnsy it were for one in whose domain Each subject hath his own , and but his own , — 3 Casy it were for him to parcel out A few more speeches , filling up the chinks . Difficult , fur more difficult , to work W «» rd (* for the lock thun hinges for the gate . I , who have skill for wards , have al . so strength For hinges ; nor nhould they disgrace the door Of noblest temple Koine or Athens reur'd . Content am I to go whore soon I must ; Another duy may see mo , now unseen ; I may porhups rise slowly from my tomb And tuk « my seut among tho living guests . Menu while let some otw tell tho world thy worth , One whom tho world shall li » ton to , one great Above his fellows , nor much lower than thou ! Ho who con crown stands very near the crown'd . Wait Jilt Savaok Lanoor .
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ADDRESS TO ROBERT OWEN . The following address to Robert Owen was unanimously adopted at a soiree of the Manchester Social Society , on the 14 th of May ¦ :- — " It is with feelings of no ordinary pleasure that we hail the anniversary of the-day that you were born unto the world . We congratulate you also on the attainment of your eightieth year , in possession of the physical and mental powers which still enable you to labour in disseminating the glorious , the world-renovatiug truths , That man ' s feelings and convictions are independent of his will ; ' * That man ' s character is formed for him , and not by him ; ' , consequently , that he neither deserves praise nor blame , reward nor punishment , for his belief , his feeling , or his character , thereby laying the foundation of a system which shall banish i gnorance , error , disease and' crime , and introduce the reign of truth , intelligence , happiness , charity , and love .
" The fact that all classes , sects , and parties are now turning their thoughts , and , to a certain extent , applying their energies to ascertain whether pauperism can be made productive leads us to hope that your experiment at New Lanaik , the Leeds report thereon , and your Dublin lectures , coupled with your present exertions , will be a means to incite them to abolish the competitive system , supported as it is by force , and fraud , and superstition , producing incalculable misery to all ; and to show them the necessity for adopting cooperation in labour and community of goods , * Each for all , and all for each . ' ....
" The great interest you have manifested , and the discoveries you have made in practical education , the establishment of infant-schools , in connection with the new system , and your unwearied working to well form the youthful character , are now being ably supported by the National Public School Association , the leading minds in which have been formed in the new school , and give us well grounded hopes that the time is not far distant when an ordinary education will be given to every child that is born . " In conclusion , let us remind you that reformers in all ages , and at all times , have for the most part been Men of sorrows , and acquainted with griffs , '—hated , contemned , and insulted by those they sought to serve , they have been * despised > nd rejected of men' while living , and very often finished their career on the cross , the gibbetor the block .
, " We glory , then , that your honoured head has been spared to see the realization of some of your views , and those most opposed to them in theory running to apply them in practice . Continue , then , by precept and practice to instruct us how to live in accordance with , knowledge , morality , and virtue ; and when you shall be no more , the writings you leave us shall be ' a light to our feet and a lamp to our paths . ' " That such an event may be far distant , and that your valuable life may be still further lengthened , is the sincere wish of " Your children in the truth , " ( On behalf of the Social Society , . " Of Manchester ) , " William Pjucb , Chairman , " Wilkinson Buhslam , Cor . Sec . "
A few of Mr . Owen's disciples residing in Brighton also met on the 14 th . to commemorate his eightieth anniversary , and to make arrangements for more frequent intercourse in future amongst tho advocates of Social Reform . " The meeting had simply the character of a family party united by one common feeling of respect and affection for the great man , who , more than any other perhaps , has expevienci d the gratification of promoting the happiness of his fellow creatures in a judicious and enlightened manner , who , with the steadiness of the mariner ' s compass , has continued for the last fifty years to point out to society its only sure harbour of refuge . ' "
In Paisley the friends of Mr . Owen celebrated the day in the Wilson-hall . Though the hour of assembling was eleven p . m ., yet the tables were filled . In Dundee the celebration was held between twelve and one o ' clock at night . On May 17 a numerous party—Mr . DoddB in the chair—met for the same purpose in the Communist-hall , Glaaiiow . The celebration was very animated .
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SECULAR EDUCATION IN CM LASH I ELS . A public meeting was held in Galashicls on the 10 th , in the large room of the Commercial Inn , with a view to initiate a movement in that town on behalf of aecular national instruction . Mr . Simpson of 13 < linburgh was to hiiv (! Ueu tho principal speaker , but indisposition prevented him . Mr . CJoor ^ e Combe was then invited , but . his eiigngcments obliged him to decline . Mr . G . J . Ilolyoake nan then tiolicitrd to attend and address the niri'tiiitf ; and after'tho following petition was moved by a iM'iiileinau , who preaches iu the Baptist Connection ,
Mr . Holyoiiko , in a speech of an hour or more , supported its prayer . The room was crowded to excesu by the nioiit intelligent portion of the population . There were many reasons not to expect unanimity , but only one dissentient , in the end , hold up hi « band against the petition . There was' a chapel in the town , usually employed for inorttl ' ofojretn , which was refused for this meeting ; but there in reason to believe , at le . ist . we hope it wuhso , that tho refunal wuu owing to some niiniiiiderMianding . The chief expense of the meeting was defrayed by Mr . George Combe , from funds munificently placed at his disposal by Mr . I , oombcH .
The following petition of the working men and other inhabitants of Galasimls and vicinity was tho one panned , which " Shbwkth , —That the peace , prosperity , and moral and intellectual progress of the community , demand that
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THE FALLACY THAT HARMLESS ERRORS SHOULD BE L £ T ALONE . It passes as a kind of maxim , that it is a pity to disturb a harmless belief in which people find comfort , even though it should be false . This opinion is as old , at least , as the days of Cicero , who silences all questioning upon a point by declaring : — " Si in hoc erro , erro libenter "¦—If I am wrong in this , I prefer being wrong . ' Consequential thinkers , it is to be suspected , are hardly satisfied with this . They can hardly admit that error is ever harmless . And yet the difficulty , in most cases , of showing wherein the harm lies is so great that the maxim is allowed to pass unquestioned , rather than expose one ' s self to the imputation of wantonly breaking a cherished idol .
The readers of the Leader may be presumed , as a class , to lean rather to the Iconoclast side ; and , therefore , it may not be uninteresting for some 6 f them to see how one of those so-called " harmless delusions" is exposed by the hand of a master . It is with this view that the following translation from Lessing ' s Nathan the Wise is offered . For the better understanding of the extract it may be necessary to give some notion of part of the plot . The scene is laid in Jerusalem , in the age of the Crusades . Nathan , the rich , the wise , —whose capacious mind can harmonize all beliefs , —has just
returned from a mercantile journey in the East . In his absence he had left Recha , his daughter ( so reputed ) , under the charge of her governess and friend , Daja . Shortly before his return the house catches fire , and , Recha ' s chamber being enveloped by the flames , she is given up for lost . Suddenly there appears among the crowd a stranger of foreign aspect , wrapt in a white mantle , who learns the danger , and , regardless of life , darts through the flames and brings out Recha , enveloped in his mantle and unscathed ; then , depositing her in safety , he disappears as suddenly as he came . and the fire where
The alarm over , extinguished , is the deliverer ? No one can tell . Some days after , the two women see him from the windows , -walking under the palms near by . Daja hastens to beg him to the house that Recha may thank him . He wants no thanks—repulses her—seems to shun human contact . All things taken , he is a mysterious being , — an angel-deliverer perhaps ! It cannot be otherwiseit was an angel . And there they rest . The mysterious deliverer wa « , in fact , a Templar , who had been taken captive , and whose life had been spared by some caprice of Sultan Saladin . Bereft of honour , without friends in a hostile city , he was reckless of life ; and , though without resources , he was too proud and in too bitter humour to ask or accept a favour . the events to Nathan
Daja and Iteeha are relating , and aro in raptures about the angelic deliverance . Nathan . Why trouble , then , an nngel in the matter ? Daja . And what ' s the harm , if I ' in allowed to speak , In thinking that an angel rescued you Rather than a man ? Do you not feel yourself So much the nearer to the primal cause , The incomprehensible , of your deliverance 7 Nath . Pride . —nought but pride ! The foot of iron chooses To be lifted from the fire with tongs of silver , That it may deem itself of silver too . And what " s the harm , you ask ? What harm ? What is tin ; good ? I need hut at-k in turn . For thy * ' To feel one ' s self thus nearer God " Is either nonsense or else blasphemy . But there is harm—yes , harm unspeakable . Come ! linteri to me . The being that rescued theolie it an angel or a man—to him , I know , you long—and thou , child , specially—To make requital * . () how great and many ! Ik it not so ? . Now , to an angel , think What service , what grunt service can so well Be done to him . ' You may return him thanks ; May sigh to him , pray to him : you may melt In raptures over him ; upon his festival May fast , give alms . All . all is naught . Forever It seeing to me , that you yourself and neighbours Keap far more profit from tlitao acts tlnui he . lie grown not fat because ofyonr poor Canting ; Becomes not rich because of your expending ; Nor yet . more glorious through your raptures ; Nor grows he mightier because you trust him . A man now !—Daja . Ay , doubtless , n man had furniRhed Home opportunity of doing him service , And ( iod knows how prepared we were to do it ! lint , footh to H . iy , lie would accept from uu . Indeed required ko absolutely nothing ; In hiitHcll , wiih hiniHcIf wart ho contented , Ah only angrls are . n « only nngelrf ciin he . lteclia . In short , ns from our view ho vanished tjuito- Nath . Vuiiitdmd ! iloiv . then , vanished 7 Among the p . ilinit No more appeared ? How waD it ? Or have you , Indeed , uncle , any further search for him 7 Daja . lu truth , 1 cannot b ; iv we have . Nath . " What ! Daja , Made no more search 7 There , see now , what ' ti tlic harm ! Ye cruel entinifliastH 1 If thin ungol , now , ( Should—tie fallen nick I Hicha . Kick ! ( After fiufficicnily alarming them by n vivid picture of the Htrun » er * H ponnible oirc . ninstimecH ) — Nath . He lives!—come to thywelf!—is , likely , not Kven nick ! Iteeha . I '' or nnre . ' l—not dead/—not . even nick ? Nath . For sure , not deud 1 • • • • ? * * Ho . Hut peroeiveat tliou How much dttvotit enthuniasm iu lighter 'I'bttn acting umll f—l ) inv men Ihe niunt remisu Will gluMly l > e devout eiithumuHlH , With tin ? hoIo view—although nt limes , perhaps . Not clearly conscious of tho inward motive— - To be abuulved from the need of itctinjj ?
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 24, 1851, page 494, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1884/page/18/
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