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In the year 17 / 2 the young student , Wolfgang Goethe , was sent to Wetzlar , where the Imperial Court of Justice was held ; among his friends there was one Kestner , attached to the Bremen Embassy , who introduced him to his betrothed , Charlotte Buff , a slender , blue-eyed Saxon , very amiable and very domestic , recognisable as Lotte , in Werter . The young student had an unusually susceptible nature , and insidiously the passion for this mistress of his friend stole upon him ; he was constantly with her , either in company with Kestner , or tete h t&te . When young poets ramble through corn-fields , listening to the plaintive cry of the quail , following the upward singing lark , and talking sentiment . to blue-eyed maidens , one knows what must come of it ! Fortunately , Goethe ' s sarcastic friend , Merck , arrived at Wetzlar in time to warn him of the danger , and to tear
him away . Goethe , however , did not cease corresponding with Charlotte . These Letters , remarkable in a biographical point of view , have been in the possession of Kestner ' s son , secretary to the Hanoverian Legation in Rome , who allowed certain persons to inspect them , but who always refused to publish them . We have seen portions of the correspondence , and the contents have been indicated by Gelzer , in his Deutsche Poetische Literatur , and by Gervinus , so as greatly to pique curiosity . That curiosity will shortly be gratified . Kestner ' s death raises the last obstacle to the publication of this Correspondence , in which Goethe frankly confesses that he left Wetzlar because he became sensible of his danger ; conceals his love for Charlotte under the thinnest of veils ; when the announcement of her marriage reaches him begs to have the second place in her heart ; and on the birth of her child hopes it may be called Wolfgang , and that he may be its godfather . This
Correspondence is to be translated as soon as it appears . We may add , that , when Werter was published , Goethe sent a copy to the Kestners , who were seriously hurt at finding such close adherence to reality mingled with the fiction , more especially at the way Charlotte ' s subsequent relation to Werter varied from the truth , and at the unfavourable portrait of Kestner , the husband ; but Goethe managed to explain it all away , and the friendly correspondence was resumed .
Jules Janin has commenced the re-publication of a selection from his feuilletons , during , the last quarter of a century , and he decorates this reprint with the absurdly ambitious title of Histoire de la Litterature Dramatique , although there is not the slightest pretence at continuity , chronology , or system of any kind . There are some gay and brilliant pages in these volumes , but his declamatory desultoriness , fatiguing even in a feuilleton , becomes insupportable in a volume . His facundia is the ruin of him ; he piles tropes upon hyperboles , exclamations upon quotations , and
is carried hither and thither by the errant caprices of suggestion , harassing readers who would welcome even the repose of dulness , in lieu of this dancing light . But , if the reader ramble over the volumes , he will find many a pleasant page , and many a good remark . One delightful specimen of French accuracy we must quote ; it is in the midst of a ferocious onslaught upon Bulwer ; referring to Whittington , and the myth so dear to childhood , Janin says , that the Cloches de Londres luire ' citaient un jour : tu seras lord-maire Wirgtington ! Pronounce that like a Frenchman , and the effect will be hilariously historical !
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Ignis has replied to our remarks on his letter on Spontaneous Combustion . There is one point in his reply it may be desirable to mention : — " You say that there is no proof of nervous electricity—whereas the needle has been deflected by currents of animal origin ; and contrariwise , digestion has been curried on by a galvanic current transmitted through tho nervous vagus . " True ; but although there are many known analogies between nervous action and galvanic action , we expressly distinguish between analogy and identity ; this was our phrase : " If the vital force presents several
analogies with galvanic force , it also presents several striking differences ; so much so , that no good physiologist believes in their identity . " There are many analogies between Light , Heat , and Electricity ; nevertheless , the differences which individualize these agents prevent our arguing that what one will perform the other will perform ; and until the nerve-force has decomposed water , leaving both dements f ree , it is unphilosophical to argue that it does do so , because of its resemblance to galvanic force . We omit the other points in Ignis ' s letter ; we should have to dispute them ftt some length , and wo fear our readers have had " something too much" of tins subject .
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abated interest and with most precise . eig - ten volumes of a Diary , together with a vast amount of Despatches and Memoranda , have been edited by Bayle St . John in truly workmanlike style—from the chaos of MSS . two entertaining volumes have been fashioned ; and , be it observed , without any recourse to " writing up or manufacture on the Editor ' s part . It is Mr . Eichardson 3 own plain , straightforward language which is given to us ; and nothing can be more calculated to secure the confidence , thereby securing the interest , of the reader than the unaffected directness , the " unadorned eloquence , of Mr . Richardson ' s entries . There was every opportunity for rhetoric , for brilliant description , for picturesque treatment ; but Mr . Richardson s mind was not of the rhetorical or pictorial turn , and in the sincerity o ± bis details we have materials upon which our own imaginations may work . this oric
instructionThe ht closely writ EICHAKDSON'S AFRICAN DIAEY . Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa , performed during tie years 1850-51 , under the orders and at the expense of her Majesty ' s Government . By the late James Eichardson . 2 Vols . Chapman and Hall . Thjs work is of unusual interest and durable importance . Every reader has heard of the adventurous Mission undertaken by the late Mr . Richardson , and countenanced by our Government , for the exploration of the untrodden lands t > f Central Africa—a Mission accomplished with great success , though unhappily at the expense of the originator ' s life ; and here in these two volumes we are introduced to the domestic history of that expedition , following it step by step , detail b y detail , with ,
un-Quite apart from its geographical and ethnographical value , w has an attraction for the general reader . It is a charming book of travels . The scenery , the perils , the pictures of African characteristics , and the glimpses of natural history , will enchant by their novelty . Our extracts will be sufficiently varied to indicate the contents .
THE "YOUNG CAMEL . « One of the nagahs foaled this day , which partly accounts for our detention . For some time afterwards the cries of the little camel for its mother , gone to feed , distressed us , and called t o our mind the life of toil and pain that was before the little delicate , ungainly thing . It > is worth noticing , that the foal of the camel is frolicsome only for a few days after its birth -soon becoming sombre in aspect and solemn in gait . As if to prepare it betimes for the rough buffeting of the world the nagah never licks or caresses its young , but spreads its legs to ^ lower the teat to the eager lips , and stares at the horizon , or continues to browse .
LIFE IN THE OASIS . « We could scarcely , at first , find anybody to receive us . But after waiting some time , the people came unwillingly crawling out one after the other . vV e told them our errand— ' To look at tlie country and buy barley . ' They swore they had none—not a grain ; but when we swore in our turn tliat we would pay them for what we wanted , they admitted having a little that belonged to some people in Fezzan I was amused with the eloquent indignation of our burly chaoucli when they professed complete destitution at first . < You dogs ! do you live on stones ? cried he . This was a settler , and showed them that they had knowing ones to deal with . Of course their original shyness arose from fear lest Ave might rob them . When a bargain was struck they became quite friendly , and brought us out some oil , barley-cakes , and boiled eggs—all the luxuries of the oasis 1
" With the exception of the little valley we had crossed , nothing could he seen from Ghareeah hut a dreary waste , especially to the soutli and east . A tower of modern date rises to the east , on a solitary rock ; and we knew that Eastern Ghareeah was conc ealed among the hills at a distance of six hours . The inhabitants of these secluded towns are called Waringah , and promise shortly to become extinct . In this Western Ghareeah there are twenty heads of families , but very few children , —scarce sixty souls altogether ; and the poimlation of the other place , which gives itself airs of metropolitan importance , is not more than double How they have not abandoned the place long ago to jackals and hawks is a mystery . They do not possess a Mingle camel ; only two or three asses and some -flocks of sheep ; and depend , in a great measure , on chance profits from caravans , for thenmonths t intervalsit
valley often only affords provision for a couple of or so . A , is true , when thero has been much rain , they sell barley in tho neighbouring vidleys ; but this season lias been a dry one , and the crop lias consequently fallen short . When they have no barley , they Hay , they eat dates ; and when the dates are out , they fast—a long , continual fast—and famine tak <« them off 0110 by one . The melancholy remnant preserve traditions of prosperity in comparatively recent times . Notwithstanding their miserable condition , however , these wretched peoplo are drained by taxation of thirty maliboubs per minimi-so many drops of blood ! The eastern village pays in proportion . IW . bly in a few years this duster of wadyH may be abandoned to chanco Arab visitors , ho tliat the sturtiiig-poinfc for tin ; traverao of the Hamadah will ki removed further bade , perhaps to Mi / . dah . There is no life in the civilization which clahus lordship over these countries unfriended by nature . The only object , of those who wield paramount authority over them seems to be to extract money in the most vexations and expeditious innmicr . Til 10 VVATKHLRSS DKSKHT . " The sun was sotting as our caravan , which we had collected in as compact a body us possible , got under way , and rising out of the valley <» f Tabooneeah , began to enter upon the plateau . It is ditlioult to convey an idea of the . solemn impressions with wlri « li one enter * upon such a journey . Kverytl . in S a-h « ul « unknown , and invested with perhaps exaggerated terrors by ini » imu . K > n mid report . Jlio name of JWt-the waterless Denert hangs over the horizon , and su- ^ ts ho most gloomy apprehensions . Uehind , in the fading light , th « trees of tu , valley still Hhow their dim groups ; before , the lofty level , slightly broken by undulation HtretehcH away . There was one cheering thought , however . My eompamons bad by thlH time U up their tent for the night ;; and although , creeping along at the camel ' s hIow puee , we ebuld not ; expect , U > eomo up to that , t .-mponuy ho ,,,,, until it whh about to ho darted , still the knowledge of its existence to ,, k away much of the mysteriouH terror with wind , I entered upon this deso hit ; e region >» tho hour of coming hIiiuUiwh . An additional solemnity wn » imi « rl «* l 1 » t \ m commencement of this arduous journey by the ImL tl . ut we now passed tho last , pillar em : ted by the Romans . Their mighty power . seems U > have icco . le . l , oh well it might , before
tho horrid aspect of tho Hamadah . " Wo pushed on at a steady pace over the rough ground ; and oh I surveyed the HCfliio from my olovuted p «*» ti »» on tho camel ' s back , I could not help contrasting this primitive style of travelling with that with which 1 had been conversant a few
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Critic * are not the legislators , but the judges and police of literature . They do not make laws—they interpret and try to enforcethem . —EdinburghBevietc .
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Aroit % 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 329
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ISOOKS ON OUR TA 1 ILK . yrtu ' *^ 7 t ' ^ - W -M £ r ^™ : JHmtk Hotwe . IS it . I'i . J W Parker . Jf rater's Muoazii' fi . ,, ; " Brothern ' . iW ,, ™ . 1 art , 111 . Hooklwin find Runs . The Nr . io Quarter / i / Iliwtew . R Bei , , fly # Jtentl y - * MUvMavi / . Wiu . , ftful C (( The litdectu : llemew . T 0 N « wl > y Sir / XS . *» .,, „„ „ . '" " •^ STftSffi HSsS » S 5 . >» . «« .. ™ . „„„ % $£ & 2 ;^ ' 5 K ; =, " . •; ..-... , * ...... - «* . * . « ¦ . jiS 5 * s S ! f £ lZ £ Z ° ™ !» . D » f If »"" l" *»«'"¦ ¦ BJ *« tk *>*»«»¦ a < ° - *¦ " '" ttlr |> -
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 2, 1853, page 329, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1980/page/17/
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