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Life then is not a thing , but a seEias of coaditions , a collection of phenomena , peculiar , definite . - » i . * il * n We close this survey of the attempts made to define life t with the following passage fton Yalentm , whoseTextBbokhas been oar text and pietext : — «* Tfte fadwwoefenee of mgMMBed oreatnrea has fiecroentljr led to the notion tBat the aiv Taajmneaft d ^ tte-organism & basc $ npo » apBeaBmsv * tal / brce > it ^ h finpaatefoit properties differing from those of inorganic nature . It was thought thai the vital fafteiieaa eooU only thus "be possible . Either this-fbrce-was rqprwffttlfta as an attendant upon a machine , who arranged at -will inert substances with given properties . ^ or it iras presumed that combinations otherwise inanimate received a . higher grade of activity by the communication of vital force-. When this was again withdrawn * they became sttbjecf to the lawsr lrnieh- JoM good far the iaorgaiac w « rW ; and tbua aftes death , underwent patae&ctunu " Baft tfcnw « TT ^ p *^ » of aacfa a -rftal force » Mather-na « fitl « s , afibrdmg a etee to a series
oX nheaemcsia othflevwa * « aka « HW » , nor vven haxmlass inU iaftumtce upon oar ideas . It impedes a carreekrecacciticH * of tt » foudajnental principles mx wnfca t&e earistenoaof $ v £ ag crea .-Caxes is based ; , analeads to results wtich are cecisivefy opposed * ty more exact physiological investigations-. It separates-the physical and cfeemieaJpkenomea * off dead and avrag nature byaGneo ^ Tdemareatioa wfeica doe * not reaftfM&t . A ^ od a&hftogh ifc captivates us at tht » first glance bp claiming x higher influence far tfessft ntal appearances ,, jet a naore cartful OTKnvn ^ Vm noon toaclmfl wt t that this . sut ^ ositian ^ Bft- fit ^ nos fet « oc vanity , prevents all insight iufco that much , more remarkabfia manner in which natar * accomplishes tha moat peculiar as ¦ well as transitory operations ^ by the ban use of forces everywhere present . ** We hare htrt to imagine that tnevlfeu function * are , ft * result of an mfiaiterr wfere plan of erganiaat » B , to comprehend all tkiaJrom * tSnKBkmr r mote acearafe , and cren higher point of iriftwv Wtt can . first of all suppose , that the cnubryo inchrie * & number of condittonatt&g caases , by means- « f which structures corrasp « a ^ ing ; W the raneral object ar * extracted fi-onxfittitte . nutritive materials * fix this , wwr ^ fox inatanc ** vesicles or cells are wmineedL .
the properties of wliich react on the elements already present , and assist to- determine the mode in which theTjubawjnent food » eonanmedl * Pbw process is contmnalrjr repeated by the pby » eo-ch « BieaI cemdilioas a ? the atvtrat part * ozk 4 fhnneaf ; and tKeiVauctaatiny mfltnncas operatH misuek * . wajrthat atr organism . cooffariaaUfe ta ks object 13 . continually present . j ' lmim ^ tftlMj ^ tieies esui ^ i&auys *^^ naniera &mjprea ^ a&l &t the sains '' ^ Snom qondilaouates . those vHch appear in . the . tuna immediately lofiowing . And rfTTmb be propedjr ^ arraj ^ ed T on . Smlr the embryo grows on , confbnnalMV to rulte , and results in a . vigoroos' beiu ^ wnich . eorrespojids to the yerfecfc plan of organisatiba : WtfSk da the other' haocL if knoerfectabns appear at any early date , th * young beicgiK crippled % y a deficieixcy xa the nunner and ^ 6 VveK |» B « nt of its organs ^ iMed oniff ts effh ctai voJaek . th * geturcd matt qf * Bietuyit ( tmetomi * « mih ~ mxumpiub $ giiwem ± < if thear pUy&ico'Chtmical jmtgers . Sa that we geluanttEfect ^ mis ^ shapea , or siisklj cre » tnres j whose capacity of Ufa depends on the amount of opposition Between what is ' r «| olrea ana what can Tie effected !"
A few words wilT serve to characterise this translation , of Valieatin . It is an admirable treatise for the advanced physiologist , but of little use . to the beginner . UnphilDSophic in arraogemeBt ^ craboed in . style it nsEiist yet be < J 6 ttsulted by all who aesire to have the best inforaiataon on the subject , Crowded with , facts said profusely iHustratad with woodcuts , Dr . Brinton has made it acceptable to the profession by a very careful translatioji i and by notes w £ idi make us regret they were not more numerous . Vatentm is an experimental physiologist of the highest Tahtj but as & writer he is—a German .
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" Oer it » wifcw ^ d nest my heart site moaning for ite youn ^ thiat ' sfled Fro » thfa worid of wail amd weening , gone to join her . stairj pe « a ; &n& myffglt of life ' s o ' ershadow'dwhere the dear oms Eetbi ^ esSu AvBfTm trying m th * dark with mamfftart . ^^ "At last nfght-tide she seemed near me , like a lost beloved . BinJ ,, Beating at the lattice loader than the sobbing wind and rain ; And I call'd across the night vita tender name and fondling word ; And I yesra'd out tlure ? tim . d&rknesa ,, att ifi vauu ' " Heart will plead ; ' Byes canootr see her : tlmy are blind with tears of pain ;' And it climbeth up- and strametk , for dear life , to . look and hark While I call her once again : but there- Cometh no refrain , And it droppeth down , and diath ia the dark . ' * That has his characteristic merrts » and few of hfe characteristic defects Here again is an image , charmingly expressed : ittthe line italicised : —
" In this . disix world of clondiiM ^ cacBS .. We cutely know , till vnMered eyes . . Sac tdbfe * wings lessening up theskiis ^ AngeFs ware with us aaawarei . " Elsewhere he speaks of freedom : — " Tor O ! her softest breath , thafc mignfr not sffr The sunimergossainer tremolotiS ' On-it ^ ilkrbiiej ' ¦ Makes the erwwft ** Tyr ante attreviihraaimiesilbo / cs /" which , though politically ' not ia the least trwe \ w wori 3 erfuD y well said . Here is a song with many defects ^ T > tot with considerable : metita too : —
" WM ) ATr A 3 TO TW-MOHBOW . u ^» Ymsgtm that burn'd Hke Stars subliinflv So . damor ? the Heavens of Freedom t And true hearts perish in th » tim » W « bitteriieat need ?» ml But ne » er sit we , down , and say , There ^ nothing left hut sotfow ; We walk tliaWTWerttea ^ To-day , The Promised Lanf To-morrow .. ** Our birdsvof , sone are silent now , , . . - There are no " flowers Dfcommgf ' . Yet life . stirs in the frozen bougb , : 1 . And Freedom ' s Springes ' coming 1 And Fmoedom ' s tide cemes up alway , Th «^ v « may strand ia ' sbrroW : And exa good bark , a-ground To-dar , Shaft ^ SatagaiB'Toinwrrovr . r , - ~ " l ^ ro » an fcfcelong , dark ni A * of years Tke Fawpte ' a cryas «« na » th , And Earth- » wet witll btoo * and teawr : BatoerteeeksufierKnceendethiF The Few shall not for e , v « r Bway Thal&Iaay moil in , sorrow : The , Bower * of Hell axe . strong To-day * . But Gl | ja » feahallrise-To-morrow * . * 'Tba ' haar ^ brood , p ' et the Past , our ye » WifcL amuing _ Futures gliateatj For tot « ox daj ^ uir « tiUD , ther 8 kiea : ' teaa < x » t your aouls and lilteal TKe world rolls Freedom * radiant way , And ripens xoith her sorrow : Keep heturt f who bear . the . Cross To-day Shall wear the Croirn To-linorrow . " O Youth Iflame-eamflat ,, still aspittt . With energiesimmortal 1 Tb many a heaven of Desire , ' , ' Our yearning opes a portal I And tho'Age wearies by the way , And Iiettrts break in the farrow , We'll mht the . golden grain To-day , — - Thft Earvest comes Tot-morjtow ^ . ' BnrldnB heroic lives , and ' all Be lifia a sheathen sabre . Beady to-flash out atGod ' a Call , O Chivalry of Labour 1 Triun ^ plk and Toil are twins r and aye Joy ' s auiD ' * V th « cloud of Sorrow ; And 't is the . martyrdom To-day , Brings rictory To-morrow . " And to close these specinaeas here is a very characjteristio paaaage . ;—" But -whexe was that infant-band , Wont in spring weather To -wander forth , land-in-hand , Violets to gather—Whose hearts , like p himectpowers , Lea . pt up from tlie sod— - Raining music in showers , Aa guesting- a (* od ?'' Nor this : —
MODERN POETS : RAZZIA THE FIRST . 'Xb'b number- of daimaats to tbe . laurel crown awaitisg jud ' sment from us increases daily- We ^ mutt ; make a . nzadsL itmoog theiB- As Goethe says ^ it ia easy tb weave alaxtrei crown , but difficult to find a worthy head to wear H . We have not lately- found sneh a , head j but whafe our descent among the numerous volumes , of Terse , has discovered shaft bow briefly be indicated . For the moat past , these poems haxt better have remained unpublished ; better for all aakes ^ -printers excepteeb Tke " accomplishment of verse" is an elegant and agreeable accomplishment ^ windh we would by no means distsourage : but the publication of verse is a serious mistake . We am > lau&
the sketches of our Qftii 8 Jww and tie singing of our sisters : John is implored to add something to > our album , and Julia ia entreated to favour the company with son virghte vezzosa . But we never think of John sending his water-colour to the exhibition . ; we should be aghaet at hearing- of Julia ' s Intention to appear in the Hanaver-square Booms . Wh y ^ th « n , should John and Julia brave with their verses- a public ordeal never dreamt of with th « ir sketches and polaccasP Ther « is this e 2 tcuse ~ -this only : literature has of late been growing more and more Eke printed Talk , and in the feverish desire of publicity , young gentlemen and ladies hope that if printed Tdk will be accepted , printed . Humming'may not be unacceptable . We doubt that inference , but suggest , the excuse . Of course in his heart of hearts each Hummer devoutly believes himself to be a Singer—the very Mario of the tuneful choir . Perhaps he may find listeners to credit the pretension , for
•* Ainm q «* en sots auteii ra La siecle eat fertile en sots admirataura ;" it was Botleau ' s complaint , and may be echoed now , that " the age is as fertile in absurd admirers as in absurd writers . " Admiration pusht ^ to absurdity , instead of limited within due bounds and expressed so as toTlave been useful to the poet , we find in the Athenaeum , Apropos of Gerald Massey ' s volume , TU Ballad of Babe Christabel ; with other Lyrical Poems . ( D . Bogue . ) If , as Sydney Smith used to say , among the minor duties of life is that of withholding praise where praise is not due , so also among these duties is that of preserving something like proportion xn praise . The critic in the Athtnatwn . seems to us to have preserved no proportion . He has raised expectations which the volume will disappoint , and he has given the poet a warrant tor consiiering all criticisms harsh and ungenerous which , do not take the same tone . For ourselves , we have already recognised in Gerald Massey a poetical faculty , capable , perhaps , of < ieveloj > ing through study and experience into permainent excellence ; we have piaised him m these columns \ in these columns we have given publicity to several of the poems . B * t we have not as yet woven a hiurel crown tor his head . This volume will not move us thereto . That he has something of the poet in him few will deny on reading the many passages foliGitous in music and imagery scattered through this volume . We will give a specimen or two : — " With her white hands claspt ahe sloopoth , heart is husht , and lips aro cold ¦ Heath Bhrouis up her heaven of bcuaty , and a toeanj way 1 go ' i ,,. ? *~ P «^* o «< a Shepherd on the wintry norland ttfold , ' WWi tiieJam of Day shut out by blindinu snow .
' " The silver tJtrobbingr of her langhter pnlsed The air witb music rich and resonant , — As from the deep heart of a summer night , Some bird ir suaden sparkles of fine sound Hurriea its startled being into sone , And from the golden gushmgs of her hair Unto the delLcate pearly finger-tip , Fresh beuutj trembled from its thousand springs . " And yet such passages are frequent , aoxl help with the monotonous repetition of the imagery to inaku th-e volume very wearisome .
Our verdict then is plainly this : Gerald Maasey hAS a prodigal command of words , a faculty of poetic expression , and a certaiu spontaneity of song , which may hereafter develope into poetry worthy to l > e called by tie name ; but up to this time promise , not performance , is all wo can acknowledge . Ho wants some of the characteristic qualities of a poet—taste and good sense , for example—either of which wouLd liave destroyed three-fourths of tbia volume as soooa as written , lie wants experience ; or the faculty of transmuting experience into voctic forms is wanting to him . All his acutinaents have a factitious tone . Nowhere does the real soul of the man utter itself . He is not terrified ut nonseai . se ; he ia alwayn lured by a sounding p hrase . Very different ia the treatment the English language receives ltt William Alliugnaua ' s Day and Niyht Xonys (( J . lioutcledgc and Co . ) , thirty-two littlo
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Mahck 4 > 1854 . ] THE LEAD EH . 2 I 1
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 4, 1854, page 211, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2028/page/19/
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