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at their evening halt lie proceeds to the Guardsman ' s tent , and holds conversation -with him , through the intervention of a rascally dragoman , to the folio-wing effect : Arab Scheik— " shawled to the eyes and bearded to the nose , " enveloped , moreover in dirty draperies , waving his pipe-stick courteouaLy to dragoman— " Tell my brother that the way is long , our barley exhausted , our horses without water , we must return or perish . " Windliam—in shirt-sleeves and much-worn inexpressibles , without removing the short black pipe from his mouth— " Tell him to be d—d . " Scheik—" Unless the effendi will pay us two thousand more piastres back-sheesh , ' my men will be compelled to return . " Windham—" Aslc him if he means to abide by lis agreement or not ?" Dragoman—much alarmed , as is their wont—" Better give hint the money ; we shall be left here to die . " Winduam—with a sign to Private VT . Sykes , of the Light Company , whom nothing has ever astonished— " Bill ! you catch hold of this chap whilst I leather him . "
In a iwinkling the Scheik ' s gravity is upset , by the summary process of tripping up his beels , performed secundvm artem by the Captain , a powerful square-built manj no whifc inferior in all athletie exercises to his illustrious ancestor and namesake , the famous statesman . Bill , a brawny front-rank man , holds the chief down by the shoulders , and his master , Avith . a good-humoured smile the whole time upon his countenance , lays into the prostrate Arab ' with a will , ' some twenty or thirty telling stripes from an honest English hunting-whip that has accompanied him through his travels—the Arab writhing , and abjectly intreating for mercy . At the end of the performance , -what does the -wild son of the desert to avenge his disgrace ? Does lie call in his retainers and massacre the bold strangers on the spot , or does he spring like a tiger on the strong-armed Englishman , and bury his yataghan in the throat of his enemy ? Not a bit of it . He crawls io the Captain ' s feet , he embraces his knees , he calls him " my father , " he promises to do his bidding , " himself and his troop , and all that is his , in everything he shall require , " and moreover , he keeps his promise ; and to use Windham ' s own words , " behaves quite like a gentleman" till the end of the journey .
There is another curious article , " Protestantism from a Eoman Catholic Point of View , " in which a Catholic work -written to > warn Catholics against Protestantism , is analyzed at some length . It is a very foolish , wicked bookj and , after exposing its misrepresentations , the writeT wisely adds : — In conclusion may we be allowed to hint that Protestants may learn a lesson from this book , which will not he unproductive of good if it lead them to compare the feelings of indignation and disgust with which its false and garbled statements cannot but have inspired them , with the sentiments experienced by Catholics when they find some among themselves misstating and exaggerating the doctrines and practices of their religion to an extent equal to anything / we have met with even in Dr . Giovanni Perrone's precious production . Will the lesson be taken ? We doubt it . The Protestant who indulges his egoism by making false and garbled statements is not the man to profit by such hints . ;
There are other articles in this varied Magazine we should like to pause over—especially one on" Shakspeare and his Native County "—but must hurry on to thegem of the nnniber , the article called " The Angel in the House . " This is scarcely a criticism of the poem so named ; but , taking the suggestion from the poem , tlie writer discourses on the predominance given in poetry and fiction to Love , and especially to Love "before Marriage , and points out the advantages of varying -this monotony by .. the more difficult hut more fruitful topic of married love . The article bears no signature , but every page is the signature of a high , pure , and subtly-reflective mind ; one keen in its insight ; into social life , as it is delicate in its literai-y susceptibilities . It bears reading and rereading 1 . We can only squeeze in two
extracts : — The romance of life is over , it i ^ , said , with marriage ; nothing like marriage , is the congenial reply , for destroying illusions and nonsense . In which notable specimens of " the wisdom of many men expressed in the wit of one , " as a lordly living statesman defines a proverb , there are two remarkable assertions involved . The first is that love is an illusion ; the second , that marriage destroys it . We may concede to the wisdom of the market-place thus much of truth , tlmt the love which marriage destroys is unquestionably an illusion . We may also concede to it this further truth , that the love of husband and wife is no more the love of the man and woman in the days of their courtship , than the blossom of the peach is the peach , or the green
shoots of corn that peep above the snows of February arc the harvest that waves its broad billows of red and gold in the autumn sun . If indeed there are persons so silly as to dTeain , in their days of courtship , that life can be an Arcadian paradise , where caution , self-restraint , and sell-deniul are needless ; where inexhaustible blisses fall like dew on human lilies that linve only to l > e lovely , a world from the conception of which pain and imperfection , sin , discipline , and moral growth are excluded , marriage undoubtedly docs destroy this illusion , as life would destroy it were marriage out of tho question . If , too , attracted originally to each other by some alight and indefinable cliurm , by some chord of sympathy vibrating in harmony at a moment's accidental touch , often by the mere force of the tendency at a particular age to what tho great Florentine
culls—Toleration is one of those virtues which the intellect at once recognizes to be necessary , to be even indispensable ; but few virtues are so hard to practise ; few permit so many sophistications to obstruct their action . As a . general proposition , the necessity of toleration commands assent ; when a particular case falls under our jurisdiction , who of us can say that his egoistic impulses do not overmaster the intellectual conclusion , darkening it with sophisms , dismissing it with vehement contempt ? We are all impatient of differences ^ The truth so clear to us must be clear to you ; if you do not see it , that is because you refuse to look in the right way ( our own ) ; and your refusal must spring fromv moral perversion .
Although the egoism fi * om whicli this springs may be mitigated lay culture , whicli , enlarging the mind , brings before us vividly and constantly the inevitable dissidences in men ' s opinions , it will not entirely disappear . Something , however , is gained by each particular lesson . To have given up persecuting the Jews , and roasting schismatics , are great particular gains . To have learned that ' infidels' are nothing like the monsters which acrimonious egoism , irritated at opposition , has so long been proclaiming , but that 'infidelity' is , in most cases , more genuine faithfulness and truthfulness than the orthodoxy it combats , is also a great gain . While , therefore , such intellectual feebleness and egoistic vehemence as the Rev ; Mr .
Conteeare displays in his novel of Perversion , which will assure him tie contempt of most thinting minds , may serve to pander to the already vigorous hatred which the majority feels for its religious opponents , -we have still the satisfaction of noting that the spirit of the age is becoming more and more tolerant . Toleration is the watchword of the Leader . Free speech for M free thought , is , . and ever Las been , our guiding principle . That we are not always tolerant— -that on many points we are fiercely intolerant , is , alas ! too welL known to us . Our human infirmities must be confessed . But at any rate we mean to be tolerant ; we strive after the ideal ; and , if often failing , we still contrive to fight the battle in certain particular cases . ' ; ¦ - . - ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ . ' . ' . . . ' " '¦ . ' . . . ' '' . ' ¦ : ¦; ' . ' ¦ ' . ' ¦ . This is a long proem to the notice of a remarkable article m the Oxford ami Cambridge Magazine for this month , entitled " The Sceptic and the Infidel . " The Magazine is conducted by able young men belonging to the universities , and is interesting to those outside the universities who want to note the yeast fermenting in the minds of those who will shortly play parts in public life . But the article to which we now refer Las no trace of youth in it , unless the generous ardour and courageous expression of some passages be attributed to the warmth , of youth . It is a protest against Mr . Cotsybeari : and the class of minds to which h e belongs , written in a thoughtful and elevated tone , and our readers will do well to look after it .
They will also do well to look after the article on " Bashi-Bazoulcs" in this month ' s Fraser , for distinct information respecting that curious body of irregular cavalry , about which we have heard so much from newspapers . The writer , besides thoroughly making us acquainted with these troopsand so picturesque are his descriptions thivt we seem to sec the men galloping before us—also throws in various amusing- touches , of . which two shalL be given here . What thank you of this method of shopping?—For the benefit of the shopping public , and especially those ladies who have a morbid tendency for at once appropriating any articles that suit their fancy , from the counter , and talcing their chance of the bill being ' sent in' afterwards , we may as well describe the method by -which a purchase is effected in that land of fraud and double dealing , tho merchants of which are so fond of affirming that'the first principle ' their creed is abhorrence of a lie . You walk to the counter of a Tin-Irish tradesman , on which he sits and smokes in somewhat provoking apathy . You take up what you require , and ask him , " Katch goroosh ? " ( how many piastres ?) Ho answers , -without
moving a muscle of his countenance , " Fifty . " You know it would cost much less in England , and if it is your first attempt you offer twenty-five , in hopes of his coining down a little , when , by your advancing in the same proportion you may effect a bargain . Somewhat to your discomfiture , ho merely shrugs his shoulders , and givesvent to that well-known sound , " , st , " which marks so hopelessly the impracticability and imbecile helplessness of the Eastern tradesman . You might haggle all day long , you would never acquire possession of the article . There is but one thing to . do , and custom bears you out fully in doing it . You tnke what you want , and put down on the counter such a sum as you think a sufficient price , and so walk away . The merchant is generally satisfied , and the deal is closed . Such is the plan adopted l > y all Europeans , such is tho plan much aft ' octed by the French , who nlso take advantage of their decimal coinage to pay ' francs' where John Bull pays shillings , and such in tho plan most admired by the Bashi-Hazouka , wlio certainly , unless closely watched , have a tendency to omit entirely the paying part of tho ceremony , and walk away with their prize , leaving notliing on the counter in exchange .
The next shall be an admirable story of General Windham , the hero of the Redan ; a stoi-y intensely British ;—When a young Guardsman , he was spending his leave in a tour through Syria , and was journeying in tho desert under convoy of an Arab schcik aiul some twenty or thirty retainers , swnvtliy , desperate-looking Kons of the desert—hinmclf and his servant , a stalwart « Coldntrcnmer , ' being tho only two Europeans of tho party . The route was dangerous , and beset by brigands . It whs impossible to travel except under escort , mul Captain Whulham had engaged tlip nerviccs of liia guidon and guardiann at a fair remuneration . For the Jirat few days they went on nmicably enough . The captain , with his short black pipa and frank hnndsomo face , winning , uswan his wont , golden opinions from nil with whom ho associated ; but at the end of that timt > , and when ho fax advanced into tho desert that it wiih equally dangerous to go forward or to return , behold the wily Bch « ik bethinUB him of a scheme by which ho may yet worm out another thousand or two of piastres from his English friend . Accordingly ,
" Amor clio al cor gcnti . 1 ratto a ' apprende , Amor che a nullo amato amar perdonn , " two young persons fancy that this subtile charm , this mysterious attraction , is endowed with eternal strength to stand the shock * of time , tho temptations of fresli attractions , tho nioro ftitul because more continual sup of unresting egotism , overactive to throw down tho outworks and undermine tho citadel of love ; and trusting to it alone , think that wedded happiness can bo maintained without self-discipline , mutual esteem and forbearanco ; without tl » o charity which covers the defects it silently studies -to remove ; without the wisdom and the mutual understanding ot character to which profound and patient love can alone attain—this is another illusion which marriage will destroy . Agnin : — The romnncc of life gone ! when with the humblest and most sordid cares of lift nro intimately associated the calm delights , the . settled bliss of homo ; when upoi duties , in themselves perhaps often wenrisomo and uninteresting , hang the prosperity nnA the happiness of wife mid children ; when there in no mean hope , because thcr is no hope in which regard for others does not largely mingle—nobuse fear , beams huduring and dintresH cannot affect si-lf alomt ; when tho selfishness which turns lionet industry to grcad and noble ambition to egotistical hint of power is exorcised ; whci life becomes a perpetual exercise of duties winch are delights , and delights which ai dut ics . Eul tho whole must be read .
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• .-. ¦• ¦ .. ——? Critics are nob the legislators , but the judges and police of literature . They do not make laws—tixey interpret and try to enforce them . —JStliribit-rgh Review .
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October 4 , 1856 , ] THE- LEADER . 951
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 4, 1856, page 951, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2161/page/15/
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