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TWO LADY TOURISTS . doing Abroad ; or , Glimpses of Art and Character ^ in France and Italy . By Nona Bellairs . ( Skeet . ) - —Miss Bellairs writes with a free and graceful pen , and casts upon a well-worn subject the reflexion of a vivacious mind ana an elegant fancy . She begins her observations in Paris , journeys thence to Avignon , to Marseilles , to Cannes , Nice , and Savona . Her picture ot Florence is artistically coloured , and warm with the light of Italy . She has much to say of the galleries and churches , landscapes , religious groups , and pagan sculpture . Of course , we expect little novelty in a description o the City of Flowers , for who has not seen it—counted the tints of the Duomo marbles , admired the "joys for ever" in the Pitti palaces carried his optic glass to Fiesole , wondered at the fantastic manners of the demimonde ? Miss Bellairs , however , has an original sketch of a lady artist : —
It was on the 19 th of February ( Jl should not like to forget the day ) that I went to the studio of Mile , de Feauveau , nearly opposite to that of Mr . Power . I passed through rooms full of artistic models , to be presented to—a lady artist ! I saw a tall firm figure , dressed in a velveteei ^ robe , with a jacket of the same material , with a leather belt round her waist—her hair cut like that of a boy , very short in front , and a little longer at the side , her very handsome noble features set off by a little le ather cap . This dress was adopted , in accordance with a vow , when Mile , de Feauveau left her own land to follow the fortunes of the unfortunate . Miss Bellairs reached Milan a few hours after the execution of a priest for a frightful crime . The city seemed desolate . The lower windows of the houses were barricaded : — It was said that every exertion had been made to save Ms life on the plea of the great scandal it would bring upon the church . The answer given was , " That the sin disgraced the church , and not its punishment—that one of the Apostles was Judas , " and so the priest was executed .
Summer Experiences of Rome Perugia , and Siena , hi 1854 . By Mrs . J . E . Westropp . ( Skeffington . )—A volume of sketches , on paper and stone , written and scratched . The illustrations , in general , represent the ancient and modern edifices in Rome , Perugia , and Siena ; the descriptive passages for the most part refer to religious ceremonies , and to Italian collections of art . Mrs . Westropp has a pleasing manner , and writes intelligently on the ordinary topics of travel . A summer in Rome , however , is somewhat of a novelty ; the English seldom remain in the capital during that season . Siena , and Perugia too , as she remarks , are almost always ' done' in a hurry . The authoress will be very glad if her account should induce any one , in search of a summer residence in Italy , to turn their attention to these two cities , which combine beauty of scenery , treasures of art and painting , -with a cool temperature and economy .
¥ e may characterize Mrs . Westropp ' s volume as a careful and interesting account of the three cities in which she made her residence , with minute details of manners , pleasantly illustrated by anecdotes , and by sketchy reminiscences . Pleasing , indeed , is the word which best describes the book .
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A JONGLEUR ROMANCE . Freida the Jongleur . By Barbara Hemptill . 3 vols . Chapman and Hall . This is a story of the thirteenth century , of Saxon dancers , of Templar Knights , of kings and chieftains . Its movement is slow , and its plot irregular ; but there is an absence of commonplace in Miss HemphiU ' s manner which marks her new novel with considerable superiority . The substance is intensely romance , much mystery "being interwoven with much passion , and the personages on the stage being attired in deeply-dyed and richly-adorned costumes . In fact , every successive scene is a pageant or a tableau , often
not a little effective . Miss Hempbiil is careful not to offend against historical truth , and has evidently applied herself with assiduous zeal to study the manners ano ^ events of the period . It was an excellent idea to embroider a story of thirteenth-century politics and chivalry with wild and graceful illustrations from the chronicles of the Jongleur race , the Egyptians of the North , the fierce , chaste , faithful sisters of the Zingara nation . Miss Hemphill , though she manages her narrative with imperfect art , succeeds in interesting the reader , and in producing a vivid reflexion of manners as th « y existed in the days ofPhilippe-le-Bel , Guy D'Auvergne , and the formidable Valois .
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MR . WESTLAND MARSTON'S NEW PLAY . The play-goer always sees with gratification the announcement of a newplaj "by Mr . Wkstland Marston ; for , though possessing several literary faults , the author is one of the few writers for the stage of the present day who originate their own plots and characters , and think that England should do something more than simply adopt the last Paris fashion . He is also a true poet and an artist , and his sympathies are with whatever is really generous and noble . It was therefore with pleasant recollections of former productions of his that we witnessed on Monday evening the first , performance of his new play , A Life's Hansom , which Mr . Dillon has produced at the Lyceum , and which throws us back to the picturesque times of James the Second , just as the reign of that bigot was on the eve of its termination . The hero of the drama is a certain Devonshire nobleman , Lord Revesdale ( Mr . Dillon ) , who is poor , though of a haughty soul , and who will be obliged to part with his hereditary estates if his sister , Felicia ( Mrs . Dillon ) , does not consent to marry a lord high in favour at the Court . But she has already plighted herself to Arthur Eingwood , the son of a rich country gentleman of humble origin , and she will not break her word .
Lord Jtevesdale casts her off in a frenzy of passion , and quits the place . Subsequently , in the midst of his invings against the plebeian lover , he accidentally lets out , in the presence of a ferocious country magistrate , one Bancroft ( Mr . Stuart ) , a kind of . petty Judge Jeffreys , that the said lover was compromised in the Duke of Monmouth ' s rebellion . Bancroft , who has some grudge against young Mingwood , thereupon arrests him and his wife on the night of their wedding . Lord Revesdale , now overcome with remorse and shame , offers to put into Bancroft ' s power a man compromised in the movement in favour of the Prince of O-rance , on condition of his releasing the bridal'couple . Bancroft consents ; the young husband and wife put to sea for . Holland ; and Rcvesdak avows himself as an Orangeite , aa in fact he is . But the catastrophe is lust approaching . The fugitives are suddenly seen returning ; the peop le on the strand are clamorous with some new joy ; a fleet appears close in shore ; and Ringwood and Felicia rush forward , and announce the arrival of William of Orange . Bancroft is thus defeated ; the brother and sister are reconciled ; and all terminates with that felicity which , an audience , whether wisely or not , appears to expect in a play .
The first three acts—at least , until the termination of the third—seem to U 3 rather to prepare the spectator to be interested than to excite his sympathies at once . There is too much obvioua arrangement of the figures into the right positions for the proper am ount of antagonism ; and consequently , though the writing always commands respect , and at times admiration , we could not avoid fooling a want of interest . The relative hearings of the characters , moreover , not very clear for some time , and tho villain Bancroft moves about as in ft mist . This eflfcet was increased on the first night by a general indistinctness of utterance on the part of all the performers , Uut the fourth and fifth acts are full ot movement and dramatic power . By that time we see tlio whole scope and i »< of the story , and are at once warmed into sympathy with the characters . r J'Uo events succeed each other -with a rapidity which leaves no room for duhiess , inul yet gives opportunity for tho utterance of soruo impressive and passionate poetry ; notably , tho appeal of Felicia to the portraits of her brother ' s ami ! iur own ancestors in the old hull , to disown their descendant for his treachery . But tho conclusion of the play is rather abrupt ; and how arc we to account ( o ' other than stage principles ) ibr that sudden and pantomimic change of ficoiMJ
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188 THE LEADER . [ No . 361 , Saturday
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BE-APPEARANCE—FOR A SHORT TIME ONLY—OP TABLE TURNING , RAPPING , &c . The vitality exhibited by imposture is remarkable in an age boasting its groat enlightenment . Who would believe that after the rapping formerly given to turning tables by this journal , after the coup de grace administered by Profesaor Faraday , a table should yet be found with face enough to dance before an English assembly ? Such , however , is really the case ; and at tho theatre ot tue Marylebonb LiTEnAitY ano Scientific Institution , where of late Mr . ahackeuay winged his intellectual arrows at the " four Geokgks , " and Miss f ^ T Vtf Ol . » — -- ^ -wwwm . i t » Aivuo C * U II 1 U J . IM 4 JL \ J jUj ^» 1 V \ ji JUD ^ ill 111 XrAXQO Vflbh
« « . S ? i ;« J ?? aw » n Headings , the public have been entertained with a hnXety . exlubltMm ns revolting to common sense as it was disgusting in its Amlri ^ ff ^^ . ^ i ! entertaintncnt informed us that Mr . Randolph , " the « r 2 i ! i > would appear on Saturdays , February 14 th and 21 st , and that , nrSumeN ™ SK « T ? f " « " * " « " » " ( tho audience yet to be assembled , we rEmtnSn JCCt ° M ° ^ ovenin 8 wouW bc Phenomenal Spiritualism , Sei ?« SviL lid \ Tn al me * iums htld « the kindest manner volunteered ^ Sm ^ S ^ ltlT ^' ? ^ ^ toS . and rapping ^ ance would be held . " AmeSn fourS ^ tlS ^? » " " ° 8 hape ° sundry extracts from unknown * SS ? Ghil «?"" Wh » i *? ' ( ND 0 " " * as a « Concrete Man » that ho was the rackedluWin poL ^ h * , 8 Oa ? ed 80 inflnit ^ y » "gh into the sublime , that it aNSrrCn ? " 5 S inati ° 5 " thftt " « o lees a mind than that of cflort ^ u ' mM ^^' i a BaC ? ' COHld d ° 3 Ufltico to such awfully BUblimc cttorts , thatlus speeches vero of the " aery-harp order ; " while ono trumpeter ,
carried beyond discretion by his zeal , bestows the somewhat questionable ocT ~ pliment that on one occasion he ( the trumpeter ) " actually felt concerned f the physical and intellectual safety of the speaker , for both systems seemed ivLi * to burst" with the " titanic efforts of the fiery-harp orator . " , djr But , however effective Mr . Randolph may be with an American audien such sound and fury declamation falls flatly on English ears . The " fierv-ti orator" has a good , sonorous voice , and speaks glibly enough ; and we have *^ doubt , that as a methodist parson , he would soon attain a Spuroeon sort ? fame ; but when Mr . Randolph : lectures us on the nature of the Deitv a a declares in impious bombast that turning tables are the links between Man and the Omnipotent , we can only regret that such an easy flow of speech should h directed by a mind so distorted . After he had spoken in this strain for aTirm *
an hour last Saturday evening , the " experiments" with a table commenced This table was of peculiar construction , and it did not belong to the Marvl hone Institution—an admission made by Mr . Randolph in answer to an inquiry from a gentleman on tlie platform . The peculiarity consisted chiefly in there being a flap ( apparently heavy ) on one side of the table © mV the lower part of which flap was cut in a sort of half-moon form , the two horns or ends . nearly touching the ground . Seven people sat down at three sides of this piece of furniture and placed their hands on it in the most approved fashion and in about ten minutes it began to move , as well as to raise the two U ' facing the spectators and opposite to the side on which the flap rested . This performance being more suspicious than entertaining , a gentleman in the room ted that i t would be well to turn the table round and
sugges as have the flap fastened up ; which being done , the table took umbrage and refused to dance any more It ran about the platform , as any other table might do with the assistance of seven people ; but no coaxing ( and Mr . Randolph spoke very kindly to if ) would induce it to jump . Meanwhile the lecturer , showing signs of uneasi ness at the tittering of the audience , tried to amuse them by some sneering remarks on unbelievers in Spiritualism ; but , in an attempt to saddle on Professor Faraday that which he never said , and which , in point of fact , was in direct contradiction to all he urged , the " fiery-harp orator" received from a gentleman in the room the first of a series of defeats which left him thoroughly crestfallen . It is from Mr . Randolph that we first learn that Fakaday accounts for
tableturning by attributing the " phenomenon' to " involuntary electricity . " At a later period of the evening when the audience , thoroughly disgusted , were about to leave , the table recommenced its saltatory performances , and informed us by sundry taps with its legs on the ground that it was animated by the spirit of John Young , brother to Thomas , and that the said spirit was very happy—far more so indeed than when , in the body , it inhabited this wick ed world . As this interesting communication ( it was very kind of John Young , brother to Thomas , to come all the way from his present abode merely to inform some people assembled in Edwards-street , Portman-square of these facts ) —as this , we say , may appear something like a rapping success on the part of the table , we must inform the reader that , in accordance with the-wish , of a Spiritualist in the room , the flap had again been put down and turned from the spectators .
It would hardly have been worth the loss of an inch of space to describe this wretched jugglery , hut that some old ladies of either sex still allow themselves to be duped , by an imposture as transparent to common sense and investigation , as it is mischievous in its effects on minds weakened by ill-health or suffering .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 21, 1857, page 188, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2181/page/20/
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