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    December 10, 1853.] THE LEADER. 1191

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    v Ktitwintt.

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    Critics are not the legislators, tut the...

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    These is an unjust, unwise practice prev...

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    There is nothing bo monotonous as philip...

• Transcript

  • 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.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    December 10, 1853.] The Leader. 1191

    December 10 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 1191

    V Ktitwintt.

    v Ktitwintt .

    Critics Are Not The Legislators, Tut The...

    Critics are not the legislators , tut the judges and police of literature . Thevdo not make laws—they interpret and try to enforce them—Edinburgh Review .

    These Is An Unjust, Unwise Practice Prev...

    These is an unjust , unwise practice prevalent in Literature of taking up a man ' s opinions , developing them to their extreme conclusions , or interpreting them into conclusions lie would repudiate , and having done this , the interpreter exclaims , Lo ! the absurdity ! We need not cite illustrations ; but if such a practice were reasonable , how easy it would be to make it appear that orthodox writers do not really believe in the Bible wlien they exhibit such , extreme eagerness for " proofs , " as shown in the jubilations over the discoveries in Nineveh . How stands

    the case ? Here is a book claiming to be the word of God , and as such the eternal rule of life . The evidence in favour of such a claim is mainly internal ; but it is also said to have external evidence , such as miracles , prophecies , and historic testimony . We will not here discuss , or even glance at so vast a subject ,- we only note the strange uneasiness which can clutch at proofs , when those proofs are only proofs of the book containing much historical matter , and do not in any way affect the divine

    authorship . In the London Quarterly Review , of which the second number is before us , there is an article on Oriental Discovery , its Progress and Results , well worth reading for its own sake , and typical of much that has been written and said on the Layard discoveries . Curious and interesting as they were , it is to say little to say that their main interest has been their supposed corroboration of scripture ; and yet Logic is perplexed to see where the corroboration lies . The writer we

    p . re about to quote holds the " demonstrative internal evidence to be complete , " and nevertheless he says : — - " We have also , in the results of these explorations , very powerful corrpborations of the truth of Holy Scripture . They have furnished these corroborations by exhibiting the names and actions of individuals specially mentioned in its sacred pages— as Sargori , Sennacherib , Esarhaddon , Nebuchadnezzar , and Cyrus . These Kings are spoken of by the Prophets , and other inspired writers , in connexion with the most sublime miracles and prophecies . But the name and memorial of some of these having-perished from the pages of profane history , sceptics have dared to sneer at the relations of Scripture concerning them . But how does the case now stand ? The records of these sovereigns are found in the city which the sacred writers said they occupied , and , as- clearly as can be ascertained , at the times , in the order , and under the circumstances which were ascribed to them "

    In the name of all that is precise , " corroborations" of what ? O £ the divine authorship ? Not at all . Simply of certain historical passages . In Livy and Dion Cassius there are historical persons—events mixed with mythical persons and events—will any amount of discovered accuracy in the historical portions corroborate the truth of the mythical ? In the life of Plato there are facts stated which may receive ample corroboration from historic research ; will they at the same time corroborate the story of his having been the child of a virgin mother by Apollo ?

    There is another article in this review to which attention may be directed—it is on the Natural History of Man , a popular , agreeable statement of the present condition of tho ethnological question . There are one or two passages , however , to which we must take exception . For example : —

    " Without admitting tho details of tho phrenological delusion , we believe in some of its broad truths , and , as a general rule , connect with the healthy expansion of the cerebral organ a corresponding power in the functions which it performs . At the same time , it appears probable that , aR in the other organs of the body , those functions will attain additional vigour by exercise ; whilst tho organ which is their instrument will undergo a corresponding increase in ifc . s size . . Few persons doubt that the passions and the intellect , respectively , bring into action different portions of the brain . " Wo do not like such phrases as " tho phrenological delusion , " especially when followed by an admission of all tho capital points in phrenology . Tho subject of Phrenology is touched on in another column , but wo will

    not suiter the present occasion to pass Avithout a remonsfranco against the very common and extremely unphilosophic practice of sneering at phrenology while admitting its main principles , because a i ' cw of its details arc rejected . No one sneers at Chemistry or Biology because its teachings arc constantly being reversed by fresh discoveries . And if phrenologists do somewhat prematurely and arrogantly assume their scionco to bo in a fixed , immoveablo condition , their error should not throw us oil ' from our allegiance to the truth .

    Speaking of tho lower forma of humanity -as exhibited by the J ^ eojeeH and AlfouroiiB , this Avriter , avIio regards them as degradations of tho race , adds , " Surely the veriest of infidels must acknowledge thai ; Satan has done Iuh worst amongst these * unhappy outcasts of creation "~~ -a sentence of supremo absurdity ! The " veriest of infidels" in the fruostof infidel ; ' ml how the men who do not believe in Satan are to acknowledge that hatan has done his worst hero , and why these outcasts were . hift to Inn particular attention , wo leave others to decide . Into what twaddle does the dosiro for " rounding a , period" sedueo men ! Hlackwood begins a now story this month—The , Quiet Ilaarl— -which <> no may presume to bo by the writer of Katia Stewart . There is also a ,

    tfo . ssipmg letter from Paris agreeable to rend - and the condition of the iir tiolos , The Narcotics we indulge in . . From this paper we learn with surprise that not only day is eaten by some races ( of which Hum no i , or i » a others had informed us ) but torscnic ! Tho Styrian peasants eat

    arsenic as the Chinese eat opium . They eat it for two specific purposes —to acquire plumpness anoLfreshness of complexion , and to improve their " wind , " so as to enable them to climb long and steep mountains without cumculty of breathing . Arid , strange to hear , these specific purposes are attained . The young poison-eaters are remarkable for blooming complexions , and full , rounded , healthy appearances . The peasant after dissolving a slight particle of arsenic in his mouth ascends heights with facility which he could not otherwise do without the greatest difficulty of breathing . There is danger of taking too much ; but you cannot eat too many mutton chops with impunity . Is this good result , however , only a flash—or is it permanent ? Professor Johnston , who writes these papers , answers :

    '' No symptoms of illness or of chronic poisoning are observable in any of these arsenic-eaters , when the dose is carefully adapted to the constitution and habit of body of the person using it . But if from any cause the arsenic be left off for a time , symptoms of disease occur which resemble those of slight arsenical poisonings : especially a great feeling of discomfort arises , great indifference to everything around , anxiety about his own person , deranged digestion , loss of appetite , a feeling of overloading in the stomach , increased flow of saliva , burning from the stomach up to the throat , spasms in the throat , pains in the bowels , constipation , and especially oppression in the breathing . From these symptoms there is onlyone speedy mode of relief—an immediate return to arsenic-eating !

    " This custom does not amount to a passion , like opium-eating in the East , betel-chewing in India , or coca-chewing in Peru . The arsenic is not taken as a direct pleasure-giver or happiness-bestower , but the practice , once begun , creates a craving , as the other practices do , and becomes a necessity of life . " In Vienna they give arsenic to horses with the same results . And now attend to this : " The chemico-physiological action of arsenic , in producing these curious effects , has not as yet been experimentally investigated . From the nature of the results

    we think it probable that , when experiments come to be made , they will show that the quantity of carbonic acid given off by the lungs is diminished by the Use of this drug . The effects of this , supposing it to be the case , are , first , that less oxygen , is required to be inhaled , and hence the greater ease of breathing under all circumstances , but which is especiall y perceived in climbing hills ; and , second , that the fat of the food which would otherwise have been used up in supplying carbonic afeid to be given off by the lungs , is deposited instead in the cellular tissue beneath the skin , and thus pads , plumps out , and renders fair the animal that uses ifc . " ^

    This is matter for reflection . While drawing attention to these articles on Narcotics , let us mention that Professor Johnston is about to reissue them in his new monthly work , The Chemistry of Common Life , which appears iu sixpenny parts , and will treat of the air Ave breathe , the water avc drink , the bread we eat , the food we cook , the soil we cultivate , & c , thus really fulfilling its title of the Chemistry of Common Life . Tho first part has already appeared .

    We may also mention another serial—Dr . Siieridan Muspratt ' s Chemistry , Theoretical , Practical , and Anal ytical , as applied to Arts and Manufactures . This is to be in thirty-six monthly parts at one shilling each . It is handsomely printed and illustrated . The arrangement is alphabetical . The copiousness with which each subject is to be treated may be estimated when we add that the first part containing thirty-two imperial double-columned pages docs not suffice to exhaust one articleacetic aeid .

    Ike Illustrated London Magazine completes its first volume with this number . The editor , Eiciiakd Buinhley Knowljcs , has catered liberally , and wo are glad to hear successfully ; so good and cheap a periodical deserves its success . The same must be said of John Casseli / s Illustrated Magazine of Art—ix marvel of pictorial cheapness . Tho pictures of tho old masters hero given for one shilling , are each worth that sum , and there ave seventeen for the shilling , not to mention other

    illustrations . The Introductory Treatise to Orrs Circle of the Sciences has appeared and certainly a , moro remarkable treatise for twopence is not known tons . Were avo to erifiduso it , indeed , wo should have several points to combat , and some imperfeeUogie to rectify ; but while proles / in /* - against its views on the Logic , of Science , against its conception of Induction , and its patronage of Teleology , avo nevertheless commend it lo our readers , trusting ( hey will read it with caution .

    There Is Nothing Bo Monotonous As Philip...

    There is nothing bo monotonous as philippics ; even 'praise , of which we quickly lire , does not ko weary uh as abuse , thanks to the real kindness of human nature . Hence wo conceive that Victor IIimjo has committed an . enormous mistake iu his recent work , Ch Aliments , ft is a thick volume of poems , liery with indignation , terrible in . sarcasm , copious in contempt , vehement in allegation directed against Louis JNai'olnon and his accomplices . Victor Hiicj o is a good writer and a , good baler ; but his hate i . s verbose . 1 lo thunders , but lie thunders too much and too loud . Why the very cannoneers will sleep upon tjieir guns , wearied with the iteration

    of Hashing wrath , and terrible boomings ; and if any reader keeps awake throughout ; Victor Hugo ' s cannonade , ho must have a , more ingenious restlessness of hate , or a more ravenous appetite Cor rhyme flmu ordinary men can boast . C / t / itimett / sXma all Victor lluuo ' s well known force of epigram , antithesis and imagery , and nil his well-known weakness of the same . 11 ; in glittering—and tiresome : indignant—and tiresome : remorseless—and tiresome . What a h ( . range- place it will occupy in tho ages of future generations among tho poetical works of tho author of Los Orientates !

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 10, 1853, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10121853/page/15/