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Leader (1850-1860), 12th May 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 17

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      Serials. Rilue North British Quarterly F...

      we can only designate as excellent articles on obviously useful and important subjects . The Family Economist , an illustrated weekly penny magazine , is deserving of the most favourable notice . Its contents arc entertaining and instructive in a high degree , and we call attention to its well-filled pages , feeling certain that the stories of "So the World Goes , " its papers on " Scientific Recreation , Waxen Flowers and Fruits , " together with a variety of brief papers on popular topics , for the most part illustrated , will fully satisfy the 111 Part IPvVof " Cassell ' s Illustrated History of England , " the text by William Howitt , ranges from 1776—78 , and contains a portrait of Lord Howe , and several interesting sketches of American scenes . " Cassell ' s Popular Natural History" continues the history of the Dog , of which many good illustrations are given . We have also received the May number of Cassell s Illustrated

      PartXIlfof " Cassell ' s Illustrated Family Bible " contains the Book of Ruth , and the first Book of Samuel , which are very beautifully illustrated . " Ruth Gleaning in the Field , " and " The Storm in Harvest , " are among the characteristic engravings which greatly enhance the value of this part . ' , . , .. . i The Ladies Treasury for May is rich with interesting articles and admirable illustrations . m We have received Part V . of the valuable " Memoirs of Inomas Moore , " published by Messrs . Longman and Co . It embraces three years of the poet ' s life from 1822 , and his biographer has traced Moore ' s life history to the age of forty-six . In this part is a portrait of Sir John Stevenson , MJD .

      May 12, 1860.J The Leader And Saturday A...

      May 12 , 1860 . J The Leader and Saturday Analyst . 453

      Mr. Mason Jones's Oration On Lord Macaul...

      MR . MASON JONES'S ORATION ON LORD MACAULAY . M R . Mason Jones delivered his oration on " Lord Macaulay the essayist , statesman , prose writer , and poet , at Willis s Rooms , on Monday evening last . In thus stating the circumstance , -we have quoted the announcement on the programme as nearly as possible with due regard to the wording of it . The name of the orator is well known to the public in fact , so well and favourably lmpwn from his series of popular and eloquent orations of last summed , that the mere announcement of his re-appearance m the same capacity upon a subject of so wide and deep an interest . as that of Macaulay , was quite sufficient to attract a large , _ bnlhant , and intelligent audieTice ; and such it evidently had the effect of latform the

      doin" \ Before the orator took his place on the p room was ° nHed-by hearers who , we feel sure , anticipated a great treat _ from the expected speaker , for no sooner did the " lecturer of ail lecturers , " as Mr . Jones had been represented b y some of our contemporaries last season , appear , than he was hailed with warm expressions of delight and applause . Of course it was not the erecting which a less intelligent and fashionable audience would have given to its idol—not of that loud , quick , spontaneous , ana turbulent kind which a popular M . P . would receive from his constituents , but it was nevertheless strong enough to assure any lecturer that lie was cordially remembered and appreciated . So Mr . Jones , whom we wore happy f-n *™ ngnin , must have felt . However , to he brief , in spite of the very favourable impression whichThe atfirst made

      upon us , and the convition which ho had , with others , that lie would ultimately bec ome an orator of rare and transcendent powers , we must now say plainly that he has not . an our opinion , improved upon his first effort in the same room last year . Indeed we think that he has rather deteriorated . His style does not appear to be so terse and vigorous , his wit so keen , his imagination so brilliant , nor his penetration , figures of speech , comments , and powers of analysis so fresh and original . We do not make these remarks out of any spirit of ill-feeling to Mr . Jones ; on the contrary , we admire the remarkable gifts which ; he has displayed , the irreat ability he has manifested , and we are sorry to find that he should stand stillorwhat is worse , oven retrograde . Mr . Jones

      , , possesses , we admit , plenty of information , and a thorough knowledge of whatever subject he takes up ; he has evidently a great memory , and an unusual command of language ; a copious flow of fancies , and a poetic temperament . But what he lnckn , or does not pay adequate attention to is , the selection and compression of his ideas , and the careful arrangement of his sentences . Hence , through this carelessness , some portions of his speeches appear to be mere chnsms bridged over by a few commonplaces ; others too exuberant and puffy , and at times tediously protrncted by dissertation that may ns well be- omitted ; and the whole , coiiseto the hearer of the

      quently , with all its merits , painfully suggestive unwelcome exclamation , " Too long by half ! " Now , this , wo think , was the- great fault of nn otherwise excellent orntion on Lord Maeaulny . Coldly and drily beginning , as som « music begins , with a recitative or minor , he detained us much too long in Westminster Abbey at the funeral of tho illustrious historian . We certainly ^ did not expect the commonplace homily to which Mr . Jones treated . us at the outset ; and we wish not to be offensive when we sny we wcro glad when it was over . Solemnising " , indeed , must bo the funeral of a great man whoso dust is laid in the place where kindred dust has long before reposed ; but wo think tho circumstance torn in

      may be more solemnly , fittingly , and eitectiveiy a row words than by any long verbal description , however oloquent , it it occupy aamuch time as did thjo Funeral Service itsolf . This over , however , the lecturer instantly changing his tone from grave to gay , prooeeds to givo a rapid sketch of tho life of Mncaulny . lho quioUnees and brevity with which this was dono , though we wero

      strongly reminded of the manner in which it had been done elsewhere , made it highly interesting . Then , after long and carefully descanting upon the respective merits of his essays , history , poems , and powers of speech-making , an argument that was not concluded without a good deal of redundancy , he pronounced an opinion on the intellectual character of Macaulay . In doing this , he did , we think , perfect justice to Macaulay . In the lecturer ' s judgment he is neither a great statesman nor a great thinker—but a celebrated essayist merely . In this estimate of Macaulay we coincide , and must content ourselves with this general statement of it , for want of space to follow Mr . Jones through his argument . Neither was Macaulay an orator . Now , while listening to Mr . Jones , as he pursued his discussion as to the literary speciality of the great essayist , we thought" that his own style of speaking

      resembled that of Macaulay—his oration on him being so like a spoken essay ; arid that his remarkable powers will , if he do not take great care , degenerate into the habit of making long speeches only . We also think Mr . Jones ' s speeches would be much improved if he were more chary of the use of the words " splendid , " " sublime , " " transcendental , " " spiritual , " and " divine , " the constant repetition of which is not at all pleasant or tasteful . Some puerilities of sentiment , too , he will do well to get rid of if he would satisfy the maturer judgment of his hearers . We certainly cannot subscribe to his creed that a poet is a " prophet , " a "legislator , " " lawgiver , " and so forth , at whose feet we must humbly , sit and mumble over his music as if it were divine revelation ; nor do ^ ve like to hear preached on a purely literary subject the theological dogmas of any sect . ¦ '

      ^ _ At the conclusion of his oration , Mr . Jones , to our thinking , made also a serious mistake . The end , as well as the beginning of it , seemed out of place ; better for him , perhaps , had he put the beginning at the end , or substituteda peroration of his own for the " Lays of the Roundheads , " " Horatius , " and " Virginia ;" for considering that these poems are well known , that they are likewise very long , and that Mr . Jones is not a good elocutionist , his recitation of them was about as injudicious a thing as he could have committed . The applause , therefore , was neither hearty nor unanimous . , . , By a paper which we received on leaving , we iind it announced that " Dean Swift" will form the subject of his next oration , on Saturday jnorriing , May 19 th .

      Foreign Correspondence. - (Special.). -"...

      FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE . - ( special . ) . - " . _ - TtTEiN , May 5 , 18 GO . OUR King's triumphant progress through his new states is still the universal theme . Gratifying as are the demonstrations of respect and affection with which he is everywhere greeted , it will , however , be quite a relief when he returns once more to Piedmont , and state affairs are suffered to relapse into their normal condition . More than a year has now elapsed since Tuscany threw off the rule of her Austrian dictators . The past twelve months of freedom and prosperity , of obstacles overcome , of difficulties surmounted , were well calculated to excite the people of Tuscany to give a warm and

      enthusiastic reception t ^ tlrdT ^« riv'sovereig 7 r , ' ^ ntJHntleed 7-nothing had been neglected by any class , sect , age , or sex , to prove the heartfelt gratification , the true-hearted loyalty and devotion nourished by the Tuscans towards Victou Emmanuel . The reception in the JRomagna , though greatly marred by t \ e inclemency of the weather , has been such as to show the gratification of the people at their exchange of priestly for temporal rule . A few months ago Signor E . P . Ross * brought out a book which forms a useful and complete manual of the history of the Pontifical domination , and its systematic repression of the just desires of its subjects . In tracing out this history , it is clearly shown that no people has ever acted according to more consistent ' and unvarying rules in its constant opposition to iviaccrata

      Papal tyranny . Signor . Rossi ' s narrative shows that has revolted from tho Pope eight times ; Sinigngha , Aw-oli , Fulio-no , Orvieto , Ferrara , and Ancona , ten times ; Tivoh , Gittn di Castello , Osirno , Fnno , and Pcsaro , eleven times ; Permo , twelve times- Spoleto , Todi , and Cnrneriuo , thirteen times ; Imolfi and Ravenna , fourteen times ; Cesena nnd Urbino , fifteen times ; Viterbo , sixteen times ; Rimini , nineteen times ; Forh twenty times ; Bologna and Perugia , twenty-one times ; Faenzn , twenty-two times , and Rome seventy-nine times . These . figures are far too eloquent to require comment , nnd nro of themselves tho most powerful protest possible against tho erroneous nnd repressive system pursued by the Roman Curm . We have every reason to hope that a people , who havo thus consistently and pcr . scveriui ? ly opposed tyrnnny , will no less pcrsevenngly and consistently do nil in their power to strengthen tho hands of their new Sovereign , nnd aid him in carrying out tho reforms which the bad Government , under which they havo gronnol . have mndo essentially

      requisite . It is not to bo hoped that the relations pet ween oovcroign and people can always retain the cduldur de rose thrown ground them by tho rejoicings attendant upon a royal progress . Mutual combination and concessions will be required , exactly ns in tho arrangements of a largo family . : «« , „ *„ The work of consolidating nnd arrangirig ; thc new Italian Stnto will be laborious , arduous , mid elow . The difficulties nro nojr boginning to bo felt , nnd in proportion ns thoee at ¦ tho I fad £ "J «* nro enabled to overcome and conquer them , they w « H hftHton or retard tho solution of the intornationnlquestion , and the « " * " *»» of the new Italian equilibrium . Tho Great Powers , with tho excep-

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 12, 1860, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12051860/page/17/