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Leader (1850-1860), 20th April 1850, Edition Country of 1, Page 16, A DIDACTIC NOVEL. Compton Merinale; anot...

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      The Destiny Of Man. The Purpose Of Exist...

      • xplicitly that neither he nor Peter had any expectation of their master ' s resurrection ; and that no such beliet prevailed among his disciples is proved by the . onsterna-€ ion of the visitors to his sepulchre , who first discovered that his body was not there , and by the doubts which they all manifested when told of his reappearance , lne expressions attributed to him by his different biographers which are considered to have been predictions of that event , and all others supposed pre-references to it , must have derived that character from the interpretations mentioned by Papias , and the impressions and opinions of the period when those records were put into the form in which they have come into our hands .

      Now we ask : Is it at all probable that any man thoroughly in earnest , possessed with a divine mission , would " retire from public observation "would give up the one object of his life—would cease to teach , to exhort , to animate the listening multitudes because he had once been nailed upon the cross ? This , indeed , a demagogue might do . But to believe it possible of any religious reformer is absurd to believe it of Jesus is monstrous . Had he

      descended alive from the cross , it would have been once more to pour forth his soul with redoubled ardour . Crucify him again ; and again he will preach . While the heart beats it beats swayed by a divine idea . Onwards , for ever onwards without pause or rest , heedlees of centurions , heedless of Pilates , heedless of the combined armies of the world , that great soul presses resistless until death . Not to see this is to ignore human nature .

      88 &%$ Iuafr** * [Saturday,

      88 & %$ iUafr ** * [ Saturday ,

      A Volume Of Verse. Thoughts From The Inn...

      A VOLUME OF VERSE . Thoughts from the Inner Circle . Simpkin and Marshall . The idea of this publication is not a bad one :- " - " In the summer of 1848 a few friends agreed to meet for the purpose of obtaining close and intimate intercourse upon the great questions affecting the interests of humanity . . *• For this purpose they met once a month at their respective homes . At one of these meetings it was determined that some subject should be written upon by each , read at the following meeting , and preserved as a memento of the deep pleasure received from their intercourse . These meetings they called * The Inner Circle ;' hence the title of the volume . " Being desirous that others should adopt a plan which had been of so much importance to their own individual culture , and no course appearing so well calculated to effect this object as that of publishing some of their compositions , they have done so , and the present volume is the result . " The topics selected are all of an abstract kind—Faith , Truth , Evil , Our Age , & c . ; and are treated more as thoughts than as poems . This is a grand defect . It is the mistake of our day to imagine that thoughtful verse is poetay . The rule is very simple in poetry , and was laid down by Goethe when he told men to say what they had to say , and to sing only what they had to sing . All fine poetry contains thought ; contains it not in its separation as thought , but in its intermingling and impregnation with feeling . Our modern poets express intellectual propositions in verse , and call that thoughtful poetry . In the present little volume there is a fine spirit , an earnest reverential tone , but there is scarcely a page of poetry . Perhaps the best passage in the book la this stanza on Faith : — When the soul of man , surrounded liy tin : wondrous infinite , Striven , although by light confounded , To search oiit its source of might ; Then lif linds that he can never All tin ; infinite conceive : 'Tis by faith alone he ever Onn a glimpse of it receive . Faith , the highest , noblest feature Kver upon man bestowed ; Faith , tin' ri / t ! with which the creature A'trivm to look upon its Ltod : Faith it is , whose mission holy . Makes e : ich soul , though inevk and lowly , Stiive to look , upon ilH God . " l'ho lines in italics are beautiful . For the sake of the healthy wicdoni rather than their poetic beauty we t ; ivo these lines on Society : — " sm'il ' . TV . * ' In that word of little compass Lies a nii'aniiiL ; vast ami grand ; Ainl Imiw IVw who scan it deeply , Few who rightly understand . l ! ii ! it speaks to all who listen Mighty word- Cur lofty thought , When the soul , in holy silence . To its e : ilm discussion's brought ; \\' hen enamoured witli the «; lory O / tuir I > i i 11 _ i" and our birth , We would learn what , binds our feelings ¦|' o our brethren of the earth ; Main's us cherish ever dearly , !">| iiie ol siruyyle , wrong , or stiife , All those social lies that link us \\ it It the chain of human life ; 'Tin the product , of that impulse , < iranlcd by a hand divine , ! ' ! nl < Ting inioeaeli man ' s being ' , « , iu .-. iii ' all lo intertwine .

      Thus is formed for purpose mighty , — Thus is formed Society ; Blending separate human creatures Into one grand unity . All the ages , all the nations , Wberesoe ' er a brother ' s found , — All have been by this directed , — By this social feeling bound . Old as when our race commenced , 'Midst that Asian garden ' s bloom , When , in days of . earth ' s lirst beauty , Man with angels held commune . True it is that not at present Is it what it yet shall be , Realising full the meaning Of the word Fraternity . Classes , parties , sects , divisions , All deform its present state , Breaking holy ties asunder , Changing human love to hate . Men respected , —not for virtue ; Highly honoured , —not for truth ; Youth contcmniug age ' s wisdom ' , Age despising untaught youth . While the earth from her fair bosom Yields a plenty for us all , Hundreds die , starvation ' s victims , Hundreds stoop at misery ' s call . While before one great Creator All are equal in his view ; Placed before man ' s narrow vision , This grand Jaw is owned by few . For the poor , however virtuous , Heap tew honours in the land ; And tue rich , however vicious , High in earthly lavour stand . What , amidst such sad contention , Ib the duty we should do 1 What . amid « t this state unholy , Is the work all should pursue ?* Clear as sunlight , 'tie our duty To make earth a common home ; Where no outcasts mar its beauty , Where no pariah ? ever roam . When all men of all the nations Shall be cultured heart and soul , Every man shall garner knowledge In the brain , God ' s human scroll . • * * Poets' dreamings , now despised , Prophets' visions , laughed to scorn , Then shall be no idle seeming , But regarded heaven-born . Then our social rights and duties All shall clearly know and do ; We shall be as He designed us , Pure and holy , just and true . Glorious is this social feeling , Glorious is this social plan ; Ever pointing to the future , Ever binding weakened man ; Binding families together With a firm and lasting bond ; Binding nations unto nations ; Type of what we hope beyond , When this life is merged in darkness ; When our earth career is sped ; When otir ashes mix in common With all ashes of the dead ; When our souls , in sweet communion , Join that social baud above ; Who , throughout eternal ages . Wander on in perfect love . "

      A Didactic Novel. Compton Merinale; Anot...

      A DIDACTIC NOVEL . Compton Merinale ; another Leaf from the Lesson of Life . By the Author of " Brampton Iiectory . " J . W . Parker . Tue impatience with which a genuine novel reader , delighting in three volumes of wondrous incongruities and impossible conversations between Lady Arabella and Sir Harry , of marvellous incidents befalling Sir Reginald and the Lady Blanch , and of hideous * ' revelations " from Flash Bill and the procuress—the impatience , we say , with which readers of such books will fling aside Compton Merivale is not to be described . Incidents it has none . It does not move much amidst the ' finer sensibilities of the

      heart . " It has no " startling interest . ' What little story there is seems to have been chosen solely as a convenient vehicle for popularly setting forth notions on political economy and social improvement , and for conveying some excellent reflections on the moral aspects ot our every-day life . It is a didactic novel , not in the sense of teaching any express ' moral , " but in inculcating sound views of life . At Compton Merivale they busy themselves with the poor ; and the means of improving the labouring clnfiscs form the current topics of discussion . The characters introduced arc drawn with a nice sense of truth , but

      ^ thcy do not actively engage the reader s sympathy , because they ure used too much as vehicles for conveying the author ' s ideas . Head it as a novel , and you will bo disappointed . Head it as a book , and you will be greatly pleased . A line and generous spirit breathes through its pages ; and it presents a charming union of pioty and good sense—the religion never narrowing into bigotry , the political economy never narrowing inlo a mere trading spirit . To all persons—but more especially to those living in the country—we warmly recommend the book .

      We cannot pretend in the brief spaco of a review to lollow the author through his miscellaneous topics ; in our Notes and Extracts we shall from time to time give such passages as can conveniently be separated from the text . As a sample , however , of the quiet wisdom , which runs through the pages wo would

      refer to the discussion respecting the methods of obtaining influence with our children and inferiors . Mrs . Grant—one of the speakers—is a type of those irritable mistaken women who , instead of laying blame upon herself , is angry with others because they do not love her . She thinks it a " great shame " that young people should be more swayed by the opinions of others than by their own mother ; and Mrs . Hammond replies : —

      " ' But , my dear madam , influence is not a thing which goes by relationship , except as relationship gives great opportunities of inspiring attachment and confidence . Influence is the result of character ; and if the character is not such as to justify confidence , the more closely people are associated , the more they will know of each other , and the more they know of each other the less they will trust each other . ' "' Of course I was not thinking of bad , worthless , parents , ' said Mrs . Grant . m minor faultsand deficiencies

      " * No ; but there are some , which very much stand in the way of acquiring influence . A weak judgment , for instance—an irritable uncertain temper—a harsh , unsympathizing turn of mind , which prevents our entering into the feelings of others—a great love of our own way , which makes persons feel that , when they consult us , they must from that ti me give up all choice of their own—and also low aims , a fondness of power and influence for their own sake , make us distrusted . It is the disinterested and unselfish who inspire confidence and gain influence . How often do we ourselves say , * I can trust you , for I know you have no Object but my good . ' " ' Well , what object can a mother or a wife have but the good of her children and husband ?'

      " « May she not , my dear Mrs . Grant , have this lower object—at least , in part—the establishing her own authority over them ? In our selfish nature such motives will sometimes creep in . We are not perfect in love , and therefore we sometimes seek our own ; and I cannot help thinking that , when you see persons excessively jealous of the influence of others—provided that influence be a good and wholesome one—it betrays some feeling of this kind : for surely , if our love for our children or others be disinterested , we shall rejoice that they have valuable friends , and friends who will do them good , instead of being angry and mortified that they should have any friends but ourselves . "

      Truly enough does Mrs . Hammond subsequently say , " Depend upon it the best way to be cared for by others is to care very much for them and very little about ourselves . The great secret of being beloved is to love . " Not only the great secret of being beloved , but also the great secret of being happy . To all who are clamorous for " respect , " " attention , " and " affection , " to all who think themselves " ill treated" by their family and friends , we sternly say : Ask your own consciences whether you

      have given the love you demand from others . Do you respect their feelings ; are you solicitous about their happiness ; do you forego your own gratification for the sake of securing something to them ? It is not enough to " do a kindness , " it is not enough to " confer an obligation : " very selfish hearts are sometimes moved by sudden impulses to do such things ; but a loving heart can never , even in denials , be mistaken , and its slightest kindness is more prized than the greatest favours from one we doubt .

      Our social reformers have not sufficiently measured the immensity of their task when they have viewed only the necessity of political reform . Deeper than all polity lies morality . And with the heroine of Compton Merivale we exclaim : — " How little have laws and governments to do with domestic happiness . If harsh unamiable tempers are allowed to rule without control , how little does it matter to those that have to bear with them that the nation is well governed . All may be prosperous abroad , and one may be miserable at home . The best charter is the gospel law of love . If only every one would act up to that , there need be no meetings about equality , and the rest of it . "

      A Battery Against The War-Office. The Ho...

      A BATTERY AGAINST THE WAR-OFFICE . The Horse Guards . By the Two Mounted Sentries . With Twelve Coloured Illustrations . J . and D . A . Darling' . This is a charge of cavalry . While the Financial Reformers are picking holes in the army-expenditure system , here is a writer who in the dashing style of a soldier with a smile on his face gallops , sword in hand , into the thick of that formidable Front Hank of Abuses and breaks the square in gallant manner . He

      boldly traces many of the evils of the present system to the strange perversity in the " Iron Duke" retaining his office as Commander-in-Chief so long after old age has incapacitated him from fulfilling that office properly . Not that he is wanting in respect and admiration for the old eagle , whose personal qualities are almost as distinguished as his military genius ; but he 6 ees plainly and says plainly that mere gratitude to our great captain should not blind us to the incapacity irresistibly brought on by great age : — ' The extreme pertinacity with which persons once in power continue to cling to office , even when far exceed-

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 20, 1850, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20041850/page/16/