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Leader (1850-1860), 25th April 1857, Edition 2 of 2, Page 17, THE LIFE OF SIR CHARLES JAMES NAPIER. Th...

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      The Anniversary Of Shakspeaee's Birthday...

      word is as old as the language itself , being found in the translation of Higden ' s chronicle by Trevisa . —a contemporary of Chaucer—who , however , writes before the Canterbury Tales were begun . As this is the earliest prose chronicle in the language , and the passage refers to Richard II ,, whose name is just now on every one ' s lips , we will extract a sentence or two . After describing Bolingbroke ' s landing at Ravensburg , Trevisa says , in explanation of the -welcome lie received , " For the people were so oppressed with the officers of King Richard , that '" almost all the commoners of the land were ready to await on the Earl of Derb y , hoping to be relieved by him . Incontinent tidings came . to King ; Richard , being in Ireland , how he was landed , and that the commoners drew fast to him . Anon he made him ready and came over sea to England , with all his host , and arrived in Milford Haven . "

      Sir William ' s letter is further curious from its allusions to the customs and superstitions of the country people ; but having said so much about it already , we must leave its further consideration to the students of Siiakspeare , who will be sure to appreciate it as a valuable contribution to the materials already collected for illustrating the poet ' s era and history .

      April 25 ^ 1g57.J__ The Leader. 401

      April 25 ^ 1 g 57 . j __ THE LEADER . 401

      Of The Twelve Articles In The 'Current N...

      Of the twelve articles in the ' current number of the North American Review * the most noticeable are those on cc Ruskin ' s last Volume , " and "Oliver's Puritan Commonwealth . " The writer of the former manages to infuse fresh interest into the well-worn discussion touching Classical and Romantic Art , by extending it beyond the narrow limits to -which it is usually restricted , and connecting it with a philosophical inquiry as to the general relation of Axt to Nature . The discussion . of . the latter point , however , is vague and unsatisfactory , the conclusions arrived at being purely negative . The paper on " Oliver's Puritan Commonwealth" reviews a work which must be a novelty in American literature—an elaborate history of the early Government of Massachusetts , written entirely from the Cavalier and Royalist point of view , in ¦ which the

      heaviest charges are brought against the Puritan founders of tlie state . The author naturally seizes on and exaggerates those questionable acts of the old Common wealth men which policy seemed to dictate and-justify ,, but the work being based on a thorough examination of original documents , is valuable as a contribution to tho history of tho period , and may have its use in helping to keep the balance of historic judgment true . Other readable articles of the number are one on " Holidays , " 'a ... genial-account , of national sports , written : in a philosophic spirit ; a Lively sketch and criticism of " Robert Herrick , " doing justice to . the mirth-loving author of theIlesperides ; a paper on " Contemporary French Literature ; " and one on " Tlie British Essayists , " which , however , is scarcely worthy of the subject .

      The Irish Quarterly Recieio opens with a paste-and-scissors article , entitled " Odd Phases of literature , " chiefly remarkable for the , . entire- absence of literary art , and for eccentricit y of literary style , of which t-lic following sentence may serve as an example ; " > 1 . IIabtjrt , of the Academy , author of the Temple de la Mort , which is one of the most beautiful pieces of French poetry , changed and rechauged , during three years , the metre of this work , in ordeithat it might attain the beauty , polish , and elegance , which he ambitionecl . "

      Two following papers , on " Suicide : its Motives and Mysteries , " and " The Irish Poor-Law , " are much better . The facts given in the latter seem to show that the legal provision for Irish pauperism has not proved bo entirely successful as Sir G . Nicholls , its historian , imagines . The other articles of the number arc a gossiping one on " The French Opera at Paris ; " along and savage attack on Macaulay as an historian , entitled "How not to Do It ; " and a criticism of the " Church Establishment in Ireland , " headed " The English Folly Fort . "

      We Have Too Long Delayed To Oifcr A Hand...

      We have too long delayed to oifcr a hand of hearty welcome to a young and vigorous contemporary in Paris , in whose success we have felt a lively and attentive interest . The most hopeful and enduring alliances between nations are those of the head and heart , and we rejoice at every fresh attempt to throw down the barriers erected between nations , and to promote the intellectual and spiritual development of our common humanity . When a Francois Victoh Hugo interprets Siiakspeare to his countrymen in a loving and reverential spirit , we feel that something more has been effected towards a cordial and lasting amity between Franco and England than all the full-dress amenities of diplomatists and even the doubtful osculations of royal and imperial cousins arc likely to accomplish . Emperors vanish , and even Garters slip down ; but the language and literature of two great nations outlive many Garters and many crowns . Tho Great Exhibition of ' 51 did

      much to draw England and France closer to each other ; the war gave an outward and visible expression to the feeling , and the deep reaction among the intellectual classes of France in favour of free England since the gross darkness prevailing in Franco , has perhaps above all ' quickened and developed the mutual regard . May it be everlasting ! A . happy idea it was of M . Alk-ionse Lero y , one of those young men of high character mid culture , in whose ardent but chastened aspirations resides all the hope of tho France that is to come—a happy thought , we say , it was to create an organ of close and constant communion between the literatures of the two nations , giving to the French reader a glance at ( he intellectual life of England in all its manifold activity , and to the English reader a brief summary of the literary movement in France . This scheme is well and simply expressed by the tide of his interesting publication , VAlliance LUteraire . It is devoted exclusively to

      literature and art ; giving selections from French and English writers ; translations from eithei ' , with occasional notices of new French books , Art and Drama criticisms , a compact and lively column of Talk , and a good advertising sheet of English books . "We have no doubt that as M . A . Lekoy proceeds , he will work out his programme more fully and completely ; a very choice selection is necessary to avoid the defect of meagrcness ; and , by all means , let us have more from his own pen ; his article on Madame Ristobi , in a recent number , makes us angry with him for his too frequent silence in the Alliance Litteraire . We wish him . and his very laudable undertaking an increasing and enduring success . It is an example that deserves to be recorded .

      It May Be Observed That Any New Phenomen...

      It may be observed that any new phenomenon in London periodical literature is pretty sure to be followed at a not particularly respectful distance ( in point of time ) by a similar phenomenon in Edinburgh . The Leader , we believe , has had its Caledonian imitators , but whether they have' been , ( too much ) 'Scotched—not killed , ' we know not . The other day an admirable volume of Edinburgh Essays appeared as a pendant to the Oxford and Cambridge Essays ¦;• and just now we have received a copy of a new Edinburgh Weekly . Review , based apparently upon our Peelite weekly contemporary published in London . The type and the distribution of the articles , the careful abstinence from the vulgarity of news , and from the prejudice of uniform opinions , appear to be closely followed ; perhaps the politics of the

      Edinburgh Weekly Review are more clearly liberal and less politely eclectic than those of our nearer neighbour . If we might , at this early stage of its existence , be permitted to " offer a word of Counsel to our Edinburgh contemporary , it would be—to spare its readers too many opinions in the same number ; not to affect a premature cynicism in politics ; not to exhaust ingenuity in the plausibilities of obstructiveness , under the delusion that Hoia not to do it is an essentially statesmanlike proposition ; not to affect a superciliously lofty tone in speaking of journalism collectively , and indeed , of

      all other journalists but those of the Review j not to betray an exclusively Common or Combination Room point of view of public affairs ; not to carp with feeble virulence at the greatest . names in our literature ; not to engage in Quixotic expeditions to put down inconveniently stubborn superiorities;—in short , to follow the obvious example of its London prototype , and to be direct , hearty in sympathy , and generous in tone . One more word of caution : a month's reading for a week ' s consumption is too much of a good thing-, and suggests intellectual dyspepsia . Ne quid nimis , even of Peelite politics and scholarly eclecticism .

      The Life Of Sir Charles James Napier. Th...

      THE LIFE OF SIR CHARLES JAMES NAPIER . The Life and Opinions of General Sir Charles Napier , G . C . B . By Lieutenant-General Sir William Napier , K . C . B . Yols . III . and IV . Murray . This is a defensive and offensive history , but is not the book that posterity will accept as the biography of the Indian general and administrator—the only great man in the Napier family . Besides being written in the style of the conquering hero , it is exaggerated in all its views ; it is unfair , indiscreet , and reckless . Sir William Napier may rest assured that the Napiers , small and large , will have to prove their titles to military and literaiy fame in a court in which the iNapiers will not sit as judges . In . other words , independent narrators and critics will deal with them and their prowess , and some wronct will be done to the hero of Meeanec if he do not find a more

      judicious biographer than his stentorian kinsman . He was himself petulant , fiery , and impetuous ; but a noble simplicity was mixed up with his arrogance ; his headlong irritability was tempered by a sense of humour ; his life and opinions , " however , have fallen into the hands of a soldier who imitates in every paragraph the din of battle and the pomp of processional triumph . At the same time , he is by no means careful to conceal the bitternesses that spring up in tho Indian Napier ' s heart , and sprinkles his puges with scatterings of abuse , acrimony , and personal rancour . The book gains in piquancy what it loses in dignity . In fact , we have never met with four volumes of more goodly reading ; they are full-flavoured , varied , intensely characteristic . Of course the indiscretions of the biographer only render the biography the moi'C original and attractive . But some of Napier ' s writings are painfully virulent .

      Tne third volume opens with , the administration of Sindli . All this Indian matter has \ X & peculiar interest ; but we prefer to glean among the personal illustrations and allusions . Those come thick and fast : — " The thanks of Parliament ! Who cares for them ? Not I . To be thanked or reprimanded by Parliament is nothing to me . Tho thanks of Joo Hume , par oxemple , after his Greek loan . I want no thanks from the place-huntora who infest St . Stephen ' s . I care indeed for Peel , and the Duke of Wellington , and Roebuck , and half a dozen fellows having either ability or conscience , but not for the mass congregated tliero . " Tho papers , he said , " would abuse the God Almighty , if he came on earth . " lie himself is formidable in abuse , but his satire is sometimes picturesque ; this is a miniature of Wullee , a hill chief : — " lie is exactly like an owl , with white hair , long hooked nose , great beard , and two enormous black eyes which were fixed on mo without a move or wink till I had done speaking : then ho said to the interpreter , Is it true ? May I go ? Yes ! Up he jumped , ilew out of the room like a bird , and never stopped till ho got to hia hilla . "

      He talks of vile editors and blackguard proprietors , calls an article in the lldinbun / h a lying production , written by a man who well knew he was telling falsehoods , complains of scoundrelly factious editors , and pauses to philosophize : — " Whence avo come wo know not ; what wo do wo know not ; what is around us we know not . Merciful God ! what are we ?" " But we have a part to perform in this drama ! yes ! so ha 3 tho bug that bites us !

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 25, 1857, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25041857/page/17/