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    PASSAGES FROM A BOY'S EPIC. IV. Bacchus ...

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    EMILIA GALOTTI. "I am neither a-dramatis...

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    FAUST. Of this, incomparably the greates...

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    Comte's Positive Philosophy.*. By Gr. .'...

    organs , ( i . e ., if the directions are not determinately such as will produce organs , ) and if in the gerin of organs there exists no capacity of ultimately becoming organs ; no Chicken at all is produced . Tliis capacity , this predisposition ( i . e ., this possible ' vdirecJtion'J /' -must / be ' - presettt . iri ^ -the . molecules , oth erwisetheheat necessary for hatching would be insufficient to produce germs ' , of brgans > in the first place ; and brgins afterwards /( e . e ., the direction being' different , the result would be different . ) This is the only reason why the embryo of the Egg will not produce ah bale , nor an Acorn a Chicken . " . ¦ .. .. %

    To this I anticipate the answer , that the cause of this predisposition to form organs is the latent " vital principle , " or Chicken-forming force . But I ask—Why assume the presence of this mysterious entity ? How , if the egg be addled * and no organs are produced , where is the vital principle then ? What evidence have you for its existence ? The fact that chickens and oaks do ¦ necessarily- result from the process ? But there is in this process nothing more than we see in the analogues of the inorganic world : in

    crystals , for example j a solution is before me , having none of the appearances or properties of crystals , yet by a touch with a feather , the whole mass becomes crystalized , and that , too , in crystals as definite in form and properties as the Chicken or the Oak . Is there a Crystal-forming Forcea Crystal Principle latent in that solution ? Again : evaporate a solution of sulphate of soda in water , and you get prisms . Are we to suppose that the sulphate of soda exists as minute prisms in , the solution > or that a Prism Priiiciple is latent therein ?

    I hope these illustrations will suffice to make clear the fundamental proposition ^ that Life is an evolution , not a separate creation , and is thus essentially connected with the great Life of the Universe . No thinking man will itnagine anything is explained by this . The great mystery of Life and Being remains as inaccessible as ever . But a grander conception of Nature as one whole , and a more philosophic attitude of mind , iii contemplating the varieties of that whole , will result from the restitution of the homogeneity of Nature , when we learn with Goethe , Schellihg , and Coleridge , to see Life everywhere , and nowhere Death >

    Be that as it may , I think it indispensable to the true understanding of Biology , that we should familiarize ourselves with the truth , that , between the Inorganic and Organic there is no absolute essential difference , but only a great phenomenal difference , arising from the complexity of the lines of direction of force ; and also with the necessity- —as a scientific artifice—of dividing the so-called Organic Chemistry into Chemistry and Biology . Next w _ eek , I will set forth Comte ' s views on that crown and summit of all physical science , to which all the others lead , and which itself directly leads to Social Science , — -I mean . Biology , the science of Life strictly called .

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    Passages From A Boy's Epic. Iv. Bacchus ...

    PASSAGES FROM A BOY'S EPIC . IV . Bacchus consoles Ariadne in a dream . Again the vision changed :, and lo ! a shape , Like what we dream of god or genius , came , Appareled with the thousand shifting lights Of rainbow clouds that gleam along the skies , When the dead sun droops his majestic head , And falls all fire into the burning waves . He knelt , and leaning o ' er her as he knelt , Whispered her name . She did but lift her eyes , And as a cloud all pale and colourless Is touched by the gold fingers of the morn , And smiles for that first gladness , so her face , Faded and white before , now brightened fa 3 t , And flushed with a new daybreak of delight . Then from the dreamer ' s parted lips escaped A pleasurable cry ; the echo ran Trembling thro' all the airy caves of sleep , And her eyes saw the light . At once she rose , And fixed as by some wise enchanter ' s spell , Gazed down the glimmering length of woven boughs , That arch on arch through all the emerald aisle Wavered and floated like a fairy bridge , That woos to far off amber palaces Beyond the sunset . Fountains , trees , and flowers , With all the mighty depths of forest shap ^ e , Transfigured shone . Low in the kindling west The sun Was setting , and the sylvan floor , With lovely shadows cast by wandering clouds , Resplendent lay , while all the charmed air Was haunted with the breath of vernal flowers , And the blind joy that hides within the breeze When lilac blossoms fall ; nor less entranced Murmured the ocean like a thousand shells , That at the feasts of gods in sapphire halls , At twilight seen beneath the glassy sea , Harmonious play , and calm the smiling waves ; And high o ' er all , tho blue and pendulous space Showed like the awful Presence that we know . M .

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    Emilia Galotti. "I Am Neither A-Dramatis...

    EMILIA GALOTTI . "I am neither a-dramatist nor a poet , " said the wise and honest Le & tsmg "It is true , that people often do me the honour to account me the latter . But this is simply because they do not know me . From the few dramatic attempts I have made , so nattering a conclusion must not be drawn .. is not every one who takes a brush and daubs canvass , that can be calieo . a painter . The earliest of these my attempts were written at that period of ihy life when facility is so readily mistaken for genius . And whatever is tolerable in my later attempts , is , I am perfectly certain , owing to . my critical judgment . I do not feel within me the living fountains bubbling upwards by their own force , and by their own force gushing out in pure , fresh , and sparkling streams . I am forced to pump out everything , 1 should be so cold , so poor , so short-sighted , had I not fortunately learned modestly to borrow the treasures of others , to warm myself by the fire of others , and to strengthen ray eyesight by using the critical glasses ^ bt art . I am , therefore , always vexed and ashamed when I hear anything spoken against criticism . It is said to stifle genius ; yet I flatter myself to have obtained something from it which comes very near genius . I am one of the lame , and cannot consent to hear crutches vilified . " Brave , and honest , and modest words , which could only come from so great and truthful a man as that most British of Germans—Crottlpb Ephraim Leasing ! I think Schiller might have said the same ; for—you will hate me for the heresy—he seems to me not a whit more of & dramatist , and only something more of a poet , than Lessing . He had more poetic enthusiasm and sensitiveness , perhaps a more delicate delight in beauty , but he was scarcely more of the born singer than Lessing was . However , that heresy is too great to be argued here , and JSmiha Galoth demands attention . _ _

    . , I do not agree with the Germans in ranking Emilia Qalotti above Minna von Barnhehn , which " comes very near genius 5 " but it has certain decided merits , and being a German classic , its production * Saturday , was proper , although the effect was immensely wearisomegreatly owing to the bad acting . Emilia Qalotti is a modernized , form of the story of Viminnts , and I must express my : surprise at the mistake into which Lessing , the admirable critic , has fallen into an this critical play , viz . —transplanting a story , essentially Roman in its motives , to a niodern Italian principality , he has forgotten that the motives become false by the change of time and place . That Virginius should slay his daughter to preserve her from slavery , is . quite consistent with Jxonian feelings * , but that Odoardo should slay his daughter to save her from ¦ hfiino- dishonoured , moved thereto by her entreaties , is not within the

    rano-e of modern sympathy . The modern father would kill the prince , nob his daughter ; the modern daughter would kill herself , she would never bid her father stain Ms hands with , her blood . _ The story moves slowly , otherwise it is dramatically evolved , liie characters are drawn with clear , sharp outlines , well contrasted . The weak vacillating Prince , eager to profit by Marinelli ' s villanies , yet afraid to meet the consequences—prone to crime , yet throwing the blame on Others—signing a death warrant with the same levity as if it were a billet doux—is , capitally studied . But Herr Grans gave a most stagey and ^ ungainly representation of it . Marinelli—the original of Wurm in Kabale ot . nd TAohp . and the Countess Orsina—the original of the Princess JSboli ,

    in Don Karlos—arc both admirably drawn . Herr Ziilm was quiet and effective in the one , Frau Fliudt wholly incompetent to the other . Herr LehfeLl murdered Odoardo , before lie murdoreel his daughter . A word of praise , however , to Herr Noetel , for his picturesque make-up as the Briqand ; and nothing hut ' praise for the quiet , gentlemanly , dignified performance of Appiani , by Herr Emil Pevrienfc , who has only one scene , but played it more thoroughly , to my taste , than anything ho has yet done . Tho truth is , emotion lies beyond Herr Dovrient ' s capacity . Give him a scene in which his handsome person , quiet manner , and beautiful delivory of the text are untroubled oy any of tho intenser demands of passion , and he is admirable .

    Faust. Of This, Incomparably The Greates...

    FAUST . Of this , incomparably the greatest poem of modern times , I have so much I wish to say that I will say nothing because I cannot say all . And yet , on second thoughts , I will allude to the immense variety and dramatic interest of the scenes which it contains . Every one knows how truly it presents tho eternal problem of our intellectual life ; but no one seems to have been distinctly aware of how truly it reflects the varied lineaments of our social life . Faust is at once a problem and a picture : the problom embracing questions of universal importance ; tho picture representing all classes , all sentiments , all passions . The great problem of life is stated in all its nudity ; tho picture of life is painted in all its variety . But Faust , as Gootho wrote it , is one thing , and Faust , as tho Germans performed it on Tuesday , in another . I say nothing of tho arrangement , alterations , transpositions , and abbreviations of tho piece , ovory line of which has its place ; I say nothing of tho niiaorablo attempts at representing -what might , in such a theatre as tho Lyceum , havo boon a beautiful and imposing spectacle ; I confino inysblf to tho Gorman acting , which was accepted as excellent because German . Tho first re-mark . I havo to make is , on tho vulgarization of this groat poom by tho want of pootry in tho actors . It was an Adelphi version of Faust without " Adelphi effects , " Herr Emil Dovriontas Faust sottlocl for over in my oyos his cluiiris as an Ti * • j _ . "T V ___ -1 . 1 . Jl ! ..-1 -. _ I - J . J ... , 1 _ l-. ii 4 ' -1-1 \ §\ 4 * l \ n itf uui

    actor , ixifl moriiHX navo aircauy ungruugiugiy'uuiiui'U ' u , > " «<¦ " "" « an actor I fool compelled inoat distinctly to deny . In tho first place h © is commonplace in conception ; in tho second place , his face and voice are incapable of depression . Fino as tho voice is , and beautiful tho accent <> f his Gorman , there are none of thoup oxquisito modulation which give music to verse and passionate vibration to eloquence ; nor does tho face supply tho want , for it is as immovable as Charles Kean ' s . Those are not

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 26, 1852, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26061852/page/21/