On this page

• Text (2)

  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.

  • 

    Untitled Article

  • 

    Untitled Article

• 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.

    Untitled Article

    « Tq it the same fountain within us that pours forth the tears of sorrow and r ht or are there springs at the two poles , as it were , of feeling , which , are If n ' open , and discharge their sealed waters , when , through the operation of bl uses internal or external , we are intensely happy or unhappy ? 051 was not probahly the movements of Leila or Fatima that constituted the ' nation of the dances I witnessed , but the associations accidentally awakened by them which sent back my thoughts over four thousand years of Egyptian history , d c alled up in some sort a buried world before me . Present at Shaharah in per-RU I was intellectually and morally far away amid the dim lights of tradition , ^ h the disciples and children of Athor and Isis around me , amid the palm-groves V the Heptanomis , or in the island of mystic beauty which floats niidw . iy between the torrid and temperate zones , and woos from the sun the perpendicular glances of the tropics" . And for the following on THE EGYPTIAN WOMEN .

    " We probably form a false conception of the life of the harim , misled by writers who suppose its inhabitants to be swayed by a system of ideas different from that which really prevails among them . My own opinion is , that they are quite as happy as the rest of their sex , otherwise nature would not have given perpetuity to the institution , which seems quite as suitable to the East as very different institutions to the North . At any rate , the women themselves are the best judges , and they appear upon the whole no less contented than their sisters of Frankestan . « Besides , their seclusion is not so absolute as we imagine . I have seen

    respectable men and their wives going out to spend the evening pleasantly in the fields between Cairo and Shoubra , forming little groups , but not so far removed as to prevent conversation . They did not , of course , belong to the upper classes , which everywhere sacrifice the heart and its best affections to pride and vanity ; but were probably shopkeepers , or what are called in the East , little merchants , extremely comfortable , and , as we express it , well to do . At any rate , if mirth be a criterion , they were as happy as Greeks , for they talked , laughed , related stories and anecdotes , smoked , drank sherbet , and ate sweetmeats and all sorts of delicacies with much greater gusto than the same number of princes and princesses in

    the sombre North . " Again when I visited the Mosque of Flowers , I saw * at least four or five hundred women , many of them of the highest rank , distributed through the various aisles , in pleasant little groups seated on carpets , some sewing , others suckling their children , others talking and laughing , or eating and drinking , while their slaves stood round in attendance . As I was dressed . like a Turk , they bestowed no more attention on me than on any other person . So I gazed on them at my leisure , while I affected to be regarding the architecture , the colours of the painted windows , and the materials of the pavement . « Even in the bazaars , when not too strictly attended , the Muslim women sometimes venture to converse with strangers , sending forth their soft voices , at first , perhaps , from behind their veils , but as the dialogue warms , throwing these aside for a moment and exhibiting their beauty , as the moon flashes from behind a cloud . One day , as I was examining some linen for a turban , a Turkish lady , who had likewise come to purchase finery , addressing me quite in a familiar tone ,

    said—« ' That O stranger , will not suit you ; but this , ' touching some Manchester muslin as ' she spoke , < will look very handsome , though the fashion now is to wear the Fez plain . ' # t < ,, • A " The ice being thus unceremoniously broken , we continued talking on a variety of topics , though the female slave who attended her displayed numerous signs of ancrer or alarm . But the mistress was not to be checked . The rare opportunity of conversing with a Frank having presented itself , she was resolved to make the most of it , and went on chatting and laughing for a full hour at least . As she put several questions to mo respecting the females of Europe , I ventured to inquire , in my turn , into the internal econ omy of the harim , respecting which sho disclosed to ino Home curious particulars , fully confirmed afterwards by more than one Levantine matron at Alexandria . "

    Untitled Article

    MR . COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS AS STUDENT AND JUDGE . The Loves of Celestine and St . Aubert : a Romantic Talc . By Charles Phillips , A . B ., and Student of the Middle Temple . With a portrait of the author . 2 vola . J . J . Btockdale , loll . [ A . liETBOBriSCTIVE BKVIEW . ] When an elderly gentleman , who has been " wild" in his youth , manifest * indignant intolerance of the peccadilloes of his son , every bystander feels that whatever wisdom there may he in the reprobation of ' wildness , it comes with a very bad grace when it comes harshly from one who formerly succumbed to the temptation . The father may p lead that Ins greater experience given greater authority to bin reprobation of vice ; it does so ; but it ought , nt least to give him greater tolerance for the weakneflH whicli miccumbs . A man who has never erred may not be expected to have much sympathy with error ; his lmrahnCHH ih ignorance , ho alw ) a man who has " never wavered in his belief may look unon incredulity us an immorality ; hut for the converted infidel to take this view is to say , implicitly , " I wan a Hcamj ) , and t / iertforo I . was an infidel . We are about to confront Mr . Charles Phillip * as a young man with Mr Charles Phillips on the bmich—tlie Htud < mt with the Commissionerto show that the man ho pure mid inflexible in his orthodoxy , who cannot , now take the evidence of one who will not accept , the Bible , was in bus youth the Heorner of bigoln and fanatics , the idolater oi Rousseau 1 amo , and Comlorcel , the antagonist of Maj-riago , the erot . c advocate oi lawless love , " the mouthpiece of the foolish trash which the waves of thr , Revolution threw as foam upon the Ahoi-e—and we will then ask tho public to judge of tho dignity and beconiingncHH of the hcciio at the JhhoIvent Court ' tho week before hint .

    Let us not be miaunderHtoo . l . We are by no mean * of opinion that tho errors or mial-iikes of a man ' s early life arc to be brought up against him as evidence in his old age ; as well might one hold a man accountable lor the ignorance of hi . s childhood , which would be flagrantly absurd JJ . it although a , man ' s present , is not to be meaHured hy bis past , wo may legitimately ' K athor from hm past , certain indications _ which will aflect our estimate of hw present . It \ h no argument agnmHt 1 he sincerity of a mau ' H J > rot « Htaiiti « m that in his youth ho was a Catholic ; it was no argument against Godwin that in hit * youth he had writ-ten nerinonH . Hut it a man was in his youth a liar and a thief , on * would naturally have somo

    suspicions of his morality in old age . If in his youth he was fond of balls and pic-nics , which he now thinks " frivolous , " we have a right to question his harshness towards youths who are now attracted bv these invouties . If in his youth he worshipped Rousseau , Paine , and Condorcet , we have a right to question his sincerity when ho says that any man wno holds the opinions of Paine , Condorcet , and Rousseau is unworthy ot tne rights of citizenship , unworthy to be heard in a court of law , unworthy to be credited with a conscience ; or if we allow him to say so , then we must interpret his language into a confession of his having been the reprobate he is , scandalized at-r-and if so , how came he to sit on the bench . Y It is for this purpose that we liave taken Celestme and . St . Aubert astlie text for a retrospective review . When Mr . Charles Phillips wrote that t of tho authordedicating it to

    work , and published it , " with a portrai , " the Countess de St . Marguerite , he was either a sincere though mistaken young man , or a man so immoral that his oath was not to be taken in a court oi law , his position in society that of an undeclared outlaw . He may choose his horn ! „ -,.-, i . i The Loves of Celestine and St . Aubert is a foolish and erotic novel , in the style of the last century . Celestine is a young lady of " warm temperament , but in case the reader should condemn her , he is apostrophised "f" n n c ! ¦' " Frown not thou canting priest who under tho cowl of sanctity wearest this world and this world ' s appetites , Celestine is among the blessed ; ^ yes , if suffering can expiate imprudence , or mercy ' s love forgive it , she is happy . " The " imprudence" alluded to is adultery : Le mot est decent , je le retiens ! The reader is also warned : —

    "If thou art a bigot , close the hoolc ; it may offend , and nothing can improve thee ; it flatters no prejudice ; ifc follows no tradition ; it speaks the simple language of nature , and is addressed only to those who believe her dictates superior to those of man . Read it not , then , thou , who fanciest that what is old must of course be venerable , that what is established cannot be erroneous , or that self-applause should be conceded to worldly opinion . It may shake thy principles and will certainly offend them , for its first assumption is that superstition should give way to truth , and that neither power , nor age , nor prejudice can consecrate a custom naturally abgurd . Far absent be the' slave , the cynic , and the hypocrite ; they can feel no sympathy with me : but come , thou child of nature , who canst participate in the ioys and pity the errors of thy species . Come , thou man of feeling , who wouldst rather soothe than-sadden the misfortunes of life ; thou mayst take some interest in the history of Celestine . "

    Might not Mr . Holyoate have quoted this when his oath was refused ; what is that ceremony but " a superatition that should give way to truth r and who so ready to acknowledge " that neither power , nor age , nor prejudice , can consecrate a custom naturally absurd" —for surely it us absurd to make a man take an oath , that is not binding on his conscience , or else refuse his oath altogether P Let us hear CHAKLES PHILLIPS ON EOUSSEAU . " Eousseau has been much calumniated by those to whom the triumph of genius can never be acceptable . No doubt the panegyrist would be injudicious who should deny his failings , but he wns such a man , that I would even mislrtist my judgment him minds should not be measuredb

    when it attempted to condethn . Superior , y the common standard ; their enlarged principle must seem a paradox , their refined opinion , a prejudice , to inferior understandings , In such a case to attempt criticism is always a work of vanity and not unusually one of envy also . Perhaps it may excite derision , but I never yet saw a (/ real man censured by a puritan that I did not the more admire him j yes , I loved him for his error as much as I respected him for his talent ; because ; , while tho one dazzled my view and darkened me with its splendour , the other told me tho prodigy was human and cast a dignity on my species ! Who would substitute an insipid regularity for the romantic wildncsg of nature ! Who would tho less admire the fiery meteor of heaven , because it rolled not in a path prescribed and regular ! Kousseau was one of those whose very failings render him more sacred ; a precious relick , whoso very spooks make it more estimable ! Like some romantic mountain in his own lovely land , ho was a beauteous disproportion . If I iih majestic elevation sometimes caught a passing vapour from the earth below , still , when its transient dimness vanished , it only left his view the move refined ; bin vision tho nearer heaven . That hucIi a man lived and died poor is perhaps one of tho Wrongest arguments for the necenaitv of that revolution which afterwards humbled the worthless aristocracy of tho land in which he whs neglected . " JNow let us hear CHARLES VITTLLll'S ON PAIN IS . "Amongst these there was one whom I could not help viewing with peculiar admiration , because , by the sole powers of a surprising genius , he had surmounted tho disadvantages of birth and the difficulties of fortune . It waH tho celebrated Thomas Paine , a man who , no matter what in : iy be tho diilerevicc of opinion as to Via principles , must ever remain a proud example of mind unpatronised and unsupported , eclipsing the factitious beams of rank and wealth uyd pedigree . I never Hnw him in hi . s captivity , nor heard the reviling * with which l » o has been ninco assailed , without cursing in my heart that ungenerous feeling winch , cold to tho necessities of genius , \ a eliunoroua in the publication of it , H defects . " Ve great ones of his nation ! ye pretended nioralintH ! ho forward now to cant your interested indignation upon the memory of lVine , whore wero you in the day of his adversity ! which of you , to assist- hi . s infant merit , would diniiiiuih even tho surplus of your debaucheries ! whew was the , fostering hand to train \ n » mind to virtue ! where the mitred charily ! Uie praclitud religion ! Conn ' intent deelaimovK ^ rail on : —what , though hi * genius was tluvgifl , of heaven--Inn heart the mIUv of frii'iidHhip ! what ,, though wit and eloquence and anecdoto flowed freely from liirf tongue , while conviction made hiw voice her ines . songtjj- ! what , though thrones trembled ami prejudice Hod and freedom canto at bis command ! - hedured to question the creed which you , believing , contradicted , and to denpiso tho rank winch you , boasting of , debased ! !"

    CUAULKH rilU-LH' 8 ON NI / ICIDK . " ( lod of benevolence J in giving mo existence , ( IWlat thou intend tho gift to bo a cm-He unto thy creature ! in giving me free will , didst thou intend it as my condemnation bhouUl I exert it to nveit calamity ! Away , away , thou ulunderouB and timid aophut—tho great heathen wijjo , he who untieiputed Christ Ian virtuo , might hwve avoided death , yet would noW'tho puro and erotics * pru ^ hct he vivcccded

    Untitled Article

    pacEttBER 18 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER , __ 1 ^ L

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 18, 1852, page 1213, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1965/page/17/