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Leader (1850-1860), 29th October 1853, Edition Town of 2, Page 1050, 7$nxthlui

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      usually all paid at once , tut by instalments during several years . A father , who has many daughters , becomes a rich man by the presents which he receives on their marriage . If a young . man wishes to marry , and is possessed of nothing , it often occurs that he makes avoyage of a year ' s duration among the other islands ; and making known his purpose , demands contributions from those he visits to enable him to make up the instalment of goods which it is necessary to place in the hands of the parents . The ceremony of betrothing " is celebrated by a feast , at which arrack forms a very necessary adjunct . "' It is not lawful for a man to enter the house of a neighbour during hi »

      absence , and if any one offends in this particular , he is obliged to pay apiece of cioth , or some other goods , to the owner of the house . The sentence is passed by the elders , who openly call upon , the offender to pay the fine , which makes him so ashamed , that he either does so , or immediately leaves the village . This fine is called ' pakul dende' by the natives . Should any one even touch the wife of another , he must make a large atonement for the offence . The Macassar traders informed me that they were always obliged to watch their people narrowly , to keep them from approaciing too near the man ied women , as the least touch would render them Uable | to a fine ; and unless this was paid , the Alfoers would not be satisfied .

      '" Among the Alfoers , the treatment of their dead betrays , _ in the greatest degree , their uncivilized condition , and the uncertainty which exists among them as to their future state . When a man dies , his relations assemble , and destroy all the goods he may have collected during his life ; even the gongs are broken to pieces , and thrown away . In their villages I met with several heaps of porcelain plates and basins , the property of deceased individuals , the survivors entertaining an idea that they have no right to make use of them . After death , the body is laid out on a small mat , and supported against a ladder until the relatives of the deceased assemble , which seldom takes place until four days have elapsed ; and as decomposition will have commenced before this , the parts where moisture has appeared are covered with lime . Fruitless endeavours to stop the progress of decay ! In the meantime , damar or resin is continually burnt in the house , while

      the guests who have already assembled regale themselves with quantities of arrack , and of a spirit they themselves prepare from the juice of a fruit , amid violent saving , the discord being increased by the beating of gongs , and the howling and lamentation of the women . Pood is offered to the deceased , and when they find he does not partake of it , the mouth is filled with eatables—siri and arrack—until it runs down the body and spreads over the floor . When the friends and relatives are all collected , the body is placed upon a bier , on which numerous pieces of cloth have been laid , the quantity being according to the ability of the deceased ; and under the bier are placed large dishes of China porcelain , to catch any moisture that may fall from the body : The dishes which have been put to this purpose are afterwards much prized by the Alfoers . The body is then brought out before the house , and supported against a post , when attempts are made to

      induce it to eat . Lighted cigars , arrack , rice , fruit , &c , are again stuffed into its mouth , and the bystanders , striking up a song , demand whether the sight of all his friends and fellow-villagers will not induce the deceased to awaken ? At length , when they find all these endeavours to be fruitless , they place the body on a bier , adorned with flags , and carry it out into the forest , where it is fixed upon the top of four posts . A tree—usually the Pavetta Indica—is then planted near it ; and it is remarkable that * Wfc this last ceremony none "bat women , entirely naked , are present . Tliis la called by the Alfoen ? ' sudah buang-, ' by which they mean that the body is now cast away , and can listen to them no longer . The entire ceremony proves that the Alfoers are deprived of that consolation afforded by our relig ion , and that they only give expression to the grief they naturally feel at parting with one to whom they have been attached .

      The foregoing extracts suffice to indicate the attractions of this volume , and to pique the reader ' s curiosity ; he will not read it without being assailed by crowding thoughts on man , man ' s destiny , and the enormous progress which these living indices of his infancy so vividly throw into relief .

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      LETTERS OF THE POET GRAY . The Coi * respondence of Thomas Gh'ay and William Mason : to which arc added some Ldtters addressed by Gray to the Rev . James Hrotvn , JJ . D . With Nofcos and Illustrations , by the 'Rev . Jolm Mitford . Price Ids . Benlley . Theue is a form of literature imposingly frivolous and pedantically trifling much cultivated by a certain bookish class , and holding something of the position towards literature in general that morning calls do to the Rerious purposes of life . We will not say that in idle moments or in languid moods the works referred to have not been very acceptable ; just as the statesman and philosopher have- found relaxation in the flitting gossi ]) of a morning call . But we cannot help calling attention to the frivolity and worthlessnesa concealed beneath the bigwig erudition , and

      ostentatious research which characterize the works we speak of . Some bookworm undertakes to " edit" a poet or the poet ' s letters ; whether the poet he a classic ; or an illustrious obscure , the editor ' s zeal is displayed in bringing from far and wide , out of forgotten rofuso licaps and the more gutters of literary history , anything in any way relating to ' persons or subjects mentioned in the text . Read the note ' s to almost ' any classic and " pause awhile over their pitiable stupidity and irrelevancy ! Head the notes to any English classic and marvel ' at the gravity with whioh tho editor repeats a platitude from Warburton or an observation from JIurcl ! It is didicult to estimate the extent of this literary sewage , gravely mistaken for manure ; but every reader will recall examples of what wo allude to ; and hei * e before us lion a choice specimen .

      The Rev . John Mitford is what is called " a man thoroughly well road in our literature . " lie has the Monthly Review by heart . He Icnowd the chroniquc xeandalcitso of Grub-street . lie know 8 all that Knglishmon with unallerablo unanimity have ? declared they will forget . Ho is an expert editor of Ilia class ; zealous , painstaking , accurate , mid immensely tedious . . His notes arc " replete with information" of the Itind ' you desire- not to know . The gravity with which he quotes , nnd tho painstaking zeal with which ho gleans the veriest Htubble , arc only nurpaBHcd by the like follioH in " cla . Haica . 1 " editors . Wo will pick tolerably at random . In the preface ho says of Gray , — " A . ( torn pie to decay of tho powers of nature , long threatening and steadily advancing , pre-coded his death . " On this passage wo have this note :

      " Thoitnv . Mr . Oaroy , through whom tho groat . Florentine Pool ; ha « boconio our own , h ; in mentioned his convening with tho college servant who helped | , > remove Gray from the dinner table in tho hall , when / suddenly attacked by hia lnHfc fatal illncHH . "

      Mr . Cary ( spelt Carey by Mr . Mitford—what will Mr . Peter Cunning , ham or Mr . Halliwell say to such , a mistake !) did actually converi ^ wi ^ the college servant , and that fact is deemed worthy of rescue from oblivion . But what did the servant say ? On that point , complete silence » Here is another gem : , ' 5 The inscription which Gray wrote on his mother ' s tomb maybe seen in \ a& Life and Works , vol . i . p . xxxi . Sir Janiea Mackintosh used to speak with high praise of the expression in it , 'the careful , tender mother of many children . ' It occurs , however , in an older writer , ' These were tender nurses , careful mothers * See JBraithwaite's English Gentlewoman , 4 to , p . 109 . 1633 . " *

      One more and we desist . Gray mentions in passing a poem called Avon ; from a note by Mr . Mitford , we extract this concluding sentence t " The Rev . John Cowper , Fellow of . Corp . Chr . Cambridge ( brother of the poet ) , says in a letter , Jan . 1786 , to Mr . Gough , 'A little poem called Avon has its merit . ' See Nichols ' s Literary Anecdotes , viii . p . 562 . " It is amusing to picture to oneself the condition of mind which can render these " researches" the occupation of a life ; , and which can imagine the wants of the public to be in any way furthered by them ! We have taken JVfr . Mitford as a specimen of his class , but have no wish to speak in ridicule of him more than of his brethren . He has done his work so as to earn the applause of his brethren , and will be supremely indifferent to our ingratitude . Grateful we cannot feel . The letters between Gray and Mason are indeed , thanks to him , now published with something more of completeness ; but we do not think the world is much enriched thereby .

      " The Correspondence between Gray and Mason , which is now published in its entire form , was carefully preserved and arranged by the latter , from which he made a partial selection in his Memoirs of Gray . This volume at his death was bequeathed to his friend . Mr . Stonhewer , and from him it passed into the hands of his relative , Mr . Bright , of Skeffington Hall , Leicestershire . When , in the year 1845 , the library of Gray was sold by the sons of that gentleman , then deceased , this volume of Correspondence was purchased by Mr . Penn , of Stoke Park , and by him was kindly placed in my hands for publication . " To those readers fond of small literary gossip , and especially those unacquainted with the previously published Letters of Gray , we can promise an agreeable volume to lounge over . Many of Gray ' s letters are altogether charming , and some of his critical remarks will be relished bypoetry readers and writers , although Gray does avow that he thinks " even a bad verse as good a thing or better than the best observation that was ever made on it . "

      The letters have many sly humorous touches , such as "I cannot now enter into the particulars of my travels , because I have not yet gathered up my quotations from the Classics to intersperse , like Mr . Addison , " or this on latjeeates : '' Though I very well know the bland emollient saponaceous qualities both of sack and silver , yet if any great man would say to me , ' I make you Rat-catcher to his Majesty , with a salaiy of 300 J . a-year and two butts of the best Malaga ; and though , it haa been usual to catch a mouse or two for form's sake , in public once a-year , yet to you , sir , we shall not stand upon these things , ' I cannot say I should jump at it ; nay , if they would drop the very name of the office , and call me Sinecure to the King ' s Majesty , I should still feel a little awkward , and think every body I saw smelt a rat about me ; but I do not pretend to blame any one

      else that has not the same sensations ; for my part I would rather be serjeant trumpeter or pinmaker to the palace . Nevertheless , I interest myself a little in the history of it , and rather wish somebody may accept it that will retrieve the credit of the thing , if it be retrievable , or ever had any credit . Rowe was , I think , the last man of character that had it . As to Settle , whom you mention , he belonged to my lord mayor , not to the king . Eusden was a person of great hopes in his youth , though at last he turned out a drunken parson . Dryden was as disgraceful to the office , from 1 uh character , as the poorest scribbler could have been from his verses . The office itself has always humbled the professor hitherto ( even in an ago when kings were somebody ) , if he were a poor writer by making him more conspicuous , and if he wero a good one by sotting him at war with the little fry of his own profession , for there are poets littlo enough to envy even a poet laureat . "

      Or this : "I feel a contrition for my long silence , and yet perhaps it is the last thing you trouble your head about ; nevertheless , I will bo as sorry as if you took it ill . 1 am Borry too to Bee you so punctilious as to fltand upon answers , n ever to como near mo till I have regularly left my name at your door , like a mercer's wife that imitatcu peoplo who go a visiting . I would forgive you this , if y ou could possibly Hiiapect I were doing any thing that I liked better , for then your formality might look like being piqued at my negligence , which has somewhat in it like kindness ; but you know I am at Stoke , hearing , seeing-, doing , absol utely nothing , not such a nothing as you do at Tunbridge , chequered and diversified with a succession of fleeting coIouih , but heavy , lifoless , without form and void ; flomotimea almost aa black ; is tho moral of Voltaire's Lisbon , which angers you so . '

      Fov ix wind up we wilt quote one passage which has not unfrequontly been quoted before , but is repeatahlo for its truly literary viow : "If the Hontimcnt inunt stand , twirl it a little into an apop hthegm , stick » flower in it , gild it with n com try oxpresaion ; let It fltrike tho fancy , the our , or tno heart , and I am HatiHfiod . "

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      EPILOGUE . . * ' « 97 IBM . Vftipordnto , . Timn 27 , ihiwaS § S 2 SY DIUB MAliTC , —I write on tho calculation that this letter ¦ wi glflg reneh you Justus you return ; for I do not auppo flo t ™ ° w IaIo Julio < " » * koop you longer from biwiiioss ; or that yoi | fe |^ longer trust ovori Margnrot ' e father . B' must bo oontosfloa . ^ i ..- . ; - ; terfi \ . o he Juih not Mm-garot ' B goniuR , or yours . Julio muflt JiftV 0 r u tho letter which Ysoult addressed to her at Brusflola j for 1 Buppw » j

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      Wo nhould do our utmost to cnooiimfio t , ho . Uoautiful , for tho YTooful oncourn ( 5 ibaalf . —GoiixiiM .

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      1050 THE LEADER . [ Satitrday , 7 . . ¦ ¦ ¦ - —' "I- i 1 i — — - * - ' - - ¦ '

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 29, 1853, page 1050, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2010/page/18/