On this page

• Text (3)

  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

  • 

    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

    ^ tlie new faith—the « papas " of the Greek aich-wiU take heed for tte welfare of their devout and hopeful neophyte . Sacrificial candles will be burnt in Grecian churches ; votive wreaths S be suspended before the shrines of Grecian Snts and the noble Pliil-Hellene will be attended onHs voyage by : the supplications of the Grecian faithful . Moreover , if the waves—time disciples of the . 'Buckleian philosophy—be inaccessible to the efficacy of prayer , there is hope lef t for us as long as Gladstone has voice to speak . The most obdurate of tempests—the most obstinate of squallscould not but be lulled to rest and talked to sleep by that continuous and never-ending flow of words Like oil upon the troubled waves—like a a sermon on a summer day , is the eloquence of Gladstone—the many-counselled , tlie mellifluous .

    Our anxieties , indeed , arise from the reflection * how , in these degenerate days , in . our unromantic laud , and amongst our xmclassical population , we can bestow a worthy welcome on oiu * returning hero . Surely , so great an event should be celebrated by some appropriate ceremony . With such a minister as . the-, author of " The lust Days of Pompeii " there can be no difficulty about composing a proper programme . Mr . Cox ¦ . would , doubtless , volunteer to supply the liistorial . allusions , and the services of Mr . Kcan . initrht . be secured in order

    to ensure everything being strictly classical and appropriate . For our own part , we would humbly suggest the revival of a Iloman triumph . The coast of Deal—as being the scene of £ a ? sar landingwould be the most suitable locality for the disembarkation . The episode . . of the Roman standard-bearer might be repeated with effect . Some devoted adherent - — some follower quand meeme of the Ministry ( possibly the late Lord Mayor , Sir Robert Garden )—might be induced to plunge into the sea , and , struggling . ' through the surf ; , to plant upon the beach tlie ¦ •" charter of the Ionian isles . As the boat , . bearing'the-conqueror , ' approaches the shorea jubilant anthem should be intoned ,

    com-, posed expressly for the occasion , on the words of " Vcni , vicuy vici , " with considerable 'variations , especially on the last paragraph . On landing , a chorus of white-robed virgins — or , in default thereof ; of the maids of Pantori-street , sacred of yore to the memory of the hero ' s virtxie—should crown liini with'the wreath of laurel , while a select troupe of'Greek merchants , who coukl all show their certificates of bankruptcy , should bear him aloft on a phalaiix of shields riclily studded with Turkish piastres , coined and cast exclusively by the hands of Grecian patriots . As the progress from our Ostia to t ! ie Capitol—from Deal to Westminster *—would be soinewhat tedious , we fear that the

    anachronism must be committed of conveying the whole procession by rail in . Roman-cars . In order , however , to preserve the illusion , everything will bo conducted with the strictest . accuracy of classical detail : the prices at the refreshment-stalls will be carefully , calculated in obols and denarii , and even the buttons on the policemen ' s coats will be copied from coins of the later Empire . < On arriving at the terminus , our " patres conscript ! "the Aldermen and SherilTs of the City ^ of London—will be there to welcome , the citizen

    who has deserved well of tlio commonwealth , and who in the tiny of doubt and danger did not despair , even of the Ionian ' Slates . Mr . Gladstone will then ascend tlie triumphal' car , the procession will be re-arranged , l ' robably , for a consideration , Mr . Wellington Guernsey could be induced to enact the part ' of the suppliant captive at the foot of his magnanimous conqueror 5 while , for the post of the buffoon who was placed' beside the triumphant horo in his oar , to remind him of tlie vanity of liune , we should hope that the claims of the member fur Midhurdt would not bo

    forgotten . Amidst the ucehimations of an operatic populace , - trained cxprcnrfly for the occasion to shout " J'Jvoc ! evoc ! " the procession will proceed along our cloaca maxima—the New-cut of Lambeth—across thu modern ' . L ] iber , 1 hu sacred Tluunes , to th < j IIuUu of Westminster . There the House of Commons , attired in the garb of Iloman senators , would be ready for the reception . Uulwer Lytton , in the character of Pdrtifex Mnxiuiun , ¦ would proclaim t , hu virtues of his colleague in classical and sonorous periods ' . lie would tell how the modern Cinoiimntu » had deserted his quiet homo and his Jcarued leisure fbr the good of the ftepublic-T-how lie had braved the perils of the oruel sea , and the still more cruel mosquitoestonr , from the historic isles of Greece , ho had

    driven forth the demon of discord and hatred , and satisfied everybody by promising everything—how , during his short reign ,, he had emulated , if not surpassed ^ the glories of Sancho Pariza ' s dukedom —and how , at last , like a true and faithful servant of the Trinity pf rnen ' a worship—the . Good , th Beautiful , and the True—he had returned home harbouring no ambitious designs against the safety of the State , but really to resume the duties of a simple citizen . The proceedings would then terminate by a vote of the Senate proclaiming Mr . Gladstone to be " Pater iPatriae . " Surely , in the words of Cicero , tliat one day would be worth an immortality . „ without for

    If some inveterate sceptic , respect things sacred or profane , . should suggest that all this favours of burlesque , we should only answeiyso much the better . The whole affair has been a burlesque from beginning to end . Greek-nationality is a humbug ^—ministerial sympathy with the wrongs of the lonians is a humbug too ; and the some-time commissioner extraordinary—then Lord High Governor , and now independent statesman , —; is-the irreatest humbug of the lot . The affair was a political demonstration , of which nothing' has come—nothing could come—and . nothing was meant to come . As Byron said of Wilberforce , these were " words , words , w ords , und nothing but words . " Poor Sir John Young was unfortunate

    enough not to- 'take the joke , and was punished fpr being in earnest , by losing his appointment . We are surprised that Mr , Gladstone should have been ' able , to play out the farce to the end . Why , even Mr . Arthur Gordon refused to follow his leader . Since the days when Balaam ' s ass turned round and spoke , there has been no instance of a warning so remarkable and so unheeded . We are driven to the supposition that Mr . Gladstone , on his return , intends to drive Albert Smith out of the field , with the recital : of "A Comic Journey to Corfu and back again , " intei'spersed with a variety of . startling impersonations . We had , indeed , hoped better things of the oldest of Sir Robert Peel ' s disciples . 'When will he take the advice of the Thermites of ¦ Shakesj > eare and keeping — - ' ^ Where wit is sth-ring , leave the faction to fools . "

    Untitled Article

    FOREIGN . WINES FOR THE ENGLISH MARKET . At that north-western corner of the Mediterranean , where the blue waves of the Gulf of Lyons beat iipon the smiling shore of Langucdoc , stands the smiling and prosperous little town of Cette . Its harbour is convenient , and usually crowded with shipping , displaying the flags of many nations . A stranger is often at first sight pusosled to determine what may be the particular branch of trade to which the inhabitants are indebted tor their wealth . The warehouses are numerous , the stores commodious ; there are no beggars , and there is no appearance in any part of indigence or idleness . Among the craftsof is observ

    men , perhaps , a preponderance coopers - able 5 vast indeed is the consumption of staves and hoops . Logwood here . is also used largely , cider extensively , sugar not a little ; Cheropiga and Beniearlo arc imported in great quantities , but never leave Cette under their original names . To be brief , within the limits of this little Mediterranean seaport , and from the crude materials above enumerated , arc produced in enormous quantities imitations of every known vintage : Claret , Hoekhehner , Johanniaberg , . Burgundy , Champagne , Moselle ( sparkling or still ) , Madeira , Laehvynno Christi , Constantia , humble Port , or imperial Tokay . It matters not how rnre nor how choice the original sample may be , so

    aceurato is the palate , so nice the skill of this little colony of thrifty wine merchants , that they can , with more than Chinese precision , imitate tho flavour and copy the colour of the required fluid ; nay , oven the vuvy form of the bottle in . which the genuine wine is ordinarily mot with ; so that an experienced judge is not unfrequently imposed upon . A bad vintage , or oven a succession of bad seasons , is regarded there rather as . a blessing than as a misfortune . Tho price of wino naturally vises , but the cost of the ingredients used by tho manufacturer of

    Cotte remaining pretty nearly tho same , ho is enabled to supply his customers with increased advantage to himself . Little , therefore , does he pray for an abundance of grapes or a genial September sun . Lot but the cider crop bo copious , anil tho liny of Camnocho yield liberally its useful stores , and ho will take care that tho cellars of England shall not lack replenishment with tho finest Port . It is said that some time sinco this industrious city was redueod tp tho greatest straits by tho wreck of a long-oxpeetod vessel with heavy consignments of bois do Bresil . But fbr a happy thought there would probably have been a fearful advance in tho

    price of Port here . Luckily , however , the beet that summer had been unusually prolific , and madder was . obtainable at easy rates . The loss of the ill-fated ship soon ceased to be beAvailed , the honour of Cette was saved , and her profits even exceeded the average of former years ! From long practice the taste and requirement of each different market are perfectly known ; and the manufacturer , as he displays his varied stores , knows ¦ in a moment , by the accent of his visitor , the precise flavour that will suit his palate . Little of these

    factitious wines find their Avay , however , into the ulterior of the country ; they are mostly despatched to distant markets . The writer of ail elaborate treatise on the art of wine-making , says , Avith amusing ingenuousness : —" L , aissez vos liqueurs faetices , vos A'ins frclates a . la jalouse Angletcrre , a la sauyage Siberie ; portez-les leur si vous . ' etes sati-sfaits , d ' une decouverte desastreuse ; uiais ,. si vous restez sur le sol sacri ' v sachcr le respecter , ne venez point desheriter vos compatriotes d ' une production naturelle . "Daily News .

    Untitled Article

    THE HISTORIAN PIIESCOTT . William IIicklixg Pkescott is dead . There is no spot on this earth where the English language is spokenindeed , no one in which letters are valued—in which this intelligence Avill not fall with a saddening weight upon the heart . At 12 o ' clock on 28 th January he was in his usual health ; at half-past 12 he was stricken Avith apoplexy , and at 2 o ' clock he breathed his last . Mr . Frescott belonged to a New England family bl high honour . His grand father , Colonel William Pres * cott , as is Avell known , commanded the American forces at the battle of Bunker ' s Hill . His father , William Prescott , generally knoAvn and addressed in this communityduring the later years of his life , as Judge

    , Prescott , was one of the best and wisest men who have ever hS ; ed . and-died among us . The historian was bom in Salem , Massachusetts , May 4 , 1798 , and resided there until his father ' s removal to Boston , when he himself Avas 12 years old . He entered Harvard College in 1811 , and graduated in 1814 . While in college he was deprived by an accident of the use of one eye , and the sight of the other Avas so impaired as to prevent him from engagingin any occupation in which the constant use of that organ . should be necessary . Soon after leaving college , he Avent to Europe ,. and spent tAVO years in an extended journey . through England , France and Italy , and at the end of it returned home in excellent general health , but with no great imprOA-ement in the state of his eyes . this

    His marriage soon after took place ; and from period his days flowed on in diligent and uneventful devotion to literary pursuits . He Avas never enabled to use ills own eyes but for a short time in the day but Avas constantly obliged to use the eyes of others for Ins studies and researches , as well as to record the results of them . His quiet perseverance and . continuous industry enabled him to triumph over this ¦ ' difficulty , and to achieve an amount of literary production which is not merely most honourable to his intellectual powers , but conveys a noble moral lesson to all who ' may be burdened with similar trials . His earliest literary efforts were contributions to the North American Raview , upon subjects drawn from Spanish , English , American , and especially Italian literature . In 1638 he published his History of tlie Catholic

    the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella . It was soon translated into French , Spanish , and German . Its author was immediately elected a member of thy Royal Academy of Madrid . The popularity Avhich it gained upon its first publication it has sinco steadily maintained . It has gone through several editions in England and America , and is one of the established classics in the language . In 1843 appeared the History of the Conquest oj Mexico , with a Preliminary V'uuo of the Ancient Mexican Civilization , and the Life of the Conqueror , Hernando Cortez ; and in 1847 Avaa published , in two volumes , the History of the Conquest of Peru , with a Proliminari ) View of ( he Civilization of the Incas , a work of . kindred and commensurate excellence to that of the History of the Conquest of Mexico . Mr . Pivscotfc now devoted himself with unabated ardour to the

    preparation of a work of wider range—tho History oj the llolanof Philip III He had now become one of the great literary names of tlits age , and found everywhere persons who were ready to give him assistance . Public collections and private archives were thrown open to him . While preparing for this work ho visited England . Ho took ample time for this task , which he destined to be tho crowning work of hid life . In t \\ o latter part ol 1803 appeared t | io first tAVO volumos of tills work , under tho title of tho History of ( he Jtriyn of Philip 11-, King of Spain . In dealing witJi this more vouwwhonsivo subject , it Avaa admitted tlmt he had shown tho same careful ' research , the same conscientious bnliuiL-ing , 01 authorities , ' the same calm and judicial toinpu , tlio mune picturesque narrative , and tlio sniuo fuse nnthmol style . 1 A f <<\ v weeks wince , the tiiird yoluino < il hIh H'tforuaf Philip II , appeared . Little did we then t lilnk that avo . should bo so soon called upon to lay this tribute upon hi 8

    Mr . Prosoott was as rich In the Jova oi hl « irienda aa in tho admiration of the literary world . His manners word most irank , slinplo , and onmitfluy ; hi « aoelal nature was strong and active j and his hympiUhlos wore ever ready nrt < l enslly moved . His eountonunco Avas extrmiiuly fino jniia prepossessing , and , retained to tho last a vdutliiul « 'I «» w and animation Avluoh wore tho faithful OMU'ueiNioii «> f » sunny teuiper and an over young heart . Prwaeott loaves a avwow und three eluUlron—two 8 on » nntl a daughter . —Boston Courier .

    Untitled Article

    1 ^ ^ S-F rpar 19 . 1859 . 1 THE LEADER . 243

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 19, 1859, page 243, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2282/page/19/