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      September 18,1852. Rhjl Alan 0j} J?Jiefc...

      September 18 , 1852 . rHjL alAn 0 j } J ? JiEfcr ) 0 M > gg

      Jntrafaro.

      Jntrafaro .

      Reviews. "Frtfflr Scarlet Letter, A Roma...

      REVIEWS . "fRTfflR Scarlet Letter , a Romance , by Nathaniel Hawtl tliorne . London : Henry G . Bohn , York Strbfa \ ( GOVENT GARDEN . I In a previous number we jotted down a few of the principal eha characteristics of Hawthorne ' s writings , and made mention of the the weird and wondrous power with which the " Scarlet Le Letter" was written ; but words of ours could but faintly

      indicatcate the depth and scope of his writings , —so rich in thoughtful ful beauty , so full of fine suggestiveness and so excellently tn true as they are , they must he read and studied to be fully ap appreciated . Hawthorne goes direct to Nature for his insp spiration—nature as it exists , and has existed , in his own co country . He does not go to foreign literature to learn what

      m man can suffer and do , but he unveils the human heart , knowin ing that it is all written there , that it contains all the elements oi of goodness and greatness , bright and beautiful now as ever ft * flashed out in heroic deed in the old days of Greece , or Rome , o or Palestine , and all the crimes and lusts that make up the c curse of humanity . " Look in the heart and write , " said the t poet-warrior Sydney * , and it was wise instruction . Dip the t p encil in the warm hues of thy own life-blood , ye who would i move the world , aud he master of human smiles and tears .

      ' The " Scarlet Letter" is a tale of mystery , and full of passion . ' The author opens the work with a rather long account of his life at the " Custom-house , " of which he was an officer . This introduction is interspersed with some exquisite touches of ch aracterization and a way-side beauty that start up in unexpected places , with now and then a stroke of quaint quiet humour , worthy of our own dear " Eliza . " Burrowing one day amomg reams of rotten papers and heaps of rubbish , the author found some documents from which he professes to

      have derived the original material for his romance . Among the papers was a large letter " A" emhroidered on cloth of scarlet , with thread of gold . The tale is of the early times of New England , whenitw as the custom with the stem old Puritan settlers to hum an adulterer with a scarlet letter on the bosom , and compel the person thus marked to stand a length of time on a public scaffold exposed to the popular

      gaze , and , in addition , to wear the letter for a number of years . Hester Prynne has been married in the mothercountrv ( as we nnderstand it ) to a wrinkled old hook-worm , a scholar who has given his hest years to learning , and is already in decay . He is no fitting mate for a bride of Hester ' s youth andloveliness . He is cold and withering—she warm , budding

      out with love , and eager for a meet return . She is a strong reaper in the field of life ' s pleasure ; he is hut a poor gleaner . What marvel that the result of such unnatural relations is sm and death ? The old husband comes to the New England settlement , and the first object that strikes his sight is his voun < r wife standing ignominionsly on the scaffold , with a babe in her arms , the fatal Scarlet Letter blazoned on her breast , and the hungry eves of a silent multitude burning into the core of her heart . He reveals himself to her , hut binds her with

      an oath to keep his relationship to her an eternal secret His object is to he fearfully revenged on her paramour , the best beloved clergyman of the place , whose character is of seraphic beauty . The old husband obtains an entrance into the house of his victim , becomes a resident with him , and under the guise of devoted friendship , daily and hourly tears open the poor man ' s fearful heart-wound , which is fast bleeding out his life in secret and silence . He brings all his skill m medicine

      to bear upon the sufferer ' s physical health onpurpos e to prolong and gloat over his tortures . And Hester-she has sworn not to reveal the man ' s character to any one . * or seven years the curse works , and how terribly ahstincits workings are delineated ! Let us see how it is with Hester In all her intercourse with society however , there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it . She stood apart from mortal interests ; yet close beside tllem , like a ^ host thatrevisitsthe familiar fireside and can no longer make itself

      , seen or felt ; no more smile with the household joy no ^ inoum mth the kindred sorrow . The poor wh mn she "Jg ^ t ant to be the objects of her bounty , ° ften J evlle ^^ stretched forth to succour them . Dames of elevatedimKl * ewise , whose doors she entered in the way ^ JT ^^ L were ' accustomed to distill drops of hit erness into her hear ^ sometimes through that akUmy ofauietmfce ^ f ^?™™ <« concoct a subtle poison from ordinary tn ^ s ^ d som ^ me . the suffeeis defence

      alsohy a coarser expression that fell upon less breast like a rough blow upon an nicerated ;^; % ^ had schooled herself long and well . She nevena ^ these attacks , savehy a flush of crimson . *^* ^ £ X ^ over her pale cheek , and again snhsided ^ ° ^ £ re * £ bosom , he was patient ,-a martyr mdeed , bu she ^ pray for her enemies ; lest , in spite of her forgmng ^ iat ^ the words of the blessing should ^ btol ?^ JKfS into a curse . Continually , and in a thousand ways , ^^ hetee the innumerable throhs of anguish that had been *» ™™ f { > contrived for her hy the undying , ^ ™^^™ £ the Puritan Trihnnal . Walking to and fro , with ^™ £ footsteps , in the little world with which she was ^ gjj ^ nectedfii now and then appeared to ^^^^ lJ ^^ it was nevertheless too-1 potent to be resisted-sh . ett , or

      fancied , then , that the Scarlet Letter had <™^ $£ nmsense . She shuddered to believe , ^^ . ^^^ 1 ing tlmt itgave her a sympathetic . * f ^ . f / ^ Ss 3 ^ t other heart . She was terror-stricken by tle ^ f ^ l / am were thus made . What were they ? Borne f » f * f » £ 2 £ 3 upon her breast wouU give a sympaf ^ throb ^ £ »« near a venerable minister , or magistrate , ** j ^ J ^ J a » dw ;™ 4 « wl ««» that a-e of antique reverence looked up

      as toaniortll man in fellowship with -Sf' " £ ™ X thing is at hand ? " would Hester say tohe . rseIf Life ngupner reluctant eyes , there would be ^ nothing human within scope of view save the form of this earthly saint Again , am ^ ic sisterlmd would contumaciously f ^ % m shmetthsaM ^ dfrowri of some matron ^ « £ . ^ ££ therum «*« f „ 1 ltAnuL had kept cold snow within *« »««

      , hroughout life . Once more the electric thnll ^/^ w wamLg . " Behold , Hester , here is a companion ! and , poki ng up , she would detect the eyes of a Tf ^^^^ l the scarlet letter , shyly and aside , and <^*™* ± ^ faint chill crimson oh her cheeks , as if her purity were . ome what sullied hy that momentary glance .

      Reviews. "Frtfflr Scarlet Letter, A Roma...

      Rare writing that ! and true as rare . We shall not have space to give our readers a view of the "interior of a heart , " which shows how the curse is working with poor Mr . Dimmesdale , and is told with thrilling power and piercing pathos . We must also pass the character of Pearl , the elf-like child of love and sin , which is full of a wild beauty and startling

      originality . At length Hester , who is of strong mind and orignal robust nature , somewhat recovers , and resolves to make an effort to release Mr . Dimmesdale from the fangs of his tormentor . They meet in the " Forest "—perchance they had met there before . He is broken down in spirit , aud worn to skin and bone ; she endeavours to inspire him with hope and strength :

      " Thou art crushed under the seven years' weight of misery , but thoa shalt leave it all behind thee S It shall not cumber thy steps as thou treadest along the forest path ; neither shalt thou freight the ship with it , if thou prefer to cross the sea . Leave this wreck and ruin here where it hath happened I Meddle no more with it I Begin all anew ! Hast thou exhausted possibility in the failure of this one trial ? Not so ! The future is yet fall of trial and success . There is happiness to be enjoyed ! There is g jod to be done . Exchange this false life of thine for a new one . Be , if thy spirit summon thee to such a mission , the teacher and apostle of the red men . Or—as is more thy nature—be a scholar and a sage among the wisest and the renowned of the civilized world . Preach ! Write ! Act ! Do

      everything , save to lie down and die . Give up this name of Arthur Dimmesdale , and make thyself another , and a high one , such as thou cans't wear without fear or shame . Why shouldst thou tarry so much as one other day in the torments that have gnawed into thy life—that have made thee feeble to will and to do—that will leave thee powerless , even to repent . Up , and away . " ^ " 0 Hester ! " cried Arthur Dimmesdale , in whose eyes a fitful light , kindled by her enthusiasm , flushed up and died away , " thou tellest of running a race to a man whose knees are tottering beneath him ! I must die here . There is not the strength or courage left me to venture into the wide , strange , difficult world alone !"

      It was the last expression of the despondency of a broken spirit . He lacked the energy to grasp the better fortune that seemed within his reach . He repeated the word . " Alone , Hester ! " " Thou shalt not go alone , " she answered in a deep whisper . Then all was spoken ! * * * * * , "Thou wilt go I" said Hester calmly , as he met her glance . The decision once made , a glow of strange enjoyment threw its flickering brightness over the trouble of his breast .

      "Do I feel joy again ? " cried he , wondering at himself . " Methought the germ of it was dead within me ! 0 Hester , thou art my better angel ! I seem to have flung myself—sick , sin stained , and sorrow blackened—doyvn upon these forest leaves , and to have risen up all made a-new . This is already the better life ! Why did we not find it sooner ? " Let us not look back ; " answered Hester Prynne , " the past is gone ; wherefore should we linger upon it now ? See ! with this symbol I undo it all , and make it as it had never been ! " So speaking , she undid the clasp that fastened the scarlet letter , and , taking it from her bosom , threw it to a distance among the withered leaves .

      And now follows one of Hawthorne ' s fresh and radiant descriptions : " The stigma gone , Hester heaved a long deep sigh , in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit . 0 exquisite relief ! By another impulse she took off the formal cap that confined her hair , and down it fell upon her shoulders , dark and rich , with at once a shadow and a light in its abundance , and imparting the charm of softness to her features . There played arouud > her mouth and beamed out of her eyes , a radiant and tender ; smile , that seemed gushing from

      the very heart of womanhood . ' A crimson flush was glowing on her cheek that had been long-so pale . Her sex , her youth , the whole richness of her beauty , came back from what men call the irrevocable past , and clustered themselves with her maiden hope , and a happiness before unknown , within the magic circle of that hour . And , as if the ;{ gloom of the earth and sky had been but the influence of ¦ those two hearts , it vanished with their sorrow . AH at once ; as with a sudden smile of heaven , forth burst the sunshine , pouring a very flood into the obscure forest , gladdening each green leaf , transmuting the yellow

      fallen ones to gold , and gleaming adown the grey trunks of the solemn trees . The course of the little brook might be traced by its merry gleam afar into the wood ' s heart of mystery , which had become a mystery of joy . Such was the sympathy of nature—that wild heathen nature of the forest , never subjugated by human law , nor illumined by higher truth—with the bliss of these two spirits . Love , whether newty-born or aroused from death-like slumber , must always create a sunshine , filling the heart so full of radiance that it overflows the outward world .

      Splendid bursts like this run in radiant relief , like threads of gold through the dark woof of the story . They prepare to start for Old England , births are already taken on board ship , but the evil eye of the old man is upon them , and his cunning thwarts their intentions . The shadow of death is already upon Mr . Dimmesdale , and the end approaches . He has to preach the election sermon and determines to make this an opportunity for the " revelation of the Scarlet Letter . " Never did the rich endowments of the preacher shine forth so g lorious—never had the music of his eloquence sunk so deep into the hearts of his hearers—never did their idol look so

      bright and beautiful as he then stood transfigured on the heights of their admiration . And on this lofty pedestal of fame he chose to proclaim himself the paramour of the woman with the " Scarlet Letter , " and die like an Indian bride on the self-lighted pyre . Pie leaves the church apotheosized by worshippers ; his face is of death-like hue , lie totters on like a man in a dream . At length the procession arrives at the scaffold on which Hester had stood seven years before . He calls upon Hester and little Pearl , their child , and mounts the scaffold steps with them , hand in hand . Old Boger Chillingworth whispers in his ear :

      " Hadst thou sought the whole earth over , there was no one place so secret—no high place , nor lowly place , where thou couldst have escaped me , save on this very scaffold . " " Thanks he to Him who hath led me hither ! " answered the minister ; " is it not hetter than what we dreamed of in the forest ?" murmered he to Hester . "I know not ! I know not ! " she hurriedly replied . "Better ? yea ; so we may both die , and little Pearl die with us . " * * * # « People of New England I" cried he , with a voice that rose over them , high , solemn , and majestic , yet had always a tremor in it , and sometimes a

      Reviews. "Frtfflr Scarlet Letter, A Roma...

      S k , struggling up out of a fathomless depth of remorse and ^ TN j t * mt ^ ave * ove (* me—ye that have deemed me holybehold me here , the one sinner of the world ! at last ! at last ! I stand upon the spot where , seven vcars since , I should have stood here witli this woman , whose arm , more than the little strength wherewith I have crept hitherwards , sustains me at this dreadful moment from grovelling down upon my face ! Lo ! the scarlet letter which Hester wears I Ye have shuddered at it ! Wherever her walk hath been it hath cast a lurid gleam of awe and horrible repugnance round about her . But there stood

      one m the midst of you , at whose brand of infamy and sin ve have not shuddered . " It seemed , at this point , as if the minister must leave the remainder of his secret undisclosed ; but he fought back the bodily weakness , and still more the famtness ot heart , that was striving for the mastery with him . He threw off all assistance , and stepped passionately forward a pace before the woman and child . « It was on him ! " he continued with a kind of fierceness , so determined was he to speak out the whole . " God ' s eye beheld it ! The angels were for ever pointing at it I Tiie devil knew it well , and fretted it continually with the touch of his burning finger ! But he hid it cunningly from men , and walked among you with the mein of a spirit , mournful , because so pure in a sinful tew Id—and sad

      because he missed his heavenly kindred . Now , at the deathhour , he stands up before you ! He bids you look again at Hester ' s scarlet letter ! He tells you that , with all its mysterious horror , it is but the shadow of what he bears on his own breast , and that even this , his own red stigma , is no more than the type of what has seared his inmost heart ! Stand any here that question God ' s judgment on a sinner ? Behold behold a dreadful witness of it . " * * * * * The dying man sank down . " Hester , farewell , " murmured he . "Shall we not meet again ? " said she . " Shall we not spend our immortal life together ? Surely , surely , we have ransomed each other , with all this woe ? * Thou lookest far into

      eternity with those bright dying eyes , tell me what thou seest ?" umi ^ k ' Hester ' llusIl ; " said he witl 1 ^ emulous solemnity , lhe law we broke ; the sin here so awfully revealed—let these alone be thy thoughts . I fear ! I fear ! It may be that we forgot our God—when we violated our reverence each for the others soul . God knows , and he is merciful ! He hath proved his mercy , most of all in my afflictions , by giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast ; by sending yonder dark and terrible old man to keep the torture always at red heat ; by bringing me hither to die this death of triumphant ignominy before the people . His will be done ! farewell' "

      Dix Ans De Prison Au Mont-Saint-Michel R...

      Dix Ans de Prison au Mont-Saint-Michel rt a la Citadelle de Doullens . Par Martin Bernard . Premiere Partie . Paris : 1851 . Ten Years in the Prison of Mont St . Michael and the Citadel of Doullens . By Martin Bernard . First Fait , & e . This book is a sufficient ap provement of the saying that men will no longer brave martyrdom in defence of their religion . It is true they have now too high an opinion of man ' s dignity , and of the value of human life , to seek death in

      defence of some miserable childish dno-mn . w ™ w a ™™** ™ , lence ot some miserable childish dogma , but what dangers or cruelties have been able to daunt the noble sons of the Revolution , or to make them waver ever for a moment , in their gallant struggle for the holy principles of equality and liberty —the religion of humanity ? Martin Bernard was one of those condemned for the insurrection of May , 1839 . Alon ° - with Barbes and other soldiers of the republican cause he was sent to the fortress of Mont-Saint Michel , where they were subjected to the most cruel treatment , with the view , apparently , of destroying their health , nd thusmadness

      a , by , or gradual death , gratifying the revengeful feelings of the government , who had the will , but not the courage to send their defeated enemies to the scaffold . The author ' s only object in writing this book was , as he tells us in his dedication to Barbes , " to bring to light what had else remained buried in the catacombs of their prisons , the mysterious drama of the long captivity of the men of the 12 th of May . " In the night of the 14 th of July , Bernard , Barbes , Delsade , Maillon , and Austen the Pole were put into a cellular waggon , for the purpose of being transported to their definite prison .

      THE CM . LUL . VR WAGGON . Upon my descent into one of the courts , by the pale light of the lanthorns carried by my guides , I saw an immense waggon , which certainly bore no resemblance to those belonging to the prisons of Paris , and to which six horses were attached . Immediately my name was called , and I was compelled to enter the strange vehicle , of which I believe it useless to give a detailed description , as everybody now knows the form and destination of these frightful cages , which contemporary philanthropy has b

      qualified y the technical name of cellular waggons . It is i enough for me to say that , when the door of my cabin was i closed upon me , an irresistable shudder ran through my veins i at the thought of remaining enclosed in that horrible box where my body had , like a corpse in its coffin , strictly the place I necessary for its length and breadth , and where air * and lio-h t t were measured to me with the same parsimony . Yet it was s not for an hour merely that this was to last , but for many days s perhaps ! for it could be no longer doubted that we were about it to depart for our definite prison .

      That prison was Mont-Saint-Michel , within whose walls Is they were enclosed at seven o ' clock on the morning of the ; ie 17 th of July . Here they were subjected to the silent system , n , in direct contravention of the laws of Prance ; but royalty , : y , though ever prating of the duty of the people to obey the he laws , has never hesitated to break through them , whenever er there existed any inducement to do so , and when it might be be done with impunity . However , in spite of the illegal imposi- > sition of their jailors , Bernard and Barbes were enabled to holdold

      many little conversations , which helped to sweeten the rigour our ' of their prison life . For this purpose , they at first made useuses of a symbolical and allegorical language , and subsequently oft of : Latin , a little jDractice having sufficed to renew in their me-memories all that they had formerly learned of that adorableiblrc language of A ^ irgil and Horace . In one of the short pro-promenades which he was allowed to take , while crossing the the Saut-Gauthier , the darkness of our author ' s prison life waswas for an instant brightened up by

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Sept. 18, 1852, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_18091852/page/13/