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Northern Star (1837-1852), 22nd May 1852, Edition 2 of 2, Page 3, . . ¦> ,.<¦ nrincitile consists in havin...

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      , R V O 2 1652. The Star Of Freedom. Ma*...

      , o 1652 . THE STAR OF FREEDOM . MA * ~ ' - — ^—————— ^——^^— mm H —— I— . ^ 3

      Llteiutlh^ - Stuittos.

      LlTEiUTlH ^ - StUittos .

      . . ¦> ,.<¦ Nrincitile Consists In Havin...

      . . ¦> ,. <¦ nrincitile consists in having no * .,. 33 » e whenindepcn ^ rnre ^ V ^^^^ intbinhia , rWJto & fr T" ' V , ^ ' = uldn---ia an age when men & £ * 'f"S S ^ tfe keep anything except riii « i ! hoi" ? t ! , 1 , r Hi ' : „ ^ , « Hentlv . except their character ; S ^ ! fffM ^""^^ cannot at the same ^ . . ^ . -arouse it . ^ / snow ' s Poetical Works . Third Edition » ^ 0 nll ° lmLr 0 * Co ., Loudon . AC owrsLWir ' s Posse- Roatlclgc , 2 , Famngdon'" " * street , London .

      T ?«*?» r Ancients were quite rig ht when they-proclaimed I poes must bo bom , not made , Sot but that SucSue ' dion and art will make the best of born Poets t .. st'U . without certain given material , all the uSS ^ ' d ' development in the world will never produce P q Poet , A l oet by nature must have a warm , elec ii-ictfc ?! , temperament—indeed , we think with Emerson , . JtiutliVt a man ' s temperament is the measure of his ilivWiuity' S I , eart and * # Taiu are cssentiaJ » see : n S 1 kevier g ive capacity ; but there is something of abso-| , laical * inspiration iu temperament , or a man ' s amount vifcif electricity , which enables him at times to overleap 3 lis ifis ordinary capacity , and p luck the veil from hidden nuronvsterica . " Everyone who has written poetry will

      liknokBOW that they have had to exalt , condense , and mvensensify their whole being ; and , we think , temperanoeitneiitisthe power of intensifying one ' s being , so as [[ o to produce those sudden luminous impulses , which tbnlfcabblo and burst in the brain as thoughts , in the -aa-aaro manner as bubbles rise in the water after you iiiatave thrown in tho stone . But in addition to this I treasure of temperament * the Poet must have intense ' inaiid fiery passions ; for these , properly guided and which

      ! reirei <* iwd » are the glorious beasts of strength , idrdrtw the chariot of Genius up the mountain of Immortality ! He must also have great perceptive popowers , and large ideality , which is the creative « er wiled Imagination , with that magical inward bebeauty which can stamp the impress of itself upon i alUI outward things . He must also possess that vehem « nent passion for melody which leads him a rhythmical liftife . buovs his very footsteps into measured tune-his

      speech into song-and opens his annomtea eyes ana Sfslo the beauty and melodiousness of the universe . BBut , above all , the Poet must lire his own life-he nnnUBt not trust existence upon hearsay , but live for hihimsel /; and feed in the depths of his own nature . \ man contains more in his own single nature than alall tho books in the world . It is a newly discovered mnv-rie of treasure , and the more he digs it the richer hie becomes . There never was an inspired Poet who was not thus endowed , and who lived not such a selfcicommuning life ! Such are the world ' s genuine Poets , who have the

      nnia < nc to unlock the sources of hamau smiles and t < tears , and to send the electric throb of sympathy ( through the universal heart of humanity . In this * cense , Shakespeare , Dante , Beranger , Burns , and { Shelly , are Poets . They are Creators , Seers , and ] Prophets , as well as Singers . But , there are others i who do not belong to the band- of these great roasters i of immortal thought , who are jet Poets , and exquisite gingers . Perhaps they do not feel inspired to sing as a relief for their overflowing nature , nor believe

      themselves sent on earth to work revolutions , and issue the grand decrees of thought to man ; nevertheless , their song is genial , pleasant , and welcome , ana * the realms of Poetry are large enough to admit them as humble denizens . If they do but interpret , and popularise , the great thoughts , and the wondrous melodies of the Gods in the realm of mind—if they do but ran like small chancels from the great rivers , and penetrate into the waste places of the world , making the desert blossom and the bye-ways of humanity f .-nitfhl , they do a great and glorious work , and we should give them our grateful thanks .

      Such a Poet is Longfellow , and perhaps the best and mosl genuine of this kind . There are few better understood , or more welcome to tho homes of the people . He lias little passion , small poetic force , and no sublimity . His natural insight is so dim that he is compelled to look through the spectacles of literature , he is a perpetual plagiarist from all the languages he knows . 2 Cow all poets are plagiarists . 'Do you ask the genius , ' says Goethe 'to give an account of what he has taken from others . As well demand of the

      hero au account of the beeves and loaves which have nourished him to such martial stature ; ' but the Gesbjs possesses a fire in which it melts down all thatis cast into it , to come forth richer and rarer a thousandfold ; Longfellow does not , and you can point to ideas in his poems and say : this is from Goethe , this is from Milton , this is from Calderon , oneneribanyoucansay , this is Longfellow's own ! Heroic , daring , and fiery-hearted earnestness he has not , hat , he is unequalled in setting a brave sentiment to music which shall thrill through the heart of all iumanitv , as in his noble

      -PSALM OF LIFE . THAT TUB HEABT OT OTE TOVXB 3 USSAIB TO THE PSAIMIST Tell me not , in mournful numbers , " Life is but an empty dream I " For the soul is dead tbat slumbers , And things are not what they seem . Life is real ! Life is earnest ! And the grave is not its goal ; " Dost thou art , to dust returnest , " Was not spoken of the soul . 2 Cot enjoyment , and not sorrow , Is our destined end or way ; Bat to act , that each to-morrow Find us farther than to day . Art is ion " , and Time is fleeting ,

      And our hearts , though stout and brave , Still , like muffled drums , are beating Funeral marches to the grave . In tbe world's bread field of battle , la tbe bivouac of Life , Se not like dumb , driven cattle ! Be a hero in the strife ! Trust no future , howe ' er pleasant ! Lst the dead Past bury its dead ! Act , —act in the living Present ! Heart within , and God o ' erhcad ! lives of great men all remind us We can mako our lives sublime , And , departing , leave behind us Footsteps on the sands of time :

      Footprints , that perhaps another , Sailing o'er Life ' s solemn main , A forlorn and shipwrecked brother , Seeing , shall take heart again . Let us , then , he up and doing , With a heart for any fate ; Still achieving , still pursuing , Learn to labour and to wait . This is fine , anil a true inspiration ; it is akin to the valiant soul's earnest conviction , and rings out a rare accompaniment to the beating of the hearts of England ' s stern old Commonwealth men , and contains a lesson we should lay to heart . Think of the

      glorious , the divine significance of life ! We are sent into the world as battlers , or builders , or as delineators of what the true battler or builder should be , and whichever oar vocation , let ns work like men , snd be heroes in the strife . Do not let ns dodge and skulk about the world as though we had no right in it ! Tho world was made for ns—for ns has it laboured from all time " ; let us in return do something » r the world . "We can all do something . Do not the lives of treat men all remind us that we can build np

      Qoblo lives ? Lst us , then , begin ! Let not our children have to curse our ignorance as we have to corse the ignorance of our forefathers . Other have done and sufered , so can we . Other have gone ut > jut of the Egypt of slavery ; despite of all obstacles , " jey hara conquered , so can we . Longfellow has «' - esdeared himself to all-aspiring souls by his -wolsior * —one of the great thoughts of the time , jos i happil y embodied . Thousands had felt it ; it J \ tT ?™ Z at the heart of the age , but he was des-MGd to give it fitting utterance .

      EXCELSIOR , The shades of night were failing fast , ^ s through an Alpine village passed A youth , who bote , ' mid . snow and ice > A banner with the strange device Excelsior ! gis brow was sad ; his eyebeneath , r *] ted like a feulchion from its sheath ^ *« uhkea siher clarion rung -toe accents of that unknown tongue , Excelsior ! i f k | PPv h 0 me 3 he saw the light w flou sehold fires gleam warm and bright ; **** . thes spectral glaciers shone , SceSio ?! CSCapea a St 0 ftn '

      . . ¦> ,.<¦ Nrincitile Consists In Havin...

      " Try not the Pass ! " the old man said ; " Dark lowers the tempest overhead , The roaring torrent is deep and wide ! " ' And loud that clarion v .-ice replied , Excelsior ! " 0 stay , " the maiden said , " and rest Thy weary head upon this breast I " A tear stood in his bright blue eye , But still he ! inswered , ~ whh a sigh , Excelsior ! " Beware tbe pine-tree's withered branch I Beware tbe awful avalanche I " This was the peasant ' s last Good-night , A voice replied , f .-. r up the height , Excelsior !

      At break of day , as heavenward The pious monks of Saint Bernard Uttered the oft-repeated prayer , A voice cried through the startled air Excelsior ! A traveller , by the f . iitiiful bound , Half-buried in the snow khs found , Still gia ? pinsr in his hand of ice Tbat banner with the strange device Excelsior I There in the twilight cold and gray , Lifeless , hut beautiful , he lay , And from the skv , serene and far , A voice fell , like a falling star , Excelsior !

      What a g lorious aspiration is that for all who have a cause to win ! Excelsior ! up higher ! higher , evermore hig her . That same Excelsior has been the very life-pulse in the hcartsofall who have foughtin the vanguard of humanity ; and of all who have yearned to write theirnames iu starry glory upon the pages of history . ' Excelsior' isthebattfe-authemofaUwhocombat for freedom and right ! Excelsior , exclaims the martyr , even thongh friends should fail , and the night gather darkly around . Excelsior , shouts the patriot , though the scaffold loom ominously in his way , though the axe gleam , and his next step be the death-plunge into the grave . Excelsior is the cry bursting from tho

      hearts of all who have grasped that ' banner with the strange device' to bear it heaven-ward , so that all the world may read what is written thereon 'Excelsior , ' cries the hero , as he plants his feet up the steep ascent he has to climb ; the old man warns him that the way is full of danger : he can see the light of happy homes smiling out into the falling darkness ; the loving maiden bids him stay and rest his weary ^ head upon the pillow of her budding bosom : but , stern in the work he has to perform , and strong in its might , he answers warning , welcome , and gentle lure with the clarion-cry— 'Excelsior . ' We never read this poem without thinking of brave Robert Nichol ! The live of that devoted spirit was a proud , living embodiment of' Excelsior . ' ' Do not follow Literature , ' was tbe advice of his friends ; 'its aye poorl y paid . " He answered , 'Excelsior . '

      'Poets are always poor , . Robert , ' pleaded his mother , and still he answered , ' Excelsior . ' ' You are killing yourself , ' said his beautiful betrothed ; ' give up writing for a year or two . ' * A tear stood in his bright blue eye , ' and still he answered , ' Excelsior * —aye , 'Excelsior'to the death . Neither of these poems are marred by Longfellow ' s great defect of manufacturing figures , and lugging them in in the most mal-apropos situations . We don't object to Yankee ' calculating ; ' but we must protest against this eternal itgubiug in American poetry , in which conceit Longfellow cuts one of the worst figures . It is in poems like the following that this poet is most himself . Many such delicious drops of song has he scattered along his path ., and they are akinto the very highest poetry—resembling it ( to quote one of his own similes ) ' as the mist resembles the rain' : —

      FOOTSTEPS OF ANGELS . "When the hours of Day are numbered , And the voices of the Sight Wake tho better soul , that slumbered , To a holy , calm delight ; Ere the evening lamps are lighted , And , like phantoms grim and tall , Shadows from the fitful fire-light Dance upon tbe parlour wall ; Then the forms of the departed Enter at the open door ; The beloved , the true-hearted , Come to visit me once more ;

      He , the young and strong , who cherished Noble longings for the strife , By the road-side fell and perished , Weary with the march of life ! They , the holy ones and weakly , "Who the cross of suffering bore , Folded their pale hands so meekly , Spake with us on earth no more ! And with them the Being Beauteous , Who unto my youth was given , More than all things else to lovo me , And is now a saint in Heaven . "With a slow and noiseless footstep Comes that messenger divine , Takes tho vacant chair beside me , L ^ vs her gentle hand in mine .

      And she sits and gazes at me With those deep and tender eyes , Like the stars , so still and saint-like , Looking downward from the skies . Uttered not , yet comprehended , Is the spirit ' s voiceless prayer , Soft rebukes , in blessings ended , Breathing from her lips of air . 0 , thcugh oft depressed and lonely , All my fears are laid aside , If I but remember only Such as these have lived and died J

      In Europe , Longfellow is acknowledged chief of American song ; and , we have no intention of disputing it , though we believe there are others on the thre-hold of the age who will far surpass him . We should have quoted more , and said more , hut his poems are pretty well known ; and , by the aid of Mr . jRoutledge s cheap edition , may be in the hands of all .

      Otjr Imx*Anfcft& Portrait ©Abtafaj.

      OTJR imx * anfcft & portrait © aBtafaj .

      Rlexzl, The Eoman Tuibdne. The Saviours ...

      RlEXZl , THE EOMAN TuiBDNE . The saviours of the world are betrothed to martyrdom as to a bride . They are sure to fall upon evil time ? , who come as the vicegerents of Freedom , and the sign of their proud mission , flaming on their noble brows , has ever been fatal to them as the brand of Cain . The hemlock for Socrates ; the rack ior Galileo ; the dungeon , the torture , and the stake , for the ' unnamed demigods , and countless heroes . This , in the nast , has been their lot who have devoted

      themselves to the emancipation of mankind from its multitudinous tyrannies . There is not a beam of the b > ht of that knowledge which now illumines the world , but is made up of souls that have gone down in darkness . There is not a path to freedom , now smooth and easy , but has been beaten out of the rugged and thorny wastes , by the bruised and bleeding feet of the forerunners ! The lives of heroic temper have ever been beaten out on tbe furnace « forge of Suffering , beneath the blows of Persecution . Again and again have the world ' s brave-hearted Eedeemers been crucified and slain in the Past , that the Future might go free . Far back in the ages arose the

      largehearted and noble ISazarine , Christ , to preach his divine doctrines of Liberty , Equality , and Frater nity—that magnificent formula , which was inscribed on the banner of the French Revolutionists ! He arose to wear the thorny crown of the kings of Sorrow and Salvation , and to climb the cross , and from its eminence obtain a glimpse of the glory ol the coming time of which he had spoken , to crown the earth ' s long , dark years of travail , blood , and tears ! He—the glorious , god-like Gallilean—was hounded down and crucified by the people whom he came to save . Five centuries ago , that splendid spirit , Eienzi hurst upon the astonished world to redeem

      , , Rome and Italy from ages of shame and degradation . He expunged much of the crime from her dark and bloody archives , humbled the rapacious and haughty barons , readjusted the bandage which had slipped from the eyes of the olden ' Justice , ' and bade fair to reinstate Rome in all her olden glory as the mistress of the world ; and he , too , fell a victim to popular ignorance—sacrificed at the shrine of Tyranny . Nicolas Cola di Rienzi—or Nicolas Rienzi Gabrini , as he is differently named—was born in Rome early

      in the fourteenth century . An innkeeper and a washerwoman were the parents of Rome ' s future deliverer , by name , Lawrence and Magdalen Gabrini . They lived near the Tiber , opposite to St . Thomas , under the Jews' Synagogue . Thus , like many other noble sp irits who have stood in the foremost ranks of the vanguard of Progress , Rienzi sprung from a very humble origin ; and , after all , it is only those who have suffered with the people , and known their wrongs and miseries from experience , who can truly lead the people upward in their mighty march to ; the

      Rlexzl, The Eoman Tuibdne. The Saviours ...

      fulfilment of their glorious destiny . Poor as were the parents of Rienzi , they piinfull y toiled to give him an education . He dwelt apart , and deeply studied the writings of Cicero , Seneca , Livy and others , the boast and glory of Eoman Literature . He was soon far beyond the plebehns of his time ' wellread in history , and he was wont to pa = ss whole days among the marbles and monuments of Rome , readiii " their inscri ptions , until he became rich in the lore of Roman antiquity . By constant familiarit y with the names and deeds of the mighty dead , he had built up his life on the old heroic model , and be ^ an to reflect bitterly on the degeneracy and deflation of the Romans of his day until lie glowed with ideas of freedom , and yearned to impart them to his

      countrymen . 'Where , ' said he , ' are the old Romans of whom I read ? Where are their heroic virtues ? Where is all the olden grandeur ? Gone- —all gone . ' As he walked among the monuments of the Past old days sang round him , old times would come a ^ ain and the departed would rise from their tombs of centuries ' to hold heroic converse with him . Every breath of hallowed Roman air kindled bis heart liko a flarne for freedom Home became tbe divinity of his soul ' s worship . Home ' tbat had been the pecvlcss mistress of nations , and crowne .-i queen of thu world ! Home , the magnificent ' the regal ! the beautiful ! and now the fettered and degraded . He had gotten all her past beauty by heart , and loved her mow in her desolation and imperial sorrow ! He saw her scars , her agonies , her stripes and chains , and thought her more lovely and '

      worshipful , crowned with tears , than w hen . the kings of the world had gathered to place the tiara on her brow ! Then dawned the thought , tllO hope , the resolve , to set her free . He would walk among the people , and talk as if to himself , of justice and liberty , and ancient grandeur without taking the least notice of the impression which his speeches made upon the pr ople who surrounded him , and followed him , until " Itienzi" tho " Republic" and the " good estate" became familiar words with them . About this time he had a brother assassinated in tiie feuds which then raged between the Colonna and the Orsini , in Rome . Satisfaction not being given , Rienzi resolved to go to Avi « l non , the residence of the Pope , but ho had another object than the death of his brother , in consulting the Pope . Such was the state of Rome at this time that Petrarch has

      described it as "the most wicked and miserable of cities , the s-, rt of devils , the sink of debauchery , and a very hell upon earth ; " nnd he exclaims- " 0 , God I send us down again Nero , send ns Bomitian , their persecution will be more open , a secret poison consumes us . We have not the power to live a virtuous lite , nor to die a glorious death . " And the citizens of Rome had been in the habit of sending deputations to the Pope to represent their grievances and the condition of Romo , hitherto , with but little success , so they fixed on Rienzi to head another deputation ; By this time he must have been looked up to as a man of great importance , for he was now chosen to fill the position which Petrarch had occupied some few years before . At this time the feud of the Colonna and tho Ursini was raging with all the fury of the Gnelphs and Gibelines ; there was no

      such thing as justice in Rome the poor were outraged and trampled under foot , commerce languished , and foreigners feared to go to Rome , lest they should be robbed and murdered . This was the representation Rienzi was appointed to bear to Pope Clement the sixth , then at Avignon , and to pray him to return and dwell in Borne . Rienzi charmed the court of Avignon with his eloquence and genius ; he told the Pope that the grandees oi Rome were robbers , public thieves , infamous adulterers , and illustrious profligates , the perpetrators of the worst of crime *; to them he attributed tho desolation of the Holy City , and he succeeded in incensing Clement against tho Roman nobility . Rienzi was appointed tho apostolic notary , and returned laden with favours . It was his policy to get tho sanction and authority of the Popo as a leverage to work out the grand

      scheme now brooding in his mind . He took up his office of notary , and his probity , justice , and honesty , contrasting with the vices of the nobles , firmly established him in tbe affections of the people . He now harangued them publicly in the streets and churches . The privileges of Rome—her eternal sovereignty—her olden grandeur—her undying beauty—her past pride , and present shame , with a glimpse of coming deliverance ; these made up the theme of his discourses , which foil like fire on the hearts of the people . He now made a bold stroke . One day , at a full council , board , he rose up suddenly , and , with enthusiasm , exclaimed to the senators— " You arc bad citizens , you suck the blood of tho people yet , relieve them not ! " He had no press to work with in those days , so he caused a symbolical picture to be drawn , which should represent the condition

      of Italy . This painting exhibited a ship tossing , without rudder or sails , in the midst of a tempestuous sea . On board appeared a woman in a widow's habit wringing her hands and kneeling in her agony , over her was written , " Rome . " Oa the right wore four ships wrecked and sinking ; in each was a woman upon deck , representing Babylon , Carthage , Troy , and Jerusalem : One label showed that injustice had ruined those cities , and another that Rome , once greater than all , was now in her desolation , fast following them . There were rocks around , on ori © of which was clinging the " Christian religion" with this label , " 0 , God ! if Rome perish where shall I go ? " Above was represented four rows of horrible animals with horns , through which they blew tho waves into fury , and endeavoured to sink the ship labelled " Rome . " The first row , which were lions , wolves , and bears , was inscribed , " Be «

      hold ! our governors , senators , and nobles ! " In the second , dogs , hogs , and she-goats , inscribed , " Evil councillors and flatterers of nobility , " with various other significant groups and inscriptions ; while over all was painted ' Heaven , " whence descended offended Deity with two swords . The people understood this fantastical allegory and looked upon Rienzi as tho man to take their interests in hand , and of restoring the tottering state . This scheme was admirably successful . The supine nobles , little aware of the effect Rienzi was working on the people , affected to despise him and his representations . Indeed they looked upon him ns a sort of jester or mountebank , performing for their special amusement . He was often invited to the palace of the Colonna , to mako sport for them . They did not see the modern Brutus concealed beneath the mask of folly , and the

      character of buffoon . Sometimes he would was warm , and uttor threats and predictions . On one occasion ho exclaimed , « ' If I am king or emperor I shall hang and behoad all tho grandees who now hear me , " and his terrible meaning made rare sport for them , and produced inextinguishable laughter . Other pictures he had painted and placed at the court-gate of the Senate , which conveyed to the people more than tbe meaning of words . The last that he exhibited contained these words— " In a short time the Romans shall be restored to their ancient good estate . " The timo of this most wonderful of revolutions was now at hand . He hid gathered around him the best men amongst the Romin populace , and he took those he considered most fitting , one by one , and laid his conspiracy before them . Afterwards , they assembled together in

      a secret place upon Mount Aventine , and there formed the plot which was destined to overthrow the lawless rule of the Roman nobility , and to make Rienzi the Tribune of the People , with more than Imperial power . For the success of his measures , Rienzi judged it necessary to have the Pope ' s Vicar , Raymond , on their side . Having succeeded in winning him oyer , Rienzi now made his greatest coup d ' etat on the 20 th of May , 1347 , he marched with all his adherents , upon tho capital , in great pomp of splendour and magnificence . Here he harangued the delighted and daring people , and had the laws , which he bad drawn up , read to them , assuring them that if they would resolve to observe those laws , he would pled ge himself to win for them the . " Good Estate , " and re-estabfish them in all their olden grandeur . The people were enraptured , the idea of freedom

      inspired them to fanaticism . They declared Rienzi the Sovereign of Rome , and granted him the power of life and death , of rewards and punishments , with supreme authority over all tho extensive territories of Rome ,. Rienzi stipulated that they should nominate the Pope's vicar as his co-partner , and that he himself should simply be called the "Tribune of the People , " This was a subtle stroke of policy , as , while the holy father would have no authority , it would be a kind of papal sanction to the proceedings of Rienzi . The nobles were now alarmed , and began to think of putting down this audacious plebeian , but it was too late . The Colonna fled , and at the order of Rienzi the nobility departed for their estates ; He now . proceeded to execute justice on all criminals with the utmost rigour , and as ereat numbers of these had been among the people ' s

      oppressors , their punishment won the hearty thanks of the oppressed , and made Rienzi omnipotent in Rome . So complete was this revolution , and so firmly was the People ' s Tribune established , that the Papal Court of Avignon was compelled to acknowledge his authority , and countenance the people ' s choice . "At this time" ( says the historian ) " tbe woods began to rejoice that they mre no longer infested with robbers , the oxen began to plough , the roads and inns were replenished with travellers , trade , plenty , and good faith werb restored to com « meroe , aud a purse of gold might be exposed without danger in the public highway . " Such is a glimpse of the state of Rome under tho rule of Rienzi ; The deliverance of Rome so successfully accomplished , Rienzi was now inspired with that grand dream of uniting the various states

      of Italy into a great federative republic , with Rome for the head , which Mazzini , the Rienzi of our time , has fought for aud preaches ia these days . But they were not npo for it then . Although the messengers of Rienzi sent on this mission , were every where received by kneeling multitudes , who implored heaven for the success of thoir undertaking , and Venice , Florence , and many other cities offered their lives and fortunes to the good estate . The tyrants of Lombardy , Tuscany , and other states would not unite with the plebeian author of a ^ free constitution , Petrarch , the friend of Rienzi , rejoiced in his triumphs , and proclaimed that ho had given to the world every token of tho golden age The Tribune of the People bad now attained the summit of his ambition—it was a summit of dizzy

      height , and perhaps his head swam a little when he looked down from tho lofty pinnacle of his fame . HH »« to he had avoided ceremony , and was easy of access to the poorest and the meanest , he began to keep an elegant table , served with the choicest and daintiest wines , and doubtless became somewhat enervated by luxury . He suffered himself to be called " Nicholas , severe and merciful deliverer of Rome , defender of Italy , august tribune , & c " He copied the manners and magnificence of princes . The populace were gratified at any public exhibition of his splendid pomp , it gratified their vanity , as he was the man of their choice , and ia him and his dazzling glory , they also where glorified , but when he deviated from the stridt rule of frugality in his private life , they became provoked , and many saw his vices in a worse light than if they had been the vices of Kings . These disaffected soon joined the

      Rlexzl, The Eoman Tuibdne. The Saviours ...

      old nobles , who were only awaiting an opportunity of wreaking their vengeance upon tb Tribune of the PoonV The war which Rioiizi had had to wajro against rebels ' inrf the old animosities of the Ursini and Colonna had drained the treasury , tho troops became discontented and -, 11 scorned disposed to a general murmur . The Colonn s rallied their troops in Palestrina , and with all the di " tented who gathered to their standard , advanced unon Roam , but , were beaten and cut to pieces bv tho soldiers of Rienzi . But perhaps tho greatest cause " of tUo fall of Rienz ; i was his clemency to " the chiefs of tho nobles who were adjudged worthy of death , ho dreaded tbe effi ' -ci of their names , tho inconstancy of frio people , and pardoned thorn . This wounded their pride , to he forgiven by him and raade tliem a thousand-fold more implacable , wliilo tho

      people nursed up unjust feelings against him , and cried " Had they been poor and of us , they would have inevitably expiated their crimes . " At length , a consp-acy burst out in Romo against tho Tribune , and he escaped from the city , intending to retire for a time from tho strife and turmoil of his public life . But we must pass on . After his flight , the Barons and other rapacious monsters thronged to Romo like Vultures to tho field of carnage . For a time their old bloody feuds tore Rome to its very heart , and the populace soon began to sigh for the return of Rienzi , and amid their increased misfortunes bis faults were forgotten . After an exile of seven years , he returned . lie suffered endless persecutions and imprisonments ; his noble faith was almost quenched , and his proud heart broken . He came back conquered , rather than as a conqueror .

      He has been accused of intemperance , jealousy , and a large development of the darker passions ' in his senatorship ; but his history and character have only been written by bis enemies . It is certain , however , that ho lost favour with tho pooplo , and that his treasures were exhausted by civil war , which occasioned his soldiers to desert Ilia cause . We shall only have space to transcribe the Inst scene of his career , from Father Cerceau ' s work on Rienzi , It was on the 8 th of October , 1354 , when Rienzi was disturbed in his bed with loud and repeated cries of "Long live the People , ' ' and "Lot the Tyraut perish . " This he could see was at the instigation of secret ring-leaders , who were urging f . he people on . Tho city was speedily up and shouting , ' '' Down with the Tyrant , " the guards declared against him . The capital was invested , and the windows of the Tribune smashed with stones -, tho cause was said to be the obnoxious exoise-tax recently laid on . Rienzi came out on the balcony , where he had so often harangued the people , and was mot with a volley of stonesand execrations ,

      In no wise disconcerted , ho held up the hand thoy had wounded , and begged to bo heard ; and such was the might of his wonderful eloquence that , could he but have obtained silence , he would have turned the hearts of that wild multitude , even as the wind sways a field of standing corn . This his enemies well knew ; and redoubled their clamours and imprecations . H 6 took up the noble Gonfalon , the standard of the people , the banner of Liberty , and waved it , but all to no purpose . At length , ^ 'despairing of being heard , and finding the pa'ace was deserted , and on fire , he endeavoured to escape , but was recognised , and carried to the Lion ' s steps , whence so many heads had rolled . It was tbe place of execution ! Here he stood for a whole hour , without voice or . motion . Ho stood in tha midst of tho savage multitude , " half naked and half dead ; and while , on tho one hand , be lialnottho strength tospeak , on the other , they were dumb , and had not the daring to attack him . Feelings of compassion and reverence were fighting for him , and might have prevailed had not a dastardly assassin , byname , Cecco de la Vecchio , tuldm ' y run

      him through the body with a sword . This was tho signal of onset for the other conspirators . The notary , Treio , gave him a great cut across the bead with his sabre , and many others rushed to stab him , and ; to outvie each other in insulting and mutilating a fallen enemy . Rienzi died with the first stroke—without a word or groan . His body was dragged from the Capitol to St . Mark ' s with loud huzzas . His head and arms they stuck upon the roads ; his shapeless bodv theyhungbythofeet , on a stake , before the palace of the Colonnas , who had always been his enemies . Such was the end of Rienzi , the most renowned man of his ago , and one of the greatest pat i its the world has ever seen , He fell a victim to tho hatred of the nobles whoso destruction he had vowed , and to the ignorance of tho people whose emancipation he had sought to accomplish . But the same hands that stone and crucify the martyrs also build , theiv monuments ; and Rienzi was no sooner . dead than they discovered what they had lost , and , amid tears and regrets , they remembered only his renowned | virtue 3 , and the bravery ofh is actions . Gebald Massev ,

      The Countess Of Rudolstadt. [Sequel To "...

      THE COUNTESS OF RUDOLSTADT . [ Sequel to " Consuelo . " ] Bt George Sand . THE JOURNEY . The day was yet far from breaking when Consuolo , overcome by fatigue , sunk into a profound slumber . When aJie awoke in the morning , she found herself alone in tho carriage . The Chevalier had seated himself on the box , where he remained tho whole of the folio wing day , during which Consuelo was whirled rapidly along , she knew not where . Towards the middle of the succeeding night the carriage stopped in a ravine . The weather was gloomy ; tho noise of the wind among the foliage resembled that of running water . Hero Karl informed her that , as they were about to pass the frontier , it would be necessary , in order to avoid tho police , that she should walk a little way while he conducted the empty carriage by another route . To this Consuelo gladly assented , since she was to have the unknown for her protector . Accordingly , taking the proffered arm of her silent companion , she immediately sot off with him across the fields .

      The night grew darker and darker ; the wind kept rising ; and soon it began to pour in torrents . The roads became so slippery that Consuelo could only save herself from falling at © very step by clinging to her companion . He allowed her to do 86 for a fow moments , when he took her in his arms , and carried her like a child , and stalked vapidly on through bog and ravine , as though he had been of an immaterial nature . They arrived thus at the ford of a small river ; the unknown sprung into the water , lifting Consuelo higher and higher in his arms , in proportion as the ford became deeper . Unfortunately , this water-spout of rain , so heavy and sudden , had swollen the course of tho rivulet , till it had become a torrent , which now , troubled and covered with foam , ran on witn a gloomy and sinister murmur . Tho

      chevalier was already up to his waist in water , and in tho effort he made to keep Consuolo above the surface , it was to be feared that his feet , sunk deep in tbe mud , might fail him . Consuelo was alarmed for his safety . " Suffer me to drop , " she said ; "I know how to swim . In tho name of heaven , set me down I The water continues swelling ; you will be drowned !" At this moment a furious gust of wind struck ono of the trees upon the shore , towards which our travellers were directing their steps , which , dragging with it an enormous mass of earth and stones , for a moment opposed a natural dyke to the violence of the current . Fortunately , tho tree had fallen above them in the stream , and the unknown had just began to breathe , when tho water , forcing itself a passage through the obstacles which opposed it , flowed in so

      powerful a current that it was almost impossible to struggle against it . He stopped , and . Consuelo tried to disengage herself from bis arms . "Let me go , " said she ; "I will not be the cause of your death ' . I also have strength and courage 1 Let me struggle through the water with you . " But the chevalier pressed her to his heart with renewed energy . Onewouldhavethougb . tihatheraeanttope . riahthere with her . She felt afraid ot" this black mask , of the silent man , who , liko the Ondines of ancient German ballads , seemed desirous to draw her beneath the gulf . She daved no further resist . For more than a quarter of an hour longer , the unknown combated against the fury of wind and waves , with a cool determination truly frightful , ever supporting Consuelo abovo the water , and gaining one

      foot of ground in lour or five minutes . He reflected upon his situation with calmness . It was as difficult to recede as to advance ; he had passed the deepest part , aad felt that , in the movement he must'make to return , the water mhjkt overpower his resistance and deprive him of his footing . At last ho reached the shore , and advanced without permitting Consuelo to walk , and without even stopping to take breath , until he heard tho . whistle of Karl , who was anxiously awaiting them . Then ho deposited his precious burden in the avow of . thu deserter , and fell senseless to the ground . His breathing only escaped in heavy sobs ; it seemed as though his chest would burst . Thinking he was about , to breathe his last , Consuelo threw herself upon him , exclaiming , " Oh ! do not die ; do

      you not feel that I love you V But he was soon able to walk to the carriage , where Consuelo held him for an hour in her arms . When the carriage stopped , he pressed her to his heart , and , hastily letting down the step , disappeared , At the cottage , where she ' remained during'the next ' night , the idea of continuing her Journal occurred to her . " She had but written a confession of her sudden love for tho unknown , when something having attracted her to the adjoining room , she returned with the intention of burning uer writing , but it was nowhere to be found . A few moments after , Karl brought her a letter , which , without signature , was written in a disguised or trembling hand .

      "I quit you—perhaps never to seo you again . I do so voluntarily . It is a duty . *« Yes , I love you—I love you wildly 1 But we are in'the power of tho Invisibles—a power without appeal ; Adieu ! Oh , God , have mercy upon me !" This letter , Karltoldher , was from tbe chevalier , who had departed , telling him that a little man in black , who had juat arrived , would henceforth be her guide , That night their journey was resumed , but how long it afterwards lasted Consuelo knew not , as from then shelest all consciousness .

      THE PAVILION . When she awoke , she found herself in an excellent bed , between vast curtains of white satin , with gold fringes . At her bedside , wearing a black mask , was her little travelling companion , who made her smell a bottle which appeared to dissipate the clouds in which her mind bad been enveloped . When this man had gone out , she arose , and dressed her * self in tho rich antique garments which had been placed at her disposal . Tho pavilion of which ghe had become an inmate was adorned with every luxury . It was a lodging worthy of a queen for its richness , of an artist for its taste , and of a nun for its chasteness . Outside , all the beauties of nature seemod concentrated in the small space within which her view was confined ; and she could spy through the foliage the turrets of a castle in tho immediate neighborhood . But after a abort time all tueso attractions of

      The Countess Of Rudolstadt. [Sequel To "...

      nature and art ceased to beguile Consuelo ' s hours of capti vil-y . The only person she ever saw in the pavilion washer major-domo Matteus , who , like tho Invisibles she had already seen , constantly wore a black mask . Tho loneliness of her situation , and the excitement she had lately exporienced , brought on a nervous irritability , which caused her to be disturbed by the merest trifle , and to experience a sones of vague terrors , for which she could not frequently account . One evening she fancied she could distinguish the distant sound of mUSiCi ^ a 3 CC „ ded tbe tei race , and perceived , , . g" the intervening foliage , that tho castle was brilliantly illuminated . Tho resounding and decided strains of rW « * « f .. music novv distinctly reached her , and the conhW ! ° gay sceno within the castle with her own forknowCOIVffi > oted ller moro tha" shc was wilJin » t 0 ac " »„ . j ,.. ;??* . , ,, ? ns so long since she had exchanged a wwnrt i " w and reasonable beings ! The moon JZ " ,, ' , ' nsc » . Thouirh tin * skv was clear , vet there

      easily ha opaSTdH ° ^ ! cea ' tM Consuelo could had she been KS W . , lem wit » oufc bem 2 scen ' evea tation prc « n £ d W r - '" visible spies . Aotrongtempwhich curiosity ncvoi . f . ' a l ' aU the specious arguments tho conscience , can " ± , ? SS « sfc wlie » " * w ° uld ™ ml ing her with confidence ^ o b 3 { J ° h w , M , Bd - , ^ > , tmlt " Jess , into this stern , thoul" ^ , J 01 tb - " 3 ' "leepand sensea right to exact such blind obe ' pn ? . ? IJad ; iny ona to request it ? Itoides , Iftw , 1 ^ n " 0 Ut doi « eV 6 a vity " might be intended u ^ XTn ° ft ?" could tell ? Everything connect " wUh l » fJ 7 \ B ° Invisibles was so extraordinary . % 1 ! ' condl , ct of f to pass out of the enclosure , si e mi « htT „ Z attcm P tl"g open , or a gondola awaiting her . p & rto ^ ftfc lS from her garden to tho park , She seized on tils irini certainly the most . improbable of any-and descended toS garden , determined to tempt the adventure . She hS scarce y advanced fifty yards when she heard a whizzinJ noisfi in tin n iv ns . fn mm > cf ,.,- >„ ,. i ,:. j n ' nmi "" g

      I \ « , u wo , u uyiiig swiftlv past her . At tho same moment she found herself surrounded by a blue light , Which quickly vanished , and then as suddenly re-appeared , accompanied by a loud report Unsuelo soon comprehended that this was neither a mei toor > nor a thunder-bolt , but simply a commencement of firo . - ^ i ! » }? caltle' - This entertainment of her host ' s would afford her a beautiful spectacle from the terrace , and sue fun-redly retraced her steps towards the pavilion , like an imprisoned child in sight of an amusement . Hut twice , by the flashes of various-coloured light which had streamed across the garden , she had seen the tall dark figure of a man standing motionless at her side ; and , before she had time to look at

      him , tho luminous bomb , descending in a sparkling shower of fire , died away , and left all objects bu-« .. WW , obwnri * 7 » "t tbe moro impenetrable to Hm « r " . ^ i 'I ? ^ hus for an instant dazzled . Each £ »„ t , w ? ° . omfied girl rushed for ™ rd iD m opposite dwotion from the one where she had soen the spectre ; yet on the return of the fearful light , there ho was still onlv SffSiSir-, Thct ! /« » o 3 " ° M & ISSS tho torracc-steps , ho was before hor , as if to dispute her 5 T £ i rS - " -ft , ™ - * 4 i « . i 3 vB 2 « 5 Sous visit Si ' r "' IaV ° fa ! lcn ' not the mystenous visitor caught her m his arms . But no sooner did she fool the pressure of his tins «« . « w L . T ! » ° ; J

      s antly recognised the chevalior-tho unknown-the being beloved * b ^ ! Us ° she knew herself to hi The joy she felt at finding him thus restored to her , at once silenced all tho fears she had felt while she had not hoped to meet him , and as ho gently endeavoured to disffij * k h « might pick up his black mask , which had fa ten down , she cried , "Ah , do not leave mo l 5 * notM ? n m ° ' 1 1 Ier ? PPlicating tone wasirresistiw-V } £ ? T ? ? hmseUat her feet , and bidding S" 5 f . fold » °$ hc 1 , d"ss , which he fondly pressed to his lips , bo remained a moment as if agitated by conflicting emotions of despair and rapture ; then , hastKoplacing bis mask , and at tho samo time sliding a letter into Consuelo ' s hand he sprang into the pavilion and disappeared , without her having seen bis features She sought everywhere for him in vain , and then , by the light of a small lamp , perused the letter , which was nearly as follows : —

      " I may neither see you , nor speak to you , but I aw not forbidden to write . If you would reply , I could find your letters m the garden while you slept . Hove you devotedly —madly . " ' Consuelo wroto a passionate reply , and placed it ia the garden as directed . Next morning Mntteus appeared to suffer , imd Consuelo piessed him to tell her the cause of his affliction . " Woll , then , madame , this morning I saw the most amiable , the handsomest , the bravest , the voungeat , tho most generous , tho noblest , the greatest of all my masters , the Chevalier de Liverani taken to prison . " " Liverani ? Who is Liverani ? " cried Consuelo , much disturbed . "To prison ; tho chevalier ! Tell me . ' Oh , heavens ! Tell mo , who the chevalier ? Who is this Liverani ?"

      " I think I have sufficiently described him to madame . I cannot toll whether madame knows little or much of him ; but it is very certain that ho is imprisoned in the great tower for having spoken and written to madame , and for having refused to let his highness see the answer madame sent him . " " The great tower ! His highness ! Is all this actually truo , Mattous ? Am I , indeed , in the power of a sovereign prince , who treats mo as a prisoner of state , and who punishes his subjects for any appearance of interest or compassion that they may evince for me ? Or , am I suffering under some eccentric lord , who is trying to frighten mo to test my gratitude ?"

      Matteus said that this prince was a philosopher ; and when Consuelo expressed a desire to implore his mercy , offered to bear her letter , which he did , and at midnight brought the following sealed reply : — "If you desire to address the prince , your request is madness , You will never see him ; you will never know him ; probably you will never hear his name . If you wish to appear before the Council of the Invisibles , your wish shall be complied with ; but reflect well on the consequences of your resolution . It will determine the future lifo of yourself nnd of another . " It was the-next evening before she could send this second peiition : — «< Whatever may be the consequences to myself , I desire earnestly and humbly to appear before the tribunal of the Invisibles . "

      The day seemed to her oi intolerable length ; she resolved to conquer her impatience and uneasiness by singing over all that she had composed in prison upon the sadness and tho weariness of solitude ; and as it grew dusk , she concluded this repetition with the sublime song of Alm > rena'sin Handel ' s "Rinaldo

      ;"—lasela ch'io pianga l Ah ! let me weep £ a dura sorte , My cruel fate ; E ch'io sospiri , J Ah ! let me sigh Lalibertal \ For liberty ! Scarcely had she finished this air when it was taken up and repeated by a fine-toned violon outside the window , and with an expression to the full as mournful and profound as her own , Consuelo ran instantly to the casomont , but she could see no ono , and the strain was dying away in the distance . It struck her forcibly that those extraordinary tones , and that peculiar manner of p laying , could belong only to Count Albert ; but she rejected tho idea as one of those painful and dangerous allusions which had already caused hor so much suffering . Nevertheless , Consuelo could not

      throw off the emotion she experienced , and she sank into so profound and sad a reverie , that it was nine o ' clock before she remembered that Matteus had brought her neither dinner nor supper , and that she had fasted since the morning . This circumstance made her fear that Matteus , liko the chevalier , had fallen a victim to the interest which ha had shown her . No doubt tho walls had eyes and ears . Perhaps Matteus had talked too much to her ; he had evinced dissatisfaction at the chevalier ' s imprisonment , and that was probably sufficient to include him in the samo fate . These fresh subjects of anxiety madoConsuelo insensible to the cravings of hunger : however , as the evening advanced , ¦ and Matteus failed to make his appearance , she ventured to ring , H ! o one replied . She felt very faint , and above all , exceedingly' dismayed . Leaning with her head between her

      hands , against the window-frame , she retraced in memory all the strange incidents of her life , and felt almost inclined to ask herself , was it the recollection of reality , or only a long dream , when a hand , as cold as marble , pressed upon hor head , and a low deep-toned voice pronounced these words , " Tour request is granted , follow me ' . " Consuelo , " who had not thought of kindling a light , but who had hitherto been able perfectly to distinguish every object , now looked round to discover the person who ftd « dressed her ; but she found herself suddenly encompassed by such thick darkness that the atmosphere appeared to bo one solid mass , and the ' starlit sky a sheet of lead . With a feeling of oppression she raised her hand to her face , and found it covered with a thin but impenetrable hood ,

      such as Cagliostro had thrown over her without her feeling it . Led by an invisible hand she descended tho staircase of the pavilion , but she soon perceived tbat it had more steps than she remembered , and that it entered subterranean passages , in which she walked more than half an hour . Fatigue , hunger , emotion , and au overpowering heat , slackened her steps more and more , and ready to swoon every instant , she was tempted to ask for a respite . But a certain pride , which made her fear the appearance of falling back from her resolution , impelled her to struggle courageously . At last she reached the end of her journey , and was placed upon a seat . She heard at this moment an ominous sound , like that of a tam-tam , slowly strike the midnight hour , and at the twelfth stroke the hood was lifted from her brow bathed in moisture . ( To be Continued J

      Burns And Fbrousson That Burns Erected A...

      Burns and Fbrousson That Burns erected a monument over the grave of Fergusson , the poet , is well known —not so , hitherto , a little circumstance of interest connected with this honourable tribute to a brother poet . It now appears that two eyears lapsed before Burns was able to pay for the monument—as witness a letter to Hill , dated in If 93 : — " I send you by the bearer , Mr . Clarke , a . friend , of mine , six pounds and a shilling , which you will dispoiS of as follows : —Five pounds ten shillings per account I owe to Mr . R . Burn , architect , for erecting the stone over the grave of poor Fergusson . He was two years in erectine it after I had commissioned him for it , and I have been two years in paying him , after he sent me his account : bo he and I are quits . He had the hardtme to ask me interest on the sum ; but considering the money was due by onei noefc for putting a tombstone over another , he may , with ereatfnl surprise , thank heaven that he ever m a ft ^ JRR Cocburnt Life of Jeffrey , BV * "" ~

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), May 22, 1852, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_22051852/page/3/