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    Decembeb 22, 1849. THE NORTHERN STAR. ..

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    % ©ftristmas &arlan&

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    The return of Chbistmas aids us -wreathe...

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    : dj^ SUNSHINE AND SHADOW ; A TALE OF TH...

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    As Entree at all Hazards.—We find the fo...

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    Vanein<#.

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    day. Now, Jooke hea, I'se been told that...

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  • 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.

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    Decembeb 22, 1849. The Northern Star. ..

    Decembeb 22 , 1849 . THE NORTHERN STAR . ..

    % ©Ftristmas &Arlan&

    % _© _ftristmas & _arlan &

    The Return Of Chbistmas Aids Us -Wreathe...

    The return of Chbistmas aids us -wreathe another chaplet for the brow of Time . Popular rejoicings at this season of the year date from long before the commencement of Christianity . The Roman Saturnalia was celebrated at our Christmas time , when all classes occupied themselves with mirth and feasting , aad sent presents to each other . Masters treated their slaves on an equal footing at first for one day , afterwards for three , and , by command of Caligula , for five days .

    Indeed , ihe festival Teall y extended _tcyond even that term . Capital punishments were Bot permitted while the season of rejoicing continued . Sacrifices to the Gods were offered , and hymns in honour of Saturn and Bacchus ¦ were chanted . These rejoicings recalled to the miuds of the enslaved and unfortunate the fabled golden age ( sung of by the poets ) ¦ when the human race were free from the curse of kings , priests , labour-grinding tyrants , disease and misery ; when all were equal and happy . A dream as regards the past ; may it be a reality in the ( not distant ) future .

    At this season of the year the northern nations also caroused , danced , sang , and indulged—in their rude way—in all the kindlinesses of hospitality , mingled with reli g ious rites in honour of their god Thor , aee 9 before they bore the name of " _Christian . " To them we owe tbe yule log ; and as their most favourite beverage was ale , or mead , it was doubtless quaffed at their festivals in no stinted measure . Scott has drawn a livel y picture of the festivities of those barbarians , in the following striking lines :

    The savage Pane , At Iol , more deep the mead did drain ; High on the beech his galley drew , And feasted all his pirate-crew ; Then in his low , and pine-built hall , "Where shields and axes deck'd the wall , They gorged upon the half-dressed steer ,-Caronsed ia seas of sable beer , "While round in brutal jests were thrown ,

    The half-ground rib and marrow bone ; Or Intoned all , in grim delight "While Scalds yell'd out the joys of fight ; Then forth in frenzy would they hie , "While wildly loose their red locks fly , And , dancing round the blazing pile They mado such barbarous mirth the while As best might to thc mind recall , The boisterous joys of Odin ' s hall .

    The early teachers of the Christian faith , finding it impossible to eradicate the deeprooted lore of the people for many of their ancient ceremonies and festivals , sagaciously determined to make the popular customs subserve the interests of the new religion . To transform the Saturnalia into Christmas was not more difficult than the placing of a new head on the statue of Jupiter , aud christening Ms dethroned godship : " St . Peter . " So it has been , so it will be . The institutions of mankind — reli gious as well as politicalchange with the advance of time .

    " From the first introduction of Christianity into these islands , " says the Boole of Christmas , the period ofthe _Xativity seems to have been kept as a season of festival , and its observances recognised as a matter of state . The Whitenagemots of our Saxon ancestors were held under the solemn sanction aud beneficent influence of the time ; and the series of hi g h festivities established b y the Anglo-Saxon kings , appear to have been continued with yearl y increasing splendour and multiplied ceremonies under the _monarchs of the _Gorman race . From the Court the spirit of

    revelry descended , b y all its thousand arteries , _ihronghout the universal frame of society , visiting its furthest extremities and most obscure recesses , and everywhere exhibiting its action , as by so many pulses , upon the traditions , and superstitions , and customs which were common to all or peculiar to each . The pomp and ceremonial of the Royal observance were imitated in the splendid establishments of tbe more wealth y nobles , and far mora faintl y reflected from the diminished state of the petty baron . The revelries of the baronial castle found echoes in the hall of tbe old manor

    house , and these were again repeated iu tha tapestried chamber of thc country magistrate , or from the sanded parlour of the village inn merriment was everywhere a matter of public concernment , and tiie spirit which assembles men in families now , congregated them by districts then . ' ' The influence of Christmas in the olden time may _ba gathered from the following fact ,

    stated by Mr . Tuekeb , in his History of _England : "During the reign of _Orleans , in 1423 , the solemnities and festivities of Christmas gave a short interval of repose . The English , lords requested tbe French commanders that they might have a nightof minstrelsy , with trumpets and clarions ; this was granted , and the horrors of war were suspended by melodies that were felt to be deli g htful . "

    We must again draw upon the poetry of Scott for a graphic descrip tion of CHRISTMAS IN THE OLDEN TIME . The damsel donned her kirtle sheen ; The hall was dress'd with holly green ; Forth to the wood did merry men go , To wather iu the mistletoe . Then opened wide the baron ' s ball To vassal , tenant , serf , and all : Power laid his rod of rale aside , And ceremony doffed her pride . The heir , with roses in his shoes , These nig hts mig ht village partner choose ; The lord , _undelegating share , _^ Tho vulgar game of " post and pair .

    The fire with well-dried logs supplied , Went roaring up the chimney wide ; The _hu"C hall table ' s oaken face , Scrubbed till it shone ; thc time to grace , Bore then upon its massive board So m ark to part the 'squire and lord , Then was brou ght in the lusty brawn , _Uv old blue-coated serving man ; K ibe grim boar ' s head frowned ou high ,

    Crested with bays and rosemary . "Well can the green-garbed ranger tell , How , when , and where , the monster fell ; What dogs , before his death he tore , And all fie baitings of the boar . The wassail round , in good brown bowls Garnished with ribbons , blithely _trowls ; There the huge sirloin reeked ; hard by Plnm _norridge stood , and Christmas pie ;

    3 _? or failed old Scotland to produce , At each hig h-tide her savoury goose . Then came the merry masquers in , And carols roared with blithesome din ; If unmelodious was the song , It was a hearty note and strong . "Who lists may , in their mummery , see Traces of ancient mystery ; "White shirts supplied the m asquerade , And smutted cheeks the visors made But , 0 ! what masquers , richly dight , Can boast of bosom half so light ! "England was merry England , when Old Christmas brought his sports again ; 'Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale , ' Twas Christmas told the merriest tale ; a . _oin-istmas _trambol oft would cheer ,

    The now marl ' s heart throug h ban tne year . The Puritans endeavoured to prevent the _obsertauce of Christmas , and the P _^™** _paSdoi ordinance that no service , shoulIbe _En 7 d in the churches on the 2 oth of Dee _^ _to commonly called Christmas-day , and S _^' _arkets should be held on this day . In TJr ? nd as _ther refused to do bo , the _popufea _^ _Soods , and a serious riot was ft 6 T KS « _furies of the present _" V " _™ too _Well known to need desenprinn _^ we _Soever , presentl y note _fte _* ° - _^ Jne of the customs wbich _have _de-^^ _rS from _dtedays ofold . Come we

    BT _FBASCES BBOWS . The brig ht hours of mem ' ry ! ob , who can look back , _ihronsh the desert of years , g _^ _jf-S tt ! ? _* « lon -trodden track ,

    The Return Of Chbistmas Aids Us -Wreathe...

    Some far isle of verdure , whose dew is not tears ; Some spot to whose greenness his steps would return , In spite of tbe thorns and the deserts between , Could they bear back tbe spirit tbat once they had borne , Or find it the region that once it has been ? The _HghtB of the past may be feeble and few , And seen through the mist when life ' s _moraksg was gray , And pleasures and hopes which they brought to our view Like the mists of that morn may have melted

    away ; But still tbeir brig ht track , which romavns m the soul , 2 " o shadows can cover , no tears can efface ; Around it life ' s billows and tempests may roll , But they leave it still clear for the pilgrim to trace . Perchance 'twas an hour when the triumph of youth Arose o ' er its labours , and honours achieved , — Perchance when the vows of affection and truth Were fervently uttered and fondly believed : Or far in the distance of childhood it lies "Where dim , as the olond-covered-monntavns have _grOTH . The scenes that surround it , but still in our

    eyes-It seems liko one sjpot where a sunbeam bath shone . The bright hours of mem'ry—how oft in our dreams They bring us the glory of long summer days , The joy of the spring-time ' s first blossoms and beams , And the laughter that rang by the winter hearth ' s blaze I And , oh ; there are hearts , though by fete long estranged , And eyes that can lighten our journey no more ,

    That come in those visions , still true and unchanged , "With the light , and the lore , and the gladness of yore ' Bri ght , bright shines the beaoon of hope ftctm afar , — And strong is the faith of our youth to pursue The path of its promise , till dim grows the star . And faint grows our steps in tbe wilderness too—But ne ' er of her treasure can Mem ' ry he reft , And dark must the days of his pilgrimage be Who finds not one hour , in his retrospect , left , lake a full ark of joy on the _desolate sea !

    The following poems , from the pen of Thomas Hood , have not before appeared in this journal : —

    THOSE EYES THAT WERE SO BRIGHT

    LOVE . Those eyes that wero so bright , love , Have now a dimmer shine ; But what they ' ve lost in light , Yore , Was what they { gave to mine . And still those orbs reflect , love , The beams of former hours ; That ripened all my joys , my love , And tinted aU my flowers . Those locks were brown to see , love , That now are _turn'd to grey ; But the years were spent with mc , love ,

    That stole their hue away . Thy locks no longer share , love , The golden glow of noon ; But I ' ve seen the world look fair , my love ' When silvered by the moon . That brow was fair to see , love , That looks so shaded now ; But for mo it bore tbe care , love , That spoilt a bonny brow . And though no longer there , love , The gloss it had of yore ; Still memory looks and dotes , my love , Where Hope admired before .

    A TOAST . Come ! a health ! and it ' s not to be slighted with sips , A cold pulse , or a spirit supine ; All the blood in my heart seems to rush to my lips , To commingle its flow with the wine ! Bring a cup , of the purest and solidest ware , But a little antique in its shape : And tbe juice it shall be tbe most racy and rare , All tho bloom with the age ofthe grape ! Even such is the love I would celebrate now , At once young , and mature , and in prime—Like the tree ofthe orange tbat bears on its bough Tho bud , blossom and fruit at one time ' . Then with tliree , as is due , let the honours be paid , Whilst I give with my hand , heart , and head" Here ' s to her , the fond mother , dear partner , kind friend , Who first taught me to love , woo , and wed !"

    From Punch ' s Almanack , just published , we quote a few specimens of the not very brilliant wit of the Fleet-street hunchback : — To Game Preservers .. —On the Hth of February give your gamekeepers a holiday ; for , on this day , the feathered tribes pair , so that the poachers will not be able to destroy a single bird . To Find the valve of a Friend . —Ash him to put his name to a Bill . To Find die Value of Time . —Travel by a Bayswater Omnibus . To Find the Value of Eau-de-Cologne . —Walk into Smithfield Market .

    To Find tite Value of Patience . —Consult Bradsbaw ' s Guide to ascertain the time of starting of a Railway Train . How to learn the Moon ' s Age . —When , like a _gooduatured spinster , she makes light ofit . A Bed without a Bedstead . —The bed of the Sacramento . The _CcdiforMan Arms . —Bowie knives , rifles , and revolving pistols proper , with Yankees rampant gules , on a field or . To Restore Stale Bread . —Request thc cook ' s " cousin , " the charwoman , and the policeman to bring it back again . Hint to the Benevolent . —The persous most in want of baths and washhouses are those who bave no coppers . SHORT RUW . S FOR _CALCULATION .

    To Find the Value ofa Dozen Articles . —Send them to a Magazine , and double the sum offered by the proprietor . _Anotltcr Way . —Send them to tbe butterman , who will not only fix their value , but their wei ght , at per pound . To Find the Value of a Pound at any price . —Try to borrow one when you are desperately hard up . To Railway _Travelers . —The best adhesive label you can use for your luggage is to stick it to yourself . lo Find which way the Cat Jiunps . —Tou may always tell whieh way the cat jumps by finding " cook ' s cousin " with a quantity of cold meat in his possession . The cat that has been jumping has usually very fine whiskers , and might often be taken for a policeman in disguise .

    An Obvious Truism .- If there ware no beasts there would be no Smithfield . Animals admitted to the Opera . —Puppies and white kids . A Hint to Ladies ivitfi Grey Hair . —Never say « Dye . " The Rtman Question . —Why ate the Pope and his people unlikely to agree ? Because they differ on Cardinal points . A New Reading of an old Request to John 0 Connell . — " Shut up your ( agi ) tator trap . " the overnihts

    Good Wishes for Christmas . —3 iay g face over the punchbowl bear the morning ' s reflexion in the looking-glass . Man ' s last Friend is the Tax-gatherer . —Bis wife may leave him , his family disown him , his children run away from him , his best friend and worst acquaintances avoid bim , but the Tax-gatherer follows him wherever he goes , even to the grave . It must be most flattering to an Englishman ' s pride , that , poor as he may be , he has always one friend that takes care of him , and who will call without tho _emnHnst ceremonr and share his last penny loaf .

    Solitude and selfishness cannot exist in England , for no man can live independent ofthe Tax-gatherer His existence is a partnership drawn up for life , between the government and himself , m which the former takes what it likes , and tho latter gives more than he likes . In short , every Englishman may be said to possess two shadows—his own "enuine , true-born shadow , and the government representation shadow ; but there is this difference between the two , that , whereas his own shadow merely walks after him . the government shadow walks into him if it is not paid the moment it runs after bim .

    One of Tom Moore ' s jovial songs may fit ting ly find p lace in our

    Garland—DRINK OF THIS CUP . Drink of this cup—you'll find ' there ' s a spell in Its ev ' ry drop ' gainst the ills of mortality ; Talk ofthe cordial that sparkled for Helen , Her cup was a fiction , but this is reality . Would y ° forge the dark world we are in , Only taste of the bubble tbat g leams on the top ofit ; But would you rise above earth , till akin To imm § rtals themselves , you must drain every drop of it . Send round the eup , & c .

    Fever was philter form'd with such power To charm aud bewilder as this we are quaffing Its marie began when iu autumn ' s rich hour , _jiB a harvest of gold in the fields it stood There baring , by nature ' s enchantment , been flli'd

    The Return Of Chbistmas Aids Us -Wreathe...

    With the balm and the bloom of her kindliest weather , ' This wonderful juice from its core was distill'd , To enliven such hearts as are here brought together ! Then drink of the cup , Ac . And though , perhaps—but breathe it to no one-Like caldrons the witch brews at midnight so awful , In secret this philter was first taught to flow on , Yes , ' tis not less potent for being unlawful . What though it may taste of the smoke of that flame , ' Which in silence extracted its virtue forbidden ; Fill up—there ' s a fire in somo hearts I cotfld name Wliich may work too its charm , though now lawless and hidden .

    So drink of this cup , & c . We proceed to notice the ori gin and past history of a few of the still surviving

    _CIIRISTMA 8 CUSTOMS . Evergreens . —It is notorious that from the earb ' est times the evergreen plants or sonie of them , were used at the celebration of this festival , but it is a mistake to suppose that the practice had a purely Christian origin ; it was common both in Jewish and Pagan times , and indeed it is so natural an expression of joy and gratulation _, that we wonder not to find it of universal adoption . With the ancients generally the productions of the vegetable and floral world were held to be emblems of joy . The laurel was certainly used by the Romans . The mistletoe is mentioned by Virgil , and the respect paid to it by the Druids is well known . This practice has descended to us in all its positive vigour .

    Tlie Yule Log . —In the olden times the yule log was lighted with a brand saved from the previous year , and the ceremony was rather an imposing one . It was to be introduced with music , according to the direction of Derrick—Come , bring with a noise , My merry , merry hoys , The Christmas log to the firing ; While my good dame , she Bids you all be free , And drink to your heart ' s desiijng .

    It was deemed an evil omen if tiie log ceased to burn during the evening . The " Waits . "—A Bhort time previous to Christmas our nocturnal repose is disturbed by the somewhat _mconsidej-ate hospitality ofthe " waits , " who , with what they pleaso to call music , contrive to " make night hideous . " These visitors are doubt-Jess the successors of the ancient minstrels , but most shockingly supply their places . The origin of the word ia of high antiquity , and can bo distinctly traced to the time of Edward III . Washington Irving , in his Sketch Book , giving an account of a Yorkshire Christmas ,

    says : I had scarcely got into bed , when a strain of music seemed to Break forth in the air just below the window . I listened , and found it proceeded from a band , which I concluded to be tho Waits from , some neighbouring village . They went round the house , playing under tbe windows . The sounds , as tbey receded , became more soft and aerial , and seemed to accord with quiet and moonlight . I listened and listened , they became more and moPe tender and remote ; and as they , gradually died away , my head fell upon my pillow , and I fell asleep .

    Cliristmas Carols . —The reformed church introduced carols instead of the latin hymns which had formerly been chanted on the same joyous occasion ; and modern carols have been provided in great profusions ; but it must bo confessed , as most of them were composed under the influence of the gloomy spirit of Puritanism , they are more like dirges than songs of joy . Carols are still sung in London , and in other large towns , printed on sheets , and adorned with

    wood-cuts , which for the most part may be considered as chef d ' eeuvres of the genus of ugliness . They are in fact equalled b nothing of which the mind can form any conception , except the wretched murder of hnrmony which is committed by the vendors . —We recollect hearing ofa gentleman who gave an itinerant musician half-a-crown to take his music out of hearing , and we are half of o p inion that the money bestowed upon these Carol Singers is given with the same benevolent intention .

    Those who may wish to know more of aucient customs and practices having relation to tho festival of Christmas , will do well to consult Bohn's admirable edition of Brand ' s Popular Antiquities . A good deal of interesting information will also be found in a cheap compilation published by Slater , entitled Christmas : its Historg and Antiquitg . The lovers of good-fellowship and harmony will not hesitate to give welcome to

    A WORD FOR CHRISTMAS . Is there a lip umvont to smile , An eye that fails to beam , A cheek on which no warmer glow Doth like a sun-ray gleam , When but the name of " Christmas falls In music on the car , Awakening in its echoes thoug hts And memories that appear Like shadows summoned at the call Of some all-potent seer . '

    It such there be , how little he Of life ' s best joys can know ; How cold and drear must , yearby year , Time ' s waves unvarying flow . I would not bear the soul he bears ,, Or live his creed to own , Though Fortune ' s smiles were mine , and Fame Charmed with her blandest tone , So closely have my heart ' s first loves Unto old Christmas grown .

    That carnival of fresh delight-Delight uncloyed by time-Season of harmony complete As its own echoing chime . When hand grasps hand in firm embrace , And lip meets lip in truth , When wrinkled brows unbend , and seem Once more like brows of youth , And full contentment fills the place Of griefs and sorrows ruth .

    A spell is in the shining leaves And clust ' ring berries red , That gives moro zest to feast and song—To feet a lighter tread ;—A spell that by its magic makes All worth ' s distinction end , And bidding hi gh and low alike Before one altar bend , Points with the trusting hand of Faith To him—tbe mutual friend .

    Then here ' s a shout for Cliristmas timo-A loud , long-echoing shout , — Thero should not be a falt ' ring voice , When tone 3 of joy ring out . Shout , shout we from the vessel ' s deck , And answer from the shore , — What , though the grave is close at hand And life is nearly o ' er , Each Christmas , though perhaps the la 3 t , Should welcomed be the more .

    Miss Clara Seytox , whose name is well known to the lovers of vocal music , gave twice last week , and once this week—on Tuesday _last-ja Literary and Musical Entertainment , at the "Western Literary and Scientific Institution , Leicester Square . The programme ol _theevening embraced an immense variety of topics in connexion with the lives and works of the descriptive poets and minstrels of Hungary , Denmark , Germany , and England . The performance more than realised our expectations . The- extent of Miss Seyton ' s

    information concerning the great range of subjects on wbich sho descanted , struck us as trul y astonishing . As a speaker , her voice and manner are both admirable . Her eloquent observations on the recent struggle in Hungary elicited enthusiastic applause . That portion of her address had , however , one faultits brevity . As a singer she is at once both sweet and powerful , and leaves nothing to be desired . This much by way of introduction to ono ofthe Hungarian songs—a translation , of course—encored by Miss Seyton ' s audience on Tuesday evening last : —

    THE INVITATION TO THE DANCE ( A popular Magyar Melody . ) Lads , come hasten to the ball-Sec the lassies waiting all ; Shake your feet , and join the line : See , the maidens bring the wine-Ob ' life is strung with pearls ! Hark * tho spurs are tinkling sweet , Czimas echo on the feet , Feet and hands move joyousl y—Oh ! the dance is full of glee ,

    And life is strung with pearls . Where the smiling maidens be , There the happy youths we see ; Up and down , in waving row , With Tartarian steps they go . Oh ! life is strung -with pearls . Mortal , thou whose spring is past , Join the dance , though ' twere tho last ; Bask thee in its genial heat , Warm thy heart and shake thy feet , For lifo is full of pearls .

    The Return Of Chbistmas Aids Us -Wreathe...

    Come , bo joyous while you may ; Hence with sorrow , let ' s be gay . These are moments made for gladness , Kindle mirth and banish sadness . - OU ! life is full of pearls . So , lads , come hasten io the ball-Sec the lassies waiting all ; Hear the minstrel ' s measure sound-Thus should life ' s brig ht hours be crown'd . Let ' s string our life with pearls . "We understand that Miss Seyton is about to visit Bristol and other provincial cities ; after which , on her return to Town , sho will _repetit her Entertainment to Metropolitan audiences . She well merits success , and by the patronage of these who love vocal music , aud admire the gallant Hungarians , bIio can hardly fail of achieving that desirable consummation .

    m Lastl y , not least , we give the following spirited , democratic , and , altogether , admirable

    SONG . BY EDWIN GILL . Fill , fill to the brave a _« d the free , Who have _struggled in Liberty ' s cause ; Drink , drink in a bumper with me , Destruction to . tyranny ' s laws . Tho' Freedom lies wounded and bleeding , Staunch hearts never think of receding , But strong in the right , Will rush to the fight , Tho scaffold and hulk never heeding . Then fill to the brave , die .

    Here ' s a health to Kossuth , tho brave , And to Hungary ' s gallant band , Who spurned the base" yoke of the stove , And struck for their own fatherland , Tho' treason , awhile , is victorious , And the vengeance of despots notorious , Hungary shall be , The pride of the free , And the name of her sons e ' er be glorious , Then fill to the brave , Ac Fill up to Mazzini ' _s proud name , And honour fair Italy ' s cause ; Future ages shall trumpet his fame , And enjoy his magnanimous laws . Tho' a home the Patriot ' s seeking , And prieBtcraft its vengeance is wreaking Scorn for ever shall cling , To the "President king /' For the blood of martyrs still reeking . Then fill to the brave , die .

    Drink , drink— " The brave of 'Forty-nine , " ( No matter what climate or creed , ) Whose virtues for ever will shine , Like beacons to Freemen in need . Raise , raise the goblet aloft with me , To the brightest stars of chivalry . To both high and low , Who defied the foe , And fought and bled , that man might be free Then fill to tbe brave , & c . Freedom in dungeons may languish , And vile fetters encircle her form ; Her wounds she may mourn o ' er in anguish , And low bend to the o erwuclming storm : But her spirit , immortal , beameth ; Its rays in the dark hour gleameth ;

    And the cause ofright Shall baffle the might Ofthe despot , when little he drcameth Then fill to the brave , & c .

    : Dj^ Sunshine And Shadow ; A Tale Of Th...

    : _dj _^ SUNSHINE AND SHADOW ; A TALE OF THE _NINETEENTH CENTURY . BT 1 HWIAS MARTIN WHEELER , Late Secretary to tho National Charter Association and National Land Company . _Ciur-iEB XXXV . Ye stubborn recusants of right—and , worse , Daring _apologists for wrong—know ye How bitter ' tis to earn a nation ' s cuvse , That execration wrung from misery ? Go—leavn it from the millions who rehearse The foul deeds which sum up your infamy ; Go—read it on tho tombs which mark tho grave Of myriads whom you _sould but would not save '

    That curse is stamped upon the haggard face Of starving multitudes throughout the land ; E ' en in the countenance of babes you trace The mark , as though impressed with demon hand ! Britannia ' s self is pale at the disgrace Which taints the annals of her native strand ; And History turns hor mournful face aside , The gushing fountains of hor grief to hide , God ! do thy thunders sleep , while England moans Beneath this Whigg sh sway 1 Shall mortal dare Thus to make men anticipate the groans , The pains , the agonies of hell ? or where Is vengeance to be looked for ? Must the bones Of those who died of hunger be laid bare , And brought as damning evidence to show Who were the authors of this fearful woe ?

    Oh ! that thc great arch-orator , * whose tongue Made Verres tremble , could return again , To vent on ye the indignation wrung From every honest heart ; to taint—to stain—And to besmear your names , ere they be flung Forth on the moral dungheaps tbat remain Wiroughout all ages , to perpetuato Those dread examples which wc execrate ! They starving stand upon the land Wrought fruitful by their hands alone ; Around them , halls mado rich and grand By them—who have for bread a stone . Shall the producers have this share Of thc rich produce of their toil ? Shall the consumers never bear

    The labour , yet devour the spoil ? Behold the plight of men by whom For rights of property have birth ! What do their prior rights become , Whose duties give the soil its worth ? They ask enough to house and fowl , From hand to mouth , their babes and wives ; No hoard of all thc wealth they broad For tho weak age of toil-worn lives . Franris _Worsley . Tho National Assembly , after propounding a plan of organisation more suitable to the genius of tho French than tbe English people , a plan which needed discipline almost military in its strictness , and a good faith in the honour of our brethren , more

    famed , in this instance , for its breach than its observance , dissolved itself ; and the easy , comfortable , every-day world , after being for months terrified with dreams and omens of revolution , wero at length allowed to slumber in quiet , whilst tho government filled the public car with , loud _hmxws upon the victory they had gained , and the Press and the Legislature vied with each other in commending the wisdom of the Executive , and the loyalty ofthe people , which had averted the impending evil of revolution from our heads ; but their triumph w . _ib premature , they had scattered the elements pf revolution , not destroyed them . The sons of Erin had looked with no careless eye upon the proceedings in London ; they received with enthusiasm Ernest

    Jones and Samuel Kydd , who waited upon tliem , requesting their co-operation with the Assembly , and elected several delegates to attend the meeting of that body , but owing to the dissensions repocting the legality of its sittings , only ono Michael Doheny , [ whose adventures in connexion with the late rebellion would form a romance in itself , ) ever attended , and the leaders seeing no chance of a powerful diversion in England in their favour , trusted to native ranks and native swords , and embarked in a noble but honele 8 s struggle , —a struggle in which priestcraft dominated over patriotism , and treachery and ignorance marred the efforts of enthusiasm and intelligence ; a struggle in which the dastardl y Whigs , outvieing in infamy even the Tories

    ot old , by blood money and spyism of the most nefarious description , succeeded in entrapping their destined victims , and then , may burning curses ever blight their names , brought the same agency to b " ear on the Chartists ofthe Metropolis . It was at this period that Arthur Morton was delegated hy a few ardent spirits to make a tour of the country , and collect a transcript ofthe state of public feeling , more especially in the north of England ; during this tour he visited the several estates of the National Land Company , and became more than ever impressed with a Jove of tho natural over the artificial state of society ; the interests of his mission prevented his making a long stay at any of these happy retreats—these verdant oases in the

    surroundmg agricultural desert , —but the elegance of the cottages , and thc beauty of their respective situations , made a lasting impression upen his mind , coming as he did fresh from tho turbulent scenes which tho Metropolis then displayed , nevertheless he could not but observe with regret that the slime of thc serpent had penetrated even to these abodes of bliss ; society had become so thoroughl y vitiated by the Jong dominant power of wealth , tbat it was impossible even there to contend successfully against it , unless favoured with more capital than fell to the share of most of the inhabitants of these fairy abodes ; and the majority ofthe

    occupants had been so trained in the vicious customs of looking to a capitalist for their Sunday ' s meal , that it needed both mental and physical energy to withstand the evils they had to encounter . With a mind filled with these reflections ho quitted those peaceful abodes , which will ever remain a monument of the power of the masses to do much , even under adverse circumstances , towards achieving their own emancipation ; when he contrasted tlieir situation with that of the surrounding agricultural peasantry , ho thought that , even with all their privations , he could be happy and oontcnted with sucb a lot , so forcibly did their advantages shine by contrast . He saw the peasant in his

    : Dj^ Sunshine And Shadow ; A Tale Of Th...

    master ' s Selds _consamiBg life and strength m the ungrateful task of turning up the clods of jealous mother earth , who will yield her treasures only to unremitting toil , and at the close of the day ; , a dry black crust was his only recompense , tho rich harvests he produced , the noble animals be fattened , were not for him , thoy were reserved for the table of his employer , wbo worked not , but consumed in luxury tho results of hw labour . He saw lum with downcast head and stooping gait , too much oppressed , too poverty stricken , and too certain of his ultimate fate ever to think on tho beauties o nature , or listen with delight to thc melody by which ho was surrounded . What to him are the charms of scenery , the delight of lull and valley , wood and stream , tower and waterfall , they ave only

    one universal blank , representing his master ' s acres , from which by hard toil he can scarce extract his six , eight , or ten shillings per week ; one-six , th of which goes to find bim a home—if a wretched hovel less comfortable than his master ' s pigsty deserves that name—his lifo is one dull round of tedium , enlivened only by tho village alehouse , when so favoured , as to be able to enter its threshold ; domestic love and enjoyment arc not for him , they reside not with penury and wretchedness ; his lot is , indeed , one of toil , softened _oniy by ignorance and apathy , for hope to him is unknown ; wake him not from his trance , attempt not to educate him , for you will only increase his misery ; let him rest in peace , a memento of the brutish state to which thoughtless loyalty , priestly rule , and want of

    education can reduce a human being . And yet , where is the man who should be so _Jiappy as the peasant ? Nature is no niggard of her bounties , she is ever young , beautiful , and generous—poetry and loveliness dwell in hev domains , awl cannot be separated therefrom ; It is the eye , the intellect , the unbroken spirit , that alone is wanting in the labourer , to enable him to understand and appreciate her beauties ; the most blessed ef beings should be that man who possessing a mind , enriched with knowledge , cultivates his own little domain , and secures happiness and liberty to himself and family , by the exeneise of his strength applied to Nature ' s garden , protected from want by his own industry , independent ofthe power of capital , working when the sun of Heaven cheers his labour , reposing when

    Nature dictates repose , surrounded by all that is calm , serene , and beautiful , he would , indeed , be a man ' , living in the essence of poetry , yet mixing sufficiently with tho world and his fellow labourers to shield him from inanity , ho would , indeed , be a poet—ay , and a philosopher—for too far removed trom tho bustling world to be subdued by its glare , yet sufficiently influenced hy it , to watch with emotion its ever varying phases , he could calmly reflect on its features , and analyse their worth and defects . And Arthur saw that all this , and much more , might be attained by tho members on these estates , provided their first difficulties were overcome ; he saw hi them the leaven that was , to infuse light and activity into the benighted population , by which they were surrounded , and ultimately become the

    regenerators of ouv agricultural population ; and so bright did the prospect appear , tbat he sighed in bitterness of spirit , even aft the supposition of its failure ; ho feared it would throw back the cause of social progress for years , for he well knew tho avidity with which its opponents , ever on the watch to misrepresent , would sciz « upon such an event and turn it to their own vile purposes ; perhaps the view he took was too desponding ; hut misfortune upon misfortune had been so heaped upon him , that he feaved to look , with too sanguine an eye , lest his disappointment should bo the more severe . Impressed with these feelings , he wended his way to the busy hives of industry in the North ; how he succeeded in his mission it is not for us to tell ; the events are too recent , and the prominent actors too

    well known , for the subject to be now broached , suffice it to say that everywhere he found misery and distress , trade languishing , artisans starving , indolence rioting , Industry pining ; everywhere the seeds of incipient revolution were rising ; but in such pvofuse disorder , that , if a struggle came , it needed no seer to foretell the inevitable result . Of all the struggles that Time hath yet witnessed , that will be the most dire where a monied and landed aristocBacy are combined against the peoplo . Between a people roused into wrath and a despot , the contest is soon decided ; but in a _cowntry like Britain , where capital and its interests penetrato into every fibre of tho social frame—in a country like Britain , where the aristocracy have shared their privileges with the bulk of tho middle classes ;

    where talent in every class ( provided it ia subservient enough to the powers that be ) can penetrate even into the highest offices in the state ; a country where all who do not not labour enrich themselves by keeping the labourer dependent and voteless ; in such a country where all are ao interested in _tko stake , the struggle will be one of life and death ; ay , and even should the people prove physically victorious , the combat will but then nave commenced , for the enemy bas been so long in the ascendant that he has a fortified camp in every guild , an army in every abuse , sentinels and guards , even in the heart of the army of progress ; but so long have we bowed to wealth and influence , that there is traitor even in every man ' s heart , and when the struggle comes—and como it must—the least vacillation , the least treachery—misnamed mercy and moderation—will at once break down the

    barriers , wliich have shut out oppression ; and tho hot blood , which has been so freely lavished , the privations , whieh have been so heroically endured , will have been shed and endured in vain , another cycle of oppression will commence , and tho hopes of bleeding , tortured humanity will again have been blighted . Oh ' , that the veritable democrats of England may read aright the lessons of the past , that the example of prostrate France may not be given in vain , but may the slaughter awi banishment of her glorious sons ultimately eventuate in achieving a world-wide freedom ; then will their misery not have been endin-ed in vain , for the fire of their persecution will have become thc beacon light , to show the shoals and sandbanks ou which they have foundered , and guide us in triumph to the rocks of liberty , equality , aud fraternity . Heaven speed the day . ( 2 # be _continual . )

    As Entree At All Hazards.—We Find The Fo...

    As Entree at all Hazards . —We find the following story in the Droit ; " The presence of the President of tho Republic at the Hotel do Ville , and the splendours of the ball to be given lo him , inspired a M . B , teacher of the Italian language to the daughter of a representative , with a violent desire to be present at the iete . lie requested the father of his pupil to procure him a ticket , but that gentleman said that , as each invitation was persona ] , it was impossible for him to do so . The Italian , however , resolved to go to tbe ball . Accordingly , on Alonday , ho dressed himself in his best and went towards the Hotel de "Ville . Having entered a cafe on thc Place de Grove for a demi tasse , he requested permission to leave his hat ,

    which was granted . He then went bareheaded to thj _) entrance of the hotel , and , stating that lie was one of the domestics , was admitted without difficulty . Seeing a plateau of pastry , he took it , marched boldly into the mlons , and presented it to the guests . But in so doing lie paid such extraordinary attention to the beauty of the ladies , and was so dazzled by the splendour that surrounded him , that it soon became evident he was not a real waiter . He was questioned , and as the account he gave of himself was not satisfactory , his tray was taken from him , and he was unceremoniously shown to thc door . Undiscouragcd , however , by this misadventure , he resolved again to try his luck , and , in a moment of confusion , succeeded in again

    slipping into the hoteJ . This time he resolved to devote his attention to the liquids , and seizing a tray laden with glasses of punch , carried it , as bold as brass , into the principal salon . He had , however , only made a few steps when he , to his great mortification , ran against a tall gentleman dressed in the very height of fashion , and thc shock caused the punch to drench the tall gentleman in a way which he found the reverse of agreeable . In his fury the tall gentleman roughly rebuked the clumsy waiter , and the man of the punch tray stammered forth the best excuses he could find . This caused a circle to be formed , but it was soon dispersed by one of the chefs of the service coining up , and recognising the pretended waiter as having been already expelled , caused bim to be ignonil ' niously kicked out . Still , strange to say , the Italian

    teacher was not daunted , and he again determined on effecting an entrance . Having sought his hat , he waited until a number of guests arrived , when he slipped in among them , and by putting his hat over his ta . ee so as to avoid tho glance of the domestics , again contrived to reach tho salons . He now walked about with as much assurance as any of the invited guests , but after a few minutes had the deplorable misfortune to be recognised . This time he was handed over to the police in an adjacent apartment . Convinced from his pertinacity in entering the hotel so repeatedly that he must be a pickpocket , they searched him , and had their suspicions confirmed in finding on him an empty purse , and £ 50 in Money . Ho was sent to the Prefecture of Police , where he passed the night , and it was not until several hi g hly respectable persons had borne testimony to his character that he was

    released . Monster Ibos _WAnsnoctE . —A most commodious iron warehouse is now in the course of construction by Messrs . Cato , Miller , and Co . It is _intended for exportation to California , The whole building , which is sixty feet in length by forty feet in width , is constructed on a framework of wood and iron , and entirely sheeted , Bide _nis well as roof , withpated eorrugated galvanised iron . The extreme hei ght of the warehouse , by internal measurement , is thirtysix feet at tbe gables , and about twenty-six feet four inches at the eaves , and is divided into three stdries : the first of wbich is eleven feet in height , the second nine feet , and thc third ei ght feet . Though every attention haB been paid to strength , ' it is somewhat remarkable that the weight of tb * whole will little exceed thirty tens .

    Vanein≪#.

    Vanein < # .

    Day. Now, Jooke Hea, I'Se Been Told That...

    day . Now , Jooke hea , I _' se been told that day hasn'd got no more nor twenty-four hours , an' I wants you , Mr . Johnsing , to splanify to dis chile , how thoy make ' em work twenty-five hours ? " " Golly mighty , what ignoramus _nigga you is , Scipio ; why , way down dare , they make poor nigga get up one hour afore day—doesn't that make em twenty-five ?" Scipio was convinced . Phosetic PoETur .-Tiie following is hard to beat for depth of pathos and soul-stirring sentiment ;—'' Here Pies and Kakes and Bier I sell And Oisteis stoo'd and in the shell . Ami fridc wuns tew for tbem that chews ,

    _Guakt justice whenever tbe demand is made , or the moment that wrong is apparent ; do not mimic the _falso " charity" of modern hypocrisy , by offering misnamed spiritual consolation to a poor creature when he wants bread ! tamper not with the feelings of the hungry by a proffer of words to fill tho stomach ! grant him justice be will ask no charity I "Dei does say , that way down in Georgia , they makes poor nigga work twenty-live hours ebbery

    And with dispatch black butesand shews I " Fashiom is a superfine gerni of idiocy ; it can only be tolerated by rational beings , out of pure compassion for the frailty of fobis I we do not mean neatness when we repudiate fashion . To be neat and cleanly in our garb , attentive to our neighbour , and kindly in our general commerce with mankind , arc only the dictates of common sense . Miss M— -, a young lady of considerable attractions , chanced to be seated at a dinner-party next a gentleman remarkable for the brilliancy of his wit , who had long made one of her train of admirers . The conversation turning upon the uncertainty of human life , "I mean to insure mine , " said

    the young Jady archly , "in the hope . " "In the hope of what ? " said Jier admirer ; " a single life is hardiy worth insuring ; I propose we should insure our lives together , and if you havo no objection , I would prefer the Alliance . " 5 ' iie present practice of artillery , at moderately long _distances , is tenfold more accurate than it was thirty-five years ago—that is to say , that at tho distance of which we speak , ten artillery missiles ( shot or shells ) would strike the mark for one that struck such a mark in 1814 . To build a single 120-gun ship requires the timber of seventy-five acres , and of a century ' s growth ; to build a _fuigate it would take nearly half as much ; and for the construction ef even ono of those

    revenuo vessels which are seen oft every scaiwrfc , there are needed no fewer than 180 _oajj _< trees , each of which must have been growing cvef ' siDce the battle of Culloden . "Lutin , " is the Morning Post , says _:-A " ' _§ ueen Christina , of Sweden , told Dr . Burnet that sho was well assured thatthe Roman Catholic Church was-governed by the immediate care and providence of God , for none of the four popes she had known since she had been at Rome had common sense . "

    As Elective better tham ah _llEnKniTAitY _Mo-NARcnr . — Few kings , like Stephanus Uattdrius , King of Poland , do measure their actions , not by their own profit , but by the welfare of their own country . Tiiero is a saying of his extant , worthy to express tbe bravery of his disposition : — " I will make tho world , " quoth he , " understand how much a king , chosen for virtue by the consent of a nation , is bettor than he whom right of succession thrusts upon the shoulders of an unwilling people . "—Barclay ' s Mirror of Minds , Eaglishid by _Tftowus May , ' ' '

    1633 . A ruBLicAS blowing thc froth from a pot of porter which ho was bringing to a customer , the gentleman struck him . Boniface eagerly asked _ivJiy 1 ) 0 struck Mm ? " Why , " replied the gentleman " I only returned blow for blow . " A poor Irishman ottered an old saucepan for sale . His children gathered around him , and Inquired why he parted with it . " Ah ! my honeys , " answered he , "I would not be afther parting with it , but for a little money to buy something to put in . it . " A g entleman calling for some beer at another gentleman ' s table , finding it very bad , gave it to tho servant without drinking . " Vflrat'" said tbe master of the house "don't you liko the beer !" " It is not to be found found fault with , " _answered tho othor , " for we should nevav speak ill of the dead , "

    _QjUick wits be commonly apt to take , unapt io keep ; moro quick to enter speedily , than abie to _Siorce far ; even like ovorsbarp tools whose edges e very soon turned . —Roger Ascham ' s Schoolmaster . Good Heavens !—what a sight . '—to see them feeding together in public , upon the public viands , and talking of public subjects for the benefit of the public . It is a pity that they arc not immortal ; but I hopo that they will flourish as a corporation , and that pension will beget pension to the end of the chapter , —John Philpot Ourran . At _PuissTO-v qusrter sessions , last week , an

    ovor-Rccr deposed tbat there was no church or chapel in Wertby . Notice to levy a rate was posted at the wheelwright ' s shop ; the parish meetings were held at a public house ; the parishioners had no clergyman ; and the people got married " anywherewherever they pleased . " Tub winter serios of accidents by explosion , arising from tho stupid practice of taking lighted candles to see where the gas is escaping ; has already begun . It is to be hoped that our contemporaries iviJJ prcrent their frequent recurrence , by pointing out the danger as well as absurdity , of sucb a practice , and advising trusting to thc nose , instoad of tho eye . —Builder

    The Eotptiass assumed as tbeir symbol an ox ; the Jews , the letter tnu ; the Athenians , an owl ; the Romans , an eagle ; the Goths , a bear ; the Franks , a lion ; and the Saxons , a horse . Nature ' s Plentt Tun » _rn into Want by Man . — There , arc few countries which , if well cultivated , Would not support double tho number of their inhabitants ; and yet fewer where one-third part of tho people are not extremely _stintod , even in the necessaries of life , —Dean _Stvift . The Port A _' atal gives an account of the doings of somo mighty hunters : — "In our last wo omitted to notice the return of Captain Faddy , Royal Artillery , nnd his companions , from the tWI months' hunting expedition in tbe interior . From tho following catalogue of trophies , it will be

    seen that the excursion has been one |; of no ordinary character , either as regards tho degree ofexcit « - ment and sport , or the amount in substantial value of the game . The list , including a goodly array of ' . no contemptible antagonists , is as follows : —137 elephants , 42 buffaloos , 39 elands , 17 rhinoscoroses , 1 lion , 8 koodoos , 1 hippopotamus , 7 wild boars , _, 1 leopard , 3 brindled gnoos , 10 rict bucks , -i hart- _beeats , and 1 wolf . " " Don ' t you understand me , Jim , " thundered the j old man . " Why , you must be quite a fool . "' " True , I am verv near one , " meekly replied Jim . A _Constant frequenter at thc city feasts having grown enormously fat , it was proposed to write onu his back , " Widened at the _ctrpensc ofthe _Corpora-ition . "

    Eating "Humble Pie . "—A correspondent of thatit most useful publication , "Notes and Queries , "" gives the following as the origin of this expressive c phraso : —" Humble pie" was made out of thee ' limbics' or entrails of the deer , a dish of thoic second table , inferior , of course , to thc _venisons pastry which smoked upon the dais , and _fcherefora-e not inexpressive of that humiliation which thcic term ' eating humble pio' now painful describcs . S . The ' umbles ' of tho deer arc tho perquisites ofof tho gamckocper . " Who should not go to Australia , —Tbe Mor > nn >< ing Herald , of Syndney , New South Walos , Junene 5 th , admonishes mechanics , clerks , & c , that thcrere is no need of them in Australia . "It cannot bebti too often repeated , that tlie only persons rcquirccct : in tho colony are those who are willing to _dovotot _* ; themselves to agricultural and pastoral pursuits . ts ,, To induce those to come out who are only _adaptcttci ; for a town life , is a fraud upon the land-fund , anciu : gross cruelty to tho unfortunate individuals therremi selves . "

    The Yankbe Comic Muse . —What can be moror beautiful than the following outbreak of passionom addrossod to the fascinating Miss Howe , of _Sannrai toga Springs : — " When weary I are , I smoke my cigar ; And as thc smoke rises , And gets into my eyeses , I think of thee , dearest , And feel queer of the queerest !" Tub Family Herald Mince Meat Puddino .-o . _--Crumble fine a Btale savoy cake , or stale crumb d > cc bread ; mix well together a cup and a half of eithcthec

    of these , with ono cupful of mince-meat . Butter er mould well , and fill it with this mixture , and a _cuicuii tard prepared witk one quart of milk and six or _eigliiglili eggs . If bread crumbs are used , then it is necessarsarr to add about six ounces of sugar to the quart _c'tco custard , otherwise none is required . Cover it witwiti , buttered paper , and st « am it . When done , _servem with brandy sauce . " Did I not give you a flogging the other day ! iy !! said a schoolmaster to a trembling iirchin . -- ,, ye ; Ye : ! : sir , " answered the boy . " Well , what does tb _tbii Scripture say upon tho subject 1 "— " I don ' t ' _loiowior » sir , " said the other , " except it is in that _patsagsajj whieh says , " It is more blessed to give than tn 11 receive . "

    The jlush of animals which feed excursively , y , allowed to bave a higher _flarour than that of _thothoi )! which are cooped up . May there not be the _sansann difference between men who read as their tas tass prompts , and men who are confined in cells an air colleges to stated tasks ? Seventh Draooon _Guards . —A young man n _« , n _« i serving as a private soldier in this regiment , hi , ha lately come into possession of landed property rty Ireland to the value of £ 12 , 000 per annum , in adi _addi tion to a large amount of _oasb . He becomes' of aof aa in a few months , when be will quit the profession _> ionn arms for the quietude of oivil life . Nice Board Waoes , —The Admiralty Board Jrd 11 £ 130 , 303 a year . —iWA _' s Ahnamth ,

• Citation
  • Northern Star (1837-1852), Dec. 22, 1849, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns3_22121849/page/3/