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diff --git a/43354.txt b/43354.txt deleted file mode 100644 index af4ae75..0000000 --- a/43354.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,12437 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 47, -No. 416, June 1850, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 67, No. 416, June 1850 - -Author: Various - -Release Date: July 30, 2013 [EBook #43354] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE, JUNE 1850 *** - - - - -Produced by Brendan OConnor, Jonathan Ingram and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Library of Early Journals.) - - - - - - - - - -BLACKWOOD'S - -EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. - - NO. CCCCXVI. JUNE, 1850. VOL. LXVII. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - LATTER-DAY PAMPHLETS, 641 - - THE HUNGARIAN JOSEPH, 658 - - MY PENINSULAR MEDAL. BY AN OLD PENINSULAR. PART VII., 661 - - A MONTH AT CONSTANTINOPLE, 679 - - MADAME SONTAG AND THE OPERA, 688 - - THE GREEN HAND--A "SHORT" YARN. PART X., 701 - - PALACE THEATRICALS. A DAY-DREAM, 722 - - THE QUAKER'S LAMENT, 733 - - THE GREAT PROTECTION MEETING IN LONDON, 738 - - INDEX, 783 - - -EDINBURGH: WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, 45 GEORGE STREET; AND 37 -PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. _To whom all communications (post paid) must -be addressed._ - -SOLD BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. - -PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH. - - - - -BLACKWOOD'S - -EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. - - - NO. CCCCXVI. JUNE, 1850. VOL. LXVII. - - - - -LATTER-DAY PAMPHLETS.[1] - - [1] _Latter-Day Pamphlets_, edited by THOMAS CARLYLE. No. I. The - Present Time. No. II. Model Prisons. No. III. Downing Street. No. - IV. The New Downing Street. London: 1850. - - -It is nothing unusual, in this wayward world of ours, to find men -denouncing, with apparent sincerity, that very fault which is -most conspicuous in themselves. How often do we detect the most -quarrelsome fellow of our acquaintance, the Hotspur of his immediate -circle, uttering a grave homily against intemperance of speech, and -rebuking for some casual testiness a friend, whose general demeanour -and bearing give token of a lily-liver? What more common than to -hear the habitual drunkard railing at the sin of inebriety, and -delivering affecting testimony against the crying iniquity of the -ginshop? We have listened to discourses on the comeliness of honesty, -and the degrading tendencies of mammon-worship, from gentlemen -who, a few hours before, had given private instructions to their -brokers to rig the market, and who looked upon George Hudson as the -greatest ornament of the age. Cobden mounts the platform to propose -a motion in favour of universal peace and brotherhood, and, by way -of argument, suggests the propriety of crumpling up the empire of -the Russias, like the sheet of white paper which trembles in his -omnipotent hand. He is seconded by a Quaker. - -Mr Thomas Carlyle has, of late years, devoted a good deal of -his leisure time to the denunciation of shams. The term, in his -mouth, has a most extended significance indeed--he uses it with -Catholic application. Loyalty, sovereignty, nobility, the church, -the constitution, kings, nobles, priests, the House of Commons, -ministers, Courts of Justice, laws, and lawgivers, are all alike, -in the eyes of Mr Carlyle, shams. Nor does he consider the system -as of purely modern growth. England, he thinks, has been shamming -Isaac for several hundred years. Before the Commonwealth it was -overridden by the frightful Incubus of Flunkeyism; since then, it -has been suffering under Horsehair and Redtapism, two awful monsters -that present themselves to Mr Carlyle's diseased imagination, -chained at the entrances of Westminster Hall and Downing Street. -Cromwell, perhaps, was not a sham, for in the burly regicide brewer -Mr Carlyle discerns certain grand inarticulate strivings, which -elevate him to the heroic rank. The gentlemen of the present age, -however, are all either shams or shamming. The honourable Felix -Parvulus, and the right honourable Felicissimus Zero, mounted -respectively upon "desperate Sleswick thunder-horses"--M'Crowdy the -political economist--Bobus--Flimnap, Sec. Foreign Department--the -Right Honourable Minimus, and various other allegorical personages, -intended, we presume, to typify carnal realities, are condemned as -Solemn Shams, Supreme Quacks, Phantasm Captains, the Elixir of the -Infatuated, and Able-Editor's Nobles. - -It is natural to suppose that an individual who habitually deals in -such wholesale denunciation, and whose avowed wish is to regenerate -and reform society upon some entirely novel principle, must be a man -of immense practical ability. The exposer of shams and quackeries -should be, in his own person, very far indeed above suspicion of -resembling those whom he describes, or tries to describe, in language -more or less intelligible. If otherwise, he stands in imminent -danger of being treated by the rest of the world as an impertinent -and egregious impostor. Now, Mr Thomas Carlyle is anything but a -man of practical ability. Setting aside his style for the present, -let us see whether he has ever, in the course of his life, thrown -out a single hint which could be useful to his own generation, or -profitable to those who may come after. If he could originate any -such hint, he does not possess the power of embodying it in distinct -language. He has written a history of the French Revolution, a -pamphlet on Chartism, a work on Heroes and Hero-worship, and a sort -of political treatise entitled _Past and Present_. Can any living man -point to a single practical passage in any of these volumes? If not, -what is the real value of Mr Carlyle's writings? What is Mr Carlyle -himself but a Phantasm of the species which he is pleased to denounce? - -We have known, ere now, in England, political writers who, -single-handed, have waged war with Ministers, and denounced the -methods of government. But they were men of strong masculine -understanding, capable of comprehending principles, and of exhibiting -them in detail. They never attempted to write upon subjects which -they did not understand: consequently, what they did write was well -worthy of perusal, more especially as their sentiments were conveyed -in clear idiomatic English. Perhaps the most remarkable man of this -class was the late William Cobbett. Shrewd and practical, a master -of figures, and an utter scorner of generalisation, he went at once -in whatever he undertook to the root of the matter, and, right or -wrong, demonstrated what he thought to be the evil, and what he -conceived to be the remedy. There was no slip-slop, burlesque, or -indistinctness about William Cobbett. Mr Carlyle, on the other hand, -can never stir one inch beyond the merest vague generality. If he -were a doctor, and you came to him with a cut finger, he would regale -you with a lecture on the heroical qualities of Avicenna, or commence -proving that Dr Abernethy was simply a Phantasm-Leech, instead of -whipping out his pocket-book, and applying a plaster to the wound. -Put him into the House of Commons, and ask him to make a speech on -the budget. No baby ever possessed a more indefinite idea of the -difference between pounds, shillings, and pence. He would go on -maundering about Teufelsdroekh, Sauerteig, and Dryasdust, Sir Jabez -Windbag, Fire-horses, Marsh-joetuns, and vulturous Choctaws, until he -was coughed down as remorselessly as ever was Sir Joshua Walmsley. -And yet this is the gentleman who has the temerity to volunteer his -services as a public instructor, and who is now issuing a series of -monthly tracts, for the purpose of shedding a new light upon the most -intricate and knotty points of the general policy of Great Britain! - -Something of this kind we have already witnessed in a neighbouring -country, but never in the like degree. France has had her Flocons -and her Louis Blancs, small, pert, presumptuous animals, chalking -out schemes of social regeneration, organised labour, industrial -regiments, and the like. We do not intend to insinuate that either -of these scribes is entitled to be ranked, for parity of intellect, -with Mr Carlyle, because by doing so we might involve ourselves in -a squabble with some of his benighted admirers. But we say, with -perfect sincerity, that so far as regards political attainments -and information, clear views, and we shall even add common sense, -(distant as that attribute is from any of the parties above named,) -MM. Flocon and Blanc are at least as capable guides as Mr Carlyle -can pretend to be. Something tangible there is, however pernicious -to society, in the propositions of the former--the latter does not -favour us with propositions at all; he contents himself with abusing -men and matters in a barbarous, conceited, uncouth, and mystical -dialect. - -One peculiarity there is about the _Latterday Pamphlets_, as -contradistinguished from their author's previous lucubrations, which -has amused us not a little. Mr Carlyle has hitherto been understood -to favour the cause of self-styled Liberalism. His mania, or rather -his maunderings, on the subject of the Protector gained him the -applause of many who are little less than theoretical republicans, -and who regard as a glorious deed the regicide of the unfortunate -Charles. Moreover, certain passages in his _History of the French -Revolution_ tended to strengthen this idea; he had a kindly side for -Danton, and saw evident marks of heroism in the loathsome miscreant -whom, in his usual absurd jargon, he styles "the pale sea-green -Incorruptible," Robespierre. On this ground, his works were received -with approbation by a section of the public press; and we used -to hear him lauded and commended as a writer of the profoundest -stamp, as a deep original thinker, a thorough-paced philanthropist, -the champion of genuine greatness, and the unflinching enemy of -delusions. Now, however, things are altered. Mr Carlyle has got a new -crochet into his head, and to the utter discomfiture of his former -admirers, he manifests a truculent and ultra-tyrannical spirit, -abuses the political economists, wants to have a strong coercive -government, indicates a decided leaning to the whip and the musket -as effectual modes of reasoning, and, in short, abjures democracy! -The sensation caused by this extraordinary change of sentiment has -been as great as if Joe Hume had declared himself a spendthrift. Only -think of such a document as the following, addressed to the sovereign -people! - - "_Speech of the British Prime Minister to the floods of Irish - and other Beggars, the able-bodied Lackalls, nomadic or - stationary, and the general assembly, outdoor and indoor, of the - Pauper Populations of these Realms._ - - "Vagrant Lackalls! foolish most of you, criminal many of you, - miserable all; the sight of you fills me with astonishment - and despair. What to do with you I know not; long have I been - meditating, and it is hard to tell. Here are some three millions - of you, as I count; so many of you fallen sheer over into the - abysses of open Beggary; and, fearful to think, every new unit - that falls is _loading_ so much more the chain that drags - the other over. On the edge of the precipice hang uncounted - millions; increasing, I am told, at the rate of 1200 a-day. They - hang there on the giddy edge, poor souls, crumping themselves - down, holding on with all their strength, but falling, falling - one after another; and the chain is getting _heavy_, so that - ever more fall; and who at last will stand! What to do with you? - The question, what to do with you? especially since the potato - died, is like to break my heart! - - "One thing, after much meditating, I have at last discovered, - and now know for some time back: That you cannot be left to roam - abroad in this unguided manner, stumbling over the precipices, - and loading ever heavier the fatal _chain_ upon those who might - be able to stand; that this of locking you up in temporary Idle - Workhouses, when you stumble, and subsisting you on Indian meal, - till you can sally forth again on fresh roamings, and fresh - stumblings, and ultimate descent to the devil;--that this is - _not_ the plan; and that it never was, or could out of England - have been supposed to be, much as I have prided myself upon it! - - "Vagrant Lackalls! I at last perceive, all this that has been - sung and spoken, for a long while, about enfranchisement, - emancipation, freedom, suffrage, civil and religious liberty - over the world, is little other than sad temporary jargon, - brought upon us by a stern necessity,--but now ordered by a - sterner to take itself away again a little. Sad temporary - jargon, I say; made up of sense and nonsense,--sense in small - quantities, and nonsense in very large;--and, if taken for the - whole or permanent truth of human things, it is no better than - fatal infinite nonsense eternally _untrue_. All men, I think, - will soon have to quit this, to consider this as a thing pretty - well achieved; and to look out towards another thing much more - needing achievement at the time that now is." - -Flat burglary as ever was committed! O villain! thou wilt be -condemned into everlasting redemption for this--so say the political -Dogberrys to the gentleman whom they used to applaud. We are not -surprised at their wrath. It _is_ rather hard to be told at this time -of day that ballot-boxes and extension of the suffrage are included -in Mr Carlyle's catalogue of Shams, and that Messrs Thompson, Fox, -and Co., must even submit to the charge of talking unveracities and -owlism. Surely there is some mistake here. Not a whit of it. Mr -Carlyle is in grim earnest, and lays about him like a man. He has -not studied the records of the French Revolution for nothing; and he -is not able to discern in the late Continental revolts any ground -for general congratulation on the improved prospects of mankind. -Such language as the following must sound as a strange rebuke in the -ears of divers organs of the public press, who, not long ago, were -flinging up their caps in ecstasies at the fall of constitutions, -backing up Garibaldi against the Pope, Charles Albert against -Radetsky, the Sicilian insurgents against their Sovereign of Naples, -Kossuth against the Emperor, Von Gagern against Federalism, Ledru -Rollin against Civilisation, and Lamartine against Common-sense. - - "Certainly it is a drama full of action, event fast following - event; in which curiosity finds endless scope, and there are - interests at stake, enough to arrest the attention of all men - simple and wise. Whereat the idle multitude lift up their - voices, gratulating, celebrating sky-high; in rhyme and prose - announcement, more than plentiful, that _now_ the New Era, and - long-expected Year One of Perfect Human Felicity has come. - Glorious and immortal people, sublime French citizens, heroic - barricades; triumph of civil and religious liberty--O Heaven! - one of the inevitablest private miseries, to an earnest man in - such circumstances, is this multitudinous efflux of oratory - and psalmody from the universal human throat; drowning for the - moment all reflection whatsoever, except the sorrowful one that - you are fallen in an evil, heavy-laden, long-eared age, and - must resignedly bear your part in the same. The front-wall of - your wretched old crazy dwelling, long denounced by you to no - purpose, having at last fairly folded itself over, and fallen - prostrate into the street, the floors, as may happen, will still - hang on by the mere beam-ends and coherency of old carpentry, - though in a sloping direction, and depend there till certain - poor rusty nails and wormeaten dovetailings give way:--but is it - cheering, in such circumstances, that the whole household burst - forth into celebrating the new joys of light and ventilation, - liberty and picturesqueness of position, and thank God that now - they have got a house to their mind?" - -Sham-kings may and do exist, thinks Mr Carlyle, but the greatest -unveracity of all is this same Democracy, which people were lately -so very willing to applaud. It must be admitted that our author is -perfectly impartial in the distribution of his strokes. He has no -love for Kings, or Metternichs, or Redtape, or any other fiction -or figure of speech whereby he typifies existing governments: he -disposes of them in a wholesale manner of Impostors and Impostures. -But no more does he regard with affection Chartist Parliament, Force -of Public Opinion, or "M'Crowdy the Seraphic Doctor with his last -evangel of Political Economy." M'Culloch is, in his eyes, as odious -as the First Lord in Waiting, whoever that functionary may be. -Clenching both his fists, he delivers a facer to the Trojan on the -right, and to the Tyrian on the left. Big with the conviction that -all Governments are wrong, as presently or lately constituted, he can -see no merit, but the reverse, in any of the schemes of progress, or -reform, or financial change, which have yet been devised. Here follow -some of his notions with regard to the most popularly prescribed -remedies:-- - - "A divine message, or eternal regulation of the Universe, there - verily is, in regard to every conceivable procedure and affair - of man: faithfully following this, said procedure or affair will - prosper, and have the whole universe to second it, and carry - it, across the fluctuating contradictions, towards a victorious - goal; not following this, mistaking this, disregarding this, - destruction and wreck are certain for every affair. How find it? - All the world answers me, 'Count heads'; ask Universal Suffrage - by the ballot-boxes, and that will tell! Universal Suffrage, - ballot-boxes, count of heads? Well,--I perceive we have got - into strange spiritual latitudes indeed. Within the last half - century or so, either the Universe or else the heads of men - must have altered very much. Half a century ago, and down from - Father Adam's time till then, the Universe, wherever I could - hear tell of it, was wont to be of somewhat abstruse nature; - by no means carrying its secret written on its face, legible - to every passer-by; on the contrary, obstinately hiding its - secret from all foolish, slavish, wicked, insincere persons, - and partially disclosing it to the wise and noble-minded alone, - whose number was not the majority in my time!--Or perhaps the - chief end of man being now, in these improved epochs, to make - money and spend it, his interests in the Universe have become - amazingly simplified of late; capable of being voted on with - effect by almost anybody? 'To buy in the cheapest market, and - sell in the dearest:' truly if that is the summary of his - social duties, and the final divine message he has to follow, - we may trust him extensively to vote upon that. But if it is - _not_, and never was, or can be? If the Universe will not carry - on its divine bosom any commonwealth of mortals that have no - higher aim,--being still 'a Temple and Hall of Doom! not a mere - Weaving-shop and Cattle-pen? If the unfathomable Universe has - decided to _reject_ Human Beavers pretending to be Men; and will - abolish, pretty rapidly perhaps, in hideous mud-deluges, their - 'markets' and them, unless they think of it?--In that case, it - were better to think of it; and the Democracies and Universal - Suffrages, I can observe, will require to modify themselves a - good deal!" - -Now, reader, what do you think of all this? We doubt not you are -a good deal puzzled: and an admission to that effect would be no -impeachment of your intellect. Well then, let us try to extract from -these pamphlets of Mr Carlyle some tendency, if not distinct meaning, -which may at least indicate the current of his hopes and aspirations. -Putting foreign governments altogether out of the question, we -gather that Mr Carlyle considers this realm of Britain as most -scandalously misgoverned; that he looks upon Downing Street as an -absolute sewer; that he decidedly yields to Mr Hawes in reverence for -Lord John Russell; that he regards the Protectionists as humbugs; -that he laughs at ballot-boxes, despises extension of the suffrage, -and repudiates, as a rule of conduct, the maxim about the markets, -which indeed, by this time, stinks in every British nostril as yet -unplugged with calico; that he detests the modern brood of political -economists with a cordiality which does him credit; and that he is -firmly convinced that democracy is a thing forever impossible. This -is a tolerably extensive creed, though as yet entirely a negative -one--is there no one point upon which Mr Carlyle will condescend to -be positive? - -Yes, one there is; not apparent perhaps to the casual reader, but -detectible by him who studies closely those pages of oracular -thought--a point very important at the present moment, for this -it is--that there is ONE MAN existing in her Majesty's dominions -who could put everything to rights, if he were only allowed to do -so. Who that man is we may possibly discover hereafter. At present -we are hardly entitled to venture beyond the boundaries of dim -conjecture. Nor is it very clear in what way the Unknown, or rather -the Undeveloped, is to set about his exalted mission. Is he to be -minister--or something more? Perhaps Mr Carlyle did not like to be -altogether explicit on such a topic as this; but we may possibly gain -a little light from indirect and suggestive passages. Take this for -example: - - "Alas, it is sad enough that anarchy is here; that we are not - permitted to regret its being here,--for who that had, for this - divine Universe, an eye which was human at all, could wish that - shams of any kind, especially that Sham Kings should continue? - No: at all costs, it is to be prayed by all men that Shams may - _cease_. Good Heavens, to what depths have we got, when this - to many a man seems strange! Yet strange to many a man it does - seem; and to many a solid Englishman, wholesomely digesting his - pudding among what are called the cultivated classes, it seems - strange exceedingly, a mad ignorant notion, quite heterodox, - and big with mere ruin. He has been used to decent forms long - since empty of meaning, to plausible modes, solemnities grown - ceremonial,--what you in your iconoclast humour call shams,--all - his life long; never heard that there was any harm in them, - that there was any getting on without them. Did not cotton spin - itself, beef grow, and groceries and spiceries come in from the - East and the West, quite comfortably by the side of shams? - Kings reigned, what they were pleased to call reigning; lawyers - pleaded, bishops preached, and honourable members perorated; and - to crown the whole, as if it were all real and no sham there, - did not scrip continue saleable, and the banker pay in bullion, - or paper with a metallic basis? 'The greatest sham, I have - always thought, is he that would destroy shams.' - - "Even so. To such depth have _I_, the poor knowing person of - this epoch, got;--almost below the level of lowest humanity, and - down towards the state of apehood and oxhood! For never till in - quite recent generations was such a scandalous blasphemy quietly - set forth among the sons of Adam; never before did the creature - called man believe generally in his heart that this was the rule - in this Earth; that in deliberate long-established lying could - there be help or salvation for him, could there be at length - other than hindrance and destruction for him." - -We have been sorely tempted to mark with italics certain portions of -the above extract, but on second thoughts we shall leave it intact. -After applying ourselves most diligently to the text, with the view -of eliciting its meaning, we have arrived at the conclusion, that -it is either downright nonsense, or something a great deal worse. -Observe what he says. It is to be prayed for by all men that Shams -may cease--more especially Sham Kings. But certain solid Englishmen -are not prepared for this. They have been "used to decent forms long -since fallen empty of meaning, to plausible modes, solemnities grown -ceremonial,--what you in your iconoclast humour call shams." They -thought no harm of them. "Kings reigned, what they were pleased to -call reigning; lawyers pleaded, bishops preached, and honourable -members perorated," &c. And those who differ in their estimate of -these things from Mr Carlyle are "almost below the level of lowest -humanity, and down towards the state of apehood and oxhood:"--and -their belief is a "scandalous blasphemy." So then, the Monarchy -is a sham, and so are the laws, the Church, and the Constitution! -They are all lies, and in deliberate long-established lying there -can be no help or salvation for the subject! This may not be Mr -Carlyle's meaning, and we are very willing to suppose so; but he -has no title to be angry, were we to accept his words according to -their evident sense. If men, through conceit or affectation, will -write in this absurd and reckless fashion, they must be prepared -to stand the consequences. The first impression on the mind of -every one who peruses the above passage must be, that the author is -opposed to the form of government which is unalterably established -in these kingdoms. If this be so, we should like to know in what -respect such doctrines differ from the pestilential revolutionary -trash which has inundated France and Germany? What kind of overturn -does Mr Carlyle contemplate, for overturn there must be, and that -of the most extensive kind, if his views are ever destined to be -realised? Is it not, perhaps, as melancholy a spectacle as may be, -to find a man of some genius, and considerable learning, attempting -to unsettle the minds of the young and enthusiastic, upon points -distinctly identified with all that is great and glorious in our past -history; and insinuating doctrines which are all the more dangerous -on account of the oblique and uncertain language in which they are -conveyed? Fear God and honour the King, are precepts not acknowledged -by Mr Carlyle as the rudiment and foundation of his faith. He does -not recognise them as inseparably linked together. He would set up -instead some wretched phantom of his own imagination, framed out of -the materials which he fondly supposes to be the attributes of the -heroic character, and he would exalt that above all other authority, -human and divine. He is, if we do not entirely misconstrue the tenor -of these pamphlets, possessed at this moment with the notion of the -advent of another Cromwell, the sole event which, as he thinks, can -save England from being swallowed up by the evils which now beset -her. What these evils are, we shall shortly endeavour to ascertain; -in the mean time, let us keep our attention fixed on this primary -matter of authority. - -Cromwellism, then, if we may use the term, is Mr Carlyle's secret -and theory. Cromwellism, is, we know, but another phrase for -despotism; and we shall not put so harsh a construction on the -term as to suppose that it necessarily involves extinguishment of -the royal function. The example of Richelieu is sufficient to save -us from such a violent interpretation, and therefore we may fairly -assume that our author contemplates nothing more than the lodgment -of the executive power in the hands of some stern and inexorable -minister. To this the whole of his multitudinous political ravings, -when melted into intelligible speech, would seem to tend. He has -little regard for Kings, despises Lords, contemns Bishops, scouts -the House of Commons, sneers at Chartists, repudiates the political -economists, spurns the mob, and laughs at the Ten-pounders. There -is here a tolerably extensive range of scorn--we doubt whether it -could have been equalled by the reflective philosopher of the tub. -Now, lest we should be thought harsh in our judgment of Mr Carlyle, -or uncharitable in our method of construing him, let us hear what -he has to say with regard to popular representation. Let us suppose -that monarchy is cleared away as a Sham, or at all events placed -in respectable abeyance, and that there is no farther debate as to -hereditary right or even constitutional sovereignty. Also that we -have got rid of Peers and Bishops. Now, then, as to Congress:-- - - "To examine this recipe of a Parliament, how fit it is for - governing Nations, nay, how fit it may now be, in these new - times, for governing England itself where we are used to it so - long: this, too, is an alarming inquiry, to which all thinking - men, and good citizens of their country, who have an ear for - the small still voices and eternal intimations, across the - temporary clamours and loud blaring proclamations, are now - solemnly invited. Invited by the rigorous fact itself; which - will one day, and that perhaps soon, demand practical decision, - or redecision of it from us,--with enormous penalty if we decide - it wrong. I think we shall all have to consider this question, - one day; better perhaps now than later, when the leisure may - be less. If a Parliament, with suffrages and universal or any - conceivable kind of suffrages, _is_ the method, then certainly - let us set about discovering the kind of suffrages, and rest no - moment till we have got them. But it is possible a Parliament - may not be the method! Not the whole method; nor the method at - all, if taken as the whole? If a Parliament with never such - suffrages is _not_ the method settled by this latter authority, - then it will urgently behove us to become aware of that fact, - and to quit such method;--we may depend upon it, however - unanimous _we_ be, every step taken in that direction will, - by the Eternal Law of things, be a step from improvement, not - towards it." - -Was there ever so tantalising a fellow? We only know of one parallel -instance. Sancho, after a judicial hearing at Barrataria, sits down -to dinner, but every dish upon which he sets his fancy is whisked -away at the command of a gaunt personage stationed on one side of his -chair, having a wholesome rod in his hand. Fruit, meat, partridges, -stewed rabbits, veal, and olla-podrida, vanish in succession, and -for the removal of each some learned reason is assigned by the -representative of Esculapius. We give the remainder of the anecdote -in the words of Cervantes. "Sancho, hearing this, threw himself -backward in his chair, and, looking at the doctor from head to foot, -very seriously, asked him his name, and where he had studied. To -which he answered: 'My Lord Governor, my name is Doctor Pedro Rezio -de Aguero; I am a native of a place called Tirteafuera, lying between -Caraquel and Almoddobar del Campo on the right hand, and I have taken -my doctor's degree in the University of Ossuna.' 'Then hark you,' -said Sancho in a rage, 'Signor Doctor Pedro Rezio de Aguero, native -of Tirteafuera, lying on the right hand as we go from Caraquel to -Almoddobar del Campo, graduate in Ossuna, get out of my sight this -instant--or, by the light of heaven! I will take a cudgel, and, -beginning with your carcase, will so belabour all the physic-mongers -in the island, that not one of the tribe shall be left!--I mean of -those like yourself, who are ignorant quacks; for those who are -learned and wise I shall make much of, and honour, as so many angels. -I say again, Signor Pedro Rezio, begone! or I shall take the chair I -sat on, and comb your head with it, to some tune, and, if I am called -to an account for it, when I give up my office, I will prove that I -have done a good service, in ridding the world of a bad physician, -who is a public executioner.'" - -Mr Carlyle, though he may not be aware of it, is even such a -political doctor. He despises De Lolme on the British Constitution, -and peremptorily forbids his patient to have anything to do with -that exploded system. "I should like to have," says the pupil -placed under his charge, "in the first place, a well-regulated -constituted monarchy." "'Tis a sham!" cries Signor Doctor Thomas -Carlyle--"Are solemnly constituted Impostors the proper kings of -men? Do you think the life of man is a grimacing dance of apes? -To be led always by the squeak of a paltry fiddle? Away with it!" -The wand is waved, and constitutional monarchy disappears. "Well -then," quoth the tyro, "suppose we have an established Church and a -House of Peers?" "Avaunt, ye Unveracities--ye Unwisdoms," shrieks -the infuriated graduate. "What are ye but iniquities of Horsehair? -O my brother! above all, when thou findest Ignorance, Stupidity, -Brute-mindedness,--yes, there, with or without Church-tithes and -Shovelhat, or were it with mere dungeons, and gibbets, and crosses, -attack it, I say; smite it wisely, unweariedly, and rest not while -thou livest and it lives! Instead of heavenly or earthly Guidance for -the souls of men, you have Black or White Surplice Controversies, -stuffed Hair-and-leather Popes;--terrestrial Law-words, Lords, and -Lawbringers organising Labour in these years, by passing Corn Laws. -Take them away!" "What say you to the House of Commons, doctor?" -"Owldom! off with it." "A Democracy?" "On this side of the Atlantic -and on that, Democracy, we apprehend, is for ever impossible." "And -why will none of these things do?" "Because," quoth the graduate -with a solemn aspect, "you perceive we have actually got into the -New Era there has been such prophesying of: here we all are, arrived -at last;--and it is by no means the land flowing with milk and honey -we were led to expect! very much the reverse. A terrible new country -this: no neighbours in it yet, that I can see, but irrational flabby -monsters (philanthropic and other) of the giant species; hyaenas, -laughing hyaenas, predatory wolves; probably _devils_, blue (or -perhaps blue-and-yellow) devils, as St Guthlac found in Croyland long -ago. A huge untrodden haggard country, the chaotic battlefield of -Frost and Fire, a country of savage glaciers, granite-mountains, of -foul jungles, unhewed forests, quaking bogs;--which we shall have our -own ados to make arable and habitable, I think!" What wonder if the -pupil, hearing this pitiable tirade, should bethink him of certain -modes of treatment prescribed by the faculty, in cases of evident -delirium, as extremely suitable to the symptoms exhibited by his -beloved preceptor? - -Let us now see what sort of government Mr Carlyle would propose -for our adoption, guidance, and regeneration. Some kind of shapes -are traceable even in fog-banks, and the analogy encourages us to -persevere in our Latter-day researches. - -Mr Carlyle is decidedly of opinion that it is our business to -find out the very Noblest possible man to undertake the whole -job. What he means by Noblest is explicitly stated. "It is the -Noblest, not the Sham-Noblest; it is God Almighty's Noble, not -the Court-Tailor's Noble, nor the Able-Editor's Noble, that must -in some approximate degree be raised to the supreme place; he and -not a counterfeit--under penalties." This _Noblest_, it seems, is -to have a select series or staff of _Noblers_, to whom shall be -confided the divine everlasting duty of directing and controlling -the Ignoble. The mysterious process by means of which "the Noblest" -is to be elevated--when he is discovered--is not indicated, but the -intervention of ballot-boxes is indignantly disclaimed. "The Real -Captain, unless it be some Captain of mechanical Industry hired by -Mammon, where is he in these days? Most likely, in silence, in sad -isolation somewhere, in remote obscurity; trying if, in an evil -ungoverned time, he cannot at least govern himself." There are limits -to human endurance, and we maintain that we have a right to call upon -Mr Carlyle either to produce this remarkable Captain, or to indicate -his whereabouts. He tells us that time is pressing--that we are -moving in the midst of goblins, and that everything is going to the -mischief for want of this Noblest of his. Well, then, we say, where -is this Captain of yours? Let us have a look at him--give us at least -a guess as to his outward marks and locality--does he live in Chelsea -or Whitehall Gardens; or has he been, since the general emigration -of the Stags, trying to govern himself in sad isolation and remote -obscurity at Boulogne? If you know anything about him, out with -it--if not, why pester the public with these sheets of intolerable -twaddle? - -As to the Nobler gentry, who are to surround the Noblest, whenever -that Cromwell Redivivus shall appear, there is, in Mr Carlyle's -opinion, no such pitiable uncertainty. They may not, perhaps, be -altogether as plentiful as blackberries on an autumnal hedge, yet -nevertheless they are to be found. "Who are available to your offices -in Downing Street?" quoth he. "All the gifted souls, of every rank, -who are born to you in this generation. These are appointed, by the -true eternal 'divine right' which will never become obsolete, to be -your governors and administrators; and precisely as you employ them, -or neglect to employ them, will your State be favoured of Heaven or -disfavoured. This noble young soul, you can have him on either of two -conditions; and on one of them, since he is here in the world, you -must have him. As your ally and coadjutor; or failing that, as your -natural enemy: which shall it be?" Now, this we call speaking to the -point. We are acquainted, more or less intimately, with some couple -of dozen "noble young souls," all very clever fellows in their way, -who have not the slightest objections to take permanent quarters in -Downing Street, if anybody will make it worth their while; and we -undertake to show that the dullest of them is infinitely superior, -in point of intellect and education, to the present Secretary of -the Board of Control. But are _all_ the noble young souls, without -exception, to be provided for at the public expense? Really, in these -economical times, such a proposal sounds rather preposterous; yet -even Mr Carlyle does not insinuate that the noble young souls will -do any work without a respectable modicum of pay. On the contrary, -he seems to admit that, without pay, they are likely to be found in -the opposition. Various considerations crowd upon us. Would it have -been a correct or a creditable thing for M. Guizot to have placed in -office all the noble young souls of the _National_, simply by way of -keeping them out of mischief? The young nobility connected with that -creditable print certainly did contrive to scramble into office along -the ridges of the barricades, and a very nice business they made of -it when they came to try their hands at legislation. But perhaps Mr -Carlyle would only secure talent of the very highest description. -Well, then, what kind of talent? Are we to look out for the best -poets, and make them Secretaries of State? The best Secretaries of -State we have known in our day, were about as poor poets as could be -imagined; and we are rather apprehensive that the converse of the -proposition might likewise be found to hold good. - - "How sweet an Ovid was in Melbourne lost!" - -sighed a Whig critic, commenting with rapture on some of that -nobleman's early lucubrations; and yet, after all, we have no reason -to think that the roll of British bards has been impoverished by -the accidental exclusion. Flesh and blood could not have endured a -second tragedy from Lord John Russell, and yet the present Premier, -despite of Don Carlos, is thought by some partial friends to cut a -tolerably decent figure as a politician. As to that, we shall venture -no opinion. Mr Carlyle, however, is clear for the poets. Listen to -his instance. - - "From the lowest and broadest stratum of Society, where the - births are by the million, there was born, almost in our own - memory, a Robert Burns; son of one who 'had not capital for his - poor moor-farm of twenty pounds a-year.' Robert Burns never had - the smallest chance to get into Parliament, much as Robert Burns - deserved, for all our sakes, to have been found there. For the - man,--it was not known to men purblind, sunk in their poor dim - vulgar element, but might have been known to men of insight who - had any loyalty, or any royalty of their own,--was a born-king - of men: full of valour, of intelligence and heroic nobleness; - fit for far other work than to break his heart among poor mean - mortals, gauging beer. Him no ten-pound Constituency chose, nor - did any Reforming Premier." - -Of course they did not, and why should they? If Burns was alive at -the present moment, in the full glory of his intellect and strength, -would any sensible constituency think of sending him to Parliament? -Of all the trash that Mr Carlyle has ever written--and there is a -good deal of it,--this about Robert Burns, whom he calls the "new -Norse Thor," not being selected as a statesman, is perhaps the most -insufferable. The vocation of a poet is, we presume, to sing; to -pour forth his heart in noble, animating, or touching strains; not -to discuss questions of policy, or to muddle his brains over Blue -Books, or the interminable compilations of Mr Porter. Not so thinks -Carlyle. He would have shut up Burns in Downing Street, debarred him -from the indulgence of verse, and clapped him at the head of a Board -of Poor-law Commissioners. "And the meagre Pitt, and his Dundasses, -and red-tape Phantasms (growing very ghastly now to think of) did not -in the least know or understand, the impious god-forgetting mortals, -that Heroic Intellects, if Heaven were pleased to send such, were the -one salvation for the world and for them and all of us." Mr Carlyle -seems to have most original notions on the subject of nature's gifts. -It would be as reasonable to say that, because a nightingale sings -more sweetly than its compeers, it ought to be taken to the house and -trained as a regular falcon. - -We are very far indeed from wishing to maintain that literary men -may not be possessed of every quality which is most desirable in -a statesman. But instances of this combination are rare, and on -the whole we think that our "Heroic Intellects," and "noble young -souls," will acquit themselves most creditably by following out -the peculiar bent of their own genius. If they have any political -tendency, it will develop itself in due season; but we protest, most -strenuously, against a Parliament of men of genius, or a cabinet of -literateurs. We have seen quite enough of that in other countries. -A more laughable spectacle, if it had not also been painful, than -the Frankfort chamber, composed very much of suchlike materials, was -never given to public gaze. Old Ludwig Uhland, for all the appearance -he made, had better have stuck to his ballads. In France, Victor -Hugo, whose name is second in literature to none, cuts a most sorry -figure. Even Lamartine is sadly out of his place, though a longer -experience of the Chamber saves him from incurring that constant -ridicule which is the reward of his dramatic brother. Eugene Sue, we -observe, is another noble young soul, who is panting for political -renown. Far be it from us to anticipate his final destiny: as to his -deservings, there can be little difference of opinion. - -It cannot be denied that exceptions, and very plausible ones, might -be taken to the very best ministry ever formed, on the score of -talent. Nay, even that ministry known by the distinguishing title -of "all the Talents," could hardly have borne a searching scrutiny. -But, upon the whole, we are by no means convinced that a Cabinet -of uniform brilliancy is a thing to be desired. One light would be -apt to burn emulously beside another. Moreover talent, though an -excellent and admirable quality, is not the only requisite for a -statesman. Barrington was one of the cleverest fellows of his day; -yet it might have been somewhat hazardous to trust him with the -keys of the Treasury. There have been in our own time in the House -of Commons divers noble young souls, of great and undoubted talent, -whose accession to office would by no means have increased the -confidence of the public in Ministers. And there are men _now_ in the -House of Commons who, to a certain extent, agree with Mr Carlyle, -and complain very bitterly that talent is not allowed to occupy its -proper place. At a meeting of the National Reform Association held -on 23d April last, Mr W. J. Fox, M.P. for Oldham, is reported to -have said--"That the great object they had in view was a _social -revolution_, not gained by blood, or disturbing the constitution, -but raising _the aristocracy of intelligence_ and morality to a -place beside the cliques which had ruled the country merely by the -influence of property and wealth.... An open career to talent was -a favourite maxim of Napoleon, who, so far as he had acted on it, -gave the signal for a great change in the public mind. He hoped that -responsibility would assume the place now held by the interests and -privileges of family cliques, and that talent would thus be made true -to its duties and instincts." Here is another Heroic Intellect quite -ready to take office if he can get it, and ready, moreover, to put -the ballot-box and all manner of extended suffrage into motion, in -order that he may attain his object. We have no doubt that Mr Fox -is a very clever person, and also that he is fully imbued with the -same gratifying impression; nevertheless, we are free to confess that -we would rather see him on the outside, than in the interior of the -hen-roost of Downing Street. There may be persons within it who might -as well, on public considerations, be out; but there are also many -without, who, notwithstanding their vaunted breadth of intellect, -should be kept from getting in. Will Mr Fox venture to aver that, in -Britain, there is not an open career for talent? Now, as ever, talent -will not fail in its aim, provided its possessor is endowed with -other qualities and virtues which are requisite to command success by -securing confidence and esteem. - -Let us now suppose that Mr Carlyle has succeeded in his quest after -capable men--that he has fairly bolted his Noblest, like an overgrown -badger, from the hole in which he lies presently concealed, and has -surrounded him with a staff of the Nobler, including, we presume, the -author of the Latter-day Pamphlets. Noblest and Nobler must now go to -work in serious earnest, taking some order with the flabby monsters, -laughing hyaenas, predatory wolves, and blue, or blue and yellow -devils, which abound in this New Era. What is the first step to be -adopted? We find it in No. I. - -We have transcribed already the commencement of the speech to be made -by the new British Minister to the assembled paupers--let us hear a -few sentences-- - - "But as for you, my indigent incompetent friends, I have to - repeat, with sorrow but with perfect clearness, what is plainly - undeniable, and is even clamorous to get itself admitted, that - you are of the nature of _slaves_,--or if you prefer the word of - _nomadic, and now even vagrant and vagabond servants that can - find no master on those terms_; which seems to me a much uglier - word. Emancipation? You have been emancipated with a vengeance! - Foolish souls! I say the whole world cannot emancipate - you. Fealty to ignorant unruliness, to gluttonous sluggish - Improvidence, to the Beerpot and the Devil, who is there that - can emancipate a man in that predicament? Not a whole Reform - Bill, a whole French Revolution executed for his behoof alone." - -In this style, Noblest proceeds for a page or two, haranguing the -unlucky paupers upon the principle that poverty is crime; taunting -them with previous doles of Indian meal and money, and informing them -that the Workhouses are thenceforward inexorably shut. Finally, he -announces that they are to be embodied into industrial regiments, -with proper officers; and marched off "to the Irish Bogs, to the -vacant desolations of Connaught now falling into Cannibalism, to -mis-tilled Connaught, to ditto Munster, Leinster, Ulster, I will lead -you; to the English fox covers, furze-grown Commons, New Forests, -Salisbury Plains; likewise to the Scotch Hillsides, and bare rushy -slopes which as yet feed only sheep." All these are to be tilled by -the slave regiments under the following penalties for recusancy. -"Refuse to strike into it; shirk the heavy labour, disobey the -rules--I will admonish and endeavour to incite you; if in vain, I -will flog you; if still in vain, I will at last shoot you,--and make -God's Earth, and the forlorn-hope in God's Battle, free of you. -Understand it, I advise you!" O rare Thomas Carlyle! - -The language in which this significant and notable plan is conveyed, -is more original than the plan itself. Other Liberals than Mr -Carlyle have propounded the doctrine that the pauper is a slave of -the state. A century and a half ago, Fletcher of Saltoun wrote a -treatise to that effect, and probably a more determined republican -than Fletcher never stepped in upper leathers. But somehow or other, -although Scotland was then less scrupulous in matters of personal -freedom than the sister kingdom, the scheme was by no means received -with acclamation. Heritable jurisdictions were all very well in -their way, but the idea of reducing the peasantry to the state of -Russian serfdom, was rather more than the free parliament of the -Scots Estates could contrive to stomach. It has been very shrewdly -remarked that there is a wide circle in politics, whereof the -connecting link lies between ultra-liberalism and absolute tyranny. -Mr Carlyle, without meaning it, gives us a fair exemplification of -this in the present pamphlets. Messrs Cobden and Bright afford us an -unmistakeable exemplification of it, in their endeavours to frustrate -the operation of the Ten Hours' Bill. M. Ledru Rollin demonstrated -it in his circulars, on the occasion of the first French republican -election. Liberty is a beautiful term, but its true signification is -unknown to the thorough-paced demagogue. - -According to the spirit of the British laws, labour can only be -enforced as the penalty of crime. Mr Carlyle would change this, and -would place the pauper upon precisely the same level as the convict. -We are not prepared to say that some important improvements might -not be made in the practical operation of the poor-laws. We have -read various pamphlets, published in this city and elsewhere, which -strenuously recommend the employment of the able-bodied poor in the -reclaiming of waste lands, and their immediate removal from the -towns. There is, however, much more philanthropy than philosophy in -these schemes. In order to discover a proper remedy, we ought in -every case to direct our primary attention to the nature and origin -of the disease; and this is precisely what our modern philanthropists -neglect to do. People do not crowd into towns of their own choice. -Give them their free will, and the means of subsistence, and one and -all of them will prefer the fresh air, and the sights and sounds -of nature, to the stifling atmosphere, the reeking filth, and the -discordant cries of the city lanes and courts. But no such free will -exists: the balance has not been kept between the country and the -towns. No encouragement has been given to the small manufactures, -which in former times were the support of villages now rapidly -falling into decay. The gigantic power of machinery, set in motion -by large capital, has nearly abolished the hand-loom. Worsted -knitting, yarn-spinning, straw-plaiting, are now rendered almost -profitless occupations. In order to live, the villagers have been -forced to migrate to the towns. We need hardly refer to the earliest -of the Free-trade measures, which, by substituting Spanish barilla -for kelp, threw whole districts of the West Highlands at once into -a state of pauperism. At this moment, a new cause is aggravating -the evil. The stagnation of agricultural employment occasioned by -the abolition of the corn duties, has given a new impetus to rural -emigration; and those who cannot afford their passage to foreign -parts naturally seek refuge in the towns. In another year--if the -experiment should be continued so long--the effects of this last -change will become more evident than they are now. The able-bodied -ploughman is the last of the agricultural class who will suffer. -Those who have already been compelled to change their homes, or to go -upon the parish-list, are the cottars, who derived their subsistence -from the employment given them by resident proprietors. So long -as encouragement to agricultural improvement existed, these poor -people never wanted work; but now the calamitous fall in the price -of produce, and the prospect of a great diminution of rents, have -compelled the landlords to discontinue their improvements, and to -reduce the expenses of their establishments to the lowest possible -limit. In this way, country labour is lessened, and town labour, by -the increasing competition of hands, is cheapened. This is the true -secret of all those startling revelations as to the misery, want, -and positive oppression of the working classes which have lately -appeared in the public journals, and which have engendered in the -minds of many a natural despair as to the destiny of a state in which -such things are suffered to exist. The remedy undoubtedly is neither -an easy nor a speedy one; still, it is by no means to be included -in the category of impossibilities. Machinery, which is the first -great cause of British pauperism, cannot indeed be checked, _but it -may very easily be taxed_. "An acre of land," says a late eminent -writer, "if cultivated, must pay a tithe of its productions to -support the religion of the state, and an equal contribution with any -other property in respect of the poor, county, and church rates; but -mechanical power may exercise its productive faculty _ad infinitum_, -with but a trifling reference or liability to either the one or the -other. The building may be rated at L200, L500, or L1000 a-year, but -it has a power within it which, as compared with landed property -rated at the same amount, will produce a hundredfold as great a -return--a principle in legislation as deteriorating in its operation -on the masses as it is unjust to individuals." That machinery, which -has changed the whole character of our population, and which, in -fact, has been the means of creating this stern reality of pauperism, -is not taxed upon the principle of its productive power. That it -should be so, seems evident upon the smallest reflection. Land is -not taxed on the principle of acreage, but on that of value, which -again depends entirely on production. Why should not the manufactory -be rated in the same manner? It is true that, by such a measure as -this, pauperism could not be removed, but it would be materially -checked, for the fair proportion of the burden would thus be thrown -on the shoulders of those who occasioned it. But nothing effectual -can be done until the nation has finally determined what policy it -is to pursue for the future, and in all time coming, with respect -to native industry. If Free Trade is to go on, pauperism must -continue like a Upas tree to spread and overshadow the land. It is -not within the range of possibility that this can be otherwise. No -church-extension, education, cheap literature, ventilation, sewerage, -public baths, or model lodging-houses, can avail to mitigate the -evil. It is town competition--made triply worse by the operation of -low tariffs--which is driving the working classes to the verge of -the pit of despair; and that town competition is increasing, and -will increase, so long as a fresh daily supply of hands is driven -from country labour. The scheme of the philanthropists to whom we -have referred, is to take the surplusage from the towns and to send -them to the country. This, in the present state of matters, is about -as feasible an undertaking as if we were to try to make a stream of -water run up-hill. Why, the misery and indigence which they seek -to relieve, is not the result of mere idleness, dissipation, or -profligacy--it arises from over-competition in one department of -industry, occasioned by the utter want of profitable employment in -another. There would be no need of industrial regiments to cultivate -the soil, if its cultivation were allowed to be remunerative. But to -set our pauper population at work upon anything which will not repay -private enterprise is mere delusion. We have said this much upon a -topic of the greatest interest, and the utmost importance, because -we are convinced that many persons, who are fully impressed with the -magnitude of the evil, have mistaken the remedy from the want of a -due consideration of the causes from whence that evil has arisen. It -is, however, a subject too large for incidental discussion, and we -shall probably return to it on a future occasion, when we can state -our views without reference to the whimsical vagaries of Mr Carlyle. - -So then, the Noblest having made his speech, and wound up with -a significant hint of flogging and pistoling every one of the -unfortunate serfs who shall fail to wield the hoe with becoming -alacrity, what next? Nothing more, in so far as the interests of the -working classes are concerned; at least nothing tangible. Perhaps it -would be absurd to expect anything more. The man who can propound -a scheme to rid us of pauperism, with all its concomitant misery, -would be a greater benefactor to the commonwealth, and to the human -race, than a thousand Howards in one. Mr Carlyle is perhaps the most -strenuous advocate for work that we ever encountered. He would have -made a first-rate taskmaster under the old Egyptian economy. He is, -with great reason, indignant at the state to which our West Indian -Colonies have been reduced by means of Exeter Hall emancipation, -and he scouts emancipation itself as a gross delusion of the fiend. -It is to be regretted that his views have been so late of ripening. -Time was, when a fair and common-sense protest, advanced by a Liberal -philosopher, against the absurdity of attempting to change the hue -of the Ethiopian by a single momentary scrubbing, might have been -of some actual use: now, it is in vain to recommend a protracted -application of the tub. The Noblest, when Mr Carlyle has discovered -him and put him forward, will hardly achieve his ends by using the -following language, even supposing that he wielded the lightning, and -were able to put his threats into execution. - - "Beautiful Black Peasantry, who have fallen idle, and have - got the Devil at your elbow; interesting White Felonry, who - are not idle, but have enlisted into the Devil's regiments of - the line,--know that my benevolence for you is comparatively - trifling! What I have of that divine feeling is due to others, - not to you. A universal Sluggard-and-Scoundrel Protection - Society is not the one I mean to institute in these times, where - so much wants protection, and is sinking to sad issues for want - of it! The scoundrel needs no protection. The scoundrel that - _will_ hasten to the gallows, why not rather clear the way for - him? Better he reach _his_ goal and outgate by the natural - proclivity, than be so expensively dammed up and detained, - poisoning everything as he stagnates and meanders along, to - arrive at last a hundred times fouler, and swollen a hundred - times bigger! Benevolent men should reflect on this.--And you - Quashee, my pumpkin,--(not a bad fellow either, this poor - Quashee, when tolerably guided!)--idle Quashee, I say you must - get the Devil _sent away_ from your elbow, my poor dark friend! - In this world there will be no existence for you otherwise. No, - not as the brother of your folly will I live beside you. Please - to withdraw out of my way, if I am not to contradict your folly - and amend it, and put it in the stocks if it will not amend. By - the Eternal Maker! it is on that footing alone that you and I - can live together. And if you had respectable traditions dated - from beyond Magna Charta, or from beyond the Deluge, to the - contrary, and written sheepskins that would thatch the face of - the world,--behold I, for one individual, do not believe said - respectable traditions, nor regard said written sheepskins, - except as things which you, till you grow wiser, will believe. - Adieu, Quashee; I will wish you better guidance than you have - had of late." - -The meaning of this passage is, that the black population of our -colonies ought no longer to be permitted to dwell in perfect -idleness in their provision grounds, rearing pumpkins for their own -consumption, without regard to the cultivation of the sugar-cane. -As we have already remarked, this view is somewhat of the latest; -nevertheless truth, like repentance, can never come too late to -be received. Divorced from the folly of his speech, Mr Carlyle's -sentiment is sound. Twenty millions of British money, wrung from -the hard-taxed labour of our people, were given--for what? Not only -to emancipate the Negroes, but to place them in such a position -that they could effectually control their former masters--our own -colonists and countrymen, to whom our faith was solemnly plighted -for the maintenance of their privileges and commerce. Let it be -granted that slavery was a gross sin, was it incumbent upon us to -elevate the emancipated Blacks so high, that they could control the -labour market--to give them the status of untaxed yoemen, without any -security for the slightest manifestation of their gratitude? It was -more than preposterous that those whose freedom was purchased should -be placed in a better position, and invested with more immunity from -labour and want, than the great bulk of the people who made the -sacrifice in order to secure that freedom; and the result has amply -demonstrated the gross folly of the scheme. There are thousands, nay -millions of men in Britain and Ireland, whose lot, compared with -that of the emancipated Blacks of Jamaica, is one of speechless -misery--and yet their cry to be relieved from a competition which is -crushing them down to the dust, is unheard and uncared for amidst -the din of contending politicians, and the perpetual hum of the busy -proselytes of Mammon. - -Here we cannot forbear from quoting a characteristic passage from -Mr Carlyle's tracts. The idea is not original, but the handling -is worthy of Astley's humourist; and we commend it to the special -attention of all free-trading philanthropists. - - "Certainly Emancipation proceeds with rapid strides among us, - this good while; and has got to such a length as might give rise - to reflections in men of a serious turn. West Indian Blacks are - emancipated, and it appears refuse to work. Irish Whites have - long been entirely emancipated; and nobody asks them to work, - or on condition of finding them potatoes (which, of course, is - indispensable) permits them to work. Among speculative persons, - a question has sometimes risen. In the progress of Emancipation, - are we to look for a time when all the Horses also are to be - emancipated, and brought to the supply-and-demand principle? - Horses too have 'motives;' are acted on by hunger, fear, hope, - love of oats, terror of platted leather; nay they have vanity, - ambition, emulation, thankfulness, vindictiveness; some rude - outline of all our human spiritualities,--a rude resemblance to - us in mind and intelligence, even as they have in bodily frame. - The Horse, poor dumb four-footed fellow, he too has his private - feelings, his affections, gratitudes; and deserves good usage; - no human master, without crime, shall treat him unjustly either, - or recklessly lay on the whip where it is not needed:--I am - sure if I could make him 'happy,' I should be willing to grant - a small vote (in addition to the late twenty millions) for that - object! - - "Him, too, you occasionally tyrannise over; and with bad result - to yourselves among others; using the leather in a tyrannous, - unnecessary manner; withholding, or scantily furnishing, - the oats and ventilated stabling that are due. Rugged - horse-subduers, one fears they are a little tyrannous at times. - 'Am I not a horse, and _half_-brother?' To remedy which, so far - as remediable, fancy--the horses all 'emancipated;' restored to - their primeval right of property in the grass of this Globe; - turned out to graze in an independent supply-and-demand manner! - So long as grass lasts, I daresay they are very happy, or think - themselves so. And Farmer Hodge sallying forth, on a dry spring - morning, with a sieve of oats in his hand, and agony of eager - expectation in his heart, is he happy? Help me to plough this - day, Black Dobbin; oats in full measure if thou wilt. 'Hlunh! - No--thank!' snorts Black Dobbin; he prefers glorious liberty - and the grass. Bay Darby, wilt not thou perhaps? 'Hlunh!' Gray - Joan, then, my beautiful broad-bottomed mare,--O Heaven! she - too answers Hlunh! Not a quadruped of them will plough a stroke - for me. Corn-crops are ended in this world!--For the sake, if - not of Hodge, then of Hodge's horses, one prays this benevolent - practice might now cease, and a new and a better one try to - begin. Small kindness to Hodge's horses to emancipate them! The - fate of all emancipated horses is, sooner or later, inevitable. - To have in this habitable earth no grass to eat,--in black - Jamaica gradually none, as in White Connemara already none;--to - roam aimless, wasting the seed-fields of the world; and be - hunted home to Chaos, by the dire watch-dogs and dire hell-dogs, - with such horrors of forsaken wretchedness as were never seen - before! These things are not sport; they are terribly true, in - this country at this hour." - -One other sham, perhaps the greatest which our age has witnessed, Mr -Carlyle accidentally denounces--we mean the late Colonial policy. If -the Whigs have an official aptitude for anything, it is the coopering -up of Constitutions. Is one colony indignant at some outrage or -insult proceeding from headquarters--is another dissatisfied with -the conduct of the Governor, and urgent for his recall--is a third -aggrieved by the commercial vacillation and fiscal measures of a -Parliament in which it has neither voice nor power--the universal -panacea is, Give them a Constitution! We hope the present Ministry -will profit by the following criticism--not volunteered by us, who -neither look upon them with affection, nor entertain any sanguine -hope of their conversion to a patriotic policy,--but penned by a -writer who, not long ago, was considered by their organs as one of -the deepest thinkers of the age. - - "Constitutions for the Colonies," says Mr Carlyle, "are now on - the anvil; the discontented Colonies are all to be cured of - their miseries by Constitutions. Whether that will cure their - miseries, or only operate as a Godfrey's Cordial to stop their - whimpering, and in the end worsen all their miseries, may be - a sad doubt to us. One thing strikes a remote spectator in - these Colonial questions: the singular placidity with which - the British Statesman at this time, backed by M'Crowdy and the - British moneyed classes, is prepared to surrender whatsoever - interest Britain, as foundress of those establishments, might - pretend to have in the decision. 'If you want to go from us, - go; we by no means want you to stay: you cost us money yearly, - which is scarce; desperate quantities of trouble too: why - not go, if you wish it?' Such is the humour of the British - Statesman at this time.--Men clear for rebellion, 'annexation' - as they call it, walk openly abroad in our American Colonies; - found newspapers, hold platform palaverings. From Canada there - comes duly by each mail a regular statistic of Annexationism: - increasing fast in this quarter, diminishing in that;--Majesty's - Chief Governor seeming to take it as a perfectly open question; - Majesty's Chief Governor, in fact, seldom appearing on the scene - at all, except to receive the impact of a few rotten eggs on - occasion, and then duck in again to his private contemplations. - And yet one would think the Majesty's Chief Governor ought to - have a kind of interest in the thing? Public liberty is carried - to a great length in some portion of her Majesty's dominions. - But the question, 'Are we to continue subjects of her Majesty, - or start rebelling against her? So many as are here for - rebelling, hold up your hands!' Here is a public discussion of - a very extraordinary nature to be going on under the nose of a - Governor of Canada? How the Governor of Canada, being a British - piece of flesh and blood, and not a Canadian lumber-log of mere - pine and rosin, can stand it, is not very conceivable at first - view. He does it, seemingly, with the stoicism of a Zeno. It is - a constitutional sight like few." - -With Earl Grey at the head of the Colonial Department, backed and -assisted by that pattern of candour, Mr Hawes--with Lord Elgin in -Canada, and Lord Torrington in Ceylon--the integrity of the British -empire is certainly exposed to peril. But a more dangerous symptom -is the spirit which of late years has prevailed in the councils of -the nation, and owes its origin to the false views and perverse -unpatriotic doctrines of the political economists. They refuse to -admit into their calculations any element which may not be reduced -to the standard of money-value, and they consider that the worth of -a colony is to be measured solely by the returns of its traffic. -This is a leading dogma of Free Trade; and no doubt, were Free Trade -capable of entire realisation, if the nations of the earth had no -other ambition than to buy and sell, after the manner recommended -by Mr Cobden, and if reciprocity were a thing universal, a good -deal might be urged in its favour. If we apply the same test to -Ireland, we shall find that it is greatly for the advantage of -the people of Great Britain to pronounce in favour of Repeal, and -to allow the young patriots of the Emerald Isle to enter into any -kind of relationship which they may choose with the sympathising -republicans of France. This is Free Trade in its plain, undisguised -form; and to some such consummation as this we must come at last, -by virtue of the grand experiment, should that, like Sir Robert -Peel's temporary Income Tax, be extended to a limitless perpetuity. -At present, in so far as regards the welfare of a great portion of -the inhabitants of the country, it is difficult to perceive what -advantage they derive from the boasted character of Britons, except -the privilege of contributing to the heaviest load of taxation that -was ever laid upon the industry of a people. We acknowledge that the -Free-traders have planned their scheme with consummate adroitness -and dexterity. If their object was, as we believe it was, to sap -those principles of high morality, rectitude, honour, and patriotism, -which carried Great Britain successfully through the dangers of wild -European revolution, anarchy, and war, they could not have hit upon -a better or a surer method. Many a disheartened agriculturist has -lately asked himself, what is the nature of the ties which bind him -imperatively to Britain, when a richer soil and a fairer climate -can be found elsewhere, a home not daily harassed by the knock of -the tax-gatherer, and the London market ever ready to receive the -product of his industry? It is not good that these questions should -arise in the minds of our yeomen, for they are calculated to engender -a train of thoughts very hostile to the maintenance of that credit -which England dare not lose, without forfeiting her reputation, her -fame, her honour, and her sway. The thoughts of the colonies have -long been bent in a similar direction; and we doubt not that many -of them have been amazed to find that, so far from being checked in -their preliminary mutterings of revolt, they have the hearty good -wishes of the Manchester men in dissolving their connection with -the mother country, whenever they may choose to do so. Thus do we -stand at present in our home and colonial relations, the clank of -the constitution hammer resounding from the cooperage, and dull-eyed -Imbecility sitting lazily at the helm. - -We must now take our leave of Mr Carlyle, sincerely regretting that -we cannot, with any degree of truth, congratulate him either on the -tone or the character of his late lucubrations. These pamphlets, take -them altogether, are about the silliest productions of the day; and -we could well wish, for his sake, that they had never been compiled. -Very few people, we imagine, will be disposed to wait with confidence -for the avatar of his Noblest and Noblers, such as he has depicted -them. Our faith and hopes lie in a different direction; nor have -we any wish to see a Cromwell at the head of affairs, supported by -a staff of noble young souls, poetical or otherwise, who require -to be bought over for the purpose. Towards the close of his fourth -pamphlet, our author lets drop a hint from which we gather that it -is not impossible that his Noblest may hereafter appear embodied in -the person of Sir Robert Peel. All we shall say on that score is, -that Sir Robert has already had sufficient opportunity vouchsafed him -to exhibit the extent of his qualifications. It is not likely that -the Statesman who, in the eve of life, and enjoying the undiminished -confidence of his Sovereign, finds himself in the House of Commons -without the semblance of a party to support him, can ever make -another desperate rally. It would be difficult to find in the annals -of history any instance of a leading politician who has been so -often trusted, and impossible to find one who has so often abused -that trust. Even Mr Carlyle cannot deny the Unveracities of which -Sir Robert stands convicted; and although he appears to think that -lapses from truth are of so common occurrence as to be venial, we -beg to assure him that his opinion is not the general one, nor is -it altogether creditable to the morality of the man who ventures -to express it. We are sorry to observe that, in the conclusion of -this latter tract, Mr Carlyle has condescended to borrow some hints -from that most eminent master of modern scurrility, the late Daniel -O'Connell. This is, in every respect, to be deplored. Wit is not Mr -Carlyle's forte, and this kind of wit, if wit it be, is, when served -up at second hand, both nauseous and revolting. At a calmer moment, -and on more mature reflection, we feel convinced that Mr Carlyle -will blush for the terms which he has allowed himself to apply to so -eminent a genius as Mr Disraeli; and that he will in future abstain -from testifying his gratitude for a humiliating invitation to dinner -in a shape so abject as that of casting personal and low abuse upon -the political adversaries of his entertainer. - -If Mr Carlyle feels that his vocation is political--if the true -spirit of the prophet is stirring within him--he ought to endeavour -in the first place to think clearly, and, in the second, to amend his -style. At present his thoughts are anything but clear. The primary -duty of an author is to have a distinct understanding of the matter -which he proposes to enunciate, for unless he can arrive at that, -his words must necessarily be mystical and undefined. If men are -to be taught at all, let the teaching be simple, and level to the -common capacity; and let the teacher be thoroughly conversant with -the whole particulars of the lesson. We have a strong suspicion that -Cassandra must have been a prophetess reared in the same school -as Mr Carlyle. Her predictions seem to have been shrouded in such -thorough mysticism, that no one gave her credit for inspiration; -and in consequence the warnings which might have saved Troy, were -spoken to the empty winds. Here, perhaps, we ought to guard ourselves -against a similar charge of indistinctness. We by no means intend to -certify that Mr Carlyle is a prophet, or that there is any peculiar -Revelation in these Latter-day Pamphlets which can avert the fall -of Britain, should that sad catastrophe be foredoomed. We simply -wish to express our regret that Mr Carlyle, who may lay claim to -the possession of some natural genius and ability, will not allow -us the privilege of understanding the true nature of his thoughts, -and therefore exposes himself to a suspicion that the indistinctness -lies quite as much in the original conception of the ideas, as in the -language by means of which they are conveyed. - -As to his style, it can be defended on no principle whatever. -Richter, who used to be his model, was in reality a first-rate -master of language and of verbal music; and although in some of -his works, he thought fit to adopt a quaint and abrupt manner of -writing, in others he exhibited not only great power, but a harmony -which is perhaps the rarest accomplishment of the rhetorical artist. -His "Meditation on a Field of Battle," for example, is as perfect -a strain of music as the best composition of Beethoven. But in Mr -Carlyle's sentences and periods, there is no touch or sound of -harmony. They are harsh, cramped, and often ungrammatical; totally -devoid of all pretension to ease, delicacy, or grace. In short, -we pass from the Latter-day Pamphlets with the sincere conviction -that the author as a politician is shallow and unsound, obscure and -fantastic in his philosophy, and very much to be reprehended for his -obstinate attempt to inculcate a bad style, and to deteriorate the -simple beauty and pure significancy of our language. - - - - -THE HUNGARIAN JOSEPH. - - -The following poem is intended to commemorate a very interesting -episode, which lately enlivened the deliberations of the National -Reform Association. The usual knot of Parliamentary orators having -somewhat cavalierly left the delegates to their own rhetorical -resources, on the third day of conference, and the conversation -having taken a doleful turn, owing to the paucity of subscriptions, -the Chairman, Sir Joshua Walmsley, thought fit to enliven the spirits -of the meeting by the introduction of an illustrious visitor. The -following extract from the morning papers will explain the incident, -as well as the commemorative verses:-- - - "The Chairman (Sir J. Walmsley) here left the platform, and - shortly afterwards returned, leading a short, stout, elderly, - intelligent-looking gentleman, with a very formidable mustache - and bushy beard of snowy whiteness, whose appearance created - considerable excitement in the audience, and gave rise to great - satisfaction in the minds of several delegates, who were under - the impression that they beheld Mr Muntz, the hon. member for - Birmingham, whose beard is so well known by report to the - Liberal party. - - "The CHAIRMAN.--Gentlemen, you observed that I left the platform - for a short time, and returned with a gentleman who is now near - me. It is no other than the Joseph Hume of the Hungarians. (Loud - cheers, followed by cries of 'Name, name.') - - "The chairman did not appear able to afford the desired - information, and the venerable Hungarian financier wrote his - name on a slip of paper, from which Sir Joshua Walmsley read - aloud what sounded like 'Eugene Rioschy.' (Cheers; and voices, - 'We don't know it now,' 'I can't tell my wife;' and laughter.) - - -I. - - No, no! 'tis false! it cannot be! - When saw a mortal eye - Two suns within the firmament, - Two glories in the sky? - Nay, Walmsley, nay! thy generous heart - Hath all too wide a room: - We'll not believe it, e'en on oath-- - There's but one Joseph Hume! - - -II. - - Unsay the word so rashly said; - From hasty praise forbear! - Why bring a foreign Pompey here - Our Caesar's fame to share? - The buzzard he is lord above, - And Hume is lord below, - So leave him peerless on his perch, - Our solitary Joe! - - -III. - - He may be known, that bearded wight, - In lands beyond the foam; - He may have fought the fiery fight - 'Gainst taxes raised at home. - And hate of kings, and scorn of peers, - May rankle in his soul: - But surely never hath he reached - "The tottle of the whole." - - -IV. - - Yes, he may tell of doughty deeds, - Of battles lost and won, - Of Austrian imposts bravely spurned - By each reforming Hun. - But dare he say that he hath borne - The jeers of friend and foe, - Yet still prosed on for thirty years - Like our transcendant Joe? - - -V. - - Or hath he stood alone in arms - Against the guileful Greek, - Demanding back his purchase-coin - With oath, and howl, and shriek? - Deemed they to hold with vulgar bonds - That lion in the net? - One sweep of his tremendous paw - Could cancel all their debt. - - -VI. - - How could we tell our Spartan wives - That, in this sacred room, - We dared, with impious throats, proclaim - A rival to the Hume? - Our children, in their hour of need, - Might style us England's foes, - If other chief we owned than one, - The member for Montrose. - - -VII. - - O soft and sweet are Cobden's tones - As blackbird's in the brake; - And Oldham Fox and Quaker Bright - A merry music make; - And Thompson's voice is clear and strong, - And Kershaw's mild and low, - And nightingales would hush their trill - To list M'Gregor's flow; - - -VIII. - - But Orpheus' self, in mute despair, - Might drop his magic reed - When Hume vouchsafes, in dulcet strains, - The people's cause to plead. - All other sounds of earth and air - Are mute and lost the while; - The rasping of a thousand saws, - The screeching of the file. - - -IX. - - With him we'll live, with him we'll die, - Our lord, our light, our own; - We'll keep all foemen from his face, - All rivals from his throne. - Though Tory prigs, and selfish Whigs, - His onward course assail. - Here stand a hundred delegates, - All joints of Joseph's tail. - - -X. - - Ho, there! remove that hairy Hun - With beard as white as snow; - We need no rank reformers here - To cope with honest Joe. - Not Muntz, with all his bristly pride, - From him our hearts can wean: - We know his ancient battle-cry-- - "Shave close, my friends, and clean!" - - - - -MY PENINSULAR MEDAL. - -BY AN OLD PENINSULAR. - - - - - -PART VII.--CHAPTER XVII. - - -Although I have not specified every place at which we halted, or -through which we passed, it may be proper to state that we arrived -in due course at St Sever, which was distant only one day's march -from the actual headquarters of the British army, Aire on the Adour. -Here Pledget interposed his professional authority, and decided that -neither Mr Chesterfield nor Jones must proceed farther. They both -remained, therefore, under surgical treatment at St Sever. Pledget -and Gingham, deeming the road now safe, pushed forward to Aire, -leaving the cart to follow with the convoy. At the same time, our -numbers experienced a still more considerable diminution. Our cavalry -escort, also, received orders to push forward, and started before -us in high spirits, with the prospect of immediate operations. The -convoy was, accordingly, left with only the infantry as a guard, -under Corporal Fraser. - -Before starting for this our last day's march I saw both our wounded -men, neither of them well pleased at being left behind. As to Jones, -I was getting used to him, and could have better spared a better man. -I found him confined to his bed, in a house full of sick and wounded; -very much down in the mouth, fractious, a little feverish, and not at -all satisfied with hospital diet. "Please, sir, the doctor don't not -allow me a drop of sperrits, sir; no, nor wine nayther, sir; nothing -whatsomdever to drink, only powders, sir." - -"Powders to drink, Jones? What d'ye mean, man?" - -"Please, sir, what I means is powders, sir. Hope no offence, sir. -Doctor calls 'em everfizzing powders, sir." - -From the Hon. Mr Chesterfield I parted with unfeigned regret. I -believe he had won the respect of the whole party. His manner -was a little stiff and aristocratical at first. But he mended on -acquaintance; and, in everything connected with duty, he was both -highly competent, and pleasant to act with. We got off in good time, -and proceeded on our march as on former days, our road carrying us -through two or three villages. - -In passing one of these, I pulled up to make some trifling purchase; -and, when I came out of the shop, found our whole convoy and escort -halted. "How's this, Fraser? Why are we not getting on?" - -"Orders for the whole party to halt have just arrived from -headquarters, sir." - -"Indeed! Who brought them?" - -"A gentleman belonging to your department, sir." - -I rode forward to the head of the column; and there, sure enough, -at the entrance of the village inn, saw a uniform resembling my -own. In fact, I recognised not only the coat, but the wearer of it, -though he did not recognise me. He was a foreigner--Westphalian, -Saxon, Bohemian, High Dutch, Low Dutch, or something of that sort; -had served at Lisbon as clerk in a civil department attached to the -British army; and, in some situation of trust and responsibility, -had incurred suspicions of an awkward kind. He had in consequence -been suspended. The matter was referred to the home authorities, -and the result was his dismissal. This was what I knew of him. As -to his having subsequently obtained employment in our department, -of this I knew nothing. And it did appear rather curious that a -person "disadvantageously known," as he was, should have gained a -footing where trustiness was so indispensable. Yet there he stood in -full fig, enormous staff-hat, and all the departmental toggery. He -addressed me in French, with a tone of authority. - -"Why have you come this road? You have followed the wrong route. -Your way was by the left bank of the river." - -"I came by the high road, of course. The maps show no route by the -other side. All the troops take this way, and of course I followed -their example." - -"Nothing of the kind. They all take the other, which is shorter by -nearly a league. Besides, you should not have come by St Sever at -all. I am sent from headquarters, to show you the right direction." - -"Very good. Of course, then, you bring written orders." - -"No written orders are requisite. My directions are, to turn you into -the other route. This, in fact, is not safe. You will therefore cross -at the ford, and proceed to headquarters along the other bank of the -river." - -"If, as you say, the other is the usual route, of course they must -suppose at headquarters that I have taken it. Very droll they should -have sent you to turn me back from this, then." - -"Such were my orders. You will proceed by the other road." - -"Allow me to inquire," said I, "were your orders from our own -department, or from the Quartermaster-General's?" That was a poser; -for, if they came from our own, the question would at once arise, -Could any such authority enjoin departure from a regular route, given -in writing? If, on the other hand, it had been deemed expedient, from -circumstances grave and unforeseen, to send me fresh instructions -from the higher authority, the bearer of them would probably come -direct from the same quarter. He hesitated--looked rather at a loss. - -"The directions," said he at length, "come from your own department, -of course. I was ordered to ride off, make you come by the other -road, and accompany you to the end of the march." - -"I had much rather march by the present route. Rather doubt whether I -should be justified in leaving it." - -"Oblige me," said he, in an altered tone, "by just stepping into the -house with me. I am charged with a communication of some importance." - -Leaving Sancho in care of an attendant, I followed him into the -Auberge. "Have the goodness," said he, "to step into that apartment. -Excuse me for one moment. I must just speak to the landlord." - -I entered. It was an apartment on the ground floor, with a table laid -for two--by no means a disagreeable surprise on a march. On the table -were already placed the bread, and the bottle of wine uncorked--sure -signs, in a French inn, that dinner will soon make its appearance. -"Really, he seems a very good sort of a fellow, after all. This is -just the way with the lads of our department. Suspicion be hanged! my -first impressions were unjust." - -He entered; and the garcon followed with the soup. "Ah," said my new -acquaintance, "now be quick with the other things. Come, Mons. d'Y--, -this is your longest day's march; you must be hungry, no doubt. Come, -sit down; take some soup. We shall soon be better acquainted. Excuse -this little _ruse_." - -"Readily," said I; "and you must excuse my quitting you this instant." - -A glance from the window had effected a second revolution in my -sentiments. Looking out before I sat down, I discovered that the -convoy and escort were off! Far down the street, I perceived the last -of them disappearing along the road!--walked straight towards the -door. He was too quick for me; locked it, and placed himself with -his back to it, pocketing the key. "No, no, Mons. d'Y--," said he; -"you are my guest. You really must not depart till after dinner. It's -absurd. For you I ordered it. Would you hurry away without taking a -mouthful?" - -Had I removed him by force, I must still have forced the door; and -that might have brought upon me the whole establishment, and caused -further delay. I therefore took three steps from the door to the -window, threw it open, and soon found myself on the _pave_, which -was higher than the floor of the apartment. To my surprise, Sancho -also had disappeared! My first impression was, that he had gone on -with the convoy, and I was about to follow on foot;--thought it best, -though, to look in the stables first. There he was, sure enough. The -attendant had already taken off his saddle, and was about to remove -his bridle. "What are you about there, my friend? I requested you to -hold him at the door." - -"Monsieur, the other English officer came out after you had entered, -and desired me to bring him here, take off his saddle and bridle, and -give him some _orge_." - -I whipped on the saddle again in no time, mounted, and soon overtook -the escort. "Corporal Fraser, why did you go on?" - -"I understood that we went on by your orders, sir." - -"My orders? Nothing of the sort." - -"I am very sorry if I have done wrong, sir. The gentleman who joined -just now came out from the inn, and directed us to proceed. Said you -would follow immediately. As he wears the same uniform, I supposed a -command from him was the same as one from yourself, sir. Indeed, he -said it was your order." - -"He received no order from me; and he had no business to send you on -without." - -"Shall I halt the party, sir?" - -"No, no; keep on. It was a mistake our stopping at all." - -As we passed out of the village, I began to ruminate upon what -had just occurred. First of all, there was the character of this -gentleman, well known at Lisbon, and, I supposed, at headquarters. -Then there was the improbability of his story, to say nothing of one -or two little contradictions. Then, it was clear, he had attempted to -separate me from the convoy, and to prevent my following it. Then, -too, his conduct was doubly incorrect; in taking upon himself, first, -to halt the party, secondly, to send it on. Item, in the course of -our short interview, he had, it appeared to me, told as many fibs as -could well be got into the given time. Moreover, he had attempted -to divert us from our route, which was just what Hookey did; and, -what made it very remarkable, Hookey and he both wished us to turn -aside in the same direction, namely, by the left bank of the river, -when the regular route was by the right. Something was evidently -not straight. For all that, though, the manner of this intelligent -individual was so very easy and impudent, and he seemed so bent upon -accomplishing his purpose, whatever it might be, that I felt a strong -impression we had not seen the last of him, especially as he appeared -utterly unconscious that I knew his previous history.--"Corporal -Fraser!" - -"What's your pleasure, sir?" - -"If that person comes up, I wish you to keep near me. Take no notice; -but be prepared, if I direct, to arrest him." - -The corporal looked a little queer. "Very good, sir," said he; "upon -receiving your _orders_," (he intoned the word _orders_,) "I shall be -ready to do so." - -"In case of my giving you an order to that effect, I, of course, am -responsible, not you. If I turn round, give you a look, and say, -'Fraser,' you will consider that you have got your directions." - -"Very good, sir; it shall be done." - -My anticipations proved correct. Mounted on what had very much the -appearance of a French post-horse, my would-be entertainer presently -came up at a laborious canter. The moment he got alongside, he began -to expostulate. Was profoundly grieved that I had declined his -hospitality. It was a long day's march, the longest from Passages to -headquarters. "A little refreshment would have recruited your forces, -Mons. d'Y--." - -"I cannot separate from the convoy and escort. As you thought fit to -send them on, I had no choice but to follow." - -"Well, pardon me, if I have done wrong," said he. "My intentions -were pure, at any rate. Positively, though, you must not follow this -road. The way to the ford is now close at hand. Come, let me be your -conductor." - -"Were you not at Lisbon last autumn?" said I. - -"Were you?" said he, in a tone of alarm. - -"I was. And though you do not know me, I know you." - -"Nothing to my prejudice, I feel convinced." (Still more uneasy.) - -"Very well. All will be cleared up at headquarters. Of course, you -will accompany us." - -"At any rate," replied he, anxious to back out, "I hope to have the -pleasure of meeting you there." - -"No, no," said I; "you go with us." - -By this time he was decidedly in a fidget, and began to hang behind. -Just then we came suddenly to a lane, branching off to the right. -This was probably the very direction he had wished me to take; though -whether it really led to a ford over the Adour, or to what it led, -was a different question. Before I was aware of his design, he turned -sharp in that direction; and, when I looked after him, he was already -some distance down the lane, digging his heels into the old poster's -sides. This operation had put the gay old stager into something as -much like a gallop as you can hope to get out of a French post-horse. -He was off! Ah! our cavalry had left us too soon. I looked round, and -shouted "Fraser!" - -Fraser, prepared for my order, and anxious to have all ready -for executing it, had three men marching at hand, with loaded -firelocks. Three balls whistled down the lane. But it was a waste -of his Majesty's powder and shot; the fugitive escaped unhurt. -Not so, though, the lively old post-horse. His screwed tail, his -stradding hind-legs, and his action--for a moment prancing, not -progressive--gave evident indications that the luckless beast had not -got off so easily as his rider. Then, in an agony of apprehension -lest his scutcheon should receive a second totem, he plunged forward -again at his previous rate, and soon disappeared down the lane. -Pursuit was out of the question, for Sancho's best pace was an -up-and-down; even a French horse was too fast for a French pony: so -both horse and horseman got off. - -My first care, on reaching headquarters, was to make inquiry -respecting this new member of our department. You will hardly need to -be informed, that there was no such person belonging to us. The only -question was, how did he get the uniform coat? It certainly was not -that of the corresponding department of the French service, which not -only rejoiced in the appropriate embellishment of a key embroidered -on the collar, but differed in other respects from ours. Some said -he must have procured the coat at Lisbon. Some said he had got it -made for the occasion. A gentleman of the Commissariat suggested that -he had picked up a coat at headquarters, cast off when some of us -had been promoted. But the worst of it was, our department couldn't -recollect when any such cheering event had taken place. - -As both Hookey, and this more recent adviser, strenuously insisted -on our proceeding to headquarters by the country to the south-east -of the Adour, and as Hookey particularly inculcated the duty and -necessity of our passing through Hagetmau, which lies a few miles to -the south of St Sever, it is curious to discover, at this interval -of time, that the very neighbourhood indicated by these two talented -individuals as offering us the best route, was precisely the most -unsafe. I reached headquarters on the 17th of March. The next day -the Commander-in-Chief (_vide_ Gurwood) writes to Sir J. Hope,--"I -use the cipher, because I understand the enemy were at Hagetmau -_yesterday_." That's just where we should have been on the same -day, had I followed Hookey's advice; so that we should have walked -right into them; and that, no doubt, was what Hookey intended. But -further, by a letter from the Commander-in-Chief to the Mayor of -Hagetmau, dated 21st March, we learn that, on the 18th, there was in -that place an affair of partisans. It was, therefore, a very eligible -neighbourhood to which our two friends wished to introduce us. - -When I reached headquarters at Aire with the convoy and escort, a -forward movement of the troops appeared to have already commenced. -Firing was heard at hand; and the operation was attended with rather -more noise than those in which we were engaged the day before. A -great army advancing upon the enemy, like the chariot of Jove, -cannot move without thunder. I know not how far the arrival of the -treasure which we brought up contributed to this movement. Suffice it -to say, I find our Commander-in-Chief writing to Sir J. Hope, March -18--"I waited quietly till all my means coming up were arrived, and -I am now moving upon them in earnest." Ah, Hookey! you played great -stakes, and a deep game, too. But it wouldn't do. - -The hour of my arrival, though, was signalised by that event, of all -others, which men chronicle as the most important of their lives--an -interview with a great man. In my case, it was a _very_ great man. -To be sure, he didn't speak to me. But what does that signify? I -spoke to him. On arriving with the treasure at the office of our -own department, I was directed to go forthwith and report myself at -the office of the Quartermaster-General. I went, and found it in a -very humble mansion. On entering the passage, found a door to the -right, where I was desired to go in. Saw a long table by the window, -with two or three officers writing. Before the fire stood ANOTHER. -He was drenched with rain; all in a steam, like a hot potato; lost -in thought; looked awful; a middle-aged and remarkably well-built -man, with a striking--nay, more than striking--with a _particular_ -expression of countenance; such a face as I had never seen before; -a very keen eye--the eagle's, that can look at the sun, would have -quailed before his; and oh, what a beak! I felt rather at a loss. No -one did me the honour to notice my _entree_. No one took any notice; -no one vouchsafed me a look! I stood, for a moment, in silence. -As all the others were hard at work, and one was doing nothing, I -of course concluded that he was the Head of the Department; and, -with crude atrocity, addressed him--though with a queer kind of -feeling, which I myself didn't exactly understand--"Are you the -Quartermaster-General, sir?" - -No reply on his part--no look, no movement of the head, no change of -countenance! He merely raised his arm, and pointed to the table. By -that act alone he indicated a consciousness of being spoken to; and -had he, the next moment, been called upon to describe the speaker, -why, I firmly believe he couldn't have done it. I then turned towards -the table. One of the writers rose from his seat in silence, walked -me out into the passage, made an inquiry or two, and walked in again. - -The next day I was once more on the march, riding side by side with a -brother clerk. "There he is!" said he. I now beheld, on horseback--a -regular centaur, part of his horse--that same distinguished -individual whom, the day before, I had so unceremoniously addressed, -as he stood reeking before the fire, while great guns were banging -right and left, the troops advancing, and he at the best of all -possible points to direct and control the vast machinery that he had -set in motion. - -Life at headquarters proved to be much what I had anticipated. In -attending the movements of the army, we officials had sometimes very -little work; sometimes, especially when the troops remained a few -days stationary, a great deal. While they moved from day to day, -we seldom had much to do but to follow them, and make ourselves as -comfortable as we could at the end of the day's march. The military -movements from Aire to Toulouse were curious. From Aire we went -right down to the south, as far as Tarbes and Vic Bigorre--a course -which almost brought us back again to the Spanish frontier and the -foot of the Pyrenees; then up again to the Garonne and Toulouse. -A sailor would have called it tacking. Of course, one could not -follow even an advancing and victorious army without undergoing some -hardships. On one occasion, after much previous fatigue, in passing -a wild and mountainous district, we were suddenly overtaken by a -snow-storm. While nodding on Sancho's back from sheer exhaustion, -I was caked on the left, from head to foot, with snow, which first -began to melt with the warmth of the body, then froze hard with the -keenness of the wind. The next moment the sun blazed forth, to the -right, with scorching heat. Thus roasted on one side, and frozen on -the other, I dozed and nodded on, with just sufficient consciousness -to form virtuous resolutions of knocking off the snow, but without -sufficient energy to carry them into effect. After all, though, a -civilian following the army, supplied pretty regularly with rations -for himself, pony, and servant--tolerably sure, too, of a good -billet at night, and generally provided with a few dollars, easily -convertible into francs--has no business to talk of hardships. The -real hardships of a campaign fall on the marching officers and -privates. What they endure is past conception. Gingham and I were -much together, and carried out our plan of campaigning in company -as far as circumstances would allow. At headquarters, also, I fell -in again with my old acquaintance and fellow-voyager, Mr Commissary -Capsicum, who gloried in giving good dinners. He was never better -pleased than when I accepted his invitations, but always gave me a -good blowing-up if I dined with Gingham in preference. - -Amongst all my reminiscences of campaigning, none are more vividly -impressed upon my mind, than the reminiscence of a campaigning -appetite, which I am persuaded is altogether extraordinary, and a -thing _per se_. Did you ever visit Cintra? Now there's the Cintra -appetite, and a very good one it is, too. This, also, has its -distinguishing feature--namely, that on the one hand, while you are -riding about (or, if a sensible person, going on foot, exploring, -climbing, scrambling) amongst rocks, and peaks, and splendid scenery, -the pleasing idea of the dinner that will be ready for you, on -returning to your hotel, blends itself, by a gentle amalgamation, -with every discovery, with every prospect; and while, on the other -hand, the said dinner is actually on the table before you, and under -discussion, the splendid scenes you have been witnessing, like -dissolving views, pass in procession before your mind. Thus your -dinners are romantic, while your rambles are appetising. - -Then, again, there's the nautical appetite, which comes on you like -a giant, when you have mastered the qualms of the first few days at -sea. The nautical appetite, also, has its peculiar feature, which is -this--that the intervals of time between one meal and another appear -so awfully long. That's because you've nothing to do. But-- - -The campaigning appetite, I say, differing from both these, has -also its characteristic proper to itself--namely, that there never -is a moment when you are unprepared to eat; the instant you have -done, you are ready to begin again. You sit down, at headquarters, -to a breakfast where the table groans with various and abundant -provender--tea, coffee, chocolate, bread, eggs, cold meat, ham, -tongue, sausages sublimed with garlic, enormous rashers of bacon, -beefsteaks, not to name knick-knackeries innumerable, and something -short as a calker. You do ample justice--oh, haven't you made a -famous breakfast? and in half-an-hour you are ready for another! If, -having stowed away breakfast for two, you happen to pop in upon a -friend who is taking his, you join him as a matter of course. And, -my dear madam, what makes it so peculiar in my case is, I was always -such a very small eater. The only exception to this perpetuity of a -campaigning appetite, is when something extraordinary is going on in -front--a battle, or what looks just like it, a skirmish. Then, for a -while, you forget that you are hungry. The stomach is still equally -in a state of preparation to receive and digest food. But, for the -nonce, you ignore the fact; the wolf lies dormant. Oh, how savage -he wakes up, though, when the fighting is over, and you all at once -remember that you haven't dined. In short, with plenty always at -command, with no real want unsupplied, I never suffered so much from -hunger as when campaigning, and I never ate so often. Your only plan -is this: Whenever the opportunity presents itself, _take in stock_. -Breakfast, as if you had no prospect of a dinner; dine, as if you had -not breakfasted. - -Generally, then, at headquarters, I fared as Gingham fared; and to -say that is to say enough. But it was not always so. His engagements, -or my duties, sometimes made a separation; and then I learned my -loss. Once, when I was so circumstanced, my servant came home with -disconsolate looks and a melancholy report: "To day, no beefy, -senhor." At that moment, I could have eaten my gloves! Went with him -myself; was politely received by a gentleman in a blue apron with a -steel dangling in front. "What, no beef to-day?" - -"Oh yes, bless your heart. Plenty, sir." - -"Well, here's the order. Let's have some, then. Where is it?" - -"There it is, sir." - -"Don't see any. Where?" - -"Why, it's in that 'ere pen, sir. Only you jest look in through the -gateway. Wherry find beastesses, I calls 'em. In two hours we shall -begin to kill." - -He pointed to a large stone enclosure, in which stood a captive herd -of horned cattle. An anxious bullock rested his chin upon the wall, -and, breathing a misty sigh, with melancholy countenance looked full -in mine! - -At another time I had been riding on in front, and was coming home at -a rambling pace through lanes and by-paths, when suddenly the wolf -returned--I was appallingly hungry--must eat or faint. Contrived -to ride on to a lone cottage--tapped at the door. It was opened by -a very respectable quiet-looking man; old gentleman, I ought to -say, for such he was, both in aspect and manners. His garb, indeed, -was homely; but his air was superior, his address manly and simple -with a certain finish, and his carriage perfectly upright. He -courteously invited me to enter; the door led at once into a large -room, which was in fact the whole ground-floor of the cottage. A -little preliminary chat sufficed to inform him what I was, and me -what he was--namely, an old soldier, who had got his discharge, and -was living in retirement. No one came to attend on him; a regular -old campaigner, he did for himself. I soon came to the point--was in -a state of inanition--would pay with alacrity for anything eatable, -even bread. "No, no," said he, "wait a while, _mon enfant_, I shall -soon have the pleasure of setting before you a superb repast. It -will diversify my existence! Ah! I shall experience an emotion!" He -immediately unhooked from the wall an old iron frying-pan, as black -inside as out--the only cooking utensil that graced his menage; -poured in water, and set it on the fire to simmer. He then took down -from the shelf a large brown bowl, and brought out from under the -table a goodly loaf of coarse but excellent bread, part of which he -cut into the bowl, and sprinkled with a little salt. Then, walking -out into his garden, he pulled a leek, and collected two or three -kinds of herbs, all which he added to the water, with something -that resembled the fat of bacon, though not so solid. When all was -scalding hot, he doused it into the bowl upon the bread, then handed -me a pewter spoon, and begged me to use no ceremony. Hunger is indeed -the best sauce; and, homely as was the fare, I never made a heartier -meal. - -Somewhat recruited in strength, I rose to take leave, having first -requested my brave old entertainer to accept payment, which he -declared impossible. However, I had now been long enough on Gallic -ground to understand the _idiom_, so laid my "legal tender" on the -table, and said farewell, with many thanks. He tottled with me to the -door; then, suddenly stopped me, and looked earnestly in my face, -as if he had something very particular to communicate. What was he -going to say? He begged to assure me I had laid him under an infinite -obligation. Again he arrested my progress, with the door in his -hand. Hoped I would honour his menage with a second visit. Admired -the brave English, and lamented that he had never had the pleasure -of meeting them professionally. "_Peut-etre encore! Mais helas! nous -sommes les f--s!_" Halted me a third time outside. "His cottage -was mine, with all that it contained." He had marched through half -Europe, and was a simple-hearted, civil, old Frenchman. - -There was one circumstance, though, not a little to the advantage of -those who dined with Gingham or Capsicum; and this was, that there -arose between these two worthies an amicable rivalry on this very -affair of giving dinners. The contest, in fact, had its origin a year -before, on our voyage from Falmouth to Lisbon, when Capsicum brewed a -bowl of punch, and Gingham brewed a better. Capsicum could not brook -the idea that any man should brew punch, or give dinners, equal to -his. The style of the two entertainers was different. Capsicum's -dinners were more profuse, Gingham's more _recherches_. Gingham, in -fact, had all the appliances of the table in greater perfection. He -had plate enough for a handsome dinner--mind, I don't mean to say a -state dinner--of eight or ten. His whole dinner-service, too, was -handsome, elegant; wines, the choicest that money could command; all -the little etceteras excellent--coffee, for instance; such coffee -as you could not get elsewhere in France, where they are too apt to -make a mess of it. I don't think much of French coffee, except such -as you get here and there at private houses. Gingham's coffee was a -pure, genial, high-flavoured decoction. Ah! you tasted the berry. -As summer came on, Gingham intended ices. And good fish, till we -arrived at Bordeaux, being next to unattainable, he had organised a -plan for procuring salmon in ice from England. Capsicum, on the other -hand, had resources which Gingham had not. He could always command -the best cut of the best commissariat beef; and this advantage told -with stunning effect when he gave a spread. He had other advantages -in foraging, and he knew how to turn them to account. In short, the -characteristic of his dinners was abundance; and, with the guests who -partook of them on actual service, this would generally secure the -preference. - -Many dinners might I describe--and, oh! describe _con amore_--both -Capsicum's and Gingham's. But I select one in particular, which -was signalised by a hoax. I abstain from entering into the general -subject of hoaxes, as hoaxes were practised at headquarters. He -that would do justice to it must also treat of shaves. Let us -confine ourselves, for the present, to a particular branch of the -subject--namely, the dinner hoax. The dinner hoax was twofold. -Was it a time of scarcity, when ration beef was all that could be -got? Then the hoax was, to create a persuasion in the mind of the -unfortunate hoaxee that something else was coming. "Major, a little -more _bouillie_?" "No, I thank you. I'm keeping a corner for the -turkey." Hoaxee hears that. He also will keep a corner for the -turkey--plays with the beef. Next _entree_ is--the cheese! Was it, -on the other hand, a season of abundance? Then the hoax, equally -unfeeling, assumed an opposite character. "Sorry, gentlemen, we're -so badly off now," says the host, with a wink seen by all at table, -hoaxee excepted; "hope you'll contrive, for once, to make a dinner on -soldier's fare." Hoaxee pitches into the beef--stows away a double -ration--is pressed and helped, pressed and helped, till he positively -declines another mouthful--then enter the roast pig. Unhappy hoaxee! -He has dined! - -The object of the hoax at Capsicum's was an individual of a -particular class. You must know, the home authorities had got a -notion, that, amongst the departments attached to the Peninsular -army, abuses of all kinds were rife, and required to be looked -after. For this purpose, they occasionally sent out some intelligent -individual, whose business was to see and report. Sometimes he came -for the avowed purpose. It was to a talented character of this kind -that the greatest man amongst us--who was as good at a joke as he -was at polishing the French--gave the name of "Argus." Sometimes the -individual's object was merely suspected; partly betrayed, perhaps, -by his own homebred simplicity, which was no proof against the -penetration of old campaigners. In either case, as will easily be -understood, such a person was no favourite, and was deemed a fair -subject for a hoax. - -I was walking down a lane towards Capsicum's quarters, when I was -overtaken by a gentleman on horseback, who was evidently a fresh -arrival from England. Everything about him looked new, a regular -London outfit. You'd have said he came direct from Piccadilly in a -bandbox. His manner, moreover, announced him to be somebody; he was -evidently a very great man. "Pray, sir," said he, "can you inform me -the way to Mr Capsicum's?" - -"I am going that way myself, sir. I shall be happy to show you the -road, as it has one or two turnings." - -"Much obleeged, sir. I am going there by invitation to dinner." - -"So am I, sir." - -"Understand his dinners are capital, sir," said the newly-arrived, -somewhat softening. - -"Few equal to them at headquarters, sir. He is very great in that -line; takes a pleasure in it." - -"Really, sir, I'm not sorry to hear it," said he, still more -mollified; "for, to tell you the truth, I'm not yet quite at home -here; no more is my servant. I've been forced to rough it; and have -sometimes come off with short commons." - -Other conversation followed, and led to the mention of my own -official rank, in the humble capacity of a departmental clerk. A -great change took place when the gentleman heard this. He became -dignified, absent, and monosyllabic. When we arrived at Capsicum's, -as there was no one in attendance, I thought it devolved on me to -perform the rites of hospitality, and stepped up to take charge of -his horse. He handed me the bridle, and walked at once into the -house, without waiting to look, or say, "Much obleeged to you." - -The guests, including Pledget, Gingham, the new comer, and myself, -amounted to seven. I saw at once that the recent arrival was not -very affectionately viewed by Capsicum, who betrayed his feelings by -his manner. This, amongst his particulars, was off-hand, easy, and -jocular. But towards his newly arrived guest, he was all courtesy -and high etiquette. In fact, that gentleman came out professedly -to serve, but unfortunately was regarded as a spy. His Christian -name was William; a surname was found to fit it; and, ere he left -Capsicum's premises, he was dubbed "William Tell." Delighted -with the prospect of a dinner such as he had not seen since he -disembarked at Santander, with red face and red hair, large in form, -and coarse-featured, a burly, bull-necked, bullet-headed man with -goggling eyes, his air more confident than genteel; in manners, -laboriously free and easy; ostentatiously dressed, and smiling with -agreeable anticipations, at one time he twiddled with his forefinger -an enormous bunch of seals, at another he complacently boxed his -right fist into his open left. The hands then amalgamated, and the -punch subsided in a bland and complacent rub. - -The cloth was already laid--at headquarters you must manage as -you can--in the room where the company met. Mr Barnacles glanced -approvingly at the preparations. Ever see a man's eye glisten, -when you told him of some generous deed? So glistened the eye of -Barnacles, while it glanced at the plates, glasses, bottles, knives -and forks, spoons, tumblers, and saltcellars, which in goodly order -graced Capsicum's hospitable board. - -We sat down; I, under a mandate growled by Capsicum, at the lower -end of the table as Vice. Proposed mischief twinkled in the corner -of Capsicum's eye. First, as a matter of course, came the soup and -_bouillie_. - -"Mr Capsicum," said a brother commissary, "I know it's not genteel -to be helped twice to soup; but I'll trouble you for a little more." -This was move the first, in the game of hoax. - -"Quite right, quite right," said Capsicum. "No market in these -country places. Sorry, gentlemen, there's so little variety just -now." The speakers exchanged winks. The game was now fairly opened; a -hoax had already commenced, and Barnacles was the destined victim. - -"Well," said another commissary, "I can always make a good dinner off -beef." - -Barnacles, it was clear, had now received the desired impression. -Beef, he fully understood, was to be the staple of our dinner; and he -accordingly stowed with beef. In fact, he did wonders; cleared plate -after plate of boiled beef. At length, having stowed till he could -stow no more, he sat back in his chair pompously and complacently. A -mild perspiration bedewed his forehead; and the damask of his cheeks -had given place to a rosy suffusion of the whole countenance. The -fingers of his two hands were interlaced over his stomach, while his -thumbs stood erect, meeting in a point. - -"Mr Barnacles, I beg ten thousand pardons. Pray give me leave to send -you a little more beef." - -"Much obleeged, sir; not a morsel more. Never made a better dinner in -my life." - -"Sure you won't, Mr Barnacles? Just a shave from this end, with a -morsel of fat." - -"Thank you, sir, kindly--I couldn't. Must beg you to excuse me. Much -obleeged. Not a morsel more."--Table cleared. - -Fresh plates! more knives and forks! Now it was, in reality, that -the dinner began;--enormous sirloin, spitting with volcanic heat; -roast fowls, that would have softened the hardest heart; elegant -hind-quarter of mutton; pretty little fillet of veal; tongue, ham, -boiled turkey, &c. - -Behold, a new feature in the game! Barnacles wasn't beat yet. In -the attempt to hoax Barnacles, allowance had not been made for his -gastronomic powers, and previous privations. Never mind. The more -sport. - -"Mr Barnacles, a slice of the sirloin. Upper cut, or under cut?" - -Barnacles, at the sight of the good things before him, contrary to -all calculation sat up with renewed vigour, and paused ere he replied. - -"Why, if I do take anything more, I think it must be a small slice of -this mutton." - -Barnacles helped himself. A small slice! Why, if he didn't cut away -into the hind quarter, slice after slice, till he had sunk a regular -well. Then spooned out the gravy. - -"Give Mr Barnacles the currant jelly. Mr Gingham, we owe that to you." - -"Plenty more at your service, sir," said Gingham; "got three or four -dozen jars. Always bring some when I visit headquarters. Got it in -Berkley Square." - -Barnacles now sets to again, fresh as when he began. What powers! -what capacity! what deglutition! In fact, it was not only the stomach -of Barnacles that needed filling. And that's why you see carnivorous -cadaverous men perform such extraordinary feats with knife and fork. -Not their stomach merely, their system is hungry. So it was now -with Barnacles; and his meal was on a commensurate scale. He was -redressing the balance of his constitution--compensating previous -inanition. When a man, accustomed to full feeding, has been a few -days without it, it isn't the mere filling of his stomach that will -satisfy his appetite. - -Gingham caught the eye of one of the guests--slightly raised his -glass--bowed. - -"Oh yace," replied a squeaking voice; "now sall I trink you go -t'hell!" - -I started. When, when, had I heard that voice before? My eye, for -the first time, took a particular view of the speaker. He was a -diminutive personage, his complexion a sodden white, with unwholesome -patches of red; forehead enormous and mis-shapen; bumps prominent and -misplaced; large spectacles, no eyes, upper part of nose wanting, -a notch where there should have been a bridge; lower limb of nose -broad and sunken, as if squashed down between two puffy cheeks, which -bagged on each side; between nose and mouth a space incredible; -in fact, a huge upper lip was the most prominent feature of the -face; for mustaches, a few detached and very coarse black bristles, -pointing opposite ways like a cat's whiskers--each particular bristle -standing alone, and individually discernible from its insertion to -its extremity; mouth, long and sinuous; lips, viciously twisted out; -chin, emaciated. Again he spoke, as Gingham drank to him: "You go t' -hell!" Where _could_ I have heard that voice? Why, wasn't it at the -ferry, among the Frenchmen that opposed our passage? No, no, that -can't be; it's impossible.--"Who's that?" I whispered Gingham. - -"A man of science, sir; a Russian--Mr Wowski, an ardent botanist. -Wished to examine the flora of the South of France; brought out -letters of recommendation; joined the army, and follows its -movements. You'll like his acquaintance vastly." Then louder--"Mr -Wowski, my friend, Mr Y--; your junior, but a promising naturalist. -Hope at an early day you'll meet him to dinner at my quarters." - -"Mr Barnacles, shall I have the pleasure?--some turkey, sir?" - -By this time Mr Barnacles seemed again to feel that he had dined. - -"The least possible shave," said Mr Barnacles. "I really have made a -most capital dinner." - -I helped him to a good plateful, which he cleared off.--All removed. - -Next followed a few made dishes, light articles; and one real -delicacy, which was first introduced to our acquaintance by Gingham. -This was no other than a kid, baked whole. I take the liberty, my -dear sir, of very particularly and pointedly calling your attention -to the dish in question. I have, on previous occasions, ventured to -offer gastronomic hints. But a kid thus dressed is a real delicacy, -worthy of a place on any table. N. B.--If you bake, envelop in paste. -Should you prefer roasting, cover with paper. Let the roasting be -_gentle_, but _complete_. Of course you don't stretch out the legs. -Double them up, and skewer to the sides. For sauce, chop up the -pluck. Sauce should be piquant, with lots of cayenne, subacid. Or -make a separate dish, with the pluck and heart. - -Pensive regret was mingled, in the face of Barnacles, with intense -curiosity, while he viewed this novel _entree_, as it made its -appearance in a case of dough. Capsicum asked no question; sent him -a plateful; a great part of which he was forced to send away. It was -clear Mr Barnacles was now beat to a standstill. - -The dish, though, was rather rich; and what he had eaten took effect. -His countenance changed. Suddenly he became pallid, with an effort to -look _degage_. This lasted about a minute, in which time he swallowed -two successive bumpers of madeira. The dose so far kept him right, -that Barnacles didn't leave the table: but he was evidently _hors de -combat_. - -Mr B. being now brought to a standstill, the _joke_ was so far -successful. Yet was not the _hoax_ complete, unless there appeared -something on table that he liked, and yet something of which he could -not partake. - -The sweets now made their appearance, and were viewed by Mr Barnacles -with indifference. But when the table was wellnigh covered, and space -remained for only a single dish-- - -Enter a splendid plum-pudding--yes, a regular English -plum-pudding--its summit hoary with pounded sugar, its sides -distilling brandy sauce. - -The eyes of Barnacles lit up again--sparkled. He was alive in a -moment. Once more his fist went bang into his hand; once more his -hands embraced and rubbed, as in mutual congratulation. Forgetting -all his previous performances, he accepted a substantial slice of the -plum-pudding. Alas! he had kept no corner! - -"You don't seem," said Capsicum, "to like your pudding, Mr Barnacles." - -"Oh yes! Oh yes!" said Barnacles, with emotion. "Indeed I do, sir. -It's what I never, never expected to see again till my return--till -my return to the British metropolis. But"----It ended in a -watering-pot scene--a regular boo-hoo. He put his handkerchief to his -face. It was too much for his feelings. Plum-pudding before him as -good as could be got in London, and he not able to eat a mouthful! -The poor man cried. - -He made up after dinner, though, by copious potations. After coffee, -sat down to a rubber. One of the party proposed guinea points. But -Capsicum saw how matters stood with Barnacles, and wouldn't stand -it. "No, no, gentlemen," said he; "no stakes; no stakes." In the -course of the evening Mr Barnacles disappeared. Alarmed by his -prolonged absence, Capsicum sent a servant, who came back with the -report that he was not very well. He returned--took a stiff glass -of whisky-punch--again disappeared. I, by Capsicum's request, went -this time in search. Found him at length in the stable. He was trying -to saddle his horse;--couldn't. He wanted to steal away. I reported -to Capsicum, who at once decided. "Mr Barnacles must not go home -to-night. We must find him a shake-down on the premises." In one way -only could this arrangement be effected. Mr Wowski consented to turn -out, and accompanied me to my billet. - -Amidst the din of war and the monotony of headquarters society, I -was really glad to meet with a naturalist and man of science, and -cultivated the acquaintance of Mr Wowski accordingly. When, however, -I came to try him, he appeared to know about as much of botany -as I did myself. Neither, I remarked, in search of specimens, did -he visit the most out-of-the-way and likely places. He generally -sought those points, in preference, where the troops were moving in -masses; and apparently looked much more sharply after the movements -of the army than after bulbs. Once, when we had halted at a village, -which stood in a wide-spread plain, he invited me to ascend the -turret of the church. We reached the summit just in time to behold -a comical spectacle. From the church top we looked down vertically -on the _Place_, or open area of the village, which was full, at the -moment, of soldiers--British, Portuguese, and Spanish; muleteers, -camp-followers--men, women, children--a motley multitude. Just at -that moment a fellow rushed into the midst, shouting at the top of -his voice, and bearing something aloft in his two hands. It was a -bullock's bladder. The multitude gathered round him, eager for a -promiscuous game of football, which he soon commenced by a kick that -sent the bladder sky-high. Football, probably, you have seen played, -or have played at. But did you ever see it played by four or five -hundred persons at once, of four or five different nations, and you -looking right down upon them from the top of a church? Each was eager -to get a kick at the bladder; but a far greater number than succeeded -got kicks on their shins. It was a stormy sea of heads. The shout -came up to us. No one was more conspicuous in the throng than my -Spanish Capataz, whose activity was equal to his bulk. Being stumpy -as well as stout, he cut a droll figure viewed from above, as, with -sprawling arms and legs, he flung himself forward with a flying leap, -and a kick that, if it missed the bladder, was seldom expended on -the air. At length the bladder was driven down a street; the rush -followed it, shouting; the market-place again became quiet; and I -turned to address Mr Wowski, who, like myself, I supposed, had been -engaged in surveying the tumultuous scene beneath. Not he. Ensconced -behind the parapet, where no one could see him from below, he was -quietly looking in advance with a pocket-telescope, as if surveying -the movements of the troops. On my approach he started, slapped -together the joints of his glass, and hastily restored it to his -pocket, where, till that moment, I never knew he carried one. - -Mr Wowski, highly recommended by letters, received a good deal of -attention. To Gingham he brought a letter from Warsaw. For my own -part, I saw reason to doubt whether he was really what he professed -himself. Two or three things about him struck me as strange; and, -when he spoke, never could I forget the voice at the river.[2] - - [2] Having described in this Chapter a dish introduced to our - acquaintance by Gingham, I must here, though with an apology for - discussing a matter of such importance in a note, beg leave to - mention another dish, which I also partook of at Gingham's table - while residing at Bordeaux in the subsequent Autumn, a period not - included in the present narrative. I believe the dish is French; a - boiled turbot, cold, with jelly sauce. I mention it with a degree of - hesitation, because it is not exactly a dish for our climate, nor - would it harmonise with the general character of an English - "spread." The turbot, when boiled, should be kept in the coolest - place you have got, till brought to table. So should the jelly. It - is a dish for a _bona fide_ warm climate, and should come to table - _bona fide_ cold. - - The same _entree_ was part of a most splendid dinner given in one of - the seaports of southern Europe, by some French to some British - naval officers. This was at a more recent period,--my informant, the - Rev. W. G. Tucker, Chaplain of the Royal Navy, who was one of the - guests on the occasion, and whose approval may be safely deemed - definitive, in all matters of taste. In the discharge of his - professional duties, my Rev. friend is equally distinguished; and - should the authorities think fit to appoint a nautical Bishop--that - _prime desideratum_ in the service--he is their man.--G. Y. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -Mr Wowski, during his short sojourn at headquarters, was one day -placed in an awkward position. In the south of France, we often met -with large fierce dogs, which in country places we sometimes found -ugly customers; though, in reality, not one in ten of them possessed -the pluck of an English pug. Early one morning, I had to ride a -little distance on duty. It was a cross country road, and Gingham -favoured me with his company. While ambling along, we overtook Mr -Wowski, who had started for one of his peregrinations on foot; and -slackened our pace, to secure the pleasure of his society. Presently -we came to a hamlet of some ten or a dozen houses, in passing which -we were savagely attacked by a gang of formidable-looking dogs. Had -Gingham and I been by ourselves, we should soon have been rid of the -annoyance, by the mere act of passing on. But the real danger was -our pedestrian companion's, whom the whole barking angry pack seemed -determined to assail. One shaggy, powerful ruffian led the van; he -might have sat to Schneider. His mouth, yawning like a sepulchre, -reuttered a deep, sonorous yow--yow; his fangs stood out, ready for -action; his eyes flashed fire; while, in size somewhere between a -wolf and a jackass, he rushed right up to the unfortunate Wowski, -whose only defence was a walking-stick. Wowski cut one, two--one, -two--with just sufficient energy to keep off the foe, who contrived -to maintain his nose in position, just an inch beyond the range of -the sapling. He was backed up by the rest of the curs, who, barking -and snarling, formed a semicircle, that threatened to hem in the -hapless Wowski. Gingham and I could do nothing. I had only a switch; -Gingham hadn't even that. Still the chief assailant, his back -bristling like a wild boar's, and his tail swollen and ruffled like -an angry cat's, pressed the attack; it was yow--yow on one side, and -cut--cut on the other. He jumped, he circled, he ramped, he flew up -in the air, spun round, and flew up again;--every moment I expected -to see him fly at Wowski's throat. I noticed a woman looking out from -the door of one of the cottages--called to her, and made signs--on -which she thought fit to disappear. Wowski was now becoming pale and -exhausted. "Shorten your stick," said I. He did so. The foe came -nearer. "Now give him the full length." Wowski took the hint, and the -big beast of a cur caught a crack on his muzzle--a regular smasher; -instantly turned tail, and cut away with dismal yowlings. The whole -pack, like so many humans, turned against him, and pursued; the great -powerful brute was half-a-dozen times knocked over and worried, ere -he found refuge in an outhouse. The woman now reappeared, armed with -a broomstick; and followed into the shed, where a fresh succession -of howls and yells announced a needful though tardy process of -castigation. Wowski walked along with us, flourishing his stick; -only wished it had been a lion! There may be really courageous dogs -among the big-limbed monsters of this part of France; but, from my -own observation, I should say the most part are a pluckless race. -Indeed, an officer of the Guards, who had got out dogs from England, -complained to me that they lost their courage on a foreign soil. - -Gingham himself, a few days after, had a much more serious adventure. - -We were on the march together, after a wet and stormy night. The -morning was unsettled, but soon became sultry. Then followed a shower -of hail. Gingham began to philosophise; thought he could explain the -phenomenon of hail better than any one else. "It has been remarked," -said I, "that hail is never formed, except where there are two strata -of clouds, one over the other." - -"True," said Gingham; "and some meteorologists have imagined that the -hail is generated by the alternate action of the two strata, which -action they suppose to be electrical." - -"Curious, if true." - -"Yes," said Gingham; "but I question the theory altogether. According -to the best views of the subject which I have been able to form, -the hail is produced simply by a current of very cold air, passing -rapidly through hot air charged with vapour. Were the current less -rapid, or less cold, the effect would be merely condensation, and we -should have rain; but, being both cold and rapid in a high degree, -the effect is congelation, and we have hail. The noise which so often -accompanies hail-storms is the rush of this current of cold air. -Currents of air, I admit, in the higher regions of the atmosphere, -are usually mute. But, in this instance, the rush is rendered vocal -by the hailstones. As to the two strata of clouds, they merely mark -the superior and inferior limit of the intrusive current; and they -are due to the action of the cold, there more modified, on the -vapour. And as to electricity--" - -Gingham's lecture was here interrupted by our reaching a river. The -bridge having been destroyed by the enemy, we could cross only by -fording; and just as we reached the ford, we saw some persons passing -on mules and horses. Half way over appeared a small island, which was -in fact only a bank of shingle, thrown up by some previous flood. We -perceived, by those who preceded us, that the depth was sufficient to -wet our boots, if we rode, as they did; and therefore it was resolved -to pass in the cart. The river, though not at the moment swollen, -was dark and rapid. It rushed sullenly on, with small whirlpools, -but without a ripple; and murmurs were heard at intervals, hoarse -and deep, which came not from its surface, but boomed up from the -gloomiest and most profound recesses of its vexed channel and hollow -banks. By the side, waiting for a passage, we found some slightly -wounded soldiers, a party of four. These Gingham mounted at once into -the cart; and I, calculating that with Joaquim the driver, Mr Wowski, -and Gingham himself, there were now quite passengers enough by that -conveyance, turned Sancho's head, and followed Coosey--who led the -way across the stream, mounted on one horse, and leading another, -while the cart brought up the rear. The cart, it appears, on reaching -the island, stuck fast. Its wheels cut into the loose gravel; and -there was no remedy, except for the passengers to alight. The wheels -were then lifted by main force; and, time having been given for -the whole party to remount, Joaquim drove on, and the remainder -of the passage was effected. All those who had started from the -opposite bank then got out, with one exception. Where was Gingham? My -attention was first attracted by an angry shout from Coosey: - -"You Joe King, you precious willain, vhy, if you han't a-been and -left your master a-standin on the highland!" - -To a geologist like Gingham, the loose stones of the bank of -gravel, shoved up by the force of the water from the depths of the -stream, presented an attraction which banished every other thought -from his mind. He had commenced picking up specimens the moment he -alighted from the cart; and was so intent upon this pursuit, that he -suffered the party to proceed without him. How they came to leave -him behind can only be explained by supposing that each, as soon as -he remounted, was occupied by the portion of the passage--it was -ticklish work--that remained to be effected, and therefore began -looking out ahead. - -The moment Coosey spoke, I looked toward the island, and there, -sure enough, was Gingham, still intent on stone-picking, and, to -all appearance, utterly unconscious that the cart had left. The -river, meanwhile, had risen considerably. Its course was more turbid -and violent, its murmur louder and more continuous, and the island -already smaller. We shouted to Gingham--there was need to shout. -He looked up, and at once became aware of his position, which -was evidently far from eligible. He appeared perfectly cool, but -hesitated. - -Suddenly, the water came down, in a sort of bank. It was less than a -foot high; but the rise left Gingham with much less ground to stand -upon, in the midst of the boiling flood. Large trunks of trees, -plunging and careering, were now brought rapidly down the current; -while the rush of the waters was like the roar of receding billows on -a storm-vexed strand. Coosey was about to dash into the flood, which -swept by the bank, boiling like a mill-stream. Had I not stopped -him, the plucky little Londoner would soon have been carried away, -prone and struggling on the angry torrent. He then sprang into the -cart; but Gingham made signs to prohibit the attempt, or both cart -and Coosey would probably have been lost. In our agony we tore off -the cords from the boxes, tied them together, and fastened the end -to a large stone, which Coosey attempted to pitch towards Gingham. -It fell near him; but out of his reach, in deep water. While we were -cautiously hauling it in, down came another freshet. The island was -now in great part submerged; and Gingham stood on a mere strip of -shingle, with the flood roaring down on each side. The stone was -pitched again; and this time went truer than before, but was at once -carried off into the deep water below. I again began to haul the -line home. It had caught, and wouldn't come in. What could be done? -Gingham, I really feared, was a lost man! - -Down came another bank of water. Gingham had now scarcely -standing-room. The water rushed rapidly by him, and I began to fear -he might not long have a footing. At this critical moment, the trunk -of a tree, with most of its branches broken off, but here and there -a small bough still remaining, came right down towards Gingham, -shearing, surging on the tumultuous waters, hung for a moment on the -shallow, and then began moving on again with the current. Gingham -stooped forward to seize it--he did well, it was his only hope--but -lost his feet. He threw himself astride the timber, like Waterton -on the crocodile's back, and was borne off from the island, still -retaining his hold, though turned over and over by the violence of -the current. I saw no hope. What could prevent his being carried -away? Yet there was still a possibility of escape, though unforeseen. -The trunk, carried a few yards down, was caught by an eddy, and swung -round into the slack water below, where the current was broken by -the bank on which Gingham had just been standing. There the huge -log began slowly moving round in a circle, first ascending in a -direction opposite to the stream, then descending again. On reaching -the lowest point of the circle, the trunk, with Gingham upon it, was -again caught by an eddy, and twirled round like a spindle; then, with -solemn movement, began gradually to ascend again, describing the same -circle as before. This second time, though, in going down, it reached -a lower point ere it was again caught and twirled, by which law, it -was clear, the third time it would go with the current. Manfully did -Gingham still hold on, though so often under water; and now, for -the third time, he and his log began slowly to move in an ascending -orbit. A third time he reached the highest point; and a third time, -to all appearance the last, he began--I often dream of it--to go down -with the stream! We had given up all hope. Joaquim stood wringing his -hands; Coosey was like a man distracted; even the crippled soldiers -would gladly have given their aid, had any devisable expedient -presented itself. There was no visible alternative; this time he -must be carried away!--What's that? Something stirred at my feet! I -looked down. There was again a little movement. The rope twitched, -as if beginning to run out! My foot was on it, in an instant. The -next, I and Coosey held it fast. The tree, in moving round and round, -had fished hold, and disengaged it from the catch. "Pull away, pull -away!" shouted the soldiers.--"Now run him up to the bank."--"Now's -your time."--"Make haste!" - -"Steady, Coosey, steady," said I. "Take time, or we shall loosen the -hitch, perhaps break the rope." - -We did not pull. We merely held on. The log and Gingham swung to the -bank. - -He was silent, almost exhausted. It was well there were hands to -drag him ashore; for he was too far spent to land himself. Awhile -he sat motionless on the bank. With eyes uplifted, and lips moving -inaudibly, he was apparently returning fervent and heartfelt thanks -to heaven, for his all but miraculous deliverance. Coosey, meanwhile, -had rushed for some brandy, which he administered with great apparent -benefit. - -"Hadn't we better take you to the nearest cottage?" said I. "Here's -one at hand." - -"No, no," replied Gingham, gasping. "Get me into the cart." - -We lifted him in. Coosey then let down the tarpaulin, and assisted -his master in a thorough change of garments from head to foot. -Presently, with solemn look, and an air of authority, Coosey got down -from the cart. - -"It's master's vishes," said he, "to be left, jist for a few minits, -alone by his-self." - -Gingham ere long made his appearance, shifted and dry; and, though -still looking shakey and exhausted, remounted his horse. When I -once saw him fairly across the saddle, and just as we were about to -proceed, I turned with vindictive, with savage exultation, to take -a parting view of the angry torrent. The island had disappeared. -Where Gingham had stood there was now a small race of swift-following -rollers, which subsided, below the ledge, in tumultuous undulations -and foaming eddies, around a dark, deep fissure in the flood, which -gaped like a grave. Ha! Is it so? The hungry waters yawn for their -rescued prey, and brawl forth their disappointment in a lengthened -moan! We continued our march. - -"And as to electricity," said Gingham, resuming where he broke off, -"it may, when hail is generated, be disengaged by the process, I -admit. But that it is in any way the medium of producing the hail, -I strenuously deny. Hail is sufficiently accounted for by the -supposition of a current of cold air passing rapidly through warm -air charged with vapour; and the same theory will solve all the -phenomena." - -To which theory I, not being so deep in the subject as Gingham, urged -no objections. I remarked, however, that Mr Wowski, professedly a man -of science, manifested not the least interest in the question; did -not appear to have even an idea on the subject, let alone an opinion. -In the late critical scene at the ford, though, he was eminently -conspicuous; and, as far as skipping about, shrieking, and getting in -the way, his assistance was invaluable. - -We lost the little botanist sooner than we expected. A mail--joyful -event!--arrived from England; and I was sent to the "Post Office" for -our departmental letters. This was not part of my regular duty; but -on the occasion in question I received express directions, and went -accordingly. Found the post office, a cottage with a front garden. -I could but admire the diligent and active exertions to meet the -general anxiety of the army, by sorting and delivering the contents -of the mail with the least possible delay. The whole lot, say three -or four bushels, had been shot out in the middle of the room on the -earthen floor. Newspapers, love letters, officers' letters, soldiers' -letters, there they lay, and there they were left to lie. In the -apartment were two persons, perhaps I ought to say personages. One -sat on each side of the hearth; each had torn open a newspaper; and -both were conning the news from England. I never saw two people more -comfortable in my life. When I entered, neither of them raised his -eyes, or took the least notice. They read on. I waited. Still they -read. I so far presumed as to announce my mission--had come for -the departmental letters. Paused for a reply--stood expectant. At -length one of the illustrious two favoured me with an utterance, in -a tone somewhat querulous though, and without looking off from his -reading--"Three o'clock." - -"What, gentlemen!" thought I, "only four hours hence? Why, at this -rate, hadn't you better say three o'clock to-morrow?" - -So thinking, (not saying,) I walked off. Just as I was going, -the one who had not spoken rose. He followed me out, and came on -walking by my side down the path toward the garden gate. I really -was green enough to fancy he was doing the polite--_seeing_ me to -the entrance; felt quite overwhelmed. Any approach, at headquarters -to "the sweet courtesies of life"--it was something new! I began to -deprecate--hoped he wouldn't. "Pray, sir, don't come a step farther. -I can mount without assistance--can open the gate for myself." -Without vouchsafing a reply, he began questioning. - -"Know Mr Wowski?" - -"Have known him for the last few days." - -"What is he?" - -"He professes himself a botanist, a man of science." - -"What does he want at headquarters?" - -"He states his object to be botanical research." - -"_States_, you say; _professes_. Isn't he really a botanist?" - -This was an awkward question, for I was beginning to have my doubts. -I remained silent. - -"You must answer." - -"For the last two or three days I have felt it a question, I confess." - -"Why?" - -"He collects specimens, but doesn't preserve or arrange them. At -dinner time he brings home a bundle of common herbs or grasses, -which, next morning, he throws away. Then goes out again, and brings -home another bundle like it. Don't think he knows much about botany." - -"What's your opinion of him?" - -"Have hardly known him long enough to form one. He seems decidedly, -though, to have a military taste; takes great interest in the -movements of the troops." - -"Fond of going up steeples?" - -"When we enter a place, I believe he makes that his first object; at -least, whenever there is a steeple to the church." - -"Ever see him making signals?" - -"Never noticed anything of the kind." - -"Know anything more about him?" - -"He brought letters of introduction"-- - -"Oh, yes; I know all about that. Ever met him before you joined?" - -"Can't say. First time we met at headquarters, thought I had heard -his voice." - -"Where?" - -"On our way up with treasure, we were opposed by the peasantry in -passing the ferry at--" - -"Yes, yes; I know. See him with them?" - -"No; I heard a voice, though, which I afterwards thought was very -like his." - -"Then you didn't see him with them next day, I suppose, when they -wounded the officer of your escort?" - -"I saw nothing of him then; wasn't near enough to distinguish -individuals." - -"Oh, I suppose you don't use spectacles. Very well. Say nothing about -this." - -My questioner then returned to the cottage. He didn't say good -morning; and, till I missed him from my side, I wasn't aware of his -departure. Then, looking round, I saw him quietly opening the door -and going in. Mr Wowski didn't come back to dinner, and we saw him -no more. Whether he was arrested, or merely advised to botanise -elsewhere, I never knew. - -Following the movements of the army from place to place, we -approached at length the banks of the Garonne, and the neighbourhood -of Toulouse. We now halted for some days at the village of Seysses, -where, better off than many of my fellow-campaigners, I enjoyed the -luxury of a most enviable bed. On the earthen floor of my apartment -was arranged a small stack of faggots. This was the bedstead. On -the faggots was spread a lot of worn-out sacking, old clothes, and -equally ancient blankets, which, with a very clean pair of sheets, -constituted my bed. The first night, I was settling off for a snooze, -when a commotion, like a small earthquake, disturbed my _prima -quies_. Something was stirring, immediately under me! What can it be? -Why, I can feel it! It's in the bed! What's that again? A mixture -of squeaking and scrambling! Oh, rats. They had burrowed through -the floor, had established themselves in the faggots, had eaten -into the bedding, and there held their midnight revels. There they -lived and bred, squeaked and grunted, wriggled and fought, scurried -and cuddled, close under the sheet, undulating the whole surface -of the bed. Presuming that they would let me alone if I let them -alone, I again composed myself to sleep; and, so well was the truce -kept on both sides, I had them every night for my bed-fellows. If -the tumblification became intolerable, I had only to move, and in a -moment all was hushed. When I was still, they stirred; but when I -stirred, they were still. - -Our last halting place, before we fought the battle of Toulouse, -was Grenade, a small town, or large village, a few leagues below -the scene of combat, on the left bank of the Garonne. Come, I'll -just give you a short account of my entertainment in one more -billet, and then we'll rush into the thick of the fight. Approaching -Grenade, with the mingled multitude that follow an army, I was met -by a French gentleman, who immediately addressed me, and entered -into conversation like an old acquaintance. That's the best of the -French. In five minutes we were intimate. He was a tall, hearty -fellow, in age about five-and-twenty, with rosy cheeks, curly hair, -broad shoulders, and prodigious development of the _poitrine_. -Begged to know who and what I was--my age, name, rank, and family. -Were my parents living? Had I brothers? A sister? Was I married or -unmarried? Had I any intentions? Ever felt the tender passion? What -was my pay _par mois_? Vilinton or Bonaparte, which did I consider -the greater general? Ever fought a duel? Were the English merry or -_tristes_? How did I like the French? But the French ladies? Which -excelled in female beauty, France or England? Been in many battles? -Was I Torrie or Ouigge? Would I accept of a billet in his _menage_? -By this time my inquisitive friend had turned, and we were walking -on together towards Grenade. On our arrival there, he knocked at the -door of a great stack of a house in the market-place. In five minutes -Sancho was nuzzling a feed of oats in the stable, I was stropping -and lathering in an elegant bedroom, and my servant was making love -to Cookey in the kitchen. The fact is, when the news arrived that -the English were walking in, my new friend had walked out, to secure -an inmate to his mind, and I was the fortunate individual. The -Parisians ridicule provincials, and so do the Cockneys. But let me -tell both Cockneys and Parisians, they have nothing to boast above -the rural gentry whom they respectively despise, in good breeding, in -refinement, in cultivation, in bonhomie, in gentility, in anything -that constitutes a dignified, simple, and likeable character. Happy -family! Here, in one house, living together, and happy together, -kind, hospitable, loving, and beloved, resided an aged father, a -venerable mother, a charming daughter, three strapping sons--one -married, with his lively little titbit of a wife, the pet of the -household--two single, of whom my friend was the senior. There they -dwelt together, in domestic harmony and peace. Yet there too, in that -tranquil domicile, sorrow had found an entrance. A son was missing. -It was the old story; you couldn't travel through France in those -days, without hearing it a hundred times repeated. He had entered -the army--entered Spain--and no one knew what had become of him. The -family supper--what a meeting of friends, what a cheerful reunion! -Each treated the other with marked attention and kindness, as though -they were then first met after a long separation. The lady of the -house, "madame," advanced in years, but sharp, quick, cheerful, -and conversable, demanded from me a reply to the oft-repeated -interrogatory, which were fairer, the English fair or the French. I -tried to evade it. "No, no," said every voice at table; "Madame has -asked. Monsieur must reply."--"Most willingly would I obey," said I, -bowing till my nose touched the tablecloth; "but in your presence, -madame, how can I decide without prepossession?" (_prevention?_) -This compliment addressed to a dame of sixty-five, with gray hairs, -and nothing of beauty but its vestiges, you will of course say was -absurd, extravagant, and perfectly out of place. In England, I -grant, it would be. But there, in France, where a compliment paid -is a benefit conferred, and where civility, like a gift amongst -ourselves, is always accepted as a token of goodwill, it was viewed -with favour, and received with gratitude. The company, tickled, but -delighted, raised a shout of applause; and madame herself, smirking -and twinkling, made her acknowledgments with courtly elegance, as -though I had conferred an obligation; while her lovely daughter, -exclaiming, "Ah, maman!" flung her arms about her neck, with eyes -full of tenderness and delight. In short, I was one of the family. -In a week I quitted them with regret. The old gentleman made me a -parting present of cigars; a small token of gratitude, he was kind -enough to say, for the pleasure of my company; and that after I had -been hospitably lodged, handsomely entertained, and feted from first -to last as if every day had been a jubilee. - -Those cigars! Oh, those cigars! I never smoked the like of those -cigars! They beat General Thouvenot's out of the field. They were -at least three years old--nearer two pounds of them than one. You -may have smoked a good cigar. You may have smoked an old cigar. But -these united the two qualities; they were both old and good. The -military son had brought them with him from Spain, and left them -on his return to the army. The gift of them to me, then, implied a -melancholy sentiment; _he_ could not want them. This was expressed -by the father, in making the present. It was touching--it was -perfectly French. They had one fault, only one; a fault from which no -old cigars are free. They were gone too soon; they burned out like -tinder. But oh! while they were burning, how shall I describe the -sensation! Sensation? It was more than that; it was mental elevation; -a vision, a trance, a transfer to the regions of hope, imagination, -and enchantment. Every-day nature became prismatic. Matter-of-fact -sparkled with variegated lamps. Pledget might have smoked, and -fancied himself a poet. Each cigar a tranquillising stimulant, a -volatile anodyne, excited, and while it excited soothed, every -faculty of the soul; fancy, sentiment, recollection, anticipation, -and stern resolve. But ah, my cigar is out! A few puffs have -sufficed! Too soon, too soon, it begins to burn my nose! Its last, -its dying odours are hurried away by the envious breeze; and the -visions which they inspired are gone like a beautiful dream! - - - - -A MONTH AT CONSTANTINOPLE.[3] - - [3] _A Month at Constantinople._ By ALBERT SMITH. London: 1850. - - -Books of travel in the region which modern tourists particularly -designate as "the East," and which may be considered to comprise -Turkey, Syria, and Egypt, do not, as a class, very forcibly challenge -our sympathy and criticism. The best horse may be ridden to death; -and no country, however rich in associations and peculiar in its -characteristics, however remarkable in configuration and interesting -by its traditions, can yield continual fresh pastures to literary -travellers, when they descend upon it like a swarm of locusts instead -of dropping in at reasonable intervals. Time must be allowed for -change and reproduction, or repetition and exhaustion will be the -inevitable result. The East, moreover, as a theme for book-wrights, -has not only been overdone, but, in many instances, very badly done. -People have gone thither with the preconceived idea of publishing, -on the strain for the marvellous, the romantic, and the picturesque; -and, disdaining the common-sense course of setting down what they -saw and giving their real and natural impressions, they have gilt -and embellished, like a coach-painter at a sheriff's carriage, till -they forced upon us the conviction that they cared more for glitter -than for truth. Some, piquing themselves on diplomatic acumen, -have filled their volumes with politics, and settled all manner of -Eastern questions much to their own satisfaction, and greatly to -the weariness of their readers; and these form perhaps the most -intolerable of the many classes into which Oriental travellers -are subdivisible, but which we shall not here further enumerate, -preferring to turn to the examination of the latest Eastern tour -that has issued from the English press and found its way to our -critical sanctum. - -Mr Albert Smith's name, well known within sound of Bow-bells, is -far from unfamiliar to a large circle of dwellers without that -populous circumference. We cannot affirm that we have read all his -numerous works, but with some of them we are acquainted, and we -are disposed to think him one of the most amiable and praiseworthy -of the school of popular humorists to which he belongs. His jokes -are invariably good-humoured and inoffensive--without being on -that account deficient in point. He does not wrap radicalism up in -fun, as cunning grandmothers envelop sickly drugs with marmalade; -nor has his flow of gaiety a sour and mischievous under-current. -Neither does he belong to the gang of facetious philanthropists -whose sympathies are so exclusively granted to the indigent and -miserable, that they have nothing left but gall and bitterness for -those of their fellow-creatures who wear a decent coat, and have -the price of a dinner in its pocket. A gentleman of most versatile -ability, he is by turns dramatist, journalist, essayist, naturalist, -novelist, correspondent of a London paper, critic of the ballet, -a writer of songs and a manufacturer of burlesque. Such a host of -occupations naturally entails the necessity of a little relaxation; -and accordingly, in the summer of last year, Mr Smith laid down -his pen, shook the sawdust from his buskins, and started for the -Mediterranean. As far as Malta we have not ascertained how it fared -with him, but of his subsequent proceedings he has informed us in a -volume which we had little idea of reviewing when first we learned -its expected appearance, but whose perusal has convinced us that it -deserves such brief notice as the crowded state of our pages in these -busy days will permit us to bestow upon it. We have already implied -our opinion that it takes a skilful hand to write an amusing book -on so hackneyed a text as a visit to Constantinople. Mr Smith has -surmounted the difficulty in an easy and natural manner; and, whilst -telling things just as they appeared to him, without affectation -or adornment, he has contrived to give an agreeable freshness and -originality to a subject which we really deemed threadbare and -exhausted. - -It was on board the _Scamandre_, French Mediterranean mail-steamer, -that Mr Albert Smith left Malta on an August evening of the year -1849, bound for Constantinople. The weather was fine and the sea -smooth as a lake, and there could be no reasonable apprehension of -shipwreck even for the crazy French vessel, whose last voyage, save -on rivers or along coast, this was intended to be. But although -somewhat rickety, of very moderate speed, and not particularly clean -externally, the interior accommodations of the Scamandre were by -no means bad. And the cabin passengers presented an amusing medley -of nations and characters. There were French milliners, striving -to pass themselves off as governesses, an elderly French actress -from the St James's theatre, a brace of Marseilles bagmen, an -enterprising Englishman bent upon smuggling muskets into Hungary, a -young Irish officer who had thrown up his commission in the British -service to campaign with Bem and Kossuth, and who must have arrived -at his destination just as the war reached its end. There was also -Mr Sophocles, an intelligent Greek professor from an American -university, on his way home after twenty years' absence, and sundry -persons unnamed, making about twenty in all, and Mr Smith himself, -who, we venture to say, was not the least active and efficient in -beguiling the tedium of a week's voyage in a slow steamboat, and -who gives us an extremely amusing account of his fellow-passengers -and their proceedings. Travelling quite as a citizen of the world, -without pretension or care for luxuries, now footing it across the -Alps with knapsack on shoulder, then a deck passenger from Genoa to -Naples, availing himself of the smooth when it offered, but taking -the rough readily when it came, sleeping sometimes on boards for -want of a bed, with the knapsack aforesaid for a pillow--Mr Smith -seems to have carried through the whole of his ramble those best of -travelling companions, imperturbable good humour, and a determination -to be pleased with everything and everybody. It is accordingly with -all possible indulgence that he views the little foibles of his -fellow-passengers per Scamandre, and there is not an atom of acid in -the dry humour with which he parades them for the entertainment of -his readers. Indeed, before the week's voyage is over, we begin to -feel quite intimate with the motley company--to view with indulgence -Mademoiselle Virginie's barefaced flirtations with the French -commissary, and to sympathise with the good-tempered American, who, -having had the misfortune to engage his berth in the first-class -cabin--a sort of extra-magnificent place, whose chief distinction -from the second class consists, as on German railways, in a heavy -additional charge--preferred now and then dining with the less -aristocratic inmates of the second cabin, "to know what was going -on." There is no place like shipboard for betraying people's habits -and peculiarities: everybody is more or less in deshabille; and such -a group as that on the Scamandre is a mine to a shrewd observer. Mr -Smith kept his eyes and ears wide open, as is his wont, and little -escaped him. We select the following specimen of his strictures on -foreign habits. - - "I should be very sorry to class foreigners, generally, as a - dirty set of people when left to themselves; but I fear there - is too much reason to suppose that (in how many cases out of - ten I will refrain from saying) a disrelish for a good honest - plunging wash is one of their chief attributes. It requires but - very little experience, in even their best hotels, to come to - this conclusion. I do not mean in those houses where an influx - of English has imposed the necessity of providing large jugs, - baths, and basins; but in the equally leading establishments - patronised chiefly by themselves. In these, one still perceives - the little pie-dish and milk-jug, the scanty doily-looking - towel, and the absence of a soap dish; whilst it would be - perfectly futile to ask for anything further. So, on board - the Scamandre, this opinion was not weakened. They dipped a - corner of a little towel, not in the basin, but in the stream - that trickled from the cistern as slowly as vinegar from any - oyster-shop cruet, and dabbed their face about with it. Then - they messed about a little with their hands; and then, having - given a long time to brushing their hair, they had a cigarette - instead of a tooth brush, and their toilet was complete. This - description does not only apply to the Scamandre passengers, but - to the majority of their race, whom I afterwards encountered - about the Mediterranean." - -We have a vivid recollection of the consternation of an amiable -and numerous French family, in whose house a friend of ours once -was domiciled, on finding that he each morning required, for his -personal use, more fresh water than sufficed for their entire daily -consumption, internal and external. Doubtless the worthy people -indulged, every eight days or so, in a warm bath; but they had no -notion of such a thing as diurnal ablutions above the waist or -below the chin, and they shrugged and grinned monstrously at the -eccentricity of the Englishman who commenced the day by a general -sluice, whereas they rarely thought of washing even their fingers -till they dressed for their ante-prandial promenade. And when our -friend was laid up, some time later, with a smart twinge of gout, -provoked by too liberal use of a very different liquid from water, -the entire family, from the elderly father down to the youngest of -the precocious juveniles, gave it as their unqualified opinion, -that the ailment proceeded from their inmate's rash and obstinate -indulgence in the ungenial and, in their opinion, extremely -superfluous element. - -"Athens in six hours," Mr Smith observes, is rather quick work; -but he nevertheless found he could see in that time nearly as much -of it as he wished. The Scamandre allowed but a day, and certainly -he made good use of the brief halt. At Athens, as in Switzerland -and on the Rhine, he found the ubiquitous _Murray's Handbook_ the -great authority and certificate of the native competitors for -custom. A skirmish with clubs and boat-hooks--the former brought -evidently in anticipation of the contest--took place amongst the -fancy-ball-looking boatmen, in white petticoats and scarlet leggings, -who crowded in light skiffs round the foot of the steamer's ladder. -In the intervals of the fight a dialogue was carried on in English, -more or less broken. - - "'I say, sir! here, sir! Hotel d'Orient is the best. Here's the - card, sir--old palace--Murray says ver good,' cried one of the - costumes. - - "'Hi!' screamed another; 'don't go with him, master--too dear! - Come with me?' - - "The parties were immediately engaged in single combat. - - "'Hotel d'Angleterre a Athenes, tenu par Elias Polichronopulos - et Yani Adamopulos,' shouted another, all in a breath. I copy - the names from the card he gave me, for they were such as no one - could remember. - - "'Yes, sir; good hotel,' said his companion. 'Look in Murray, - sir--page 24--there, sir; here, sir; look, sir!' - - "'Who believes Murray?' asked a fellow in plain clothes, with a - strong Irish accent. - - "'You would, if he put your house in the Handbook,' replied - another." - -By considerable display of mental and physical energy, a few of the -passengers at last got into a boat and gained the quay of the Piraeus. -_Grog's-shop_ was written on the shutter of a petty coffee-house, -and a smart-looking Albanian stepped up, and proffered his services -in excellent English. He had lived in London, he said: was a subject -of Queen Victoria, and had the honour of being set down in Murray, -page 25. With such recommendations, who could refuse the guidance -of Demetri Pomorn? Not Mr Smith and his party, evidently, for they -immediately engaged him for the day, hired a shabby vehicle from -an adjacent cab-stand, and started on their hot and dusty road to -Athens, thence about five miles distant. There they killed the lions, -ate quince ices, bought Latakia tobacco, dined at the Hotel d'Orient -_a l'Anglaise_, with Harvey sauce and pale ale, off English plates -and dishes, and pulled on board again at night, to the tune of _Jim -Crow_, played by an Anglified violin in one of the "grog's-shops" -aforesaid. At five in the morning sleep was at an end, thanks to -the clanking, stamping, and bawling upon the steamer's deck, and Mr -Smith left the cabin, to reconnoitre and breathe fresh air. Some -deck passengers had come on board at Athens; amongst others, a poor -Albanian family, bound to Smyrna to pack figs. They were miserable, -broken-spirited looking people, but picturesque in spite of their -poverty; a melon or two and some coarse bread composed their entire -stores for the voyage. This, however, was of no great duration, for -at daybreak the next morning the passengers per Scamandre were told -they were off Smyrna. - - "It was very pleasant to hear this--to be told that the land I - saw close to us was Asia, and that the distant slender spires - that rose from the thickly clustered houses were minarets--that - I should have twelve hours to go on shore, and see real camels, - fig-trees, scheiks, and veiled women! And yet I could scarcely - persuade myself that such was the case--that the distant - Smyrna--of which I had only heard, in the Levant mail, as a - remote place, burnt down once a-year, where figs came from--was - actually within a good stone's throw of the steamer." - -The travellers' expectations were more than realised. "I do not -believe," says Mr Smith, "that throughout the future journey any -impressions were conveyed more vivid than those we experienced -during our first half hour in the bazaars of the sunny, bustling, -beauty-teeming Smyrna." The appearance of a party of foreigners, and -of the well-known face of the _valet-de-place_, caused a stir amongst -the dealers, one of whom accosted Mr Smith in good English. - - "'How d'ye do, sir; very well? that's right. Look here, sir; - beautiful musk purse; very fine smell. Ten piastres.' - - "A piastre is worth twopence and a fraction. - - "'How did you learn to speak English so well?' I asked. - - "'All English gentlemen come to me, sir,' he said, 'and I learn - it from the ships, and from the Americans. Shake hands, sir; - that's right. Buy the purse, sir? - - "'How much is it?' asked one of our party. - - "'Six piastres,' replied the brother of the merchant, who also - spoke English, but had not heard the first price. - - "'And you asked me ten!' I said to the other. - - "'So I did, sir,' he replied with a laugh; 'then, if I get the - other four, that's my profit--eh? But what's four piastres to - an English gentleman?--nothing. It's too little for him to know - about. Come--buy the purse. What will you give?' - - "'Five piastres,' I answered. - - "'It is yours,' he added directly, with a hearty laugh, throwing - it to me. - - "'What a merry fellow you are!' I observed. - - "'Yes, sir; I laugh always; very good to laugh. English - gentlemen like to laugh, I know; laugh very well. Look at his - turban--laugh at that.' - - "He directed our attention to an old Turk, who was going by with - a most ludicrous and towering head-dress. It was diverting to - find him making fun of his compatriot." - -The mode of dealing, which in Christian Europe is stigmatised as -Jewish--the system, namely, of asking thrice the value and twice what -the seller means to take--is received, and by no means discreditable, -in Turkish bazaars. The only way to purchase in such places, without -being imposed upon, is at once to offer half the price demanded. This -is met with a refusal; you walk away, the merchant calls you back, -and you then offer him twenty per cent less than before. This plan -Mr Smith, having picked up experience at Smyrna, put in practice at -Constantinople, and generally found to answer. - -Fig-packing, camels, and the slave-market are the three things which -at Smyrna first attract the curiosity of the traveller from the -West. Of the first-named, Mr Smith gives us a picturesque account. -In the shade of a long alley of acacia and fig trees the packers -were seated--Greeks by nation, and the women very handsome. "They -first brought the figs from the warehouses, on the floor of which I -saw hundreds of bushels, brought in on camels from the country. They -were then pulled into shape, this task being confided to females; -and after that sent on to the men who packed them. They gathered -six or seven, one after the other, in their hand, and then wedged -them into the drum, putting a few superior ones on the top, as we -have seen done with strawberries." We have already mentioned that -our sharp-sighted and lively traveller is somewhat of a naturalist, -and here he favours us with the result of his observations upon the -camel. That uncouth, but useful hunchback has been belauded and -vaunted in prose and verse to such an exaggerated extent that we are -quite tired of hearing of his virtues, and feel much indebted to the -author of _A Month at Constantinople_ for exhibiting his failings -after the following fashion:-- - - "Your camel is a great obtainer of pity, under false pretence. - He can be as self-willed and vicious as you please; and his - bite is particularly severe: when once his powerful teeth have - fastened, it is with the greatest difficulty that he is made - to relinquish his hold. The pitiful noise too, which he makes, - as small natural historians remark, upon being overladen, - is all sham. It proceeds from sheer idleness, rather than a - sense of oppression. With many camels, if you make pretence - to put a small object on their back--a tile or a stone, for - instance--whilst they are kneeling down, they begin mechanically - to bellow, and blink their eyes, and assume such a dismal - appearance of suffering and anguish, that it is perfectly - painful for susceptible natures to regard them. And yet, when - their load is well distributed and packed, they can move along - under seven hundredweight." - -But we must get on to Constantinople. Often as the magnificent -spectacle has been described that bursts upon the view as you round -Seraglio Point and glide into the Golden Horn, it yet would seem -affected or eccentric of a traveller who writes about Constantinople -were he to neglect recording the impression made upon him by that -singularly lovely panorama. Mr Albert Smith's description is to -the purpose, and we like it the better for the complete absence of -that magniloquence in which so many tourists have indulged when -discoursing upon the beauties of Stamboul. Probably no city in the -world presents so great a contrast as Constantinople, when seen from -a short distance and when examined in detail. Floating on the blue -waters of the Bosphorus, the wondering stranger gazes upon a fairy -spectacle of domes, and minarets, and cypress groves, of graceful -palaces and stately mosques, gilded wherries and gaily-attired -crowds. A few minutes elapse: the grave custom-house officials in -their handsome barge have received the sixpenny bribe which exempts -his luggage from examination; he lands at the Tophanne Stairs, and -enters the steep lane that leads up to Pera, and in an instant the -illusion is dissipated:-- - - "I felt," says Mr Smith, who readily avails himself, and in - this instance very happily, of a theatrical comparison, "that - I had been taken behind the scenes of a great 'effect.' The - Constantinople of Vauxhall Gardens, a few years ago, did not - differ more, when viewed in front from the gallery and behind - from the dirty little alleys bordering the river. The miserable, - narrow, ill-paved thoroughfare did not present one redeeming - feature--even of picturesque dreariness. The roadway was paved - with all sorts of ragged stones, jammed down together without - any regard to level surface; and encumbered with dead rats, - melon-rinds, dogs, rags, brickbats, and rubbish, that had fallen - through the mules' baskets, as they toiled along it. The houses - were of wood--old and rotten; and bearing traces of having been - once painted red. There was, evidently, never any attempt made - to clean them, or their windows or doorways. Here and there, - where a building had been burnt, or had tumbled down, all the - ruins remained as they had fallen. Even the better class of - houses had an uncared-for, mouldy, plague-imbued, decaying - look about them; with grimy lattices instead of windows, on - the upper stories, and dilapidated shutters and doors on the - ground-floors." - -It will have occurred to many, acquainted with the scenes portrayed, -to exclaim, when gazing upon the bright pictures of a David Roberts, -a Leopold Robert, or a Villamil, "What a deal of dirt is hidden -under all that gay colouring!" It will not do for the artist to look -too closely into the details of southern cleanliness and domestic -economy; he must elevate his subject and wash off the dirt, or at -least paint over it. Constantinople must be viewed as a panorama, not -investigated as if for sale. If he would preserve the enchantment -unbroken, the spectator must keep his distance, as from a picture -painted for distant effect. If he will not do this, if curiosity -impels him onwards, let him make up his eyes and olfactories to a -cruel disappointment. A minute ago, fairyland was spread before -him; he lands, and stumbles over a dead dog. Touching dogs, by -the bye, we have a word to say. Mr Smith has numerous passages -relating to that quadruped, esteemed in Christendom, abominable in -Constantinople. Having once, he informs us, been severely bitten -by a hound, and having, moreover, seen several persons die of -hydrophobia, he entertains a very justifiable mistrust of the canine -race, or at least of such of its specimens as present themselves with -slavering mouths, inflamed eyes, guttural yells, and hides ragged and -bloody. Now, this being the habitual appearance and bearing of the -eighty-thousand pugnacious and starving curs that infest the streets -of the Turkish capital, Mr Smith, had he been a nervous person, -would have passed rather an agreeable "month in Constantinople." -With a paper lantern in one hand, however, and a jagged stone in the -other--the usual weapons of defence--he prosecuted his wanderings -most courageously, at almost any hour of the night, through the -filth-strewn and dog-haunted streets. His first introduction to these -pleasant animals was auricular; and truly, compared to their uproar, -a German frog-swamp or a strong party of Christmas waits, jangling -a negro melody in defiance of time and tune, must be considered a -delightful _reveil-matin_. - - "To say that if all the sheep-dogs going to Smithfield on a - market-day had been kept on the constant bark, and pitted - against the yelping curs upon all the carts in London, they - could have given any idea of the canine uproar that now first - astonished me, would be to make the feeblest of images. - The whole city rung with one vast riot. Down below me at - Tophanne--over at Stamboul--far away at Scutari--the whole - eighty thousand dogs that are said to overrun Constantinople - appeared engaged in the most active extermination of each other, - without a moment's cessation. The yelping, howling, barking, - growling, and snarling, were all merged into one uniform and - continuous even sound, as the noise of frogs becomes when heard - at a distance. For hours there was no lull. I went to sleep, and - woke again; and still, with my windows open, I heard the same - tumult going on; nor was it until daybreak that anything like - tranquillity was restored." - -The traces of these nocturnal combats are plainly discernible the -next morning. There is not a whole skin in the entire canine legion; -some have lost eyes, others ears, some a collop of the little flesh -that remains on their unfortunate bones, and all bear the scars of -desperate conflicts. They keep an active look-out for dead horses -and camels, and are even said to devour their defunct comrades; -but there is no authenticated account of their making a meal of a -human being, although a story is current in Galata of their having -one night torn down a tipsy English sailor, and left nothing but -his bones to tell the tale in the morning. Drunkards, however, must -expect to go to the dogs. Mr Smith kept sober, and carried a lantern. -Solely to these two precautions, perhaps, are we to-day indebted for -the pleasure of reading his book, instead of mourning his interment -in the ravenous stomachs of Mahomedan mongrels. - -It can hardly have escaped the observation of any one who has -travelled at all, that the presence of even a very few English -settlers in a town or district, speedily entails the establishment -of "the English shop." The keeper of this is not necessarily an -Englishman; he may be of any nation--Pole, Jew, Frenchman, German; -the essential is, that he should have a smattering of English and a -trader's knowledge of the heterogeneous articles which, in foreign -estimation, are indispensable to the existence of Englishmen. -Foremost amongst these are beer and pickles, mustard and cayenne, -Warren's blacking and Windsor soap, the pills of Professor -Holloway, the kalydor of the world-renowned Rowland. Thanks to the -extraordinary power of puffing, we dare to say that the paletot of -Sheriff Nicoll by this time finds its nook in "the English shop." -The growth of these philanthropical depots for the consolation of -exiled Britons is often miraculously mushroom-like. Land an English -regiment to occupy a menaced point on some distant foreign shore, and -within the week "the shop" appears, though it be but a booth with a -hamper of porter and a dozen pickle pots for sole stock in trade. In -Constantinople, where English abound, either as residents or birds -of passage, Stampa is a celebrity. The admirable establishment of -Galignani is not more famed for books and newspapers--and especially -for that far-famed _Messenger_, which reaches to the uttermost -ends of the earth--than is the shop of Stampa as a rendezvous and -receptacle for men and things English. There you may buy everything, -from a Stilton to a cake of soap, from a solar lamp to a steel pen; -and there obtain all manner of information, from the address of a -Galata[4] merchant to the sailing hour of a steamer. Nay, should you -be weary of kebobs and craving for a beefsteak, Stampa will provide -it you. He did so at least for Mr Smith; but perhaps that gentleman -was a favoured customer, as he seems indeed to have found means of -rendering himself at more than one place during his ramble. - - [4] The names of the various districts of Constantinople, sometimes - rather indiscriminately used in travellers' narratives, are apt - to puzzle those readers unfamiliar with the divisions of the - city. The following note puts its distribution clearly before - them:--"_Stamboul_ may be termed Constantinople proper, inhabited by - the Turks, and containing the Seraglio, chief mosques, great public - offices, bazaars, and places of Government and general business. - It is the most ancient and most important part, _par excellence_. - _Galata_ is the Wapping of the city: here we find dirty shops for - ships' stores; merchants' counting-houses, and tipsy sailors. - _Tophanne_ is so called from the large gun-factory close at hand. - Both these suburbs are situated at the base of a very steep hill; the - upper part of which is _Pera_, the district allotted to the Franks, - or foreigners, and containing the palaces of the ambassadors, the - hotels, the European shops, and the most motley population under the - sun. _Scutari_ is to Stamboul as Birkenhead to Liverpool, and is in - Asia. It is important in its way, as being the starting-place of all - the caravans going inland. There are some other districts of less - interest to the average tourist."--_A Month at Constantinople_, p. 46. - -At Constantinople, as at Smyrna, Mr Smith visited the slave -market. There is a volume in the word, and we all know the sort of -phantasmagoria it summons up for the benefit of English ladies and -gentlemen, as they sit at home at ease, dandling their fancies by -the chimney corner. Exeter Hall and the picture shops have made -slave-markets of their own, compared to which the reality is a tame -and spiritless affair. We are all familiar, at a proper distance, -with that group of young ladies, more or less nude, and of every -tint--from the pale Georgian to the sable Ethiop--huddled together -in great alarm and the most graceful attitudes, whilst a shawled -and jewelled Turk scans their perfections with licentious eye, and -counts gold into the palm of a truculent dealer in human flesh. -None of us but have been painfully affected by representations, -both printed and pictorial, of whips and manacles, fettered hands -and striped shoulders, kneeling negroes and barbarous taskmasters, -whereby tender-hearted gentlemen are moved to unbutton their pockets, -and philanthropical ladies of excitable nerve, overlooking the -misery that is often close to their doors, are set sewing flannels -for remote blacks. We have all seen this sort of thing, and have -been interested and touched accordingly. But Mr Smith, in the most -unfeeling manner, robs us of our illusions, so far, at least, as -Smyrna or Constantinople are concerned. In the slave-market at -the latter place--where blacks only are exposed, the Circassian -and Georgian beauties being secluded in the dealers' houses--he -arrived at the conclusion that the creatures he saw wrapped in their -blankets and crouching in corners, and in whom sense and feeling were -evidently at the very lowest ebb, had much better chance of such -happiness as they were capable of enjoying, if sold as slaves than if -left to their own savage resources. - - "I should be very sorry," he says, "to run against any proper - feelings on the subject, but I do honestly believe that if any - person of average propriety and right-mindedness were shown - these creatures, and told that their lot was to become the - property of others, and work in return for food and lodging, he - would come to the conclusion it was all they were fit for.... - The truth is, that the 'virtuous indignation' side of the - question holds out grander opportunities to an author for fine - writing than the practical fact. But this style of composition - should not always be implicitly relied upon. I knew a man who - was said, by certain reviews and literary _cliques_, to be - 'a creature of large sympathies for the poor and oppressed,' - because he wrote touching things about them; but who would - abuse his wife, and brutally treat his children, and harass - his family, and then go and drink until his large heart was - sufficiently full to take up the 'man-and-brother' line of - literary business, and suggest that a tipsy Chartist was as good - as quiet gentleman." - -Mr Albert Smith is evidently a hard-hearted person, and we begin to -repent of noticing his book. In the same pitiless matter-of-fact -manner he continues to tilt at the several articles of our Eastern -creed, pressing into his service as a witness Demetri the Second, -(not him of Athens, but a Constantinople cicerone,) a terrible fellow -for rubbing the romantic lacquer off Turkish manners and customs. -After the slaves, the sack and scimitar are disposed of. "Not many -executions now," quoth Demetri,--"only English subjects. Here's where -they cut the heads off; just here, where these two streets meet, and -the body is left here a day or two, and sometimes the dogs get at -it." This was rather startling intelligence, until explained. The -"English subjects" proved to be emigrants from Malta and the Ionian -islands--the greatest scamps in Pera--which is saying no little, for -Pera abounds with scamps. At that time, however, there had not been -an execution for a whole year past. - - "All English gentlemen," continued Demetri, "think they cut off - heads every day in Stamboul, and put them, all of a row, on - plates at the Seraglio gate. And they think people are always - being drowned in the Bosphorus. Not true. I know a fellow who - is a dragoman, and shows that wooden shoot which comes from the - wall of the Seraglio Point, as the place they slide them down. - It is only to get rid of the garden rubbish. Same with lots of - other things." - -Nothing like travel to dispel prejudice and romance. People are too -apt to adopt Byron's notions of the East. To those who would have -their eyes opened we recommend the Mediterranean steamers, or, if -these would take them too far, they may stay at home and read Mr -Smith. - - "Travel," such is his advice to the seeker after truth, "with - a determination to be only affected by things as they strike - you. Swiss girls, St Bernard dogs, Portici fishermen, the Rhine, - Nile travelling, and other objects of popular rhapsodies, - fearfully deteriorate upon practical acquaintance. Few tourists - have the courage to say that they have been 'bored,' or at - least disappointed by some conventional lion. They find that - Guide-books, Diaries, Notes, Journals, &c. &c., all copy one - from the other in their enthusiasm about the same things; and - they shrink from the charge of vulgarity, or lack of mind, did - they dare to differ. Artists and writers _will_ study effect - rather than graphic truth. The florid description of some - modern book of travel is as different to the actual impressions - of ninety-nine people out of a hundred--allowing all these to - possess average education, perception, and intellect--when - painting in their minds the same subject, as the artfully tinted - lithograph, or picturesque engraving of the portfolio or annual, - is to the faithful photograph." - -Mr Smith's concluding chapter, including his lazaretto experiences -and departure for Egypt, is very amusing, and he shows up the -abuses of the quarantine system, his own annoyances when in sickly -durance, and the eccentricities of his Mahometan and Christian -fellow-travellers, with spirit and humour. We have good will, but no -space, to accompany him further in his peregrinations. An appendix, -including estimates of expenses, and various remarks suggested by -his recent travelling experience, will be found useful by persons -contemplating a similar trip. The general texture of his book is -certainly of the slightest; but, as already implied, it pretends not -to solidity or to the discussion of grave topics. It is just such -a volume as might be composed by the amalgamation of a series of -epistles from a lively and fluent letter-writer to friends at home, -during a few weeks' ramble and abode in Turkey. If it occasionally -reminds us of Cockaigne, its author, we are sure, is too patriotic -to be ashamed of his native village, and we have no mind to quarrel -with him for the almost exclusively metropolitan character of his -tropes and similes, for his frequent reminiscences of London streets -and Surrey hills, or for his preference of the sunset seen from "The -Cricketers" at Chertsey Bridge, to the same sight from "The little -Burial-ground" at Pera. A good result--probably the one he aimed -at--of the selection, as points of comparison, of localities more -particularly familiar to Londoners, is that he thereby conveys, to -those who will doubtless form a very large proportion of his readers, -a clear idea of the places he visited and would describe. And his -little volume affords evidence of good temper and feeling sufficient -to cover a multitude of Cockneyisms. - -When reviewing, about two years ago, a volume of rambles[5] in -a very different region, we stated our opinion as to the style -of illustration appropriate to books of this kind, in which cuts -or engravings are most acceptable when they explain scenes and -objects that written description, even at great length, would less -accurately and clearly place before the reader. Mr Smith is evidently -of the same way of thinking. "I have given," he says, "only those -illustrations which appeared to be the most characteristic rather -than the most imposing." In so doing he has shown judgment, and used -to the best advantage the pencils and colour-box, which formed part -of the heterogeneous contents of his well-stuffed knapsack. The -reader will be more obliged to him for the appropriate and useful -little sketches that thickly stud his pages, than for any drawings -of greater pretensions, whose introduction the size and price of the -volume would have permitted. - - [5] Ballantyne's _Hudson's Bay_. - - - - -MADAME SONTAG AND THE OPERA. - - -It is now between three and four years since the town was startled -by intelligence that the Opera House was divided against itself, and -that melody and grace were about to take flight from the bottom of -the Hay-market to the top of the Garden. In our quality of determined -foes to unnecessary changes and theoretical reforms, we received the -intelligence regretfully, and so, we have reason to believe, did -that very considerable section of the London and provincial public -into whose annual calculations of refined enjoyments the Italian -Opera largely enters. Without going into the merits of the dispute, -which up to this hour we have never heard clearly elucidated, we -plainly discerned one thing--namely, that there was discord in the -operatic camp; that harmony had abandoned its favourite abode; that -managers, musicians, singers, and dancers, were drawing different -ways: in short, that the Opera, taking the lead in a fashion that -soon afterwards became disagreeably prevalent throughout Europe, was -in a state of revolution. With whom the fault lay we knew not, and -little cared: all that concerned us was the unpleasant fact that the -pleasures of the music-loving multitude, _quorum pars sumus_, were -seriously endangered. It is pretty notorious that, with very rare -exceptions, professional votaries of the Muses are capricious, and -difficult to deal with. Painters are accused of unpunctuality and -improvidence; composers are often idle dogs, fretting _impresarios_ -into fevers, as Rossini did Barbaja, and fulfilling their engagements -only at the last minute of the eleventh hour, with the _polenta_ -smoking on the table;[6] even authors we have heard declared, upon -no mean authority, to be queer cattle to guide; but, of all classes -whose occupation derives from art and poetry, none, assuredly, -are harder to manage and to please than actors and musicians. From -those early days of Opera, when a Lully shivered Cremonas upon the -heads of a refractory orchestra, to the recent ones when a Lumley -in vain essayed to appease the petulance of a prima donna, and calm -the choler of a conductor, the tribulations of managers have been -countless as the pebbles on the shore. To judge, indeed, from their -own account, few of the penalties so picturesquely set forth in Fox's -martyr-book, but would be preferable to ten years' management of a -large lyric theatre. Consult the comedians, and we are presented with -the reverse of the medal. A manager, we shall be told, is a covetous -and Heliogabalian tyrant, fattening upon the toil and talents of -the artist; a sort of vampire in a black coat, sucking the blood of -genius, faring sumptuously on the proceeds of a tenor, squeezing -the cost of his stud out of a soprano, and making large annual -investments on the strength of an underpaid barytone. These things -may be true, but we shall more readily credit them when we less -frequently see managers in the _Gazette_, and when we hear of singers -putting down their carriages, retrenching their suburban villas, and -contenting themselves with salaries less enormous than those they now -unblushingly exact. Upon such matters, however, it is not our purpose -to expatiate. Theatrical quarrels rarely excite much general interest -in this country, except inasmuch as they may exercise an unfavourable -influence on the pleasures of the public--which has not been the -case, we are happy to say, in the most recent and important instance -of disagreement between the lessee of the first London theatre and -certain members of his company. - - [6] Rossini's desperate idleness and habits of procrastination - are proverbial. On more than one occasion personal restraint was - resorted to, to compel the fulfilment of his engagements. Thus, - at Milan, sentinels were placed at his door, and no exit allowed - him, until he had completed an opera of which the two first acts - were already in rehearsal. Barbaja, the celebrated _impresario_, - kept him for some time prisoner in his palace on the Naples Toledo, - refusing him liberty until he should have composed the long-promised - opera of Otello. Remonstrances were disregarded by the inflexible - manager, so Rossini set to work, and, with his usual facility, soon - sent down a portion of the score, headed _Introduzione_. This was - transmitted to the copyist; but the same evening Rossini applied - for it again, on pretext of alteration. Next morning another MS. - reached Barbaja, inscribed _Caratina_. It followed its predecessor - to the copyist, and, in like manner, was re-demanded for correction. - Barbaja gleefully rubbed his hands at finding that these revisions - did not delay Rossini, who sent down page after page of copy, to the - extent of an entire act. But the irritable manager was like to go - distracted when, on applying to the copyist for the whole score, he - found the introduction was all that had been composed. It had been - travelling to and fro between Rossini and the theatre, and, at each - journey, the incorrigible composer had headed it with a different - title. The trait is characteristic, and strictly authentic. The same - story is told, at greater length, and with some embellishments, in - one of Alexander Dumas' volumes of Italian travelling sketches. - Managers, however, found compensation in Rossini's rapidity for his - provoking idleness. When he did set to work, he got over the paper - at a gallop; and, when driven to the last minute, his fertility and - invention were wonderful. Some of his finest things were composed - on the spur of the moment, and in breathless haste. The celebrated - air _Di tanti Palpiti_ is one of these. His dinner hour was at hand, - when, driven to the wall by urgent solicitations, he one day sat - down to compose it. His cook, learning that the _Maestro_ was really - about to work--no very common occurrence--thrust his head in at the - door, and ventured a supposition that he had "better not put the - rice to boil." "On the contrary, boil it directly," replied Rossini, - who was hungry. Before the rice, that indispensable preface to an - Italian dinner, was fit for table, the air and its introduction were - composed. _Di tanti Palpiti_ is still familiarly known as the _Aria - dei rizzi_. - -At no period, probably, since London has possessed an Italian -Opera, was there more room and a better chance of success for two -establishments of that description than just now. Indeed, even if -the particular circumstances that have caused a second establishment -to be formed had not occurred, it might not improbably have arisen -out of the want of remunerative patronage for high musical talent -upon the Continent, entailed by the revolutionary convulsions of the -last two years. Another circumstance favourable to the Italians is -to be found in the depressed state of the native stage--a depression -which we maintain is to be attributed to bad management and bad -acting, more than to any decline in the public taste for the drama. -Second-rate talent, such as now occupies the high places on our -principal theatres, will no more permanently attract full houses, -than will the burlesque and tinsel that has monopolised the minor -stage. It is our conviction that high tragedy and good comedy will -still draw together discriminating and desirable audiences; but they -must be well acted. Could you bring back Kemble and Siddons, Kean and -Young, rely upon it that the taste for the theatre would revive, and -Drury Lane might be opened with better than a bare chance of success. -And although those masters of their art have disappeared from the -scene, there still are actors who, if they would condescend to pull -together, might do much to prop the declining national drama. In the -provincial towns the Charles Keans, Miss Faucit, or Macready, always -draw full houses; and it is our belief they would do so the year -through at Drury Lane, if they all belonged to its company, under a -judicious management. It is idle to say that the public has lost its -taste for theatres, because it will not encourage mediocrity and bad -taste; and the best proof of the contrary is, that anything really -good in theatricals, no matter in what style, at once draws. We need -not go far for examples. About three years ago, the little French -theatre in St James's had a good working company, besides a constant -flow of still better actors, succeeding each other by twos and threes -from Paris. The consequence was, that the house was nightly crowded; -not only, be it observed, in its more fashionable divisions, but in -those cheaper regions of gallery, pit, and boxes, more accessible -to moderate purses and to the general public. In short, the theatre -was popular, because the performances were good; although it is, -assuredly, but a very limited portion of the English middle classes -that can fully enter into and enjoy the spirit of French plays. -When the management injudiciously changed the system, which, one -would think, must surely have answered its purpose as well as that -of the public, and gave indifferently sung comic operas instead of -well-acted vaudevilles, dramas, and _petites comedies_, popularity -and audience dwindled. It was no longer good of its kind. People will -not be persuaded, for any length of time, that a star and a bundle of -sticks compose a theatrical company worth listening to. We may take -another instance, still nearer home. Under the management of Vestris -and Mathews, and in spite of a deplorable absence of ventilation, -the Lyceum Theatre has for many months past been nightly full to -the roof, whilst nearly every other London manager has been wofully -grumbling at the state of his benches and treasury. It is not that -the performances at the Lyceum have been of a very high class; but -of their kind they have been good, the company pulls well together, -and there is a certain spirit and originality in the conduct of the -theatre. And here, whilst avoiding comparisons with any particular -theatre to which they might be unfavourable, we are yet led to -remark, that an utter want of originality is one of the chief and -most lamentable present characteristics of the London stage. Such a -monotonous set of imitators was surely never beheld. They all follow -each other in a string, like the boors after Dummling's precious -goose. Unfortunately the golden feathers become dross in their grasp. -If one makes a hit, forthwith the others copy; without pausing to -reflect whether the novelty was not the principal charm, which -will evaporate on repetition. Thus, last Christmas, at the theatre -already referred to, a fairy spectacle of extraordinary beauty was -brought out, and "ran," as the phrase is, an unusual number of -nights, long outliving most of the very middling pantomimes and -holiday entertainments elsewhere produced. Easter came, and behold! -half-a-dozen other theatres, taking their cue from the lucky Lyceum, -came out in the same line. Ambitious scenery, gorgeous decoration, -wholesale glitter, and many-coloured fires, dazzled the eye in all -directions. "If your voice were as fine as your feathers," said -the crafty fox to the cheese-bearing crow, "what a bird you would -be!" Were your taste equal to your tinsel, managers of the London -theatres, what an improvement there would be in your receipts! Your -dress-boxes and your cash-boxes would alike be replenished; and you -would no longer have a pretext to indulge in undignified wailings -about want of encouragement to native talent, preference given to -foreigners, and the other querulous commonplaces with which the -public is periodically bored. - -To return, however, to the Opera. As we have already observed, about -four years ago its prospects were bad. Discord, the forerunner of -dissolution, had squatted itself in the Green-room. With one or -two exceptions, the artists who for some years had been the chief -pillars of that stage abandoned it for a rival establishment. With -the few hands who stuck by the old ship, it seemed scarcely possible -to make a fight. But at the most gloomy moment, when all seemed -desperate, a good genius came to the rescue. One Swede proved more -than an equivalent for half-a-dozen Italians, and impending ruin -was replaced by triumphant success. London presented the singular -spectacle--unprecedented, we believe, in any capital--of two enormous -theatres simultaneously open for the representation of Italian -operas. How it fares with the more modern establishment, we have -no positive knowledge. Not too well, we fear, judging from the -balance-sheet of a recent lessee. Should the experiment succeed, the -public will doubtless be the gainers. We shall be glad to learn that -all thrive and flourish; but meanwhile we are particularly pleased -to find that the more ancient temple of music and dance, endeared to -us by long habit, old associations, and much enjoyment, has risen, -at the very moment when ill-omened prophets predicted its fall, to -as high a pitch of excellence as, within our recollection, it ever -attained; and has escaped conversion to an equestrian circus, a -shilling concert room, a Radical debating hall, or any other of -the profane and degrading purposes to which of late years it has -been too much the fashion to apply the large London theatres. When -the enthusiasm excited by Jenny Lind, which at one time approached -infatuation, began to subside, and that amiable and charitable, -but--if rumour lie not--somewhat capricious lady, fluctuating between -matrimony and fame, at last took a middle course, and decided to -cross the Atlantic, Her Majesty's Theatre had another stroke of good -fortune. The Swede disappeared, but Germany came to the rescue. A -singer whose name recalls the most glorious days of the Opera, and -who, for nearly twenty years, had exchanged the artist's laurel -wreath for the coronet of a countess--the plaudits of Europe for the -ease and elegance of a court--was induced to return to the profession -of which, during the short time she in her youth had exercised it, -she had been one of the brightest ornaments. - -The double interest excited by her brilliant talent as a vocalist, -and by the peculiar circumstances under which she has again sought -the scene of her former triumphs, has been so strong, that by this -time few can be unacquainted with the leading incidents of the -Countess Rossi's career. A humble origin, the precocious development -of an exquisite voice and of extraordinary aptitude for music, the -conquest with almost unexampled rapidity of a place beside the first -singers of the day, a few short years of theatrical triumphs, an -advantageous marriage, loss of fortune, return to the stage--and the -tale is told. Even in this meagre outline there is no slight savour -of the romantic. "The Countess Rossi," it has been truly observed by -a French writer, "has scarcely performed in any lyrical drama fuller -of incident and romance than her own life. For her the line of flame -which in theatres separates the real from the ideal world, has not -existed."[7] Doubtless the details of this accomplished lady's life -would be otherwise interesting than the bare outline of its leading -events with which the world is fain to content itself. Twenty-five -years, divided between the aristocracy of musical talent, and the -aristocracy of diplomacy and high birth, must afford rich materials -for autobiography. Nor would the period of her childhood be without -its strong attraction, were she able to remember, and pleased to -tell, of those days of infantine renown, when Coblenz and the banks -of Rhine rang with praises of the seven-year-old songstress, whose -parents, although they had the good sense to refuse the solicitations -of managers, anxious to produce the prodigy, would yet at times -place her on their table, and bid her sing for the gratification of -admiring friends. Her first appearance in public was at the age of -eleven, on the Darmstadt theatre; and perhaps even now that dullest -of German capitals remains in her memory as a place of brightness -and beauty, associated as it is with her early and complete success. -But little Henrietta was not yet to continue the career she had so -auspiciously begun. Hot theatres and unlimited praise composed a -dangerous atmosphere for one so young, and her next step was to the -Conservatory or great musical school at Prague, to the head of which -she speedily made her way. At the age of fourteen or fifteen her -proficiency in the various branches of her art was so great, that her -cautious parents had scarcely a pretext for withholding her longer -from the stage, which she manifestly was destined to adorn. Still -they hesitated, when accident cast the die. The _prima donna_ of the -Prague opera was taken ill: not of one of those fleeting maladies to -which singers and dancers are proverbially liable--and which appear -an hour or two after noon, to disappear in time for a late breakfast -next morning--but seriously, and without hope of speedy recovery. The -despairing manager appealed to the pity of the Sontags. His only hope -was in Henrietta, and Henrietta was allowed to appear upon the boards -of the Imperial Opera of Prague--a theatre to which immortality -is secured by the first performance of the _Nozze di Figaro_ and -the _Clemenza di Tito_ having taken place within its walls. From -a recently published and authentic sketch of Madame Sontag's -professional life,[8] we extract an account of her entrance. - - [7] Theophile Gautier, _L'Ambassadrice. Biographie de la Comtesse - Rossi_. Paris: 1850. - - [8] _A Memoir of the Countess de Rossi_, (Madame Sontag.) London: - 1850. - - "If nothing was wanting in courage, natural gifts of voice, - and intellectual power, on the part of the child, as regards - the height of her person there was a _mancamento_ of several - inches. But the stage-manager was not oblivious of the means - by which the Greeks gave altitude to their scenic heroes and - heroines; and the little _prima donna_, to whom was assigned - for her _debut_ the principal female part in a translation of - the favourite French opera _Jean de Paris_, was supplied with - enormous cork heels. There was a time, at the court of Louis - XV., when an inch and a half of red heel was the distinctive - characteristic of a marquis, or of a lady of sufficient quality - to be allowed to sit in the presence of royalty. On the - occasion of the _debut_ of Henriette Sontag, four inches of - vermillion-coloured cork foreshadowed the rank of the little - lady, destined to become one of the most absolute mimic queens - of the lyrical world, and afterwards a real and much respected - countess. When the singer who enacted the pompous seneschal in - the opera of _Jean de Paris_ came forward, and said, 'It is no - less a personage than the Princess of Navarre whose arrival - I announce!' the applause and laughter was universal. When - the little prodigy appeared on her cork pedestal, the house - re-echoed with acclamations. As the business of the stage - proceeded, the auditors found there was no longer any indulgence - necessary on the score of age, but that there were claims - on their admiration for a voice which, for purity, peculiar - flute-like tone, and agility, has never been surpassed. The - celebrated tenor, Gerstener, that night surpassed himself, - finding he had to cope with the attraction of a new musical - power. Many nights successively did she thus sing the Princess - of Navarre, with increasing success, to crowded houses. Her next - part was one far more difficult--that of the heroine in Paer's - fine opera, _Sargin_. But the capital of Bohemia was not long - to retain her. The Imperial court heard of her extraordinary - success, and Henriette Sontag was summoned to Vienna, where she - appeared, the very next season, at the German Opera." - -Fraulein Sontag had not been long in the Austrian capital when the -eccentric Domenico Barbaja, then lessee of La Scala, the San Carlo, -and of the Italian Opera at Vienna, arrived there, incredulous of the -merits of the new _prima donna_. His incredulity must not be ascribed -to mere prejudice, for at that time Italy was generally believed to -have the monopoly of melodious throats; and even now the exceptions -are only just enough to prove the rule, at least as regards female -singers. Of these, Germany and Scandinavia have produced but three -who have acquired European reputation. The capricious but wonderfully -talented Gertrude Schmeling (La Mara,) who at nine years of age drew -large audiences at Vienna by her performance on the violin, who -afterwards achieved first-rate excellence on the piano, and then, for -nearly forty years, held undisputed sway, as unapproachable _prima -donna_, over the entire musical world--and whose name is almost as -celebrated by reason of the strange adventures and vicissitudes of -her life as on account of her astonishing voice and genius--is the -most ancient of these, and Madame Sontag and Jenny Lind complete -the trio. When at length prevailed upon to visit the German Opera, -Barbaja was astonished, and he immediately offered the young singer -an engagement for the San Carlo. This was declined, her parents -having a wholesome, perhaps an exaggerated, dread of the temptations -and perils that would await their daughter in the luxurious land of -Naples. Nay, so deeply rooted was the aversion of the honest Germans -for things Italian, that it was with the greatest difficulty Barbaja -could obtain their permission for Henrietta to appear at the Italian -Opera at Vienna. There she had colleagues worthy of herself--Rubini, -the prince of tenors, and the evergreen Lablache, with whom, after -an interval of five-and-twenty years, she is now again singing. -There also she heard Madame Mainvielle Fodor, by the study of whose -admirable style she greatly improved herself. Leipzig and Berlin -next witnessed her triumphs, and there she excited great enthusiasm -by her singing in Weber's operas of _Der Freischuetz_ and _Euryanthe_. - - "The admirers of the genius of that great composer," says - M. P. Scudo, in a lively, but not strictly correct sketch - of Madame Sontag's career, inserted in the _Revue des Deux - Mondes_, "consisted of the youth of the universities, and of - all the ardent and generous spirits who desired to emancipate - Germany intellectually as well as politically from foreign - domination.... They were grateful to Mademoiselle Sontag for - consecrating a magnificent voice, and a method rarely found - beyond the Rhine, to the energetic and profound music of Weber, - Beethoven, Spohr, and the new race of German composers, who had - broken _all compact with foreign impiety_, and given an impulse - to the national genius. Receiving universal homage, celebrated - by wits, serenaded by students, and escorted by the huzzas of - the German press, Mademoiselle Sontag was called to Berlin, - where she made her appearance with immense success at the - Koenigstadt Theatre. It was at Berlin, as is well known, that - the _Freischuetz_ was for the first time performed, in 1821. It - was at Berlin, the Protestant and rationalist city, the centre - of an intellectual and political movement which sought to absorb - the activity of Germany at the expense of Vienna--that catholic - capital, where the spirit of tradition, sensuality, the soft - breezes and melodies of Italy reigned--it was at Berlin that - the new school of dramatic music founded by Weber had taken - the firmest hold. With enthusiasm, as the inspired interpreter - of the national music, Mademoiselle Sontag was there welcomed. - The disciples of Hegel took her for the text of their learned - commentaries, and hailed, in her limpid and sonorous voice, _the - subjective confounded with the objective in an absolute unity_! - The old King of Prussia received her at his court with paternal - goodness. There it was that diplomacy had the opportunity to - approach Mademoiselle Sontag, and to make an impression on the - heart of the muse." - -With all deference to M. Scudo, who is rather smart than accurate, we -will remark that the applause of the Berliners was elicited less by -the nationality of the music than by the excellence of the singing; -and that they were perfectly satisfied to listen to translations of -Rossini, and to the music then in vogue in the other chief opera -houses of Europe. Doubtless they were proud of their countrywoman; -and their jealousy and indignation were highly excited when, after -a visit to Paris, she came back to Berlin with the avowed intention -of returning to the French capital. This raised a storm, and on her -first appearance at the Koenigstadt, she was received, probably for -the first and last time in her life, with a storm of groans and -hisses. So violent was the tumult that the other actors left the -stage in alarm; but the Sontag remained, strong in her right and -regardless of the unmerited hurricane of censure, and of the almost -menacing adjurations addressed to her by the audience to break off -with the French, and remain in her own country. At last, hopeless -of making an impression on the resolute young lady, the incensed -Prussians calmed themselves, and from that night to the day of her -departure she was as popular as ever. - -At Paris was fully confirmed the favourable judgment passed upon -Mademoiselle Sontag at Prague, Vienna, and Berlin. And, in one -respect, her triumph there was more important and complete than any -she had previously enjoyed--more important, not so much on account of -the superior critical acumen and taste of her hearers, as by reason -of the formidable rivals with whom she had to compete. We are far -from belonging to that class of persons--a class confined, as we -believe, almost exclusively to France--which holds the favourable -verdict of the Parisian musical world the most difficult to obtain, -and the most flattering to the artist, of any in Europe. This notion -has been diligently set abroad by the Parisians themselves, who, -with characteristic self-complacency, look upon their tribunal as -the court of last appeal in matters of art and music. The only solid -ground upon which such a presumption can plausibly be sustained, is -the fact that Paris (by its gaiety and central position the European -metropolis of pleasure) annually assembles,--or did assemble, before -recent disastrous follies closed its saloons and deterred foreign -visitors--a very large portion of the intellectual and art-loving -of all countries. Upon this basis rests the sole claim of Paris -to fastidiousness and infallibility of judgment. This only can -give superior value to the laurel wreaths bestowed in the Salle -Ventadour, or the Rue Lepelletier, over those that may be acquired -in half-a-dozen other European opera houses. As regards the worth -of the verdict of an exclusively French audience, we confess that, -when we see the crowds that are attracted, and the enthusiasm that -is excited, by the usually flimsy and second-rate music given at -the _Opera Comique_, (for many years past unquestionably the most -uniformly prosperous and popular of the Paris musical theatres,) we -incline to answer in the affirmative the question put by one of the -shrewdest and wittiest of Frenchmen, whether the French nation be not -rather song-loving than musical?[9] But if Mademoiselle Sontag, after -conquering the unbounded applause of Vienna and Berlin audiences, -and the suffrage of so keen a connoisseur as Barbaja, had no need -to dread the ordeal of Parisian criticism, on the other hand she -well might feel trepidation at thoughts of the competitors she was -about to encounter, foremost amongst whom were the great names of -Pasta, Pisaroni, and Malibran. In presence of such a trio, any but a -first-rate talent must have succumbed and fallen back into the rear -rank. Not so did the Sontag, but at once took and kept her place on -a level with those great singers. It was with Malibran, the ardent, -warm-hearted, passionate Spaniard, that she was brought into most -frequent comparison. But although many tales have been told of the -bitterness of their rivalry, these have been suggested by probability -or malice, not by fact; for, from a very early period of their -acquaintance, a sincere friendship existed between them. The Countess -de Merlin, in her memoir of Malibran, gives the following account of -its origin:-- - - "The presence of Mademoiselle Sontag at the Italian Theatre - was fresh stimulus for Maria's talent, and contributed to its - perfection. Each time that the former obtained a brilliant - triumph, Maria wept and exclaimed, '_Mon Dieu!_ why does she - sing so well?' Then from those tears sprang a beauty and - sublimity of harmony, of which the public had the benefit. - It was the ardent desire of amateurs to hear these two - charming artists sing together in the same opera; but they - mutually feared each other, and for some time the much-coveted - gratification was deferred. One night they met at a concert at - my house; a sort of plot had been laid, and towards the middle - of the concert they were asked to sing the duet in _Tancredi_. - For a few moments they showed fear, hesitation; but at last - they yielded, and approached the piano, amidst the acclamations - of all present. They both seemed agitated and disturbed, and - observant of each other; but presently the conclusion of - the symphony fixed their attention, and the duet begun. The - enthusiasm their singing excited was so vivid and so equally - divided, that at the end of the duet, and in the midst of the - applause, they gazed at each other, bewildered, delighted, - astonished; and by a spontaneous movement, an involuntary - attraction, their hands and lips met, and a kiss of peace was - given and received with all the vivacity and sincerity of youth. - The scene was charming, and has assuredly not been forgotten by - those who witnessed it."[10] - - [9] Beaumarchais, in his admirable preface to the opera of _Tarare_. - - [10] _Madame Malibran_, par la COMTESSE MERLIN. Paris: 1838. - -The good understanding thus brought about was permanent, and many -proofs of it are on record. From that time forward Sontag and -Malibran frequently sang together, both in Paris and London, and -displayed an amiability very rare amongst operatic celebrities, -in respect to distribution of parts, and to other points which -often prove a prolific source of strife behind the scenes. In the -little English memoir already referred to, we find some anecdotes -illustrative of the kindly feeling between the blue-eyed soprano and -the dark-browed contralto. Towards the close of the London opera -season of 1829, Malibran one day met Donzelli, the celebrated tenor, -with discontent stamped upon his features. She asked the cause of his -vexation. The time was at hand for his benefit, he said, and he had -been unable to fix on an attractive opera. - - "'Have you thought of nothing?' inquired Malibran. - - "'Yes; I had thought of the _Matrimonio Segreto_; but Pisaroni - says she is quite ugly enough without playing Fidalma: and then - you would not be included in the cast; and I don't know what - opera to choose in which you would not have the second part to - Mademoiselle Sontag's first--that would not please you, and I am - in despair.' - - "'Well,' said Malibran, 'to please you, and to show you I would - play any part with Sontag, I will play Fidalma.' - - "'What, old Fidalma? You are joking!' - - "'To prove that I am in earnest, announce it this very day.'" - -The opera was announced; Malibran was as good as her word, and played -the old aunt admirably: not as Fidalma has since been sometimes -misrepresented by singers who sacrificed scenic truth to their own -coquetry, but with the due allowance of wrinkles and the antiquated -costume appropriate to the part. - -Some time previously to the date of this last-recorded incident, -Mademoiselle Sontag had twice changed her name. The old King of -Prussia, informed of her projected marriage with a Sardinian nobleman -and diplomatist, to whose sovereign it was possible that her humble -birth might be objectionable, ennobled her under the name and title -of Mademoiselle de Launstein, which she soon afterwards abandoned for -that of Countess de Rossi. Her first visit to England was subsequent -to her marriage, then kept private, although pretty generally known. -She first sang in this country at a concert at Devonshire House, -her passage to which was through a throng of gazers, drawn together -by her reputation for grace, beauty, and musical genius. A few days -afterwards, on Tuesday the 15th April 1828, occurred her appearance -at the London Opera, in the character of Rosina, in the _Barbiere -di Seviglia_. For two seasons she sang in London; then in Berlin -and St Petersburg; and then, the King of Sardinia having authorised -her husband to declare his marriage, she left the stage--for ever, -as she doubtless thought. But in days when kings are discarded, -constitutions annulled, and empires turned upside down at a few -hours' notice, who shall presume to foretell his fate? For eighteen -years Madame de Rossi adorned the various courts to which her husband -was successively accredited as ambassador. The Hague, Frankfort, -St Petersburg, Berlin, each in turn welcomed and cherished her. -Then came the storm: her fortune was swallowed up; her husband's -diplomatic prospects were injured; she thought of her children, -and sacrificed herself--if sacrifice it is to be called, by which, -whilst fulfilling what she feels to be her duty to her family, she -may reckon on speedily retrieving the pecuniary losses consequent on -German and Sardinian revolutions. - - "The position of an actress," says a clever French theatrical - critic, in a pamphlet already quoted, "is a very singular - one, even in these days, when prejudice is supposed to have - disappeared. She is a mark for applause and adulation, for gold - and flowers; she is intoxicated with incense and persecuted - by lovers; the gravest personages enact follies for her sake; - men unharness her horses, and carry her in triumph; the crowns - refused to great poets are thrown to her in profusion; the - homage that would be servile, done to a queen, seems quite - natural when offered to a prima donna. Only, she must not cross - the row of lamps which flame at her feet like a magic circle. - From the ivory or golden throne of her lyric empire she may - demand what she pleases; but let her attempt to overstep the - limit, to take her place in the drawing-room by the side of - one of those ladies who applaud her to the bursting of their - white gloves, and who pluck the bouquets from their bosoms to - throw to her, and what a change is there! How haughty now the - mien of those who so lately admired! What chilling reserve; - what insulting politeness; what a deep and sudden line of - demarcation! A polar breeze has succeeded to the warm breath of - enthusiasm; frost has replaced flowers; the idol is no longer - even a woman, but a _creature_. - - "Some of those singers who are adored amongst the most - celebrated and beautiful, imagine that they go into society, - because, on certain nights, when camelias deck the staircases - and lustres sparkle to the wax-lights, when a crowd throngs the - saloons and obstructs the entrance, they are allowed to present - themselves, between eleven and twelve o'clock, at everybody's - hour, at the hour of uncared-for acquaintances and friends one - does not know. But, on their appearance, how quickly is the - music-book opened, how speedily are they manoeuvred towards - the piano or singing desk, how pitilessly is every possible note - extracted from these fine singers! If by chance, instead of - _roulades_, they venture upon conversation, and aspire to enjoy - the pleasures of elegant and polite society, how quickly comes - the cloud on the brow of the fair hostess! How evident is it - that, in admitting the singer, she excludes the woman! Let the - best received presume to have a cold, and she will soon see! - - "A prima donna may obtain everything in the world except one - thing. For a smile, for a glance, for a single pearl from her - string of notes, for a single rose-leaf from her bouquet, she - shall have guineas, rubles, bundles of bank-notes, marble - palaces, equipages that kings might envy; the heirs of ancient - houses shall give her the castles of their ancestors, and efface - their fathers' scutcheon to substitute her cipher. But what she - shall not have, and what she never will have is a quarter of an - hour's conversation at the chimney corner, in a tone neither too - polite nor too familiar, on a footing of equality with a great - lady and an honest woman. - - "The Countess de Rossi has attained this marvellous result; - and certainly, to those who know the invincible obstacles - she had to overcome, her talent as a singer will appear but - a secondary quality. None can tell all the judgment, tact, - reserve, sagacity, delicacy, intuition, the various qualities, - in short, that have been required to accomplish this most - difficult metamorphosis of the actress into the woman of good - society.... To behold the prima donna an ambassadress is strange - and striking; but still more so is it to see the ambassadress, - after twenty years passed in the highest spheres of life, on - an equality with all that is most brilliant and illustrious in - nobility and diplomacy, again become a prima donna, taking up - her success where she had left it, continuing in womanhood what - she had begun in early youth, resuming her part in that duet - where Malibran, alas! is now missing, and reconquering applause - greater perhaps than that of former days. Time has flown for all - of us, except for her. Europe has been revolutionised, a throne - has crumbled, a republic has replaced the monarchy; but that - one thing, so frail, so fleeting, so aerial, that a nothing can - annihilate it--that crystal bell which the slightest shock may - crack or shiver, the voice of a songstress--has preserved itself - unimpaired; in that pure organ still vibrate the silver notes of - youth." - -M. Gautier is well known to be a man of wit and talent; in the -passages from his pen, whose spirit and letter we have here done our -best to render, he gives proof of keen observation and good feeling. -But whilst implying his sympathy with the musical artist, who, like -Tantalus, beholds but may not partake, and whose admittance to the -saloons of good society is as a show, not as a guest, he forgets -even to glance at the causes of such exclusion, necessary as a rule, -but doubtless admitting of exceptions. He omits reference to the -laxity of usages and morals which, although perhaps less so than -formerly, is still the frequent characteristic of theatrical and -musical professors, and which causes them to be, as he shows, kept -at arm's length in good French society. In this country--in such -matters the least facile and tolerant of any--there is still greater -scruple of admitting singers and actresses, however eminent their -talent, to the intercourse even of those classes into which, but for -their profession, they would have a right to admission. Exceptions -have occasionally, and with much propriety, been made, and royalty -itself has been known to set the example. But only under the peculiar -circumstances of Madame de Rossi's eventful career--only in presence -of a reputation which the breath of scandal has never dared assail, -and of social qualities and graces which render her an acquisition to -any circle--can it occur to a singer to pass from the boards of the -Opera to the most exclusive of London's saloons, to be welcomed as -an equal by those who, a few minutes previously, applauded her as an -actress. - -With respect to Madame Sontag's voice and talent, it is unnecessary -to be diffuse. Few comprehend, and still fewer care for, the jargon -of contrapuntal criticism, whether applied to a singer or an -opera; and for those few, abundant food is continually supplied by -_dilettanti_ more profound and scientific than ourselves. Purity, -sweetness, flexibility, are the most prominent characteristics of -Madame Sontag's voice; her execution is extraordinarily brilliant, -correct and elegant, and supremely easy. No appearance of effort -ever distresses her audience; the most difficult passages are -achieved without the swelling of a vein, the strain of a muscle, or -the slightest contortion of her agreeable countenance. Although -excelling in those _tours-de-force_ which captivate the multitude, -and skilled to decorate the composer's theme with an embroidery of -sweet sounds as intricate as graceful, she also well knows how to -captivate the true connoisseur by her exquisite taste and sobriety -in rendering simple melodies, and such music as would be the worse -for adornment. We commenced this paper with a determination to avoid -comparisons, and we shall therefore make none: but assuredly Madame -Sontag need fear none. In her own style she is quite unrivalled. -That style we consider to be more particularly the genteel comedy -of opera--a combination of sentiment with gaiety and grace. In her -younger days she was considered less successful in more impassioned -parts, but this is no longer the case. None who have witnessed her -admirable personation of Amina, Linda, and Elvira, will tax her with -want of soul and of dramatic energy; and we scarcely know whether to -prefer her in those parts, or in the gayer ones of Rosina, Susanna, -and Norina--which last character, peculiarly adapted to her arch -and ladylike style of acting, she has made her own as completely -as Lablache has identified himself with that of her elderly and -disappointed wooer. To say the truth, when we first heard of Madame -Sontag's expected return to the stage, it was with no pleasurable -feeling. The reappearance of a singer after twenty years' absence can -in few instances be other than a melancholy sight. It is mournful to -listen to the efforts of a deteriorated voice that one has known in -its melodious freshness. But an agreeable disappointment awaited all -who ventured such unpleasant anticipations with respect to Madame -Sontag. Her early campaign had been so short that she was yet in her -vigorous prime when she returned, a veteran in fame but not in age -or voice. Amidst various statements of her age, the most favourable -give her forty-one years, whilst the least so add but two or three to -that number. The subject is a delicate one, and we are too happy to -give her the benefit of the doubt, which she is the more entitled to -that neither on nor off the stage does she look even the least of the -ages assigned to her. This would make her but three years older than -Madame Grisi, who first saw the light, if theatrical records tell -truth, in 1812, and in whose voice none, that we are aware of, have -as yet pretended to discover a falling off. Whether twenty years of -almost constant exercise, or the same period of comparative repose, -be most favourable to the preservation of the singing faculties, we -shall not decide. Madame Sontag, however, has never risked by disuse -the rusting of her fine organ. At the different courts at which she -resided, she invariably showed the utmost complaisance, and willingly -contributed, for the pleasure of her friends--and, on occasion, for -the purposes of charity--those treasures of song for which managers, -before and since, have been glad to pay a prince's ransom. This -season her voice is even fresher and more flexible than in 1849; and -there can be no reason why the opera-loving public should not, for -many years to come, applaud her as their chief favourite--unless, -indeed, the very high rate of remuneration her talent commands -should, by speedily realising her object in returning to the stage, -induce her soon to quit it. We believe it is no secret that her -present engagement secures her about fourteen thousand pounds for -twelve months' performances--about thrice the salary of a secretary -of state. The sum is a very satisfactory one; and, whatever the -fortune Madame Sontag has lost, she has evidently at her disposal the -means of rapidly amassing another of no mean amount. Who will give -the odds that we do not again see her an ambassadress? - -A host in herself, Madame Sontag is powerfully seconded. The -management of the Opera House, aware of the danger of trusting for -success to any one singer, however eminent, to the neglect of that -general excellence essential to an effective operatic company, has -shown great activity, and has been exceedingly fortunate, in filling -those vacancies left by the defections already alluded to. Of first -appearances, the most remarkable this season has been that of a -young tenor, who has at once taken a very high place amongst that -rare class of singers. Since Mario made his debut, a dozen years -ago, on the boards of the _Academie Royale_, Beaucarde is the only -pure tenor who has come forward that can fairly be considered a -first-rate. Mario, although his debut was decidedly successful, was -little appreciated for some time after his first appearance, and, -when desirous to transfer himself to the Italian stage, the manager -of the French Opera readily cancelled his engagement on a nominal -forfeit. The world knows the excellence, both as actor and singer, -to which he has since attained. Beaucarde has come before the London -public with more experience of the stage than Mario possessed when -he first presented himself to the Parisians, and he has become -immediately highly and most deservedly popular. Could any doubt of -his excellence have existed in the minds of those who had heard him -in other parts, his singing and acting of _Arturo_ in the _Puritani_ -must at once have dissipated them. Tenderness and elegance marked -his delivery of the whole of that graceful music, which displayed -his beautiful quality of voice to the utmost advantage. Beaucarde -is a very young man, and a very young singer. His father, a French -engineer officer, who had settled at Florence after Napoleon's -fall, intended him for a painter; but his own bias was for music, -the study of which he secretly and enthusiastically pursued. It is -not yet two years since his father's death left him at liberty to -follow his own inclinations. With great difficulty he obtained an -engagement at a second-rate theatre in his native city. There he was -so little appreciated that, after being several months before the -public, he was refused the very humble salary of two hundred pounds -a-year. He was not discouraged. Perhaps he thought of Rubini--how -that tenor of tenors, in his early days, could obtain no better -place wherein to warble than a squalid booth at a country festival. -Many who knew him in his after period of unrivalled prosperity -and renown, will remember, in that room full of trophies, amidst -plate and jewels bestowed upon him by kings and emperors, where the -eye was dazzled with the glitter of gold and diamonds, a certain -picture frame which he was wont to turn round and exhibit to his -admiring visitors, who beheld with astonishment on its reverse -the announcement of his performance at a fair, admission a single -_soldo_--in English currency, a halfpenny. With such an instance -before his eyes, Beaucarde might well persevere. At Florence, Romani, -the celebrated musical professor, heard him sing, and insisted upon -giving him lessons--by which, however, he did not long profit, -having accepted an engagement at a Neapolitan minor opera. At Naples -he speedily ascended in the scale, and finally made his debut with -complete success at the San Carlo. Mercadante, struck by the beauty -of his voice, immediately offered his services as his instructor; -but, like Romani, he did not long retain his pupil. Perhaps it was -as well he did not; for, whatever Beaucarde might have gained in -modish art under his tuition, would have been at the expense of that -chaste simplicity which now characterises his style, constituting, -in our opinion, one of its greatest merits. How far the taste of his -present public will suffer that extreme refinement of style to be -compatible with his permanent and complete popularity, may be matter -of doubt. The London opera is indebted for his acquisition to the -veteran Lablache, who, whilst indulging in a vacation ramble through -his old haunts, heard him at the San Carlo, and brought news of his -excellence from the shores of the Mediterranean to the banks of the -Thames. - -Calzolari, a remarkably sweet singer and graceful actor, and Sims -Reeves, complete such a trio of tenors as has not often been united -at one opera house. Mr Reeves' reception on the stage of the Italian -theatre has certainly not been the less favourable on account of his -being of home growth; and the same remark applies to Miss Catherine -Hayes, a delightful singer, who will do well to pay attention to her -acting. We make this remark in no unfriendly spirit: we are amongst -the warm admirers of Miss Hayes' voice and talent, but we have seen -her in parts whose dramatic requirements she seemed somewhat to -overlook. It may express our meaning to say that she at times reminds -us of the concert room. Upon the stage this should never be. We may -instance her performance of Cherubino. Her singing in that charming -part was excellent; her delivery of the thrilling and impassioned -air, _Voi che sapete_, left nothing to wish for, and elicited as -fervent an encore from a very crowded house as the most ambitious -could desire. But as to illusion, we are bound to confess there was -little enough--what with the ladylike calmness of her acting, and -the epicene costume in which she thought proper to appear. We beheld -before us a graceful young woman and an excellent singer--but of the -wilful and enamoured page we had but glimpses. A little more spirit, -and a little less satin, would have been a decided improvement. Of -course we are all cognisant of the "wild sweet-briery fence" which, -Mr Moore asserts, environs the beauties of Erin. But is it quite -necessary that Miss Hayes should interpret the metaphor into feminine -attire when she plays a male part? - -We are unable, nor is it necessary, individually to criticise all -the members of the Italian company now performing at her Majesty's -Theatre, and which, in all respects, is excellent and most effective. -There is one other singer, however, who must have a word of mention, -were it only that he was the indirect means of making the English -public acquainted with Jenny Lind. Belletti was formerly engaged -at the opera at Stockholm, and was a great favourite with the late -king, Bernadotte. Jenny Lind heard him, and his admirable method and -acting at once revealed to her the treasures of the Italian school. -She saw that she had much to acquire, and departed for Paris to -study. But Belletti has a claim to other than second-hand gratitude. -His singing and acting are alike first-rate. Nothing can be better -than his Figaro; in less important characters he is equally careful -and efficient. His forte is in _buffo_ parts, where his rich mellow -voice and contagious merriment are greatly relished. He will probably -become--we will not say popular, for that he already is in the -highest degree, but an indispensable member of the London company. We -regret to learn that he is shortly to accompany Miss Lind to America, -and trust his absence will not be of long duration. - -Can we close this enumeration without a word of our old acquaintance, -Luigi Lablache? Surely a small corner may be found for the great man, -who flourishes in unabated vigour, in spite of accumulating years -and, as we fancy, annually increasing bulk. There is a geniality -and a joviality about this long-standing pillar of the opera, which -never fails of its effect upon his public. Probably no foreign actor -ever enlisted so uniformly and heartily the goodwill of an English -audience; and his popularity, although of course augmented by his -vocal merits, is by no means dependent on them. We lately somewhere -encountered a hypercritical comment upon his acting, in which he -was accused of condescending to buffoonery. Never was charge more -unfounded and absurd. One of the most remarkable characteristics of -Lablache is the extreme skill with which he draws the line between -humour and vulgarity; the perfect good taste distinguishing his -drolleries and occasional deviations from the letter of his part. -The practice of now and then introducing a French or English word or -sentence in an Italian opera, for the purpose of producing a comic -effect, is one that certainly should only be indulged with great -discretion; but in this, and in all other respects, we may be sure -that any dereliction from correct taste would promptly be detected -and reproved by so sensitive an audience as that of her Majesty's -Theatre. But from his first appearance in London, in 1829, to the -present day, an instance, we believe, was never known of a sally of -Lablache not obtaining at least a smile--far oftener a hearty laugh. -In him the rich Italian humour of the _buffo Napolitano_, the droll -of the San Carlino, still exists, happily tempered and modified -by the gentlemanly tact of the experienced comedian. Long may the -colossus of bassos preserve his voice and his good humour! His loss -would be sorely felt, and his place be hard to fill. Who, after him, -shall dare undertake Dulcamara and Pasquale? One thing certain is, -that, whenever fulness of years or pocket may detach him from the -stage he has so long adorned, to bask away his old age, with dignity -and ease, in some sunny Italian town, the public of London and -Paris, accustomed to his annual presence amongst them, will regret, -in Lablache, not less the accomplished actor than the amiable and -kind-hearted man. - -We have not room for any particular review of the operas that have -been this year performed; and, for the same reason, we can give -but a few words to the chief novelty announced. We refer to the -forthcoming opera of the _Tempest_, whose composition devolved, -after the death of Mendelssohn, upon Halevy, the youngest, and -one of the most distinguished, of living French composers. Scribe -has supplied the poem. Upon his merits as a librettist it were -superfluous to expatiate; it were perhaps more necessary, did it -come within the scope of this paper, to correct the popular error -that, compared with the music, the libretto of an opera is of -little or no consequence. That kind of poetry has certainly been -much degraded by the incapacity of many who have presumptuously -undertaken it. Good writers of librettos are even more rare than good -composers. Since Metastasio's day, those who alone can fairly claim -a place in the first rank are Romani, Da Ponte, (the librettist of -Don Giovanni,) and Scribe, that able and indefatigable purveyor of -the stage, to whom English managers and playwrights owe so heavy a -debt of gratitude--a debt which they are not always very prompt to -acknowledge. Mendelssohn, when he agreed to compose an opera on the -_Tempest_, stipulated that the libretto should be confided to Scribe, -who willingly undertook it, and afterwards declared that he knew few -subjects so well adapted for music. This opinion, proceeding from -a man who, amongst the various classes of theatrical composition -in which he has succeeded, is considered to have been especially -successful in that of libretti--so much so, indeed, that it has been -asserted he owed more than one vote, at his election as member of the -French Academy, to their excellence alone--is of no slight weight. -Nor were it reasonable to doubt that the composer of the _Juive_ and -of _Guido et Ginevra_, who seems to have caught, especially in the -last-named opera, no feeble spark of the inspiration of his brother -Israelite, the great Meyerbeer, will have succeeded in clothing the -verse of Scribe in music correspondingly worthy. - -We must conclude without even touching upon the ballet. It needs no -praise from us: the names alone of Carlotta Grisi, Marie Taglioni, -and Amalia Ferraris, are sufficient guarantee of its excellence. -Perhaps upon some future day we may be able to discuss its merits. - - - - -THE GREEN HAND. - -A "SHORT" YARN. - -PART X. - - -As soon as you near St Helena by a few miles, the trade-wind falls -light; and making the rock, as you do from the South Atlantic, a -good deal to leeward of the harbour, 'twould be pretty slow work -beating round to north-east, but for the breeze always coming off -the height, with the help of which one can coast easy enough along. -Captain Wallis said no more than to bid the first lieutenant make the -brig's number at her mast-head, while she still bore in direct upon -the breast of the land, as much out of soundings as the day before; -the smooth heavy swell seeming to float the island up in one huge -lump ahead of us, till you saw it rolling in to the very foot, with a -line of surf, as if it all rose sheer out of the bottom of the sea; -as grim and hard as a block of iron, too, and a good deal the same -colour. By noon, it hung fairly as it were over our mast-heads, the -brig looking by comparison as tiny and as ticklish as a craft made -of glass; she coasting away round, with yards braced first one way -then another, and opening point after point from three hundred to -two thousand feet high; while at times she would go stealing in with -a faint ripple at her bows, near enough to hear the deep sound of -the sea plunging slowly to the face of the rock, where the surf rose -white against it without a break. There wasn't so much as a weed to -be seen, the rocks getting redder and more coppery, sending out the -light like metal, till you'd have thought they tingled all over with -the heat. Then as you opened another bulge in the line, the sharp -sugar-loaf hills, far away up, with the ragged cliffs and crags, shot -over against the bare white sky in all sort of shapes; and after a -good long spell of the sea, there was little fancy needed to give one -the notion they were changing into these, as we passed ahead, to mock -you. There was one peak for all the world like the top of St Paul's, -and no end of church spires and steeples, all lengths and ways; then -big bells and trumpets, mixed with wild-beasts' heads, grinning -at each other across some split in the blue beyond, and soldier's -helmets--not to speak of one huge block, like a Nigger's face with a -cowl behind it, hanging far out over the water. Save for the colour -of it all, in fact, St Helena reminds one more of a tremendous -iceberg than an island, and not the less that it looks ready in some -parts to topple over and show a new face; while the sea working -round it, surging into the hollows below water-mark, and making -the air groan inside of them, keeps up a noise the like of which -you wouldn't wish to cruise alongside of every day. The strangest -thing about it, however, was that now and then, as you came abreast -of some deep gully running up inland, a sudden blast of wind would -rush out of it, sufficient to make the Podargus reel--with a savage -thundering roar, too, like the howl out of a lion's mouth; while you -looked far up a narrow, bare black glen, closing into a hubbub of red -rocks, or losing itself up a grey hill-side in a white thread of a -water-course; then the rough shell of the island shut in again, as -still as before, save the light breeze and the deep hum of the surf -along its foot. Curiously enough in a latitude like St Helena's, the -island seems, as it were, a perfect bag of air. What with the heat -of the rock, its hollow inside, the high peaks of it catching the -clouds, and the narrow outlets it has, 'tis always brewing wind, you -may say, to ventilate that part of the tropics--just as one may keep -up cold draughts through and through a wet heap of loose stones, -no matter how hot the weather is, as long as he pleases. As for a -landing-place, though, there wasn't one of the gullies that didn't -yawn over without falling to the sea; and not to mention the surf -underneath, where the dark swell came in unbroken from deep water -without a shoal to soften it, why, watching it from the brig's side, -I shouldn't have said a cat would scramble up or down the steep -slopes and the wreck of stones, from the water's edge to the jaws of -the easiest gully you saw. - -Once or twice, standing further off, we caught sight of Diana's Peak -over the shoulder of a hill, with the light haze melting about it; -at last you noticed a large gun mounted against the sky on a lofty -peak, where it looked like a huge telescope; and on clearing another -headland, a beautiful frigate came in between us and the burst of -light to seaward, cruising to windward under easy sail. She bore up -and stood towards the brig-of-war, just as the line of wall was to be -seen winding round the middle of Sugar-Loaf Point, where the sentry's -bayonet glittered near his watch-box, and the soldiers' red coats -could be seen moving through the covered passage to the batteries. -Five minutes after, the Podargus swept round the breast of Rupert's -Hill into the bay, in sight of James Town and the ships lying off the -harbour; cluing up her sails and ready to drop anchor, as the frigate -hove to not far astern. - -You can fancy land heaving in sight after thrice as many weeks as -you've been at sea, ladies; or the view of a ship to a man that's -been long laid up in bed ashore; or a gulp of fresh water in a sandy -desert,--but I question if any of them matches your first glimpse of -James Town from the roadstead, like a bright piece of fairy-work in -the mouth of the narrow brown valley, after seeing desolation enough -to make you wish for a clear horizon again. More especially this -time, when all the while one couldn't help bringing to mind one's -notion of the French Emperor, how, not long ago, the sight of the -French coast, or a strange frigate over the Channel swell, used to -make us think of him far ashore, with half the earth for his own, -and millions of soldiers. We reefers down in the cockpit would save -our grog to drink confusion to Napoleon, and in a rough night near a -lee-shore, it was look alive aloft, or choose betwixt cold brine and -the clutch of a gendarme hauling you to land. I do believe we looked -upon him as a sort of god, as Captain Wallis did in the Temple; every -ship or gun-boat we saw taken, or had a hand in the mauling of, why, -'twas for the sheer sake of the thing, and scarce by way of harm to -Boney; while nothing like danger, from breakers on the lee-bow to a -November gale, but had seemingly a taste of him. None of us any more -thought of bringing him to this, than we did of his marching into -London, or of a French frigate being able to rake our old Pandora in -a set-to on green water or blue, with us to handle her. - -But _there_ was the neat little cluster of houses, white, yellow, and -green, spreading down close together in the bottom of the valley, and -out along the sea's edge; the rough brown cliffs sloping up on each -side, with the ladder-like way to the fort on the right, mounting, -as it were, out of the very street, to the flag-staff on the top, -and dotted with red-coats going up and down; a bright line of a pier -and a wall before the whole, the Government House dazzling through -a row of spreading trees, and a little square church tower to be -seen beyond. 'Twas more like a scene in a play, than aught else; -what with the suddenness of it all, the tiny look of it betwixt the -huge rocks, the greenness of the trees and bushes, and patches of -garden struggling up as far as they could go into the stone, and the -gay little toys of cottages, with scarce flat enough to stand upon: -save for the blue swell of the sea plunging lazily in through the -bit of a bay, and the streak of air behind, that let you in high -over the head of the hollow, up above one height and another, to a -flat-headed blue rise in the distance, where Longwood could be seen -from the main-cross-trees I had gone to as the sails were furled. The -sunlight, striking from both the red sides of the ravine, made the -little village of a place, trees and all, glitter in a lump together, -out of it, like no spot in the rest of the world; while elsewhere -there wasn't so much as a weed to be seen hanging from the rock, nor -the sign of another human habitation, saving the bare batteries on -each hand, with a few sheds and warehouses over the beach along the -landing-place. Once or twice the same sudden gust as before would -come slap down through the valley into the brig's bare rigging, hot -as the air was, with a howling kind of a sigh you took some time to -get accustomed to, lest there was a hurricane to follow: in fact -one didn't well know whether it was the wild look of it outside, or -the lovely spot in its grim mouth of a landing-place, but the whole -island gave you the notion of a thing you couldn't be long sure of, -without fancying it would give a shake some day or other again; or -else spout fire, as no doubt it had done before, if there wasn't more -fear of Napoleon getting back somehow to France, and wreaking bloody -vengeance on the kings that shut him up in St Helena. - -There was apparently a busy scene ashore, however, both in the little -town, which has scarce more than a single street, and along the quay, -full of residents, as well as passengers from two Indiamen lying -in-shore of us, while the Government esplanade seemed to be crowded -with ladies, listening to the regimental band under the trees. The -Newcastle frigate, with Sir Dudley Aldcombe's flag hoisted at her -mizen, was at anchor out abreast at Ladder Hill; and our first -lieutenant had scarce pulled aboard of the Hebe, which was hove-to -off the brig's quarter, before I noticed the Admiral's barge lying -alongside the Hebe. Seeing Mr Aldridge on his way back shortly after, -I came down the rigging, more anxious than ever to have my own matter -settled; indeed, Captain Wallis no sooner caught sight of my face, -uncomfortable as I daresay it looked, than he told me he was going -to wait on the Admiral aboard the Hebe, and would take me with him -at once, if I chose. For my part, I needed nothing but the leave, -and in ten minutes time I found myself, no small mark of curiosity, -betwixt the waist and the quarterdeck of the Hebe, where the officers -eyed me with as little appearance of rudeness as they could help, -and I overhauled the spars and rigging aloft as coolly as I could, -waiting to be sent for below. The Hebe, in fact, was the very beauty -of a twenty-eight; taking the shine, and the wind, too, clean out of -everything even at Plymouth, where I had seen her once a year or two -before: our poor dear old Iris herself had scarce such a pattern of -a hull, falling in, as it did, from the round swell of her bilge, to -just under the plank-sheer, and spreading out again with her bright -black top-sides, till where the figurehead shot over the cut-water, -and out of her full pair of bows, like a swan's neck out of its -breast. As for the Iris, our boatswain himself one day privately -confessed to me, almost with tears in his eyes, that she tumbled home -a thought too much just in front of the fore-chains, and he'd tried -to get it softened off with dead planking and paint, but it wouldn't -do; everybody saw through them. The truth was, to feel this fine ship -under one, with her loose topsails hanging high against the gloom of -the red gully towards Longwood, and the gay little town peeping just -over her larboard bow, a mile away, it somehow or other cleared one's -mind of a load. I was thinking already how, if one had the command of -such a craft, to do something with her at sea--hang it! but surely -that old Judge couldn't be too proud to give him a fair hearing. By -Jove! thought I--had one only wild enough weather, off the Cape, -say--if I wouldn't undertake to bother even a seventy-four a whole -voyage through, till she struck her flag; in which case a fellow -might really venture to hold his head up and speak his mind, lovely -as Violet Hyde would be in Calcutta. But then, again, _there_ was St -Helena towering red and rough over the ships, with the grand French -Emperor hidden in it hard and fast, and all the work he used to give -us at an end! - -Just at the moment, happening to catch sight of the American mate's -sallow black visage over the brig-of-war's hammock-cloths, peering -as he did from the cliffs to the lofty spars of the frigate, while -his Negro shipmates were to be made out nearer the bows--somehow -or other the whole affair of their being burnt out and picked up -started into my mind again, along with our late queer adventures in -the Indiaman. Not to mention Captain Wallis's story, it flashed upon -me all at once, for the first time, that the strange schooner was -after some scheme as regarded the island; and a man more likely to -try something uncommon than the Frenchman, I never had seen yet. The -truth was, but for my thoughts being otherwise taken up, I'd have -wondered at my own confounded stupidity in not fathoming the thing -sooner; whereas now, I'm not going to deny it, I half began actually -to wish him good success, or else a close miss of it, where either -way one couldn't well fail having a share in the squall. At any rate, -I saw it was cunningly enough gone about; this same burnt barque of -the Yankee's, I perceived in a moment, was part of the plot; though -as for meddling in it till I saw more, 'twas likely to spoil the -whole; let alone making an ass of one's-self in case of mistake. I -was eyeing the shipwrecked mate, indeed, when one of the lieutenants -told me politely the Admiral wanted to see me in the cabin below. - -Not being much accustomed to admirals' society, as a little -white-haired fellow-reefer of mine once said at a tea-party ashore, -I came in at the door with rather an awkward bow, no doubt; for -Sir Dudley, who was sitting on the sofa with his cocked hat and -sword beside him, talking to Captain Wallis, turned his head at the -captain's word, as if he were trying to keep in a smile. A tall, -fine-looking man he was, and few seamen equal to him for handling -a large fleet, as I knew, though his manners were finished enough -to have made him easy in a king's court. As for the captain of the -Hebe, he was leaning out of an open stern-window, seemingly a young -man, but who he might be I didn't know at the moment. The Admiral -had only a question or two to put, before he looked back to Captain -Wallis again, remarking it was clear he had brought away the wrong -man. "I didn't think you were so dull in the Podargus," said he, -smiling, "as to let an Indiaman play off such a trick on you--eh, -Captain Wallis!" Captain Wallis glanced round the cabin, and then -sideways down at Sir Dudley's cocked hat, in a funny enough way, as -much as to say he took all the blame on himself; and it struck me -more than ever what a kind heart the man had in him--if you only set -aside his hatred to Buonaparte, which in fact was nothing else but -a twisted sort of proof of the same thing. "Pooh, pooh, Wallis," -continued Sir Dudley, "we can't do anything in the matter; though, -if the service were better than it really is at present, I should -certainly incline to question a smart young fellow like this, that -has held His Majesty's commission, for idling in an Indiaman after -the lady passengers! I am afraid, sir," said he to me, "you've lost -your passage, though,--unless the captain of the Hebe will give you -his second berth here, to make amends." "You need not be afraid, Lord -Frederick!" added he, looking toward the captain of the frigate, and -raising his voice; "you do not know him, after all, I suppose!" The -captain drew in his head, saying he had been doubtful about one of -the pivots of the rudder, then turned full round and looked uneasily -at me, on which his face brightened immediately, and he said, "No, -Sir Dudley, I do not!" I was still in ignorance for a moment or so, -myself, who this titled young post-captain might be, though I had -certainly seen him before; till all at once I recollected him, with -a start as pleasant to me as his seemed to him at _not_ knowing me. -Both Westwood and I had been midshipmen together for a while in the -Orion, fifty-gun ship, where _he_ was second lieutenant, several -years before. As for me, I was too fond of a frigate to stay longer -in her than I could help; but I remembered my being a pest to the -second lieutenant, and Tom's being a favourite of his, so that he -staid behind me, and got master's mate as soon as he was 'passed.' -The Honourable Frederick Bury he was then, and the handsomest young -fellow in the squadron, as well as the best-natured aboard. I -don't believe he knew how to splice in a dead-eye, and any of the -masters'-mates could take charge of the ship better in a rough night, -I daresay; but for a gallant affair in the way of hard knocks, with -management to boot, there wasn't his match. He never was known to -fail when he took a thing in hand; lost fewer men, too, than any one -else did; and whenever there turned up anything ticklish for the -boats, it was always "Mr Bury will lead." "The honourable Bury," we -used to call him, and "Fighting Free-the-deck." Westwood was one of -his school, whereas _I_ had learnt from Jacobs in a merchantman's -forecastle; and many a time did we play off such tricks on the second -lieutenant as coming gravely aft to him during the watch, three or -four of us together, me carrying a bit of rope where a "turk's-head" -or a "mouse" was be worked, while I asked him innocently to show us -the way. Or else it was some dispute we contrived beforehand, as to -the best plan of sending up new topmasts at sea, or running out of -a "round" gale in the Indian Ocean, on which the men forward would -be all ready to break out laughing; and the second lieutenant, after -thinking a moment, would quietly pitch upon me to go aloft, and study -the point for two hours at the mast-head. - -"What is _your_ name then, young man?" inquired Sir Dudley Aldcombe -of me. The instant I told him, Lord Frederick Bury gave me another -look, then a smile. "What?" said he, "Collins that was in the Orion?" -"Yes, Lord Frederick," said I, "the same; I was third in the Iris off -the West African coast, since then." "Why," said he, "I recollect -you quite well, Mr Collins, although you have grown a foot, I think, -sir--but your eye reminds me of sundry pranks you used to play on -board! What nickname was it your mess-mates called you, by the bye?" -"Something foolish enough, I suppose, my lord," replied I, biting my -lip; "but I remember clearly having the honour to steer the second -cutter in shore one dark night near Dunkirk, when your lordship -carried the Dutch brig and the two French chasse-marees--" "'Faith," -broke in the captain of the Hebe, "you've a better memory than I -have--I do not recollect any chasse-marees at all, that time, Mr -Collins!" "Why," said I, "I got a knock on the head from a fellow in -a red shirt--that always kept me in mind." "Oh," remarked the Admiral -to Captain Wallis, laughing, "Lord Frederick Bury must have had so -many little parties of the kind, that his memory can't be expected -to be very nice! However, I shall go ashore at present, gentlemen, -leaving the Hebe and you to dispose of this runaway lieutenant in -someway or other. Only you'd better settle it before Admiral Plampin -arrives!" "Have you seen the--the--Longwood lately, Sir Dudley?" -asked the captain of the Podargus, carelessly. "Yes, not many days -ago I had an interview," said the Admiral gravely; "proud as ever, -and evidently resolved not to flinch from his condition. 'Tis -wonderful the command that man has over himself, Wallis--he speaks -of the whole world and its affairs like one that sees into them, and -had them still nearly under his foot! All saving those miserable -squabbles with Plantation House, which--but, next time, I shall -take my leave, and wash my hands of the whole concern, I am glad to -think!" Lord Frederick was talking to me meanwhile at the other end -of the cabin, but I was listening in spite of myself to Sir Dudley -Aldcombe, and noticed that Captain Wallis made no answer. "By the -way, Wallis," continued the Admiral, "'tis curious that he seemed -anxious more than once to know what you think of him--I believe he -would like to see you!" "To see _me_!" said the commander of the -Podargus, suddenly. "At last, does he! No, Sir Dudley, he and I never -_will_ meet; he ought to have thought of it twelve years sooner! God -knows," he went on, "the commander of a ten-gun brig is too small a -man to see the Emperor Napoleon a prisoner--but in ten years of war, -Sir Dudley, what mightn't one have been, instead of being remembered -after as only plain John Wallis, whom Buonaparte kept all that time -in prison, and who was sent, in course of time, to cruise off St -Helena!" Here the Admiral said something about a British sailor not -keeping malice, and Captain Wallis looked up at him gravely. "No," -replied he; "no, Sir Dudley, I shouldn't have _chosen_ the thing; -but in the mean time I'm only doing my duty. There's a gloomy turn -in my mind by this time, no doubt; but you've no idea, Sir Dudley, -how the thought of other people comes into one's head when he's years -shut up--so _I_ may stand for many a one Buonaparte will never see -more than myself, that'll ring him round surer than those rocks -there, though they're dead and in their graves, Sir Dudley!" The -Admiral shook his head, observing that Napoleon was no common man, -and oughtn't to be judged as such. "Too many victories in that eye -of his, I suspect, Captain Wallis," said he, "for either Plantation -House or his own conscience to break his spirit!" "Ay, ay sir," -answered the captain respectfully, "excuse me, Sir Dudley, but there -it is--so long as he's got his victories to fall back upon, he can't -see how, if he'd regarded common men more, with all belonging to -them, he wouldn't have been here! Why did Providence shut him up in a -dead volcano, with blue water round it, Sir Dudley, if it wasn't to -learn somehow or other he was a man after all?" Sir Dudley Aldcombe -shrugged his shoulders and looked to Lord Frederick, upon which he -rose, and the two captains followed him out of the cabin; in five -minutes I heard the side piped for the Admiral's leaving, and soon -after the captain of the Hebe came below again. - -"This is a disagreeable affair of your old messmate's, Mr Collins," -said he, seriously. "You are, perhaps, not aware that Captain -Duncombe was a relative of my own, and the fact of his property -having fallen by will to myself, rendered my position the more -peculiarly disagreeable, had I been obliged not only to recognise -Lieutenant Westwood here, but afterwards to urge proceedings against -him, even if he were let off by court-martial. I cannot tell you how -the sight of a stranger, as I thought, relieved me, sir!" "Indeed, -Lord Frederick!" replied I, too much confused in the circumstances to -say more. However, his lordship's manner soon set me at my ease, the -old good-humoured smile coming over his fine features again, while he -went on to offer me the place of his second lieutenant, who was going -home very ill by one of the homeward bound Indiamen; adding, that Sir -Dudley would confirm the appointment; indeed, he could scarce help -himself, he said, as there was nobody else he could get at present. -"You must be a thorough good sailor by this time, Collins," continued -he, "if you have gone on at the rate you used to do. I remember how -fond you were of having charge for a minute or two of the old Orion, -or when I let you put her about in my watch. Why they called you -'young Green,' I never could understand, unless it was '_ut lucus a -non lucendo_' as we used to say at Eton, you know. Well, what do you -say?" Now, as you may suppose, the idea of boxing about St Helena, -for heaven knew how long, didn't at all suit my liking--with the -thought of the Seringapatam steering away for Bombay the whole time, -and a hundred notions of Violet Hyde in India,--'twould have driven -me madder than the Temple did Captain Wallis: but it was only the -_first_ part of my mind I gave Lord Frederick. "What!" exclaimed -he, with a flush over his face, and drawing up his tall figure, -"you didn't suppose _I_ should remain here? Why, the Hebe is on her -way for Calcutta and Canton, and will sail as soon as the Conqueror -arrives at James Town with Admiral Plampin." "Your lordship is very -kind," said I looking down to cover my delight; "and if I am not -worthy of the post, it shan't be my fault, Lord Frederick." "Ah, very -good!" said he smiling; "'tis an opportunity you oughtn't to let -slip, Collins, let me tell you! For my own part, I should just as -soon cut out a pirate in the Straits of Malacca as a French brig in -the Channel; and there are plenty of them, I hear, there. As for a -chase, sir, I flatter myself you won't easily see a finer thing than -the Hebe spreading her cloth after one of those fast proas will be--I -think you are just the fellow to make her walk, too, Mr Collins--pah! -to compare a day on the Derby turf with _that_, would be a sin! -You have no idea, sir, how one longs for a fair horizon again, and -brisk breezes, when so ineffably tired out of all those ball-rooms, -and such things as you see about town just now--only I fear I shall -wish to be second lieutenant again, eh?" The noble captain of the -Hebe turned to look out through the stern window to seaward, his -face losing the weary sort of half-melancholy cast it had shown -for the last minute, while his eye glistened; and it struck me -how well-matched the Hebe and her commander were: you'd have said -both had good blood in them, both being models to look at of their -kind, and the frigate lifting under you at the moment, from the keel -upward, with a check aloft in her main-topsail, that lifted her stem -to the surge. A small telescope rolled off the sofa on to the cabin -deck, and as I picked it up, another gust could be heard coming down -St James' Valley from inside the island; through the gun-port one -saw the trees wave over the hot white houses in the bright coloured -little town, while the ship's canvass gave another flutter above -decks. Lord Frederick laughed, and said, "Then, I suppose, we need -say no more about it, Mr Collins, except referring once for all -to Sir Dudley?" I bowed, and the upshot was, that, an hour or two -after, I had my acting commission sent me from the Admiral, the same -boat having called at the Podargus for my things; upon which Lord -Frederick introduced me to the first lieutenant, and I found myself -once more doing duty in the service--the Hebe standing out to leeward -with the last light, just as the Podargus was tripping anchor to beat -round again the other way. As for our friends from the burnt vessel, -I must say I had forgot them already, for the time at least. - -Every block, crag, and knot in the huge crust of the rock, shone -terribly bright for a minute or two, aloft from over the yard-ends, -as she stood suddenly out into the fiery gleam of the sun going down -many a mile away in the Atlantic. Then up leapt the light keener and -keener to the very topmost peak, till you'd have thought it went in -like a living thing behind a telegraph, that stood out against a -black cleft betwixt two cliffs. We saw the evening gun off Ladder -Hill flash upon the deep blue of the sky, seemingly throwing up the -peak and flag-staff a dozen feet higher; and the boom of the gun -sounding in among the wild hills and hollows within the island, as -if one heard it going up to Longwood door. Scarce was it lost, ere a -star or two were to be seen in the shadow on the other side, and you -listened almost, in the hush following upon the gunfire, for an echo -to it, or something stranger; in place of which the Hebe was already -forging ahead in the dark to get well clear of the land, every -wave bringing its own blackness with it up toward her forechains, -then sparkling back to her waist in the seeth of foam as she felt -the breeze; while St Helena lay towering along to larboard, with -its ragged top blotting against the deep dark-blue of the sky, all -filling as it was with the stars. - -I had the middle watch that night; the ship being under short -canvass, and slowly edging down to make the most leewardly point of -the island, from which she was to beat up again at her leisure by -the morning. All we had to do was to keep a good look-out, on the -one hand, into the streak of starlight to seaward, and on the other -along the foot of the rocks, as well as holding her well in hand, in -case of some sudden squall through the valleys from inside. However, -I shan't easily forget the thoughts that ran in my mind, walking -the quarterdeck, with the frigate under charge, the first time I -noticed Orion and the Serpent begin to wheel glittering away from -over Diana's Peak--the others stealing quietly into sight after them, -past the leech of our main-topsail: scarce an English star to be seen -for the height of the island off our quarter; some of the men on one -side of the booms humming a song about Napoleon's dream, which you'll -hear to this day in ships' forecastles; another yarning solemnly, on -the other side, about some old sweetheart of his--but all of them -ready to jump at my own least word. In the morning, however, there -we were, stretching back by degrees to go round the lee side of the -island again; the haze melting off Diana's Peak as before, and the -sea rolling in swells as blue as indigo, to the huge red lumps of -bare crag; while the bright surges leapt out of them all along the -frigate's side, and the spray rose at times to her figure-head. - -During the day we cruised farther out, and the Hebe had enough -to do in seeing off one Indiaman for home, and speaking another -outward-bound craft, that passed forty miles off or so, without -touching; the governor's telegraphs were eternally at work on the -heights, bothering her for the least trifle, and making out a sail -sixty miles off, it was said. For my part, I was pretty well tired -of it already, sincerely wishing for the Conqueror, with Admiral -Plampin, to heave in sight; but glad enough all aboard the Hebe were, -when, after an entire week of the thing, it came to her turn, with -the Newcastle and Podargus, to lie at anchor off James Town, where -half the ship's company at a time had their liberty ashore. For my -part, I had to see after the frigate's water-tanks, and a gang at -the rigging, till the afternoon, when Lord Frederick took the first -lieutenant and myself ashore with him in his gig; and no joke it was -landing even there, where the swell of the surf nighhand hove her -right up on the quay, while you had to look sharp, in case the next -wave washed you back again off your feet. The whole place was hot as -could be from the sun's rays off the rocks, slanting bare red to the -cloudless sky, on both sides of the neat little gaudy houses crowded -in the mouth of the valley, which narrowed away beyond the rise of -the street, till you didn't see how you'd get farther. But for the -air of the sea, indeed, with now and then a breath down out of the -hills, 'twas for all the world like a half-kindled oven; except under -the broad trees along the Government esplanade, where one couldn't -have stood for people. What with blacks, lascars, Chinamen, and -native 'Yamstocks,' together with liberty men from the men-of-war and -Indiamen, as well as reefers trotting about on ponies and donkeys, -the very soldiers could scarce get down the foot of the road up -Ladder Hill: as for the little town holding one half of them, it was -out of the question, but the noise and kick-up were beyond aught else -of the kind, saving a Calcutta bazaar. Accordingly, it was pleasant -enough at last to come within a shady walk of thick green fig-trees, -growing almost out of the rock near the main battery, above the small -sound of the water far below; the very sea looking bluer through the -leaves, while some birds no bigger than wrens hopped, chirruping, -about the branches. Here we met Sir Dudley Aldcombe coming down from -the batteries along with some Company's officers from India, and he -stopped to speak to Lord Frederick, giving the first lieutenant and -me a bow in return, as we lifted our hats and waited behind. The -Admiral proposed to get Lord Frederick a pass to visit Napoleon along -with himself next day, as the Conqueror would probably arrive very -soon. "You will oblige me greatly, Sir Dudley," said the captain -of the Hebe. "He seems as fond of seeing a true sailor," said the -Admiral, "as if we'd never done him harm! Things will be worse -after I go. By the way," added he suddenly, "'tis curious enough, -but there's one person on the island at present, has made wonderful -progress in Sir Hudson's good graces, for the short time--that -American botanist, or whatever he calls himself, that Captain Wallis -took off the burnt vessel on his way here. Your new lieutenant was -aboard at the time, you know, Lord Frederick." "You saw him, sir, of -course?" said the Admiral, looking to me. "Only for a minute that -night, Sir Dudley," answered I; "and afterwards both he and his -servant were under the surgeon's charge below." "Well," continued -Sir Dudley to the captain, "they seem quite recovered now; for I -saw them to-day up at Plantation House, where the philosopher was -in close discourse with the Governor about plants and such things; -while her ladyship was as much engaged with the assistant, who can -only speak Spanish. A remarkable-looking man the latter is, too; a -Mexican, I understand, with Indian blood in him, apparently--whereas -his principal has a strong Yankee twang; and queer enough it was to -hear him snuffling away as solemnly as possible about _buttany_ and -such things--besides his hinting at some great discovery likely to be -made in the island, which Sir Hudson seemed rather anxious to keep -quiet from _me_." What Sir Dudley said made me prick up my ears, as -you may fancy. I could scarce believe the thing; 'twas so thoroughly -rich, and so confoundedly cool at once, to risk striking at the very -heart of things this way with the Governor himself; but the whole -scheme, so far, flashed upon me in a moment, evidently carried on, as -it had been all along, by some one bold enough for anything earthly, -and with no small cunning besides. All that he needed, no doubt, was -_somebody else_ with the devil's own impudence and plenty of talk; -nor, if I'd thought for a day together, could one have pitched easily -upon a customer as plausible as our friend Daniel, who hadn't a spark -of fear in him, I knew, just owing to his want of respect for aught -in the entire creation. Still I couldn't, for the life of me, see -what the end of their plan was to be, unless the strange Frenchman -might have been some general or other under Buonaparte, and just -wanted to see his old commander once more; which, thought I, I'll be -hanged if I don't think fair enough, much pains as he had put himself -to for the thing. - -"How!" asked Lord Frederick, "a discovery, did you say, Sir Dudley?" -"Oh, nothing of the kind we should care about, after all," said the -Admiral; "from what I could gather, 'twas only scientific, though the -American called it '_a_ pretty importaint fact.' This Mr Mathewson -Brown, I believe, was sent out by the States' Government as botanist -in an expedition to southward, and has leave from Sir Hudson to use -his opportunity before the next Indiaman sails, for examining part -of the island; and to-day he thought he found the same plants in -St Helena as he did in Gough's Island and Tristan d'Acunha, twelve -hundred miles off, near the Cape; showing, as he said, how once on -a time there must have been land between them, perhaps as far as -Ascension!" "Why," put in Lord Frederick, "that would have made a -pretty good empire, even for Napoleon!" "So it would, my lord," -said Sir Dudley, "much better than Elba,--but the strangest part of -it is, this Mr Brown was just telling his Excellency, as I entered -the room, that some of the ancient philosophers wrote about this -said country existing in the Atlantic before the Flood--how rich -it was, with the kings it had, and the wars carried on there; till -on account of their doings, no doubt, what with an earthquake, a -volcano, and the ocean together, they all sunk to the bottom except -the tops of the mountains! Now I must say," continued the Admiral, -"all this learning seemed to one to come rather too much by rote out -of this gentleman's mouth, and the American style of his talk made it -somewhat ludicrous, though he evidently believed in what may be all -very true--particularly, in mentioning the treasures that must lie -under water for leagues round, or even in nooks about the St Helena -rocks, I thought his very teeth watered. As for Sir Hudson, he had -caught at the idea altogether, but rather in view of a historical -work on the island, from the earliest times till now--and I believe -he means to accompany the two botanists himself over toward Longwood -to-morrow, where we may very likely get sight of them." - -"O--h?" thought I, and Lord Frederick Bury smiled. "Rather a novelty, -indeed!" said he; and the first lieutenant looked significantly -enough to me, as we leant over the battery wall, watching the hot -horizon through the spars of the ships before James Town. "What -amused me," Sir Dudley said again, "was the American botanist's utter -indifference, when I asked if he had seen anything of 'the General' -in the distance. The Governor started, glancing sharp at Mr Brown, -and I noticed his dark companion give a sudden side-look from the -midst of his talk with her ladyship, whereupon the botanist merely -pointed with his thumb to the floor, asking coolly 'what it was to -science?' At this," added Sir Dudley to the captain, "his Excellency -seemed much relieved; and after having got leave for myself and -your lordship to-morrow, I left them still in the spirit of it. It -certainly struck me that, in the United States themselves, educated -men in general couldn't have such a vulgar manner about them,--in -fact I thought the Mexican attendant more the gentleman of the -two--his face was turned half from me most of the time, but still -it struck me as remarkably intelligent." "Ah," said Lord Frederick -carelessly, "all the Spaniards have naturally a noble sort of air, -you know, Sir Dudley--they'll never make republicans!" "And I must -say," added the Admiral, as they strolled out of the shade, up the -battery steps, "little as I know of Latin, what this Mr Brown used -_did_ seem to me fearfully bad!" - -"And no wonder!" thought I "from a Yankee schoolmaster," as I had -found my late shipmate was, before he thought of travelling; but -the valuable Daniel turning his hand to help out some communication -or other, no doubt, with Napoleon Buonaparte in St Helena, took me -at first as so queer an affair, that I didn't know whether to laugh -at him or admire his Yankee coolness, when he ran such risks. As -for the feasibleness of actually getting the prisoner clear out of -the island, our cruising on guard was enough to show me it would be -little short of a miracle; yet I couldn't help thinking they meant -to try it; and in case of a dark night, which the southeaster was -very likely to bring, if it shifted or freshened a little,--why, I -knew you needn't call anything impossible that a cool head and a -bold heart had to do with, provided only they could get their plans -laid inside and out so as to tally. The more eager I got for next -day, when it would be easy enough for any of us to go up inland -after Lord Frederick, as far as Hut's Gate, at least. Meantime the -first lieutenant and I walked up together to where the little town -broke into a sort of suburb of fancy cottages, with verandahs and -green venetians in bungalow style, scattered to both sides of the -rock amongst little grass plots and garden patches; every foot of -ground made use of. And a perfect gush of flowers and leaves it was, -clustering over the tiles of the low roofs; while you saw through a -thicket of poplars and plantains, right into the back of the gulley, -with a ridge of black rock closing it fair up; and Side Path, as they -call the road to windward, winding overhead along the crag behind the -houses, out of sight round a mass of cliffs. Every here and there, -a runlet of water came trickling down from above the trees to water -their roots; you saw the mice in hundreds, scampering in and out of -holes in the dry stone, with now and then a big ugly rat that turned -round to face you, being no doubt fine game to the St Helena people, -ill off as they all seemed for something to do--except the Chinese -with their huge hats, hoeing away under almost every tree one saw, -and the Yamstock fishermen to be seen bobbing for mullet outside the -ships, in a blaze of light sufficient to bake any heads but their -own. Every cottage had seven or eight parrots in it, apparently; -a cockatoo on a stand by the door, or a monkey up in a box--not -to speak of canaries in the window, and white goats feeding about -with bells round their necks: so you may suppose what a jabbering, -screaming, whistling, and tinkling there was up the whole hollow, -added to no end of children and young ladies making the most of the -shade as it got near nightfall--and all that were out of doors came -flocking down Side-Path. - -Both of us having leave ashore that night, for a ball in one of -these same little bungalows near the head of the valley, 'twas -no use to think of a bed, and as little to expect getting off to -the ship, which none could do after gunfire. For that matter, I -daresay there might be twenty such parties, full of young reefers -and homeward-bound old East Indians, keeping it up as long as might -be, because they had nowhere to sleep. The young lady of the house -we were in was one of the St Helena beauties, called "the Rosebud," -from her colour. A lovely creature she was, certainly, as it was -plain our Hebe's first lieutenant thought, with several more to boot: -every sight of her figure gliding about through the rest, the white -muslin floating round her like haze, different as her face was, made -one think of the Seringapatam's deck at sea, with the men walking -the forecastle in the middle watch, and the poop quiet over the -Judge's cabins. Two or three times I had fancied for a moment that, -if one had somewhat stirring to busy himself with, why, he might so -far forget what was no doubt likely to interfere pretty much with a -profession like my own; and so it might have been, perhaps, had I -only seen her ashore: whereas now, whether it was ashore or afloat, -by Jove! everything called her somehow to mind. The truth is, I defy -you to get rid very easily of the thought about one you've sailed -in the same ship with, be it girl or woman--the same bottom betwixt -you and the water, the same breeze blowing your pilot-coat in the -watch on deck, that ripples past her ear below, and the self-same -dangers to strive against! At a break in the dance I went out of the -dancing-room into the verandah, where the cool of the air among the -honeysuckle flowers and creepers was delightful to feel; though it -was quite dark in the valley, and you couldn't make out anything but -the solemn black-blue of the sky full of stars above you, between the -two cliffs; or right out, where the stretch of sea widening to the -horizon, looked almost white through the mouth of the valley, over -the house-roofs below: one heard the small surf plashing low and slow -into the little bay, with the boats dipping at their moorings, but I -never saw sea look so lonely. Then tip at the head of the gulley one -could mark the steep black crag that shut it up, glooming quiet and -large against a gleam from one of the clusters of stars: the sight of -it was awful, I didn't know well why, unless by comparison with the -lively scene inside, not to say with one's own whole life afloat, as -well as the wishes one had at heart. 'Twas pretty late, but I heard -the music strike up again in the room, and was going back again, when -all of a sudden I thought the strangest sound that ever came to one's -ears went sweeping round and round far above the island, more like -the flutter of a sail miles wide than aught else I can fancy; then a -rush of something like those same blasts of wind I was pretty well -used to by this time--but wind it was not--growing in half a minute -to a rumbling clatter, and then to a smothered roar, as if something -more than mortal shot from inland down through the valley, and passed -out by its mouth into the open sea at once. I scarce felt the ground -heave under me, though I thought I saw the black head of the ravine -lift against the stars--one terrible plunge of the sea down at the -quays and batteries, then everything was still again; but the whole -dancing party came rushing out in confusion at my back, the ladies -shrieking, the men looking up into the sky, or at the cliffs on both -sides; the British flag, over the fort on Ladder Hill, blowing out -steadily to a stiff breeze aloft. It wasn't for some time, in fact, -that they picked up courage again, to say it had been an earthquake. -However, the ball was over, and, as soon as matters could be set -to rights, it was nothing but questions whether it had aught to do -with _him_ up at Longwood, or hadn't been an attempt to blow up the -island--some of the officers being so much taken aback at first, -that they fancied the French had come. At last, however, we who had -nothing else for it got stowed away on sofas or otherwise about the -dancing-room: for my part, I woke up just early enough to see the -high head of the valley coming out as clearly as before against the -morning light, and the water glancing blue out miles away beyond -the knot of ships in the opening. The news was only that Napoleon -was safe, having been in his bed at the time, where he lay thinking -one of the frigates had blown up, they said. Not a word of his that -got wind but the people in James Town made it their day's text--in -the want of which they'd even gossip about the coat he wore that -morning--till you'd have said the whole nest of them, soldiers and -all, lay under his shadow as the town did at the foot of the cliffs, -just ready to vanish as soon as he went down. The Longwood doctor had -told some one in the Jew Solomon's toy-shop, by the forenoon, that -Buonaparte couldn't sleep that night for making some calculations -about a great battle he had fought, when he counted three separate -shocks of the thing, and noticed it was luckily right up and down, or -else James Town would have been buried under tons of rock. The doctor -had mentioned besides that there was twice an earthquake before in -the island, in former times; but it didn't need some of the town's -people's looks to tell you they'd be afraid many a night after, lest -the French Emperor should wake up thinking of his battles; while, as -for myself, I must say the notion stuck to me some time, along with -my own ideas at that exact moment--at any rate, not for worlds would -I have lived long ashore in St Helena. - -Mr Newland the first lieutenant, and I, set out early in the day, -accordingly, with a couple of the Hebe's midshipmen, mounted on as -many of the little island ponies, to go up inland for a cruise about -the hills. You take Side Path along the crags, with a wall betwixt -the hard track and the gulf below, till you lose sight of James Town -like a cluster of children's toy-houses under you, and turn up above -a sloping hollow full of green trees and tropical-like flowering -shrubs, round a pretty cottage called the Briars--where one begins -to have a notion, however, of the bare blocks, the red bluffs, and -the sharp peaks standing up higher and higher round the shell of -the island. Then you had another rise of it to climb, on which you -caught sight of James Town and the harbour again, even smaller than -before, and saw nothing before your beast's head but a desert of -stony ground, running hither and thither into wild staring clefts, -grim ravines, and rocks of every size tumbled over each other like -figures of ogres and giants in hard fight. After two or three miles -of all this, we came in view of Longwood hill, lying green on a -level to north and east, and clipping to windward against the sea -beyond; all round it elsewhere was the thick red crust of the island, -rising in ragged points and sharp spires:--the greenish sugar-loaf of -Diana's Peak shooting in the middle over the high ridge that hid the -Plantation House side of St Helena to leeward. Between the spot where -we were and Longwood is a huge fearful-looking black hollow, called -the Devil's Punch-Bowl, as round and deep as a pitch-pot for caulking -all the ships in the world--except on a slope into one corner of it, -where you saw a couple of yellow cottages with gardens about them; -while every here and there a patch of grass began to appear, a clump -of wild weeds and flowers hanging off the fronts of the rocks, or -the head of some valley widening away out of sight, with the glimpse -of a house amongst trees, where some stream of water came leaping -down off the heights and vanished in the boggy piece of green below. -From here over the brow of the track it was all like seeing into an -immense stone basin half hewn out, with all the lumps and wrinkles -left rising in it and twisting every way about--the black Devil's -Punch-Bowl for a hole in the middle, where some infernal liquor or -other had run through: the soft bottoms of the valleys just bringing -the whole of it up distincter to the green over Longwood hill; while -the ragged heights ran round on every side like a rim with notches -in it, and Diana's Peak for a sort of a handle that the clouds could -take hold of. All this time we had strained ourselves to get as fast -up as possible, except once near the Alarm House, where there was a -telegraph signal-post, with a little guard-hut for the soldiers; but -_there_ each turned round in his saddle, letting out a long breath -the next thing to a cry, and heaving-to directly, at sight of the -prospect behind. The Atlantic lay wide away round to the horizon from -the roads, glittering faint over the ragged edge of the crags we -had mounted near at hand; only the high back of the island shut out -the other side--save here and there through a deep-notched gully or -two--and accordingly you saw the sea blotched out in that quarter to -the two sharp bright ends, clasping the dark-coloured lump between -them, like a mighty pair of arms lifting it high to carry it off. -Soon after, however, the two mids took it into their wise heads -the best thing was to go and climb Diana's Peak, where they meant -to cut their names at the very top; on which the first lieutenant, -who was a careful middle-aged man, thought needful to go with them, -lest they got into mischief: for my part I preferred the chance of -coming across the mysterious Yankee and his comrade, as I fancied not -unlikely, or what was less to be looked for, a sight of Buonaparte -himself. - -Accordingly, we had parted company, and I was holding single-handed -round one side of the Devil's Punch-Bowl, when I heard a clatter -of horse-hoofs on the road, and saw the Admiral and Lord Frederick -riding quickly past on the opposite side, on their way to -Longwood--which, curiously enough, was half-covered with mist at -the time, driving down from the higher hills, apparently before a -regular gale, or rather some kind of a whirlwind. In fact, I learned -after that such was often the case, the climate up there being quite -different from below, where they never feel a gale from one year's -end to the other. In the next hollow I got into it was as hot and -still as it would have been in India, the blackberry trailers and -wild aloes growing quite thick, mixed with prickly pear-bushes, -willows, gum-wood, and an African palm or two; though, from the look -of the sea, I could notice the south-east trade had freshened below, -promising to blow a good deal stronger that night than ordinary, -and to shift a little round. Suddenly the fog began to clear by -degrees from over Longwood, till it was fairly before me, nearer -than I thought; and just as I rode up a rising ground, out came the -roof of a house on the slope amongst some trees, glittering wet as -if the sun laid a finger on it; with a low bluish-coloured stretch -of wood farther off, bringing out the white tents of the soldiers' -camp pitched about the edge of it. Nearly to windward there was one -sail in sight on the horizon, over an opening in the rocks beyond -Longwood House, that seemingly let down toward the coast; however, I -just glanced back to notice the telegraph on the signal-post at work, -signalling to the Podargus in the offing, and next minute Hut's Gate -was right a-head of me, not a quarter of a mile off--a long-shaped -bungalow of a cottage, inside of a wall with a gate in it, where I -knew I needn't try farther, unless I wanted the sentries to take me -under arrest. Betwixt me and it, however, in the low ground, was a -party of man-o'-war's-men under charge of a midshipman, carrying some -timber and house-furniture for Longwood, as I remembered, from seeing -them come ashore from the Podargus that morning; so I stood over, to -give my late shipmates a hail. But the moment I got up with them, -it struck me not a little, as things stood, to find three of the -four Blacks we had taken aboard from that said burnt barque of the -American mate's, trudging patiently enough under the heaviest loads -of the gang. Jetty-black, savage-looking fellows they were, as strong -as horses, and reminded me more of our wild friends in the Nouries -River, than of 'States niggers; still, what caught my notice most -wasn't so much their being there at all, as the want of the fourth -one, and where _he_ might be. I don't know yet how this trifling -bit of a puzzle got hold on me, but it was the sole thing that kept -me from what might have turned a scrape to myself--namely, passing -myself in as officer of the party; which was easy enough at the time, -and the tars would have entered into the frolic as soon as I started -it. On second thoughts, nevertheless, I bade them good-day, steering -my animal away round the slant of the ground, to see after a good -perch as near as possible; and, I daresay, I was getting within the -bounds before I knew it, when another sentry sung out to me off the -heights to keep lower down, first bringing his musket to salute for -my uniform's sake, then letting it fall level with a ringing slap of -his palm, as much as to say it was all the distinction I'd get over -plain clothes. - -At this, of course, I gave it up, with a blessing to all -lobster-backs, and made sail down to leeward again as far as the -next rise, from which there was a full view of the sea at any rate, -though the face of a rough crag over behind me shut out Longwood -House altogether. Here I had to get fairly off the saddle--rather -sore, I must say, with riding up St Helena roads after so many weeks -at sea--and flung myself down on the grass, with little enough fear -of the hungry little beast getting far adrift. This said crag, by the -way, drew my eye to it by the queer colours it showed, white, blue, -gray, and bright red in the hot sunlight; and being too far off to -make out clearly, I slung off the ship's glass I had across my back, -just to overhaul it better. The hue of it was to be seen running all -down the deep rift between, that seemingly wound away into some glen -toward the coast; while the lot of plants and trailers half-covering -the steep front of it, would no doubt, I thought, have delighted -my old friend the Yankee, if he _was_ the botanising gentleman in -question. By this time it was a lovely afternoon far and wide to -Diana's Peak, the sky glowing clearer deep-blue at that height than -you'd have thought sky could do, even in the tropics--the very peaks -of bare red rock being softened into a purple tint, far off round -you. One saw into the rough bottom of the huge Devil's Punch-Bowl, -and far through without a shadow down the green patches in the little -valleys, and over Deadwood Camp,--there was _nothing_, as it were, -between the grass, the ground, the stones and leaves, and the empty -hollow of the air; while the sea spread far round underneath, of a -softer blue than the sky over you. You'd have thought all the world -was shrunk into St Helena, with the Atlantic lying three-quarters -round it in one's sight, like the horns of the bright new moon -round the dim old one; which St Helena pretty much resembled, if -what the star-gazers say of its surface be true, all peaks and dry -hollows--if, indeed, you weren't lifting up out of the world, so to -speak, when one looked through his fingers right into the keen blue -overhead! - -If I lived a thousand years, I couldn't tell half what I felt lying -there; but, as you may imagine, it had somewhat in it of the late -European war by land and sea. Not that I could have said so at -the time, but rather a sort of half-doze, such as I've known one -have when a schoolboy, lying on the green grass the same way, with -one's face turned up into the hot summer heavens: half of it flying -glimpses, as it were, of the French Revolution, the battles we used -to hear of when we were children--then the fears about the invasion, -with the Channel full of British fleets, and Dover Cliffs--Trafalgar -and Nelson's death, and the battle of Waterloo, just after we heard -_he_ had got out of Elba. In the terrible flash of the thing all -together, one almost fancied them all gone like smoke; and for a -moment I thought I was falling away off, _down_ into the wide sky, -so up I started to sit. From that, suddenly I took to guessing and -puzzling closely again how I should go to work myself, if I were the -strange Frenchman I saw in the brig at sea, and wanted to manage -Napoleon's escape out of St Helena. And first, there was how to get -into the island and put _him_ up to the scheme--why, sure enough, I -couldn't have laid it down better than they seemed to have done all -along: what could one do but just dodge about that latitude under all -sorts of false rig, then catch hold of somebody fit to cover one's -landing. No Englishman _would_ do it, and no foreigner but would set -Sir Hudson Lowe on his guard in a moment. Next we should have to get -put on the island,--and really a neat enough plan it was to dog one -of the very cruisers themselves, knock up a mess of planks and spars -in the night-time, set them all a-blaze with tar, and pretend we were -fresh from a craft on fire; when even Captain Wallis of the Podargus, -as it happened, was too much of a British seaman not to carry us -straight to St Helena! Again, I must say it was a touch beyond -me--but to hit the Governor's notions of a hobby, and go picking up -plants round Longwood, was a likely enough way to get speech of the -prisoner, or at least let him see one was there! - -How should I set about carrying him off to the coast, though? That -was the prime matter. Seeing that even if the schooner--which was -no doubt hovering out of sight--were to make a bold dash for the -land with the trade-wind, in a night eleven hours long--there were -sentries close round Longwood from sunset, the starlight shining -mostly always in the want of a moon; and at any rate there was rock -and gully enough, betwixt here and the coast, to try the surest foot -aboard the Hebe, let alone an emperor. With plenty of woods for a -cover, one might steal up close to Longwood, but the bare rocks -showed you off to be made a mark of. Whew! but why were those same -Blacks on the island, I thought: just strip them stark-naked, and let -them lie in the Devil's Punch-bowl, or somewhere, beyond military -hours, when I warrant me they might slip up, gully by gully, to the -very sentries' backs! Their colour wouldn't show them, and savages as -they seemed, couldn't they settle as many sentries as they needed, -creep into the very bedchamber where Buonaparte slept, and manhandle -him bodily away down through some of the nearest hollows, before any -one was the wiser? The point that still bothered me was, why the -fourth of the Blacks was wanting at present, unless he had his part -to play elsewhere. If it was chance, then the _whole_ might be a -notion of mine, which I knew I was apt to have sometimes. If I could -only make out the fourth Black, so as to tally with the scheme, on -the other hand, then I thought it was all sure: but of course this -quite pauled me, and I gave it up, to work out my fancy case by -providing signals betwixt us plotters inside, and the schooner out -of sight from the telegraphs. There was no use for her to run in and -take the risk, without good luck having turned up on the island; yet -any sign she could profit by must be both sufficient to reach sixty -miles or so, and hidden enough not to alarm the telegraphs or the -cruisers. Here was a worse puzzle than all, and I only guessed at it -for my own satisfaction--as a fellow can't help doing when he hears a -question he can't answer--till my eye lighted on Diana's Peak, near -three thousand feet above the sea. There it was, by Jove! 'Twas quite -clear at the time; but by nightfall there was always more or less -cloud near the top; and if you set a fire on the very peak, 'twould -only be seen leagues off: a notion that brought to mind a similar -thing which I told you saved the Indiaman from a lee-shore one night -on the African coast,--and again, by George! I saw _that_ must have -been meant at first by the Negroes as a smoke to help the French brig -easier in! Putting that and that together, why it struck me at once -what the fourth Black's errand might be--namely, to watch for the -schooner, and kindle his signal as soon as he couldn't see the island -for mist. I was sure of it; and as for a dark night coming on at sea, -the freshening of the breeze there promised nothing more likely; a -bright white haze was softening out the horizon already, and here -and there the egg of a cloud could be seen to break off the sky to -windward, all of which would be better known afloat than here. - -The truth was, I was on the point of tripping my anchor to hurry -down and get aboard again, but, on standing up, the head of a peak -fell below the sail I had noticed in the distance, and, seeing she -loomed large on the stretch of water, I pretty soon found she must -be a ship of the line. The telegraph over the Alarm House was hard -at work again, so I e'en took down my glass and cleaned it to have -a better sight, during which I caught sight, for a minute, of some -soldier officer or other on horseback, with a mounted red-coat behind -him, riding hastily up the gully a good bit from my back, till they -were round the red piece of crag, turning at times as if to watch the -vessel. Though I couldn't have a better spy at him for want of my -glass, I had no doubt he was the Governor himself, for the sentries -in the distance took no note of him. There was nobody else visible -at the time, and the said cliff stood fair up like a look-out place, -so as to shut them out as they went higher. Once or twice after, I -fancied I made out a man's head or two lower down the gully than the -cliff was; which, it occurred to me, might possibly be the botanists, -as they called themselves, busy finding out how long St Helena had -been an island: however, I soon turned the glass before me upon the -ship, by this time right opposite the ragged opening of Prosperous -Bay, and heading well up about fourteen miles or so off the coast, as -I reckoned, to make James Town harbour. The moment I had the sight of -the glass right for her--though you'd have thought she stood still on -the smooth soft blue water--I could see her whole beam rise off the -swells before me, from the dark side and white band, checkered with a -double row of ports, to the hamper of her lofty spars, and the sails -braced slant to the breeze; the foam gleaming under her high bows, -and her wake running aft in the heave of the sea. She was evidently a -seventy-four: I fanced I could make out her men's faces peering over -the yards toward the island, as they thought of "Boneypart;" a white -rear-admiral's flag was at the mizen-royal-masthead, leaving no doubt -she was the Conqueror at last, with Admiral Plampin, and, in a day or -two at farthest, the Hebe would be bound for India. - -I had just looked over my shoulder toward Longwood, letting the -Conqueror sink back again into a thing no bigger than a model on a -mantelpiece, when, all at once, I saw some one standing near the brow -of the cliff I mentioned, apparently watching the vessel, with a long -glass at his eye, like myself. 'Twas farther than I could see to make -out anything, save so much; and, ere I had screwed the glass for -such a near sight, there were seven or eight figures more appearing -half over the slope behind; while my hand shook so much with holding -the glass so long, that at first I brought it to bear full on the -cracks and blocks in the front of the crag, with the large green -leaves and trailers on it flickering idly with the sunlight against -my eyes, till I could have seen the spiders inside, I daresay. Next I -held it too high, where the Admiral and Lord Frederick were standing -by their horses, a good way back; the Governor, as I supposed, -sitting on his, and two or three others along the rise. At length, -what with kneeling down to rest it on one knee, I had the glass -steadily fixed on the brow of the rocks, where I plainly saw a tall -dark-whiskered man, in a rich French uniform, gazing to seaward--I -knew him I sought too well by pictures, however, not to be sadly -galled. Suddenly a figure came slowly down from before the rest, with -his hands behind his back, and his head a little drooped. The officer -at once lowered the telescope and held it to him, stepping upward, -as if to leave him alone--what dress he had on I scarce noticed; but -there he was standing, single in the round bright field of the glass -I had hold of like a vice--his head raised, his hands hiding his -face, as he kept the telescope fixed fair in front of me--only I saw -the smooth broad round of his chin. I knew, as if I'd seen him in the -Tuileries at Paris, or known him by sight since I was a boy--I _knew_ -it was Napoleon! - -During that minute the rest of them were out of sight, so far as the -glass went--you'd have supposed there was no one there but himself, -as still as a figure in iron; watching the same thing, no doubt, as -I'd done myself five minutes before, where the noble seventy-four -was beating slowly to windward. When I _did_ glance to the knot -of officers twenty yards back, 'twas as if one saw a ring of his -generals waiting respectfully while he eyed some field of battle or -other, with his army at the back of the hill; but next moment the -telescope fell in his hands, and his face, as pale as death, with -his lip firm under it, seemed near enough for me to touch it--his -eyes shot stern into me from below his wide white forehead, and I -started, dropping my glass in turn. That instant the whole wild lump -of St Helena, with its ragged brim, the clear blue sky and the sea, -swung round about the dwindled figures above the crag, till they were -nothing but so many people together against the slope beyond. - -'Twas a strange scene to witness, let me tell you; never can I forget -the sightless, thinking sort of gaze from that head of his, after the -telescope sank from his eye, when the Conqueror must have shot back -with all her stately hamper into the floor of the Atlantic again! -Once more I brought my spyglass to bear on the place where he had -been, and was almost on the point of calling out to warn him off the -edge of the cliff, forgetting the distance I was away. Napoleon had -stepped, with one foot before him, on the very brink, his two hands -hanging loose by his side, with the glass in one of them, till the -shadow of his small black cocked hat covered the hollows of his eyes, -and he stood as it were looking down past the face of the precipice. -What he thought of no mortal tongue can say, whether he was master -at the time over a wilder battle than any he'd ever fought--but just -then, what was the surprise it gave me to see the head of a man, -with a red tasselled cap on it, raised through amongst the ivy from -below, while he seemed to have his feet on the cracks and juts of -the rock, hoisting himself by one hand round the tangled roots, till -no doubt he must have looked right aloft into the French Emperor's -face; and perhaps he whispered something,--though, for my part, it -was all dumb-show to me, where I knelt peering into the glass. I -saw even _him_ start at the suddenness of the thing--he raised his -head upright, still glancing down over the front of the crag, with -the spread hand lifted, and the side of his face half turned toward -the party within earshot behind, where the Governor and the rest -apparently kept together out of respect, no doubt watching both -Napoleon's back and the ship of war far beyond. The keen sunlight -on the spot brought out every motion of the two in front--the _one_ -so full in my view, that I could mark his look settle again on the -other below, his firm lips parting and his hand out before him, like -a man seeing a spirit he knew; while a bunch of leaves on the end -of a wand came stealing up from the stranger's post to Napoleon's -very fingers. The head of the man on the cliff turned round seaward -for one moment, ticklish as his footing must have been; then he -looked back, pointing with his loose hand to the horizon--there was -one minute between them without a motion, seemingly--the captive -Emperor's chin was sunk on his breast, though you'd have said his -eyes glanced up out of the shadow on his forehead; and the stranger's -red cap hung like a bit of the bright-coloured cliff, under his two -hands holding amongst the leaves. Then I saw Napoleon lift his hand -calmly, he gave a sign with it--it might have been refusing, it might -have been agreeing, or it might be farewell, I never expect to know; -but he folded his arms across his breast, with the bunch of leaves -in his fingers, and stepped slowly back from the brink toward the -officers. I was watching the stranger below it, as he swung there -for a second or two, in a way like to let him go dash to the bottom; -his face sluing wildly seaward again. Short though the glance I had -of him was--his features set hard in some bitter feeling or other, -his dress different, too, besides the mustache being off, and his -complexion no doubt purposely darkened--it served to prove what I'd -suspected: he was no other than the Frenchman I had seen in the brig, -and, mad or sensible, the very look I caught was more like that he -faced the thunder-squall with, than aught besides. Directly after, -he was letting himself carefully down with his back to my glass; -the party above were moving off over the brow of the crags, and the -Governor riding round, apparently to come once more down the hollow -between us. In fact, the seventy-four had stood by this time so -far in that the peaks in the distance shut her out; but I ran the -glass carefully along the whole horizon in my view, for signs of the -schooner. The haze was too bright, however, to make sure either way; -though, dead to windward, there were some streaks of cloud risen with -the breeze, where I once or twice fancied I could catch the gleam of -a speck in it. The Podargus was to be seen through a notch in the -rocks, too, beating out in a different direction, as if the telegraph -had signalled her elsewhere; after which you heard the dull rumble -of the forts saluting the Conqueror down at James Town as she came -in: and being late in the afternoon, it was high time for me to crowd -sail downward, to fall in with my shipmates. - -I was just getting near the turn into Side Path, accordingly, after -a couple of mortal hours' hard riding, and once more in sight of -the harbour beneath, when the three of them overtook me, having -managed to reach the top of Diana's Peak, as they meant. The first -lieutenant was full of the grand views on the way, with the prospect -off the peak, where one saw the sea all round St Helena like a ring, -and the sky over you as blue as blue water. "But what do you think -we saw on the top, Mr Collins?" asked one of the urchins at me--a -mischievous imp he was himself, too, pockmarked, with hair like a -brush, and squinted like a ship's two hawse-holes. "Why, Mister -Snelling," said I, gruffly--for I knew him pretty well already, and -he was rather a favourite with me for his sharpness, though you may -suppose I was thinking of no trifles at the moment--"why, the devil -perhaps!" "I must say I thought at first it was him, sir," said the -reefer, grinning; "'twas a black Nigger, though, sir, sitting right -on the very truck of it with his hands on his two knees, and we'd -got to shove him off before we could dig our knives into it!" "_By_ -the Lord Harry!" I rapped out, "the very thing that--" "'Twas really -the case, though, Mr Collins," said the first lieutenant; "and I -thought it curious, but there are so many Negroes in the island." -"If you please, sir," put in the least of the mids, "perhaps they -haven't all of 'em room to meditate, sir!" "Or sent to the masthead, -eh, Roscoe?" said Snelling. "Which you'll be, sirrah," broke in the -first lieutenant, "the moment I get aboard, if you don't keep a small -helm!" We were clattering down over James Town by this time, the sun -blazing red off the horizon, into it and the doors of the houses, -and the huge hull and spars of the Conqueror almost blocking up the -harbour, as she lay anchored outside the Indiamen. The evening gun -fired as we pulled aboard the Hebe, which immediately got under weigh -by order, although Lord Frederick was not come down yet; but it fell -to her turn that night to supply a guard-boat to windward, and she -stood up under full sail round Sugar-Loaf Point, just as the dusk -fell like a shadow over the island. - -The Newcastle's boat was on the leeward coast that night, and one -of our cutters was getting ready to lower, nearly off Prosperous -Bay, to windward; while the frigate herself would hold farther out -to sea. One of the master's mates should have taken the cutter; but -after giving the first lieutenant a few hints as far as I liked -to go, I proposed to go in charge of her that time, myself--which -being laid to the score of my freshness on the station, and the mate -being happy to get rid of a tiresome duty, I got leave at once. The -sharp midshipman, Snelling, took it into his ugly head to keep me -company, and away we pulled into hearing of the surf. The moment -things took the shape of fair work, in fact, I lost all thoughts of -the late kind. In place of seeing the ragged heights against the -sky, and musing all sorts of notions about the French Emperor, there -was nothing but the broad bulk of the island high over us, the swell -below, and the sea glimmering wide from our gunwale to the stars; -so no sooner did we lose sight of the Hebe slowly melting into the -gloom, than I lit a cheroot, gave the tiller to the mid, and sat -stirring to the heart at the thought of something to come, I scarce -knew what. As for Buonaparte, with all that belonged to him, 'twas -little to me in that mood, in spite of what I'd seen during the day, -compared with a snatch of old Channel times: the truth was, next -morning I'd feel for him again. - -The night for a good while was pretty tolerable starlight, and in a -sort of a way you could make out a good distance. One time we pulled -right round betwixt the two points, though slowly enough; then again -the men lay on their oars, letting her float in with the long swells, -till the surf could be heard too loud for a safe berth. Farther on in -the night, however, it got to be dark--below, at least--the breeze -holding steady, and bringing it thicker and thicker; at last it was -so black all round that on one side you just _knew_ the rocks over -you, with the help of a faint twinkle of stars right aloft. On the -other side there was only, at times, the two lights swinging at the -mast-head of the Podargus and Hebe, far apart, and one farther to sea -than the other; or now and then their stern-window and a port, when -the heave of the water lifted them, or the ships yawed a little. One -hour after another, it was wearisome enough waiting for nothing at -all, especially in the key one was in at the time, and with a long -tropical night before you. - -All of a sudden, fairly between the brig and the frigate, I fancied I -caught a glimpse for one moment of another twinkle; then it was out -again, and I had given it up, when I was certain I saw it plainly -once more, as well as a third time, for as short a space as before. -We were off a cove in the coast, inside Prosperous Bay, where a -bight in the rocks softened the force of the surf, not far from the -steep break where one of these same narrow gullies came out--a good -deal short of the shore, indeed, but I knew by this time it led up -somewhere toward the Longwood side. Accordingly the idea struck me of -a plan to set agoing, whether I hit upon the right place or not; if -it _was_ the schooner, she would be coming down right from windward, -on the look-out for a signal, as well as for the spot to aim at: the -thing was to lure her boat ashore there before their time, seize her -crew and take the schooner herself by surprise, as if we were coming -back all right; since signal the ships we couldn't, and the schooner -would be wary as a dolphin. - -No sooner said than done. I steered cautiously for the cove, -fearfully though the swell bore in, breaking over the rocks outside -of it; and the reefer and I had to spring one after the other for -our lives, just as the bowman prized her off into the back-wash. As -for the cutter, it would spoil all to keep her off thereabouts; and -I knew if a boat did come in of the kind I guessed, why she wouldn't -lay herself out for strength of crew. Snelling and I were well armed -enough to manage half a dozen, if they fancied us friends, so I -ordered the men to pull clear off for an hour, at least, leaving fair -water. In fact there were sentries about the heights, I was aware, if -they could have heard or seen us; but the din of the surf, the dark, -and the expectation of the thing set us both upon our mettle; while -I showed the boat's lantern every now and then, like the light I had -noticed, such as the Channel smugglers use every thick night on our -own coast. I suppose we might have waited five or ten minutes when -the same twinkle was to be caught, dipping dark down into the swell -again, about opposite the cove: next we had half an hour more--every -now and then we giving them a flash of the lantern, when suddenly the -reefer said he saw oars glisten over a swell, which he knew weren't -man-o'-war's strokes, or else the fellows ought to have their grog -stopped. I had the lantern in my hand, slipping the shade once more, -and the other to feel for my cutlass hilt, when the mid gave a cry -behind me, and I turned just in time to see the dark figure of a -Black spring off the stones at our backs. One after another, three -or four more came leaping past me out of the gloom--the Frenchman's -red cap and his dark fierce face glared on me by the light of the -lantern; and next moment it was down, with him and me in a deadly -struggle over it in the thick black of the night. Suddenly I felt -myself lose hold of him in the heave of the swell, washing away back -off the rock; then something else trying to clutch me, when down I -swept with the sea bubbling into my mouth and ears. - -I came up above water again by the sheer force of the swell, as it -seemed to me, plunging into the shore; with the choice, I thought, of -either being drowned in the dark, or knocked to a jelly on the rocks; -but out I struck, naturally enough, rising on the huge scud of the -sea, and trying to breast it, though I felt it sweep me backwards at -every stroke, and just saw the wide glimmer of it heave far and wide -for a moment against the gloom of the cliffs behind. All at once, in -the trough, I heard the panting of some one's breath near alongside -of me, and directly after, I was caught hold of by the hair of the -head, somebody else grabbing at the same time for my shoulder. We -weren't half-a-dozen fathoms from the stranger's boat, the Blacks -who had fallen foul of me swimming manfully together, and the boat -lifting bow-on to the run of the sea, as her crew looked about for us -by the light of their lantern. I had just got my senses enough about -me to notice so much, when they were hauling me aboard; all four -of the Negroes holding on with one hand by the boat's gunnel, and -helping their way with the other; while the oars began to make for -the light, which was still to be caught by fits, right betwixt those -of the two cruisers, as the space widened slowly in the midst of -them, standing out to sea. Scarce had I time to feel some one beside -me as wet as myself, whether the reefer or the Frenchman I didn't -know, when crash came another boat with her bows fairly down upon our -gunwale, out of the dark. The spray splashed up betwixt us, I saw the -glitter of the oar-blades, and heard Snelling's shrill voice singing -out to "sink the villans, my lads--down with 'em--remember the second -lieutenant!" The lantern in the French boat flared, floating out -for a single instant amongst a wreck of staves and heads, bobbing -wildly together on the side of a wave. One of my own men from the -cutter pulled me by the cuff of the neck off the crest of it with his -boat-hook, as it rose swelling away past, till I had fast grip of -her quarter; the Blacks could be seen struggling in the hollow, to -keep up their master's body, with his hands spread helplessly hither -and thither above water. The poor devils' wet black faces turned so -wistfully, in their desperation, toward the cutter, that I gasped out -to save him. They kept making towards us, in fact, and the bowman -managed to hook him at last, though not a moment too soon, for the -next heave broke the unlucky wretches apart, and we lost sight of -them; the cutter hanging on her oars till they had both him and me -stowed into the stern-sheets, where the Frenchman lay seemingly dead -or senseless, and I spitting out the salt water like a Cockney after -a bathe. - -"Why, Mister Snelling," said I, as soon as I came fully to myself, -"I can't at all understand how I got into the water!" "Nor I either, -sir," said he; "I'll be hanged, sir, if I didn't think it was a -whirlwind of Niggers off the top of Diana's Peak, seeing I made out -the very one we found there this afternoon--the four of them took -you and this other gentleman up in their arms in a lump, as you -were floundering about together, and took to the water like so many -seals, sir!" I looked down into the Frenchman's face, where he lay -stretched with his head back and his hair dripping. "Is he gone?" -said I. "Well, sir," said the mid, who had contrived to light the -lantern again, "I'm afraid he's pretty near it. Is he a friend of -yours, sir?--I thought as much, by the way you caught him the moment -you clapped eyes on each other, sir." "Silence, sirrah!" said I: -"d'ye see anything of the light to seaward?" For a minute or two we -peered over the swells into the dark, to catch the twinkle of the -signal again, but to no purpose; and I began to think the bird was -flown. All of a sudden, however, there it was once more, dipping as -before beyond the heave of the sea, and between the backs of it, -sliding across the open space, with the blind side to the cruisers. -"Hallo, my lads!" said I, quickly, and giving myself another shake -as I seized the tiller, "give way seaward--stretch your backs -for ten minutes, and we have her!" We were pulling right for the -spot, when the light vanished, but a show of our lantern brought -it gleaming fairly out again, till I could even catch glimpse by -it of some craft or other's hull, and the iron of one boom-end, -rising over the swells. "Bow-oar, there!" whispered I; "stand by, -my lad, and look sharp!" "Hola!" came a short sharp hail over -the swells; "_d'ou venez-vous?" "Oui, oui!_" I sung out boldly, -through my hand, to cover the difference as much as possible; then -a thought occurred to me, recollecting the French surgeon's words -on board this very craft the first time we saw her--"De la cage de -l'_Aigle_"--I hailed--"bonne fortune, mes amis!" "C'est possible! -c'est possible, mon capitaine!" shouted several of the schooner's -crew, jumping upon her bulwarks, "que vous apportez _lui-meme_?" We -were pulling for her side as lubberly as possible, all the time--a -man ran up on her quarter with a coil of line ready to heave--but -still the main boom of the schooner was already jibing, her helm -up, and she under way; they seemed half doubtful of us, and another -moment might turn the scales. "Vite, vite!" roared I, choosing my -French at hap-hazard. "Oui, oui, jettez votre corde--venez au lof, -mes amis!"--luff, that was to say. I heard somebody aboard say it was -the American--the schooner came up in the wind, the line whizzing -off her quarter into our bows, and we came sheering down close by -her lee quarter, grinding against her bends in the surge, twenty -eager faces peering over at us in the confusion; when I sung out -hoarsely to run for brandy and hot blankets, as he was half-drowned. -"Promptement--promptement, mes amis!" shouted I, and as quickly there -was a rush from her bulwarks to bring what was wanted, while Snelling -and I made dash up her side followed by the men, cutlass in hand. -Three minutes of hubbub, and as many strokes betwixt us, when we -had driven the few that stood in our way pell-mell down the nearest -hatchway. The schooner was completely our own. - -We hoisted up the cutter, with the French captain still stretched -in the stern-sheets--hauled aft the schooner's head-sheets, let her -large mainsail swing full again, and were soon standing swiftly out -toward the light at the frigate's masthead. - -When the Hebe first caught sight of us, or rather heard the sound of -the schooner's sharp bows rushing through the water, she naturally -enough didn't know what to make of us. I noticed our first luff's -sudden order to clear away the foremost weather-gun, with the rush -of the men for it; but my hail set all to rights. We hove-to off -her weather quarter, and I was directly after on board, explaining -as simply as possible how we had come to get hold of a French craft -thereabouts in such a strange fashion. - -Accordingly, you may fancy the surprise at James Town in the -morning, to see the Hebe standing in with her prize; let alone the -governor's perfect astonishment at suspecting some scheme to carry -off Napoleon, apparently, so far brought to a head. The upshot of -it was, to cut this bit of my story short, he and the military -folks would have it, at last, that there was nothing of the kind; -but only some slaver from the African coast wanting to land a -cargo, especially as there were so many Blacks aboard of her; and -the Frenchman at once took the cue, the little Monsieur of a mate -swearing he had been employed by several of the islanders, some -months before, to bring them slaves. For my own part, all things -considered, I had nothing to say; and, after some likelihood of a -shine being kicked up about it at first, the matter was hushed up. -However, the schooner was of course condemned in the mean time, as -the Hebe's fair prize, till such time as the Admiralty Court at the -Cape should settle it on our outward-bound voyage. - -As the Hebe was to sail at once for India, the governor took the -opportunity to send two or three supernumeraries out in the vessel -along with us to the Cape of Good Hope, amongst whom was the Yankee -botanist; and though, being in the frigate, I didn't see him, I made -as sure as if I had it was my old shipmate Daniel. - -Well, the morning came, when we weighed anchor from St James's Bay -for sea, in company with the prize: it wasn't more than ten or eleven -days since we had arrived in the Podargus, but I was as weary with -the sight of St Helena as if I'd lived there a year. The frigate's -lovely hull, and her taunt spars, spreading the square stretch of her -white canvass sideways to the Trade, put new life into me: slowly -as we dropped the peaks of the island on our lee-quarter, 'twas -something to feel yourself travelling the same road as the Indiaman -once more, with the odds of a mail coach, too, to a French diligence. -What chance might turn up to bring us together, I certainly didn't -see; but that night, when we and the schooner were the only things -in the horizon, both fast plunging, close-hauled, on a fresh breeze, -at the distance of a mile, I set my mind, for the first time, -more at ease. "Luck and the anchors stowed!" thought I, "and hang -all forethoughts!" I walked the weather quarterdeck in my watch -as pleasantly as might be, with now and then a glance forward at -Snelling, as he yarned at the fife-rail beside a groggy old mate, and -at times a glimmer of the schooner's hull on our lee-beam, rising wet -out of the dusk, under charge of our third lieutenant. - -It was about a week afterwards, and we began to have rough touches -of Cape weather, pitching away on cross seas, and handing our -'gallant-sails oftener of a night, that Lord Frederick said to me -one evening, before going down to his cabin, "Mr Collins, I really -hope we shall not find your Indiaman at Cape Town, after all!" -"Indeed, Lord Frederick!" said I, respectfully enough; but it was -the very thing I hoped myself. "Yes, sir," continued he; "as I -received strict injunctions by Admiral Plampin to arrest Lieutenant -Westwood if we fell in with her there, and otherwise, to send the -schooner in her track, even if it were to Bombay." "The deuce!" I -thought, "are we never to be done with this infernal affair?" "'Tis -excessively disagreeable," continued the Captain, swinging his gold -eye-glass round his finger by the chain, as was his custom when -bothered, and looking with one eye all the while at the schooner. -"A beautiful craft, by the way, Mr Collins!" said he, "even within -sight of the Hebe." "She is so, my lord," said I; "if she had only -had a sensible boatswain, even, to put the sticks aloft in her." "I -say, Mr Collins," went on his lordship, musingly, "I think I have it, -though--the way to get rid of this scrape!" - -I waited and waited, however, for Lord Frederick to mention this; and -to no purpose, apparently, as he went below without saying a word -more about it. - - - - -PALACE THEATRICALS. - -A DAY-DREAM. - - -I never heard, nor is it important, why my father, Major Von Degen, -an old officer of the King's German Legion, resolved to have me -educated in his native country, unvisited by him since boyhood, and -supplanted in his affections, to all outward appearance, by the land -he long had served and dwelt in, of whose daughters he had taken a -wife, and in which he proposed to end his days. Be that as it may, -at an early age I was sent from England to a town in the north of -Germany, where I passed four years in the house of a worthy and -kind-hearted professor, and which I quitted at the age of eighteen -to proceed to the university of Heidelberg. For me, as for most -young men, the gay, careless, light-hearted student-life, with its -imaginary independence and fantastical privileges, its carouses of -Rhenish wine and Bavarian beer, its harmless duels and mock-heroic -festivals, at first had strong attractions. And when, after a -certain number of joyously-kept terms and pleasant vacation rambles, -university diversions began to pall, and I became a less constant -attendant in the fencing hall and at the evening potations, I still -was detained at Heidelberg--not by love of study, for to study, being -destined to no profession, I little applied, but by the force of -habit, by the charm of a delightful country, and, more particularly, -by the agreeable society I found in a number of families resident -in and around the town. Although but moderately attentive to the -branches of learning usually pursued at a university, I was not -altogether unmindful of my improvement. I busied myself with modern -languages, exercised my pencil by sketching the surrounding scenery, -and, above all, assiduously cultivated a tolerable talent for music. -In this I was particularly successful. Enthusiastically fond of the -art, gifted by nature with a good tenor voice, and having chanced -upon an excellent instructor, I made rapid progress; and during -the latter part of my residence at Heidelberg, no musical party or -amateur concert for miles around was deemed complete without me. - -I left the university in my five-and-twentieth year, and, after -passing another twelvemonth in a tour through southern Europe, I was -upon my way to England, when I paused for a day in the village of -Mauseloch, capital of the Duchy of Klein-Fleckenberg--an independent -and sovereign state of which geographers make little mention, and -historians still less, but which is known, at least by name, to -most persons who have travelled through those pleasant districts -of central Germany watered by the Rhine and its tributaries. Those -ignorant of its existence, and curious of its whereabout, will do -well to consult the larger and more accurate maps of that country; -upon which, greatly to the credit of the topographers, they will -find it noted down, although its entire superficies is scarcely more -extensive than that of the private park of more than one European -monarch. Its population is perhaps equal to that of the Jews' quarter -in Frankfort on the Maine, and its revenue would enable a private -gentleman to live in tolerably good style in London or Paris. -Its standing army, which, when seen upon parade, bears a strong -resemblance to a sergeant's guard, greatly distinguished itself in -the wars against Napoleon, sustained dreadful losses, and by its -valour, as several patriotic Klein-Fleckenbergers have informed -me, decided the fate of more than one hard-fought field. In most -respects Klein-Fleckenberg differs so little from many other German -principalities, duchies, landgraviates, &c. &c., that description -is almost superfluous. In spring it is white with the blossoms of -plum and pear, fruits which constitute no unimportant article of its -consumption and commerce; it is celebrated for sour kraut; its pigs -yield the best of sausages; it has half a dozen corn-fields and a -hop-ground, and also a mineral-spring, whose waters, although not -sufficiently renowned to attract strangers, annually work miraculous -cures upon sickly natives. At the time I speak of, the reigning duke -was Augustus IX., an amiable and easy-going prince, whose illustrious -brows were more frequently bound with a velvet smoking-cap than with -a golden diadem, and whose hand, in lieu of sceptre, usually carried -a riding-whip, sometimes a fowling-piece. His mild sway was lightly -borne by his loyal subjects, who failed not, each successive Sabbath, -to pray for his welfare and preservation, and who, if they sometimes -grumbled when called upon for the contributions destined to support -his princely state, imputed blame only to the tax-gatherer, and -never dreamed of attaching it to their benevolent and well-beloved -sovereign. - -The chapel of the ducal residence of Mauseloch was filled to the -roof, when, upon a bright Sunday morning of the year 183--, I entered -and looked around for a vacant seat. Not one was to seen. More than -one good-natured burgess screwed himself, as I passed near him, into -the smallest possible compass, to try to make room for me, but on -that sultry autumn morning I had too great regard both for my own -comfort and that of others, to avail myself of the scanty space thus -courteously afforded. In the whole church there literally was not -a sitting vacant, and several persons seemed, by their attitude, -to have resigned themselves to stand out the service. I hesitated -whether to do the same or to leave the church, when somebody touched -my arm, and on looking round I saw the precentor beckoning to me, -and pointing to an empty stool behind the singing-desk. Glad of the -offer, I at once installed myself amongst the choristers. - -The extraordinary concourse in the church was not owing, as I -afterwards learned, to any unwonted pious fervour of the Klein -Fleckenbergers, but to the presence--for the first time after a visit -of some weeks to a brother potentate--of the reigning duke and his -duchess, and of their daughter the Princess Theresa. From my seat in -the choir, I had a full view of these distinguished personages. The -duke was a sleek elderly gentleman, with at least as much _bonhomie_ -as dignity in his bearing; his wife, with rather more of the starch -of a petty German court, was yet a kindly-looking princess enough. -But their daughter was a pearl of beauty. She seemed about twenty -years of age, slender and graceful, with darker eyes and hair than -are common amongst her countrywomen, and--but I shall not attempt to -describe her. With all the advantages of ivory tablets and silken -brushes, and the seven tints of the rainbow, it would need a cunning -artist to do justice to her perfections; so it were absurd of me, a -mere sketcher, with pen, paper, and an indifferent ink-bottle for -sole materials, to attempt to portray them. I will therefore merely -say, that with elegance of form and regularity and delicacy of -feature, she combined the highest charm that grace and intelligence -of expression can bestow. Fresh from the sunburnt shores of Italy, -where I had basked at the foot of Vesuvius till my heart was as -inflammable as tinder, I took fire at once. My eyes were riveted -upon the peerless Theresa, when she chanced to look up. There was -electricity in the glance. I was stricken on the spot; my heart was -brought down like a snipe with a slug through his wing, and fell -fluttering at its conqueror's feet. I know not how long I had gazed, -when I was roused from my contemplation by a stir in the choir, and -the choristers struck up a psalm to a fine old German air, in which I -had often joined at concerts of Handel's and Haydn's splendid church -music. Instinctively I took my accustomed part, and was scarcely -conscious of doing so, until, after a few bars, I perceived myself -the object of the choristers' curious attention, and saw the singer -whose part I had taken cease to sing, either of his own accord or at -a sign from the precentor. Certainly the wiry quavering and unskilled -execution of the Klein Fleckenberger tenor could not compete for -an instant with a voice which was then in its mellow prime, and of -very considerable power; without vanity, the substitution was for -the better, and so apparently thought the congregation, for a cat's -footfall might have been heard in the church, and all eyes were -turned towards the choir. Amongst them I particularly observed the -beautiful hazel orbs of the Princess Theresa, which more than once -fixed themselves upon me, so I fancied, as if she singled out my -voice and distinguished it from the less cultivated vocalisation of -my companions. The singing at an end, I observed her whisper the -duke, who immediately cast a glance in my direction. - -The service over, I hurried from the church, eager to catch a view -of my divinity, on whose passage I stationed myself. Presently an -open carriage, with high-pacing Mecklenberg horses and a bearded -chasseur, rolled rapidly by, its occupants receiving on their passage -the respectful greetings of the people. In my turn I took off my hat, -and I could not but think there was a gleam of recognition in the -beautiful Theresa's eyes as she gracefully bent in acknowledgment of -my salutation. And when the carriage had passed me a few yards, the -duke put his head out and looked back, but for whom or what the look -was intended I could not decide, before a turn of the road hid the -vehicle from my view. - -The ragouts at the Fleckenberger Arms were not of such excellence as -to induce me to linger over them, even if my appetite had not been -somewhat destroyed by the feverish excitement in which the sight of -the peerless Theresa had left me. The fact was, absurd as it may -seem, that I had actually, and at first sight, allowed myself to -fall violently in love with the charming and high-born German. I say -absurd; because, although my father was of a good enough Brunswick -family, and my mother, a rich English heiress, had brought him a -rent-roll perhaps not much inferior to the combined civil list and -private revenue of the dukes of Klein Fleckenberg, yet a princess -is always a princess, whether her realm be wide as China or limited -as Monaco, a hemisphere or a paddock; and I was well assured of the -haughty astonishment with which Augustus IX. would not fail to repel -the presumptuous advances of plain Charles von Degen. At the time, -however, I did not stay to calculate all this, but yielded to the -impulse of the moment. - -I was sitting after dinner in the public room of the hotel, and -planning a walk abroad in hopes of obtaining another glimpse of -the lady of my thoughts, when I heard my name pronounced. The door -was half open, and by a slight change of position I saw into the -entrance-hall, where Herr Damfnudel, landlord of the Fleckenberger -Arms, was exhibiting, to a stranger in a dapper brown coat and of -smug and courtly aspect, the folio volume in which, according to -German custom, each visitor to the hotel was expected to inscribe -his name and calling, his whence-come and his whither-go. Presently -the stranger entered the room and paced it twice in its entire -length, whilst I sat at the table turning over a newspaper, in whose -perusal I affected to be busied, but at the same time observing, -by the aid of a friendly mirror, the appearance and movements of -the stranger, to whom I was evidently an object of curiosity and -examination. Presently he took up a paper, sat down at no great -distance from me, offered me snuff, and glided into talk. Aided -by tolerable familiarity with the ways and style of little German -courts and courtiers, I soon made up my mind as to what he was. His -manner, appearance, and tone of conversation convinced me he was in -some way or other attached to the ducal residence, although I had -difficulty in conjecturing his motive for trying to extract from me -various particulars concerning myself and my country, and especially -concerning the object of my visit to Mauseloch. He either did not -possess, or thought it unnecessary to employ, any great amount of -_finesse_, and I soon detected his drift. My pure German accent -could have left him no doubt that in me he addressed a countryman; -the hotel-book told him little besides my name, for I had inscribed -myself as a _particulier_ or private gentleman, coming from the last -town I had slept at, and proceeding to the next at which I proposed -pausing on my journey homewards. Hope and vanity combined to flatter -me with the belief that the chamberlain, or whatever else he was, -acted merely as an agent in the affair; and, at any rate, I thought -it wise to affect the mysterious, being sufficiently acquainted with -optics to know that a fog magnifies the objects it envelops. The -stranger could make nothing of me. At times his sharp little grey -eyes assumed an expression of doubt, and at others his manner had a -tinge of deep respect that puzzled me not a little. At last he took -his departure, and it was my turn to play the inquisitor. Calling for -Herr Damfnudel, I preferred those two requests which no innkeeper -was ever known to refuse--namely, a bottle of his best wine, and his -company to drink it. The generous juice of the Rhine grape speedily -oiled the hinges of his tongue; and at the very first assault, -by speaking of the stranger as the Kammerherr or chamberlain, I -ascertained that he really held a somewhat similar post in the duke's -household. Before the bottle, of which I took care my host should -drink the greater part, was quite empty, I had learned all that the -worthy Damfnudel knew. This amounted to no great deal. The duke's -gentleman had been inquisitive as to who I was, had inspected the -book, had inquired if I had a servant, and had seemed disappointed -at finding I was quite alone, and that the innkeeper could tell -him little or nothing about me. Damfnudel was much inclined to -believe, indeed had heard it rumoured in the town, that an important -personage was expected at the castle, whom it was thought possible -might be standing in my boots under the assumed name of Charles von -Degen. Flattering as was the implied compliment to the aristocratic -distinction of my appearance, I nevertheless repudiated the -incognito, declared myself to be no other than I seemed, and begged -Damfnudel to treat me and charge me as an ordinary traveller, and by -no means as a prince, ambassador, or field-marshal, or other great -dignitary. Dumfnudel, however, was of opinion that in these times so -many real and ex-potentates travel incognito, that it is impossible -to say who is who, and that a prudent innkeeper must consequently -suspect all his guests of high rank until the contrary be proven, and -charge accordingly. - -Although I most perseveringly perambulated Mauseloch and its -vicinity, I saw nothing more that day of the too fascinating Theresa. -I ascertained, however, that the following morning was fixed for a -grand shooting party in the ducal preserves, and that there I might -confidently expect to obtain a view of my enchantress. Accordingly, -at an early hour I mingled with the sportsmen and idlers who were -thronging to the scene of action, and had not very long to wait -before the party from the castle drove through the park gates. At -first I had no eyes but for the lovely Theresa, who stepped lightly -from her carriage, more beautiful than ever, her sweet face and -graceful form shown to the utmost advantage by a closely-fitted -hunting dress, in which she might have been taken for the queen of -the Amazons, or for Cynthia herself newly descended from Olympus to -hunt a boar in Klein Fleckenberg. Bright was her glance, gay and -graceful her smile, as she alighted on the turf whose blades her -fairy foot scarce bent. There was a murmur of admiration amongst -the bystanders as she bowed cheerfully and kindly around, and again -I thought her eye rested half a second's space on me, as I stood a -little in the background, in the shadow of the trees. The duke and -duchess were with her, and the three were attended by their little -court, amongst whose members I recognised my inquisitive friend of -the previous day. - -The kind of park in which the battue was to take place, was a -romantic tract of forest land, veined and dotted with rows and -clusters of trees, abounding in excellent cover, and interspersed -with grassy glades and lawns, whose delightful freshness was -preserved by the meanderings of two rivulets, feeders of a -neighbouring river, which flowed shallow and rapid over beds of -white sand, and between banks gorgeous with wild flowers. The sport -began. There was no lack of beaters. Besides a certain number of -peasants, whose duty it was to attend when their lord went a-hunting, -half the idlers of the duchy were at hand, eager to volunteer their -services; and soon began a shouting and clamour, a thrashing of -bushes and rummaging of brushwood, which drove the terrified game -headlong from form and harbour, across the open ground, in full view -and under the muzzles of the sportsmen. Loud then rang rifle and -fowling-piece, and cheerily clanged the horns, arousing the echoes of -the woods, and reverberated back from the clefts and ravines of the -neighbouring mountains, whilst the lusty cries of German woodcraft -were on every side repeated. So gay and inspiriting was the scene, -that for a moment it had almost diverted my thoughts from Theresa, -when I was suddenly accosted by my friend the Spy. With a low bow -he offered me a double-barrelled gun and a hunting-knife. "His -highness," he said, in a tone of the utmost ceremony and respect, -"was far from seeking to dispel the strict incognito I thought fit -to maintain, but he trusted I would be pleased to take post, and -share in the sports of the day." Having said thus much, he made -another profound bow, wished me good sport, then bowed again, and -retreated, leaving me so astonished and perplexed, that I was scarce -able to reply to his civility, and to stammer out something about -"a mistake under which his highness laboured," words which elicited -only a bland and respectful smile, and another obeisance deeper than -before. I was utterly confounded; puzzled and anxious to see how -the mistake, of which I was evidently the subject, would ultimately -be cleared up; whilst at the same time I could not help caressing -a sweet presentiment that the misapprehension of the court would -afford me opportunity of nearer acquaintance with the princess. -Before these thoughts had passed through my mind, the gun was in my -grasp, the hunting-knife by my side, and I was alone and without -choice but to stand like an advanced sentry in the open ground, or -to take post in the line of sportsmen stationed around the skirt -of an adjacent cover. I chose the latter; but truly neither hare -nor roebuck had much to fear from me. I had been too recently shot -through the heart myself to be a very formidable foe to the startled -creatures that scampered and scudded in all directions. I had made -but slight addition to the stock of venison, when an end was put to -this part of the day's sport, and a respite given to the smaller -game by the appearance of a huge wild boar. The bristly monarch -of the German forest had been tracked and driven upon a previous -day into a _sau-garten_, an enclosure allotted for the purpose, -and was now let out into the duke's chase. With eyes inflamed with -fury, bristles erect, and white tusks protruding from under the -blood-red wrinkles of his lip, he now dashed along, pursued by a -few stanch mastiffs, more than one of which, when pressing too -closely on the monster, atoned for his temerity with his life. Thus -escorted, the fierce animal came careering down a long green alley, -when one of the duke's counsellors, seized suddenly with a perilous -ardour, brandished a boar-spear, planted himself in the middle of -the path, and awaited the onset. In appearance he was not much of -a Nimrod, being chiefly remarkable for the shortness of his legs -and rotundity of his body, which seemed but ill at ease in a tight -green hunting-coat, whilst the picturesque low-crowned hat and bunch -of cock's feathers sat oddly enough above a jolly rubicund visage -that might have belonged to Falstaff himself. The comical twinkle -in his eye, which seemed to indicate his vocation to be that of -court-jester in the drawing-room, rather than court-champion in -the hunting-field, was quenched and replaced by a stare of visible -uneasiness as the wild pig came bowling along, squinting ominously -at him from under its shaggy eyebrows, and evidently wondering what -manner of man thus rashly awaited its formidable charge. The worthy -privy counsellor already puffed and perspired with his exertions, -but still he manfully stood his ground, and, greeting his antagonist -with the customary defiant cry of _Hui Sau!_ he lowered his broad, -keen spear-point, and prepared for a deadly thrust. But the dangerous -contest required a firmer and prompter hand than his. Evading the -weapon, the boar darted forward, thrust himself between the legs -of the portly sportsman, and, without injuring him, carried him -fairly off, astride upon his back. At this moment a _char-a-banc_, -containing the duchess, the Princess Theresa, and two other ladies, -and escorted by the duke and some gentlemen on horseback, drove -out of a cross-road, and the cavalcade obtained a full view of the -scene. The piteous mien of the fat counsellor astride upon the -pig, whose curly tail he grasped with a vehemence that augmented -the indignation of the furious animal, was irresistibly ludicrous. -There was a peal of laughter from the spectators, the duke swayed -to and fro in his saddle with excess of mirth, and even the ladies -caught the contagion. The joke, however, became serious earnest when -the boar, by a sudden wriggle of his unclean body, shook off the -counsellor, and turned upon him with the evident purpose of ripping -his rotundity with his dangerous tusks. This occurred within a few -steps of where I stood, and at the moment that the mirth of the -spectators was exchanged for cries of anxious horror, and when the -swine's ivory seemed already fumbling the ribs of the fallen man, -I sprang forward and drove my _couteau de chasse_ deep into the -shoulder of the grunting savage. The next moment, a well-directed -and powerful thrust from a huntsman's boar-spear laid the brute -expiring upon the ground, cheek by jowl with the luckless sportsman -who had so nearly been its victim. Bewildered by his fall, and -panting with terror, the corpulent courtier, when set upon his legs -by the huntsman, at first seemed in doubt whether the blood that -sprinkled his smart hunting-dress belonged to himself or the pig. -Satisfied upon this point, he picked up his crushed castor, and, -without replacing it on his head, turned to me, with an air of -profound respect. "Gracious sir," he said, bowing to the ground, -"I am doubly fortunate in being rescued by so illustrious a hand -from so imminent a danger." I at first thought the man was playing -the buffoon by addressing me in this style, which had been more -appropriate to a prince than to an unpretending commoner like myself, -and I scanned his features sharply, but their sole expression was -one of satisfaction at his deliverance, and of obsequious gratitude -to his deliverer. Before I could frame a disclaimer of the honour -thrust upon me, we were surrounded by the court. In a tone of mingled -cordiality and circumspection, the duke paid me a compliment on the -prompt aid afforded to his trusty friend and counsellor, upon whom -he then opened a smart fire of good-humoured sarcasms, which, as in -duty bound, his suite heartily laughed at and applauded. His wit -was lost upon me, engrossed as I was by the presence of the lovely -Theresa, who, encouraged by her father's example, smiled approvingly, -and addressed to me a few obliging words, whilst a blush mantled -her beauteous cheek. Then the _char-a-banc_ drove on, accompanied -by the horsemen, and I remained as one entranced, her silver tones -yet ringing in my ear, her sweet and graceful smile still shedding -sunshine around me. I had not yet recovered full possession of my -senses, scattered and confused by the quick succession of events, and -the curious dilemma in which I found myself, when one of the duke's -grooms led up a saddle-horse, and respectfully held the stirrup -for me to mount. I began to be resigned to the sort of _equivoque_ -in which I was entangled, and, somewhat tired by the exertions of -the morning, I willingly availed myself of the proffered steed. At -the door of the hotel I gave the animal up to my attendant, with a -_douceur_ whose liberality may certainly have contributed to maintain -a belief of my being a more important personage than I seemed. My -appearance on a horse of the duke's, and attended by one of his -grooms, produced a great and manifest impression upon Herr Damfnudel, -who treated me with redoubled respect, and, I have little doubt, -augmented my score in the same proportion. - -Left to solitude and reflection, after the bustle and excitement of -the morning, a certain uneasiness took possession of me. Hurried -along by a stream of odd but agreeable incidents, I had as yet -lacked time to weigh the possible consequences. I almost wished I -had kept in the background, and contented myself with sighing at -a hopeless distance for the amiable Theresa, instead of accepting -proffered attentions, and so passively encouraging the error into -which the duke and his family had evidently run. I felt that I was -in some degree an impostor, unless I at once broke down the blunder -by declaring who I was. On the other hand, I could not make up my -mind thus rudely to alter a state of things which I had not brought -about, for which I consequently was not to blame, and which, I -plainly saw, was likely to afford me opportunities of interviews, -and even of intimacy, with her by whom my thoughts were now entirely -engrossed. Another course was certainly open to me, namely, instant -departure; but to this I had great difficulty in making up my mind. -My perplexities haunted me in my dreams, and the next morning found -me in the same state of painful indecision, when a letter weighed -down the scale of inclination, and made prudence kick the beam. It -was brought me by a servant in the duke's livery, and written in -courtly French by the marshal of his household. I had betrayed, it -said, so charming a musical talent, that I must not feel surprised at -the inference that my dramatic abilities were equally remarkable. To -celebrate the birthday of his highness the duke, the court proposed -getting up Kotzebue's play of the Love Child, and it was earnestly -hoped I would not refuse to take the part of Ehrmann, which was -accordingly enclosed. There was to be a rehearsal that evening at the -palace. - -This tempting invitation swept away my uncertainties like cobwebs. -My theatrical experience little exceeded a few acted charades, but I -had always been a great playgoer, and had long frequented a school -of elocution, where I had acquired readiness of delivery, and the -habit of speaking before a numerous audience. So I doubted not of -making at least a respectable appearance upon the boards of the -palace theatre. I had no reason to complain of the part assigned -to me, for it was to be rewarded upon the stage with the hand of a -beautiful baroness. Like more than one pious congregation, I thought -the Klein-Fleckenbergers were in distress for a good parson, and -doubtless I might pass muster as a tolerable one. It was no small -stimulus to me to accept the part and do my best, that I should -thereby be giving pleasure to her who I felt assured would be at -once the most illustrious and the most lovely of my audience. And -since the court persisted in discerning in me, an undisguised and -unassuming private gentleman, a distinguished Incognito, whose mask, -however, it carefully abstained from plucking off, I made up my mind -there was no harm in letting the mistake go a stage further. - -Kotzebue's agreeable play of the Love Child (_Das Kind der Liebe_) -has, I think, appeared in an English dress, and will be known to -many. I need here refer but to a small portion of the plot. Baron -Wildenhain, a wealthy nobleman, destines the hand of his beautiful -and artless daughter, Amelia, to Count Von der Mulde, a Frenchified -German and empty coxcomb, but in other respects an advantageous -match. Unwilling, however, to bestow her hand upon one to whom she -may be unable to give her heart, he commissions Ehrmann, a clergyman, -who has been her tutor, to ascertain her feelings towards the count, -and to warn her against accepting him as a companion for life if -she is unable to love and esteem him. Ehrmann, who has long been -secretly attached to Amelia, but has scrupulously concealed his -passion, magnanimously accepts the difficult and delicate mission; -but whilst accomplishing it, and explaining to his former pupil -the indispensable conditions of conjugal happiness, he is at once -surprised, pained, and overjoyed by her _naive_ confession that -the sentiments of esteem and affection he tells her she ought -to entertain towards her future husband, are exactly those she -experiences for himself. This scene is skilfully managed, and a -happy _denouement_ is brought about by the baron's preferring -his daughter's happiness to his own pride, and giving her to the -humbly-born but accomplished and virtuous minister. - -By assiduous application during the whole of that day, I knew my part -pretty well when the hour of rehearsal came. On reaching the palace, -I was conducted to one of the wings, where a small but very complete -theatre was fitted up. The marshal of the household, who received -me with the most courteous attention, played Baron Wildenhain; his -lady was Wilhelmina Bottger; the humorous part of the butler was -worthily filled by my boar-hunting friend of the previous day. The -other male characters had all found very tolerable representatives, -with the exception of the important one of Count Von der Mulde, which -was taken by a young secretary who had scarcely set foot over the -boundary of the duchy, and who, strive as he might, was but a tame -and inefficient representative of the mincing Frenchified fop. The -morrow being the duke's birthday, there was time but for this one -rehearsal, which was therefore to be gone through in full dress. A -costume awaited me, and I flattered myself I made a most reverend and -imposing appearance in my priestly sables. My next concern was to -know who took the character of the baron's daughter, the sprightly -and innocent Amelia, with whom my own part was so closely linked. I -conjectured it would be the marshal's daughter, but did not choose -to ask. Great indeed was my surprise when, in the second act, the -Princess Theresa made her entrance in a morning dress of exquisite -elegance and freshness, and, in the character of Amelia, tripped and -prattled, with natural and enchanting grace, through the scene where -the baron sounds his daughter respecting Count Von der Mulde. With -lightning swiftness the tender scenes I should have to play with her -flashed across my memory, and drove every drop of blood to my heart. -It was fortunate I was not then required on the stage, for I should -have been unable to remember or utter a word. During that and the -following scene, however, I had time to recover my composure; and -when I at last went on for an interview with the father, I quickly -glided into the spirit of my part, and acquitted myself well enough. -Soon I found myself alone on the stage with Amelia, with the task -set me to expose and explain to her the joys and sorrows of wedlock, -and then her admirable acting and my feelings towards her converted -the dramatic fiction into gravest reality--so far, at least, as I -was concerned. When she so innocently and artlessly confessed her -love, when she placed her hand in mine to move me to an avowal of -affection, when I felt the pressure of her delicate fingers, it was -all I could do to adhere to the letter of my part, and not avow in -earnest the passion I was to appear to repress and conceal. With -what seductive simplicity did she deliver the passage, "Long have -I wondered what made my heart so full; but now I know; 'tis here!" -And as she spoke, her bosom rose and fell beneath its covering of -snow-white muslin. "Lady!" I exclaimed, and never were words more -heartfelt, "you have destroyed my peace of mind for ever!" - -It was with feelings approaching to rapture that I observed how -completely the princess identified herself with her part. More than -once I saw tears of sensibility suffuse her eyes. Her admirable -performance elicited from the other actors applause too hearty and -cordial to be the mere tribute of courtly adulation. And the scene in -which Amelia, pretending to seek a needle beside her father's chair, -throws herself suddenly on his neck, and passionately implores his -consent, took the hearts of all present by storm. As for mine, it had -long since surrendered at discretion. - -The better to adapt it to the means and circumstances of a private -theatre, the play had been a good deal cut and altered. The scene -in which the fortunate Ehrmann obtains the hand of Amelia had been -somewhat toned down, in consideration for the rank of the actress; -and the embrace and kiss had been struck out. But, as it often -happens that one involuntarily does the very thing that should be -avoided, so, when Baron Wildenhain said, "I am indeed deeply in your -debt: Milly, will you pay him for me?" she adhered to the uncurtailed -version, let herself fall upon my arm, and exclaimed, with tender -emotion, as my lips pressed her cheek, "Ah, what joy is this!" That -thrill of felicity could not be surpassed. Immense was the happiness -concentrated in that one brief moment. How incredulously should I -have listened had I been told, twenty-four hours previously, that I -so soon was to press that angel to my breast, and feel upon my arm -the quick throbbings of her heart! - -The rehearsal over, I was divesting myself of my clerical robe, when -the princess passed near me, accompanied by the marshal's lady. - -"Dear Mr Ehrmann!" she said, "surely we soon shall see you doff -another disguise?" - -"Gracious princess," I was forced to reply, "unhappily I am and must -ever remain what I now appear." - -With a half-incredulous, half-mournful look she passed on, and left -the theatre. - -On returning to the hotel, I found there had been an arrival during -my absence. A gentleman, mounted on a fine horse, and attended by a -servant, had alighted about an hour previously at the Fleckenberger -Arms, and was now seated in the coffee-room at supper. The stranger, -a young man of agreeable exterior and remarkably well-bred air, -had already heard of the private theatricals in preparation at the -palace, and doubtless the loquacious Damfnudel had also informed him -I was one of the performers; for scarcely had we exchanged a few of -those commonplace remarks with which travellers at an hotel usually -commence acquaintance, when, with an air of lively interest, he -began to question me on the subject. I told him what the play was, -described the arrangement of the theatre and the distribution of -the parts, and added some remarks on the comparative merits of the -performers, the least effective of whom, I observed, was the young -secretary, who took the prominent and difficult character of Count -Von der Mulde. There was something so encouraging to confidence -in the frank and pleasing manner of the stranger, that before we -retired to bed, after a pretty long sitting over our cigars, I -narrated to him the curious chain of trifling circumstances that -had led to my sharing in the projected performance, and did not -even conceal that the inmates of the palace evidently took me for -some great personage travelling incognito. I said little about the -Princess Theresa, and nothing at all of the romantic passion with -which she had inspired me. The stranger was vastly diverted at the -whole affair; and declared me perfectly justified in yielding to -the gentle violence done me, and profiting for my amusement by the -harmless misapprehension. He then told me that he himself was a great -lover of theatricals, and that he should like exceedingly to share -in the performance at the palace; and, if possible, to take the part -of Count Von der Mulde, in which he had frequently been applauded in -his own country. He was a Livonian baron, who had been much at Paris; -and I made no doubt that he really would perform the Gallomaniac fop -extremely well, the more so that he himself was a little Frenchified -in his manner. And I felt sure the general effect of the performance -would be greatly heightened if a practised actor replaced the present -unskilled representative of Von der Mulde. It was out of the question -for me to think of proposing or presenting him, when my own footing -was so precarious; but I informed him that the whole management was -vested in the marshal of the duke's household--an affable and amiable -person, by whom, if he could obtain the slightest introduction, I -thought his aid would gladly be accepted. My Livonian friend mused a -little; thought it possible he might get presented to the marshal; -fancied he had formerly known a cousin of his at Paris; would think -over it, and see in the morning what could be done. Thereupon we -parted for the night. - -I passed the whole of the next morning studying my part, and it -was afternoon before I again met the accomplished stranger. With -a pleasant smile, and easy, self-satisfied air, he told me he had -settled everything, and should have the honour of appearing that -evening as my unsuccessful rival for the hand of the fair Amelia -Wildenhain. He had procured an introduction to the marshal, (he did -not say through whom,) and that nobleman, delighted to recruit an -efficient actor in lieu of a stop-gap, had proposed calling a morning -rehearsal; but this the new representative of Von der Mulde declared -to be quite unnecessary. He was perfectly familiar with the part, and -undertook not to miss a word. - -The hour of performance came. The little theatre was thronged with -Klein-Fleckenbergers, noble and gentle, from country and town. -The duke and duchess made their appearance, and were greeted by a -flourish of trumpets, whilst the audience rose in a body to welcome -them. Count Von der Mulde dressed at the hotel, and did not appear in -the greenroom till towards the close of that portion of the play in -which he had nothing to do. In the fifth scene of the second act he -made his entrance, and almost embarrassed Wildenhain and Amelia by -the great spirit and naturalness of his acting. Kotzebue himself can -hardly have conceived the part more vividly and characteristically -than the stranger rendered it. - -"I have scarcely recovered myself yet, dear Mr Ehrmann," said the -Princess Theresa to me, between the acts. "The count quite frightened -me. I could not help fancying it was the real Von der Mulde." - -The completeness of the illusion was undeniable. The jests of the -portly boar-hunter, in the part of the butler, passed unperceived, -amidst the admiration excited by the count, who bewailed the -pomatum-pot, forgotten by his servant, as though it were his best -friend he had been compelled to leave behind, and whose eyes actually -glistened with tears as he whined forth his apprehensions that -unsavoury German mice would devour the most delicate perfume France -had ever produced. The question passed round, amongst actors and -audience, who this admirable performer was, and the duke himself sent -behind the scenes to make the inquiry. "A Livonian gentleman," was -the reply, "who would shortly have the honour to pay his respects to -his highness." - -The play proceeded, and if the rehearsal had had circumstances -peculiarly gratifying to me as an individual, as an amateur of -art I could not withhold my warmest approbation from this day's -performance. The admirable tact and delicacy of the princess's -acting, combined with the utter absence of stage-trick and -conventionality, gave an unusual and extraordinary charm to her -personation of a part that is by no means easy. The honours of the -evening were for her and the count, and with justice, for few of -the many German theatres I had visited could boast of such able -and tasteful actors. Between the acts, the marshal's lady took -her jestingly to task, and asked her whether, if the play were -reality, she should not be disposed, without disparagement to me, -to admit that the count was no despicable or unlikely wooer? "To -her thinking," the princess replied, "our merits in real life might -very well bear about the same relative proportion as those of the -characters we assumed, and, for her part, she preferred her amiable -and gentle tutor." Then perceiving, as she finished speaking, that I -was within hearing, she turned away with a blush and a smile, that -seemed to me like an opening of the gates of Elysium. Upon this -occasion, however, the embracing scene was gone through according to -the corrected version--that is to say, with the embrace omitted--but -my vanity consoled me by attaching so much the greater price to the -deviation that had been made in my favour upon the preceding evening. -In short, I gave myself up to the enchantment of the hour: I was, -or fancied myself, desperately in love; visions of felicity flitted -through my brain to the exclusion of matter-of-fact reflections; I -had dreamed myself into an impossible Paradise, whence it would take -no slight shock to expel me. One awaited me, sufficiently violent to -dissipate in a second the whole air-built fabric. - -The performance was drawing to a close, when a sudden commotion arose -behind the scenes, and cries of alarm were uttered. The flaring -of a lamp, fixed in one of the narrow wings, had set fire to the -elaborate frills and floating frippery that decorated the coxcombical -costume of Count Von der Mulde. His servant, a simple fellow, who -had attended him to the theatre, was ludicrously terrified at seeing -his master in a blaze. "Water!" he shouted, at the top of his lungs. -"Water! water! the Prince of Schnapselzerhausen is on fire!" - -And, snatching up a crystal jug of water that stood at hand, he -dashed it over his master, successfully quenching the burning -muslin, but, at the same time, drenching him from head to foot. His -exclamation had attracted universal attention. - -"The Prince of Schnapselzerhausen!" repeated fifty voices. - -"Blockhead!" exclaimed the stranger. - -"Count Von der Mulde, I mean!" cried the bewildered servant. "Well," -he added, seeing that none heeded his correction, "the murder is out; -but it was better to tell his name than let him burn." - -The murder was out, indeed. With much ado the scene was played to an -end, and the curtain fell. Every one crowded round the singed and -dripping Von der Mulde. The princess, instead of greeting in him -the son of the reigning Prince of Schnapselzerhausen, her destined -bridegroom, seemed bewildered and almost shocked at the discovery, -and was carried fainting from the theatre. The prince was hurried -away by his future father-in-law, whilst I, with my brain in a whirl, -betook myself to my inn. - -After a feverish and sleepless night, I fell at daybreak into a -slumber, which lasted till late in the day. On getting out of bed, -with the sun high in the sky, and before I was well awake, I began, -almost unconsciously, to pack my portmanteau. The instinct was a true -one; evidently I had now nothing to stay for in Klein-Fleckenberg. -I rang for the waiter, and bade him secure me a place in that day's -_eilwagen_. I was not yet dressed, when a servant brought me a letter -and a small packet. I opened the former first. It was from the -Countess Von P----, the wife of the marshal of the household. Its -contents were as follows:-- - -"Rev. Mr Ehrmann--I thus address you because it is in that character -we shall longest remember you. You are entitled to an explanation -of certain circumstances and overtures concerning whose origin the -appearance of his highness the Prince of Schnapselzerhausen will -already have partly enlightened you. - -"The description given us of the prince in the last letter of our -confidential correspondent at his father's court--in which letter his -musical skill and love of dramatic performances were particularly -referred to--coincided, as did also the probable time of his arrival -here, so closely with your appearance, that, when the real prince -presented himself, under the assumed name of a Livonian gentleman, we -were far from suspecting who he really was. - -"I am commissioned to thank you, in the joint names of the -Princess Theresa and her illustrious parents, for your excellent -performance in yesterday's play. The princess, who is suffering -from indisposition, brought on by the alarm of fire and subsequent -surprise, requests your acceptance of the accompanying trinket as a -slight token of her esteem." - -The trinket was a gold ring, with the initial T. in brilliants. I -pressed it to my lips, and I know not why I should be ashamed to -confess that my eyes grew dim as I gazed upon it. I had had a vain -but happy dream, and the moment of awakening was painful. An hour -later I crossed for the last time the frontier of the pleasant little -duchy. - -The _Gotha Almanack_ supplies the date of the marriage of the -Princess Theresa of Klein-Fleckenberg with the son of the reigning -Prince of Schnapselzerhausen. It also records a series of subsequent -events which would induce many to believe in the conjugal felicity -of the illustrious pair;--the birth, namely, of half a dozen little -Schnapselzerhausens. That the second-born is christened Charles, may -be ascribed by the world to caprice, accident, or a god-father: my -vanity explains it otherwise. - - - - -THE QUAKER'S LAMENT. - - -[The subject of the following poem will best be gathered from the -entry in the notice-sheet of the House of Commons of 7th May last. -We do not disguise our delight at finding that Mr Bright is about -to take up the cause of protection in any portion of Her Majesty's -dominions; and although his sympathies seem to have been awakened at -a considerable distance from the metropolis, we are not without hope -that the tide will set in, decidedly and strongly, towards the point -where it is most especially needed. It is, at all events, refreshing -to know that the Ryots of India have secured the services of so -powerful and determined a champion, who has now ample leisure, owing -to the general dulness of trade, to do every justice to their cause. - -"MR BRIGHT,--That an humble Address be presented to her Majesty, -praying her Majesty to appoint a commission to proceed to India, -to inquire into the obstacles which prevent an increased growth of -cotton in that country, and to report upon any circumstances which -may injuriously affect the economical and industrial condition of -the native population, being cultivators of the soil within the -presidencies of Bombay and Madras. _Tuesday 14th May._"] - - -I. - - All the mills were closed in Rochdale, - Shut the heavy factory door; - Old and young had leave to wander, - There was work for them no more. - In the long deserted chambers - Idly stood the luckless loom, - Silent rose the ghastly chimney - Guiltless of its former fume. - - -II. - - Near a brook that leaped rejoicing, - Freed once more from filthy dye, - Dancing in the smokeless sunlight, - Babbling as it wandered bye-- - Walked a middle-aged Free-trader, - Forwards, backwards, like a crab: - And his brow was clothed with sorrow, - And his nether-man with drab. - - -III. - - Chewing cud of bitter fancies, - Dreaming of the by-gone time, - Sauntered there the downcast Quaker - Till he heard the curfew chime. - Then a hollow laugh escaped him: - "Let the fellows have their will-- - With a dwindling crop of cotton, - They may ask a Five-hours Bill! - - -IV. - - "Side by side I've stood with Cobden, - Roared with him for many a year, - And our only theme was cheapness, - And we swore that bread was dear; - And we made a proclamation - Touching larger pots of beer, - Till the people hoarsely answered - With a wild approving cheer. - - -V. - - "Did we not denounce the landlords - As a ravening locust crew? - Did we not revile the yeomen, - And the rough-shod peasants too? - Clodpoles, louts, and beasts of burden, - Asses, dolts, and senseless swine-- - These were our familiar phrases - In the days of auld-langsyne. - - -VI. - - "And at length we gained the battle: - Oh, how proudly did I feel, - When the praise was all accorded - To my brother chief by Peel! - But I did not feel so proudly - At the settling of the fee-- - Cobden got some sixty thousand-- - Not a stiver came to me! - - -VII. - - "Well, they _might_ have halved the money-- - Yet I know not--and who cares? - After all, the free disposal - Of the gather'd fund was theirs: - And it is some consolation - In this posture of affairs, - To reflect that 'twas invested - In the shape of railway shares! - - -VIII. - - "O, away, ye pangs of envy! - Wherefore dwell on such a theme, - Since a second grand subscription - Is, I know, a baseless dream? - Haunt me not with flimsy fancies-- - Soul, that should be great and free! - Yet--they gave him sixty thousand, - Not a pennypiece to me! - - -IX. - - "But I threw my spirit forwards, - As an eagle cleaves the sky, - Glaring at the far horizon - With a clear unflinching eye. - Visions of transcendant brightness - Rose before my fancy still, - And the comely earth seemed girdled - With a zone from Rochdale Mill. - - -X. - - "And I saw the ports all opened, - Every harbour free from toll: - Countless myriads craving shirtings - From the Indies to the pole. - Lapland's hordes inspecting cotton, - With a spermaceti smile, - And Timbuctoo's tribes demanding - Bright's 'domestics' by the mile! - - -XI. - - "O the bliss, the joy Elysian! - O the glory! O the gain! - Never, sure, did such a vision - Burst upon the poet's brain! - Angel voices were proclaiming - That the course of trade was free, - And the merchants of the Indies - Bowed their stately heads to me! - - -XII. - - "Out, alas! my calculation - Was, I know, too quickly made; - Even sunlight casts a shadow, - There is gloom in briskest trade. - I forgot one little item-- - Though the fact of course I knew, - For I never had considered - Where it was that cotton grew. - - -XIII. - - "Wherefore in this northern valley, - Where the ploughshare tears the sod, - Spring not up spontaneous bushes - Laden with the precious pod? - What an Eden were this island, - If beside the chimney-stalk - Raw material might be gathered, - Freely of an evening walk! - - -XIV. - - "But alas, we cannot do it. - And the Yankee--fiends confound him!-- - Grins upon us, o'er the ocean, - With his bursting groves around him. - And these good-for-nothing Negroes - Are so very slow at hoeing, - That their last supply of cotton - Will not keep our mills a-going. - - -XV. - - "Also, spite of Cobden's speeches - Made in every foreign land, - Which, 'tis true, the beastly natives - Did not wholly understand, - Hostile tariffs still are rising, - Duties laid on twist and twine; - And the wild pragmatic Germans - Hail with shouts their Zollverein. - - -XVI. - - "They, like madmen, seem to fancy - That a nation, to be great, - Should as surely shield the workman - As the highest in the state: - And they'd rather raise their taxes - From the fruits of foreign labour, - Than permit, as nature dictates, - Each man to devour his neighbour. - - -XVII. - - "So my golden dreams have vanished, - All my hopes of gain are lost; - Fresh accounts of glutted markets - Come with each successive post. - And I hear the clodpoles mutter - As they pass me in the street, - That they can't afford to purchase, - At the present rate of wheat. - - -XVIII. - - "Well, I care not--'tis no matter! - My machines won't eat me up; - And the people on the poor-rates - Have my perfect leave to sup. - Let the land provide subsistence - For the children of the soil, - I am forced to feed my engines - With a daily cruise of oil. - - -XIX. - - "Ha! a bright idea strikes me! - 'Tis the very thing, huzzay! - I have somewhere heard that cotton - May be cultured in Bombay. - Zooks! it is a splendid notion! - Dicky Cobden is an ass. - Wherefore should we pay the Yankees - Whilst Great Britain holds Madras? - - -XX. - - "Cotton would again be cultured - If, with a benignant hand, - Fair protection were afforded - To the tillers of the land. - 'Tis a sin and shame, we know not - Where our real riches lie; - Yes! they _shall_ have just protection, - Else I'll know the reason why. - - -XXI. - - "Surely some obscene oppression, - Weighs the natives' labour down, - Or their energies are palsied - By a tyrant master's frown. - To my heart the blood is gushing-- - Righteous tears bedew my cheek-- - Parliament shall know their burdens, - Ere I'm older by a week! - - -XXII. - - "Ha! those fine devoted fellows! - 'Twere a black and burning shame, - If we let the Yankees swamp them - In their mean exclusive game. - I have always held the doctrine, - Since my public life begun, - That it was our bounden duty - To take care of Number One. - - -XXIII. - - "What!--allow the faithful Indian - To be crushed in cotton-growing? - O forbid it, truthful Wilson! - O refuse it, saintly Owen! - Have their claims been disregarded? - There is life within a mussel; - And I've got a kind of bridle - On the neck of Johnny Russell. - - -XXIV. - - "I shall move a special motion, - Touching this o'erlooked affair: - El-Dorado would be nothing - To the wealth that waits us there. - Let us get a fair protection - For our native Indian niggers, - And, I think, the Rochdale mill-book - Would display some startling figures! - - -XXV. - - "Ha! I've got another notion! - Things are rather dull at home, - And I feel no fixed objection, - In my country's cause to roam. - It is needful that some cautious - Hand should undertake the task, - Hum--there _must_ be a commission-- - Well--I've only got to ask. - - -XXVI. - - "They'll be rather glad to spare me, - In their present precious fix: - Charley Wood is somewhat shakey - With his recent dodge on bricks. - Palmerston's in hottest water, - What with France, and what with Greece; - As for little Juggling Johnny - He'll pay anything for peace. - - -XXVII. - - "Faith, I'll do it! were it only - As a most conclusive trick, - And a hint unto our fellows - That I'm quite as good as Dick. - Hang him! since he's made orations, - In a sort of mongrel French, - One would think he's almost equal - To Lord Campbell on the bench. - - -XXVIII. - - "Time it is our course were severed; - I'm for broad distinctions now. - Since my mills are fairly stoppaged, - At another shrine I bow. - Send me only out to India - On this patriotic scheme, - And I'll show them how protection - Is a fact, and not a dream." - - - - -THE GREAT PROTECTION MEETING IN LONDON. - - -We have considered it our duty to record in a permanent form the -proceedings of the most important meeting which has been held in -Britain, since Sir Robert Peel deliberately renounced that policy -of which he was once the plighted champion. Not many months have -elapsed since the Free-traders were wont to aver, with undaunted -effrontery, that all idea of a return to the principles of Protection -to native industry was eradicated from the minds of the British -public; that, saving some elderly peers and a few bigoted enthusiasts -like ourselves, no sane man would attempt to overturn a system which -placed the untaxed foreigner on a level with the home-producer; -and that cheapness, superinduced by exorbitant competition, was -in reality the greatest blessing which could be vouchsafed to -an industrious people. The great measure of the age, originally -propounded as an experiment, was eagerly assumed as a fact; and we -were told, for the first time in British history, that legislation, -however faulty it might prove, was to be regarded as a thing -irrevocable. - -It was, however, rather remarkable that, whilst making these broad -assertions, the Free-traders manifested a distinct uneasiness as to -the working of their favourite scheme. If the measures which they -advocated and carried were indeed final, there was surely no need -for the bluster which was repeated, week after week, and day after -day, from platform and from hustings, in Parliament and out of it, -in pamphlet, broad-sheet, and review. If no considerable party cared -about Protection, and still less meditated a vigorous effort for -its revival, why should Mr Cobden and his brother demagogues have -uselessly committed themselves by threatening, in so many words, -to shake society to its centre, and overturn the constitution of -the realm? Men never resort to threats, when they deem themselves -positively secure. Such language was, to say the least of it, -injudicious; since it was calculated to create an impression, -especially among the waverers, that the temple of Free Trade, (which, -by the way, is to be roofed in next year,) might after all have its -foundation on a quicksand, instead of being firmly established on the -solid stratum of the rock. - -No charge can be made against the country party, that they have -precipitately commenced their movement. On the contrary, we believe -it would be impossible to find an instance of a vast body of men -betrayed by their appointed leader; aggrieved by a course of -legislation which they could not prevent, since a direct appeal to -the suffrages of the nation was denied; injured in their property; -and taunted for their apathy even by their opponents--yet submitting -so long and so patiently to the operation of a cruel law which day -by day was forcing them onwards to the brink of ruin. The practical -working of the withdrawal of agricultural protection dates from -February 1849, when that event was inaugurated by a Manchester -ovation. In April the price of wheat had fallen to about 44s.--in -December it was below 40s.; and then, and not till then, was the -spirit of the people fairly and thoroughly aroused. We need not -here advert to the foolish and deplorable trash put forward by the -political economists in defence of a system of cheapness, caused by -an unnatural depreciation of the value of British produce. That such -a depreciation could take place, without lowering in a corresponding -degree the rates of labour all over the country, and curtailing the -demand for employment in proportion to the diminished means of the -consumers, was obviously impossible. Nor could the wit of man devise -any answer to the proposition at once so clear and so momentous, that -the burden of taxation, already felt to be severe, was enormously -aggravated and increased by the measures which virtually established -a new standard of value for produce, and which violently acted upon -the incomes of almost every ratepayer in the kingdom. But it is well -worth noting that the leading advocates of Free Trade, previous -to the conversion of Sir Robert Peel, cautiously abstained from -arguing their case on the ground of permanent cheapness. We have -on this point the valuable testimony of Mr Cobden, who repeatedly -declared his conviction that the farmers, and even the landowners, -would derive a large and direct advantage from the repeal of the corn -laws. We have the treatises of Mr Wilson, Secretary of the Board of -Control, pathetically pointing out the positive detriment to the -country which must ensue from a long continuance of low prices of -grain. And finally, we have Sir Robert Peel's distinct admission that -56s. per quarter is the average price for which wheat can be raised -with a profit in Great Britain. It was not until all rational hope -of a rise was extinguished--until the amount of importations poured -into this country demonstrated the fallacy of all the calculations -which had been made as to the amount of surplus supply available from -the Continent and from America--that any section of the Free-traders -ventured to proclaim the doctrine that cheapness, ranging below the -level of the cost of home production, was a positive advantage to the -nation. It is true that this monstrous fallacy is now maintained by -only a few of the more unscrupulous and desperate of the party; and -that the Ministry have as yet abstained from committing themselves -to so fatal a dogma. They would have us rather cling to the hope -that present prices are only temporary, though they cannot assign a -single plausible reason to account for the continued depression. They -talk, in vague general terms,--the surest symptoms of their actual -incapacity and helplessness--of "transition states of suffering," of -"partial derangement inseparable from the formation of a new system -of commercial policy," and much more such pompous and unmeaning -jargon; whilst, at the same time, they refuse to commit themselves -to any decided line of action, if it should actually be found that -they were wrong in their calculations, and that prices so low as -to be absolutely ruinous are _not_ temporary in their operation, -but must hereafter prevail as the rule. How often have we heard, on -the part of their organs, even within the last two months, joyous -assertions that the markets were again rising, and foreign supplies -diminishing! Within this last fortnight, the _Times_, emboldened by -the continuance of cold easterly winds, and the backward state of -the vegetation, prophesied, with more than its usual confidence, a -rapid rise and a consequent diminution of cheapness. On the 13th of -May, our prospects were thus described:--"Happily just now corn is -rising, and we are quite as likely to see wheat at 60s. as 30s. in -the course of the year." On the 14th, the journalist again returned -to the charge--"Just now the market is rising all over the world, and -it seems likely enough that the farmer will soon have, in the natural -course of things, what Mr G. Berkeley wants to obtain by a return to -Protection.... The same agreeable tidings pour in from all parts of -the kingdom, and indeed from all parts of the world." Alas for human -prescience! On the 21st, the note was changed, and the bulletin from -Corn-Exchange announced that "the trade was dull, and the prices -gave way 1s. to 2s. per quarter before any progress could be made -in sales." The aggregate average of wheat for the six weeks ending -May 11th, was 37s. 1d.--a rate at which no one, not even the most -sanguine dabbler in agricultural improvement, has ventured to aver -that corn can be raised, under present burdens, without occasioning -an enormous loss to the grower. - -We do not complain of these calculations or prophecies, however -fallacious they may be; but we do complain, very seriously, that -Ministers, their organs and their underlings, are halting between -two opinions. If cheapness is their watchword and principle, then -they have no right to plume themselves upon any rise in the value of -produce. We can understand the thorough-paced Free-trader who tells -us broadly, that the cheaper food can be bought, no matter whence -it comes, so much the better for the community. That is, at all -events, plain sailing. But we say deliberately, that a more pitiable -spectacle of mental imbecility cannot be imagined than that which is -now presented by the Cabinet, who, with cheapness in their mouths, -are eagerly catching at the faintest shadow of a rise in prices; and -who, did such a rise take place, would be the first to congratulate -the country on the improved condition of its prospects! Mr Wilson, -who usually communicates to the Premier, in the House of Commons, -the invaluable results of his experience, has been blundering on for -months in the preposterous hope of getting rid of facts by trumpery -and fallacious statistics; and has at last landed himself in such a -quagmire of contradictions, that his best friends are compelled to -despair of his ultimate extrication. Yet this gentleman is one of -those authorities whom we are told to regard with reverence; and whom -we do regard with just as much reverence as we would bestow upon a -broker's clerk who had set up for himself in business as a dealer in -the scrip of exploded and abandoned lines. - -It was not until sinking markets, and continued foreign importations, -showed as clearly as facts could do that the depression of value was -permanent, and not temporary--until the farmers of England found -that they were absolute losers in their trade, and that their stock -had become unprofitable--until wages were beginning to fall in many -important districts, and the means of employment for thousands -were gradually taken away--not until all this was seen, and felt, -and known, that the suffering interests awoke from their presumed -lethargy, and commenced that system of active agitation which, in -an incredibly short period of time, has become universal over the -face of the country. We shall not particularise the language which -was used by men of the opposite party during the first period of -the movement. All that insolence, bluster, and menace could do, was -attempted by the former leaders of the League, to intimidate those -who knew that they were performing their duty to their country and -themselves, by making head against the most monstrous system of -tyranny which ever yet was devised for the oppression of a free and -prosperous people. Mr Cobden had the consummate folly--we need not -call it wickedness--to threaten that, if one iota of the free-trade -policy were reversed, he would raise up such a storm as would shake -England to its centre and thoroughly revolutionise society. And, -to the eternal disgrace of the Government be it spoken--the name -of the demagogue who had dared to hold such language was allowed -by the first Minister of the Crown to stand on a list of public -commissioners! Then the landowners were emphatically warned to -beware of originating a struggle, from which they might chance -to emerge with something worse than a mere depreciation of their -property. The warning, though doubtless well meant, was almost -wholly unnecessary. The marked and characteristic feature of the new -agitation is, that the landlords, as a body, have kept themselves -so far aloof from it that their apathy has more than once been made -a topic for the severest censure. It was among the tenant-farmers -and yeomen of England--we say it to their praise and glory--that -this mighty movement began. They saw how they had been deceived -and betrayed by those to whom they had intrusted their cause; and -the gallant Saxon spirit, never so greatly shown as when roused by -a sense of oppression, was exerted to vindicate and champion the -rights of their insulted order. The men of almost every county of -England spoke out manfully in their turn. By a wise and timely system -of organisation, skilfully planned and energetically carried into -effect, their isolated efforts were directed into one grand channel -of action. The National Association for the Protection of Industry -and Capital, under the presidency of that high-minded and patriotic -nobleman, the Duke of Richmond, and the energetic direction of Mr -George Frederick Young, whose services to the cause can never be -adequately acknowledged, afforded a centre and rallying point to the -operations of the English Protectionists; and county after county, -division after division, town after town, came forward to give new -impulse and confidence to the movement. It might have been expected -that a feeling so general, so undeniably powerful in itself, might -have been treated with fair respect by the experimental party and -their organs. The fact was otherwise. The farmers were branded with -falsehood, with fraud, with getting up fictitious cases of distress, -with ignorance in not understanding their own peculiar business. -Last year they had been invited to join the enemy, and to embark -in a crusade the object of which was not explicitly set forth; -but enough was disclosed to indicate that it boded no good to the -maintenance either of the constitution or the public credit, or the -interests of society as these have hitherto been acknowledged. They -were told to let the landlords fight their own battle, and they, -the farmers, would be cared for. Those who held such language had -forgotten that, of all known sins, hypocrisy is the one most odious -to the English mind. True, if familiarity with hypocrisy could have -blunted that finer moral sense, it might have been assumed that the -many public examples to be gathered from the history of the last -few years, might have overcome that extreme repugnance to deceit -which is part of the national character. If so, the Free-traders -little understood the temper of the men with whom they had to deal. -The proposal of an amalgamation with those who had never scrupled -to use the most tortuous and questionable means for the attainment -of their own object, was rejected with consummate scorn; and the -disappointed agitators revenged themselves by discharging against the -agriculturists whole volleys of unmeaning invective. - -As if to add to real injury as much insult as the most perverted -ingenuity could devise, the yeomen and farmers were publicly and -repeatedly told, that the suffering of which they complained was -their own deliberate choice. There was plenty of excellent land for -tillage elsewhere than in Britain--acres might be had at a cheap -rate either in America or in Poland--why not emigrate to those -countries, and assist in augmenting that stream of importation which -would only swamp them at home? Such was the advice tendered, and -tendered seriously, in more than one of the leading journals of the -day; and we hardly know whether to reprobate it most on account of -its folly or its wickedness. If it was meant as a jest, all we shall -say is, that a sorrier or more indecent one was never hatched in a -shallow brain. We have not yet, thank God! arrived at such a pass -that love of country and of kindred, and those ties which ought to be -dearest to the human heart, are regarded by Englishmen as no better -than idle and unmeaning terms--we are not yet prepared to abandon -our nationality, and receive the fraternal hug from the arms of -cosmopolitan democracy. That such insults as these have been felt -bitterly, we know; and it is small wonder. Those who coined them -knew little of the workings of human nature, if they hoped by such -wretched means to deter any one from the path of duty. They have -simply succeeded in arousing a feeling which had far better have -been allowed to slumber--a conviction on the part of those whom they -deride, that the injury which the Free-trading party has inflicted on -the community at large arose less from an error in judgment than from -a wilful obduracy of heart. - -We have spoken thus strongly, because we would fain see less -bitterness connected with a contest which is clearly inevitable, -and which ought to be one of principle. Men who are in the deepest -earnest, and thoroughly impressed with the truth and magnitude -of their cause, are not apt to make allowance for the play of -ill-regulated sarcasm, or the efforts of a clumsy humour. Still less -will they brook such insolent defiance as lately emanated from Mr -Cobden at Leeds. To the latter individual we presume to offer no -advice. He stands chargeable with having done his utmost to excite -a war of classes, and if he fails in doing so, it will not be for -want of determination of purpose. But we do say to others, and we say -it most seriously, that it is not safe, in the present posture of -affairs, to heap insult upon a body of men, comprehending in their -numbers the very flower of England's population--a body at all times -averse to combination, and to those agitating arts which of late -years have been so successfully practised in the towns--a body which -never is roused except on occasion of the utmost moment; but which, -when, once roused, will never rest till it has triumphantly achieved -its purpose. - -The movement, which has been so rapid in the south, has also extended -to Scotland. A Central Protective Association has been instituted in -Edinburgh, comprising amongst its members many of the highest rank -and greatest intelligence in the country. Local societies have been -formed in East Lothian, Morayshire, Banffshire, Ross-shire, Aberdeen, -Roxburghshire, and elsewhere; and, from the communications received -from every quarter, we have no doubt that, in a very short while, -similar Protection Associations will be organised in every county -of Scotland from Berwick to Caithness. From the present Parliament -it is now quite plain that nothing can be expected. We never were -so unreasonable as to expect that, however strong might be the -convictions of individual members--however public opinion and the -lessons of experience might shake the faith of many in the wisdom -of our late commercial policy--this Parliament would undo the work -which was sanctioned by its predecessor. Had the Free-trade question -been before the public at the last general election, we might have -entertained an opposite opinion. But it was not so. Sir Robert -Peel had no intention that the country should have a voice in the -matter. He seized the moment when, by an extraordinary combination of -circumstances, a majority was at his command, to play into the hands -of the enemy, and to complete, by the surrender of the Corn Laws, -the furtive scheme of which his tariffs were the mere commencement. -That once carried, the nation was unwilling to disturb, by premature -opposition or attempt at a reversal, an experiment in behalf of which -such weighty testimony had been given. No impediment was thrown in -the way--no unnecessary obstacle interposed. The Whig Ministry, -who, in their new character of Free-traders, had undertaken the -superintendence of affairs, were allowed by the constituencies of -the Empire to have more than a working majority; so that, at all -events, whatever might be the issue of the scheme, they could not -pretend that a fair trial was denied to it. The question now arises, -whether the trial has been of sufficiently long endurance. On that -point there is no doubt in the minds of the agriculturists, of those -connected with the Colonies, of the shipowners, of a large proportion -of the merchants, and of a considerable body of the tradesmen. The -effect of the experiment has been felt; and that, too, more severely -and intensely than perhaps the most determined opponent of the -Free-trade policy had anticipated. The movement has been begun, as is -most natural, among those who are first in the order of suffering; -and who now see, very clearly, that longer endurance and quiescence -is tantamount to absolute ruin. Each day swells their ranks by a -fresh accession of adherents, whilst the opposite party, defeated -in argument, and unable to adduce a single proof of the advantages -which they formerly prophesied, are compelled to have recourse to -the Janus-like attitude which we have already attempted to sketch, -and, when hard pressed, to repeat their sullen refusal of originating -a change--for no better reason than that they are ashamed to -acknowledge the extent of their error. - -From the present Parliament, then, we expect little. Whatever -impression may be made upon it by the present unmistakeable ferment -abroad, we cannot indulge in a rational hope that it will depart -from its original character. Our business is to prepare for a change -by that pacific but most necessary agitation, which, if properly -conducted, must compel the most obstinate Minister, for his own sake, -and in fulfilment of his sworn duty to his Sovereign, to advise that -opportunity of an appeal to the sense of the country which is now so -generally demanded, and which can scarce be constitutionally refused. - -In the following pages our readers will find a correct report of -the proceedings of the delegates who were deputed from almost every -part of the United Kingdom to assemble in London in the earlier part -of May, and to hold a conference on the present alarming prospects -of the industrial condition of the nation. We shall not offer any -comment on the speeches delivered at the great public meeting at -the Crown and Anchor on the 7th ult.--a meeting which has stricken -with confusion and dismay those who affected to deny the existence -of general distress throughout the kingdom--further than to notice -the odious and unfounded charge of disloyalty and disaffection which -has been preferred against some of the speakers. That the leading -journals opposed to Protection should have made the most of casual -expressions uttered by honest men, unused to platform exhibitions, -whilst referring to circumstances of almost unparalleled provocation, -appears to us nowise wonderful. The journalist, writing at short -notice, has a certain conventional license of interpretation; and -unless he is unusually stringent or unfair, few people are inclined -to quarrel with the pungency of a leading article. But we confess -that we were not prepared for the sudden bursts of loyalty which -emanated from the Whigs. With the memory of the T. Y. correspondence -still vividly impressed upon our minds, we were surprised by the -improved delicacy and refinement of tone exhibited by certain -parties who are popularly supposed to know something of those famous -letters. For their satisfaction, we are glad to inform them that -their apprehensions are as groundless as their insinuations are -hypocritical. It never has been, and it never will be, a charge -against the yeomanry and tenantry of Great Britain that they are -cold in their loyalty, or deficient in their duty and devotion -to their Sovereign. But when they are taunted and defied by the -approvers of republican institutions--when they are told broadly, -from the manufacturing districts, that whatever may be the decision -of another Parliament, whatever may be the verdict of the electoral -body throughout the kingdom--that decision and that verdict shall -avail nothing to reinstate them in their former position, but shall -be nullified and overwhelmed by revolutionary risings and appeals to -physical force--it is not only most natural, but most proper, that -they should declare their resolute determination to vindicate their -rights, if needful, by all the means which Providence has placed in -their power, and to rescue their country from the lawless usurpation -and tyranny of those who have been audacious enough to disclose the -true nature and character of their schemes. It is perhaps needless -to say any more upon this subject; indeed, after the remarks which -fell from Lord John Russell at his interview with the delegates, it -would be absurd to proceed further in the refutation of a charge -which can only recoil with disgrace and ridicule on those who -ventured to prefer it. Nor do we think it any matter of regret that -the persons who have so often taunted the agricultural interest with -their supineness, and drawn unfavourable conclusions as to their zeal -from the singular extent of their patience, should at length be made -aware that it may be dangerous to trifle with men who are driven by -indefensible legislation to the brink of misery and ruin. - -The annexed report of the meeting at the Crown and Anchor, revised by -the several speakers, will show the unanimity which prevailed, the -ability with which the interests of the country party were advocated, -and the enthusiasm with which the spirited addresses were received. -It was indeed an assembly which will be long remembered after the -excitement and emergency which created it have passed away. We need -not dwell upon details which are still fresh in the public mind: we -shall best perform our duty by making one or two commentaries upon -the replies which were made to the addresses of the delegates who -were deputed to wait upon the Premier and on Lord Stanley. - -The address to Lord John Russell is a document deserving of the -most serious attention. It is a broad protest and warning, on the -part of the loyal and constitutional people of the realm, against -obstinate perseverance in a course of policy which has already proved -disastrous to many of the most important interests. After setting -forth in clear and temperate language the nature of the measures -complained of, it concludes with as solemn a remonstrance and charge -of responsibility as ever yet was addressed to a Minister of Great -Britain. Lord John Russell accepts the responsibility, which, indeed, -he cannot deny; but, without ignoring the justice of the complaint, -he refuses the required relief. Perhaps no other answer was expected -by the most sanguine of those who formed the deputation, nor should -we have done more than simply note the general tenor of the refusal, -had not Lord John Russell volunteered a statement which, we humbly -think, is by no means calculated to augment his reputation as a -minister, and which discloses certain views which we maintain to be -at utter variance with the genius and spirit of the constitution. -The passage to which we refer is as follows:--"I am sorry to say -that I think the conduct of the agricultural, the colonial, and the -other interests, was not prudent in declaring that there should be -no change in 1841. Still, that was their decision, and in 1846 a -much greater change was effected in those laws. In 1847, a general -election took place, by which the electors had to decide upon the -conduct of those who had taken part in the adoption of these changes; -and the result was the election of the present Parliament, which has -decided upon continuing the policy which the House of Commons had -laid down in 1846. I own I do think it was very unwise, if I may -be allowed to say so, in 1841, not to have sought some compromise; -but I think it would be far more unwise now to seek to restore a -system of protective duties." Here we have the acknowledgment, quite -unreservedly made, that expediency and not justice is the principle -recognised by Her Majesty's Government. What Lord John Russell -said resolves itself clearly into this: "If you, who represent the -agricultural, colonial, and other interests, had thought fit to make -a bargain with us in 1841, we, in return for your support, would have -insured you a certain amount of protection. I think you were fools -not to have done so; but, as you did not, you must even take the -consequences." We should like very much to know upon what principle -of ethics this singular declaration can be defended. To us it appears -at utter variance with honesty, fair dealing, and honour. If, as the -Free-traders say, the continuance of protection was a manifest wrong -to the industrious classes of the community, what right could Lord -John Russell have had to effect any manner of compromise? From every -Government, whatever be its constitution, we are entitled to expect -clear and uninfluenced justice. We know of no rule acknowledged -in heaven or on earth, which, by the most forced construction, -can justify Ministers in sacrificing the general interests of the -community for the advantage of one particular class, or in making -compromises between public right and private monopoly and gain. For -ourselves, and those who think with us, we declare emphatically that -we never would be parties to any such degrading compromise; that we -should feel ourselves dishonoured if we were advocating merely the -interests of a class; and that it is because we know that we have -justice on our side that we are resolute in our present appeal. To -talk now of former lapsed opportunities of compromise, is to use the -language of a freebooter. It reminds us forcibly of an incident in -the life of the famous outlaw Rob Roy Macgregor, who, when challenged -for having driven away a herd of cattle belonging to his neighbour, -very coolly replied--"And what for, then, did he not pay me -black-mail?" The cases are perfectly similar. In 1841 no black-mail -was tendered: in 1850, after the depredation has _been made_, we are -taunted with not having purchased the favour and the protection of -the Whigs! - -What right, moreover, we may ask, has Lord John Russell to separate -the interests of classes, and to talk of the agriculturists and -those connected with the colonies as having taken a distinct and -responsible part in the deliberations of 1841? According to the -constitutional view, Parliament is the sole tribunal for the -settlement of national questions. It is rather too much at the -present day to insinuate such a taunt, and to tell the ruined farmer -that he has only himself to blame, when, in all human probability, -the expected negotiator on the other side, who ought to have made -terms with the Whigs, was no less notable a person than Sir Robert -Peel! It is difficult to imagine a more detestable and dangerous -state of affairs, or one more hurtful to the general morality of the -country, than must ensue if these indicated views of the Premier were -to pass into general acceptance; and if it were to be understood -that individuals, and corporations, and interests, might, on special -occasions, effect compromises with the Government, at variance with -public justice, with equity, and with honour. We all know what sort -of "compromises" were made by Sir Robert Walpole in the course of -last century; and evil indeed will be the day when the example so set -shall be acted on by a British minister, with this difference merely, -that large and avowed "compromises" are substituted for private -purchase. - -Very different, indeed, was the reception which the delegates -received from Lord Stanley. At this peculiar crisis, before the many -hundreds of gentlemen who had assembled in the metropolis from all -parts of the United Kingdom separated, each to report progress to -those of his own county or district, it was determined that a select -number of them should wait upon the man to whom the eyes of all were -turned as their chosen leader--not only to testify their deep respect -for his character and principles, but respectfully to ask advice as -to the course which they ought in future to pursue. The universal -feeling of the delegates--their confidence in Lord Stanley--their -prospects, and the spirit which animated them, were admirably -expressed by Mr Layton, who was intrusted with the duty of presenting -the address; and the speech of Lord Stanley, which that address -elicited, can never pass from the memory of those who were privileged -to hear it. - -Clearly, rapidly, and with a master hand, Lord Stanley described -the position of parties in both Houses of Parliament, not -vindicating--for vindication was unnecessary--but guarding himself -and those who acted with him against any charge of apathy or -indifference in the cause that lay most warmly at their hearts. He -explained for the satisfaction of those who, in their impatience, -would have precipitated measures, why it was that the leaders of -the Protection party had abstained from originating that direct -discussion which their opponents, confident in the possession of -a majority, were so palpably eager to provoke. Admitting to the -full, and deploring the magnitude and prevalence of the suffering -which Free Trade has brought upon the country, he did not disguise -his belief that a yet further period of probation must be endured, -ere the full conviction of the fallacy of those schemes which have -passed into law came home to the understanding of the nation. The -advice, so cordially asked, was frankly and freely given. "You ask -me for advice," said the noble lord--and we cannot forbear again -quoting his memorable words, "I say, go on, and God prosper you. Do -not tire, do not hesitate, do not falter in your course. Maintain -the language of strict loyalty to the crown; and, with a spirit of -unswerving obedience to the laws, combine in a determined resolution -by all constitutional means to obtain your rights, and to enforce -upon those who now misrepresent you the duty of really representing -your sentiments, and supporting you in Parliament.... If you ask my -advice, I say persevere in the course you have adopted. Agitate the -country from one end to the other. Continue to call meetings in every -direction. Do not fear, do not flinch from discussion. By all means -accept the offer of holding a meeting in that magnificent building at -Liverpool; and in our greatest commercial towns show that there is a -feeling in regard to the result of our so-called Free Trade widely -different from that which was anticipated by the Free-traders, and -from that which did prevail only a few years ago. Your efforts may -not be so soon crowned with success as you hope; but depend upon it, -let us stand hand to hand firmly together; let the landlord, the -tenant, and the labourer--ay, and the country shopkeeper--ay, before -long, the manufacturer himself, be called on to show and to prove -what the effects of this experiment are--and, as sure as we stand -together, temperately but firmly determined to assert our rights, -so certainly--at the expense, it may be, of intense suffering, and -perhaps of ruin to many--of ruin which, God knows, if I could avert, -I would omit no effort for that purpose--but ultimately, certainly, -and securely we shall attain our object, and recede from that insane -policy which has been pursued during the last few years." - -We shall not attempt to describe the effect which that address -produced upon those who were present--suffice it to say, that every -individual there esteemed it a privilege to be allowed to labour -in the same cause with the true-hearted, patriotic, and eloquent -statesman who had that day so frankly ratified their unanimous -choice of a leader, and in whose honour, integrity, and perseverance -they reposed the fullest confidence that can be yielded by man to -man. Of this our readers may be well assured, that the movement so -auspiciously begun will not be allowed to flag; and that it will not -be abandoned until the full measure of justice is conceded to all -classes throughout the British empire who have been made the victims -of a rash experiment, and of one-sided and unjustifiable legislation. - - -NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF INDUSTRY AND CAPITAL. - - A General Meeting was convened by the above body at the Crown - and Anchor on Tuesday, 7th May, at one o'clock. The great hall - was crowded from one extremity to the other by delegates and - others from various parts of the kingdom. Nearly two thousand - gentlemen were present during the proceedings, whilst many more - were compelled to retire without having obtained admittance - for want of standing room. On the platform were--the Duke of - Richmond, K.G., in the Chair; Major William Beresford, M.P.; - Mr Richard Blakemore, M.P.; Captain Boteler, R.E.; Mr T. W. - Bramston, M.P.; Mr R. Bremridge, M.P.; Sir Brook W. Bridges, - Bart.; Mr L. W. Buck, M.P.; Sir Charles M. Burrell, Bart., - M.P.; Viscount Combermere, G.C.B.; Major Chetwynd, M.P.; - Colonel Chatterton, M.P.; Mr E. Cayley, jun.; Mr E. S. Chandos - Pole; Mr R.A. Christopher, M.P.; the Marquis of Downshire; - Baron Dimsdale; Mr J. W. Dod, M.P.; Mr E. Fellowes, M.P.; Mr - Floyer, M.P.; Lord Feversham; Mr H. Frewen, M.P.; the Earl of - Glengall; Mr A. L. Goddard, M.P.; Mr Howell Gwyn, M.P.; Sir - Alexander Hood, M.P.; Mr William King; Sir C. Knightley, Bart., - M.P.; Sir Ralph Lopez, Bart., M.P.; Mr W. Long, M.P.; the Earl - of Malmesbury; Mr W. F. Mackenzie, M.P.; Lord John Manners, - M.P.; Mr J. Neeld, M.P.; Mr Newdegate, M.P.; Mr C. W. Packe, - M.P.; Mr Melville Portal, M.P.; Lord Rollo; Earl Stanhope; - Viscount Strangford, G.C.B.; Sir Michael Shaw Stewart; Lord - Sondes; Colonel Sibthorpe, M.P.; Mr A. Stewart; Earl Talbot; - the Hon. and Rev. C. Talbot; Alderman Thompson, M.P.; Sir - John Trollope, Bart., M.P.; Sir John T. Tyrell, Bart., M.P.; - Captain R. H. R. Howard Vyse, M.P.; Mr H. S. Waddington; the - Rev. Edward Young; Mr P. Foskett; Mr G. F. Young; Professor - Aytoun, Edinburgh; Mr J. Butt, Q.C.; Professor David Low; - Lieutenant-Colonel Blois; Rev. W. M. S. Marriott; Sir James - Ramsay, Bart.; Mr W. Caldecott; Captain E. Morgan; Mr Richard - Oastler; Rev. A. Duncombe Shafto; Colonel Warren; Mr C. Byron; - Rev. H. Franklin; Mr George Edward Frere; Captain Pearson; Sir - John Hall, Bart., of Dunglass; Sir Thomas G. Hesketh, Bart.; Mr - C. G. White, Limehouse; Rev. R. Exton; Rev. V. G. Yonge; Rev. C. - H. Mainwaring; Major Rose; Sir James Drummond, Bart.; Mr Henry - Burgess; Mr Samuel Kydd; Mr Delaforce, secretary of trades' - delegates; Mr John Blackwood, Edinburgh; Mr H. Higgins, &c., &c. - -The following is a correct list of the delegates from the different -societies:-- - - BEDFORDSHIRE. - - BEDFORDSHIRE.--Messrs Joseph Pain, John Rogers, William Biggs, - Benjamin Prole, Thomas Gell, T. James. - - BERKSHIRE. - - BERKSHIRE.--Messrs E. Tull, R. Warman, George Shackel, J. J. - Allnatt, J. Brown, Job Lousley, William Aldworth, W. Sharp. - - NEWBURY DISTRICT.--Messrs John Brown, Job Lousley. - - BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. - - BUCKINGHAM.--Messrs Philip Box and Henry Smith. - - AMERSHAM DISTRICT.--Messrs Philip Goddard and Robert Ranshaw. - - BUCKS ASSOCIATION FOR THE RELIEF OF REAL PROPERTY.--Messrs - Edward Stone and Edwin W. Cox. - - CAMBRIDGESHIRE. - - CAMBRIDGESHIRE.--Messrs Alexander Cotton, Edward Hicks, Thomas - St Quintin, Samuel Webb, John Ellis, W. Bennett, John King, - Edward Ball, Samuel Jonas, James Witt, King, John Oslar, - Wilson, Holben, Peter Grain, James Leonard, Samuel Witt, - James Ivatt. - - ISLE OF ELY.--Messrs Joseph Little, W. Layton, John Vipan, (High - Sheriff,) J. Fryer, Henry Martin, Thomas Saberton, Henry - Rayner, J. Cropley, W. Martin, W. Saberton, T. W. Granger, W. - Harlock, John Cutlack, H. Martin, Thomas Vipan, John Reid, W. - Luddington, W. E. Reid, John Swift, John Hall, Henry Martin, - jun., George Cook, William Vipan. - - NEWMARKET.--Messrs R. D. Fyson (chairman,) P. Smith (vice - chairman,) J. Dobede, W. Layton, G. F. Robins, John Fyson, - William Fyson, Edward Staples, Waller Miles King, George - Dennis, John Lyles King, R. F. Seaber, William Staples, - William Westrope, Thomas Gardner, Robert Fyson, Ambrose - Gardner. - - DERBYSHIRE, SOUTH. - - SOUTH DERBYSHIRE.--E. S. Chandos Pole Esq., Mr Malins. - - DEVONSHIRE, SOUTH. - - SOUTH DEVON BRANCH.--J. Elliott, Esq. - - DEVON AND EXTER BRANCH.--Sir J. Y. Buller, Bart., M.P., L. W. - Buck, M.P., R. Bremridge, Esq., M.P., Lawrence Palk, Esq., - George Turner, Esq., R. Brent, Esq., M.D., secretary, Sir J. - Duckworth. Bart., M.P., Edward Trood, Esq. - - DORSETSHIRE. - - DORCHESTER.--J. Floyer, Esq., M.P., W. Symonds, Esq. - - ESSEX. - - ESSEX PROTECTION SOCIETY.--Messrs John Ambrose, S. Baker, Jas. - Barker, John Barnard, T. Bridge, Geo. Carter, John Clayden, - J. G. Fum, John Francis, Jos. Glascock, Jas. Grove, W. Fisher - Hobbs, Jos. Lawrence, S. Reeve, T. K. Thedam, W. Yall, S. - Willis, and H. T. Biddell (the secretary.) - - ROMFORD DISTRICT.--Messrs Christopher Thomas Tower, William - Bowyer Smyth, Robert Field, John S. Thompson, Major Crosse, - J. Gilmore, G. Mashiter, E. Vipan Ind, W. Haslehurst, John - Bearblock, John Coseker, James Paulin, Hon. and Rev. H. W. - Bertie, Rev. T. L. Fanshawe, Rev. D. G. Stacey, Rev. George - Fielding, Thomas Mashiter, jun., W. H. Clifton, Thomas Lee, - Robert Pemberton, J. Wallen, James Biggs, John P. Peacock, - Henry Moss, T. W. Brittain, James Laming Padnall, George - Hooper Theydon, Richard Bunter, Henry Joseph Hance, Thomas - Champness, Charles Mollett, Richard Webb, James Hill, George - Porter, John Bearblock (Hall Farm,) John Francis, S. B. - Gooch, Frederick Francis, Henry Joslin, Wm. Baker, Wm. - Blewitt, Thomas Surridge, Rowland Cowper, Collinson Hall, - S. R. G. Francis, Daniel Haws, Wm. Freeman, W. Sworder, - Charles Pratt, Daniel Hicks. - - GRAYS DISTRICT.--Messrs Richard Meeson, J. Curtis, T. Sturgeon, - Thos. Skinner, Chas. Asplin, Chas. Squier, W. L. Bell, W. - C. Cook, J. Sawell, Richard Knight, W. Willis, W. Stevens, - H. Sackett, R. Bright, J. Nokes, R. Cliff, C. Sturgeon, - R. Ingram, D. Jackson,--Uwins, H. Long, S. Newcome, A. - Causton,--Woodthrope, Rev. W. Goodchild, Rev. C. Day, Rev. H. - S. Hele, Rev. J. Boulby, Rev. J. Tucker. - - BILLERICAY.--Messrs Isaac Crush, J. Brewitt, G. Shaw. - - GLAMORGANSHIRE. - - GLAMORGAN.--Rev. Robert Knight, Captain Boteler, Dr Carne; - Messrs A. Murray, E. David, William Llewellyn, and R. - Franklen. - - GLOUCESTERSHIRE, EAST. - - CIRENCESTER AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE.--Messrs P. Matthews, Edmund - Ruck, David Bowly. - - HAMPSHIRE, NORTH. - - ALTON DISTRICT.--Messrs H. Holding, Edward Knight, H. J. - Mulcock, W. Garnett, J. Eggan. - - BASINGSTOKE.--Mr George Harriott. - - HAMPSHIRE, SOUTH. - - BOTLEY AND SOUTH HANTS.--Messrs Edward Twynam, Josh. Blundell, - Caleb Gater, W. C. Spooner. - - HEREFORDSHIRE. - - HEREFORDSHIRE.--Mr Henry Higgins. - - LEDBURY DISTRICT.--Rev. Edward Higgins, Messrs Reynolds Petton, - Thomas France. - - ROSS DISTRICT.--Mr H. Chillingworth. - - HUNTINGDONSHIRE. - - HUNTINGDONSHIRE.--Rev. James Linton, Messrs John Mann, Hammond, - Ibbot Mason, Robert T. Moseley, Geo. Brighty, Peter Purvis, - John Warsop. - - KENT, EAST. - - EAST KENT.--Sir B. W. Bridges, Bart., Messrs D. H. Carttar, - Edward Hughes, John Abbot, Edward C. Hughes, Rev. Bradley - Dyne, Musgrave Hilton, Charles Neame. - - KENT, WEST. - - CRANBROOK.--Rev. W. M. S. Marriott, Messrs J. E. King, R. Tooth, - Geo. Hinds, J. E. Wilson. - - GRAVESEND.--W. M. Smith, Esq., late high sheriff, Messrs W. F. - Dobson, T. Collyer, Pinching, W. E. Russell, R. C. Arnold, J. - Armstrong, W. Brown, W. Hubble, T. Mace. - - ROCHESTER.--Messrs W. Mauclark, W. Miles, C. Lake. - - MAIDSTONE.--Messrs T. Abbott, F. B. Eloy, G. Powell. - - EDENBRIDGE.--Messrs W. Searle, sen., J. Holmden, Geo. Arnold. - - SEVENOAKS.--Messrs J. Selby, G. Turner, E. Crook. - - BROMLEY.--Messrs Hammond, Moysar, and Edgerton. - - DARTFORD.--Messrs W. Allen, J. Solomon, and Slaughter. - - TONBRIDGE.--Rev. G. Woodgate, and others. - - WROTHAM.--Messrs Leary, Thomas Spencer, and Charlton. - - LANCASHIRE, SOUTH. - - LIVERPOOL.--Messrs Richard C. Naylor, II., Clever Chapman, - Charles Turner, Lawrence Peel, Thomas Bold. - - LEICESTERSHIRE, NORTH. - - LEICESTERSHIRE.--Messrs Perkins, G. Kilby. - - WALTHAM.--Messrs John Clark, F. Vincent. - - LEICESTERSHIRE SOUTH. - - MARKET HARBOROUGH.--Messrs Edward Fisher, jun., Josh. Perkins. - - HINCKLEY.--Messrs Matthew Oldacres, John Champion, Charles D. - Breton, Thomas Swinnerton, John Brown, Richard Warner, John - P. Cooke, James H. Ward. - - LINCOLNSHIRE, NORTH. - - LINCOLN AND LINDSEY.--Colonel Sibthorp, M.P., R. A. Christopher, - Esq., M.P., Mr T. Greetham, Mr J. G. Stevenson. - - GRIMSBY.--Mr F. Iles. - - CAISTOR.--Mr Wm. Torr. - - ALFORD.--Mr W. Loft. - - LINCOLNSHIRE, SOUTH. - - LONG SUTTON AND HOLBEACH.--Messrs Wm. Skelton, Spencer Skelton, - George Prest. - - SLEAFORD.--Messrs Tinley and Nickolls. - - LINCOLNSHIRE, EAST. - - EAST LINCOLNSHIRE.--Messrs Fricker, Joseph Rinder, jun. - - NORFOLK, EAST. - - NORTH WALSHAM.--John Warnes, Esq. - - NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. - - NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.--Messrs Gray, Rogers, and J. Scriven. - - NORTHUMBERLAND. - - NORTHUMBERLAND.--Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bart., Messrs Robert - David, John Ayersby, John Robson, Walter Johnson, Thomas - Smith, H. Wilkin. - - NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. - - NORTH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.--Messrs John Holmes, John Walker, T. - Hopkinson. - - SOUTH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.--Messrs George Storer, W. Chouler, - Richard Milward, W. Champion, J. Parkinson, jun., H. Gilbert. - - OXFORDSHIRE. - - BANBURY.--Messrs S. Lovell, J. Gardner, J. Selby. - - RUTLANDSHIRE. - - RUTLAND BRANCH.--Messrs Thomas Spencer, Christopher Smith, - Samuel Cheetham. - - UPPINGHAM BRANCH.--Messrs Owsley, Edward Wortley. - - SHROPSHIRE, NORTH. - - SHROPSHIRE.--Four delegates. - - OSWESTRY DISTRICT.--S. Bickerton, Esq. - - SHROPSHIRE, SOUTH. - - BRIDGNORTH.--E. W. Powell, Esq., John Stephens, Esq. - - SOMERSETSHIRE, WEST. - - SOMERSET.--Messrs Cridland and Bult, John Wood, H. G. Andrews, - R. Hooke, J. Hooke. - - LANGPORT AND BRIDGEWATER DISTRICT.--Mr John King, (vice - chairman) and Mr T.B. Morle. - - STAFFORDSHIRE, NORTH. - - STAFFORD.--Major Chetwynd, Messrs T. Hartshorne, W. T. Lockyer, - C. Keeling, J. Nickisson, J. Aston. - - STAFFORDSHIRE, SOUTH. - - ECCLESHALL BRANCH.--Rev. V. G. Yonge, Rev. Charles Mainwaring. - - SUFFOLK. - - EAST SUFFOLK.--Rev. Mr Alston, Messrs John Mosely, N. - Barthropp, P. Dykes, W. Bloss. - - IPSWICH BRANCH.--C. Lillingston, Esq. Deputy Lieutenant, Messrs - T. Haward, W. F. Schrieber, J. Garnall, Venn, W. Back, W. - Rodwell, J.D. Everett, Morgan, R. C. Perry, Mark Wade, Rev. - F. K. Steward. - - HARTISMERE BRANCH.--Dr Chevalier, Messrs Samuel Peck and Deck. - - STRADBROKE DISTRICT.--W. L. B. Frener, Esq., Rev. A. Cooper. - - WEST SUFFOLK.--Messrs King, Vrall, Simpson, Woodward, George - Gayford. - - COSFORD HUNDRED.--Messrs C. Kersey, P. Postans. - - BUNGAY BRANCH.--Two delegates. - - SURREY, EAST. - - KINGSTON.--Messrs G. Nightingale and Daniels. - - CROYDON BRANCH.--Messrs Cressingham, (chairman,) Rowland, - Raincock, Robinson, Walker, and Gutteridge. - - REIGATE BRANCH.--Messrs Peter, Caffyn, Jesse Pym. - - TANDRIDGE HUNDRED BRANCH.--Messrs Isaac Stavely, Edward - Kelsey. - - SURREY, WEST. - - WEST SURREY UNITED ASSOCIATION.--Col. Holme Summer, Rowland - Goldhawk, Esq. - - EPSOM DISTRICT.--Messrs Francis Garner and King. - - DORKING DISTRICT.--Messrs Weller and Dewdney. - - SUSSEX, EAST. - - SUSSEX.--Messrs W. Rigden, A. Denman, S. H. Bigg, Edward Wyatt. - - EAST GRINSTED.--Messrs George Head, Wm. Turner, John Rose, John - Mills, John Payne. - - WARWICKSHIRE, NORTH. - - RUGBY AND DUNCHURCH BRANCH.--Messrs H. Townsend, John Perkins. - - SUTTON COLDFIELD.--The Hon. E. S. Jervis, W. M. Jervis, Esq., - Rev. W. K. B. Bedford, Messrs R. Fowler, R. Fowler, jun., - Bodington, Sadler, Osborne, Buggins. - - COLESHILL.--Messrs Cook, Gilbert, H. Thornley, John York, and - Dr Davies. - - WARWICKSHIRE, SOUTH. - - WARWICKSHIRE.--Messrs Edward Greaves, C. M. Caldecott, Luke - Pearman, J. H. Walker, W. W. Bromfield, R. Hemming, S. - Umbers, B. Sedgeley, John Moore, H. Brown. - - WILTSHIRE, NORTH. - - Messrs G. Brown, W. Ferris, J. A. Williams, R. Strange, J. - Wilkes, E. L. Rumbold, L. Waldron. - - WILTSHIRE, SOUTH. - - SALISBURY BRANCH.--Messrs Stephen Mills, F. King, George Burtt, - Leonard Maton, B. Pinnegar,--Lush. - - WORCESTERSHIRE, WEST. - - WORCESTERSHIRE BRANCH.--The Hon. and Rev. W. C. Talbot, F. - Woodward, Esq., Richard Gardner. - - YORKSHIRE, NORTH RIDING. - - KNARESBOROUGH.--Mr T. Collins, jun., of Scotton. - - EASINGWOLD.--Mr Charles Harland. - - YORKSHIRE, EAST RIDING. - - EAST RIDING.--Mr John Almack. - - MALTON.--E. Cayley, Esq. - - HOLDERNESS.--Messrs Josh. Stickney and G. C. Francis. - - POCKLINGTON.-- -- Cross. - - YORKSHIRE, WEST RIDING. - - BOROUGHBRIDGE BRANCH.--Wm. Josh. Coltman, Esq. - - SCOTLAND. - - SCOTTISH PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION.--Sir J. Drummond, Bart., - Professor Aytoun, Professor Low, Dr Gardner, Messrs Geo. - Makgill, Jno. Dickson, Jno. Dudgeon, J. Murdoch, J. Shand, - Blackwood, Garland, Hugh Watson, Cheyne, Steuart of - Auchlunkart. - - EAST LOTHIAN.--Sir Jno. Hall, Bart. of Dunglass, Messrs R. Scot - Skirving and Aitchison, of Alderston. - - ABERDEENSHIRE.--Dr Garden. - - IRELAND. - - COUNTY DOWN.--The Marquis of Downshire. - -The noble CHAIRMAN rose and said--Gentlemen, it will not be necessary -for me upon the present occasion to trespass but a few moments upon -your attention, because I am happy to say that there are gentlemen -much more able to discuss the question upon which we are met here -to-day than the individual who now stands before you--more able, I -say; but there is no man in the United Kingdom who is more deeply -impressed than I am with the conviction that, if this country is to -continue to be great and free, moderate import duties must be imposed -(loud cheers.) Though some persons have called free trade a "great -experiment," and wish us to wait and see what the result of that -"experiment" is to be, I tell them fairly now, that that experiment -has been tried--that it has failed--and that common sense always -said it would fail (great cheering.) But during the trial of this -"great experiment," have they calculated the amount of hazard which -they are incurring? Are they aware of the mass of landowners and -tenant-farmers of England who must be cast away if this experiment is -not immediately put an end to? (loud cheers.) We are met here to-day -to receive deputations from different parts of the country, and it -has been thought advisable to convene this meeting, because doubts -have been expressed in Parliament, whether distress was universal or -not. We are met to-day to hear from the tenant-farmers from various -parts of the country the prospects of their localities (hear, hear.) -Gentlemen, I fear those prospects are bad indeed. But still I will -say before you that which I stated in Parliament--that I have the -greatest confidence in the good feeling of the people of England -(cheers.) I believe that the tenant-farmers will follow the advice -which I have ventured to give them, and persevere (hear, hear.) They -know the justice of their cause. Let you, all of you, when you return -home, tell your neighbours to persevere; and depend upon it, justice -will, sooner or later, be done to you (loud cheers.) I will not -now detain you longer than to say I hope that the expressions which -may be made use of here to-day will be to show that, ill used as we -are, we are still loyal to our Sovereign, and firmly attached to the -constitution of our country (tremendous cheering.) - -Mr T. W. BOOKER, Ex-High-Sheriff of Glamorganshire, of Velindra -House, near Cardiff, was then called upon by the noble chairman, -and amidst great applause stepped forward to propose the first -resolution--"That the difficulty and intolerable distress pervading -the agricultural and other great interests of the country, and the -state of deprivation and suffering to which large masses of the -industrial population are reduced, are, in the opinion of this -meeting, fraught with consequences the most disastrous to the -public welfare, and if not speedily remedied must prove fatal to -the maintenance of public credit, will endanger the public peace, -and may even place in peril the safety of the state."--Mr Booker -spoke as follows: My lord duke, my lords, and gentlemen,--It is, I -do most unfeignedly assure you, with the deepest diffidence, if not -with the deepest reluctance, that I stand before you thus early in -the proceedings of this most eventful day; for, gentlemen, I came -here under the sincere hope that I might be allowed to listen to -others instead of myself occupying your time. But there are times, -and this is an occasion, when I feel that it would ill become any -man to shrink from the discharge of a public duty which those with -whom he has an identity of feeling and a community of interest will -and wish should devolve upon him. Humble, therefore, though my name -may be, yet I will, without further apology, proceed at once to the -objects which have called us together. (Cheers.) At this time of day, -and on this occasion, I need not, I think, enter upon any lengthened -argument, nor need I adduce any elaborate statements of statistical -facts, to prove that the condition of Great Britain and Ireland and -her dependencies is, to say the least, most unsatisfactory. (Hear, -hear.) Your own experience will tell you that. Therefore to save your -time, and with a knowledge of those who will have to follow me, I -will assume three propositions. First of all, I will assume that the -agricultural interest is immeasurably the most important interest of -the state. (Hear.) Secondly, I will assume that that interest is in -a state of alarming and greatly increasing depression. (Hear, hear.) -And, thirdly, I will assume that that depression is occasioned and -aggravated by the adoption and continuance in that altered policy of -the country which now prevails. (Cheers.) I presume that my two first -propositions will be conceded to me everywhere; and as to the third, -here at least I presume we are unanimous, that the difficulties, the -dangers, the distresses, and the disasters that now accompany us are -attributable to that vile, suicidal policy falsely called free trade. -(Cheers.) Having gone thus far, and having arrived at this point, it -will not be of much advantage to you that I should dwell long upon -the nature and extent of the distress which now accompanies you, and -now environs you. That I will leave to others of those intelligent -practical men who, in such multitudinous numbers, have left their -homes and have come here to tell, in this central heart of England, -their feelings upon the distresses and dangers that have overtaken -them. But I will just glance at what is the prevailing symptom of -the distress of the present day. And, strange as it may appear, the -prevailing symptom is cheapness--cheapness of all the necessaries and -conveniences of life--cheapness of the bountiful gifts of Providence, -the productions of the earth--cheapness of the works of man, the -produce of his skill and labour. And how is it that this cheapness, -which augurs plenty and abundance, should not be accompanied with its -usual, nay, its invariable concomitants--ease, enjoyment, safety, -and repose? (Cheers.) There must be something fundamentally wrong in -a state which produces such startling results. It was the opinion -of one whose opinion, and whose memory too, ought to be an object -of veneration with every Free-trader, as unquestionably they are of -respect, from the sterling, amiable, pains-taking qualities of the -man--I allude to the late Mr Huskisson--it was his opinion, and he -delivered it in his place in the House of Commons so long ago as the -year 1815--it was his opinion that nothing could be more delusive -than the proposition that cheapness in the price of provisions is -always a benefit. On the contrary, cheapness, without a demand for -labour, is a symptom of distress. (Cheers.) The French, he adds, in -his day, had cheapness without capital, and that was a proof in them -of progressive decay. But this all-pervading state of cheapness is so -ably glanced at and set forth in a document which I hold in my hand, -and which has been transmitted to me since my arrival in town, that -I cannot forbear quoting some passages from it. It is the Address of -the Metropolitan Trades' Delegates to their fellow-countrymen, on the -interests and the present position of the labouring classes of the -empire; and if there can be words of solemn warning and import, they -are contained in this most extraordinary document. It commences:-- - -"Fellow-Countrymen,--There is not recorded an era in the history of -our country, nor, indeed, in the history of all nations, when the -great subject of the natural and social rights of those who live by -means of their labour was required to be so thoughtfully considered, -so clearly explained, and so zealously and faithfully supported, as -the present era." - -It afterwards goes on to treat the question of cheapness thus:-- - -"We have it announced to us that it is under the operation of -unregulated, stimulated, and universal competition, we are henceforth -to live. - -"Cheapness is proclaimed to be the one great and desirable -attainment. But the cheapness that is attained under this system -is not the result of fair and distributory abundance--being mainly -acquired by diminishing the enjoyments, or the consumption, of -those by whose labour productions are derived, and by that economy -of labour by which, in so many instances, the labourer is cast off -altogether from employment, because a cheaper, that is, a less -consuming instrument than his body, is invented and applied. The -labour of the working man thus becomes a superfluous commodity in the -market, so that he must either be an outcast altogether from society, -or else find some way of doing more work for less of materials of -consumption; and even then, if he should succeed in this course of -realising cheapness, he becomes instrumental in bringing many others -of his fellow-labourers down to the same degraded level to which he -is reduced. (Loud cheers.) - -"Bad and appalling, however, as is the existing condition of so -many whose only means of supporting themselves and their families -is the exercise of their daily labour, yet we maintain that the -prospect before us is still more dark and gloomy. We declare to -you our conviction that a far greater degree of suffering and of -destitution impends over the labouring class and their families, -both of this and of all other nations, unless the falseness of -the free or competitive system be thoroughly penetrated, clearly -exposed, and a course of general commerce, very different from that -emanating from the free system, be entered upon." (Great cheers.) -In this manner do these practical men, who are practically groaning -under the evils of this altered system, dispose of the question of -cheapness. The men whose signatures are appended to that document, -have done me the honour also of communicating with me since I have -been in town, and of stating to me what their intentions and objects -are. They write me on the 4th of May inst. that "The delegates have -a desire to collect all the statistics in their power showing the -decline in the employment of the people, and also showing the gradual -falling-off of wages since the introduction of free-trade measures -to their respective trades; and also the condition of those trades -which have not been directly interfered with by foreign imports, but -which the delegates have reason to believe are indirectly affected -by the displaced hands, from other industrial branches, continually -forcing themselves into the above-mentioned trades--this is the -reason they have appealed to all who are friends to native industry -for assistance." But, gentlemen, it is said that free trade has not -yet had fair play. Most fortunately I am indebted to the kindness -and courtesy of a member of parliament, a personal friend of my -own, the invaluable member for Falmouth, Mr Gwyn, for the returns -of trade and navigation up to the close of last month, which only -appeared and were placed in my hands last night. I have gone through -these documents with all the business habits that I am capable of; -and I come to this conclusion and result, the truth of which I defy -any Free-trader to controvert. (Cheers.) The flourishing state of -the cotton trade is boasted of. Why, these documents prove to you -that the export of cotton goods has increased 10 per cent, but the -consumption of cotton altogether has decreased 20 per cent. (Loud -cheers.) And what does this show? That there is a decrease in the -consumption of cotton of 30 per cent. What! free trade not had fair -play! Why, our colonies have had free trade for the last twenty -years. For the last ten years they have had the blessing of free and -unrestricted trade, and let me appeal to any colonist, what is the -universal language which defies even contradiction--We are ruined! -(loud cheers.) Our own British possessions get their supplies cheaper -from the United States than they can from Great Britain or our North -American colonies. They expend the property of their own colonies, -and of ours too, which they get there, in fostering the trade of our -rivals to the destruction and exclusion of their own. Free trade not -had fair play! Why, what have been its effects in Ireland? (hear, -hear.) In the year 1844 or 1845, there were of acres cultivated in -wheat in Ireland, 1,059,620; but in 1847, the blessed year that -followed the consummation of free trade, the number was reduced to -743,871, and in 1848 it was still further reduced to 565,746, thus -showing a decrease in three years of the palmy days of free trade -of no less than 500,000 acres of wheat, equal to the production of -2,100,000 quarters, and in value, at what ought to be the price -of wheat, upwards of six millions sterling. (Shouts of "hear, -hear.") This shows with a vengeance that capital is flowing from -the banks of the Shannon to the shores of the Vistula (hear, hear.) -Free trade not had fair play! What will you, farmers, your wives -and daughters, say to this? In the year 1833, the export of salt -butter from Ireland was 25,000 tons, in value L.3,000,000 sterling, -and it would take 260,000 cows to produce that quantity of butter. -Now, let the Free-traders tell us what has been the export of salt -butter from Ireland during the last year (hear, hear.) Ireland has -broken up her old pastures, and has sown wheat upon them; and yet -with all that forced and ruinous cultivation, the foreigner beats -her out-and-out. But it is only a waste of time to go through the -extent and the nature of the distress which afflicts you. I will -no longer dilate upon it. I will leave its effects upon England to -those admirable men whose public spirit and whose private wrongs -have brought them here. And I will at once ask, what is to be the -remedy? You will answer me with one acclaim, There can be but one, -and that is a return to the policy of protection to native industry -(cheers.) And how is this remedy to be attained? Why, by a cordial -union of all classes whose labour has been invaded, and the produce -of whose skill, enterprise, and industry has been excluded by that -vile policy which has supplanted us in our own markets. I presume, -and I say it with all respect and deep humility, that you can have -no remaining hope from the present parliament (cheers), nor from the -present advisers of the Crown (tremendous cheering.) But we have -a constitutional sovereign, who well knows that her own peace and -happiness depend upon the welfare and prosperity of her people. She -well knows that upon that peace and prosperity, not only her own -happiness, but the security of her throne (cheers,) and the stability -of the monarchy that she administers, all alike depend (cheers.) Let -us carry to the foot of the throne the wishes of her faithful people. -Let us tell her of the distress and difficulties that are overtaking -the industrious cultivators of the soil of the empire which she -benignly governs. (Loud cries of "hear.") Let us tell her of the -dangers and disasters that environ the hard-working, industrious -occupiers of the territorial domains of the ancient nobility and -gentry of her land (hear, hear.) Let us tell her, as the noble -duke said, that, although oppressed, we are still faithful--still -uncompromising--still unswerving--still unseduceable--still loyal -and true to her; and I will stake my life on it, that she will be -compassionate and true to us (hear, hear.) The humble individual -who now addresses you is no proud aristocrat--he is no lordly -possessor of wide-spread territorial domains; but he has obtained -his fortune by the active pursuits of commercial industry (hear, -hear.) He affords daily employment to hundreds, and thousands are -dependent for their daily bread on his care and success (hear, -hear.) I hope, therefore, that I speak with a due sense of the -responsibility of my words and actions; and I desire--and, with -God's blessing, I shall use every energy and talent that my Maker -has endowed me with (loud cheers)--I desire, and with God's help, -I shall endeavour to transmit to my children's children unimpaired -those laws and liberties, those customs and institutions, which -have afforded me protection during my own career of successful toil -(cheers.) You will take one word of counsel from me. You, the owners -and industrious occupiers of the soil, will, I hope, from this vast -assembly hurl back with proud defiance that gross threat, that, if -success should attend your exertions for a restoration of protection, -the foundations of property would be shaken to their centre (hear, -hear.) Such is the language used by Free-traders in fustian, in -words as well as in merchandise (hear, hear.) Ay, forsooth, by the -apostle of peace, who would have the manly quarrels of nations, as -well as of individuals, settled by palaver and humbug, instead of -musketry and gunpowder (great cheering.) Hurl back, I say, that -defiance, and let your answer reach the ears of all who dare to -obstruct the exercise of free discussion, and the results of free -discussion in this hitherto free and prosperous land (hear.) But, -in the struggle that must of necessity ensue before we can obtain -the gracious accession of our beloved Sovereign to the prayers of -her people, it may and will happen that our friends who, amidst -treachery and desertion unparalleled (hear, hear,) had stood firm and -faithful to their principles and professions, may be inconvenienced, -and that their seats in the legislature may be jeopardised by the -miscellaneous onslaught of our ministerial and jacobinical opponents -(hear, hear.) But this must not, this shall not, be; for these men -must be protected at the hustings (hear, hear.) When I look at this -vast, this magnificent assemblage--when I consider whom and what it -represents--I cannot for a moment doubt that there are, in the ranks -of the protectionists of England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, a -thousand men who will put down their hundred pounds a-piece to form a -fund against all aggressors (hear, hear.) For myself, I shall at once -avow that I will be one, either of a thousand to put down my hundred -pounds (hear, hear,) or, if need be, I will be one of a hundred to -put down my thousand pounds (loud cheers,) for this national, this -necessary object. And then having done our duty, and having among -our hereditary legislators a Richmond (cheers,) a Stanhope (hear,) a -Stanley (cheers,) an Eglinton, a Talbot, a Downshire, a Malmesbury, -a Beaufort, and a host of others, who will forgive me if I now fail -to name them; and a Disraeli (great cheering followed the mention -of Mr Disraeli's name,) a Granby (hear, hear,) a Manners (hear, -hear,) a Beresford, a Stuart, a Newdegate, and many more such whom -we will send to aid them in the House of Commons, let us commit our -cause, the cause of peace and plenty, the cause of truth and justice -(cheers,) the sacred cause of protection to native industry and -capital (hear, hear)--let us commend that cause to our Sovereign, to -our country, and to our God (loud cheers.) My lords and gentlemen, -I must apologise for the undue length at which I have addressed -you. I thank you most cordially for the kindness and the enthusiasm -with which you have listened to me, and I now beg to propose the -resolution with which I have the honour to be intrusted. - -The honourable gentleman sat down amidst the most deafening cheers. - -Mr W. CHOULER, South Muskham, Newark, Notts, in rising to second -the resolution, said he should not waste their time by offering any -apologies for his unfitness to address them upon that occasion. He -had come forward to state facts, and he should at once proceed to -discharge that duty to the best of his ability. He should first -of all advert to the state of the labourers in his own immediate -neighbourhood. He could state that the wages of those labourers -had of late been reduced nominally from 12s. to 10s., and in some -parts of the county to 9s. a-week; while the real reduction was -much greater, because, in consequence of the depressed condition -of their employers, they had been deprived of that piece-work -by which they had formerly earned a further sum of 1s. or 2s. -a-week. Since he had come to London he had received a statement of -the condition of the labourers in a part of Leicestershire which -adjoined South Nottinghamshire, and from that statement he found -that during the winter there had been many unemployed labourers -in that district; and that latterly, even at the approach of the -spring-time, eight of those labourers had been going about begging. -They had not asked, however, for alms, but for employment, by which -they could have obtained an honest livelihood for themselves and -their families. (Hear, hear.) Now, he appealed to every one whom he -was addressing, whether a cultivator of the soil could be placed -in a more heartrending situation than when he found himself unable -to afford employment to an honest and industrious, but necessitous -labourer? But, feeling dissatisfied with things at home, he had taken -some trouble to ascertain how the labourers are situated in other -districts with which he had no immediate connexion. As a matter -of course, he had thought that the place in which he might expect -to find perfection was the estate of Sir Robert Peel. (Loud cries -of "hear, hear," jeers, and laughter.) He had read the document -issued some time since by Sir Robert Peel to his tenantry, and -through his tenantry to the country at large; and from the wording -of that document he had been led to suppose that in the parish of -Kingsbury, the property of Sir Robert Peel, the labourers were fully -employed, well housed, and well fed. But he would tell them what -he had seen there only a few days ago. The parish of Kingsbury was -an extensive one, and the farms there were large, for that part of -the country, as they varied from 300 to 400 acres. But instead of -the labourers in Kingsbury being lodged in comfortable cottages, he -found scarcely any labourers' cottages upon the estate. There were -no small holdings, no cottage allotments in the parish; and he had -been told that the labourers employed in it resided at a distance -of two or three miles from the place. The fact was, that for some -years a system had been carried on in that parish for reducing the -number of its agricultural labourers, (hear, hear,) and removing the -poor off the property. He confessed he only wondered that the "Times -Commissioner" had not been down there (hear, and laughter,) to tell -the tenantry how much of the physical force of the labourer was lost -by living so far from his work. But he had found worse than that. -He had found that English labourers were being gradually displaced -by low-priced Irish labourers. He had found that the tenants of Sir -Robert Peel had been employing during the winter, is well as during -the summer, six or eight Irish labourers each, to whom they paid -little or no money wages. (Cries of "shame.") Now he should not have -thought much about that if he had found that the Irish labourers were -prospering, as they are British subjects; but he had seen them in a -very wretched condition, to which the English labourers also were -being rapidly reduced. The Irish there have no house to live in, no -bed to lie on, or fire to go to, but lay on straw in an outhouse; -therefore this system has this tendency,--to depress the English -labourer to the Irish or Continental level, without elevating the -other. He would pass, however, from the parish of Kingsbury to a -district represented by another lion of the day. (A laugh.) They -would recollect that Mr C. Villiers, the member for Wolverhampton, -had stated at the commencement of the session that there had been -L.91,000,000 a-year saved to the country by the fall in prices -which had followed the adoption of the free-trade policy. Now it -had occurred to him that the constituents of Mr Villiers must have -obtained a pretty good share of that sum. But he had found that in -Wolverhampton the poor-rates had been gradually increasing during the -last eight or ten years. It appeared that, during the twelve months -ending in March 1842, the poor-rates in the union of Wolverhampton -had not amounted to half the sum which they had reached during the -twelve months ending in March 1850. It further appeared that in the -year ending March 25, 1849, they had amounted to only L.10,007, while -in the year ending March 25, 1850, they had amounted to L.11,625. He -had mentioned these facts for the purpose of showing that the people -of Wolverhampton had derived no advantage from the supposed saving of -L.91,000,000 a-year effected by the adoption of a free-trade policy. -But he said, without fear of contradiction, that no such saving had -been made. He admitted that that sum had been lost to one class in -this country (hear, hear,) but he denied that it had been gained by -any other. (Cheers and laughter.) Lord John Russell said last Friday -night week, that if Mr Henley brought forward a direct motion in -favour of protection, he should be prepared to show that the great -mass of the people were in possession of as great comforts as they -ever had been. Now this was three months after the country had been -said to have been the gainer of L.91,000,000 a-year, and yet all that -Lord John Russell could say was that the people were in "as good" -a position as ever they were. He would admit, if necessary, that -this sum had been lost to one class, but it had not been gained by -another. He should not be so much dissatisfied if the farmers had -lost it, if only some other class had gained it. But the farmers -had lost it and no one in this country had gained it. (Cheers.) -Two-thirds of the people of this country were engaged in agricultural -pursuits, and could any policy, he would ask, be more suicidal than -to deprive them of L.91,000,000 a-year, without conferring any -benefit on the remaining one-third of the population? (Hear, hear.) -He had no hesitation in saying that the agriculturists, as a body, -had never been in a worse position than that in which they were at -present placed. He felt convinced that, if the existing prices for -agricultural produce were to continue much longer, the tenant-farmers -would be wholly unable to afford full employment to labourers; great -efforts had been made last winter to employ the labourers; and when -parliament met we were told, because we had employed them, that there -was no distress. But if the class of able-bodied labourers were -offered no alternative but to perish from destitution or to enter the -workhouse, he had no hesitation in saying that this country would -soon be reduced to a state which he should be most sorry to witness. -Already the agricultural labourers talked of combinations; and -although the farmers might be able to stem the torrent by affording -them employment until the termination of the harvest, he could not -help anticipating the most serious perils after that period. The -labourers did not blame the farmers for their condition, for they -were well aware that the farmers had not the means for affording them -employment; and under those circumstances, could it be expected that -the farmers would mount their horses for the purpose of opposing -the just demands of their humbler fellow-countrymen? (Hear, hear.) -If a man was willing and able to work in this country, he had a -right to have the means of living in comfort in it. (Hear, hear.) -Mr Cobden had said what he would do if a system of protection were -re-established, and what would then become of the landlords. But I -will say openly and publicly, that if the landlords will stick to us, -we will stick to them. (Loud and enthusiastic cheers.) But I will go -further than that--I have not yet quite finished the subject. We own -nine-tenths of the horses of the kingdom, and we have the men to ride -upon them. (Vociferous cheering.) And we go further still: we will -support the Crown as well as the landlords. (Cheers.) Her Majesty -need not fear, if she turn her back upon the towns, that she will -not be supported. Protected ourselves, we will protect her against -all assailants. (Loud cheers.) Mr Chouler then proceeded to say -that, in his opinion, it matters not what prices were, provided all -interests were placed upon the same footing. But if one interest were -reduced below another, if employment were lessened whilst taxation -was kept up, if more money left the country than came into it, the -result must be beggary. (Cries of "Hear," and "Now for the rents.") -He would come to that directly; but first stop a bit. (Laughter.) He -had not quite done yet, (cheers;) but would mention to them the case -of a tenant-farmer who had applied to him for advice as to what he -should do under his present circumstances. This gentleman occupied -three farms, had a large family, and employed a good deal of capital. -The ages of his children varied from 24 to 9. He stated that his -wheat wanted hoeing, and that he had no money to do it with; that -he intended to have placed his family on the farms, but that if he -were to do so they could not live. What could he do with them? Some -of them were too old to be put to trades, and then, if he were to -take out his capital, all his dead stock would go almost for nothing. -He (Mr Chouler) knew he could not do anything for him. The man was -a good cultivator, in good circumstances, and that was the case of -hundreds and thousands of tenant-farmers. (Hear, hear.) Rent had -been alluded to by some one just now. He had always regarded rent -as a private bargain between two individuals. He did not come there -to find fault with either his own landlord or the landlord class -generally, because, as a class, he had seen them act as the very -best friends of the people. But he did think that in this particular -movement, latterly, they had left it almost entirely not only to -the tenants to do the work--that he should not care anything about; -but to defray all the expenses. (Cheers and laughter.) Now, if the -tenant-farmer could not cultivate his land properly, his labourers -and himself would get worse off, and he would be in a worse position -to pay his rent, his tithes, and his taxes; and if no tithes and rent -were paid, how are the clergy and aristocracy to pay their taxes and -servants? (Cheers.) With regard to taxes, he would ask, was there a -class of men in any other country who produced an article that was -taxed from 75 to 100 per cent, before they could use it themselves? -for that was the case with the malt-tax in this country at the -present moment. (Cheers.) Sir Robert Peel had told them that the food -of the labouring man should be free from taxation; but what was the -fact? Why, he held in his hand a list of no less than 15 articles, -all of which were eatables or drinkables, and necessaries to the -poor man, which had to pay taxes at this moment. They were--butter, -cheese, cocoa, coffee, corn and meal, eggs, fruits, hams, rice, -spices, spirits, sugar, refined ditto, molasses, and tea; and they -produced a revenue to the country of L.13,677,795. And yet this -"wiseacre" had said that the food of the working man should be -free from taxation. In addition to that, there were the articles -of tobacco and snuff, which produced upwards of L.4,000,000 more. -(Hear.) And was not tobacco a necessity of the working man? (Hear, -hear.) Well, that brought the amount up to L.18,000,000 sterling, -or more than one-third of the whole of the general taxation of the -country, raised upon articles of food. (Laughter and cheers.) With -regard to the malt tax, he thought that no impost was more unjust, -because there was not a great quantity of malt liquor consumed by the -higher classes, the greater portion being consumed by the working -classes; and, with the exception of one or two cyder counties, malt -liquor, in one shape or other, was the universal beverage of the -labourers. But beer must be taxed, forsooth! That was not the food -of the people! (Hear.) There is only one other point (continued Mr -Chouler) upon which I will make an observation, and that is with -reference to the great "Exhibition" of 1851. (Oh, oh! groans and -hisses.) I have heard of many curious things in my lifetime; but -there is one thing which I have always regarded as visionary, or as -never having had an existence--but it has actually been realised -in this 19th century, and in this great city--ay, in this year of -grace 1850--a "mare's" (mayor's) nest has been discovered. (Roars -of laughter.) Yes; and in this "mayor's nest" was "the Prince," and -what does "the Prince" say? Now I beg that it may be distinctly -understood that I mean no disrespect to my Sovereign or the Prince; -but I came here to speak the truth, and I have spoken it fearlessly, -and the truth I will know before I go home. The Prince says that, -when you get the productions of all countries and nations before -you, you have only to choose which is the cheapest and the best. -Well, if you are to do that, is it not to show you that you have the -opportunity of buying them? (Hear, hear.) A little umbrage has been -taken at this exhibition as savouring somewhat of free-trade, and -the royal commissioners have told us that they do not intend that -the articles shall be sold, but that they shall be merely shown. But -do you believe that the foreigner will bring his produce across the -Channel or the Atlantic, and take it back again without receiving -English money for it? Now, I want to know who does speak the truth? -(Cries of "the Prince.") I suppose the Prince does. (Shouts of "no.") -Well, well, have it as you like. (Roars of laughter.) I am come here -as a delegate from the part of the country in which I reside. I came -to seek the truth, and I will know it and declare it. I ask, is the -foreign corn that will be imported into England in the year 1851, -to come in and be looked at without being sold? (Loud cheers.) What -will the foreigner say? Why, he will say "I care nothing about your -'looks,' give me your money" (Cheers and laughter.) That is what -he will say. It is my duty then to ascertain whether or not it is -intended still to encourage the sending out of the country money -which it would be better to circulate at home. And I hope I am not -exceeding my functions as a delegate in asking that question. Now you -have heard my opinions upon this subject, and the concluding remarks -I shall make are these: that without an alteration this country will -be so shaken--after harvest, mind you, as there will be a good deal -of work until then, not before--that I am perfectly confident it will -be totally impossible to preserve the public peace. (Loud cheers.) -I am not surprised at untruths coming from the royal commission, -considering whom that commission is composed of, when I find Peel and -Cobden amongst them. (Groans and hisses.) There is one name amongst -them, however, which I am always in the habit of speaking of with -respect and honour, and that is the name of Lord Stanley. (Cheers.) -How far he will come out from among these royal commissioners without -harm (bravo, loud cheers, and laughter,) from such a den of--you must -supply the rest--I do not know, but I have confidence in the man. -(Loud cheers, and great laughter.) - -The resolution was put from the chair, and carried unanimously. - -Mr EDWARD BALL, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, then moved the next -resolution:--"That the indifference with which the just complaints -of the people have been received by the House of Commons, its -disinclination to adopt any measures for removing or alleviating the -existing distress; and the want of sympathy it has exhibited for the -sufferings of the people, have produced a widely-diffused feeling of -disappointment, discontent, and distrust, which is fast undermining -their reliance on the justice and wisdom of Parliament, the best -security for loyalty to the Throne, and for the maintenance of the -invaluable institutions of the country." The attendance of the noble -duke this day, observed Mr Ball, imposes a fresh debt of gratitude -upon us, and realises the hope we entertain, that whenever there is -a grand field day he will be found in his right position--at the -head of the troops. As our great commander, it is obligatory upon -us that we should observe his orders, and one of those orders is, -that we should express ourselves temperately and with moderation. -(Hear, hear.) But I am sure that, from his experience of the field -of conflict, he knows that sometimes the ardour and zeal of the -British troops carry them somewhat beyond the exact line marked -out by their leader and chief. (Cheers.) And if we should be found -upon this occasion to advance a little beyond that strict line of -propriety which he has chalked out for us, his kindness will excuse -it when he knows that it is out of the fulness of our hearts, and the -deep distress in which we are plunged, that we are assembled to-day -to make our representations and complaints. (Cheers.) Coming, then, -to the resolution which I have to propose, I ask is the allegation -contained in it true? For if the thing stated in it be not true, it -is useless for us to use it as an argument in justification of our -assembling here to-day. Is it true? (Cries of "Yes; it is true.") Is -it true that the House of Commons has shown great disregard to our -petitions? (Cheers.) Is it true that it has rushed on heedless of the -entreaties of the whole body of agriculturists, and passed a measure -which it was elected for the very end and purpose of preventing? This -(proceeded Mr Ball) constituted the bitterness of their grief, that -when Lord John Russell's commercial measures of 1841 were defeated, -a new parliament was called, and the voice of the nation proclaimed -through that parliament against free trade--that the great mass of -the constituencies rallied around the banner of protection--that -they raised such a number of men to represent them in the House of -Commons, that Lord J. Russell was obliged to throw up the reins of -government into the hands of Sir Robert Peel, who took the leadership -of the House of Commons with a good majority of 100, who were thought -truly and honourably to represent the agricultural interest, and -ready to protect their cause. (Cheers.) Then he wanted to know if -the complaint in the resolution was not just when they saw that very -house, which was congregated for the express purpose of maintaining -protection, unhesitatingly strike that protection down, defeat all -their objects, blast all their hopes, and prove untrue and unfaithful -to the great constituencies of the empire. (Loud cheers.) I say, -exclaimed Mr Ball, that we will never cease to represent that it was -not by fair and legitimate means that we were beaten (cheers;) but -that it was by the unfair, the foul play, the treacherous betrayal of -those who had headed us to lead us on to victory, but who conducted -the enemy into the camp, introduced the foe into the citadel, and -destroyed all our hopes and prospects. (Loud cheers.) That being -true, what is the language of the Free-trader upon the occasion? He -sees a consequence that he never anticipated. He sees the result -which we pointed out, and which he disbelieved. He finds that prices -are as ruinous as we stated that they would be, and that free trade -is as great a hindrance to the welfare of agriculture as we always -reported that it would be. And now how does he shelter himself? -Instead of coming forward, and honestly saying we have failed--it -was only an experiment, which was forced upon us, and having made -an error we will endeavour to correct it--he says that it is an -exceptional case; that it is not the legitimate consequence, but that -there are some particular circumstances which make the principles of -free trade press with unusual severity just now. (Hear, and oh.) Now, -look at the reasoning of this. If the foreigner, when he had no hope -of such a market being opened to him, could for the last two years -send in a supply of nearly twenty-two million quarters of various -descriptions of corn, and if he could do that out of his surplus -produce, what will he do now that he has the market entirely open -to him--when he has got our capital to improve his cultivation, and -when he knows that he may produce and send an unlimited quantity into -our markets? (Hear.) I want to know how it is that, with an express -declaration of the principles of the people upon the question of -free trade, the landlords in the House of Lords and in the House of -Commons, contrary to their own creed and in opposition to their own -judgment, swerved from all that they had promised us, and threw up -to those who were more impassioned and boisterous than themselves -all that protection which they were bound in honour and in interest -to uphold? (Loud cheers.) I feel that it is painful to speak of -the landlords of this kingdom in the presence of so many of that -aristocracy who shed a lustre upon their order, and whose presence -here shows us how much they respond to our own principles. (Cheers.) -We can never forget that those laurels which adorn the brow of the -noble duke who presides over us were won in the most terrible and -hard-fought encounters that ever brought glory, honour, and renown -to the British arms, and that the noble duke has, from the period -that he turned his sword into a ploughshare, ever stood true to the -best interests of agriculture--(loud cheers)--has ever stood true to -the declarations which he has made; and under all changes, and in -the midst of the vapourings of his opponents, has been steadfast, -untarnished, and unsullied, and now comes before us with renewed -glory and increased claims upon our gratitude and support. (Loud -cheers.) We cannot forget that the noble lord on his right--the -Earl Stanhope--(great cheering)--whom it has been my privilege for -five-and-twenty years to follow in the paths of philanthropy--who -has come to the evening of a long and a useful life, in which he -has shown sympathy to the poor, and has had the best interests of -his fellow-men at heart--that he comes here, too, for the purpose -of giving his powerful support to the great principles to which he -and we are alike devoted. (Loud cheers.) They had also several other -noble and honourable gentlemen present. They all knew the undaunted -courage with which the Marquis of Downshire had fought for their -right. They knew that the gentlemen around him were noble exceptions -to that great defalcation which had been committed by so large a -portion of the aristocracy. (Cheers.) Therefore, he (Mr Ball) could -not discharge what he considered to be his duty now, without pointing -them out as exceptions to the statement he was about to make--that -they had fallen, not by Cobden's--that they had fallen, not by the -League's tricks--that they had fallen, not by the treachery of Peel; -but because their landlords--the aristocracy--those who should have -upheld them--had swerved from their duty in the houses of Parliament. -(Cheers.) We had the power--we had the majority--we had the voice of -the country, not loud, but strong and firm, and ready to manifest -itself when the moment for action came; but they were faint-hearted, -they failed in the hour of need, and sacrificed us to the discordant -elements of demagogueism and free-tradeism. (Uproarious cheering.) -Moreover, they have contrived to take the full tale from the poverty -and the debilitated circumstances of a struggling tenantry. (Loud -cheers.) Let me put this simple case to you. I take the free-trade -landlord, and I take the tenant-farmer. They are in partnership, are -engaged in the same pursuit, and have a joint interest in the same -property. A is the landlord, B the tenant-farmer. A comes to B and -says, "We must make an experiment upon this land. We must introduce -certain fresh modes of cultivation. We must change our plan; and if -we do so-and-so you will farm better, my rent will be more secure, -and we shall be altogether in more favourable circumstances than -before." B, the tenant, says, "No, it is too frightful an experiment. -No, it may involve me in ruin. No, you risk nothing--I risk all." -(Great cheering.) But A is the richer man--A has the greater power, -and he insists upon the experiment being made, in spite of the tears -and protestations of the tenant. In the legislature A assents that -the experiment shall be made. Thus he sweeps away and brings down to -ruin the tenant who, in his wretchedness, looks up to the landlord -for relief; and I do say that, according to the immutable principles -of justice, and on the ground of what is due from man to man, the -landlord, who is a party to the passing of free-trade measures, is -bound to sustain and uphold his tenant, and reimburse his losses. -(Vehement cheers.) I want to know, also, if I have L.5000, L.10,000, -or L.20,000, placed in the funds, and a similar sum invested in the -land, both of them being sustained and supported by the law--I want -to know if the land be to pay the interest of the national debt, -whether it is fair and just to take away the income out of which -the interest of the national debt is to be paid, and what right -or justice there is in demanding the full payment of the national -debt? (Loud cheers.) If the fundholder has looked on and encouraged -the movement which was made to bring us to ruin, I want to know -with what propriety or consistency he can ask to gather out of our -ruined means the wealth which, under other circumstances, we would -gladly and cheerfully pay him? (Cheers.) But we are told that our -landlords cannot now reverse this policy--that they have gone too -far to recede--and Cobden, in that celebrated speech of his, which -he made at the close of last year in Leeds, said "Only let the -agriculturist come forward and put on one shilling in the shape of -corn duty, and I will create such a tumult as shall shake the kingdom -to its centre." (Laughter.) Most deliberately and dispassionately -my answer to that is--The sooner the better! (Tremendous cheering; -the whole of the vast assemblage rising to their feet, and waving -their hat and hands.) I say that we have a conscience, that we have -a superintending Providence, that we have laws violated, that we -have all these things which will sustain and give endurance to us in -any conflict that may approach; and that, therefore, we may laugh -at all threatenings, and set them at defiance. (Loud cheering.) But -what have the tenant-farmers to fear at the approach of discord? Can -you be worse off? (No, no.) Can any alteration damage you? (Renewed -cries of "no no.") All is lost! Persevere in your free-trade laws, -and there is no concealing the fact that, as a class, we are swept -away. (Hear.) Persevere in those laws, our homes will be taken from -us. Persevere in those laws, our wives will be without protection. -Persevere in those laws, our children will become paupers. (Cheers.) -Will you then tell me, when laws have been enacted that reduce -me to that position, that I, a broken-hearted man, passing into -poverty and my family degraded, that I shall fear the threats of -a demagogue? (Much cheering.) My answer for the whole body of the -tenantry of the country is this--that we are disposed to risk all, -brave all, dare all! (vociferous cheering, again and again repeated;) -and that we are prepared, come what will, and cost what it may, at -the hour of our country's peril, for our homes, our wives, and our -families, to take those terrible steps which are the most frightful -for a good and peaceable man to imagine, but which necessity and -unjust treatment hurry us on and bring us to the contemplation -of. (Vehement plaudits.) The most abominable part of it is this, -however. If it had been a calamity brought on in the Providence of -God--by the failure of the seasons, or by something which was above -legislative control, we would have humbly bowed to it. But here comes -the scourge--we fell through the cowardice and faint-heartedness of -him whom we considered to be the greatest of modern statesmen; and -when the history of the age that is passing has been recorded, it -will tell us that at the same period there was in Italy a man (Count -Rossi) who had been appointed minister of the Pope; that he was the -witness of a rising tumult and a coming desolation; and that on the -very morning of his death he was told not to go to the Senate, for -if he did so there would be danger attending him. His reply was, "I -have taken office--and when I did that, I took not only its honours -and emoluments, but its duties and its dangers." He went to the -Senate, and perished upon the steps of the Forum. But our statesman -(Sir Robert Peel) saw the approach of the storm, quailed at the -tempest, bowed down to the lowering cloud, dishonoured the country, -brought infamy upon his own name, and poverty upon the people. (Great -cheering.) - -Mr J. ALLIN WILLIAMS, of Wiltshire, seconded the resolution. He stood -before them that day as a Wiltshire farmer, second to none in the -kingdom in his loyalty and attachment to the throne and his love of -the constitution of old England. (Cheers.) Moreover, he stood before -them deputed by the farmers of the county of Wilts, for the purpose -of protesting against the treatment to which the occupiers of the -soil of Great Britain, as a class, had been subjected by the measures -of her Majesty's Ministers and by the House of Commons. (Cheers.) -He wished he could think that those measures and their consequences -had been properly considered and contemplated by their framers -before they were brought forward. Despite the remonstrances of the -defenders of the agricultural interest in the House of Commons, and -of the noble duke in the chair, and of other noblemen in the Upper -House of the Legislature, her Majesty's Ministers persisted in those -measures which must ultimately reduce the tenantry of England to -beggary. (Hear, hear.) An individual, whom he would not name, as his -name appeared to grate upon the ears of every honest farmer in this -country--(cheers)--but whom it was impossible to forget, as he had -laid down maxims which they felt obliged to take up and consider--a -few years ago that individual laid down, as a rule, that the British -farmer could not grow wheat in this kingdom under 56s. per quarter. -(Hear, hear.) And upon the faith of that statement many of the men -that he saw before him, himself included, had entered into agreements -with their landlords for the purpose of occupying their estates for -a certain period of years. (Hear, hear.) He himself had taken a -lease for 14 years. What, then, must be the condition of the farmers -of those estates when they were obliged to sell wheat at 36s. per -quarter? The consequence was, that all, or the greater part of those -who were similarly situated with himself, must be ruined. Upon the -same figures was also based the Tithe Commutation Act; and by that -act, which, as they too well knew, was ruled by a septennial clause, -last year, when they were selling their wheat at the price of two -guineas per quarter, they were compelled to pay after the rate of -54s. 10d. per quarter as the tithe of their produce; and this year, -when they were selling their wheat at from 36s. to 40s. per quarter, -they had to pay upon an average of 53s. (Hear, hear.) It was on that -account that he came there to proclaim that her Majesty's Ministers -had done the farmers a great piece of injustice, and that they had in -fact emptied the pockets of the British farmers by their legislation. -If there had been a necessity for the late Free-trade measures, (and -he denied that there was any such necessity,) he contended that every -portion of the community ought to have been made to bear a fair share -of the burdens which had been placed upon the agriculturists. But -what was the fact? He maintained that the industrious classes, the -producers, alone were made to feel the burden, and that property -and capital were wholly exempt. (Hear, hear.) The Free-traders, -when proposing their ruinous measures, appear to have made a grand -discovery, and assert, that we have no right to tax the food of -the people. But did it ever enter their brains that on the wheat -produced by the British farmer he paid a large tax in the shape of -the superior wages paid to the labourers as compared with those of -the labourers of the foreigner, to meet the taxes that are imposed -on them upon the necessaries of life? That in fact the proportion of -labour in a quarter of wheat (which he would assert to be two-thirds) -was taxed to the enormous extent of 33 per cent? (Hear, hear, hear.) -Again, was not the wheat produced by the British farmer taxed by the -poor rates, the highway rates, &c.? and the heavy rents which he -paid as compared with the foreign farmer, (such rents as were not -heard of in any other country in the world,) was it not on account -of the heavy taxes the landlords had to pay? If these things never -entered the brains of her Majesty's Ministers, they were no men of -business. (Hear, hear.) If they did enter into their brains, then -their conduct was most knavish, most scandalous; for thereby they -compelled the farmers of England to compete on most unequal terms -with the foreigner. (Hear, hear.) The aristocracy of this country, -he regretted to say, had not as a body done their duty in this -matter. (Hear, hear.) Had the farmers of England had the aristocracy -and the clergy of the country with them, they might easily have -resisted the iniquitous measures of the Free-traders, and they would -not have been in their present deplorable condition. (Cheers.) But -now let them look for a remedy. Let them from that day call forth -those men who had hitherto been blind and apathetic as regarded -their own best interests, as well as those of their own immediate -dependents. Let them call upon the landed gentry and the clergy -throughout the country to do their duty. (Hear, hear.) He thought -he might say with confidence, if they responded to that call, that -the agricultural interest had nothing to fear. If nothing else would -rouse the aristocracy of the country to a proper attention to their -vital interests, as well as those of their common country, surely the -insolent language of Mr Cobden at Leeds was enough to rouse them from -their lethargy. But if they still refused to do their duty, he would -call upon them, in the language of Milton, to - - "Awake! arise! or be for ever fallen." - -(Cheers.) He knew that time was pressing on, and that he must be -brief. He would therefore conclude by again protesting against -the treatment they had received, and most heartily seconding the -resolution which had been proposed to them by Mr Ball. But he -could not resume his seat before he had conjured them to send Whig -principles to the winds. (Laughter and cheers.) His belief was, that -Dr Samuel Johnson never made so happy a hit in his definition of -those principles, as when he said that the devil was the first Whig. -(Great laughter and cheers.) - -The resolution was then put and unanimously carried. - -Professor AYTOUN, of Edinburgh then came forward, amidst loud -cheering, to propose the following resolution:--"That this meeting -attributes the depression and distress of the agricultural, colonial, -shipping, and other interests to the rash and impolitic changes -in the laws which had long regulated the importation of foreign -productions; that it is of opinion that those laws were based on the -most just principles, and dictated by the soundest policy; that, -under their salutary influence, the British nation had attained an -unexampled state of prosperity, and a proud pre-eminence in the -scale of nations; and that if their object and spirit in fostering -and protecting native industry be finally abandoned, many of the -most important interests of the state will be sacrificed, and the -national prosperity and greatness be ruinously impaired." The -learned Professor proceeded as follows:--Gentlemen, I have been -desired, perhaps, rather than requested, on the part of the Scottish -Protective Association, (hear, hear,) to attend this meeting, and -to move one of the resolutions. I most sincerely wish that the task -had been confided to abler hands than mine; but all of us have a -distinct duty to perform; and those of my countrymen who act with -me feel that, on such an occasion as this, it would be wrong and -faint-hearted if Scotland, which is so deeply interested in the -grand question of protection to native industry, were to hang back, -and refuse to come forward to testify to you and to the tenantry -of England that our zeal in this cause is as great, our feeling -as decided, our determination as strong as your own. (Cheers.) I -cannot offer to you the testimony of a practical agriculturist, but, -perhaps, I may be allowed to say that I do not consider this is a -meeting entirely of agriculturists. (Hear, hear.) Every man in this -nation, from the lowest to the highest, has, I conceive, a distinct -stake in this question. Every man, whatever be his occupation or his -calling, is entitled to come forward here and declare his opinion -upon those measures which have been thrust on the nation by an act of -perfidy and treachery, to find a parallel for which we shall search -the pages of history in vain. (Hear, hear.) I do not exaggerate -our case when I say that Scotland is, if possible, more interested -than England in the maintenance or the restoration of protection to -native industry. Far later in point of time were our fields broken -up, our moors reclaimed, our morasses drained; and the prosperity -of Scotland, great as it has been, can hardly be reckoned as of -older date than the last seventy years. Glasgow, the largest city -of Scotland, the second city of the United Kingdom, rose to its -present high wealth and distinction by its colonial connexion within -a comparatively recent period. Our counties and our towns are alike -interested in this matter. The "transition state" of suffering which -our opponents now affect to have foreseen as the inevitable result -of their measures--though they took especial care to conceal that -revelation from every human eye--is more than beginning to make -itself felt in the latter: in the former, it is evident and undenied, -and already, I am sorry to say, in our remote Highland districts -the work of desolation has begun. They may call it peace if they -please; it is not peace, alas! it is solitude. (Hear, hear.) Now, -there are certain things you have imported from Scotland for which -perhaps you may not thank us very much, and one of those things is a -certain race called Political Economists. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) -I do not, however, wish to include among the number the father of -political economy, Adam Smith, now in his grave three-quarters of a -century, who wrote at a time and under circumstances very different -from those in which we are at present placed. I observe that Mr -Cobden is going about the country with the works, as he says, of -Adam Smith in his hands, and favouring the public with his comments -on those works; but I hope those comments will be taken by the -public, as I take them, at their true value--estimating the quality -of the text at a different ratio from the perverted interpretations -of the expounder. There is another Scottish Political Economist, -Mr M'Culloch, who has written a great deal on the subject of the -corn trade, and who has been hitherto, during his long life, a -decided enemy to all restrictive duties; but who, I believe, is now -discovering at the last hour, that he has been going too fast in his -views, and that the total withdrawal of protection is not likely to -do all the good which he had at one time anticipated from it. Then, -there is another gentleman, who is an ornament to the present House -of Commons--the illustrious Mr Macgregor, (roars of laughter,) the -gifted and infallible seer, who won the suffrages of a benighted -city by telling its electors from the hustings that the nation was -to increase in wealth, under the free-trade system, at the rate of -precisely L.2,000,000 a-week. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) That was -to be the national gain; a gain in which we were all to participate -the moment the corn laws were swept away. Mr Macgregor also told the -people of Glasgow that in this matter he was the political tutor of -Sir R. Peel, (hear, hear, and laughter;) that he, the two million -a-week man, was the individual who laid down that grand plan under -which we are all at present suffering. If that be true, all I shall -remark is this, that surely never did any pupil select so singular -a master. Under these circumstances, I must admit that, however we -may be entitled to appear here as a deputation, one gift which we -have sent you from Scotland, in the shape of political economists, -is a gift for which you cannot be very thankful. This is, I may -add, an age in which men have been more befooled by figures than by -anything else which we can mention. (Hear) Half a century ago, when -any extraordinary account appeared in the newspapers, it used to be -said that it must be true because it was to be found in print. Now, -that delusion seems to have passed away; the charm of infallibility -is broken, and people do not at present suppose that the press has -got any particular exemption from error. But a delusion quite as -great, and even more baneful, still prevails with respect to figures. -There are men seated in their closets, with blue-books before them, -casting up long columns of accounts, and making out statements which -they call statistics, which are to form the invariable rules by -which mankind is to be governed, and by which the commerce of this -country is to be regulated; and it is by putting their noxious dogmas -into effect that this country has of late been exposed to so much -suffering. The system is older even than the days of Adam Smith; for -about a century ago there went forth from Edinburgh a man of the -name of John Law, the founder of the famous Mississippi scheme--a -scheme for enriching men by foreign trade and for conferring on them -fortunes at once, while it did away with native industry. History -has its cycles, and we have again arrived at a period when quackery -and imposture have usurped the place of sound common-sense, of wise -policy, and I fear not to add, of truthful and Christian legislation. -(Great cheering.) I know well that it is not my part to dwell long -upon topics with which others are better acquainted, but if you will -allow me, I shall make a few observations with regard to the present -state of agricultural industry in Scotland. We have of late years -been much flattered by commendations of our system of farming in that -country. Whenever any of the farmers of England were supposed not -to be quite up to the mark, it used to be said by Sir Robert Peel -and his friends, that those farmers had only to imitate the example -of the men of the same class in the Lothians. But in the beginning -of this year, after a fair trial had been given to the so-called -experiment of free trade, the farmers of the Lothians came forward, -and testified by the leading members of their body that they were -losing under the present system, and that their industry, skill, -energy, and frugality were employed in vain so long as that incubus -weighed upon them. (Hear, hear.) What followed? Why, the note was -immediately changed, and it was said that those men were not farming -high enough! That discovery was made by a gentleman who now appears -to be Sir Robert Peel's great authority upon the subject--a certain -Mr Caird. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Now that gentleman, although a -farmer, does not happen to be able to say that he ever made anything -himself by farming. But he is acquainted with another individual, -who is the factor on an estate of a very liberal landlord, who lets -him have land for a merely nominal rent. That individual is at -present in possession of a fine peat-moss, exceedingly well fitted -for growing potatoes; and, as there has been less rot this year in -his potatoes than in those of the greater portion of other farmers, -he had derived from them a considerable profit. That is the farmer -whose example is now recommended by Mr Caird as the grand panacea -for all the evils under which the agricultural class is suffering. -(Hear, hear.) So you see, gentlemen, in what you are to put your -trust--peat-moss and potatoes! (Great laughter.) These are the twin -resources with which you are to meet unlimited importations of grain! -Pity, for the sake of Ireland, where both articles are abundant, -that the discovery was made so late! I believe, indeed I know, you -have something of the same sort here. Mr Mechi--(hear, hear, and -laughter)--a gentleman whose razors are of undeniable excellence--has -been attempting to show the farmers of England how to shave close -(a laugh;) and the unclean spirit of free trade, finding no other -place of refuge, has at last flown into the herd of Mr Huxtable's -swine. (Immense cheering.) But I must say a few words with regard -to the poorer districts--with regard to the Highlands of Scotland. -The misery prevailing in many of those districts, more especially -in the west and in the islands, did not proceed solely from the -repeal of the corn laws; for it was also in a great measure owing -to the noxious tariffs of Sir R. Peel, which admitted provisions -duty-free into this country. It appears--indeed I believe it is an -uncontradicted fact--that the British fleet is now victualled by -foreign product. (Cries of "Shame.") I hold in my hand a letter from -a banker in the town of Oban in Argyleshire, stating that emigration -is now taking place to a very considerable extent there, that most of -those who can scrape a few pounds together are taking their passage -to America, and that shortly the landlords will be left with no -class of people on their lands save the reckless, the improvident, -and the idle. Free trade is now rapidly driving from the Highlands -their most industrious inhabitants; and I believe that unless we -compel the Government to retrace their steps, a large portion of -Scotland will soon be brought back to the condition in which she was -placed at the time when the Heritable Jurisdictions were repealed, -and when the country was in a half savage state. (Hear.) I say that -Scotland is now rapidly assuming the place which Ireland has hitherto -occupied. A deluge of Irish labourers is already flowing over to -us, and forcing down wages all over the country. I believe that, if -this fatal experiment should be allowed to go on for another year, -the cry from Scotland, and especially from her remoter districts, -will become overpowering and appalling. We have seen the recent -revelations made by the public press with regard to the state of the -poor in this country. Everybody, I believe, has read in the graphic -letters in the _Morning Chronicle_ upon that subject, tales of the -most appalling distress, flowing from excessive competition in -every branch of industry. But that competition must necessarily be -increased by that crowding into the towns from the country, which I -know is now taking place in Scotland, of labourers who would emigrate -if they had the means of doing so. I observe that it has been -proposed, in a pamphlet recently published by an eccentric writer, -that the surplus population of our towns should be marched out in -industrial regiments, and sent to till the bogs and reclaim the hill -sides. Such schemes are utterly visionary; and they are founded upon -a shallow and perverted view of the social grievances against which -we emphatically protest. Why, it is the want of occupation in the -country just now which is doing the whole of the mischief, and which -is creating that mass of pauperism which we all deplore. (Hear, -hear.) It would seem, indeed, as if the present Ministers and the -Free-traders would wish to realise no better picture of Great Britain -than this-- - - "Wasted fields and crowded cities, - Swarming streets and desert downs; - All the light of life concentred - In the focus of the towns." - -The Free-traders tell us that they are at present as determined as -ever on persisting in their experiment; but they talk incoherently -about some future measure of relief, which, if we will consent to -be quiet, they may possibly, out of their great bounty, vouchsafe -to the victims of their policy. Now, let us see in what position we -are placed. For the first time probably in the memory of man, the -Whig Chancellor of the Exchequer has a surplus; but he does not well -know what to do with it; and he thinks that perhaps the best way -of employing a portion of it is to give the manufacturers another -bonus by taking the duty off bricks; but he calls that a boon to the -agriculturists. (Hear.) Why, in a single factory stalk there are more -bricks than would build cottages for a whole parish! Let us see, -however, how that surplus has been occasioned. That surplus would -be a deficit, and a large deficit, were it not for the property and -income tax laid on by Sir R. Peel--(hear, hear)--under a promise as -solemn as ever flowed from the lips of man, that it was to be but -temporary in its operation. But that tax has never been removed, -and never will be removed, unless this country shall speak with -more determination upon the subject than it has hitherto done. How -does that tax work on you farmers? (Cheers.) You are charged to the -income-tax in proportion to the amount of your rents, so that you do -not pay it out of your profits. Now, I say that the continuance of -that tax on the farmers, after the legislature has deprived them of -the profits of their business, is a crying iniquity. (Hear, hear, -and cries of "We will no longer pay it.") I suppose you will not pay -it because you cannot pay it; that is, no doubt, the reason. But -let us see what argument is advanced in favour of the continuance -of Free Trade. What tangible ground have they for telling us that -we are still bound to persevere? There is none; there cannot be any -argument advanced in its favour. The experiment was adopted, we are -told, with a view to stimulate exports, and to give the manufacturers -of this country more extended markets for their produce. Well, but -last year the amount of these exports had not reached the amount of -the year 1845--the last year of Protection. (Immense cheering.) So -then, even the exporting manufacturers have been disappointed. As to -the home trade, we all know, and the manufacturers themselves know to -their cost, in what a wretched position that is placed. But when the -Free-traders were asked why they had adopted the Free-trade policy -or why they continued it, they replied that it was because if they -had not done so there would have been a revolution in this country. -(Hear, and laughter.) That is, indeed, the most precious reason I -have ever heard assigned for any course of policy. What does that -say for the loyalty of the individuals for whom the change has been -made? (Loud cries of "Hear, hear.") But you are known to be loyal, -and you therefore the class selected to be sacrificed to buy up the -loyalty of the towns. (Enormous cheering.) Test this argument of -theirs in any way you will, and I defy you to arrive at any other -conclusion. Is it not enough to make one sick to see such legislation -going on? But it is not confined to Great Britain alone: we have it -in Canada also at this moment. There the Government is buying up the -rebels, compensating those who rose in arms against this country, -and spreading disaffection among the loyal people of that colony, -who were ready to lay down their lives in defence of the Queen and -the Constitution. But I fear I have already detained you longer than -I ought to have done. We are here simply to tell you, that in this -great national struggle, for a principle which is scarce less vital -to us than our liberties, our co-operation, according to the measure -of our ability, shall be cordially and unreservedly given. (Loud -cheering.) This is not England's battle only: it is ours as well; -and therefore are we here to-day. It is matter for regret that the -tenantry in Scotland have not oftener had opportunities of meeting -their brethren in the south, and, indeed, that the agriculturists -of the country generally cannot, from obvious reasons, be brought -into contact with each other as frequently as would be desirable. -But this I will say, that I believe the feelings among the yeomanry -and the tenantry in both countries are the same; and that those two -classes who, in days long gone by, met in hostile conflict, are -now united in their determination to have the infamous measures -which are over-riding us all repealed; and when the red cross of St -George and the silver cross of St Andrew are blended indissolubly -together, I fear no Cobdens--I fear no opposing force: I fear neither -the machinations of the intriguer, nor the empty bluster of the -demagogue. (Loud and long-continued cheers.) I despise their threats, -as I know that their hearts are cowardly; and I tell them that their -insolent challenge has been taken up, in a manner which they fear to -answer, by the true men and the valiant spirits of Britain; and in -the justice of the cause we repose our faith in its issue. (Loud and -vociferous cheering.) - -Sir M. RIDLEY WHITE, Bart., of Northumberland, seconded the -resolution. He could undertake to say, from his personal knowledge, -that, in the important county with which he was more intimately -connected, the Free-trade policy had proved most seriously -prejudicial to the agricultural classes. Earl Grey had declared that -he did not consider the value of his property had been diminished by -the adoption of that policy. But he (Sir M. Ridley White) could state -one very striking fact, which, he thought, would show how groundless -was that declaration. The noble Earl possessed, among other fine -farms on his large estates, what might be called the picked farm -of the county, as regarded the production of barley and turnips. -That farm had been tenanted, a few years ago, by an intelligent and -enterprising man, who had hitherto paid for it a rent of L.2240. The -tenant had, some time since, announced that the circumstances of the -times were such that he could no longer pay that rent, and that it -should be reduced to L.1600. That proposal had not been agreed to by -the noble Earl, and the farm had been advertised in all the local -prints, as well as in other portions of England and in Scotland. -One offer had been made for it, which, however, had subsequently -been withdrawn, and the highest sum afterwards bid for it was a -rent of L.1680. That offer had been refused by the noble Earl, and -the result was that that farm, the pick, as it were, of the county, -was at present occupied by the noble Earl himself. (Loud cries of -"Hear, hear.") With such a fact staring the noble Earl in the face, -he (Sir M. Ridley White) supposed he would not again get up in his -place in the House of Lords and say that his property had not been -depreciated by the adoption of the Free-trade system. But he should -proceed to lay before the meeting a number of other facts, the truth -of which he should at any time be ready to substantiate, for the -purpose of showing how much the value of agricultural property had, -of late, been diminished in the county of Northumberland. Many farms -in that county had been recently relinquished in consequence of the -depressed state of the markets for agricultural produce, and the -rentals of those that had been re-let, had, in general, been reduced. -A few instances to the contrary might be cited, but that variation -could be satisfactorily accounted for. In the farm of Berwick Hill, -the old rent had been L.500, the new rent was L.300. In Great Ryle, -in the parish of Whittingham, the old rent had been L.1100, the new -rent was L.855, being a decrease of 22 per cent. In Morwick, in the -parish of Warkworth, the old rent had been L.715, the new rent was -L.533, being a decrease of 22-1/2 per cent. Prestwick East Farm, in -the parish of Dinnington, within five miles Of the populous town -of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which had been recently let at L.300, was -re-let this year at L.220, being a diminution of 26-1/2 per cent. -Then, again, he found that agricultural capital had been reduced -very considerably, and in many cases rents were being paid out of -the capital, and not from the returns of the farms. Reductions had -been made in the wages paid to labourers to the amount of from 1s. -to 2s. per week, and in the northern parts of the county to 2s. 6d. -The sales of farm-stock had been unprecedented, both as to numbers, -extent, and importance: the reduction in value at ready-money sales, -as compared with former years, had been very considerable in every -instance, varying from 20 to 40 per cent. Many labourers had been -thrown out of employment, and the demand for able-bodied workmen was -much reduced, while improvements in agriculture were not carried on -to the same extent, or with the same spirit, as in former years. -The demand for adventitious manures had also decreased, and that -depression extended to the towns throughout the county, in which -the tradesmen, whose prosperity was mainly dependent on that of the -agriculturists, had suffered a depreciation to the amount of from -30 to 35 per cent. Having submitted those facts to the meeting, he -had much pleasure in recommending the resolution for their adoption. -(Cheers.) - -The resolution was then put, and unanimously agreed to. - -Mr J. J. ALLNATT, Wallingford, in Berkshire, proposed the following -resolution:--"That no relief from general or local taxation, which -is consistent with the maintenance of national faith, and the -efficiency of public establishments, can enable the British and -colonial producer to maintain a successful competition with foreign -productions, and that the only hope of replacing the agricultural -and other British interests in a state of prosperity rests on the -re-establishment of a just system of import duties." He regretted -to find that at that advanced hour he could trespass but a few -minutes on their attention, because he had much to say of the -atrocious position in which the agricultural classes had been placed -by the legislation adopted of late years in this country. He felt -convinced that unless that policy were speedily reversed, it would be -impossible to continue to raise the amount of revenue necessary for -the maintenance of those great establishments on which the national -safety and honour mainly depended. He did not see why the farmers -should be made the victims of an experiment which every one, except -her Majesty's Ministers and the Free-traders, had foretold must -bring ruin on the country. But what would be the nature and extent -of that ruin? Were those institutions which constituted our pride -and the world's envy to be toppled down merely that an "experiment" -might be tried? Why, that experiment had already been tried, and, -moreover, had most signally failed. He spoke as a Berkshire farmer, -representing the feelings and opinions of the Berkshire farmers, and -he might say of Oxfordshire too, for he lived upon the borders of -the Thames, which separated the two counties; and he spoke advisedly -and decidedly when he said that these insane laws had already -produced great distress amongst the agricultural classes generally -in these counties, and, he regretted to add, had also shaken those -constitutional feelings and that attachment to the Crown which were -once their boast. (Cheers.) Now, if he asked a brother farmer how he -felt upon certain points of great importance connected with these -matters, he would answer him thus--"I thought it was the duty of a -government to uphold and protect every individual who is called on -to pay taxes for the support of that government. I thought that we -owed our fealty upon certain conditions, and that we had a right to -demand protection, in the exercise of our skill and industry, against -unfair competition." I am not enamoured of the word Protection, -but I certainly thought we had a right to live and to say to any -government--"You shall not, and you dare not, put your hand into my -pocket and rob me." (Loud cheers.) Reference had been made to the -statement of Mr Charles Villiers--that L.90,000,000 sterling had been -saved to the country through the operation of Free Trade, and that -therefore the country was the richer to that amount. He (Mr Allnatt) -denied that proposition. He admitted that the agricultural interest -had been robbed of L.90,000,000, but the country was not the richer -for the transaction. (Hear, hear.) And if it were a fact that from -a depreciation in the value of agricultural produce the country -was gaining L.90,000,000 a-year, the agricultural interest had had -taken from them to that extent their capability of paying the taxes -of the country; and if so, truly did the resolution he was about to -propose express one important fact, that the national faith was in -danger. (Cheers.) Was it to be supposed that if they were still to -be robbed of 90,000,000 a-year of their income, they would not look -to the public funds and say, "It is impossible that we, the working -bees, having been plundered of our honey, can continue to support the -drones." This consideration was of great importance, and ought to -sink deeply into the minds of those who, because they possessed fixed -incomes, must of course feel a certain degree of temporary prosperity -on account of the depreciation in the value of agricultural produce; -but he warned those gentlemen not to put too much faith in that -temporary prosperity. If the agricultural interest were to be -thus treated--if they were to be thus robbed--for he could find no -other expression that would accurately describe their treatment--he -warned the fundholders that their time of trial and suffering would -speedily arrive, and that shortly the term "national faith" would -not be found in the vocabulary of the farmer. (Great cheering.) -With regard to public establishments, he was as much disposed to -support just and useful establishments as any man; but there were -establishments in existence that were much too costly; and it was -unjust that those persons who were connected with them should be in -the receipt of the same amount of salary that was paid to them when -wheat was 60s. a quarter. Therefore he told these officials--ay, the -greatest of them--for he would go to the very pinnacle of power, and -descend to the meanest of those who were paid by the State--"There -ought to be some understanding as to how we are to pay you, and -what amount we are to pay you in future." (Cheers.) But when he saw -men like Mr Cobden and Mr Bright, professing the highest attachment -to the principles of financial reform, and then reflected on their -recent conduct in the House of Commons, when Mr Henley, the honest -and patriotic member for Oxfordshire, brought forward his proposal -embodying a proposition that was irrefutably true, and these men -had the audacity, the hardihood, (a voice--"Impudence,")--ay, -the impudence to meet that proposal by voting for the previous -question, he (Mr Allnatt) was almost afraid to avow himself a -financial reformer, lest he should be thought by honest men in -some degree to partake of the inconsistency and hypocrisy of the -leaders of the Free-trade faction. (An explosion of cheers.) The -resolution concluded by the simple proposition that no relief which -could be given by the remission of general taxation could save the -agricultural interest from impending ruin. With respect to the House -of Commons, he had formerly taken an active part in getting up -petitions to that honourable house, but he had now done with that. -(Loud cheers.) He should no more think of signing a petition to the -House of Commons, under present circumstances, on behalf of the -agricultural classes, than he should to the man in the moon. (Renewed -cheers.) There was a time when he (Mr A.) was under the impression -that the farmers of Great Britain and Ireland would, at all events, -receive the sympathy, if not the assistance, of the majority of -that branch of the Imperial Legislature at all times of difficulty -and distress; That delusion had now vanished; and when he saw a -majority of that House disbelieving the honest representations of -those who were suffering the deepest distress, when he witnessed, in -that majority, a disposition to evade the fair inference from facts -which they dared not positively deny, and that they would do nothing -voluntarily for the relief of that distress, which had been effected -by their own erroneous legislation; then, he said, he considered it -utterly useless either to trouble himself or disturb the calm repose -of such an assembly as that, by stating to them his apprehensions -of the impending ruin of British agriculture, and humbly soliciting -their aid in averting so dire a calamity, which must ere long place -in jeopardy even the most valued institutions of this great and -powerful nation. (Cheers.) Did the farmers recollect what Mr S. -Herbert had said about them--that they were coming before the House -of Commons, ingloriously "whining for protection?" Now, I (continued -Mr A.) do not mean to "whine." I mean to say, farmers of England! -that you have no cause for whining--that you can, if you will, raise -up your heads erect and _demand_ the restoration of protection. -(Vehement cheering.) I say it advisedly, that upon you, and upon -the class which you represent, depends the great question, whether -eventually the monarchy shall rest upon a rock, stable as those -rocks which gird our shores, or whether a system shall be introduced -breeding disaffection, alienating the attachment of the good and the -loyal, and producing general confusion in the country. (Loud cheers.) -I know, and I affirm fearlessly, that the continuance of the present -system will ruin the landed interest of the country. _We_ shall go -first, but noble lords and the aristocracy of England will be the -next to follow. It is impossible that the aristocracy of the country -can be supported without the tenantry. We have lived long enough -to find out that the expression of "rowing in the same boat" has -been used figuratively, and has meant nothing. True, there are many -exceptions, and noble lords and the gentlemen on the platform are -amongst them. The allusion to "rowing in the same boat" is no longer -generally applicable. We have rowed in the same boat, but they have -too often pulled one way while we pulled another. (Cheers.) I want -to see each one with a labouring oar in his hand. Let the landlords -join the tenantry in pulling towards the desired haven, and I will -be bound that the tenantry pull harder than they. (Loud cheers.) We -come forward not only in defence of our own rights, but the rights -of our landlords, and the rights of our labourers also. I am proud -of the aristocracy of the country, and I believe their eyes will yet -be opened, and that, when united with the tenant-farmer, they will -not only re-establish his right to live and prosper on the soil of -Old England, but preserve the Throne and prevent the establishment of -a republican form of government in this country, which would be but -the prelude to anarchy, bloodshed, and national disgrace. Mr Allnatt -concluded by moving the resolution, amidst loud cheers. - -Mr HUGH WATSON, Keillor, N.B., considered it a high compliment to -the farmers of Scotland, that he, as representing that body, should -be called upon to take a part in the business of this great meeting -by seconding the resolution, so ably moved and introduced, for which -purpose he now rose. He had come there as one of a deputation from -the Protective Association of Scotland, and could answer for his -brother farmers in the North, that in heart and soul they were with -them. The farmers of Scotland had been accused, perhaps justly, of -being a little slow in the Protection movement; but if they were so, -it was not for lack of good will, but from motives of expediency or -prudence. Although we had not made any great public demonstration in -the North, we had, thanks to a valuable portion of the periodical -press in Scotland, been enabled to express our feelings. To this -influential organ of public opinion, which was not to be bought or -sold, we owed a debt of deep gratitude, for it had stood by us in our -adversity as well as in former prosperity. He was sorry that he was -not able to tell that things were better in Scotland than they were -in England. The tale that he might have related to them, was one of -as great misery as any they had been called upon to listen to that -day. At this late hour of the meeting, he would not go much into -detail. The experiment now being made has nearly ruined the farmers -of Scotland--a large portion of the arable land must go out of -cultivation--and confiscation of property had this year extended to -more than the gross rental of that kingdom. But, though the farmers -felt they were grievously oppressed, they were not yet subdued. -(Loud cheers.) There was a time when the interests of the landlords -and tenantry of Scotland were regarded as inseparable; but, he was -sorry to say, that feeling was not now so strongly entertained as -formerly. Delusions and deceptions had been practised which had, in -some cases, weaned the affections of the one class from the other; -he could see, however, a growing disposition to return to the path -in which they had formerly trod. He would say to his brother farmers -of England, that some apology was due to them from the farmers of -Scotland, for the unfounded aspersions which had been cast upon them -by a few empirical pretenders, who, from their insignificance, only -deserved their contempt. Let them be assured that the farmers of -Scotland were not so ignorant of the modes of farming, the management -of stock, and the general economy of well-managed English farms, -or of the intelligence of English farmers, as to try and deceive -them by any fine-spun theories of high-farming, or any such humbug. -(Cheers and laughter.) They might depend upon it, that the parties -who thus attempted to deceive them, or their landlords, were not -those sterling farmers of Scotland we have been accustomed to look -to during the last forty years. (Hear, hear.) One subject, which had -been alluded to here and in other places, had roused his Scottish -blood a little. The tenant farmers have been told that they have -not the courage, moral or physical, to stand up, and insist upon -their rights. Surely the fools who made such assertions as these do -not know of what stuff the yeomanry of England are composed. (Loud -cheers.) Surely they could never have seen such a sample of an -Irishman as was then on his left hand--(the Marquis of Downshire); -and I am quite sure they were equally ignorant of the character -of the hardy sons of Scotland, who would spend the last drop of -their blood rather than submit to insult. (Cheers.) In conclusion, -this I will say, that if such men as this Apostle of Peace and his -satellites choose to insult us, the men of England, Ireland, and -Scotland, or dare us to the strife, then say I-- - - "Come on, Macduff, - And damned be he who first cries--Hold, enough!" - -(Vociferous cheering.) - -The resolution was carried unanimously. - -WILLIAM CALDECOTT, Esq.--My Lords and Gentlemen, I rise not only -as a landowner of one farm, and an occupier of another, but as a -delegate from the neighbourhood of Colchester, deputed by my brother -delegates to move the following resolution:--"That the members of the -various delegations from all parts of the United Kingdom now present -cannot separate without recording their deep sense of the invaluable -services rendered to the cause of Protection by the noble President, -the respected chairman of the acting committee, and the other members -of the National Association, in whom the whole agricultural community -repose the most deserved and unbounded confidence. And they earnestly -recommend to their fellow-countrymen who desire the restoration -of protection as the leading principle of legislative policy, to -support the Association; and whatever differences of opinion may -prevail on minor points, unitedly to follow its energetic but prudent -guidance in the great struggle in which they are engaged." In my -case, gentlemen, you see an instance of the distinction made between -classes; for, when in private life as a merchant, my funded property -escaped all contribution to tithes, poor-rates, and all other taxes; -but no sooner was I induced, by the assurances of Sir Robert Peel, -(the Judas Iscariot of political life,) that it would be madness to -alter his corn-law, to invest it in land, than it became subject to -an unequal and unjust share of public burdens, and which ought and -must be inquired into, since faith has been broken with us; or how -are we to keep faith with the national creditor when the means of -doing so are taken from us? Knowing as I do from private friends, -(Free-traders,) that the ulterior objects of the Free-traders are -the destruction of the union between Church and State, the abolition -of the Monarchy, and the establishment of a republic; and, lastly, -the application of the sponge to the national debt, I tell Lord -John Russell that, in aiding and abetting the Free-traders in these -designs, instead of being a public reformer, he will prove himself -a public destroyer, by alienating from her Majesty the most loyal -and attached body in her kingdoms--the yeomanry of England. For the -purpose of remedying the distress which was complained of, I would -not (exclaimed Mr Caldecott) petition the House of Commons; but if we -are to have no protection, let us go thousands in a body to insist -upon equality of burdens. We have the power in our own hands. If they -will not listen to the voice of reason--if constitutional means will -not avail, band yourselves together in a league for withholding the -taxes, the tithes, and the poor-rates, (immense cheering,) until the -Government do listen to your complaints. - - "What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted? - Thrice is he arm'd that hath his quarrel just; - And he but naked, though lock'd up in steel, - Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted." - -Mr WILLIAM RIGDEN, Hove, Sussex, seconded the resolution, and said -at that late hour he would not detain the meeting, but merely make -a single remark upon the report of the "_Times'_ Commissioner" in -reference to the county of Sussex. In the course of his travels the -"Commissioner" seemed to have encountered a farm of 400 acres in -the neighbourhood of Brighton, upon which he said the occupier had -made a profit of L900 last year. He (Mr R.) undertook to say that -that statement was not true, and he now publicly challenged the -"Commissioner" to prove his assertion. (Loud cheers). As a proof of -the distress prevailing in the county of Sussex, he might state, that -within the last fortnight he had had more than fifty able-bodied -labourers applying to him for work. - -The resolution was put from the chair, and carried by acclamation. - -Mr GEORGE BODINGTON, of Sutton Coldfield, said--I appear here -to-day from the county of Warwick; and on behalf of the men of -Warwickshire I say, that whatever may take place in this country -as the consequence of the false policy of Free Trade, they will, -under all circumstances, be ready to do their duty. It is, I -think, a most surprising spectacle to see the yeomanry of England -and Scotland assembled in the centre of this metropolis, for the -purpose of carrying on an agitation in opposition to the measures of -Government. We might almost appear to come forward in a new character -upon this occasion, for we have been always ready to support the -Monarchy, the Government, and the Constitution of this country. It -might seem as if at present we were placed in a false position, but -in reality we appear in the same position we have ever occupied, -namely, as defenders of the institutions of the country. Free Trade -is the policy of the Government, and it is a policy founded on the -success of an agitation which was unconstitutional in its character -and objects, and therefore we are here to-day to oppose it. The -agitation which was carried on by the Anti-Corn-Law League, went to -an extent, and had a purpose in view, far beyond the limits which the -Constitution safely and fairly allows in the conduct and movement of -measures by the people against the Government of the country. But -how came the Constitution to fail on that occasion? For my part, I -have faith in the British Constitution; and I do not believe that -that great error would ever have been committed except through the -treachery of those to whom its administration had been intrusted. Our -cause has been lost by treachery and cowardice. (Cheers.) But how are -we to rectify the error? I fear it can only be done by a dissolution -of the present Parliament, and the election of another in its stead -determined to vindicate the rights of native industry, and re-assert -the authority and dignity of the Constitution from the violence -and degradation to which it has been subjected. Are the present -Ministers prepared to add to the dark catalogue of Free-trade -disasters, (embracing the ruin of the West Indian colonies, the -disaffection and threatened alienation of the Canadas, the entire -ruin of Ireland, which, through Free Trade, special as well as -general, is sunk to the lowest depths of misery and destitution,) the -utter destruction of the capital in the hands of the tenant-farmers -and yeomen of the country?--and with that, as a consequence, of the -aristocracy?--and with that, of the throne? Why, these things must -follow as the inevitable results of one another. It had been asserted -by Sir R. Peel, on a recent occasion in the House of Commons, that -the doctrine of Free Trade was analogous in principle to the law of -gravitation which governs the great material world around us. He -used this allusion, however, merely as a piece of empty declamation, -without the smallest particle of reasonable argument to support -his position. It is obvious that the law of gravitation operates -as a restrictive, repulsive, and prohibitive power, as well as an -attractive; or otherwise the planet we inhabit and the other spheres -would quit their orbits, run in upon the sun the great centre, and -produce chaos and universal ruin. (Loud cheers.) And thus, to compare -great things with small, in the commercial world, Great Britain, the -sun and centre, is producing confusion and general disorder by her -abandonment of those great negative principles which are essential to -the maintenance of natural distinctions and differences, and of the -several inferior commercial centres, so to speak, in their respective -orbits. And these results are exemplified in the destruction of -the labour-interest of Ireland, involving, as we see it does, the -destruction there of every other interest; in the deterioration of -the labour-interest of England; in the outcast, from circulation, -of a very large proportion of monetary capital from the commercial -world; in the conflict of classes, now induced both abroad and now at -length at home; and in a host of other social and political evils. -And thus this analogous allusion, fairly argued, justifies the -principle of Protection by restrictive laws, and utterly repudiates -that of unguarded intercourse. - -Free Trade will inevitably lead to the ruin of every great national -interest, and it is therefore the duty of every one who wishes -well to the British Empire, to assist in obtaining as speedily as -possible a complete reversal of that policy. I will not detain -the Meeting any longer, but at once read the resolution which has -been intrusted to me, as follows:--"That a Memorial to the right -hon. the First Lord of the Treasury be prepared, founded on the -foregoing resolutions, protesting in the strongest manner against -the continuance of the present system of miscalled 'Free trade,' and -solemnly casting on the Administration, of which his Lordship is -the head, the heavy responsibility of rejecting the appeals of the -people for the abandonment of that system, and that a deputation be -appointed for the purpose of presenting the same to his Lordship, and -of representing to him the present critical and alarming position of -many districts of this country, and of some of the most important -colonies and dependencies of the British Crown." - -Mr H. HIGGINS, of Herefordshire, came forward to second the -resolution. He said that the county which he then represented -suffered greater distress than had ever been known within the memory -of the oldest inhabitant. He believed that if the present Free-trade -policy were persisted in they would no longer have any of those -fine exhibitions of cattle for which that county had hitherto been -so famous. An hon. gentleman who preceded him had told them of the -distress which at present prevailed in Ireland. But for his part, -he believed that England was now being Ireland-ised as fast as -possible. (Hear, hear.) And for whom had they (the tenant-farmers) -been victimised? Who were reaping the harvest of their ruin? Why, the -foreigner, the drone, and the millocrat. (Hear, hear.) It was not the -industrious classes, as asserted by Mr Villiers, that had effected a -saying of L.90,000,000 a-year by the repeal of the corn laws; for the -greater portion of that sum went into the pocket of the foreigner. -He told the Government that the industrious classes in this country -would not stand that much longer. He warned the Government against -driving these classes to desperation, and he told them that it was -their firmness and loyalty which had at all times mainly contributed -to keep the country in peace and quietness. But when a man lost his -property he became reckless of consequences: for, in the scramble -that might take place, he had everything to gain and nothing to lose. -He would address one word to the landlords of England. He would tell -them that they had not done their duty. (Hear, hear.) But he would -further tell them, not to be misled by the delusion that they could -derive from extra production a compensation for the depreciation -of prices. He would call on the Legislature of this country to -redress the wrongs of the agricultural classes, unless they intended -to excite those classes to exercise the strength which they still -retained in their hands. If they could not obtain justice by rational -means--if they could not succeed by moral force--he for one was -prepared to do anything in defence of his own. (Hear, hear.) - -The Right Hon. the Earl of EGLINTON then came forward, amidst loud -cheers, to move the following resolutions:--"That the cordial thanks -of this meeting be respectfully offered to his Grace the Duke of -Richmond, K.G., for his manly and consistent maintenance of the cause -of Protection on all occasions, and especially for the able and -impartial manner in which he has presided over the proceedings of -this day." The noble earl said, that meeting had been characterised -by more unanimity than any meeting, perhaps, at which he had ever -assisted; but he felt certain that whatever might be the unanimity, -and whatever might be the enthusiasm with which they had received -the preceding resolutions, the one which he had then to propose -would be received with still more unanimity, and with still greater -enthusiasm. He had to propose the thanks of the meeting to their -noble chairman. (Loud and long continued cheers.) Many censures -had that day been unsparingly, but he should confess most justly, -showered down upon that class to which he belonged. He was, however, -proud to say, that he, in common with hundreds of others, had escaped -from that censure. He was also proud to say that the class to which -he more especially belonged--he meant the peerage of Scotland--had -been particularly exempt from that vacillation and apathy which had -distinguished too many of the nobility of the empire. (Hear, hear.) -When he told them that out of 16 representative peers who sat in the -House of Lords for Scotland, on the great division which took place -with respect to the repeal of the corn laws, 10 had voted against -the measure, 2 had not voted at all, one of whom was now as stanch -a Protectionist as any present, and only 4 had recorded their votes -against the principle of Protection--one of these being thousands -of miles off, and perhaps incapable of forming any decision of his -own upon the subject--when he told them those facts, he thought they -would admit that the peerage of Scotland had not as a body been -deficient in their duty upon that occasion. One of the most eloquent -speakers who had addressed them that day, Professor Aytoun, had told -them of some bad articles which came from Scotland in the shape -of political economists. But he (the Earl of Eglinton) could not -refrain from saying one word in favour of "Auld Scotland" upon that -occasion, and he would ask them whether they had not seen one good -article come from that country in the shape of the Professor himself? -(Cheers.) It might not be so well known to the body of the meeting -as it was to him, how deeply the Protectionist cause was indebted to -that gentleman (hear); but he knew that the most powerful, the most -eloquent, and the most convincing statements in favour of Protection -had come from his pen. (Cheers.) He should also call to their -recollection the honest specimen of a Scotch tenant-farmer--namely, -Mr Watson, whom they had heard that day, and of whom he confessed he, -as a countryman, felt proud, (hear, hear;) but, above all, he begged -to state, that Scotland owned one-half of their noble chairman. The -noble duke was one-half a Scotchman by birth, by property, and by -feeling. (Hear, hear.) He knew that that was not a time of the day to -go on descanting on all that they owed to the noble duke, and still -more did he know that the presence of the noble duke did not afford -the fitting opportunity for adopting such a course. He should say, -however, that he well knew that there was not in that room, or in the -country, a sincere well-wisher to the British empire, who did not -look upon the noble duke as one of the most straightforward, one of -the most gallant, and one of the most useful men whom this country -ever possessed. (Cheers.) He should not detain them longer; but would -content himself with leaving the resolution in their hands. (Great -cheering.) - -Lord JOHN MANNERS, M.P., came forward, amidst very loud and -general cheering, to second the resolution. The noble lord said -that in terminating the proceedings of that most remarkable -meeting--remarkable not only for the ability of the speeches which -they had heard, and the unanimity that had characterised their -proceedings, but also for the presence of so many delegates, -representing, and representing so truly, every suffering interest -in this great community--he felt that he had a task at once most -difficult and most gratifying to perform. Most truly had Lord -Eglinton said that in the presence of the noble duke a certain -reserve was necessary in speaking of those qualities which commanded -their admiration; but still they should not be doing justice to their -feelings if they permitted that opportunity to pass without saying -that they did not know in the whole peerage one man who more justly -commanded the respect, the admiration, and the affection of the -industrious classes of this country. (Cheers.) Lord Eglinton had said -some thing in favour of that house to which the noble duke belonged; -and he (Lord J. Manners) hoped he might be allowed for one moment to -say something in favour of that house to which he had so recently -been returned. He could not, like some of the gentlemen who had that -day addressed them, despair even of the present graceless House of -Commons. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) If they asked him his reason, he -should tell them that he found one in the fact, that, when that House -of Commons had first met, the majority then against those principles -which that meeting had assembled to enforce, and which they intended -to carry into successful operation, amounted to not less than 100; -while at the present moment that majority could not, he believed, -be estimated at more than a score of votes. Another reason why he -did not despair of the present House of Commons was derived from the -recent election of the hon. and gallant colonel the member for Cork, -who was then assisting at their proceedings. (Hear, hear.) He had no -doubt but that at future elections they would continue further to -increase the number of members ready to advocate and support their -cause. If he might be permitted to give one word of advice, he would -suggest that, while they took every precaution for returning, for the -future, members who were prepared to vindicate the great principle -of protection to native industry, they ought not to discourage, -but to aid, those members in the present House of Commons who -zealously sought to put down that system which they believed in their -consciences to be working the destruction of this mighty empire. -(Hear.) He should further say, that he found a fresh justification -for a return of their somewhat waning confidence in the House of -Lords, in the presence among them that day of the noble duke to whom -they were going to offer by acclamation the vote of their unbounded -confidence and admiration. (Cheers.) When they saw the noble duke -supporting the dignity of the peerage with so much gallantry, so -much honesty, and such unswerving onwardness of purpose, they might, -he thought, well take courage; and believe that both Houses of -Parliament would yet faithfully represent, and faithfully carry out, -the principles on which the Constitution of this country had so long -depended, and on which it must continue to depend if it was still to -remain the Constitution of the greatest empire of the known world. -(Hear, hear.) He called on them to vote by acclamation the resolution -which he had the honour to second. He called upon them to rise as one -man and give three lusty cheers for their noble chairman the Duke -of Richmond. (The call was responded to with enthusiasm, the whole -meeting rising as one man.) - -The NOBLE DUKE proceeded to acknowledge the compliment as follows:--I -rise, as you may well conceive that I must, impressed with a deep -feeling of gratitude to you, the delegates from nearly every county -in England and Scotland, for the very kind and flattering manner -in which you have been pleased to pass the present resolution. I -claim no merit for myself for what I have done in Parliament and -out of Parliament, with the view of preventing the adoption of the -Free-trade policy, or with a view of regaining protection to native -industry. I claim no merit to myself for the course I have pursued, -because I think that course is absolutely necessary, not only for the -welfare and the prosperity of the landed interest of the country, but -for the welfare of all classes of our fellow-subjects. (Hear, hear.) -I never advocated protection to the farmer without also advocating -protection to the silk weaver and to the manufacturer. (Hear, hear.) -I am called on in Parliament not to legislate for one class, but to -legislate for all classes, and I therefore have not pledged myself -to the maintenance of the principle of protection without an earnest -inquiry into the whole subject. I have, however, thought it my duty -to give a pledge, and, with God's help, I will never violate it. -(Cheers.) I am not made of that stuff which would permit me to veer -about like the wind, and to flatter every popular demagogue. (Hear, -hear.) I have one English quality in me, which is, that I will not -be bullied into any course of which my judgment disapproves. (Hear, -hear.) I will not allow a knot of Manchester Free-traders to dictate -to the good sense of the community at large. (Hear, hear.) I will -not consent to lose the colonies of this great empire. (Hear, hear.) -I will not help to carry out a system which is bringing ruin to our -shipping interest, (cheers,) and which forces to emigration those -honest and industrious mechanics, who, by their skill, their energy, -and their good conduct, have, up to the time of the repeal of the -Navigation Laws, been able to get a fair day's wages for a fair -day's work. (Cheers.) Neither will I consent to have the honour and -glory of this great country dependent upon Mr Cobden and his party. -(Cheers.) I am for English ships, manned by English hearts of oak. -(Renewed cheers.) I am for protecting domestic industry in all its -branches. (Hear, hear.) I feel, however, that at this time of the -evening I ought not to trespass at any length on your attention; -but cordially agreeing with all the resolutions that have been put -here to-day, and carried unanimously, and agreeing with much that -has fallen from the different eloquent gentlemen who have addressed -you, I must speak out my own mind; and I hope that you, the farmers -of England, will not respect me the less for doing so. (Hear.) Well, -then, I must say that I only recommend constitutional means, (hear, -hear,) and I certainly do not recommend the adoption of any threats -of violence or force, and still less do I recommend that we should -band ourselves together not to pay taxes, (Hear, hear.) We are the -representatives of a truly loyal people. By constitutional means we -shall gain a victory of which we shall afterwards have reason to -be proud; but if we descend to the miserable and degrading tricks -of the Anti-Corn Law League, (hear, hear,) we cannot be respected, -because we cannot respect ourselves. I thank you for the confidence -you have shown towards me. I thank you, in my own name, and in the -name of many Protectionists who have not been able to be present -here to-day, for the unanimous manner in which you have carried the -resolutions, and the patience with which you have listened to him -who is now addressing you, who is so little worthy of attention. -But as long as I shall continue to have health, I shall take every -opportunity of meeting the tenant-farmers of this country, (hear, -hear,) notwithstanding that I may be told in the House of Lords, in a -majority of whose members I have no confidence, (hear, hear,) that by -presiding at meetings of this description I am creating a panic among -the tenantry. That, gentlemen, is the last attack that has been made -on me and on my noble friends around me. I was told the other night, -in the House of Lords, by a noble lord who is a disciple of Sir R. -Peel, that it was to myself and to those who pursued a similar course -to mine that the lowness in the price of corn is to be attributed. -(Hear, hear, and laughter.) His assertion was, "That the speeches -delivered in this country found their way into the German newspapers, -and that the German farmers, believing that shortly a duty on the -import of foreign corn would be imposed, sent over their corn to this -country and sold it here at a loss." In reply I stated that, if this -statement was correct, I could not regret that I had contributed -to the foreigners losing money, if they choose to send their corn -here. I have no bad feeling to the foreigner; but I may say that, -if we are exposed to taxes from which he is exempt, I could feel no -pity for any loss that he might sustain in his competition with the -agriculturists of this country. (Cheers.) One word on the subject -of the income tax, which is now so oppressive to the tenant-farmer. -When I stated in the House of Lords, a few evenings ago, that the -farmers had no right to be called upon to pay that tax whilst they -derived no profit from their holdings, Lord Grey said that he -admitted the hardness of the case, but that he and his party had not -originally enacted the law, but that it emanated from Sir R. Peel. -(Hear, hear, and laughter.) To that I felt it my duty to say, that -although they did not originally enact the law, they had extended the -time of its operation. (Hear, hear.) At the same time, I certainly -did not attempt to justify Sir R. Peel; for I would be the last man -to undertake such a task. (Hear, hear.) I again thank you for the -confidence you have shown towards me; and if my services can ever -be of the slightest use to the tenantry of this country, or to its -domestic industry, I can only say that those services, such as they -are, will ever be at your disposal. (The noble Duke concluded amidst -enthusiastic cheering.) - -The meeting immediately separated, Mr G. F. Young informing the -delegates that the National Association was anxious for their -presence at their rooms, at the South Sea House, on the following -morning, at eleven o'clock. - - -PRESENTATION OF THE MEMORIAL TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL. - -The delegates re-assembled in considerable numbers at the South Sea -House on Saturday morning, when they agreed to the following address -to the Prime Minister, which had been prepared, in conformity with -the resolutions passed at the great aggregate meeting at the Crown -and Anchor on Tuesday last:-- - - -"TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD JOHN RUSSELL, M.P., FIRST LORD OF THE -TREASURY, &C. - - "May it please your Lordship,--We are deputed to address - you in the name and at the desire of a public meeting held - in this metropolis on the 7th inst., which, consisting of a - considerable number of members of both Houses of Parliament, - merchants, shipowners, tradesmen, and others connected with the - most important interests of the nation, and comprising nearly - 500 owners and occupiers of land, specially delegated by the - agriculturists of every part of the United Kingdom, to represent - the present condition of their respective localities, and to - express their opinion on the public policy of your lordship's - administration, presents a just claim to the serious attention - of her Majesty's Government. - - "On the authority of this meeting, unanimously expressed, it is - our duty to declare to your lordship that intolerable distress - now almost universally pervades the British agricultural - interest; that many branches of the colonial interest are fast - sinking into ruin; that the shipping and other great interests - of the country are involved in difficulty and deep depression; - and that large masses of the industrial population are reduced - to a state of lamentable deprivation and suffering. - - "It must be obvious that such a condition of affairs is fraught - with consequences disastrous to the public welfare; and if not - speedily remedied, it is the conviction of the meeting that it - will endanger the public peace, prove fatal to the maintenance - of public credit, and may even place in peril the safety of the - State. - - "It is our duty further to declare to your lordship that the - dangerous evils we have thus described are, in the deliberate - judgment of the meeting, attributable to the recent changes - made in those protective laws by which the importation of - articles of foreign production had long been regulated, which - changes it regards as most rash and impolitic. It considers - the ancient system of commercial law to have been based on - the most just principles, and dictated by the soundest views - of national policy. It cannot forget that, under that system, - Great Britain attained an unexampled state of prosperity and a - proud pre-eminence in the scale of nations; and it is its firm - conviction that if the principle of fostering and protecting - British industry and British capital be abandoned, many of - the most important interests of the State will be utterly and - cruelly sacrificed, and the national prosperity and greatness be - ruinously impaired. - - "The meeting is further of opinion that no relief from - general or local taxation, which would be consistent with - the maintenance of public faith and the efficiency of public - establishments, could enable the British and colonial producer - successfully to compete with foreign productions; and that - the only hope of replacing the agricultural and other native - and colonial interests in a state of prosperity rests on the - re-establishment of a just system of import duties. - - "The meeting deeply deplores that the distressing and - destructive consequences of the system of miscalled Free Trade - having been repeatedly and urgently pressed on the attention of - Parliament, the House of Commons has treated the just complaints - of the people with indifference, has exhibited a total want of - sympathy for their sufferings, and has refused to adopt any - measures for removing or alleviating the prevalent difficulty - and distress. - - "This conduct has naturally produced a widely-diffused feeling - of disappointment, discontent, and distrust, which is rapidly - undermining the reliance of the people in the justice and wisdom - of Parliament, the best security for loyalty to the Throne, - and for the maintenance of the invaluable institutions of the - country. - - "Having thus faithfully represented to your lordship the general - views on the policy of the country, expressed in the recorded - resolutions of the meeting we represent, we proceed to discharge - the further duty intrusted to us of addressing your lordship as - the head of that Administration by which the policy so strongly - deprecated is continued and defended. - - "We are charged earnestly to remonstrate and protest on the - part of the deeply injured thousands whose property has been - torn from them by the unjust and suicidal impolicy of which - we complain; and still more emphatically on behalf of the - millions of the industrial population dependent on them for - employment, and consequently for subsistence, against the - longer continuance of a system which, under the specious name - of Free Trade, violates every principle of real freedom, - since it dooms the taxed, fettered, and disqualified native - producer to unrestricted competition in his own market with the - comparatively unburdened foreigner. We not only deny the moral - right of any government or of any legislature to have involved - in certain loss and suffering large masses of a flourishing - community, for the sake of giving trial to a mere experiment; - but we assert that the experiment has been tried, and has - signally and disastrously failed, and we demand therefore, as - the right of those we represent, the prompt restoration of that - protection from unrestricted foreign import which can alone - rescue them from impending destruction. - - "It is painful for us to declare, but it is our duty not to - disguise, that the pertinacious adherence of the Cabinet, of - which your lordship is at the head, to the policy of miscalled - Free Trade, and its determined rejection of the appeals of - the people for a reversal of that policy, have extended to - the executive government of the country the same feelings of - distrust and discontent which are widely diffused with respect - to the representative branch of the Legislature. We solemnly - adjure your lordship to remember that discontent unattended to - may ripen into disaffection. - - "We know that the loyalty of the people to their most gracious - Sovereign, under all their grievances and wrongs, remains, and - will remain, unshaken; but we are aware, and it is our duty, - therefore, to warn her Majesty's Government, that the state of - feeling in many districts of the country is most critical and - alarming, hazardous to its peace, perilous to the maintenance of - public credit, and dangerous to its established institutions; - nor must we be deterred, either by our unqualified respect for - your lordship's personal character, or by the just consideration - we owe to the elevated position you occupy, from casting on your - lordship and your colleagues the awful responsibility of all the - consequences that may result from a continuance of your refusal - either to redress the wrongs of the people, or to allow them the - constitutional opportunity for the vindication of their rights, - by dissolving the Parliament and appealing to the voice of the - country. - - "London, May 11, 1850." - - (Signed) - George Frederick Young, Chairman of Acting Committee,} - F. Cayley Worsely, Vice Chairman, } - James Blyth, Vice Chairman, } - Augustus Bosanquet, Chairman of Colonial Committee, } Of the National - Richard Davis, } } Association. - Benjamin B. Greene, } Members of Ditto, } - David Charles Guthrie, } } - Charles Beke, Secretary. - - W. Tindall. - H. C. Chapman, Liverpool. - Wm. Layton, Cambridgeshire. - Nathaniel Barthropp, Suffolk. - Edward Tull, Berkshire. - James Linton, Huntingdonshire. - Paul Foskett, East Surrey. - John King, Somerset. - John Elliot, South Devon. - Robert Baker, Essex. - Joseph Pain, Bedfordshire. - Samuel Cheetham, Rutland. - Thomas Vowe, Leicestershire. - John Simpson, Suffolk. - Frederick King, Wilts. - Richard Strange, Wiltshire. - John Walker, Nottinghamshire. - George Storer, Nottinghamshire. - William Skelton, Lincolnshire. - J. H. Walker, Warwickshire. - John Ellman, Sussex. - Rowland Goldhawk, West Surrey. - William Mallins, South Derbyshire. - Charles Day, clerk, South Essex. - W. E. Russell, West Kent. - Reynolds Peyton, Herefordshire. - Math. Henry Bigg, West Sussex. - Daniel Baker, Monmouthshire. - E. J. Perkins, North Warwick. - Thomas Hartshorne, South Staffordshire. - Thomas Jesty, Dorsetshire. - G. P. Dawson, Yorkshire, West Riding. - W. T. Lockyer, North Stafford. - Samuel Lovell, Oxfordshire. - Douglas Lynes, West Norfolk. - E. Cayley, jun., East Yorkshire. - R. Hewett, Northamptonshire. - William Gray, Northamptonshire. - Philip Box, Buckinghamshire. - S. Musgrave Hilton, East Kent. - Charles Lillingston, Ross-shire. - Edward Trood, Devonshire. - Richard Franklen, Glamorganshire. - Thomas Bold, Liverpool. - J. Parsons Cook, Leicestershire, South. - John Wood, East Somersetshire. - Charles Harland, North Riding of Yorkshire. - M. White Ridley, Northumberland. - Richard Belton, South Shropshire. - John Hall, Bart., East Lothian. - R. Scot Skirving, Haddingtonshire. - H. St. V. Rose, Ross-shire. - James A. Cheyne, Argyllshire. - George Burtt, North Hampshire. - -Shortly after twelve o'clock the deputation proceeded to the -Premier's official residence in Downing Street. It consisted of -the several gentlemen whose names were appended to the address, -and was accompanied by Mr Newdegate, M.P., Colonel Sibthorp, M.P., -Mr Bickerton, (Shropshire,) Sir J. F. Walker Drummond, Bart., -(Midlothian,) Mr Hugh Watson, (Keillor,) Forfarshire; Mr John -Dudgeon, (Spylaw,) Roxburghshire, &c. - -On the deputation being ushered into the reception-room, Lord John -Russell welcomed the gentlemen composing it with characteristic -courtesy, and cordially shook Mr Young by the hand, at the same time -expressing his regret that the Duke of Richmond was unable to attend. - -Mr YOUNG.--I was about to explain to your lordship that his Grace is -unable to attend from indisposition, and that I this morning received -a letter from his Grace, which I will read to your lordship:-- - - "Goodwood, May 10, 1850." - - "My Dear Sir,--I write to ask you to make my excuses to the - deputation if I do not make my appearance to-morrow at a quarter - past twelve in Downing Street. I have not been able to leave - my room to-day from a violent cold and rheumatism, and if not - better, shall not be able to go to London for some days. - - "Believe me, my dear sir, yours sincerely, - - "G. F. Young, Esq. (Signed) "RICHMOND." - -Mr Young continued--I feel deep regret that his Grace is unable to -attend here to-day; but I beg to assure your lordship that we have -his Grace's concurrence in all our proceedings, and I am about to -place in your lordship's hands a document which has been drawn up -under his full sanction, and to which his Grace's signature would -have been affixed if his absence from indisposition had not prevented -it, and we had not been ignorant of that fact until it was too late -to transmit it to him for signature. Your Lordship is, no doubt, -aware that a large public meeting took place in this metropolis on -Tuesday last, at which certain resolutions were adopted relative to -protection to native industry; and amongst them one appointing a -deputation to wait upon your lordship with a memorial, and to furnish -you with such explanations as you may require. With your lordship's -permission, I will now proceed to read the address with which I have -the honour to be intrusted. Mr Young here read the address, and -continued thus:--I do not know, my lord, that it becomes me to make -any comments upon this document, which has been prepared with the -unanimous assent of the gentlemen whom I have here with me to-day, -except to refer you generally to the opinions which it contains, and -on their behalf to tender any explanation which your lordship may -deem requisite in reference to the assertions therein made, or to -any point connected with the subject which is now brought under your -lordship's notice with very great pain on the part of those for whom -I have the honour to speak. - -Lord J. RUSSELL.--I may be allowed to say--and I do not do so without -due consideration--that, of course, I am ready at all times to take -upon myself all the responsibility which belongs to the executive -government; but with regard to the assertions in this address -respecting the House of Commons, you state--"That the meeting is -further of opinion that no relief from general or local taxation -which would be consistent with the maintenance of public faith, and -the efficiency of public establishments, could enable the British and -colonial producer successfully to compete with foreign productions." -Now, that proposal for relief from general and local taxation, -consistent with the maintenance of public faith and the efficiency of -public establishments, is, in fact, the only proposition of a large -nature that has been rejected by the House of Commons. You also say -here, "that the only hope of replacing the agricultural and other -native and colonial interests in a state of prosperity, rests on the -re-establishment of a just system of import duties." I do not deny, -or wish in any way to shrink from the responsibility which rests upon -her Majesty's government for the line of policy they have adopted; -but no such proposition has been made to the House of Commons, and -the House of Commons has not rejected any such proposition. - -Mr YOUNG.--It is intended to express the deep disappointment we felt -that no such proposition has been made, whether as emanating from the -Government, or from any party in the House of Commons. - -Mr NEWDEGATE.--Your lordship will permit me to remind you, that -although no direct motion has been made in the House of Commons for -the immediate restoration of Protection, that great question has been -admitted to have been involved in the course of discussions that have -arisen upon other questions. - -Lord J. RUSSELL.--That is true; but whilst some persons have said -it would be beneficial, there are others who say that it would be -injurious. - -Mr YOUNG.--I wish to impress upon your lordship's mind that I, and -those with whom I am associated, do not attach much importance to -those discussions in the House of Commons, because we are perfectly -well aware that, if such a proposition were made, it would certainly -be rejected. We attach no importance to them. We think that the House -of Commons, as at present constituted, does not truly represent the -feelings and opinions of the majority of the people of this country, -and we should be glad to have the opportunity of seeing whether it -does or not. - -Mr JOHN H. WALKER (of Leamington.)--I am here as the representative -of South Warwickshire, to express to your lordship my conviction that -a great change has taken place in the opinions of the people with -regard to free trade. I am in the habit of travelling a great deal, -and I never enter a railway carriage or go into company that I do -not find those who were formerly regular Free-traders, and have now -become quite the reverse. They object to the operation of free trade, -that the foreigner gets all the benefits which we are losing. - -Mr YOUNG.--It does not become us now to attempt to enter upon the -discussion of so wide a question as that. I feel that we should -not be able to do so with advantage, or be justified in intruding -upon your time for that purpose. There is, however, one part of the -proceedings at the recent meeting, a report of which your lordship -has no doubt seen, upon which I wish to make a few observations. You -will there have seen that some rather strong expressions were used. -Without at all wishing to apologise for those expressions, or giving -an opinion as to their propriety or impropriety, I will take the -liberty of expressing our hope that, whatever opinion your lordship -may have formed of those expressions, you will not take them as -speaking the general sentiments of the meeting--which ought alone -to be held responsible for the opinions expressed in their recorded -resolutions. I allude to this simply as a matter of explanation, -for I should be sorry if your lordship were led to depart from -the general principle laid down, of only recognising the acts of -the meeting, without judging of its character by merely isolated -expressions falling from individual speakers. - -Lord JOHN RUSSELL.--I can assure you, Mr Young, that I should not -have adverted to that circumstance, as I am quite aware that in -public meetings, where a number of persons are desirous of giving -expression to their opinions, great latitude of speech must be -allowed. With regard to the expressions alluded to, though I may -think them rather stronger than necessary, I observed in the report -of the proceedings that the Duke of Richmond, in his reply, went as -far in censure of them as I should be disposed to do; and having -every confidence in the Duke of Richmond's loyalty, his wish to -support the law, and his discretion, I think what he said upon the -subject was amply sufficient. - -Mr YOUNG.--I will only add that many of us are magistrates ourselves, -and that we are fully conscious of the duty which devolves upon us to -do all we can for the maintenance of the public peace. What was said, -I believe, was only intended to show the facts of our position to the -House of Commons, from whom we claim protection, as an act of justice. - -Lord JOHN RUSSELL.--Mr Newdegate, do you wish to say anything further? - -Mr NEWDEGATE.--I wish merely to express my concurrence in the -objects of the deputation, and that I consider it fortunate that -your lordship has permitted the deputation this opportunity of -bringing before your notice the reality and extent of the distress -which prevails in many districts, the severity of its pressure, and -the danger from the feelings of discontent which has unhappily but -indubitably grown up under the severe depression to which a large -portion of the community is now exposed. - -Lord JOHN RUSSELL, (addressing Mr Young.)--You have very truly stated -that it would be quite useless to enter into a discussion here upon, -not only one large question, but the several large questions, which -are involved in this memorial, and which refer to our commercial -laws, the state of agriculture and shipping, and the condition of -the country at large. These various subjects would lead to a most -extended discussion, if once we were to enter upon it. All I can say, -therefore, is, that I take upon myself the whole responsibility of -any advice which I may consider it my duty to give to my Sovereign. -Certainly my experience leads me, I confess it, to a directly -opposite conclusion with respect to the main point contained in this -memorial--I think it would neither be desirable to go back from -free trade to prohibition or restriction; nor advisable to dissolve -Parliament in order to ask the opinion of the country upon the -subject. That is the conclusion to which I have come. With respect -to the suffering which has been stated to exist, it is neither -inconsistent with my expectations, nor inconsistent with what I have -heard, that in various parts of the country deep suffering does -exist, and that that suffering is partly--and I should say in part -only--owing to recent changes in our commercial laws. I believe that -these changes were, in their general aspect, inevitable. I believe -that ten years ago it might have been foreseen that this country, as -it became more opulent and commercial, would require great changes in -that direction, and my object was at that time to make the transition -accompanied by as little suffering and distress as possible. But the -advice I gave with that view was rejected, not only with contempt, -but with indignation. Other changes have taken place since then, and -the changes which have now taken place have been certainly of a much -more decisive character than those which I originally proposed. I -am sorry to say that I think the conduct of the agricultural, the -colonial, and other interests, was not prudent in declaring that -there should be no change in 1841. Still that was their decision, -and in 1846 a much greater change was effected in those laws. In -1847 a general election took place, by which the electors had to -decide upon the conduct of those who had taken part in the adoption -of these changes, and the result was the election of the present -parliament, which has decided upon continuing the policy which the -House of Commons had laid down in 1846. I own I do think it was very -unwise--if I may be allowed to say so--in 1841, not to have sought -some compromise; but I think it would be far more unwise now to seek -to restore a system of protective duties. I believe that that, so far -from leading to a settlement of this great question, would lead to -fresh agitation, and a renewal of the present law--the law repealing -those protective duties. I would put it to any man who is engaged -in industrial pursuits of any kind, however he may think it would -be advisable to restore the ancient system of protection, whether -it would be wise or advantageous to have those laws re-enacted in -1851, again to be repealed in 1852 or 1853? I own I must think that -to all interests concerned, especially to the agricultural interest, -those changes and those renewals would be the very worst measures -that could be adopted. All return to the former system being, as I -believe, impossible, it may be desirable to equalise, if possible, -the charges upon land, which I believe to be the wish of all parties. -The changes which have been made, I believe to be, in their general -aspect, agreeable to the progress of society in this country, and -that the endeavour of all interests should henceforth be to adapt -themselves to those changes rather than attempt their reversal. I may -be mistaken in these views, but in the position I occupy, whether as -a minister of the Crown or as a member of parliament, I feel that I -cannot do otherwise than act upon convictions which I so strongly -entertain; and if I held your opinions I should act as you do. - -MR YOUNG.--Perhaps you will not deem me unreasonable if I advert to -one or two remarks which have just fallen from your lordship. In the -first place, your lordship says it will not be wise again to return -to a system of protection and restriction. I can speak especially -for the interest to which I belong--and being almost altogether -unconnected with the landed interest, I could have wished some of -the gentlemen whom I see around me stood in the position in which I -have been unexpectedly placed; but I can speak especially for the -shipping interest, and I believe I may also for the agricultural -interest, when I say that they do not seek, that they do not desire, -a system of prohibition. If you refer to the expressions which are -contained in that memorial, you will find that all they ask is a just -and equitable system of import duties. We do not presume to dictate -the degree which would constitute justice; but we believe that, if -the principle were once acknowledged, there would be no difficulty in -placing the details upon such a basis as to give satisfaction to all -parties. The next point upon which I would venture to offer one word -by way of explanation, and as the expression of that which I know to -be the universal sentiment of this deputation, is, that although, -after the enactment of the changes of 1846, namely, in 1847, a -general election did take place, yet your lordship will recollect -that which is imprinted upon the mind of the country at large, that -that election took place under circumstances which had shattered to -pieces all parties in the state, and had placed the constituencies -in such a position that, as we think, the election of 1847 was not a -fair exponent of the sentiments and opinions which were entertained -by the people at large. - -MR GUTHRIE.--Your lordship has expressed it as your opinion that it -was unwise to reject the proposition which you made in 1841, for -imposing a fixed duty of 8s. per quarter on wheat. Now, supposing -your lordship acted wisely in proposing that measure, and the other -party unwisely in rejecting it, if the other party should come round -to your lordship's former opinion upon that subject, allow me to ask -if you think it would be wrong, in 1850, to revert to the proposal -which you deemed to be so perfectly right in 1841. - -LORD J. RUSSELL.--I can easily answer that question. Without going -into other considerations, supposing the price of corn to be at that -time 58s., a law that would reduce the average to 50s. would be well -taken; whereas, if the price were 42s., the law which would raise it -from 42s. to 50s. would be ill taken. - -MR YOUNG.--Allow me, on behalf of the deputation, to thank your -lordship for the attention with which you have heard us, and to -express a hope that, should any of the observations in the address -which I have had the honour to place in your lordship's hands appear -too strong, you will not consider it as any mark of disrespect -to yourself, but merely as an indication of the feelings which -we entertain on the subject. I can now only apologise for having -detained your lordship so long, but trust the important nature of the -interests we represent will be a sufficient excuse. - -MR GUTHRIE.--Are you not going to say anything relative to the -colonial interests? - -MR YOUNG.--I left that in your hands. I thought you were going to -speak upon that subject rather than upon agriculture. - -MR GUTHRIE.--Then, perhaps, your lordship will excuse me for again -occupying your attention for a few moments relative to the interests -of the colonies. I had the honour to wait upon you once before on the -same subject, and can assure you that the difficulties under which -the colonies laboured last year are in no degree diminished. Indeed, -since that time the creditors have become the possessors of the -estates, and the proprietors are now between sinking and swimming. -Whether or not they shall he ruined will depend upon whether the -differential duties shall be continued or not. I consider that the -colonists have a right to demand that some protection should be given -to them, seeing the difficulties that have been thrown in their way -in obtaining labour. Those duties are to be again reduced in July -next, and go off entirely in the following July; but I consider -that some measure ought to be introduced to put the produce of the -colonies on an equal footing with the produce of slave countries. -Immense sums have been spent by this country to put a stop to the -slave trade, while every encouragement is given to the produce of -slave-holding countries. The tendency of all the legislation of late -years has been to raise the value of foreign produce, and depress -the property of the colonies. I am sure that I need not inform your -lordship that a deep sympathy is felt throughout the country for the -sufferings of the colonists, and I hope that your lordship will give -the subject your early consideration and attention, as the distress -existing among the various interests of the country bound us as in a -common bond to endeavour to revise and amend our present position. - -The audience then terminated, and the deputation withdrew to the -large room at the King's Arms, Palace Yard, where several delegates -delivered spirit-stirring addresses, which contained earnest -exhortations to each other, and to their friends in the country, to -combine and manfully to fight the battle of protection for England's -best interests; and a determination was expressed to act, in their -respective localities, upon the advice of the committee of the -National Association, to "Register, register, register." - - -THE DELEGATES' ADDRESS TO LORD STANLEY, AND HIS LORDSHIP'S REPLY. - -Lord STANLEY having complied with the request which had been made -to him, founded upon a resolution agreed to at the meeting at the -South Sea House, on Thursday last, to receive an address from the -delegates, on the termination of the above proceedings, a large body -of gentlemen, headed by Mr William Layton, the chairman of the Isle -of Ely Protectionist Society, proceeded to Lord Eglinton's mansion -in St James's Square, for that purpose, there being no room in Lord -Stanley's residence sufficiently large for their reception. In -addition to the delegates already named, there were present the noble -owner of the mansion; the Earl of Malmesbury; Mr W. Forbes Mackenzie, -M.P.; Mr Newdegate, M.P.; Colonel Sibthorp, M.P.; Mr Albert Williams; -Mr W. Long of Hurts Hall, Suffolk; Major Playfair, St Andrew's; Mr -Ritchie, Dunbar; Professor Aytoun, and Mr Blackwood. - -Mr LAYTON, who was intrusted with the duty of presenting the address -to Lord STANLEY, said that the gentlemen then present had been -deputed by their co-delegates to wait upon his lordship, as the -leader of the Protectionist party in the House of Lords, to make -known to him the extent of the distress which was at this time -prevailing in all parts of the country, and to ask his advice with -regard to the course which it was most advisable for them to pursue -in the midst of their difficulties. They felt that they had been -deserted by a considerable portion of the members of both houses of -the legislature, and in this extremity they turned to his lordship, -who had so long been the ablest and most powerful of the advocates in -this cause. (Hear.) They had that morning had the honour of waiting -upon Lord John Russell; but grieved to heart was he to say that the -noble lord, the Prime Minister of England, was unwilling in any way -to respond to the appeal which had been made to him on behalf of the -suffering tenantry of the country. He (Mr Layton) held in his hand -a copy of the address which had been submitted to Lord J. Russell, -and, with Lord Stanley's permission, would lay it before him, that he -might gather therefrom what were the feelings and sentiments which -were entertained by the great body of the agricultural community. -The delegates were prepared, if his lordship would give them -encouragement, to return to their respective localities, and use -their best exertions for the purpose of accomplishing the overthrow -of that insane policy to which was attributable the distress of which -they complained. (Hear.) Mr Disraeli had stated that it was outside -the walls of the Houses of Parliament that this great battle was now -to be fought. And we are prepared to fight the battle--exclaimed Mr -Layton--we are prepared to go into our respective localities, and -convince the House of Lords that the yeomanry and tenant-farmers of -this country, amongst whom this great movement emanates, will not -cease agitating until we have attained our object. (Hear, hear.) We -have to-day been taunted by Lord J. Russell that there has been no -movement made by the Protectionist party in parliament to reverse -the present policy. But, as you, my Lord Stanley, know well, this -is for the best of all possible reasons. You know that we have not -that support and encouragement in either house, which will warrant an -attempt to reverse that iniquitous policy. (Hear, hear.) We have come -to town at great expense and inconvenience to ourselves. I myself -am deputed from a locality which is distinguished in every respect, -alike for the richness of its soil, and the industry, the virtuous -habits, and the loyalty of its people--the Isle of Ely. That district -comprises 300,000 acres of the most fertile and productive land in -the United Kingdom, and yet, with all these advantages, we have been -plunged into difficulties; and unless we have the powerful aid and -co-operation of men like your lordship, we must inevitably be ruined. -(Hear, hear.) If such be the case with a country like that of the -Isle of Ely, what must be the state of those districts where the cold -clay soils prevail? (Hear, hear.) I am the owner of property, and I -find it impossible to collect my rents. Believe me that we do not -come here under false colours. We simply desire, as honest men, to -inform your lordship of the exact position in which we are placed; -and also, I regret to say, of the deplorable condition to which -the agricultural labourers are being reduced. With your lordship's -permission I will now read the address:-- - - -"TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD STANLEY, &C. - - "My Lord,--We have the honour to wait upon your lordship, in - your acknowledged character of leader of the great Protection - party in the House of Lords. We form a portion of a numerous - body of delegates this week assembled in London, from the - various local agricultural societies in Great Britain, and our - object in troubling your lordship is to represent to you the - sentiments of those delegates, and of their constituents, on the - present alarming position of the agricultural interest in this - kingdom. - - "Your lordship has probably seen in the public prints the - reports of the proceedings of the great meeting of delegates, - held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, on Tuesday - last. The resolutions of that meeting embody generally the - sentiments of the delegates on the subjects then under - discussion, and to them, therefore, we beg respectfully to refer - your lordship, and also to the very important facts stated by - the various speakers, and the arguments advanced by them in - support of the resolutions. - - "Your lordship will be able to collect from them the following - distinct propositions:-- - - "That the existing system of a free importation of foreign - agricultural produce is destroying the income of the farmer, and - gradually undermining his capital. - - "That the labourer, from inadequacy of wages and dearth - of employment, is fast approaching a state of poverty and - destitution, and that he is becoming discontented, dispirited, - and dissatisfied with the laws of his country. - - "That land is rapidly declining in value, and in many districts, - as well as in the colonies, is becoming unsaleable, except at - great sacrifices on the part of the owners. - - "That the difficulties of entering into new engagements for the - hire of farms are increasing to an alarming extent, and that - in various parts of the country occupations have been already - abandoned. - - "That many of the great trading interests of the country are - beginning to feel the mischievous effects of the free trade - policy; and the home trade, already in a languishing state, will - soon become greatly depressed. - - "That in some parts of Scotland and England an extensive - emigration of small farmers and labourers prevails, affording - the strongest proof that can be adduced of their perilous - condition in this country. - - "That the evils adverted to are fraught with imminent danger to - the best interests of the state, which can only be averted by a - just system of import duties based on a fair remuneration to the - cultivators of the soil. - - "That prompt and efficacious measures of relief ought to be - adopted, and any postponement of them to a future session, or - a future parliament, may be fatal in its consequences, and may - have the effect of seriously damaging, if not of destroying, - some of the most valuable of our institutions in Church and - State. - - "The aforegoing propositions, my lord, we sincerely believe will - be found on examination to contain indisputable truths. We have - already been in communication on the subject with the First - Lord of the Treasury, and we have felt it our bounden duty, in - a matter of such vast importance to the national interests, - to convey to your lordship a frank and explicit avowal of our - sentiments. We firmly believe that any delay in redressing the - grievances under which the agricultural and other interests - labour, will be found pregnant with danger to the institutions - of the country, and, as loyal subjects of the Throne, firmly - attached to those institutions, we have not hesitated to - give warning of it in every quarter where any degree of - responsibility may be considered to rest. We feel well assured - your lordship will give to this communication, and to any - observations any member of the deputation may address to you, a - most anxious and earnest consideration. - - "With great respect, - "I have the honour to be, my Lord, - "Your Lordship's very obedient servant, - "WILLIAM LAYTON, Chairman, - - "And on behalf of the Delegates now assembled in London." - - Having informed Lord Stanley of the intended Protectionist - meeting at Liverpool at which a great number of agricultural - delegates were to be present, Mr Layton concluded by assuring - his lordship of the determination of those gentlemen to be - guided by his counsels in prosecuting their future crusade - against the destructive system of free trade. (Hear, hear.) - -Lord STANLEY.--Gentlemen,--I need hardly say to you that I have -listened to the observations so forcibly made by Mr. Layton with -very mingled feelings. I have listened to them with feelings of deep -gratitude for the kindness with which, in your present alarming -circumstances, you have expressed the confidence which you feel in -me; and at the same time with an earnest desire that you may find -that confidence not to have been misplaced, if not with regard to my -ability, at least with regard to my inclination to serve you. But -mixed with those feelings of personal gratification there cannot -but be others of a most painful character. (Hear.) Mr Layton has -truly observed that this delegation, and this move, is altogether -unparalleled in the history of the country. The agricultural interest -is not one that is generally quick to move, eager and ready to -combine, or disposed to agitate. (Hear, hear.) It is of all other -interests the most stable, the most peaceful, the least excitable; -and great indeed must have been the distress of all connected with -that interest--of landlords, of tenants, and of labourers--when it -has been such as to overcome the natural difficulties which stand -in the way of their combination, to excite so mighty a movement as -that which is now stirring the country from one end to the other, -and to create such a manifestation of opinion as I have read of as -displayed in your proceedings the other day, and as I see embodied -in the deputation whom I have now the honour to address. But, -lamentable as have been the consequences of a mistaken and an insane -policy, they are not greater than those which, when that policy was -first proposed, I fearfully and anxiously anticipated. (Hear, hear.) -So far, at least, I may claim, I hope, some justification for the -confidence which you have been pleased to repose in me; for from the -first I have never entertained a doubt of the melancholy results -that would flow from that policy; and being convinced that that -policy was alike unwise and unjust, my part was taken at once. (Hear, -hear.) Office, and everything that is gratifying to a public man, was -abandoned without hesitation; and to that policy I declared then, as -to that policy I repeat my declaration now, that I would not, and -I will not be a party. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, the anticipations -of those who opposed the repeal of the corn laws have been fully -accomplished, whilst the predictions of those who justified that -repeal, and the arguments by which they sought to vindicate that -repeal, have been falsified by the test of experience. (Hear, hear.) -Importations of foreign produce have increased to the full amount -that we anticipated they would do under the system of free trade. -Prices have fallen to the full amount, and to a greater amount, than -we ventured to predict, and for predicting which our apprehensions -were ridiculed as exaggerated and absurd. The distress has gone on -increasing. That distress is still increasing. That distress is -pressing upon every portion of the community; and it is the most -lamentable part of this case that I feel convinced--and here I must -speak to you frankly and plainly--that the reversal of that policy -can only be obtained at the expense of still greater suffering on the -part of still more extended interests. (Hear.) Mr Layton has stated -that we have been taunted in the House of Commons, and taunted in -the House of Lords, with bringing forward no specific measure, and -asking for no decision by parliament on the merits of this question. -Gentlemen, the taunt proceeds from our political opponents, and the -advice implied in the taunt being the advice of an enemy, I must -take the liberty of regarding it in that light, and not looking -upon it as most likely to forward the objects and to be productive -of the results which we desire. (Hear, hear.) Firmly adhering to -the principle of protection--going along with the resolutions which -have been read by Mr Layton--believing that a return to a system of -reasonable import duties is indispensable to the prosperity of this -country--not accepting the experiment which has been tried as an -accomplished fact--not acquiescing in that policy, and determined -to do all in my power to reverse it, I in the House of Lords, and -my friends in the House of Commons, must be guided as to the course -which is most likely to attain our ends in the several assemblies -which we have to address, by our own knowledge of the dispositions -of the bodies with which we have to deal. I know there are those who -say we are slack, that we are not bringing forward measures, nor -asking for the decision of the Houses of Parliament. Take the House -of Commons to begin with. If we bring forward a distinct proposition, -embodying our own principles, what have we to expect from the present -House of Commons? Have we to expect--can we believe that that House -of Commons, which has sanctioned the free-trade measures of the -Government, will stultify itself by reversing its own decision, and -pronouncing against the policy which it has approved? (Hear, hear.) -If it will not, and still more, if there be some who, agreeing -with us, but doubting the policy of bringing forward the question, -would desert our ranks, and if the result of raising the question -in the House of Commons would be to show an apparently diminishing -minority for us, and an apparently increasing majority against us, I -ask what advantage have we gained for our cause within the walls of -parliament, and what encouragement have we given to our friends out -of doors? (Hear, hear.) You and we have different parts to play. I -rejoice to see the energy, I rejoice to see the zeal, I rejoice to -see the courage and the perseverance with which the agricultural body -of England are exerting themselves, and that throughout the length -and breadth of the land, in every corner, in every agricultural -district--ay, and in the great towns they are working upon public -opinion, and compelling the country to look this question in the -face, and to judge of the effects which have resulted from our -present course. You ask me for advice. I say, Go on, and God prosper -you. (Hear, hear.) Do not tire, do not hesitate, do not falter in -your course. Maintain the language of strict loyalty to the Crown -and obedience to the laws. Do not listen to rash and intemperate -advisers, who would urge you to have recourse to unwise and disloyal -threats. But with a spirit of unbroken and unshaken loyalty to the -Crown, and with a spirit of unswerving obedience to the laws, combine -in a determined resolution by all constitutional means to obtain -your rights, and to enforce upon those who now misrepresent you the -duty of really representing your sentiments and supporting you in -Parliament. (Loud cheering.) It is not in the House of Lords--it -is not in the House of Commons--it is in the country at large that -your battle must be fought, and your triumph must be achieved. -(Hear, hear.) You have the game in your own hands. You may compel -your present members--or, at least, you may point out to them the -necessary, the lamentable consequences to themselves of persisting -in their present courses; and when the time shall come you will have -it in your own power, by the return of men who really represent -your sentiments, to exercise your constitutional influence over the -legislature of the country, and to enforce your just demands in -another House of Parliament. (Hear, hear.) If, as I said before, it -be unwise in my judgment to bring forward a definite proposition in -accordance with our own views, as a party question in the House of -Commons--I say that, looking at the constitution and character of the -House of Lords, it is more unwise still to bring it forward there. -Remember that the House of Lords is not like the House of Commons, -a fluctuating body, of which one class of representatives may at a -general election be replaced by another. The House of Lords is a -permanent body, composed for the most part of men advanced in years, -exercising their judgment--their independent judgment I will hope, -though I won't say I speak confidently (hear, and a laugh)--cautious -in coming to a decision, but still more cautious and naturally -reluctant to reverse that decision when they have once formed it. -At present I lament to say--and there is no use in concealing the -fact--we are in a minority in the House of Commons; we are also in -a minority in the House of Lords. How then are we to change that -minority into a majority? In the House of Commons you have it in -your own hands. Through the House of Commons and through the country -you may act--not perhaps as speedily or as quickly as you or I might -desire; but depend upon it that, when by a general election, or by -individual elections as they occur, you have produced an effect upon -the judgment and the votes of the House of Commons, the opinion of -the country, as represented in the House of Commons, will never be -lost upon the House of Lords. (Hear, hear.) The House of Lords, I do -not doubt, many of them most unwillingly, gave their assent to the -fatal measure which came up recommended by the Commons. I did all -in my humble power to prevent their coming to that decision; but I -failed in doing so. I should fail still more signally if, the House -of Lords having come to that decision, I were to bring forward week -after week, or even month after month, specific motions for reversing -the decision to which they had so come. (Hear). Men are slow to come -forward and confess that they have been mistaken, and, confessing -that they have been mistaken, reverse the votes they previously -gave; and if I compelled the House of Lords to pronounce a judgment -upon the merits of the question month after month, or week after -week, every vote given by those--and they are not a few--who have -increasing doubts and misgivings, but are not fully convinced as to -the mischievous result of the experiment, pledges them anew to the -position which they originally took up, and adds to the difficulty -of overcoming the present majority. The view which I have taken, -and in which I am supported by those of the wisest and soundest -judgment with whom I am in the habit of consulting, is not to meet -this question by direct motions in the House of Lords for a reversal -of this policy, but never to lose an opportunity of showing, if -need be, week after week, the progressive effects of the experiment -which is now going on. Now, observe, since last year--I will not say -since last year, but since the commencement of the present session -of Parliament--there has been a material change in the language of -the Government. They who a short time ago advocated a reversal of -this policy, or even doubted the finality of its adoption, were -either scouted as madmen or ridiculed as fanatics. But we now hear -the Marquis of Lansdowne, in the House of Lords, and the Chancellor -of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons, speaking of this policy -as "an experiment"--as an experiment in course of progress--and no -longer as an act that has been decided, and therefore irreversible. -They admit, moreover, that prices are low--lower than they expected; -and it is admitted also by the Government, not simply that Free -Trade has produced low prices, but lower prices than they had ever -intended, and they apologise for this effect, which, upon the -principles of Free Trade, ought to have been the triumph of their -policy. (Hear). Well, then, we have brought them to admit that it is -an experiment--we have brought them to admit that this cheapness is -not what they intended or desired--we have brought them to apologise -for its existence, as an exceptional and temporary state of things, -and not attributable to their experiments. And step by step, if it -is not the quickest, it is at least the soundest, policy; we shall -have first this man and then that man saying, "The experiment has -been tried long enough." "I am satisfied that it has not answered -the intended purpose." "I think something must be done." "Really -matters are become alarming." And gradually, in that manner, and -in that manner only, shall we, in a permanent body like the House -of Lords, convert a minority against Free Trade into a majority in -favour of our protective principles. (Hear). That is the course which -I have felt it to be my duty to pursue during the present session -of Parliament. That is the course which--not taking the advice of -our opponents--I shall continue to pursue. Constantly we shall bring -before them the results of their experiment. I hold in my hand at -this moment a paper, which I received only this morning, and which -was moved for by my noble friend the Earl of Malmesbury this session, -in order to controvert an assertion of the Government, that at -present prices the foreigner could not by possibility import, that -present prices would not pay for the importation, and that we should -therefore see a rapid and great diminution of the imports of foreign -corn. That was the language which they held so late as the month of -January last. I have heard several persons say that February or March -would show an improvement in prices. We waited till February and -March were past, and at my suggestion the Earl of Malmesbury moved in -April for a return, showing the weekly price of wheat in the British -markets, and the quantity of corn imported from abroad during each -week in the present year. The result is, that, so far from indicating -a falling-off in imports, or a rise in price, this return shows that -the prices have fallen from 40s. on the 5th day of January, to 37s. -10d. on the 20th of April; whilst the imports have increased from -36,000 quarters of wheat in the second week of January, to 118,000 -quarters of wheat, exclusive of flour, in the week ending the 17th -of April. And the total amount of imports, in little more than three -months, with an average price of from 37s. to 38s. a quarter, has not -been far short of 1,000,000 quarters of corn, converting the flour -into quarters at the ordinary rate. By the production of this paper -before the House of Lords, we disprove the assertions of those who -tell us that we have no reason to be alarmed at the course which the -experiment is taking, or that at all events we have not sufficient -grounds to call on Parliament to put an end to it. And in this course -of practical argument from facts as they occur we mean to persevere. -I know that this is a policy which is wearisome in its nature. (Hear, -hear). I know that "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick." I know that -there must be increasing distress. I know that every month and every -week that this fearful experiment is in progress the dangers and the -difficulties are increasing. But how, with the present constitution -of Parliament--how, with the present constitution of the House of -Lords--how, with the present constitution of the House of Commons, -with the best desire to serve you, with the most earnest and anxious -wish to promote your interests--how can we take any step which shall -more rapidly force conviction upon the minds of those whom it is -necessary to convince before we can attain our ends? (Hear, hear.) -I say again, do not complain of our apathy. Believe that we have no -such feeling. Believe that we deeply sympathise with the misfortunes -of those with whom we are bound up by so many ties; in whom all our -interests--not to say our affections, are centred; and if we appear -to be less speedy and energetic in the House of Lords and the House -of Commons than you would desire us to appear to be, believe that it -is not from indifference--believe that it is from a well-calculated -policy, and a deliberate adoption of the course by which alone we may -attain the object which you and we desire. (Hear, hear.) If you ask -my advice, I say persevere in the course you have adopted. Agitate -the country from one end to the other. Continue to call meetings -in every direction. Do not fear, do not flinch from discussion. By -all means accept the offer of holding a meeting in that magnificent -building at Liverpool; and in our greatest commercial towns show -that there is a feeling in regard to the result of our so-called -Free Trade widely different from that which was anticipated by the -Free-traders, and from that which did prevail only a few years ago. -(Hear, hear). Your efforts may not be so soon crowned with success -as you hope; but depend upon it, let us stand hand to hand firmly -together; let the landlord, the tenant, and the labourer--ay, and -the country shopkeeper--ay, before long, the manufacturer himself, -be called on to show and to prove what the effects of this experiment -are,--and as sure as we stand together, temperately but firmly -determined to assert our rights, so certainly, at the expense, it -may be, of intense suffering, and perhaps of ruin to many--of ruin -which, God knows, if I could avert I would omit no effort for that -purpose--but ultimately, certainly and securely we shall attain our -object, and recede from that insane policy which has been pursued -during the last few years. (Hear, hear). I have now only to return -you my most grateful thanks for the compliment you have paid me -in wishing me to receive this deputation. I have heard with the -liveliest interest the statements of Mr Layton. If in any part of -the country--for now through you I address every district--if there -be but one district in which a suspicion is entertained that I am -flinching from, or hesitating in my advocacy of, those principles -on which I stood in conjunction with my late deeply-lamented friend -Lord George Bentinck, I authorise you--one and all of you--to assure -those whom you represent, that in me they will find no hesitation, -no flinching, and no change of opinion; that, attached as I have -ever been to the principle of Protection, that attachment remains -unchanged; and I only look for the moment when it may be possible for -us to use the memorable words of the Duke of Wellington on the field -of Waterloo, and to say, "Up, Guards, and at them!" (Loud cheers.) - - Mr PAUL FOSKETT.--My Lord Stanley, I know I speak the universal - sentiments of the delegates who have attended our meetings this - week, when I say that the address you have just delivered to - us has penetrated our heart of hearts, and has made us feel - that under your leadership our triumph is secure. (Cheers.) We - shall now return to our several homes, and "agitate," "agitate," - "agitate," until our object is attained. (Hear, hear.) - - After a few observations from Mr Newdegate, Mr Box, (of - Buckinghamshire,) and Mr Malins, (of Derbyshire,) - - Mr LAYTON expressed the gratification he experienced at the - result of the interview with Lord Stanley. They might all take - comfort that they had such a leader and friend; and on the part - of the delegation and the tenantry and labourers of the land, he - begged to convey to his lordship his unqualified admiration and - thanks for the manner in which he had received the deputation, - and for the encouragement and hope he had held out to the - various suffering interests of the country. (Hear, hear.) - - Lord STANLEY in taking leave of the deputation, hoped that on - their return to their several localities their efforts would be - crowned with success. They might depend upon it, that whilst - they kept up the pressure from without, if they would authorise - him, he would not fail to keep up the pressure within. - - The deputation then took their leave; and upon re-assembling at - the King's Arms, - - Mr LAYTON briefly reported the reception which had been given to - them by Lord Stanley; and amidst the enthusiastic cheering of - the audience, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:-- - - "That this meeting cannot separate without recording their - grateful acknowledgments to Lord Stanly for the courteous and - satisfactory reception he has afforded them this day, and their - high gratification at the encouraging approval he has expressed - of the steps they are taking; and they beg his lordship will - receive the assurance of their perfect confidence in his - powerful and talented advocacy of the cause of Protection in the - House of Lords. - - "That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to Lord Stanley." - - It was also resolved,-- - - "That it is the opinion of the delegates now assembled in - London, that a meeting in Liverpool, on as early a day as - practicable, is highly desirable; and the delegates now present - pledge themselves to support such meeting by personal attendance - as far as practicable. - - "And that as circumstances may occur, either during the present - session of Parliament or after a prorogation, which may render - it necessary for the delegates to reassemble in London, this - meeting of delegates be at its rising adjourned till again - summoned by the committee of the National Association, to which - summons they will be ready instantly to respond; and that in - such case, this meeting considers that one delegate at least for - each district should attend the meeting." - - After the transaction of some routine business, the meeting - separated. - - - - -INDEX TO VOL. LXVII. - - - Aberdeen, lord, on the Greek constitution, 528. - - Aberdeen, state of the shipping interest at, 356. - - Aberdeen Journal, on "British Agriculture, &c," Appendix, 34. - - Aberdeenshire, statistics of farming in, 113. - - Actress, social position of the, 695. - - Agricultural depreciation, amount of, 615 - --depression, continued, 382 - --its influence on commerce, 385 - --interest, magnitude of the, 241 - --labourers, state of the, 366 - --question, not a landlords' one, 382. - - AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, AND MANUFACTURES, 347 - --opening of the session, _ib._ - --prospects of financial reform, _ib._ - --the Royal speech, _ib._ - --speeches on the address, 348 - --debate in the commons, 349 - --probable prices in future, 351 - --failure of free trade prophecies, 353 - --state of the shipping interest, 355 - --G. F. Young on it, 359 - --state of manufactures, 361 - --value of the home and foreign markets, 363 - --state of various manufactures, 365 - --of the agricultural labourers, 366 - --comparative value of agriculture and manufactures, 368 - --imports and exports, 1845 and 1849, 370 - --alleged increase of bullion, and its causes, 372 - --general conclusions, 373 - --influence of the depreciation of land on life assurance, 374. - - Agriculture, British, _see_ British Agriculture - --state of, in Greece, 532 - --and manufactures, comparative values of, 368. - - Agriculturists, contrast between, and the manufacturers, 132. - - AGRIPPA D'AUBIGNE AND MADAME DE MAINTENON, 174. - - Aikin's Life of Howard, remarks on, 52. - - Alfieri and Shakspeare, contrast between, 636. - - Algeria, sketches in, 292. - - ALISON'S POLITICAL ESSAYS, 605. - - Allnatt, Mr J. J., at the protection meeting, 763. - - Allston, Washington, 198. - - America, importation of beef, &c. from, and its prices, 129. - - AMERICAN ADVENTURE, 34. - - Americans, the, in Mexico, 42. - - Annexation movement in Canada, the, 266. - - Anton, prophecies of, 566. - - Appin, state of the cattle trade in, 240. - - Argyleshire, state of the cattle trade in, 237 _et seq._ - - Armansperg, count, government of Greece by, 527. - - Army, state of the, in Greece, 532 - --treachery of the, in France, 618. - - Artistic biography, scarcity of true, 192. - - Asem, Goldsmith's tale of, 299. - - Athens, sketches at, 681. - - Aubigne, Agrippa d', sketch of the life of, 174. - - Auchness system of farming, on the, 105, 453. - - Austria, reaction in, 3 - --want of moral firmness in the government of, 4 - --war of races and fidelity of the army in, 7 - --danger to Europe from its dismemberment, 9. - - Autobiographies, on, 192. - - Aytoun, Professor, at the protection meeting, 759. - - - BAILEY'S FESTUS, review of, 415. - - Ball, Mr E., at the protection meeting, 755. - - Ballot, abuses of the, in Greece, 536. - - BARBARIAN RAMBLES, 281. - - Barbour & Co., Trade circular of, 600. - - Bath, the Turkish, 294. - - Bath Chronicle, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 37. - - Beaucarde the singer, 698. - - Beef, importation, &c. of, 128 _et seq._ - - Belletti the singer, 699. - - Bentinck, lord George, 617. - - Berthier, sketches of, 574. - - Berwick Warder, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 40. - - Beykirch, Th., Prophetic voices by, 561. - - Birch-tree, battle of the, prophecies of the, 563, 565, 567, - 568, 569. - - Bird the painter, 196. - - Birmingham, state of manufactures in, 365. - - Boddington, Mr G., at the protection meeting, 766. - - Booker, T. W., at the protection meeting, 749. - - Boston, state of the shipping interest at, 356. - - Boston Atlas, the, on Canada, 257. - - Brandenburg, prophecies regarding, 561. - - Bricks, proposed abolition of the duty on, 513. - - BRITAIN'S PROSPERITY, a new song, 389. - - BRITISH AGRICULTURE AND FOREIGN COMPETITION. No. I., 94 - --Peel on the lowest remunerating price of wheat, _ib._ - --Ducie and Kinnaird on high farming, 95 - --and Caird, 97, 104 - --quantities of grain available for importation, 99 - --prices of grain abroad, 100 - --expense of freight, &c. 103 - --the Auchness system of farming, 105 - --returns from various farmers, of produce, expenses, &c. under - protection and free trade, 107 _et seq._ - --remarks on these, 119 - --policy urged by Cobden, &c. 120 - --The Times on Agricultural prospects, 121 - --answer to the arguments founded on rise of rents, 122 - --on Mr W. E. Gladstone's speech at Fettercairn, 124 - --inconsistencies of the Free-traders, 127, 131 - --effects of free trade on live stock, 128 - --and on the provision trade, 129 - --one-sidedness of recent legislation, 130 - --contrast between the manufacturers and agriculturists, 132 - --concluding remarks, 135. - No. II. Reply to the Times on former article, 222 - --letter from Mr Watson in answer to it, _ib. et seq._ - --reply to the Morning Chronicle, 225 - --comparative rates of rent in England and Scotland, 226 - --inability of high farming to contend against free trade, 227 - --increase of cultivation on the Continent, 228 - --probable future prices, 229 - --Continental prices, &c. 230 - --importations from Moldavia, 231 - --on professor Low's Appeal, 232 - --cost of raising wheat, &c. in the United States, _ib._ - --Peel's letter to his tenantry, 233 - --reply to it, 235 - --effects of free trade on live stock, 237 - --increased burden of taxation, 241 - --present tactics of the Free-traders, 242 - --Lord Drumlanrig's letter, 243 - --state of the cotton manufactures, 247 - --The newspaper press on No. I. Appendix. - - Britannia, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 17. - - Broad, W., letter from, on farming statistics, 111. - - Brown, Peter, letter from, on farming statistics, 112. - - Brown's life of Howard, on, 52. - - Buckland, Dr, on Agriculture, &c. 95. - - Budget, the, 513. - - Bullion, alleged increase of, and its causes, 372. - - Burke, eulogy on Howard by, 63 - --and Goldsmith, anecdote of, 142. - - Burn, Mr, statistics, &c. of the cotton trade by, 595. - - BURN'S HIGHLAND MARY, to, 309. - - - Cadiz, Urquhart's account of, 282. - - Caernarvon, state of the shipping interest at, 356. - - Caird's High farming, on, 97, 104. - - CAIRD'S HIGH FARMING HARROWED, 447. - - Caldecott, Mr W., at the protection meeting, 765. - - California, sketches in, 35 - --conduct of the United States toward, 263. - - Calzolari the singer, 698. - - Camel, the, 683. - - CANADAS, CIVIL REVOLUTION IN THE, 249 - --geographical sketch, &c. of the, 259. - - CANADIAN LOYALTY, an ode, 345. - - Canning, sir Stratford, sent to Greece, 531. - - CARLYLE'S LATTER-DAY PAMPHLETS, review of, 641. - - CASH AND PEDIGREE, 431. - - Cassio, on the character of, 483. - - CATO THE CENSOR, CAIRD'S HIGH FARMING HARROWED BY, 447. - - Cattle, importations, &c. of, 128 - --effects of free trade on the rearing of, 237. - - Cervi, the island of, case regarding, 538. - - Charles Albert, the final overthrow of, 3. - - Chartists, overthrow of the, 3. - - Cheltenham Chronicle, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." - Appendix, 79. - - Chester Courant, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 35. - - Cheyne, Mr, on the cattle trade in Argyle, 239. - - Chouler, Mr W., at the protection meeting, 752. - - Christopher under Canvass, No. VI., 481 - --No. VII., 622. - - Citizen of the World, publication of the, 149 - --notices of the, 296, 298, 306. - - CIVIL REVOLUTION IN THE CANADAS, 249. - - CLEARING OF THE GLENS, THE, 475. - - Cobbett, anticipation of, as to the effects of free trade, 519. - - Cobden, inconsistencies of, 131 - --on the effects of free trade, 353. - - Coblenz, prophecy regarding, 567. - - Cocoa, diminished consumption of, 385. - - Coffee, diminished consumption of, 386. - - Coleridge, S. T., on the character of Iago, 482 - --on Othello, 484 - --criticism on, 623, 624. - - Coletti, Greek minister, 527, 530. - - COLLINS, WILLIAM, R.A., MEMOIR of, 192. - - Cologne cathedral and city, prophecies regarding, 564, 567. - - Colonial government, new system of, announced by ministers, 377. - - Colonial policy, Carlyle on, 655. - - Colonies, recent legislation toward the, and its effects, 249 - --general discontent in, 380. - - Commerce, reaction of Agricultural distress on, 385 - --depressed state of, as shown by the trade circulars, 589 - _et seq._ - - Commons, speeches in, on the address, 349. - - Conservatives, conduct of the, in regard to the Reform Bill, 608. - - CONSTANTINOPLE, A MONTH AT, 679. - - Constitutionalism, failure of, in Greece, 534. - - Cork, state of the shipping interest at, 356. - - Corn Laws, their repeal foreseen by Mr Alison, 609 - --his anticipations as to its effects, 610. - - Cotton trade and manufactures, statistics relating to the, 247, 361, - 385, 590, 595, 597. - - COURT MARTIAL, A LATE CASE OF, 269. - - Cultivation, state of, in Greece, 532, 533. - - Currency bill, effects of the, 520. - - Currency system, Alison on the effects of the changes in, 614. - - - +D+. THE DARK WAGGON, by, 71. - - Daily News, the, on Canada, 253. - - Dantzic, prices of wheat at, 231, 232. - - DARK WAGGON, THE, by +D+., 71. - - Day, Mr, exposure of Cobden by, 131. - - Denmark, price of wheat in, 102. - - Derby Mercury, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 30. - - Deserted village, notices of the, 298, 304. - - Dies Boreales, No. VI., 481 - --on the character of Iago, _ib._ - --on Othello, 483 - --on the question as to his being a negro, 485 - --opposite characteristics shown in him, 486 - --majesty of his character, 487 - --impression left by the tragedy, 488 - --the time of the tragedy, 489 _et seq._ - --proof of short time, _ib._ - --of long, 498 - --attempt to show mixed, 506 - --No. VII., 622 - --errors of poets in delineating nature, 623 _et seq._ - --Othello continued, 626 - --on the Greek tragedy, 636. - - Direct taxes, amount of, repealed since the peace, 517. - - Dixon's life of Howard, review of, 50. - - Dogs of Constantinople, the, 684. - - Doncaster Chronicle, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 40. - - Dorset County Chronicle, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 84. - - Doubleday, Mr, anticipations of, as to the effects of free - trade, 245. - - Douglas, captain, the case of, 269. - - Drama, causes of the decline of the, 689. - - Drogheda, state of the shipping interest at, 357. - - Drumlanrig, lord, letter to his tenantry by, 243. - - Dublin Mail, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 29. - - Dublin Press, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 28. - - Duclos, anecdotes of Louis XIV. by, 188, 190. - - Dudgeon, Mr, statistics of farming produce, expenses, &c., by, 108 - --letter from, to the editor of the Kelso Chronicle, - Appendix, 104. - - Dumfries Herald, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 51. - - DUMAS' LE VELOCE, REVIEW OF, 281. - - Dundee, statistics of the provision trade from, 129. - - Dundee Courier, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 51, 53 - --letter to, by Justitia, Appendix, 93. - - DWARF AND THE OAK TREE, THE, 411. - - - Eastlake, Mr, and the National Gallery, 205. - - Economist, the, on the Cotton manufacture, 247 - --on the state of the cotton trade, 362 - --on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 88, 89, 99, 109 - --answer of Mr Watson to it, 103 - --and of the editor, 118. - - Edinburgh Advertiser on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 25. - - Edinburgh Evening Courant on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 66. - - Edinburgh Evening Post on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 24. - - Edinburghshire, statistics of farming, &c. in, 116, 117. - - Eddowes' Worcester Journal on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 79. - - Eglinton, the Earl of, at the protection meeting, 768. - - Election, system of, in Greece, 535. - - Emancipation, Carlyle on, 655. - - Emigration, increase of, from the Highlands and Islands, 239, 240 - --statistics &c. of, from Liverpool, 592. - - Emilia, on the character of, 504. - - England, rates of rent &c. in, compared with Scotland, 226 - --statistics of cotton spinning, &c. in, 595 _et seq._ - - Essex, the earl of, speech of, on the address, 348. - - Europe, general reaction against revolution in, 2 _et seq._ - --increase of grain cultivation in, 228. - - Exeter Gazette, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 85. - - Exports, 1845 and 1849, comparison of, 370 - --the alleged increase in, examination of it, 383. - - - FAREWELL TO NAPLES, A, 279. - - Farming, statistics of, under protection and free trade, 107 _et seq._ - - Faust, observations on the, 415. - - Felix Farley's Bristol Journal, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 44. - - FESTUS, 415. - - FEZENSAC, M. DE, his journal of the Russian campaign reviewed, 573. - - Fiars, the Scotch, 382. - - Fig packing at Smyrna, 683. - - Finances, the French, effects of the Revolution on, 12. - - Financial reform, prospects of, 347. - - Ford's Spain, remarks on, 281. - - Forster's life of Goldsmith, remarks on, 139, 140. - - Fothergill, C., sketches of the Canadas by, 259. - - France, reaction in, 2, 3 - --variety of interests assailed in, by the Revolution, 11 - --effects of it on the finances of, 12 - --prophecy regarding, 563, 564. - See also French. - - FREE TRADE FINANCE, 513. - - Free trade, influence of the system of, on Canada, 252 - --its effects in diminishing the number of Irish voters, 380 - --Sir William Napier on, 386 - --its effects on taxes and their amount, 519 - --reaction against it in Liverpool, 593 - --its manifested effects, and present language of its supporters, - 611 - --losses caused to all parties by, 612. - - Free-traders, present tactics of the, 242 - --their indifference to the national glory, 250 - --their diminished confidence, 603. - - Freights, rates of, 359 - --of corn, cost of, 103 - --coasting and foreign, comparison between, 604. - - French revolution, the first, influence of the memory of, 5 - --revolutions, Alison on, 617 - --satirical novels, on, 431. - - Fundholders, danger to the, 384. - - - Galatz, prices of wheat at, 231. - - Gentleman's Magazine, life of Howard in the, 60. - - GERMAN POPULAR PROPHECIES, 560. - - Gibraltar, Dumas' account of, 286. - - Gibson, John, statistics of farming by, 117, 118 - --reply to the Scotsman by, Appendix, 65. - - Gladstone, Mr Ewart, speech of, at Fettercairn, 124. - - Glasgow, distress in, 1848, 13 note. - - Glasgow Constitutional, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 34. - - Glass trade, state of the, 365. - - Gloucester Chronicle, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 37. - - Goethe's Faust, observations on, 415. - - Gold region of California, the, 44. - - GOLDSMITH, Part I., biography, 137 - --Part II., works, 296. - - Goerres, Joseph von, prophecies of, 562. - - Grain, present importation of, 99 - --prices of, abroad, 100 _et seq._ - --prospects as regards its future prices, 229 - --importations of, 1845 and 1849, 370. - - Great Britain, reaction in, 3 - --fidelity of the troops in, 6 - --suppression of the threatened convulsions in, 14 - --survey of her conduct toward Canada, 264 - --her conduct toward Greece, 526. - - GREECE AGAIN, 526. - - Greek constitution of 1848, the, 528 - --senate, 536. - - Greek drama, contrast between, and Shakspeare's, 636. - - Green Hand, the, Part VII., 76 - --Part VIII., 208 - --Part IX., 329 - --Part X., 701. - - Greenock Advertiser, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 50. - - Gregory, professor, account of German popular prophecies by, 560. - - - Haddington, prices of wheat at, 382. - - Haig, James, statistics of farming produce by, 113. - - Hamburg beef, importation &c. of, 129. - - Hamlet, remarks on, 634, 635. - - Harvest of 1849, the, 229. - - Hay, W., letter from, on farming statistics, 114. - - Hayes, Miss Catherine, 698. - - Haynau, the cruelties of, in Hungary, 11. - - Henry IV., sketches of, 177 _et seq._, _passim._ - - Herrmann, the prophecies of, 561. - - Hertford County Press, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 47. - - Higgins, Mr H., at the protection meeting, 766. - - High farming, inability of, to contend against free trade, 227. - - Highlands, effects of free trade on the cattle trade of the, 237. - - Hollingshed & Co., trade circular of, 598. - - Holt, George, & Co., trade circular of, 590. - - Home and foreign consumption of cotton, comparison between, 596 - --markets, relative value of, 363. - - Hood, David, letter from, on farming produce, &c., 112. - - HOWARD, 50. - - Howden, Andrew, letter from, on farming statistics, 111. - - Huguenots, sketches of the, 175. - - HUNGARIAN JOSEPH, the, 658. - - Hungary, the subjugation of, 3 - --the struggle in, 8 - --its true character, 9 - --the severities in, 10. - - Hutchison, John, letter from, on farming statistics, 112. - - - Iago, on the character of, 482. - - Ibraila, prices of wheat at, 231, 232. - - Imports, 1845 and 1849, comparison between, 370 - --increase of, 385 - --diminished consumption of, 589. - - Indian corn, culture of, in Canada, 261. - - Indians, massacres of the, by the Americans, 35. - - Indirect taxes, amount of, repealed since the peace, 517. - - Insolvency, effect of, in inducing the reaction, 12. - - Insurance, on, and its relations to the Agricultural question, 374. - - Interests, variety of, in France, endangered by the Revolution, 11. - - Inverness Courier, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 80. - - Ionian republic, claim advanced to Cervi, &c., by, 538. - - Ireland, suppression of the rebellion in, 3, 14 - --extinction of voters in, by free trade, 380 _et seq._ - --state of, 384. - - Irish, immigration of the, into Scotland, 367. - - Irish Reform bill, the new, 377 _et seq._ - - Irving's Life of Goldsmith, review of, 137. - - Italian Opera, the, 688. - - Italy, re-establishment of Austrian domination in, 3 - --rapid suppression of the revolution in, 13. - - - Jackson, Mr, on the Agricultural question, 242. - - Jaspers, the prophecies of, 562. - - John Bull, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 9. - - Johnson's Sights in the Gold regions, review of, 34. - - Justitia, letter to Dundee Courier by, Appendix, 93. - - - Kappelmann, prophecies of, 569. - - Kelso Chronicle, letter from Mr Dudgeon to, Appendix, 104. - - Kelso Mail, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 85. - - Kinnaird, lord, on high farming, &c., 96. - - Krasnoi, the battle of, 577. - - - Lablache the singer, 699. - - Labouchere, Mr, on the state of the shipping interest, 355 - --answer of G. F. Young to, 360. - - Lansdowne, lord, speech of, on the Address, 349. - - LATE CASE OF COURT MARTIAL, A, 269. - - LATTER-DAY PAMPHLETS, 641. - - Layton, Mr, Presentation of Address to Lord Stanley by, 777. - - Lear, remarks on, 634. - - Leeds Intelligencer, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 27. - - Lehnin, the prophecy of, 561. - - Leicester Journal, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 86. - - Leperos of Mexico, the, 41. - - Liberals, general policy of the, 378 - --their conduct with reference to the Reform Bill, 608. - - Liberalism, Carlyle's denunciations of, 643. - - Life Insurance, on, as affected by free trade, 374. - - Lindsay & Co., tables of freights by, 359. - - Littledale & Co., state of the cotton trade reported by, 385 - --tenor of the circulars of, 589. - - Live Stock, effects of free trade on, 128, 237 - --comparison between importation of, 1845 and 1849, 370. - - Liverpool, importation of beef &c., into, 129 - --state of the shipping interest at, 357 - --state of trade at, 589 - --prices current in, 591 - --statistics of emigration from, 592. - - Liverpool Standard, the, on the Cotton trade, 361 - --on British competition, &c., Appendix, 69. - - Lochfine, effects of free trade on cattle rearing in district - of, 237. - - Lombardy, re-establishment of Austrian domination in, 3. - - LONDON, THE GREAT PROTECTION MEETING IN, 738 - --importation of grain into, 127 - --present rate of its increase, 514. - - Londos, M., Greek minister, 530. - - Louis XIV., marriage of, to Madame Maintenon, &c., 186 _et seq._ - - Louis Philippe, pusillanimity of, 4 - --his overthrow, 619. - - Louvois, anecdote of, 180 note. - - Low's Appeal, remarks on, 232. - - Lyceum Theatre, the, 690. - - Lyons, sir E., in Greece, 526. - - - M'Combe, William, letter from, on farming statistics, 112. - - M'Culloch, on the cotton manufacture, &c., 595. - - M'Culloch's system of farming, on, 105. - - Mackay, Mr, on the cost of wheat in the United States, 232. - - M'Millan, J., on the cattle trade in Appin, 240. - - M'Nair & Co., the trade circulars of, 598. - - MADAME SONTAG AND THE OPERA, 688. - - Magyars, the, 8. - - Maintenon, madame de, career of, 181. - - Malibran, anecdotes of, 694. - - Manchester, state of the cotton manufactures in, 361 - --its depressed state, 383. - - Manchester Courier, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 26. - - Manners, lord John, at the protection meeting, 768. - - Manufactures, protection still enjoyed by, 130 - --list of articles still protected, 225 - --state of, 361 - --depression under which labouring, 383 - --experienced effects of free trade on, 612, 613. - - Manufacturers, contrast between, and the Agriculturists, 132. - - Manufacturing districts, depressed state of the, 590. - - Mark Lane Express, the, on the probable price of wheat, 351 - --on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 39. - - Maryport, state of the shipping interest at, 357. - - Maurice, Mr, on the condition of the Agricultural labourers, 366. - - Mercantile class in Greece, the, 533. - - Methuen, lord, speech of, on the Address, 348. - - Mexico, sketches in, 37. - - Michael Angelo, Wilkie on, 201. - - Military, general loyalty of the, in 1848, 5. - - Ministerial measures, the, 377 - --the Irish Reform bill, 378 - --new colonial measures, 379 - --general discontent in the colonies, 380 - --extinction of voters in Ireland, _ib._ - --continued depression of Agriculture, 382 - --alleged increase of exports, 383 - --danger to the moneyed interest, 384 - --influence of Agricultural distress on commerce, 385 - --Sir William Napier on free trade, 386. - - Ministry, subjection of the, to mob domination, 513. - - MODERN ARGONAUTS, the, 539. - - Moldavia, wheat-growing capabilities of, 231. - - Moneyed interest, present danger to the, 384 - --its influence, 522. - - Monmouth Beacon, the, on "British Agriculture," &c., Appendix, 57. - - Monro, Mr, his answer to Caird's High Farming, 104. - - MONTH AT CONSTANTINOPLE, a, 679. - - Montreal, loyalty of, during the Rebellion, 251 - --contrast in 1848, 252. - - Moore, W., letter from, on the state of the shipping interest, 358. - - Morland the painter, notices of, 194, 195. - - Morning Chronicle, reply to the, 225 - --on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 10 - --Letter from W. to it, and reply, Appendix, 13. - - Morning Herald, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 3 - --reply to the Times on it, Appendix, 14. - - Mortgages, lord Drumlanrig on, 244. - - Moscow, the burning of, 575. - - Municipal government, system of, in Greece, 535 - --institutions, necessity for, there, 531. - - Muenster, prophecy regarding, 567. - - MY PENINSULAR MEDAL, Part III. chap. vii. 15 - --chap. viii. 22 - --chap. ix. 26 - --Part IV. chap. x. 313 - --chap. xi. 318 - --Part V. chap. xii. 393 - --chap. xiii. 401 - --chap. xiv. 405 - --Part VI. chap. xv. 542 - --chap. xvi. 547 - --Part VII. chap. xvii. 661 - --chap. xviii. 673. - - Myers, T. M., Liverpool Prices current from, 591. - - - Napier, admiral sir Charles, on free trade &c., 387. - - Napier, sir William, on free trade, 386 - --letter from, 640. - - NAPLES, A FAREWELL TO, 279 - --reaction in, 3. - - Napoleon in Russia, sketches of, 574. - - National debt, recent additions, &c. to the, 513 - --amount of, paid off by the sinking-fund, 516 _et seq._ - - National Gallery, on the, 205. - - Navigation laws, effects of the repeal of, 355. - - Negro emancipation, Carlyle on, 654. - - Newcastle Courant, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 43. - - Newcastle Journal, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 54. - - Ney, sketches of, during the Moscow retreat, 576 _et seq._ - - Ninon de l'Enclos, sketches of, 184. - - Nisbet, Mr, letter from, on farming statistics, 111. - - NOAILLES, THE DUC DE, his Memoirs of Madame de Maintenon reviewed, - 174. - - North British Agriculturist, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 39. - - North of Scotland Gazette, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 76. - - Nottingham Guardian, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 47. - - - Oats, fiars price of, 382. - - Opera, the, 688. - - Orleans dynasty, pusillanimity of the, 4. - - Orleans, the duchess d', heroism of, 4. - - Osnabruck, prophecy regarding, 567. - - Othello, the character and tragedy of, its time, &c., 483, 626. - - Otho, King of Greece, sketch of government, &c., of, 526. - - OVID'S SPRING-TIME translated, 621. - - - PALACE THEATRICALS, 722. - - Palmerston, lord, policy of, toward Greece, 526, 529 _et seq._ - - Paris, distress in, after the Revolution, 13 note. - - Parkman's California, review of, 34. - - Pauperism, Carlyle on, 643. - - Peasantry, the Greek, state, &c. of, 532. - - Peel, sir R., remunerative price for wheat fixed by, 94 - --his letter to his tenantry, on, 233 - --his conduct with regard to free trade, 617. - - Peers, house of, speeches in, on the address, 348. - - PENITENT FREE-TRADER, the, 585. - - Penny postage, sacrifice of revenue by the, 523. - - Periodical essays, on the republication of, 605. - - Perth Courier, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 31, 83. - - Phanariotes, character, &c. of the, 532. - - Phillips, J., letter from, on the state of the operatives, 366. - - Piscatory, Mr, French minister in Greece, 526. - - Pius IX., weakness of, 4. - - Plague, Howard's exertions regarding the, 67. - - Plymouth, state of the shipping interest at, 357. - - Poetry, The Dark Waggon, 71 - --A Farewell to Naples, 279--To Burns' Highland Mary, 309 - --Canadian Loyalty, 345 - --Britain's Prosperity, 389 - --The Dwarf and the Oak tree, 411 - --The Clearing of the Glens, 475 - --The Modern Argonauts, 539 - --The Penitent Free-trader, 585 - --Ovid's Spring-time, 621 - --the Hungarian Joseph, 658 - --the Quaker's Lament, 733. - - Poland, prices of wheat in, 101. - - Political Essays, republication of, 605. - - Political Novels, modern French, 431. - - Poor-rates, alleged diminution of, 383. - - Pork, American, importation, &c. of, 129. - - Portrait painting, the English school of, 203. - - Post-office, statistics of, under the penny postage system, 523. - - Pottgiesser, prophecy of, 564. - - Poussin, Gaspar, 202. - - Price, Dr, connection of, with Howard, 56. - - Primates, the Greek, 532. - - Prinny, a dog, anecdote of, 206. - - Prisons, Howard's exertions in connection with, 63 _et seq._ - - Property, necessity of security of, 1 - --destruction of, through recent legislation, 522. - - PROPHECIES, GERMAN POPULAR, 560. - - Proprietors, character, state, &c., of, in Greece, 532. - - PROTECTION MEETING, THE GREAT, IN LONDON, 733. - - Protective system, past benefits of the, to Canada, 255. - - Provision trade, influence of free trade on, 129. - - Provisions, importations of, 1845 and 1849, 370. - - Prussia, reaction in, 3 - --want of moral courage in the government of, 4 - --fidelity of the troops in, 6 - --prophecies regarding, 561 _et seq._ - - - QUAKER'S LAMENT, THE, 733. - - - Railways, depreciation of, 383 - --causes of their depressed state, 613 - --German prophecies regarding, 563, 565. - - REACTION, THE YEAR OF, 1. - - Reeves, Sims, the singer, 699. - - Reform Bill, extinction of the Sinking fund by the, 517 - --Alison's essay on the, 607. - - Rembrandt, Wilkie on, 202. - - Rent, rates of, in England and Scotland, 226. - - Rents, alleged rise of, and its causes, 122. - - Representation, proposed colonial system of, 379. - - Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the, 187. - - Revolution, philanthropic pretexts under which begun, 2 - --causes of the success of, 4 - --causes of the reaction against the, 5 _et seq._ - --the first French, influence of the remembrance of it, 5 - --that of 1848, Alison on, 619. - - Reybaud, Louis, the political novels of, 431. - - Richmond, the duke of, speeches of, at the protection meeting, - 748, 769. - - Rigden, Mr W., at the protection meeting, 766. - - Roberton, James, statistics of farming produce, &c., by, 114. - - Rolink, prophecies of, 569. - - Rome, reaction at, 3. - - Rossi, the countess, career of, 690. - - Rossini, anecdotes of, 688 note. - - Roubiliac the sculptor, anecdote of, 143. - - Roxburgh, returns of farming produce, &c., in, 108. - - Roy, J. L., letter from, on farming statistics, 111. - - Royal Academy, on the, 206. - - Royal speech, the, 347. - - Runcorn, state of the shipping interest at, 358. - - Russell, lord John, on the Agricultural question, 352, 353 - --presentation of the protectionist memorial to, 770 _et seq._ - - Russia, effects of the intervention of, in Hungary, 9. - - RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN, history of a regiment during the, 573. - - Rusticus, letter from, to the Courant, Appendix, 66. - - Ruxton, William, letter from, on farming statistics, 112. - - - Sacramento, battle of, 39. - - SACS ET PARCHEMINS, 439. - - Sadler, Thomas, letter from, on farming statistics, 111 - --statement of these by him, 116. - - Sandars, Mr, on the price of wheat abroad, 102 - --his pamphlet on the Agricultural question, 374. - - SANDEAU'S SACS ET PARCHEMINS, 431. - - Sapienza, the island of, the case regarding, 538. - - Scarron, marriage of madame de Maintenon to, 182. - - Scotland, statistics of farming in, 107 _et seq._ - --rates of rent in, 226 - --effects of free trade on the cattle trade of, 237 - --state of the agricultural interest in, 367 - --present prices of grain in, 382 - --increase of poor rates in, 384. - - Scotsman, the, on the "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 57 - --letter of Mr Gibson to, Appendix, 65. - - Scott, sir Walter, anecdote of, 207 - --errors of, in describing nature, 624. - - Sebastian del Piombo, Collins on, 203. - - Segur's account of the Moscow campaign, on, 573. - - Shakspeare's Othello, see Othello. - - Sheep, effects of free trade on the rearing of, 238. - - Sherborne Journal, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 38. - - Shipping Gazette, the, on the state of the shipping interest, 355. - - Shipping interest, state of the, 355 _et seq._ - - Shrewsbury Journal, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 34. - - Sidi Ibrahim, combat of, 292. - - SIEGE OF DUNBEG, THE, 153. - - Simpson, Robert, letter from, on farming statistics, 112. - - Sinking fund, table showing the operation of the, 516 _et seq._ - - Slave market at Constantinople, the, 685. - - Smith, Adam, on colonial policy, 263. - - Smith, Sidney, anecdote of, 196. - - SMITH'S MONTH AT CONSTANTINOPLE, review of, 679. - - Smolensko, the French at, during the Moscow retreat, 577. - - Smyrna, sketches of, 682. - - Socialism, interests assailed by, in France, 11. - - SONTAG, MADAME, AND THE OPERA, 688. - - Spackman, estimate by, of the value of Agriculture and Manufactures, - 368. - - Spain, Urquhart's sketches in, 282. - - Spectator, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 20. - - Spielbahn, prophecies of, 564. - - Staffordshire Agriculturist, letter of a, 235. - - Stamps, proposed reduction of duties on, 513. - - Standard, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 67. - - Standard of Freedom, the, on "British Agriculture, &c." - Appendix, 73. - - Stanley, lord, presentation of protectionist memorial to, 777 - _et seq._ - - State of the nation, pamphlet on the, 246. - - Stephens, Mr, on Caird on high farming, 104. - - Stewart, J. F., on the cotton crop of 1849, 601. - - Strathmore, statistics of farming produce in, 107. - - Sudolf, prophecies of, 569. - - Suffrage, extended, the great remedy of the Liberals, 378. - - Sugar, &c., diminished consumption of, 386. - - Sunderland, state of shipbuilding, &c., at, 358. - - - Tangiers, sketches by Dumas in, 285. - - Taxation, increased burden of, under free trade, 241. - - Taxes, amount of, repealed, &c., since the peace, 517. - - Taylor's life of Howard, on, 53. - - Tea, comparative consumption of, 1845 and 1849, 371 - --diminished consumption of, 386. - - TENOR OF THE TRADE CIRCULARS, THE, 589. - - Thomson, John, letter from, on farming statistics, 111. - - Thouvenel, M., French minister in Greece, 530. - - Time, Shakspeare's treatment of, 481 _et seq._, 622 _et seq._ - - Times, the, on the prospects of the Agricultural interest, 121 - --reply and letter from Mr Watson to, 222 - --tactics of the, on the Agricultural question, 242 - --on "British Agriculture, &c." Appendix, 6 - --John Bull in answer to it, Appendix, 9 - --Morning Herald, Appendix, 14 - --and Britannia, Appendix, 17. - - Tintoretto's Crucifixion, on, 202. - - Titian, Collins on, 200. - - Tooke, Mr, on the expected importation of grain, 99. - - Towns, present state of the, 612 - --state of the, in Greece, 532. - - TRADE CIRCULARS, TENOR OF THE, 589. - - Traveller, Goldsmith's, 301. - - Turkey, the attack by Russia and Austria on, 10. - - Turkish bath, the, 294. - - - United States, cost of raising wheat in the, 232 - --present internal policy of the, 250 - --comparison between, and Canada, 253 _et seq._ - --state of the cotton crop, &c., in, 601. - - Universal suffrage, evils of, in Greece, 535. - - Urquhart's Pillars of Hercules, review of, 281. - - - Vandervelde the painter, 202. - - Vasari's Life of Angelico, on, 192. - - Vicar of Wakefield, the, 297, 307. - - Villiers, Mr, speech of, on the Address, 349, 353 - --on the shipping interest, 355. - - Voters, diminution in number of, in Ireland, 380. - - - W., letter from, to the Morning Chronicle, and answer, Appendix, 13. - - W. E. A., translation of Ovid's Springtime by, 621. - - Wakefield Journal, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 49. - - Wallachia, wheat-growing capabilities of, 231. - - Walmsley, sir Joshua, 347, 658. - - Warren, S., review of his letter on the case of Captain Douglas, - 269. - - Watson, Mr, statement of farming produce by, 107 - --reply of, to the Times, 222 - --and to the Economist, Appendix, 103 - --at the protection meeting, 765. - - West of England Conservative, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," - Appendix, 53. - - Westphalia, prophecies regarding, 563. - - Wheat, culture of, in Canada, 261 - --Peel on the lowest remunerative price of, 352 - --fiars, prices of, 382 - --freights of, from various quarters, 604. - - Wilkie, sir David, correspondence of, with Collins, 199. - - William, Mr J. A., at the protection meeting, 757. - - Wilson, James, on the lowest remunerative price of wheat, 352, 353, - 364 _et seq._, 366. See also Economist. - - Wilson, sir Robert, Dumas' account of, 286. - - Wilts Standard, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 35. - - Wise's Los Gringos, review of, 34. - - Wood, sir Charles, speech of, on the Address, 350 - --on the state of the shipping interest, 355 - --speech of, on the finances, 514. - - Worcester Journal, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 78. - - Wyse, Mr, British minister in Greece, 530. - - - YEAR OF REACTION, THE, 1. - - York Gazette, the, on "British Agriculture, &c.," Appendix, 71. - - Young, G. F., on the shipping interest, 360 - --at the presentation of the protectionist memorial, 770 _et seq._ - - Youth of Elsen, prophecies of the, 566. - - -_Printed by William Blackwood & Sons, Edingbrgh._ - - - * * * * * - - -Transcriber's note: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. - -Spelling and punctuation are sometimes erratic. 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