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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/17303-8.txt b/17303-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..097895b --- /dev/null +++ b/17303-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2551 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429, 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: Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429 + Volume 17, New Series, March 20, 1852 + +Author: Various + +Editor: Robert Chambers and William Chambers + +Release Date: December 14, 2005 [EBook #17303] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBERS'S EDINBURGH *** + + + + +Produced by Malcolm Farmer, Richard J. Shiffer and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + + + + + CHAMBERS' EDINBURGH JOURNAL + + CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF 'CHAMBERS'S + INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE,' 'CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE,' &c. + + + NO. 429. NEW SERIES. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1852. PRICE 1-1/2_d._ + + + + +THINGS IN EXPECTATION. + + +The passing age is acknowledged to be remarkable in various respects. +Great advances in matters of practical science; a vast development of +individual enterprise, and general prosperity;--at the same time, +strange retardations in things of social concern; a singular want of +earnestness in carrying out objects of undeniable utility. Much +grandeur, but also much meanness of conception; much wealth, but also +much poverty. A struggle between greatness and littleness; +intelligence and ignorance; light and darkness. Sometimes we feel as +if going forward, sometimes as if backward. One day, we seem as if +about to start a hundred years in advance; on the next, all is wrong +somewhere, and we feel as if hurriedly retreating to the eighteenth +century! + +Upon the whole, however, we are ourselves inclined to look at the +bright side of affairs; and in doing so, we are not without hope of +being able to make some proselytes. Let us just see what are the +prospects of the next twenty years--a long enough space for a man to +look forward to in anything else than a dream. War, it is true, may +intervene, or some other terrible catastrophe; but we shall not admit +this into our hypothesis, which proceeds on the assumption, that +although people may wrangle here and there, and here and there fly at +each other's throats, still the bulk of civilised mankind will go on +tranquilly enough to present no direct barrier to the advancing tide. +Here is a list of a few trifles in expectation. + +A line of communication by railway from England to the principal +cities in India, interrupted only by narrow sea-channels, and these +bridged by steamboats. It will then be possible to travel from London +to Calcutta in a week. + +At the same time, there will be railways to other parts of +Asia--Ispahan, Bagdad, Damascus, and Jerusalem. From the +last-mentioned city, a line will probably proceed through the land of +Edom, to Suez and Cairo; thence to Alexandria. This last portion is +already in hand. Think of a railway station in the Valley of +Jehoshaphat! As the course of the Jordan presents few 'engineering +difficulties,' there might be a single line all the way from Nazareth +to the Dead Sea, on which a steamer might take passengers to the +neighbourhood of Petra. At a point near the shore of that mysterious +sheet of water, a late traveller indicates the spot where Lot's wife +was transformed into a pillar of salt. How interesting it would be to +make this a stopping-place for tourists to view the adjacent +scenery--rocky, wild, and scorched, as if fresh from the wondrous work +of devastation! + +It cannot be doubted that in a period much short of twenty years, +railways will have penetrated from Berlin northwards to Russia; and +therefore a communication of this kind through the whole of Europe, +even to the shores of the Indian Ocean, will be among the ordinary +things of the day. + +As for communication by electric telegraph, where will it not be? +Every town of any importance, from Moscow to Madras, will be connected +by the marvellous wires. These wires will cross seas; they will reach +from London to New York, and from New York to far-western +cities--possibly to California. The sending of messages thousands of +miles, in the twinkling of an eye, will be an everyday affair. 'Send +Dr So-and-so on by the next train,' will be the order despatched by a +family in Calcutta, when requiring medical assistance from London; and +accordingly the doctor will set off in his travels per express, from +the Thames to the banks of the Ganges. Spanning the globe by thought +will then be no longer a figure of speech--it will be a reality. +Science will do it all. + +Long before twenty years--most likely in two or three--a journey round +the world by steam may be achieved with comparative ease and at no +great expense. Here is the way we shall go: London to Liverpool by +rail; Liverpool to Chagres by steamer; Chagres to Panama by rail; +Panama to Hong-Kong, touching at St Francisco; Hong-Kong to Sincapore, +whence, if you have a fancy, you can diverge to Borneo, Australia, and +New Zealand; Sincapore to Madras, Bombay, Aden, and Suez--the whole of +the run to this point from Panama being done by steamer; Suez to +Cairo, and Cairo to Alexandria (rail in preparation); lastly, by +steamer from Alexandria to England. It is deeply interesting to watch +the progress of intrusion on the Pacific. Already, within these few +years, its placid surface has been tracked with steam-navigation; of +which almost every day brings us accounts of the extension over that +beautiful ocean. Long secluded, by difficulty of access from Europe, +it is now in the course of being effectually opened up by the railway +across the Isthmus of Panama. And the grandeur of this invasion by +steam is beyond the reach of imagination. Thousands of islands, +clothed in gorgeous yet delicate vegetation, and enjoying the finest +climate, lie scattered like diamonds in a sea on which storms never +rage--each in itself an earthly paradise. When these islands can be +reached at a moderate outlay of time, money, and trouble, may we not +expect to see them visited by the curious, and flourishing as seats of +civilised existence? There is reason to believe, that the equable +climate of many of them would prove suitable for persons affected with +the complaints of northern regions; and therefore they may become the +Sanatoria of Europe. 'Gone to winter-quarters in the Pacific!'--a +pleasant notice this of a health-seeking trip twenty years hence. + +It may be reasonably conjectured, that this great and varied extension +of journeying round the earth, and in all climates, will not be +unaided by new discoveries in motive power. At present, we speak of +steam; but there is every probability of new agents being brought into +operation, less bulky and less costly, before twenty years elapse. +Even while we write, men of science are painfully poring over the +subject, and giving indications that in chemistry or electricity +reside powers which may be advantageously pressed into the service of +the traveller. Admitting, however, that steam will be retained as the +prevailing agent of locomotion, we have grounds for anticipating +improvements in its application, which will materially cheapen its +use. As regards safety to life and limb, much will be done by better +arrangements. In steam-voyaging, we may expect that means will be +adopted to avert, or at least assuage, the terrible calamities of +conflagration and shipwreck--better acquaintance with the principles +of spontaneous combustion, and with the natural law of storms, being +of itself a great step towards this important result. + +One of the latest wonders in practical science, is a plan for cooling +the air in dwellings in hot climates; by which persons residing in +India, and other oppressively warm countries, may live habitually in +an atmosphere cooled down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or the ordinary +heat of a pleasant day in England. The very ingenious yet simple means +by which this is to be effected, will form the subject of notice in +our next number. Meanwhile, we may observe that the discovery is due +to Mr C. Piazzi Smyth, astronomer-royal for Scotland; and if perfectly +successful in practice, of which there can be no reasonable doubt, it +will have a most important effect in extending European influence over +the globe. + +The extension of the English language over the civilised world is a +curiosity of the age. French, German, Italian, and other continental +tongues, seem to have attained their limits as vernaculars. Each is +spoken in its own country, and by a few fashionables and scholars +beyond. But the language which pushes abroad is the English; and it +may be said to be rooting out colonised French and Spanish, and +becoming almost everywhere, beyond continental Europe, the spoken and +written tongue. Long the Spanish enjoyed the supremacy in Central +America; but it has followed the fate of the idle, proud, combative, +and good-for-nothing people who carried it across the Atlantic, and is +disappearing like snow before the sun of a genial spring. The sooner +it is extinct the better. Already the English is the vernacular from +the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific, wherever civilised +settlements are formed. As large a population now speaks this nervous +language in America as in Great Britain; and this is only an +indication of its progress. By means of a rapidly-increasing +population, the English language will in twenty years be spoken by +upwards of fifty million Americans; and if to these we add all within +the home and colonial dominion, the number speaking it at that period +will not be short of a hundred millions. What an amount of +letter-writing and printing will this produce! And, after all, how +small that amount in comparison with what will be seen a hundred years +hence, when many hundred millions of men are on the earth, English in +speech and feeling, whatever may be their local and political +distinctions! The gratification which one experiences in contemplating +facts of this kind, transcends the power of language. To all +appearance, our English tongue is the expression of civil and +religious freedom--in fact, of common sense; and its spread over the +globe surely indicates the progress of civilised habits and +institutions. + +In referring to the qualities which are usually found in connection +with the prevalence of English as a vernacular, we are led to +anticipate prodigious strides in the popularising of literature during +the next twenty years. What, also, may we not expect to see done for +the extension of epistolary correspondence? Intercourse by letter has +advanced only one step of its progress, by the system of inland +penny-postage. Another step remains to be effected: the system of +carrying letters oversea on the same easy terms. That this Ocean +Penny-Postage, as it is termed, will be carried out, at least as +regards the larger British colonies, within a period much under twenty +years, is exceedingly probable. When this grand achievement is +accomplished, there will ensue a stream of intercommunication with +distant lands, of which we can at present form no proper conception, +and which will go far towards binding all parts of the earth in a +general bond of brotherhood. + +Such are a few of the things which we may be said to be warranted in +looking for within a reasonably short period of time. Other things, +equally if not more contributive to human melioration, are less +distinctly in expectation. The political prospects of the continental +nations are for the present under a cloud. With all the glitter of +artistic and social refinement that surrounds them, the bulk of them +appear to have emerged but little beyond the middle ages; and one +really begins to inquire, with a kind of pity, whether they have +natural capacities for anything better. The near proximity to England +of populations so backward in all ideas of civil polity, and so +changeful and impulsive in their character, cannot but be detrimental +to our hopes of national advancement among ourselves; so true is it +that peace and happiness are not more matter of internal conviction +than of external circumstances. + +Unfortunately, if there be something to lament in the condition of our +neighbours, there is also something to humiliate on turning our +attention homeward. In a variety of things which are required to give +symmetry and safety to the social fabric, there appears to be an +almost systematic and hopeless stoppage. + +Nearly the whole of the law and equity administration of England seems +to be a contrivance to put justice beyond reach; and whether any +substantial remedy will be applied during the present generation may +be seriously doubted. + +It is universally admitted that, for the sake of the public health, +interment in London and other large cities should be legally +prohibited; and that various other sanitary arrangements in relation +to these populous localities should be enforced. Yet, legislation on +this subject seems to be beyond the grasp of statesmen. + +The system of poor-laws throughout the United Kingdom is, with the +best intentions, a cause of widely-spread demoralisation. These laws, +in their operation, are, in fact, a scheme for robbing the industrious +to support the idle. But where is the legislator who will attack and +remodel this preposterous system? + +The prevention of crime is another of our formidable social +difficulties. Every one sees how young and petty criminals grow up to +be old and great ones. It is admitted that the punishment of crime, +after disorderly habits are confirmed, is no sufficient check; and +that, if the evil is to be cured, we must go at once to its root. But +when or how is this to be done? Again, there is a call for that +scarcest of all things--statesmanship. + +The bitterness of sectarian contention is another of the things which +one feels to be derogatory to an age of general progress. No longer +are men permitted to kill each other in vindication of opinion, but +how mournful to witness persecution by inuendo, vituperation, and +even falsehood. Individuals and classes are seen bombarding each other +in vile, abusive, and certainly most unchristian language, all +ostensibly in the name of a religion which has for a fundamental +principle, an utter repudiation of strife! Whether any amendment is to +be looked for in this department of affairs within the next twenty +years is exceedingly uncertain. + +In the roll of disheartening circumstances in our social condition, it +would be unpardonable to omit the enormities of intemperance, which, +though groaned over day after day, remain pretty much what they have +been for years; and it is to be feared, that so long as reformers +confine themselves to attacking mere symptoms, instead of going to the +foundation of the evil--a deficiency of self-respect, growing out of a +want of instruction in things proper to be known, and for which the +education of the country makes no provision--all will be in vain. How +far there will prevail a more enlarged view of this painful subject, +is not discoverable from the present temper of parties. + +The legislative conservation of ignorance in the humbler classes of +the community, to which reference has just been made, is surely a blot +on our social economy. It is seemingly easier to girdle the globe with +a wire, than to make sure that every child in Her Majesty's dominions +shall receive the simplest elements of education. Within the sphere of +the mechanic or the chemist, flights beyond the bounds of imagination +may be pursued without restraint, and indeed with commendation; but +anything in social economics, however philanthropic in design and +beneficial in tendency, falls into the category of disputation and +obstruction; and, worst of all, education, on which so much depends, +is, through the debates of contending 'interests,' kept at a point +utterly inadequate for the general enlightenment and wellbeing. + +Thus, many matters of moment are either at a stand, or advancing by +feeble and hesitating steps, and the distance to be ultimately reached +remains vague and undefinable. At the same time, it is well to be +assured that improvements, moral and social, are really in progress; +and that, on the whole, society is on the move not in a retrograde +direction. Even with a stone tied to its leg, the world, as we have +said, contrives 'to get on some way or other.' + + + + +THE WRECKER. + + +On a certain part of the coast of Brittany, some years back, a gang of +wreckers existed, who were the terror of all sailors. Ever on the +look-out for the unfortunate vessels, which were continually dashed +upon their inhospitable shores, their delight was in the storm and the +blast; they revelled in the howling of fierce wind, and the +lightning's glare was to them more delightful than the brightest show +of fireworks to the dweller in large towns. Then they came out in +droves, hung about the cliffs and rocks, hid in caverns and holes, and +waited with intense anxiety for the welcome sight of some gallant ship +in distress. So dreadful were the passions lit up in these men by the +love of lucre, that they even resorted to infamous stratagems to lure +vessels on shore. They would light false beacons; and strive in every +way to delude the devoted bark to its destruction. + +The village of Montreaux was almost wholly inhabited by men, who made +wrecking their profession. It was a collection of miserable huts, +built principally out of the broken materials of the various vessels +driven on shore; and ostensibly inhabited by fishermen, who, however, +rarely resorted to the deep, except when a long continuance of fine +weather rendered their usual avocation less prosperous than usual. +They consisted in all of about thirty families, wreckers, for the most +part, from father to son, and even from mother to daughter--for women +joined freely in the atrocious trade. Atrocious indeed! for murder +necessarily accompanied pillage, and it rarely happened that many of +the crew and passengers of the unfortunate vessels escaped alive. +Bodies were indeed found along the shore; but even if they exhibited +the marks of blows, the sea and the rocks got the credit of the deed. + +The interior of the huts of the hamlet presented a motley appearance. +Their denizens were usually clothed in all kinds of costume--from the +peculiar garments of Englishmen, to the turbans, shawls, and +petticoats of Lascars, Malays, and others. Cases of spirits, chests of +tools, barrels of flour, piles of hams, cheeses, curious arms, +spy-glasses, compasses, &c. were thrust into coffers and corners; +while all the villagers were in the habit of spending money that +certainly was not coined in France. The state of the good people of +Montreaux was one of splendid misery; for, with all their ill-gotten +wealth, their improvidence and carelessness was such, that they often +wanted necessaries--so true is it that ill-got money is never +well-spent money. A month of fine weather would almost reduce them to +starvation, forcing them to sell to disadvantage whatever they still +possessed. + +This was not, however, the case with every one of them. A man dwelt +among them, and had done so for many years, who seemed a little wiser +and more careful than the rest of the community. His name was Pierre +Sandeau. He was not a native of the place; but had long been +established among them, and had at once shewn himself a worthy +brother. He was pitiless, selfish, and cold. Less fiery than his +fellows, he had an amount of caution, which made them feel his value; +and a ready wit, which often helped them out of difficulties. His +influence was soon felt, and he became a kind of chief. He was at last +recognised as the head of the village, and the leader in all marauding +expeditions. But the great source of his power was his foresight. He +had always either money or provisions at hand, and was always ready to +help one of his companions--for a consideration. In times of distress, +he bought up all the stock on hand, and even sold on credit. In course +of time, he had become rich, had a better house than the rest, and +could, if he liked, have retired from business. But he seemed chained +to his trade, and never gave any sign of abandoning his disgraceful +occupation. + +One day, however, he left Montreaux, and stayed away nearly a +fortnight. When he came back, he was not alone: he was accompanied by +a young and lovely girl--one of those energetic but sweet creatures, +whose influence would be supreme with a good man. Madeleine Sandeau +was eighteen--tall, well-proportioned, and exceedingly handsome; she +was, moreover, educated. Her father had taken her from school, to +bring her to his house, which, though so different from what she was +used to, she presided over at once with ease and nature. Great was the +horror of the young girl when she found out the character of the +people around her. She remonstrated freely with her father as to the +dreadful nature of his life; but the old man was cold and inexorable. +'He had brought her there to preside over his solitary house,' he +said, 'and not to lecture him:' and Madeleine was forced to be silent. + +She saw at once the utter futility of any attempt to civilise or +humanise the degraded beings she associated with; and so she took to +the children. With great difficulty, she formed a school, and made it +her daily labour to instil not only words, but ideas and principles, +into the minds of the young, unfledged wreckers. She gained the +goodwill of the elders, by nursing both young and old during their +hours of sickness, as well as by a slight knowledge of medicine, which +she had picked up in a way she never explained, but which always made +her silent and sad when she thought of it. + +When a black and gloomy night came round, and the whole village was on +foot, then Madeleine locked herself in her room, knelt down, and +remained in prayer. Now and then she would creep to the window, look +out, and interrogate the gloom. She never came forth to greet her +father on his return from these expeditions. Her heart revolted even +against seeing her parent under such circumstances, and towards +morning she went to bed--rarely, however, to sleep. + +On one occasion, after a cold and bitter day, the evening came on +suddenly. Black clouds covered the horizon as with a funeral pall; the +wind began to howl round the hamlet with fearful violence; and +Madeleine shuddered, for she knew what was to be expected that night. +Scarcely had the gale commenced, when Pierre rose, put on a thick +pea-jacket and a sou'-wester, armed himself, and swallowing a glass of +brandy, went out. He was the last to leave the village; all the rest +had preceded him. He found them encamped in a narrow gorge, round a +huge fire, carefully concealed behind some rocks. It was a cold, +windy, wet night; but the wreckers cared not, for the wind blew dead +on shore, and gave rich promise of reward for whatever they might +endure. + +A man lay on the look-out at the mouth of the gorge under a tarpaulin. +He had a night-glass in his hand, with which he swept the dark +horizon, for some time in vain. But the wind was too good to fail +them, and the wreckers had patience. + +It was really a terrible night. It was pitchy dark: not a star, nor +one glimpse of the pale moon could be distinguished. The wind howled +among the rocks, and cast the spray up with violence against the +cliffs, which, however, in front of the gorge, gave way to a low sandy +beach, forming the usual scene of the wreckers' operations. A current +rushed into this narrow bight, and brought on shore numerous spars, +boxes, and boats--all things welcome to these lawless men. + +'A prize!' cried the look-out suddenly. 'A tall Indiaman is not more +than a mile off shore. She is making desperate efforts to clear the +point, but she won't do it. She is ours, lads!' + +'Give me the glass!' exclaimed Pierre rising. The other gave him the +telescope. 'Faith, a splendid brig!' said the patriarch with a +sinister smile--'the finest windfall we have had for many a season. +Jean, you must out with the cow, or perhaps it may escape us.' + +The cow was an abominable invention which Pierre had taught his +comrades. A cow was tied to a stake, and a huge ship's lantern +fastened to its horns. This the animal tossed about in the hope of +disengaging himself, and in so doing presented the appearance of a +ship riding at anchor--all that could be seen on such nights being the +moving light. By this means had many a ship been lured to destruction, +in the vain hope of finding a safe anchoring-ground. The cow, which +was always ready, was brought out, and the trick resorted to, after +which the wreckers waited patiently for the result. + +The Indiaman was evidently coming on shore, and all the efforts of her +gallant crew seemed powerless to save her. Her almost naked masts, and +her dark hull, with a couple of lanterns, could now plainly be +distinguished as she rose and fell on the waters. Suddenly she seemed +to become motionless, though quivering in every fibre, and then a huge +wave washed clean over her decks. + +'She has struck on the Mistral Rock,' said Pierre. 'Good! she will be +in pieces in an hour, and every atom will come on shore!' + +'They are putting out the boats,' observed Jean. + +The wreckers clutched their weapons. If the crew landed in safety, +their hopes were gone. But no crew had for many years landed in safety +on that part of the coast: by some mysterious fatality, they had +always perished. + +Presently, three boats were observed pulling for the shore, and coming +towards the sandy beach at the mouth of the gorge. They were evidently +crammed full of people, and pulling all for one point. The boats +approached: they were within fifty yards of the shore, and pulling +still abreast. They had entered the narrow gut of water leading to the +gorge, and were already out of reach of the huge waves, which a minute +before threatened to submerge them. The wreckers extinguished the +lantern on the cow's horn. There was no chance of the boats being able +to put back to sea. + +Suddenly a figure pushed through the crowd, and approached the fire +near which Pierre Sandeau stood. It appeared to be one of the +wreckers; but the voice, that almost whispered in the old man's ear, +made him start. + +'Father!' said Madeleine, in a low solemn voice, 'what are you about +to do?' + +'Fool! what want you here?' replied Pierre, amazed and angry at the +same time. + +'I come to prevent murder! Father, think what you are about to do? +Here are fifty fellow-creatures coming in search of life and shelter, +and you will give them death!' + +'This is no place for you, Madeleine!' cried the other in a husky +voice. 'Go home, girl, and let me never see you out again at night!' + +'Away, Madeleine!--away!' said the crowd angrily. + +'I will not away!--I will stay here to see you do your foul deed--to +fix it on my mind, that day and night I may shout in your ears that ye +are murderers! Father,' added she solemnly, 'imbrue your hands in the +blood of one man to-night, and I am no child of yours. I will beg, I +will crawl through the world on my hands, but never more will I eat +the bread of crime!' + +'Take her away, Pierre,' said one more ruffianly than the rest, 'or +you may repent it.' + +'Go, girl, go,' whispered Pierre faintly, while the wreckers moved in +a body to the shore, where the boats were about to strike. + +'Never!' shrieked Madeleine, clinging franticly to her father's +clothes. + +'Let me go!' cried Pierre, dragging her with him. + +At that moment a terrible event interrupted their struggle. A man +stood upright in the foremost boat, guiding their progress. Just as +they were within two yards of the shore, this man saw the wreckers +coming down in a body. + +'As I expected!' he cried in a loud ringing voice. 'Fire!--shoot every +one of the villains!' + +A volley of small arms, within pistol-shot of the body of wreckers, +was the unexpected greeting which these men received. A loud and +terrible yell shewed the way in which the discharge had told. One-half +of the pillagers fell on the stony beach, the other half fled. + +Among those who remained was Madeleine. She was kneeling by her +father, who had received several shots, and lay on the ground in +agony. + +'You were right, girl,' he groaned; 'I see it now, when it is too +late, and I feel I have deserved it.' + +'Better,' sobbed Madeleine, 'better be here, than have imbrued your +hands in the blood of one of those miraculously-delivered sailors.' + +'Say you so, woman?' said a loud voice near her. 'Then you are not one +of the gang. I knew them of old, as well as their infernal cut-throat +gorge, and pulled straight for it, but quite prepared to give them a +warm reception.' + +Madeleine looked up. She saw around her more than fifty men, three +women, and some children. She shuddered again at the thought of the +awful massacre which would have occurred but for the sailor's +prudence. + +'My good girl,' continued the man, 'we are cold, wet, and hungry; can +you shew us to some shelter?' + +'Yes; but do you bid some of your men carry my father, who, I fear, is +dying.' + +'It is no more than he merits,' replied the man; 'but for your sake I +will have him taken care of.' + +'It is what I merit,' said Pierre, in a strange and loud tone; 'but +not from your hands, Jacques.' + +'Merciful God!' cried the sailor, 'whose voice is that?' + +'You will soon know; but do as your sister bids you, and then we can +talk more at ease.' + +Madeleine cast herself sobbing into her brother's arms, who, gently +disengaging her, had a litter prepared for his father, and then, +guided by Madeleine, the procession advanced on its way. An armed +party marched at the head, and in a quarter of an hour the village of +Montreaux was reached. It was entirely deserted. There were fires in +the houses, and lamps lit, and even suppers prepared, but not a living +thing. Even the children and old women on hearing the discharge of +musketry, had fled to a cave where they sometimes took shelter when +the coast-guard was sent in search of them. + +The delighted sailors and passengers spread themselves through the +village, took possession of the houses, ate the suppers, and slept in +the beds, taking care, however, to place four sentries in +well-concealed positions, for fear of a surprise. Madeleine, her +father, her brother, the ship's surgeon, and a young lady passenger, +came to the house of old Sandeau, who was put to bed, and his wounds +dressed. He said nothing, but went to sleep, or feigned to do so. + +Supper was then put upon the table, and the four persons above +mentioned sat down, for a few minutes in silence. Jacques, the captain +of the East-Indiaman, looked moody and thoughtful. He said not a word. +Suddenly, however, he was roused by hearing the young surgeon of the +_Jeune Sophie_ speak. + +'Madeleine,' said he, in a gentle but still much agitated tone of +voice, 'how is it I find you here--you whom I left at St Omer?' + +'Is this, then, the Madeleine you so often speak of?' cried the +astonished sailor. + +'It is. But speak, my dear friend.' + +'Edouard, I am here because yonder is my father, and it is my duty to +be where he is.' + +'But why is your father here?' continued the other. + +'I am here,' said the old man, fiercely turning round, 'because I am +at war with the world. For a trifling error, I was dismissed the +command of this very _Jeune Sophie_ twelve years ago. I vowed revenge, +and you see the kind of revenge I have selected.' + +'Dear father,' said Madeleine gently, 'see what an escape you have +had!' + +'Besides,' interposed Jacques, 'there was no occasion for revenge. M. +Ponceau, who had adopted me, searched for you far and wide, to give +you another ship. They dismissed you in a moment of anger. They proved +this, by giving me the command of the _Jeune Sophie_ as soon as I +could be trusted with it.' + +'What is done is done,' said Pierre, 'and I am a wrecker! I have done +wrong, but I am punished. Jacques, my boy, take away Madeleine; I see +this life is not fit for her. If I recover, I shall remain, and become +the trader of the village'---- + +'No, father, you must come with us,' observed Jacques sadly. 'You and +I and Madeleine will find some quiet spot, where none will know of the +past, and where we ourselves may learn to forget. I have already saved +enough to support us.' + +'And your wife, sir?' said the young lady, who had not hitherto +spoken. + +'Leonie, you can never marry me now. You are no fit mate for the son +of a wrecker.' + +'Jacques,' interposed the young surgeon, 'neither you nor Madeleine +has any right to suffer for the errors of your father. I made the +acquaintance of your sister at my aunt's school in St Omer. I loved +her; and before I started on this journey, I had from her a +half-promise, which I now call upon her to fulfil.' + +'What say you, Madeleine?' said Jacques gravely. + +'That I can never give my hand to a man whom I love too well to +dishonour.' + +'Madeleine, you are right, and you are a noble girl!' replied her +brother. + +'Children,' said the old man, with a groan, 'I see my crime now in its +full hideousness; but I can at least repair part of the evil done. +Now, listen to me. Let me see you follow the bent of your hearts, and +be happy, and I will go where you will, for you will have forgiven +your father. Refuse to do so, and I remain here--once a wrecker, +always a wrecker. Come, decide!' + +Madeleine held out her hand to Edouard, and Jacques to Leonie, his +friend's sister, returning from the colony where her parents had died. +The old man shut his eyes, and remained silent the rest of the +evening. + +Next day, conveyances were obtained from a neighbouring town, and the +crew and passengers departed. The reunited friends remained at +Montreaux, awaiting the recovery of Pierre, Jacques excepted, he being +forced to go to Havre, to explain events to his owners. In ten days he +returned. Old Sandeau was now able to be removed; and the whole party +left Montreaux, which was then stripped by its owners, and deserted. + +The family went to Havre. The father's savings as a captain had been +considerable. United with those of Jacques, they proved sufficient to +take a house, furnish it, and start both young couples in life. +Edouard set up as a surgeon in Havre, his brother-in-law was admitted +as junior partner into the house of Ponceau, and from that day all +prospered with them. Old Sandeau did not live long. He was crushed +under the weight of his terrible past; and his deathbed was full of +horror and remorse.[1] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] This legend is still told by the peasants of Brittany, who point +out the site of Montreaux. + + + + +LOWELL MECHANICS' FAIR. + + +There are very few places in the world that bear the mark of progress +so strongly as this town, destined, beyond all doubt, to be the +Manchester of the United States, and to enter--indeed it is now +entering--into active rivalry with the Old Country in her staple +manufactures, cottons and woollens. In the year 1821, few visited the +small, quiet village, of about 200 inhabitants, situated in a +mountain-nook at a bend of the Merrimac, at a point where that stream +fell in a natural cascade, tumbling and gushing over its rocky, +shallow bed, quite unconscious of the part it was to play in the +world's affairs. This village was twenty-five miles north-west of +Boston, not on a high-road leading anywhere; but, nevertheless, it +began to move on, as usual, by the erection of a saw-mill, as at that +point it was found convenient to arrest the downward progress of the +timber, and convert it into plank. And so it went on, and on, step by +step, till it became the splendid town it is, so large as to have two +railway depôts: one in the suburbs, and the principal one in the +centre of the town--for the Yankees think the closer their railways +are to the town the better. + +Lowell now covers five square miles, with handsome, straight streets; +the principal one, Merrimac Street, being a mile and a half in length, +and about sixty feet wide, with footways twelve feet wide, and rows of +trees between them and the road. The appearance of this street reminds +the spectator of the best in France. The loom-power of a manufacturing +place, I understand, is estimated by the number of spindles, and this +works 350,000; the mills employ 14,000 males, and 10,000 females; the +number of inhabitants reckoned stationary, 12,000. It has lately been +raised to the dignity of a city by a charter of incorporation, which, +in the state of Massachusetts, can be claimed by any town when the +number of its inhabitants amounts to 10,000: thus it appoints its +officers, and manages its own affairs, as a body corporate and +municipal. + +The most striking feature of the social system here, is the condition +of the mill-workers, of which, as it is so different from ours, I +shall give you some particulars. The corporation of Lowell has built +streets of convenient houses, for the accommodation of the workmen; +and nine-tenths of these are occupied by the unmarried. These houses +are farmed by the corporation to elderly females, whose characters +must bear the strictest investigation, and at a rent just paying a low +rate of interest for the outlay. They carry on the business under +strict rules, which limit the numbers, and determine the accommodation +of the inmates, two of whom sleep in one room. Females, whose wages +are 12s. per week, pay 6s. 6d. per week for board and lodging; for +males, the wages and cost of board are about 15 per cent. higher. +These females are housed, fed, and dressed as well as the wives and +daughters of any tradesman in Edinburgh or London. The hours of work +at the mills leave them leisure; which some spend in fancy +needle-work, so as to increase their income; and all, by arrangements +among themselves, have access to good libraries. The amusements are +balls, reading-rooms, lectures, and concerts; indeed, all the means of +intellectual cultivation are placed within their reach, and full +advantage is taken of them. There is an ambition to save money, which +they nearly all do; those in superior situations, such as overlookers, +have considerable sums in the savings-banks established by the +companies owning the mills; the workers in each mill thus putting +their weekly savings into the concern, from which they receive +interest in money, and so having an interest in the well-doing of the +mill itself, and a bond of attachment to its proprietors. In this +manner, the capital of all is constantly at work, and provision is +made for a possible slackness, which, however, has not yet befallen +Lowell. + +To this place, it is no longer a toilsome journey from Boston. +Three-quarters of an hour, in a very commodious railway-carriage, +brought me into the centre of the town, when a most interesting sight +presented itself. The railway had been pouring in for the occasion +upwards of 20,000 persons; and in the streets, all was bustle and +harmony; thousands of well-dressed persons--some of the females +elegantly so--moving in throngs here and there, all bearing the tokens +of comfort and respectability. The occasion of the gathering is called +the Mechanics' Fair, held for a fortnight, during some days of which +all mill-work is suspended; the attraction consisting of a +horticultural and cattle show, and an exhibition of the products of +art and manufactures of the county, which is Middlesex. + +The horticultural show was in the Town-hall, a large, handsome +apartment, with long aisles of tables, covered with piles of fruits +and vegetables; and such fruits! peaches, nectarines, apricots, and +the choicest plums, all of open-air growth, and not surpassed by any I +have seen--fully equal to the best hot-house productions of England. +Vegetables also very fine, all equal to the finest, except the turnip, +which in New England is small. The flowers as beautiful as in the Old +Country, but much smaller; consequently, that part of the show was +much inferior to our shows of the kind. In the evening of each day, +the fruits are put up to auction, and a good deal of merriment is +caused by this part of the entertainment. Those who supply the show +are well paid, as each morning there is a fresh supply; thus proving +that it is not the selected few that are exhibited, but the average +produce of the county. + +From thence I walked to the show of products of industry. I found a +building 600 feet in length, 40 feet wide, and two storeys high, +crammed with such a variety of articles that it is extremely difficult +to describe them, or, indeed, to reduce them to order in the mind. I +do not propose to send you a catalogue, but to convey, as far as I +can, the impression made upon me. The ground-floor is devoted to the +exhibition of agricultural implements and machinery. I have no +intention to enter into the question of our own patent laws, but I +cannot refuse to acknowledge the superiority of the arrangements here. +The greatest advantage is, that the right to an invention is so +simply, cheaply, and easily secured, that there is no filching or +ill-feeling. Talking with a very intelligent person, who was kindly +trying to give me definite ideas in this labyrinth of cranks and +wheels, by shewing and explaining to me the movements of a most +singular machine for making carding implements--I said: 'How is it, +that with these wonders, the American portion of the Crystal Palace in +London should have been so scant? Here is enough for almost an +indefinite supply: the reaping-machine is but a unit.' 'True,' he +replied, 'but we could get no guarantee for securing the patents; and +if one man was simple enough to give the English his reaping-machine, +it did not suit others to be robbed. We have little ambition about the +matter: satisfied with what we have, we cannot afford to give away +inventions for the sake of fine words.' This explained the whole to +me. + +The first store I looked over in this country was one in Boston, +having an immense stock of agricultural implements, and tools for +every mechanical purpose. I should know something of such matters, +having whistled at the plough myself, and used most of the implements; +and being therefore curious on the point, I looked in for the sake of +old associations. I am positive that every article for agricultural +and mechanical use is better made than with us, and more adapted to +its purpose--tools especially. What has been said of the plough in +London, is equally true of all other implements in use in America, +from the most complicated to the most simple. The Englishman uses what +his fathers used; the American will have the tool best adapted, +whether existing before his time or not. In favour of this superiority +in tools is the fine quality of the hard-woods used here. At the Fair +I saw some coach and chaise wheels, of the most beautiful make, of +hickory, which is as durable as metal-spokes, not thicker than the +middle finger, but strong enough for any required weight, and with +great flexibility; and from its extreme toughness, calculated for the +woodwork of implements. The apartment on the ground-floor was entirely +occupied by machines in motion, and each was attended by a person who +explained, with the greatest civility and intelligence, the uses of +the various parts of the machine, setting it going, or stopping it, as +necessary: each had its crowd of listeners; and I could not but admire +the patience and politeness of the lecturer, as he endeavoured to +explain the wondrous capabilities of his own pet machine. It would +require a volume to follow the subject thoroughly; but I will mention +what appeared to be the newest inventions, or those not known in +England. + +A crowd of ladies were watching with great attention the +Sewing-machine--sewing away with the greatest exactness, and much +stronger than by the ordinary mode with a needle, as each stitch is a +knot. The inventor was shewing it; and he said he had nearly completed +a machine for the button-holes. The next was a machine called 'The +Man'--and truly named, for a more marvellous production can scarcely +be conceived--for making implements for carding wool or cotton, the +article passing in as raw wire, going through before our eyes four +processes of the most delicate description, and finally coming out a +perfect card, with its wire-teeth exactly set, and ready for use. My +attention was drawn to the application of the Jacquard principle to a +loom engaged in weaving a calico fabric, of various colours woven with +a pattern, and thus producing an elegant article, thick, and well +adapted for bed-furniture. But the most curious and simple, and +withal, perhaps, the most important invention for facilitating +manufactures, is what is called the 'Turpin Wheel,' taking its name +from the inventor. How simple may be the birth of a great idea! We all +observe that a log under a waterfall, coming down perpendicularly upon +it, spins round, as on an axis, till it escapes. This led to the +invention in question. The water falls upon the spokes of a horizontal +wheel, which it sends round with great velocity; and by this +contrivance the force of the water is more than doubled. I must not +omit to mention the machine just invented for weaving the fabric we +call Brussels carpeting. This machine will weave twenty yards of +carpeting per day, with one female to attend it. The carpet is worth +3s. per yard, while the wages paid for human aid in its production is +1-1/4d. per yard: machinery can go little further. Let me add, that I +was informed that everything on this floor was the invention of +working-men. + +Upon ascending to the first floor, I found the apartment arranged with +stands--each stand devoted to one sort of manufacture--and attended, +as below, by an intelligent person, to shew and explain. Here was +every description of furniture, cotton, and woollen fabric; but +neither velvets nor silks, which have not, as yet, been introduced. We +know so much of our doings in England in the woollen and cotton line, +that my attention was principally attracted to these specimens. Here +was everything except the broad-cloths--all the patterns of +plaid-shawls, so beautifully imitated and executed, that they would, I +am sure, pass in Edinburgh. I saw the kerseymere fabric that obtained +the prize in London, and nothing could be more beautiful; for the +calicoes, I believe we cannot produce them cheaper or better. A writer +in a journal here, observes: 'Why should our cotton go to England to +be spun when we can spin it in Massachusetts?' A very pertinent +question, well worth thinking of at home. We should be thankful to the +projectors of the Crystal Palace, that it has opened our eyes, for +nothing else could. There is no manner of doubt, that we can learn +something beyond yacht-sailing; but we shall not open our eyes to the +widest until the arrival in our market of the first cargo of +manufactured woollens and cottons; and as surely as we have barrels of +flour and pork, we shall soon find them with us: I saw first-rate +calico, which could be sold at 2d. per yard. + +The exports of manufactured goods from this country to all parts of +the world is increasing weekly; but of all that another time, for I am +carefully collecting information. One stand I would not omit, as it +furnished evidence of the condition of the operatives. The exhibition +is managed by the mechanics themselves, and the profits are devoted to +the support of a mechanics' institute, with the usual advantages of +library, balls, and concerts, but of a very superior order; while +every female who provides any article of her own production for +exhibition and sale, has a free ticket admitting to all the advantages +of the institution. This is found a useful stimulus, as the stand for +those articles testified, consisting as they did of all descriptions +of fancy-work: rugs, chair-bottoms, table-covers, tapestry, &c. +produced in overhours, tasteful in design, and beautiful in execution. +Let me not forget an invention, which is as great a boon to sufferers +as the water-bed: it is a contrivance applied to an ordinary bedstead, +which, by turning a handle, will support any part of the body, or +place the body in any required position. It was the invention of a +mechanic, who was nine months in bed in consequence of an accident, +and felt the want of something of the kind. It is adapted to a +bedstead at a cost of L.3. + +From thence I went to the cattle-show. I could see but little of that, +as most of the animals were gone; but I was assured it was very fine. +I believe it, if what I saw was a specimen--a pair of working oxen, +perfectly white, the pair weighing 7000 pounds. In our cattle-shows at +home, we find plenty of bulk, but it destroys form and symmetry: here +both were preserved. The fowls are of the long-legged Spanish breed, +coming to table like trussed ostriches; the plump English barndoor +sort are about being introduced. I had nearly forgotten a beautiful +and extraordinary invention--a rifle, not heavier than the common one, +that will discharge twenty-four balls in succession without reloading. +Where the ramrod is usually placed, is a smaller barrel, containing, +when filled, twenty-four ball-cartridges, and, after discharging, the +action of recocking introduces another cartridge, and so on, until the +whole are discharged; the whole twenty-four can be discharged in as +many seconds! + +After leaving this interesting exhibition, where I could have lingered +a whole day, I was joined by a friend, an American--a gentleman of +great attainments in science--to whose remarks I am indebted for the +following scraps. The Merrimac, when low--as when I saw it--is a +trifling stream, having a bottom of laminated rock, worn in channels +by the stream. At spring and fall, there is ten or fifteen feet of +depth; and to remedy this inequality, an important work was undertaken +and executed: to this we bent our way. It is a canal in form, but +should more properly be called a reservoir. It is 1-1/4 miles long, 100 +feet wide, and 15 feet deep; of solid granite, sides and bottom--equal +in durability to any work, ancient or modern. It is about half way cut +through the solid granite rock, which in that part furnishes a natural +wall. My friend had watched its progress, and gave me many interesting +details of the engineering processes employed: among others, the +tremendous application of steam and gunpowder. An engine bored holes +in the rock fifteen feet deep and twelve inches in diameter; and these +were so placed, and in such numbers, that at a single blast 170 tons +of granite were blown into the air--an operation hardly conceivable. +This canal leaves the town in a westerly direction--being, at its +outset, about a quarter of a mile from the Merrimac, but gradually +approximating for a quarter of a mile, until it touches and unites +with that river. Between the two, is one of the prettiest of public +walks, ten feet wide, having rows of trees on each side, and +terminating in a point; being the end of a splendid granite wall, at +its base thirty feet thick, and tapering to half the thickness, +dividing the natural from the artificial stream. Here we come to a +point of great interest: on the right is an artificial dam across the +river, with two sharp lines at an angle of sixty-seven degrees, the +point meeting the stream, thus stopping the waters, and insuring a +supply for the reservoir, while it forms a cascade of about twenty +feet. + +My friend gave me a very graphic description of the opening of the +works. The whole was built in a cofferdam, quite dry, and the opening +was a holiday. Every spot within sight was covered with spectators, +for whom the engineer had contrived a surprise. The works used in +keeping the water out of the reservoir, and protecting the new dam, +were undermined, and charged with gunpowder. At a given signal, the +train was fired, and in an instant the whole blew up; and when the +smoke cleared away, the fragments were floating down the Merrimac, and +the canal full of water. + +On the left from the point, the egress of water is regulated by +flood-gates of a superior construction. The building crosses the +canal, and contains seven huge gates, which are raised or dropped into +their places by beautiful machinery. To each gate is attached an +immense screw, which stands perpendicularly, twenty feet long and ten +inches in diameter. At its upper end, it passes through a matrix-worm +in the centre of a large cog-wheel, lying horizontally The whole is +set in motion by the slightest turning of a handle; and here I saw the +application of the Turpin Wheel I spoke of before--no engine or +complication, but a wheel fifteen feet in diameter, fixed +horizontally, submerged in the stream, receiving the falling waters, +and thus rapidly revolving, and by a gear, giving motion to the +machinery for raising or lowering the immense gates, stopped or set +going by merely turning a stop-cock, and requiring no more force than +an ordinary water-cistern. + +I cannot leave this interesting spot without an attempt to describe +the beautiful scene. A little to the right, the river widens into a +sort of bay, with several fine islands covered with wood; in front, +across the stream, as far as the eye can reach, are the forests of New +Hampshire, with occasional headlands of greensward. In the autumn, it +has exactly the appearance of a gigantic flower-garden--the trees +being of every imaginable colour. 'Ah!' said my friend, 'this is an +interesting spot: it was the favourite residence and hunting-ground of +the Chippewas. The Indians, like your monks of old in Europe, always +chose the most beautiful and picturesque sites for their dwellings; +but they have retired before the advance of a civilisation they could +not share or appreciate.' Talking in this way, as we returned, he +called my attention to a singular phenomenon in the river. At some +remote period there was, and it remains to the present moment, a rock +standing in the middle of the stream, about twelve feet in diameter at +the top, of an irregular form, and of the hardest granite. By the +action of the water, a mass of granite had been thrown on the top, +where it lodged. At high-water, perhaps during three months in each +year, the stream had caused this mass to revolve on its own axis, +until it has worn itself of a round figure, and worn also the rock +into a cup, now about six feet deep. Still, it revolves when the water +reaches it--nature still plays at this cup-and-ball--the ball weighing +five tons. Talk of this sort brought us to the railway. In due time I +reached home; and I do not remember to have ever been more interested +than by the day spent at Lowell. + + + + +THE SEA AND THE POETS. + + +Of three poets, each the most original in his language, and each +peculiarly susceptible of impressions from external nature--Horace, +Shakspeare, and Burns--not one seems to have appreciated the beauty, +the majestic sublimity, the placid loveliness, alternating with the +terrific grandeur, of the 'many-sounding sea.' Judging from their +incidental allusions to it, and the use they make of it in metaphor +and imagery, it would seem to have presented itself to their +imaginations only as a fierce, unruly, untamable, and unsightly +monster, to be loathed and avoided--a blot on the fair face of +creation--a necessary evil, perhaps; but still an evil, and most +certainly suggestive of no ideas poetic in their character. + +It is marvellous, for there is not one of these poets who does not +discover a lively sense of the varied charms of universal nature, and +has not painted them in glowing colours with the pencil of a master. +Who has not noted with what evident love, with what a +nicely-discriminative knowledge Shakspeare has pictured our English +flowers, our woodland glades, the forest scenery of Old England, +before the desolating axe had prostrated the pride of English woods? +How vividly has not Burns translated into vigorous verse each feature +of his native landscape, till + + ---- 'Auld Coila's plains and fells, + Her muirs, red-brown wi' heather-bells, + Her banks and braes, her dens and dells,' + +live again in the magic of his song. And Horace--with what charming +playfulness, with what exquisite grace, has he not figured the +olive-groves of Tibur, the pendent vines ruddy with the luscious +grape, the silver streams, the sparkling fountains and purple skies of +fruitful Campania! Looking on nature with a poet's eye, as did these +poets, one and all of them, is it not a psychological mystery that +none of them should have detected the ineffable beauty of a +sea-prospect? + +First, as to Horace. When climbing the heights of Mount Vultur, that +Lucanian hill where once, when overcome by fatigue, the youthful poet +lay sleeping, and doves covered his childish and wearied limbs with +leaves--Horace must have often viewed, with their wide expanse +glittering in the sun, the waters of the Adriatic--often must he have +hailed the grateful freshness of the sea-breeze and the invigorating +perfumes of + + ---- 'the early sea-smell blown + Through vineyards from some inland bay.' + +Yet about this sea, which should have kindled his imagination and +inspired his genius, this thankless bard poetises in a vein such as a +London citizen, some half-century back, might have indulged in after a +long, tedious, 'squally' voyage in an overladen Margate hoy. + +No such spirit possessed him as that which dictated poor Campbell's +noble apostrophe to the glorious 'world of waters:' + + ---- 'Earth has not a plain + So boundless or so beautiful as thine; + The eagle's vision cannot take it in; + The lightning's glance, too weak to sweep its space, + Sinks half-way o'er it, like a wearied bird: + It is the mirror of the stars, where all + Their hosts within the concave firmament, + Gay marching to the music of the spheres, + Can see themselves at once.' + +Horace, indeed, has sung the praises of Tarentum--that beautiful +maritime city of the Calabrian Gulf, whose attractions were such as to +make _the delights of Tarentum_ a common proverbial expression. But +what were these delights as celebrated by our poet?--the perfection of +its honey, the excellence of its olives, the abundance of its grapes, +its lengthened spring and temperate winter. For these, its merits, did +Horace prefer, as he tells us, Tarentum to every other spot on the +wide earth--his beloved Tibur only and ever excepted. In truth, Horace +valued and visited the sea-side only in winter, and then simply +because its climate was milder than that to be met with inland, and +therefore more agreeable to the dilapidated constitution of a +sensitive valetudinarian. His commentators suppose he produced nothing +during his marine hybernations: if the inclement season froze 'the +genial current of his soul,' the aspect of the sea did not thaw it. + +His motive for his sea-side trips is amusingly set forth in one of the +most lively and characteristic of his Epistles--the fifteenth of the +first book. In this he inquires of a friend what sort of winter +weather is to be found at Velia and Salernum; two cities, one on the +Adriatic, the other on the Mediterranean seaboard of Italy--what +manner of roads they had--whether the people there drank tank-water or +spring-water--and whether hares, boars, crabs, and fish were with them +abundant. He adds, he is not apprehensive about their wines--knowing +these, as we may infer, to be good--although usually, when from home, +he is scrupulous about his liquors; whilst, when at home, he can put +up almost with anything in the way of potations. It is quite plain +Horace went down to the sea just in the spirit in which a turtle-fed +alderman would transfer himself to Cheltenham; or in which a fine +lady, whose nerves the crush, hurry, and late hours of a London season +had somewhat disturbed, would exchange the dissipations of Mayfair for +the breezy hills of Malvern, or the nauseous waters of Tunbridge +Wells. + +This certainly explains, and perhaps excuses, the grossly uncivil +terms in which alone he notices the sea. One of the worst of Ulysses' +troubles was, according to him, the numerous and lengthy sea-voyages +which that Ithacan gadabout had to take. Horace wishes for Mævius, who +was his aversion, no worse luck than a rough passage and shipwreck at +the end of it. His notion of a happy man--_ille beatus_--is one who +has not to dread the sea. Augustus, whose success had blessed not only +his own country, but the whole world, had--not the least of his +blessings--given to the seamen a calmed sea--_pacatum mare_. Lamenting +at Virgil's departure for Athens, he rebukes the impiety of the first +mariner who ventured, in the audacity of his heart, to go afloat and +cross the briny barrier interposed between nations. He esteems a +merchant favoured specially by the gods, should he twice or thrice a +year return in safety from an Atlantic cruise. He tells us he himself +had known the terrors of 'the dark gulf of the Adriatic,' and had +experienced 'the treachery of the western gale;' and expresses a +charitable wish, that the enemies of the Roman state were exposed to +the delights of both. He likens human misery to a sea 'roughened by +gloomy winds;' 'to embark once more on the mighty sea,' is his +figurative expression for once more engaging in the toils and troubles +of the world; Rome, agitated by the dangers of civil conflict, +resembles an ill-formed vessel labouring tempest-tossed in the waves; +his implacable Myrtale resembles the angry Adriatic, in which also he +finds a likeness to an ill-tempered lover. All through, from first to +last, the gentle Horace pelts with most ungentle phrases one of the +noblest objects in nature, provocative alike of our admiration and our +awe, our terror and our love. + +And even Shakspeare must be ranged in the same category. The most +English of poets has not one laudatory phrase for + + ---- 'The seas + Which God hath given for fence impregnable' + +to the poet's England. It is idle to say that Shakspeare was +inland-bred--that he knew nothing, and could therefore have cared +nothing about the matter--seeing that, insensible as he might have +been to its beauties, he makes constant reference to the sea, and even +in language implying that his familiarity with it was not inferior to +that of any yachtsman who has ever sailed out of Cowes Harbour. He +uses nautical terms frequently and appropriately. Romeo's rope-ladder +is 'the high top-gallant of his joy;' King John, dying of poison, +declares 'the tackle of his heart is cracked,' and 'all the shrouds +wherewith his life should sail' wasted 'to a thread.' Polonius tells +Laertes, 'the wind sits in the shoulder of your sail'--a technical +expression, the singular propriety of which a naval critic has +recently established; whilst some of the commentators on the passage +in _King Lear_, descriptive of the prospect from Dover Cliffs, affirm +that the comparison as to apparent size, of the ship to her cock-boat, +and the cock-boat to a buoy, discover a perfect knowledge of the +relative proportions of the objects named. In _Hamlet_, _Othello_, +_The Tempest_, _The Merchant of Venice_, _The Comedy of Errors_, +_Twelfth Night_, _Winter's Tale_, _Measure for Measure_, and +_Pericles_, sea-storms are made accessory to the development of the +plot, and sometimes described with a force and truthfulness which +forbid the belief that the writer had never witnessed such scenes: +however, like Horace, it is in the darkest colours that Shakspeare +uniformly paints 'the multitudinous seas.' + +In the _Winter's Tale_, we read of-- + + ---- 'the fearful usage + (Albeit ungentle) of the dreadful Neptune.' + +In _Henry V._, of 'the furrowed sea,' 'the lofty surge,' 'the +inconstant billows dancing;' in _Henry VI._, Queen Margaret finds in +the roughness of the English waters a presage of her approaching wo; +in _Richard III._, Clarence's dream figures to us all the horrors of +'the vasty deep;' in _Henry VIII._, Wolsey indeed speaks of 'a sea of +glory,' but also of his shipwreck thereon; in _The Tempest_ we read of +'the never surfeited sea,' and of the 'sea-marge sterile and +rocky-hard;' in the _Midsummer's Night Dream_, 'the sea' is 'rude,' +and from it the winds 'suck up contagious fogs;' _Hamlet_ is as 'mad +as the sea and wind;' the violence of Laertes and the insurgent Danes +is paralleled to an irruption of the sea, 'overpeering of his list;' +in the well-known soliloquy is the expression, 'a sea of troubles,' +which, in spite of Pope's suggested and tasteless emendation, +commentators have shewn to have been used proverbially by the Greeks, +and more than once by Æschylus and Menander. Still, Shakspeare, again +like Horace, was not insensible to the merits of sea-air in a sanitary +point of view. Dionyza, meditating Marina's murder, bids her take what +the Brighton doctor's call 'a constitutional' by the sea-side, adding +that-- + + ---- 'the air is quick there, + Piercing and sharpens well the stomach.' + +As to Burns, his most fervent admirer can scarcely complain when we +involve him in the censure to which we have already subjected Horace +and Shakspeare. He, too, writes about the sea in such a fashion, that +we should hardly have suspected, what is true, that he was born almost +within hearing of its waves; that much of his life was passed on its +shores or near them, and that at a time of life when external objects +most vividly impress themselves on the senses, and exercise the +largest influence on the taste. + +The genius of 'Old Coila,' in sketching the poet's early life, says-- + + 'I saw thee seek the sounding shore, + Delighted with the dashing roar;' + +but few tokens of this 'delight' are to be observed in his poetry. He +has, indeed, his allusions to 'tumbling billows' and 'surging foam;' +to southern climes where 'wild-meeting oceans boil;' to 'life's rough +ocean' and 'life's stormy main;' to 'hard-blowing gales;' to the +'raging sea,' 'raging billows,' 'boundless oceans roaring wide,' and +the like; but these are the stock-metaphors of every poet, and would +be familiar to him even had he never overpassed the frontiers of +Bohemia. + +One sea-picture, and one alone, is to be found in Burns, and this, it +is freely admitted, is exquisite: + + 'Behold the hour, the boat arrive; + Thou goest, thou darling of my heart! + Severed from thee, can I survive? + But fate has willed, and we must part. + I'll often greet this surging swell, + Yon distant isle will often hail: + E'en here I took the last farewell; + There latest marked her vanished sail. + + Along the solitary shore, + While flitting sea-fowl round me cry, + Across the rolling, dashing roar, + I'll westward turn my wistful eye: + Happy thou Indian grove, I'll say, + Where now my Nancy's path may be! + While through thy sweets she loves to stray, + Oh! tell me, does she muse on me?' + +This charming lyric, the pathetic tenderness of which commends it to +every feeling heart, is all that Burns has left in evidence that the +sea had to him, at least, one poetic aspect. + + + + +CURIOSITIES OF CHESS. + + +More has perhaps been written about chess-playing than any other of +the games which human ingenuity has invented for recreative purposes, +and it is not easy to foresee the time when dissertation or discovery +on the subject shall be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Scarcely +a year passes that does not add something to our knowledge of the +history of the royal game; and among the latest additions, the able +paper by Mr Bland, published in the _Journal of the Royal Asiatic +Society_, is not the least deserving of notice. It contains many +curious particulars and remarks, interspersed in its dry and technical +narrative, sufficient to form a page or two of pleasant reading for +those--and they are not few--to whom chess is interesting. + +We must premise that Mr Bland takes three but little-known Oriental +manuscripts as the groundwork of his observations; one of them, in the +Persian character, is said to be 'probably unique,' though, +unfortunately, very imperfect. It bears no date or author's name, +these being lost with the missing portions, but the treatise itself +contains internal evidence of very high antiquity. The author, whoever +he was, tells us that he had travelled much through Persia and the +adjacent countries, from the age of fifteen until the middle period of +life, during which he gained the knowledge and experience which +enabled him to write his book. Besides which, he measured his strength +with many masters of the art of chess-playing, adding on each occasion +to his reputation as a conqueror: 'and whereas,' as he relates, 'the +greater number of professors were deficient in the art of playing +without looking at the board, I myself played so against four +adversaries at once, and at the same time against another opponent in +the usual manner, and, by divine favour, won all the games.' Here, +singularly enough, we find a Persian Staunton making himself famous +perhaps long before Norman William thought of invading Britain--so +true it is, that in mere intellectual achievements we have scarcely +surpassed bygone generations. He, the Persian, evidently entertained a +comfortable idea of his own abilities; for he boasts largely of the +improvements and new moves or positions which he has introduced into +the game. He disputes, too, the authenticity of the belief, that chess +was originally invented in India, and that it was first introduced +into Persia in the sixth century of our era by a physician, whom +Nushirwan had sent to seek for the work known as Pilpay's Fables. On +the contrary, he contends that chess, in its original and most +developed form, is purely a Persian invention, and that the modern +game is but an abridgment of the ancient one. In how far this +statement is borne out by the fact, we have at present no means of +knowing; and until some more complete manuscript or other work shall +be brought to light which may supply the want, we must rest content +with the account familiar to most readers--that chess was invented by +an Indian physician for the diversion of the monarch, his master, and +the reward claimed in grains of corn, beginning with one grain on the +first square of the board, and doubling the number in regularly +increasing progression up to the last. + +We may here briefly state what the ancient, or, as it is commonly +called in the East, 'Timour's Game,' was. It required a board with 110 +squares and 56 men--almost as many again as are used in modern +chess--and the moves were extremely complicated and difficult to +learn. The rectangularity of the board was interrupted by four lateral +squares, which served as a fort, or special point of defence for the +king, whose powers, as well as those of the other pieces, were in many +respects different from those at present known. 'Timour's mind,' we +are told, 'was too exalted to play at the Little Chess, and therefore +he played only at the Great Chess, on a board of ten squares by +eleven, with the addition of two camels, two zarafahs,' and other +pieces, with Persian designations. + +Next we come to a complete chapter, entitled the 'Ten Advantages of +Chess,' in which the views and reasonings are eminently Oriental and +characteristic. The first explains that food and exercise are good for +the mind as well as for the body, and that chess is a most excellent +means for quickening the intellect, and enabling it to gain knowledge. +'For the glory of man is knowledge, and chess is the nourishment of +the mind, the solace of the spirit, the polisher of intelligence, the +bright sun of understanding, and has been preferred by the +philosopher, its inventor, to all other means by which we arrive at +wisdom.' The second advantage is in the promotion and cultivation of +religion; predestination and free-will are both exemplified--the +player being able to move where he will, yet always in obedience to +certain laws. 'Whereas,' says the writer, 'Nerd--that is, Eastern +backgammon--on the contrary, is mere free-will, while in dice, again, +all is compulsion.' The third and fourth advantages relate to +government and war; and the fifth to astronomy, illustrating its +several phenomena as shewn by the text, according to which 'the board +represents the heavens, in which the squares are the celestial houses, +and the pieces, stars. The superior pieces are likened to the moving +stars; and the pawns, which have only one movement, to the fixed +stars. The king is as the sun, and the wazir in place of the moon, and +the elephants and taliah in the place of Saturn, and the rukhs and +dabbabah in that of Mars, and the horses and camel in that of Jupiter, +and the ferzin and zarafah in that of Venus; and all these pieces have +their accidents, corresponding with the trines and quadrates, and +conjunction and opposition, and ascendancy and decline--such as the +heavenly bodies have; and the eclipse of the sun is figured by shah +caim or stale mate;' and much more to the same purport. We question +whether the astronomer-royal ever suspected he was illustrating his +own science when engaged in one of his quiet games of chess with the +master of trinity. + +The sixth advantage is somewhat astrological in character: as there +are four principal movements of chess, these answer to the four +physical temperaments, Cold, Warm, Dry, and Wet, which are ruled by +their respective planets; and thus each piece on the board is made to +have its peculiar significance in relation with the stars. It is +further shewn, that chess-playing is remedial against many of the +lesser bodily ailments; 'and no illness is more grievous than hunger +and thirst, yet both of these, when the mind is engaged in chess, are +no longer thought of.' Next in order, the seventh advantage, is 'in +obtaining repose for the soul;' as the author observes: 'The soul hath +illnesses like as the body hath, and the cure of these last is known; +but of the soul's illness there be also many kinds, and of these I +will mention a few.' These are ignorance, disobedience, haste, +cunning, avarice, tyranny, lying, pride, deceit, and envy. Deceit is +said to be of two kinds: that which deceives others, and that which +deceives ourselves. But of all evils, ignorance is the greatest; 'for +it is the soul's death, as learning is its life; and for this disease +is chess an especial cure, since there is no way by which men arrive +more speedily at knowledge and wisdom; and in like manner, by its +practice, all the faults which form the diseases of the soul are +converted into their corresponding virtues.' It is not to be doubted +that chess-playing may keep individuals out of mischief; but, whatever +may have been the case in ancient times, we do not hear of its +transforming vicious characters into virtuous ones in our days. + +The eighth advantage is social, inasmuch as it brings men of different +degrees together, and promotes their intimacy and friendship; and +'advantage the ninth, is in wisdom and knowledge, and that wise men do +play chess; and to those who object that foolish men also play chess, +and, though constantly engaged in it, become no wiser, it may be +answered, that the distinction between wise and foolish men in playing +chess, is as that of man and beast in eating of the tree--that the man +chooses its ripe and sweet fruit, while the beast eats but the leaves +and branches, and the unripe and bitter fruit; and so it is with +players at chess--the wise man plays for those virtues and advantages +which have been already mentioned, and the foolish man plays it but +for mere sport and gambling, and regards not its advantages and +virtues. This is the condition of the wise man and foolish man in +playing chess.' From this it seems a descent to the tenth advantage, +which is, that chess combines war with sport; and pleasant allegories +are made subservient to the inculcation of sound truths and important +principles. + +Next comes an explanation of the mode in which Great Chess was played, +with the nature and value of the various moves. Among the hard +technicalities with which it abounds, the writer takes occasion to +condemn the practice of giving a different value to the piece which +may have reached the end of the board; 'for,' as he says, 'what is +more natural or just than that men should occupy the station of their +predecessors, and that the son of a king should become a king, and a +general's son attain the rank of a general.' An instance of rigid +caste-law carried into a harmless recreation. + +In another manuscript, chess is shewn to have something to do with a +man's fortunes: he who could watch a game without speaking, was held +to be discreet, and qualified for a government office. And conquerors +are enjoined not to boast of their success; not to say, even if such +be the case, that they have won all the games, but that they have 'won +some.' Exemplary virtue is not, however, claimed for chess-players, as +in the former instance, for some are said to be continually 'swearing +false oaths, and making many vain excuses;' and again, 'You never see +a chess-player rich, who is not a sordid miser, nor hear a squabbling +that is not a question of the chess-board.' On the other hand, there +were 'rules of politeness in chess,' which it behoved all persons to +follow:--'He who is lowest in rank is to spread the board, and pour +out the men on it, and then wait patiently till his superior has made +his choice; then he who is inferior may take his own men, and place +all of them except the king, and when the senior in rank has placed +his own king, he may also place his opposite to it.' During the game, +'all foolish talk and ribaldry' is to be avoided, and onlookers are +'to keep silence, and to abstain from remarks and advice to the +players;' and an inferior, when playing with a superior, is enjoined +to exert his utmost skill, and not 'underplay himself that his senior +may win'--an observation which what is called the 'flunkey class' +might remember with advantage. And further, chess is not to be played +'when the mind is engaged with other objects, nor when the stomach is +full after a meal, neither when overcome by hunger, nor on the day of +taking a bath; nor, in general, while suffering under any pain, bodily +or mental.' + +Chess-playing without looking at the board, now taught by professors, +and supposed to be a comparatively modern art, was, as we have seen +above, known and practised many centuries ago; and among the +instructions last quoted are those for playing the 'blindfold-game.' +The player is 'to picture to himself the board as divided first into +two opposite sides, and then each side into halves, those of the king +and the queen, so that when his naib, or deputy, announces that 'such +a knight has been played to the second of the queen's rook,' or 'the +queen to the king's bishop's third,' he may immediately understand its +effect on the position of the game. This mode of playing, however, is +not recommended to those who do not possess a powerful memory, with +great reflection and perseverance, 'without which no man can play +blindfold.' These, with other instructions, are followed by the +author's remark, 'that some have arrived to such a degree of +perfection as to have played blindfold at four or five boards at a +time, nor to have made a mistake in any of the games, and to have +recited poetry during the match;' and he adds: 'I have seen it written +in a book, that a certain person played in this manner at ten boards +at once, and gained all the games, and even corrected his adversaries +when a mistake was made.' + +Besides their conventional value, the pieces had a money value, which +was essential to be known by all who desired to win. The rook and +knight were estimated at about sixpence each; the queen, threepence; +the pawns, three-halfpence; and the 'side-pawns,' three farthings. The +value of bishops varied, while the king was beyond all price. The +regulations respecting odds were also well defined, in degrees from a +single pawn up to a knight and rook; but any one claiming the latter +odds was held not 'to count as a chess-player.' And it was not unusual +for works on chess to contain puzzling problems, representations of +drawn games, and well-combined positions. Some authors describe five +different kinds of chess: one had 10 × 10, or 100 squares; another was +oblong, 16 × 4, which employed dice as well as the usual pieces; +another board was circular, with a central spot for the king, where he +could intrench himself in safety; another represented the zodiac, with +spaces for each planet, according to the number of houses or mansions +assigned by astrologers. The ingenuity did not end here: chess was +made to illustrate dreams, and to embellish many amusing games and +recreations. Odes and poems were written upon it, and the poets at +times exhibited their skill in a play upon words--for instance: + + 'When my beloved learnt the chess-play of cruelty, + In the very beginning of the game her sweet cheek + (rukh) took my heart captive.' + +It served also to point riddles, some of which exhibit remarkable +ingenuity, as shewn by the following example, where the name of +Mohammed is enigmatically embodied. It is thus rendered: + + 'The vow of Moses twice repeat; + The principles of life and heat; + The squares of chess, in order due, + Must take their place between these two; + When thus arranged, a name appears, + Which every Muslim heart reveres.' + +The solution, as given by a reverend ulema of Constantinople to a +learned German who could not solve the mystery, is: 'Take the "vow of +Moses," which is 40; double it, and it becomes 80, equivalent to the +two Mims in the name Muhammed. Place under these the bases of the +temperaments--that is, the elements--which are four (the power of the +letter D); then take the number of the houses (or squares) of chess, +which are eight in a row, and place it (8 being equal to the letter H) +between the two Ms, and you have the name of the prophet, Muhammed +(MHMD.') + +'It has been necessary,' observes Mr Bland, 'to turn the Arabic +commentary a little, in order to make the solution more intelligible +to those unacquainted with the trick of Eastern riddles. Some further +explanation is also required to illustrate the solution itself. +The vow of Moses refers to his forty days' fast; the four +temperaments--the bile, the atrabile, phlegm, and blood--are +represented in the Arabian system of physics by the four elements, +which are considered to be connected with them; the figures refer to +the numerical power of the _abjad_, or alphabet; and the enigma itself +has been attributed, though on uncertain grounds, to Ali, the +son-in-law of the prophet.' + + + + +'THE SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT.' + + +Under this title has lately been produced a novelty in our literature, +the memoirs of an eminent commercial man.[2] Samuel Budgett died in +May 1851, at the age of fifty-seven. Though starting in life without +capital or credit, he had, by the sheer exercise of his own innate +qualities, risen to the head of one of the most colossal _concerns_ in +England. Had he been merely a clever bargainer, and a skilful +organiser of business arrangements, there might have been some value +in his memoirs, as a guidance to young mercantile aspirants; but +Budgett was something more than all this, and his biography serves the +far higher purpose of shewing how a man may be at once a most adroit +merchandiser, and a man of liberal practice, and a true lover of his +kind. Let it not be supposed that he was a _soft_ man, who had +prospered through some lucky accident. He really was a thorough-paced +follower of the maxim which recommends buying in the cheapest and +selling in the dearest market: he was reputed as _keen_ in business. +But he was also kind-hearted and high-principled, and it is this union +of remarkable qualities which gives his memoirs their best value. + +Mr Budgett was a general provision-merchant at Bristol, with also a +large warehouse at Kingswood Hill, where his private residence was. +His biographer presents him as he came daily into town to attend to +business. 'You might have often seen driving into Bristol, a man under +the middle size, verging towards sixty, wrapped up in a coat of deep +olive, with gray hair, an open countenance, a quick brown eye, and an +air less expressive of polish than of push. He drives a phaeton, with +a first-rate horse, at full speed. He looks as if he had work to do, +and had the art of doing it. On the way, he overtakes a woman carrying +a bundle. In an instant, the horse is reined up by her side, and a +voice of contagious promptitude tells her to put up her bundle and +mount. The voice communicates to the astonished pedestrian its own +energy. She is forthwith seated, and away dashes the phaeton. In a few +minutes, the stranger is deposited in Bristol, with the present of +some pretty little book, and the phaeton hastes on to Nelson Street. +There it turns into the archway of an immense warehouse. "Here, boy; +take my horse, take my horse!" It is the voice of the head of the +firm. The boy flies. The master passes through the offices as if he +had three days' work to do. Yet his eye notes everything. He reaches +his private office. He takes from his pocket a memorandum-book, on +which he has set down, in order, the duties of the day. A boy waits at +the door. He glances at his book, and orders the boy to call a clerk. +The clerk is there promptly, and receives his instructions in a +moment. "Now, what is the next thing?" asks the master, glancing at +his memorandum. Again the boy is on the wing, and another clerk +appears. He is soon dismissed. "Now, what is the next thing?" again +looking at the memorandum. At the call of the messenger, a young man +now approaches the office door. He is a "traveller;" but +notwithstanding the habitual push and self-possession of his class, he +evidently is approaching his employer with reluctance and +embarrassment. He almost pauses at the entrance. And now that he is +face to face with the strict man of business, he feels much confused. + +"Well, what's the matter? I understand you can't make your cash quite +right." + +"No, sir." + +"How much are you short?" + +"Eight pounds, sir." + +"Never mind; I am quite sure you have done what is right and +honourable. It is some mistake; and you won't let it happen again. +Take this and make your account straight." + +'The young man takes the proffered paper. He sees an order for ten +pounds; and retires as full of admiration as he had approached full of +anxiety. + +"Now, what is the next thing?" This time a porter is summoned. He +comes forward as if he expected rebuke. "Oh! I have got such a +complaint reported against you. You know that will never do. You must +not let that occur again." + +'Thus, with incredible dispatch, matter after matter is settled, and +all who leave that office go to their work as if some one had oiled +all their joints. + +'At another time, you find the master passing through the warehouse. +Here, his quick glance descries a man who is moving drowsily, and he +says a sharp word that makes him, in a moment, nimble. There, he sees +another blundering at his work. He had no idea that the master's eye +was upon him, till he finds himself suddenly supplanted at the job. In +a trice, it is done; and his master leaves him to digest the +stimulant. Now, a man comes up to tell him of some plan he has in his +mind, for improving something in his own department of the business. +"Yes, thank you, that's a good idea;" and putting half-a-crown into +his hand, he passes on. In another place he finds a man idling. You +can soon see, that of all spectacles this is the one least to his +mind. "If you waste five minutes, that is not much; but probably if +you waste five minutes yourself, you lead some one else to waste five +minutes, and that makes ten. If a third follow your example, that +makes a quarter of an hour. Now, there are about a hundred and eighty +of us here; and if every one wasted five minutes in a day, what would +it come to? Let me see. Why, it would be fifteen hours; and fifteen +hours a day would be ninety hours--about eight days, working-time, in +a week; and in a year, would be four hundred days. Do you think we +could ever stand waste like that?" The poor loiterer is utterly +confounded. He had no idea of eating up fifteen hours, much less four +hundred days, of his good employer's time; and he never saw before how +fast five minutes could be multiplied.' + +Mr Budgett was the son of a worthy couple, not exactly in poor, but in +rather difficult circumstances. He had little school education; but +his mother gave him a good religious training. From his earliest +intelligent years, he loved traffic. His first transaction was getting +a penny for a horse-shoe which he had found. Discovering that for a +half-penny he got six marbles, but for a penny fourteen, he bought +pennyworths and sold them in half-pennyworths to his companions, thus +realising a profit. Meeting an old woman with a basket of cucumbers, +he bought them, and by selling them again, realised ninepence. Truly +in his case the boy was father to the man. But, what was notable in +him, he would give away his accumulated profits all at once, in the +purchase of a hymn-book, or for the relief of some poor person. Even +then, it was not for sordid or selfish ends that he trafficked. In +these early years, his singular tact also came out. 'I remember,' he +said, 'about 1806 or 1807, a young man called on my mother, from Mr +D---- of Shepton, to solicit orders in the grocery trade. His +introduction and mode of treating my mother were narrowly watched by +me, particularly when she asked the price of several articles. On +going in to my father, she remarked, there would be no advantage in +dealing with Mr D----, as she could not see that his prices were any +lower than those she was in the habit of giving. I slipped aside, and +began to think: "Why, that young man might have got my mother's trade, +if he had known how; if, instead of mentioning so many articles, he +had just offered one or two at a lower price than we have been in the +habit of giving, she would have been induced to try those articles; +and thus he would have been introduced, most likely, to her whole +trade: beside, his manner was rather loose, and not of the most modest +and attractive kind." I believe the practical lesson then learned has, +since that, been worth to me thousands of pounds--namely, +Self-interest is the mainspring of human actions: you have only to lay +before persons, in a strong light, that what you propose is to their +own interest, and you will generally accomplish your purpose.' There +are certainly few boys of twelve years who would have caught up such +an idea as this from so common-place a circumstance. + +By the time he was fourteen, he had realised thirty pounds by private +barter. He gave the money to help his parents. When put as apprentice +to an elder brother, a grocer in Kingswood Hill, it might have been +expected that he would speedily distinguish himself; and so he might +have done as far as intellect was concerned; but, unluckily, his +strength was at first inadequate for his duties, and his brother +actually sent him away as hopeless. With great difficulty, he made his +way into another trader's employment, and there he gave entire +satisfaction. His brother, then, reclaimed him, and though offered a +higher salary where he was, he returned to serve out his time. Long +before that period had arrived, he was beginning to soar above retail +business. 'The markets were well watched, every advantage of time or +change turned to account, and his singular power of cheap buying +exerted with all vigour. The trade steadily grew; every now and then +those in their own line were surprised at the sales they were able to +make, and the neighbourhood resounded with the news of the great +bargains to be had at Budgett's. As custom increased, so did envy and +accusation. Many scrupled not to declare, that they sold cheaper than +they bought, and therefore must soon come to an end; yet they went on, +year by year, in steady and rapid increase.... He already seemed to +descry in the distance the possibility of a great wholesale +establishment; but this must be reached by little and little. He would +not attempt what he could not accomplish. Any sudden bound, therefore, +by which he was at once to pass the gulf now separating him from his +object, was not to be thought of. A little at a time; secure what you +have, work it well, make it fruitful, and then push on a little +farther; but never stretch out to anything new till all the old is +perfectly cultivated.' + +The brother, who was fifteen years his senior, and a man of ordinary +character, was borne on by the towering genius of Samuel the +apprentice. 'Among the customers of the shop were numbers of good +women, who came from villages at a few miles' distance, mounted on +donkeys. As the flow of purchasers was great, a crowd of these patient +steeds would often be for a long time about the door, while their +respective mistresses were obtaining goods. In this concourse from a +distance, the quick eye of Samuel discovered the germ of an extended +trade. Why should he not go into their neighbourhood regularly, and +obtain their orders; so securing their custom always, and affording +them accommodation, while he obtained new chances of extension? His +brother was much more inclined to pursue the regular course than to +branch into anything new; and the caution of the one probably acted as +a useful counterbalance to the energy of the other. But Samuel was not +to be held within the shop-walls: he had his plans for erecting a +great business, and no power could restrain him. He soon set forth to +the villages of Doynton and Pucklechurch, and arranged to meet the +good folks at fixed times, in one house or another convenient for +them, and there to receive their orders. He made himself their friend: +he was hearty, familiar, and in earnest; he noticed their children; he +knew their ways; and he rapidly gained their favour, and effected +considerable sales.' + +'This point gained, he began to talk of supplying the smaller shops. +"Why should not we supply them as well as other people?" His brother +shrank from anything that seemed to approach the wholesale. He feared +that they would get beyond their means, and wished to pursue only the +old course. Samuel could wait, but he could not surrender. Supply the +smaller shops he would, and by degrees he managed to accomplish it. +Very gradually, the range of this quasi-wholesale trade extended. +Firmly keeping to his purpose of working all he had got, and going on +little by little, he made no abrupt enterprise--no great dash; but on, +on he plodded in the humblest way, caring nothing for show, but +careful that every foot of ground under him was solid. He gradually +began to make a modest sort of commercial journey; and among tradesmen +to whom he would not venture to offer the higher articles of grocery, +raised a considerable trade in such descriptions of goods as he might +supply without seeming to push into too important a sphere.' + +Having made a lucky purchase of butter, Samuel went amongst traders of +his own kind for orders, and at first met with little but contempt. He +persevered, nevertheless, and in a little time made his way. By little +and little his house, of which he became a partner, acquired a +footing, and began to be talked of as a kind of prodigy for a village. +The leading principle followed, was to do business entirely by +ready-money, in buying as in selling. A wonder may be felt how Mr +Budgett contrived, with no advantage of capital at starting, to act +upon this rule. The plan is simple, and may be easily followed. Let +the transactions be in a proper proportion to the means. It looks a +slow plan; but, in reality, by securing an exemption from pecuniary +embarrassment, it allows a business, other circumstances being equal, +to go on faster than might otherwise be the case. Mr Budgett could +accept small profits on his ready-money transactions, and by their +frequency, outstrip heavier-pursed but also heavier-minded men. + +The leading maxims of Samuel Budgett in business were--_Tact_, _Push_, +and _Principle_. In the two former, he was a great genius, and much he +no doubt was indebted to them. Yet we are inclined to think that +Principle had the chief hand in his success. He was entirely a just +man. He would rebuke a young salesman more severely for a slight +inequality in his weighing-scales against the public, than for a +neglect of his duty. It was a custom of grocers to mix up pepper with +an article called P.D. Mr Budgett long kept a cask of P.D.; but at +length, reflecting seriously on it one evening, he went to the shop, +re-opened it, took out the hypocritical cask to a neighbouring quarry, +and there staved it, scattering the P.D. amongst the clods, and slags, +and stones; after which he returned with a light heart to bed. There +was also a benevolence at the bottom of all Mr Budgett's proceedings +as a man of business. It appeared strongly in his relations to his +subalterns and working-people. Though a strict disciplinarian, and not +to be imposed upon in anything, he was so humane and liberal towards +all around him, that they served him as much from love as duty. He has +discharged men for misconduct or disloyalty, and afterwards pensioned +their families till they got other employment. His liberality in +supporting charitable institutions, and relieving private cases of +distress, knew hardly any bounds; but, at a fair computation, it has +been estimated at about L.2000 a year. + +Observing one of his men looking for some time very melancholy, he +called him up, and inquired into the cause. 'The sickness of his wife +had entangled him in debt; he could not eat, he could not sleep; his +life was a misery to him, and he had exclaimed with a pathos that sunk +deep into my dear relative's tender heart: "Master, I am in debt; +every time I go near the river, something bids me fling myself into +it, telling me there's water enough to rid me of all my troubles; and +that if I don't, I shall be sent into the prison there for debt!" + +'Deeply affected, he inquired of the poor man the names of his +creditors, the amount of their respective claims, and the peculiar +circumstances which had led to the contraction of each liability. +Having ascertained these particulars, and perfectly satisfied himself +that the man had not forgotten the precept of the society of which he +was a member--"Not to contract debt without at least a reasonable +prospect of discharging it"--he asked him whether freedom from these +liabilities would restore to him peace of mind. The question was +answered by a sort of sickly smile, which seemed to indicate a perfect +despair of such a consummation. "Well, come," said the master, "I +don't think things are quite so bad, ----, as they appear to be to +you. See here, my poor fellow, you owe ---- pounds: it's a very large +sum for a man like you, to be sure; and if you had run into debt to +anything like this amount through extravagance, or even +thoughtlessness, I should have regarded it as an act of dishonesty on +your part, and I _might_ have felt it right to discharge you. But you +are to be pitied, and not to be blamed. Cold pity alone goes for +nothing, so let us see how you can be helped out of your troubles. +Now, do you think your creditors, considering all the circumstances, +would take one-half, and be satisfied? Here's Dr Edwards--his bill is +the heaviest; if we can get him to take one-half"---- + +"One-half, master!" exclaimed the poor man, "but if they _would_ take +half, where's the money to come from? I 'arn't got a shilling in the +world but what's coming to me Friday night; and when I take my wages +now, I 'arn't any pleasure in looking at the money, because it 'arn't +my own; it should go to pay my debts, and I'm obliged to use it to buy +victuals. I think in my heart I shall ne'er be happy again." + +'Still more sensibly affected by the poor man's manner the longer the +interview lasted, my kind-hearted relative begged him not to distress +himself any more; he said that a Friend of his had given him a sum +that was quite equal to one-half his debts, bade him return to his +work, order a horse to be put into harness as he passed through the +yard, and brought round in ten minutes; and told him to be sure to +make himself as happy as he could till he saw him again. He +immediately drove round to every creditor the poor man had, compounded +with them for their respective claims, and obtained their receipts in +full discharge. On his return, the poor man's stare of bewilderment +was indescribable. He watched his master unfold the receipts one by +one without uttering a syllable; and when they were put into his hand, +he clutched them with a sort of convulsive grasp, but still not a word +escaped him. At length he exclaimed: "But, master, where's the money +come from?" + +"Never do you mind that, ----," was the reply; "go home, and tell your +wife you are out of debt; you are an independent man. I only hope the +creditors have felt something of the satisfaction in forgiving you +one-half your debt to them, that we know God feels in forgiving our +debts to him for Christ's sake: I have said that much to all of them." + +'But the puzzling question had not yet been answered, and again it was +put: "But, master, where's the money come from?" + +"Well, well, I told you a FRIEND had given it to me for you. _You_ +know that Friend as well as I do. There now, you may leave your work +for to-day: go home to your wife, and thank that Friend together for +making you an independent man. But stay, ----, I had almost forgotten +one thing. I called to see Mr P---- as I drove through Stoke's Croft; +I told him the errand that had carried me away from home all day, and +he gave me a sovereign for you to begin the world with." + +'The poor fellow was too much affected to say anything more. The next +morning, however, he appeared again, but after a most complete failure +in a valorous attempt he made to express his thanks, he was obliged to +leave the counting-house, stammering out that "both he and his wife +felt their hearts to be as light as a feather."' + +Mr Budgett was, by family connection, a Wesleyan, and at all periods +of his life under a strong sense of religion. He had even acted as a +lay-preacher. It was his custom to have all the people of his +establishment assembled for religious exercises every morning before +proceeding to business. He was active as a Sunday-school teacher, and +assisted with his purse and his own active exertions in every effort +to Christianise the rude people of Kingswood. When he became a +highly-prosperous man, he had a good country-house and a handsome +establishment; but wealth and its refinements never withdrew him from +familiar personal intercourse with his people. Neither did it ever in +the least alienate him from his many humble relations. His conduct, +indeed, in all these respects was admirable, and well entitled him to +be, what he was, the most revered man of his neighbourhood and +kindred. At his death, the expression of mourning was widely spread, +as if the whole population had felt in his loss the loss of a friend. + +The volume which supplies us with these particulars and extracts, is a +very interesting one; yet we could wish to see it abridged of some +portion of the long episodes, in the style of pulpit discourses, with +which the author has thought proper to expand it. If properly +condensed, and the details of the life presented given perhaps in +somewhat better order, so as to explain more clearly the steps of Mr +Budgett's rise as a merchant, the work might become a _vade-mecum_ for +the young man of business, exhibiting to him a model of character and +conduct such as could not but exercise a good influence over his +future career. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[2] _The Successful Merchant_: Sketches of the Life of Mr Samuel +Budgett, late of Kingswood Hill. By William Arthur, A.M. Hamilton, +Adams, & Co. London: 1852. + + + + +PET BIRDS OF INDIA. + + +It is said, that when women addict themselves to vice of any kind, +they carry it to extravagance, and become far worse than bad men. In +like manner, when the natural softness and amiability of the Hindoo +character yield to the temptations of luxury and dominion, the +individual grows into a tyrant as cruel and odious as any of those +depicted in history. This apparent discrepancy has given rise to many +speculative mistakes; but, in our opinion, it is as certain that the +mass of the Hindoos are gentle and kindly in their nature, as it is +that the mass of women are so. It is a curious thing to see the +gallant sepoy on a march, attended by his pet lambs, with necklaces of +ribbons and white shells, and ears and feet dyed of an orange colour. +But even wild creatures are at home with the kindly Hindoo. Fluttering +among the peasants threshing corn in a field, are flocks of wild +peacocks, gleaning their breakfast; and in the neighbourhood of a +village, a traveller can hardly distinguish between the tame and wild +ducks, partridges, and peacocks. 'There is a fine date-tree,' says a +recent writer, 'overhanging a kind of school, at the end of one of the +streets in the town of Jubbulpore, quite covered with the nests of the +baya bird; and they are seen every day, and all day, fluttering about +in scores, while the noisy children at their play fill the street +below, almost within arm's reach of them.' + +Almost all the natives of India are fond of rearing pet birds; and +the pet is, more frequently than otherwise, a parrot, which is prized +for its conversation. The same taste prevailed, we are told, in the +fifteenth century, in the city of Paris, where talking-birds were hung +out almost at every window. The authority says, that this was attended +with rather an awkward result. 'Leading the public life they did, in +which they were exposed to every sort of society, the natural morality +of the birds was so far lost, that they had become fluent in every +term of reproach and indecency; and thunders of applause were elicited +among the crowd of passengers by the aptness of their repartees.' In +India, the taste is the same, but the habits different; a sketch of +which we furnish from our Old Indian. The carpenter, she tells us, +while planing the plank, which he holds between his toes, amuses +himself by talking to his parrot. The shoemaker, while binding his +slippers, or embroidering his rich velvet shoes, for the feet of some +sable beauty, pauses every now and then, to listen to the chattering +of his pet. The _guala_, on returning home, after disposing of his +butter or buttermilk, first takes up some bamboo twigs, one of which +is appropriated to each customer, and marking, by a notch with a +knife, the quantity disbursed to each, turns, as a matter of course, +to his favourite parrot, and either listens to the recital of his +previous lessons, or begins to teach him some fresh invocation to some +score of gods and goddesses. These men seldom condescend to teach +their favourites anything else; but should a lady be the owner, the +parrot's lessons are more varied, and more domestic in their +character. He is taught to call his mistress 'mother,' and himself +'Baba mittoo' (sweet child.) He is sometimes instructed to rail at her +neighbours, and sometimes to scold the children; and thus she lives in +sweet companionship with her bird, feeding him with steeped grain, +rice and milk, sugar-cane and Indian corn. Of the two last he is +exceedingly fond. + +India abounds in a variety of parrots and perroquets, the names of +many of which I have forgotten; but the generic name is _Tota_. The +more common are the _kudjlah_, _teeah_, and _pahari_. These learn to +speak glibly, being generally taken out of the nest before they are +fully fledged. Crutches of various kinds are selected for the poor +captive, the most ingenious of which is made of a single joint of +bamboo, the two ends being formed into cups--the middle part being +cut, and then bent and arched over the fire; the perch being formed of +a straight piece of bamboo, which joins the two cups below. A hook +fastened to the top of the arch enables the owner to suspend it from +the thatched ceiling of his hut; and thus the parrot swings about, +listening to his master's pious ejaculations. At dusk, many of these +men may be seen parading through the bazaar, with their pets in their +hands, the latter loudly vociferating that Brahma is the greatest of +gods, or that Krishna and Radha were a loving couple; and so on. I +have often been amused at this mode of displaying religious zeal and +pious adoration. + +Should you penetrate into the more crowded parts of the bazaar, you +might happen to see the taste of the bird-fancier displayed after a +different, but, I am happy to say, exceptional fashion. A shop may +sometimes be found having a square space enclosed with a railing, with +a divan in the middle, for the accommodation of the master and his +visitors. On this railing a number of birds are perched, many of them +little tame bulbuls; these are detained by a ligature, passing over +the shoulders of the bird, and tied under the breast, leaving his +wings and legs free. The bulbul, though not the bird known by that +name in Persia, is a pretty songster; but he is as desperate a fighter +as a gamecock. Those, therefore, who delight in cruel sports, bring +their little pets to these shops, where no doubt birds of the best +mettle are to be found; and on the result of a battle, money and +sweetmeats are lost and won, while many a poor little bird falls a +sacrifice to its master's depraved taste. The tiny _amadavad_, with +his glowing carmine neck, and distinct little pearly spots, may also +occasionally be seen doing battle; he fights desperately, though he +also warbles the sweetest of songs. + +The affluent Hindoo Baboo or Mohammedan Nawab, among other luxuries, +keeps also his aviary. In these may be seen rare and expensive +parrots, brought from the Spice Islands. They delight also in _diyuls_ +and _shamahs_. The latter is a smaller bird than our thrush, but +larger than a lark; his breast is orange, the rest of his plumage +black, and in song he is equal to our black-bird. The diyul also sings +sweetly; he is about the same size as the shamah, his plumage black, +with a white breast, and white tips to his wings. A well-trained bird +of either kind sells for about ten rupees, and twenty will be given +for a cuckoo from the Nepaul hills. A Baboo whom I knew had several +servants to look after his aviary, one of whom had to go daily in +search of white ants and ants' eggs for his insectivorous charge; for +the shamah and diyul are both insect-eaters. + +Some of the _Minas_ (Gracula), of which there are several kinds in +India, articulate as distinctly, and are as imitative, as the parrots. +One of these birds was once brought as a present to my little girl. +The donor took his leave, assuring us that the bird was a great +speaker, and imitated a variety of sounds. This I found to be too +true, for I was awakened by him next morning at dawn of day. He had +evidently been bred in the neighbourhood of the hospital, and also +initiated into the mysteries of the parade. He coughed like a +consumptive patient, groaned like one in agony, and moaned as if in +the last extremity. Then he would call a 'halt!' and imitate the +jingling of the ramrods in the muskets so exactly, that I marvelled +how his little throat could go through so many modulations. I was soon +obliged to banish him to a distance from the sleeping-apartments, for +some of his utterances were anything but suggestive of soothing or +pleasurable sensations. + +The hill mina, a mountaineer by birth, seldom lives long in +confinement in lowland districts. After having endeared himself to his +master and his family by his conversational powers and imitative +qualities, he is not unfrequently cut off suddenly by a fit, and +sometimes expires while feasting on his bread and milk or +pea-meal-paste, or perhaps when he has only a few minutes before been +calling out loudly his master's name or those of the children. The +hill mina is a handsome bird, a size larger than our black-bird; he is +of one uniform colour--a glossy black, like the smoothest Genoa +velvet, harmonising beautifully with the bright yellow circle of skin +round his eyes, his yellow beak and yellow legs. + +The grackle or salik, which is a great favourite in the Isle of +France, has been correctly enough described in _Partington's +Cyclopædia_. It is a gregarious bird, greatly enlivening the aspect of +the grassy meadows at sunset, when his comrades assemble in large +flocks, and having picked up their last meal of grubs and +grasshoppers, resort for shelter to a neighbouring avenue, where they +roost for the night. The grackle is a tame and familiar bird, and will +sometimes build its nest close to the habitation of man. I have seen +one on the top of a pillar, under the shelter of a veranda; and +occasionally an earthen-pot is placed for its accommodation in the +fork of a neighbouring tree. Though their brood may be constantly +removed, they will return, year after year, to the same nest, +expressing, however, their discontent and distress when robbed, by +keeping up for some days a loud and querulous chattering. + +Those who dwell on the banks of the Ganges may sometimes see, during +the rainy season, a large boat floating past, having a raised cabin, +like a Bengalee hut, constructed of mat and straw. From the +multiplicity of cages inside and outside, it may be gathered that here +are fresh supplies for the bird-fancier--captives from the hills of +Rajmahal and Moryheer. The constant fluttering among the inmates of +the crowded cages, and their mournful and discordant notes, indicate +that they are anything but a happy family--that they have been only +recently caught, and are not yet habituated to confinement. They are +soon, however, disposed of at the different stations or towns at which +the boat anchors, and become in due time the solitary and apparently +happy pets I have already described. + +I need only add, that there is no lack of pretty little bird-cages in +the Far East, constructed very tastefully by the neat-handed natives, +and sold for two or three annas. + + + + +JUVENILE ENERGY. + + +In December 1807, W.H. Maynard, Esq., was teaching a school for a +quarter in the town of Plainfield, Massachusetts. One cold, blustering +morning, on entering his schoolroom, he observed a lad he had not seen +before, sitting on one of the benches. The lad soon made known his +errand to Mr Maynard. He was fifteen years old; his parents lived +seven miles distant; he wanted an education, and had come from home on +foot that morning, to see if Mr Maynard could help him to contrive how +to obtain it. Mr Maynard asked him if he was acquainted with any one +in the place. 'No.' 'Do your parents know any one here?' 'No.' 'Can +your parents help you towards obtaining an education?' 'No.' 'Have you +any friends that can give you assistance!' 'No.' 'Well, how do you +expect to obtain an education?' 'I don't know, but I thought I would +come and see you.' Mr Maynard told him to stay that day, and he would +see what could be done. He discovered that the boy was possessed of +good sense, but no uncommon brilliancy; and he was particularly struck +with the cool and resolute manner in which he undertook to conquer +difficulties which would have intimidated common minds. In the course +of the day, Mr Maynard made provision for having him boarded through +the winter in the family with himself, the lad paying for his board by +his services out of school. He gave himself diligently to study, in +which he made good but not rapid proficiency, improving every +opportunity of reading and conversation for acquiring knowledge: and +thus spent the winter. When Mr Maynard left the place in the spring, +he engaged a minister, who had resided about four miles from the boy's +father, to hear his recitations; and the boy accordingly boarded at +home and pursued his studies. It is unnecessary to pursue the +narrative further. Mr Maynard never saw the lad afterwards. But this +was the early history of the Rev. Jonas King, D.D., whose exertions in +the cause of Oriental learning, and in alleviating the miseries of +Greece, have endeared him alike to the scholar and the philanthropist, +and shed a bright ray of glory on his native country. + + + + +LITERARY CIRCLES OF LONDON. + + +The society of the literary world of London is conducted after this +wise:--There are certain persons, for the most part authors, editors, +or artists, but with the addition of a few who can only pride +themselves upon being the patrons of literature and art--who hold +periodical assemblies of the notables. Some appoint a certain evening +in every week during the season, a general invitation to which is +given to the favoured; others are monthly; and others, again, at no +regular intervals. At these gatherings, the amusements are +conversation and music only, and the entertainment is unostentatious +and inexpensive, consisting of tea and coffee, wine or negus handed +about in the course of the evening, and sandwiches, cake, and wine at +eleven o'clock. Suppers are prohibited by common consent, for +costliness would speedily put an end to society too agreeable to be +sacrificed to fashion. The company meets usually between eight and +nine, and always parts at midnight.--_The Critic_. + + + + +THE SKY-LARK'S SONG. + + + It comes down from the clouds to me, + On this sweet day of spring; + Methinks it is a melody + That angel-lips might sing. + + Thou soaring minstrel! wingèd bard! + Whose path is the free air, + Whose song makes sunshine seem more bright, + And this fair world more fair! + + I ask not what the strain may be, + Thus chanted at 'Heaven's gate'-- + A hymn of praise, a lay of joy, + Or love-song to thy mate. + + Vain were such idle questioning! + And 'tis enough for me + To feel thou singest still the notes + Which God gave unto thee. + + Thence comes the glory of thy song, + And therefore doth it fall, + As falls the radiance of a star, + Gladdening and blessing all! + + Oh! wondrous are the living lays + That human lips have breathed, + And deep the music men have won + From lyres with laurel wreathed: + + But there's a spell on lip and lyre, + Sweet though their tones may be-- + Some jarring note, some tuneless string, + Aye mars the melody. + + The strings sleep 'neath too weak a touch, + Or break, 'neath one too strong; + Or we forget the master-chord + That should rule all our song. + + When shall our spirit learn again + The lay once to it given? + When shall we rise, like thee, sweet bird! + And, singing, soar to heaven? + + FANNY FARMER. + + + + +DOG-SELLING EXTRAORDINARY. + + +Two ladies, friends of a near relative of my own, from whom I received +an account of the circumstance, were walking in Regent Street, and +were accosted by a man who requested them to buy a beautiful little +dog, covered with long, white hair, which he carried in his arms. Such +things are not uncommon in that part of London, and the ladies passed +on without heeding him. He followed, and repeated his entreaties, +stating, that as it was the last he had to sell, they should have it +at a reasonable price. They looked at the animal; it was really an +exquisite little creature, and they were at last persuaded. The man +took it home for them, received his money, and left the dog in the +arms of one of the ladies. A short time elapsed, and the dog, which +had been very quiet, in spite of a restless, bright eye, began to shew +symptoms of uneasiness, and as he ran about the room, exhibited some +unusual movements, which rather alarmed the fair purchasers. At last, +to their great dismay, the new dog ran squeaking up one of the window +curtains, so that when the gentleman returned home a few minutes +after, he found the ladies in consternation, and right glad to have +his assistance. He vigorously seized the animal, took out his +penknife, cut off its covering, and displayed _a large rat_ to their +astonished eyes, and of course to its own destruction.--_Mrs Lee's +Anecdotes of Animals_. + + * * * * * + +Printed and Published by W. and R. CHAMBERS, High Street, Edinburgh. +Also sold by W.S. ORR, Amen Corner, London; D.N. CHAMBERS, 55 West +Nile Street, Glasgow; and J. 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March 20, 1852 + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + /*<![CDATA[*/ + + <!-- + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; + max-width: 40em;} + p {text-align: justify;} + p.center {text-align: center;} + p.author {text-align: right; + font-variant: small-caps; + margin-right: 20%; + margin-top: -1.0em;} + blockquote {text-align: justify; font-size: 0.9em;} + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center;} + pre {font-size: 0.8em;} + .returnTOC {text-align: right; font-size: 70%;} + hr {text-align: center; width: 50%;} + html>body hr {margin-right: 25%; margin-left: 25%; width: 50%;} + hr.full {width: 100%;} + html>body hr.full {margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 0%; width: 100%;} + hr.short {text-align: center; width: 20%;} + html>body hr.short {margin-right: 40%; margin-left: 40%; width: 20%;} + .sc {font-variant: small-caps;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .note {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + span.pagenum {position: absolute; left: 1%; right: 91%; font-size: 8pt;} + .footnote {font-size: 0.9em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {font-size: smaller; text-decoration: none; + vertical-align: 0.25em;} + .contents + {margin-left:30%; margin-right:10%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;} + .poem + {margin-left:20%; margin-right:10%; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem p {margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem p.i2 {margin-left: 1em;} + .poem p.i4 {margin-left: 2em;} + .poem p.i6 {margin-left: 3em;} + .poem p.i8 {margin-left: 4em;} + .poem p.i20 {margin-left: 10em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i3 {display: block; margin-left: 3em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i5 {display: block; margin-left: 5em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i7 {display: block; margin-left: 7em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i9 {display: block; margin-left: 9em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + // --> + /*]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429, 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: Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429 + Volume 17, New Series, March 20, 1852 + +Author: Various + +Editor: Robert Chambers and William Chambers + +Release Date: December 14, 2005 [EBook #17303] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBERS'S EDINBURGH *** + + + + +Produced by Malcolm Farmer, Richard J. Shiffer and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<h1>CHAMBERS' EDINBURGH JOURNAL</h1> + +<h2><a name="Contents" id="Contents">CONTENTS</a></h2> + +<div class="contents"> + +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> +<p> +<a href="#THINGS_IN_EXPECTATION"><b>THINGS IN EXPECTATION.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#THE_WRECKER"><b>THE WRECKER.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#LOWELL_MECHANICS_FAIR"><b>LOWELL MECHANICS' FAIR.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#THE_SEA_AND_THE_POETS"><b>THE SEA AND THE POETS.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#CURIOSITIES_OF_CHESS"><b>CURIOSITIES OF CHESS.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#THE_SUCCESSFUL_MERCHANT"><b>'THE SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT.'</b></a><br /> +<a href="#PET_BIRDS_OF_INDIA"><b>PET BIRDS OF INDIA.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#JUVENILE_ENERGY"><b>JUVENILE ENERGY.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#LITERARY_CIRCLES_OF_LONDON"><b>LITERARY CIRCLES OF LONDON.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#THE_SKY-LARKS_SONG"><b>THE SKY-LARK'S SONG.</b></a><br /> +<a href="#DOG-SELLING_EXTRAORDINARY"><b>DOG-SELLING EXTRAORDINARY.</b></a><br /> +</p> +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[pg 177]</a></span></p> + +<img src="images/banner.png" + width="100%" + alt="Banner: Chambers' Edinburgh Journal" /> + +<h4>CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF 'CHAMBERS'S +INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE,' 'CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE,' &c.</h4> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<table width="100%" + summary="Volume, Date and Price"> +<tr> +<td align="left"><b><span class="sc">No.</span> 429. <span class="sc">New Series.</span></b></td> +<td align="left"><b>SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1852.</b></td> +<td align="right"><b><span class="sc">Price</span> 1½<i>d</i>.</b></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<h2><a name="THINGS_IN_EXPECTATION" id="THINGS_IN_EXPECTATION"></a>THINGS IN EXPECTATION.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> passing age is acknowledged to be remarkable in various respects. +Great advances in matters of practical science; a vast development of +individual enterprise, and general prosperity;—at the same time, +strange retardations in things of social concern; a singular want of +earnestness in carrying out objects of undeniable utility. Much +grandeur, but also much meanness of conception; much wealth, but also +much poverty. A struggle between greatness and littleness; +intelligence and ignorance; light and darkness. Sometimes we feel as +if going forward, sometimes as if backward. One day, we seem as if +about to start a hundred years in advance; on the next, all is wrong +somewhere, and we feel as if hurriedly retreating to the eighteenth +century!</p> + +<p>Upon the whole, however, we are ourselves inclined to look at the +bright side of affairs; and in doing so, we are not without hope of +being able to make some proselytes. Let us just see what are the +prospects of the next twenty years—a long enough space for a man to +look forward to in anything else than a dream. War, it is true, may +intervene, or some other terrible catastrophe; but we shall not admit +this into our hypothesis, which proceeds on the assumption, that +although people may wrangle here and there, and here and there fly at +each other's throats, still the bulk of civilised mankind will go on +tranquilly enough to present no direct barrier to the advancing tide. +Here is a list of a few trifles in expectation.</p> + +<p>A line of communication by railway from England to the principal +cities in India, interrupted only by narrow sea-channels, and these +bridged by steamboats. It will then be possible to travel from London +to Calcutta in a week.</p> + +<p>At the same time, there will be railways to other parts of +Asia—Ispahan, Bagdad, Damascus, and Jerusalem. From the +last-mentioned city, a line will probably proceed through the land of +Edom, to Suez and Cairo; thence to Alexandria. This last portion is +already in hand. Think of a railway station in the Valley of +Jehoshaphat! As the course of the Jordan presents few 'engineering +difficulties,' there might be a single line all the way from Nazareth +to the Dead Sea, on which a steamer might take passengers to the +neighbourhood of Petra. At a point near the shore of that mysterious +sheet of water, a late traveller indicates the spot where Lot's wife +was transformed into a pillar of salt. How interesting it would be to +make this a stopping-place for tourists to view the adjacent +scenery—rocky, wild, and scorched, as if fresh from the wondrous work +of devastation!</p> + +<p>It cannot be doubted that in a period much short of twenty years, +railways will have penetrated from Berlin northwards to Russia; and +therefore a communication of this kind through the whole of Europe, +even to the shores of the Indian Ocean, will be among the ordinary +things of the day.</p> + +<p>As for communication by electric telegraph, where will it not be? +Every town of any importance, from Moscow to Madras, will be connected +by the marvellous wires. These wires will cross seas; they will reach +from London to New York, and from New York to far-western +cities—possibly to California. The sending of messages thousands of +miles, in the twinkling of an eye, will be an everyday affair. 'Send +Dr So-and-so on by the next train,' will be the order despatched by a +family in Calcutta, when requiring medical assistance from London; and +accordingly the doctor will set off in his travels per express, from +the Thames to the banks of the Ganges. Spanning the globe by thought +will then be no longer a figure of speech—it will be a reality. +Science will do it all.</p> + +<p>Long before twenty years—most likely in two or three—a journey round +the world by steam may be achieved with comparative ease and at no +great expense. Here is the way we shall go: London to Liverpool by +rail; Liverpool to Chagres by steamer; Chagres to Panama by rail; +Panama to Hong-Kong, touching at St Francisco; Hong-Kong to Sincapore, +whence, if you have a fancy, you can diverge to Borneo, Australia, and +New Zealand; Sincapore to Madras, Bombay, Aden, and Suez—the whole of +the run to this point from Panama being done by steamer; Suez to +Cairo, and Cairo to Alexandria (rail in preparation); lastly, by +steamer from Alexandria to England. It is deeply interesting to watch +the progress of intrusion on the Pacific. Already, within these few +years, its placid surface has been tracked with steam-navigation; of +which almost every day brings us accounts of the extension over that +beautiful ocean. Long secluded, by difficulty of access from Europe, +it is now in the course of being effectually opened up by the railway +across the Isthmus of Panama. And the grandeur of this invasion by +steam is beyond the reach of imagination. Thousands of islands, +clothed in gorgeous yet delicate vegetation, and enjoying the finest +climate, lie scattered like diamonds in a sea on which storms never +rage—each in itself an earthly paradise. When these islands can be +reached at a moderate outlay of time, money, and trouble, may we not +expect to see them visited by the curious, and flourishing as seats of +civilised existence? There is reason to believe, that the equable +climate of many of them would prove suitable for persons affected with +the complaints of northern<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[pg 178]</a></span> regions; and therefore they may become the +Sanatoria of Europe. 'Gone to winter-quarters in the Pacific!'—a +pleasant notice this of a health-seeking trip twenty years hence.</p> + +<p>It may be reasonably conjectured, that this great and varied extension +of journeying round the earth, and in all climates, will not be +unaided by new discoveries in motive power. At present, we speak of +steam; but there is every probability of new agents being brought into +operation, less bulky and less costly, before twenty years elapse. +Even while we write, men of science are painfully poring over the +subject, and giving indications that in chemistry or electricity +reside powers which may be advantageously pressed into the service of +the traveller. Admitting, however, that steam will be retained as the +prevailing agent of locomotion, we have grounds for anticipating +improvements in its application, which will materially cheapen its +use. As regards safety to life and limb, much will be done by better +arrangements. In steam-voyaging, we may expect that means will be +adopted to avert, or at least assuage, the terrible calamities of +conflagration and shipwreck—better acquaintance with the principles +of spontaneous combustion, and with the natural law of storms, being +of itself a great step towards this important result.</p> + +<p>One of the latest wonders in practical science, is a plan for cooling +the air in dwellings in hot climates; by which persons residing in +India, and other oppressively warm countries, may live habitually in +an atmosphere cooled down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or the ordinary +heat of a pleasant day in England. The very ingenious yet simple means +by which this is to be effected, will form the subject of notice in +our next number. Meanwhile, we may observe that the discovery is due +to Mr C. Piazzi Smyth, astronomer-royal for Scotland; and if perfectly +successful in practice, of which there can be no reasonable doubt, it +will have a most important effect in extending European influence over +the globe.</p> + +<p>The extension of the English language over the civilised world is a +curiosity of the age. French, German, Italian, and other continental +tongues, seem to have attained their limits as vernaculars. Each is +spoken in its own country, and by a few fashionables and scholars +beyond. But the language which pushes abroad is the English; and it +may be said to be rooting out colonised French and Spanish, and +becoming almost everywhere, beyond continental Europe, the spoken and +written tongue. Long the Spanish enjoyed the supremacy in Central +America; but it has followed the fate of the idle, proud, combative, +and good-for-nothing people who carried it across the Atlantic, and is +disappearing like snow before the sun of a genial spring. The sooner +it is extinct the better. Already the English is the vernacular from +the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific, wherever civilised +settlements are formed. As large a population now speaks this nervous +language in America as in Great Britain; and this is only an +indication of its progress. By means of a rapidly-increasing +population, the English language will in twenty years be spoken by +upwards of fifty million Americans; and if to these we add all within +the home and colonial dominion, the number speaking it at that period +will not be short of a hundred millions. What an amount of +letter-writing and printing will this produce! And, after all, how +small that amount in comparison with what will be seen a hundred years +hence, when many hundred millions of men are on the earth, English in +speech and feeling, whatever may be their local and political +distinctions! The gratification which one experiences in contemplating +facts of this kind, transcends the power of language. To all +appearance, our English tongue is the expression of civil and +religious freedom—in fact, of common sense; and its spread over the +globe surely indicates the progress of civilised habits and +institutions.</p> + +<p>In referring to the qualities which are usually found in connection +with the prevalence of English as a vernacular, we are led to +anticipate prodigious strides in the popularising of literature during +the next twenty years. What, also, may we not expect to see done for +the extension of epistolary correspondence? Intercourse by letter has +advanced only one step of its progress, by the system of inland +penny-postage. Another step remains to be effected: the system of +carrying letters oversea on the same easy terms. That this Ocean +Penny-Postage, as it is termed, will be carried out, at least as +regards the larger British colonies, within a period much under twenty +years, is exceedingly probable. When this grand achievement is +accomplished, there will ensue a stream of intercommunication with +distant lands, of which we can at present form no proper conception, +and which will go far towards binding all parts of the earth in a +general bond of brotherhood.</p> + +<p>Such are a few of the things which we may be said to be warranted in +looking for within a reasonably short period of time. Other things, +equally if not more contributive to human melioration, are less +distinctly in expectation. The political prospects of the continental +nations are for the present under a cloud. With all the glitter of +artistic and social refinement that surrounds them, the bulk of them +appear to have emerged but little beyond the middle ages; and one +really begins to inquire, with a kind of pity, whether they have +natural capacities for anything better. The near proximity to England +of populations so backward in all ideas of civil polity, and so +changeful and impulsive in their character, cannot but be detrimental +to our hopes of national advancement among ourselves; so true is it +that peace and happiness are not more matter of internal conviction +than of external circumstances.</p> + +<p>Unfortunately, if there be something to lament in the condition of our +neighbours, there is also something to humiliate on turning our +attention homeward. In a variety of things which are required to give +symmetry and safety to the social fabric, there appears to be an +almost systematic and hopeless stoppage.</p> + +<p>Nearly the whole of the law and equity administration of England seems +to be a contrivance to put justice beyond reach; and whether any +substantial remedy will be applied during the present generation may +be seriously doubted.</p> + +<p>It is universally admitted that, for the sake of the public health, +interment in London and other large cities should be legally +prohibited; and that various other sanitary arrangements in relation +to these populous localities should be enforced. Yet, legislation on +this subject seems to be beyond the grasp of statesmen.</p> + +<p>The system of poor-laws throughout the United Kingdom is, with the +best intentions, a cause of widely-spread demoralisation. These laws, +in their operation, are, in fact, a scheme for robbing the industrious +to support the idle. But where is the legislator who will attack and +remodel this preposterous system?</p> + +<p>The prevention of crime is another of our formidable social +difficulties. Every one sees how young and petty criminals grow up to +be old and great ones. It is admitted that the punishment of crime, +after disorderly habits are confirmed, is no sufficient check; and +that, if the evil is to be cured, we must go at once to its root. But +when or how is this to be done? Again, there is a call for that +scarcest of all things—statesmanship.</p> + +<p>The bitterness of sectarian contention is another of the things which +one feels to be derogatory to an age of general progress. No longer +are men permitted to kill each other in vindication of opinion, but +how<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[pg 179]</a></span> mournful to witness persecution by inuendo, vituperation, and +even falsehood. Individuals and classes are seen bombarding each other +in vile, abusive, and certainly most unchristian language, all +ostensibly in the name of a religion which has for a fundamental +principle, an utter repudiation of strife! Whether any amendment is to +be looked for in this department of affairs within the next twenty +years is exceedingly uncertain.</p> + +<p>In the roll of disheartening circumstances in our social condition, it +would be unpardonable to omit the enormities of intemperance, which, +though groaned over day after day, remain pretty much what they have +been for years; and it is to be feared, that so long as reformers +confine themselves to attacking mere symptoms, instead of going to the +foundation of the evil—a deficiency of self-respect, growing out of a +want of instruction in things proper to be known, and for which the +education of the country makes no provision—all will be in vain. How +far there will prevail a more enlarged view of this painful subject, +is not discoverable from the present temper of parties.</p> + +<p>The legislative conservation of ignorance in the humbler classes of +the community, to which reference has just been made, is surely a blot +on our social economy. It is seemingly easier to girdle the globe with +a wire, than to make sure that every child in Her Majesty's dominions +shall receive the simplest elements of education. Within the sphere of +the mechanic or the chemist, flights beyond the bounds of imagination +may be pursued without restraint, and indeed with commendation; but +anything in social economics, however philanthropic in design and +beneficial in tendency, falls into the category of disputation and +obstruction; and, worst of all, education, on which so much depends, +is, through the debates of contending 'interests,' kept at a point +utterly inadequate for the general enlightenment and wellbeing.</p> + +<p>Thus, many matters of moment are either at a stand, or advancing by +feeble and hesitating steps, and the distance to be ultimately reached +remains vague and undefinable. At the same time, it is well to be +assured that improvements, moral and social, are really in progress; +and that, on the whole, society is on the move not in a retrograde +direction. Even with a stone tied to its leg, the world, as we have +said, contrives 'to get on some way or other.'</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_WRECKER" id="THE_WRECKER"></a>THE WRECKER.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> a certain part of the coast of Brittany, some years back, a gang of +wreckers existed, who were the terror of all sailors. Ever on the +look-out for the unfortunate vessels, which were continually dashed +upon their inhospitable shores, their delight was in the storm and the +blast; they revelled in the howling of fierce wind, and the +lightning's glare was to them more delightful than the brightest show +of fireworks to the dweller in large towns. Then they came out in +droves, hung about the cliffs and rocks, hid in caverns and holes, and +waited with intense anxiety for the welcome sight of some gallant ship +in distress. So dreadful were the passions lit up in these men by the +love of lucre, that they even resorted to infamous stratagems to lure +vessels on shore. They would light false beacons; and strive in every +way to delude the devoted bark to its destruction.</p> + +<p>The village of Montreaux was almost wholly inhabited by men, who made +wrecking their profession. It was a collection of miserable huts, +built principally out of the broken materials of the various vessels +driven on shore; and ostensibly inhabited by fishermen, who, however, +rarely resorted to the deep, except when a long continuance of fine +weather rendered their usual avocation less prosperous than usual. +They consisted in all of about thirty families, wreckers, for the most +part, from father to son, and even from mother to daughter—for women +joined freely in the atrocious trade. Atrocious indeed! for murder +necessarily accompanied pillage, and it rarely happened that many of +the crew and passengers of the unfortunate vessels escaped alive. +Bodies were indeed found along the shore; but even if they exhibited +the marks of blows, the sea and the rocks got the credit of the deed.</p> + +<p>The interior of the huts of the hamlet presented a motley appearance. +Their denizens were usually clothed in all kinds of costume—from the +peculiar garments of Englishmen, to the turbans, shawls, and +petticoats of Lascars, Malays, and others. Cases of spirits, chests of +tools, barrels of flour, piles of hams, cheeses, curious arms, +spy-glasses, compasses, &c. were thrust into coffers and corners; +while all the villagers were in the habit of spending money that +certainly was not coined in France. The state of the good people of +Montreaux was one of splendid misery; for, with all their ill-gotten +wealth, their improvidence and carelessness was such, that they often +wanted necessaries—so true is it that ill-got money is never +well-spent money. A month of fine weather would almost reduce them to +starvation, forcing them to sell to disadvantage whatever they still +possessed.</p> + +<p>This was not, however, the case with every one of them. A man dwelt +among them, and had done so for many years, who seemed a little wiser +and more careful than the rest of the community. His name was Pierre +Sandeau. He was not a native of the place; but had long been +established among them, and had at once shewn himself a worthy +brother. He was pitiless, selfish, and cold. Less fiery than his +fellows, he had an amount of caution, which made them feel his value; +and a ready wit, which often helped them out of difficulties. His +influence was soon felt, and he became a kind of chief. He was at last +recognised as the head of the village, and the leader in all marauding +expeditions. But the great source of his power was his foresight. He +had always either money or provisions at hand, and was always ready to +help one of his companions—for a consideration. In times of distress, +he bought up all the stock on hand, and even sold on credit. In course +of time, he had become rich, had a better house than the rest, and +could, if he liked, have retired from business. But he seemed chained +to his trade, and never gave any sign of abandoning his disgraceful +occupation.</p> + +<p>One day, however, he left Montreaux, and stayed away nearly a +fortnight. When he came back, he was not alone: he was accompanied by +a young and lovely girl—one of those energetic but sweet creatures, +whose influence would be supreme with a good man. Madeleine Sandeau +was eighteen—tall, well-proportioned, and exceedingly handsome; she +was, moreover, educated. Her father had taken her from school, to +bring her to his house, which, though so different from what she was +used to, she presided over at once with ease and nature. Great was the +horror of the young girl when she found out the character of the +people around her. She remonstrated freely with her father as to the +dreadful nature of his life; but the old man was cold and inexorable. +'He had brought her there to preside over his solitary house,' he +said, 'and not to lecture him:' and Madeleine was forced to be silent.</p> + +<p>She saw at once the utter futility of any attempt to civilise or +humanise the degraded beings she associated with; and so she took to +the children. With great difficulty, she formed a school, and made it +her daily labour to instil not only words, but ideas and principles, +into the minds of the young, unfledged wreckers. She gained the +goodwill of the elders, by nursing both young and old during their +hours of sickness, as well as by a slight knowledge of medicine, which +she had picked up in a way she never explained, but which always made +her silent and sad when she thought of it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[pg 180]</a></span></p> + +<p>When a black and gloomy night came round, and the whole village was on +foot, then Madeleine locked herself in her room, knelt down, and +remained in prayer. Now and then she would creep to the window, look +out, and interrogate the gloom. She never came forth to greet her +father on his return from these expeditions. Her heart revolted even +against seeing her parent under such circumstances, and towards +morning she went to bed—rarely, however, to sleep.</p> + +<p>On one occasion, after a cold and bitter day, the evening came on +suddenly. Black clouds covered the horizon as with a funeral pall; the +wind began to howl round the hamlet with fearful violence; and +Madeleine shuddered, for she knew what was to be expected that night. +Scarcely had the gale commenced, when Pierre rose, put on a thick +pea-jacket and a sou'-wester, armed himself, and swallowing a glass of +brandy, went out. He was the last to leave the village; all the rest +had preceded him. He found them encamped in a narrow gorge, round a +huge fire, carefully concealed behind some rocks. It was a cold, +windy, wet night; but the wreckers cared not, for the wind blew dead +on shore, and gave rich promise of reward for whatever they might +endure.</p> + +<p>A man lay on the look-out at the mouth of the gorge under a tarpaulin. +He had a night-glass in his hand, with which he swept the dark +horizon, for some time in vain. But the wind was too good to fail +them, and the wreckers had patience.</p> + +<p>It was really a terrible night. It was pitchy dark: not a star, nor +one glimpse of the pale moon could be distinguished. The wind howled +among the rocks, and cast the spray up with violence against the +cliffs, which, however, in front of the gorge, gave way to a low sandy +beach, forming the usual scene of the wreckers' operations. A current +rushed into this narrow bight, and brought on shore numerous spars, +boxes, and boats—all things welcome to these lawless men.</p> + +<p>'A prize!' cried the look-out suddenly. 'A tall Indiaman is not more +than a mile off shore. She is making desperate efforts to clear the +point, but she won't do it. She is ours, lads!'</p> + +<p>'Give me the glass!' exclaimed Pierre rising. The other gave him the +telescope. 'Faith, a splendid brig!' said the patriarch with a +sinister smile—'the finest windfall we have had for many a season. +Jean, you must out with the cow, or perhaps it may escape us.'</p> + +<p>The cow was an abominable invention which Pierre had taught his +comrades. A cow was tied to a stake, and a huge ship's lantern +fastened to its horns. This the animal tossed about in the hope of +disengaging himself, and in so doing presented the appearance of a +ship riding at anchor—all that could be seen on such nights being the +moving light. By this means had many a ship been lured to destruction, +in the vain hope of finding a safe anchoring-ground. The cow, which +was always ready, was brought out, and the trick resorted to, after +which the wreckers waited patiently for the result.</p> + +<p>The Indiaman was evidently coming on shore, and all the efforts of her +gallant crew seemed powerless to save her. Her almost naked masts, and +her dark hull, with a couple of lanterns, could now plainly be +distinguished as she rose and fell on the waters. Suddenly she seemed +to become motionless, though quivering in every fibre, and then a huge +wave washed clean over her decks.</p> + +<p>'She has struck on the Mistral Rock,' said Pierre. 'Good! she will be +in pieces in an hour, and every atom will come on shore!'</p> + +<p>'They are putting out the boats,' observed Jean.</p> + +<p>The wreckers clutched their weapons. If the crew landed in safety, +their hopes were gone. But no crew had for many years landed in safety +on that part of the coast: by some mysterious fatality, they had +always perished.</p> + +<p>Presently, three boats were observed pulling for the shore, and coming +towards the sandy beach at the mouth of the gorge. They were evidently +crammed full of people, and pulling all for one point. The boats +approached: they were within fifty yards of the shore, and pulling +still abreast. They had entered the narrow gut of water leading to the +gorge, and were already out of reach of the huge waves, which a minute +before threatened to submerge them. The wreckers extinguished the +lantern on the cow's horn. There was no chance of the boats being able +to put back to sea.</p> + +<p>Suddenly a figure pushed through the crowd, and approached the fire +near which Pierre Sandeau stood. It appeared to be one of the +wreckers; but the voice, that almost whispered in the old man's ear, +made him start.</p> + +<p>'Father!' said Madeleine, in a low solemn voice, 'what are you about +to do?'</p> + +<p>'Fool! what want you here?' replied Pierre, amazed and angry at the +same time.</p> + +<p>'I come to prevent murder! Father, think what you are about to do? +Here are fifty fellow-creatures coming in search of life and shelter, +and you will give them death!'</p> + +<p>'This is no place for you, Madeleine!' cried the other in a husky +voice. 'Go home, girl, and let me never see you out again at night!'</p> + +<p>'Away, Madeleine!—away!' said the crowd angrily.</p> + +<p>'I will not away!—I will stay here to see you do your foul deed—to +fix it on my mind, that day and night I may shout in your ears that ye +are murderers! Father,' added she solemnly, 'imbrue your hands in the +blood of one man to-night, and I am no child of yours. I will beg, I +will crawl through the world on my hands, but never more will I eat +the bread of crime!'</p> + +<p>'Take her away, Pierre,' said one more ruffianly than the rest, 'or +you may repent it.'</p> + +<p>'Go, girl, go,' whispered Pierre faintly, while the wreckers moved in +a body to the shore, where the boats were about to strike.</p> + +<p>'Never!' shrieked Madeleine, clinging franticly to her father's +clothes.</p> + +<p>'Let me go!' cried Pierre, dragging her with him.</p> + +<p>At that moment a terrible event interrupted their struggle. A man +stood upright in the foremost boat, guiding their progress. Just as +they were within two yards of the shore, this man saw the wreckers +coming down in a body.</p> + +<p>'As I expected!' he cried in a loud ringing voice. 'Fire!—shoot every +one of the villains!'</p> + +<p>A volley of small arms, within pistol-shot of the body of wreckers, +was the unexpected greeting which these men received. A loud and +terrible yell shewed the way in which the discharge had told. One-half +of the pillagers fell on the stony beach, the other half fled.</p> + +<p>Among those who remained was Madeleine. She was kneeling by her +father, who had received several shots, and lay on the ground in +agony.</p> + +<p>'You were right, girl,' he groaned; 'I see it now, when it is too +late, and I feel I have deserved it.'</p> + +<p>'Better,' sobbed Madeleine, 'better be here, than have imbrued your +hands in the blood of one of those miraculously-delivered sailors.'</p> + +<p>'Say you so, woman?' said a loud voice near her. 'Then you are not one +of the gang. I knew them of old, as well as their infernal cut-throat +gorge, and pulled straight for it, but quite prepared to give them a +warm reception.'</p> + +<p>Madeleine looked up. She saw around her more than fifty men, three +women, and some children. She shuddered again at the thought of the +awful massacre which would have occurred but for the sailor's +prudence.</p> + +<p>'My good girl,' continued the man, 'we are cold, wet, and hungry; can +you shew us to some shelter?'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[pg 181]</a></span></p> + +<p>'Yes; but do you bid some of your men carry my father, who, I fear, is +dying.'</p> + +<p>'It is no more than he merits,' replied the man; 'but for your sake I +will have him taken care of.'</p> + +<p>'It is what I merit,' said Pierre, in a strange and loud tone; 'but +not from your hands, Jacques.'</p> + +<p>'Merciful God!' cried the sailor, 'whose voice is that?'</p> + +<p>'You will soon know; but do as your sister bids you, and then we can +talk more at ease.'</p> + +<p>Madeleine cast herself sobbing into her brother's arms, who, gently +disengaging her, had a litter prepared for his father, and then, +guided by Madeleine, the procession advanced on its way. An armed +party marched at the head, and in a quarter of an hour the village of +Montreaux was reached. It was entirely deserted. There were fires in +the houses, and lamps lit, and even suppers prepared, but not a living +thing. Even the children and old women on hearing the discharge of +musketry, had fled to a cave where they sometimes took shelter when +the coast-guard was sent in search of them.</p> + +<p>The delighted sailors and passengers spread themselves through the +village, took possession of the houses, ate the suppers, and slept in +the beds, taking care, however, to place four sentries in +well-concealed positions, for fear of a surprise. Madeleine, her +father, her brother, the ship's surgeon, and a young lady passenger, +came to the house of old Sandeau, who was put to bed, and his wounds +dressed. He said nothing, but went to sleep, or feigned to do so.</p> + +<p>Supper was then put upon the table, and the four persons above +mentioned sat down, for a few minutes in silence. Jacques, the captain +of the East-Indiaman, looked moody and thoughtful. He said not a word. +Suddenly, however, he was roused by hearing the young surgeon of the +<i>Jeune Sophie</i> speak.</p> + +<p>'Madeleine,' said he, in a gentle but still much agitated tone of +voice, 'how is it I find you here—you whom I left at St Omer?'</p> + +<p>'Is this, then, the Madeleine you so often speak of?' cried the +astonished sailor.</p> + +<p>'It is. But speak, my dear friend.'</p> + +<p>'Edouard, I am here because yonder is my father, and it is my duty to +be where he is.'</p> + +<p>'But why is your father here?' continued the other.</p> + +<p>'I am here,' said the old man, fiercely turning round, 'because I am +at war with the world. For a trifling error, I was dismissed the +command of this very <i>Jeune Sophie</i> twelve years ago. I vowed revenge, +and you see the kind of revenge I have selected.'</p> + +<p>'Dear father,' said Madeleine gently, 'see what an escape you have +had!'</p> + +<p>'Besides,' interposed Jacques, 'there was no occasion for revenge. M. +Ponceau, who had adopted me, searched for you far and wide, to give +you another ship. They dismissed you in a moment of anger. They proved +this, by giving me the command of the <i>Jeune Sophie</i> as soon as I +could be trusted with it.'</p> + +<p>'What is done is done,' said Pierre, 'and I am a wrecker! I have done +wrong, but I am punished. Jacques, my boy, take away Madeleine; I see +this life is not fit for her. If I recover, I shall remain, and become +the trader of the village'——</p> + +<p>'No, father, you must come with us,' observed Jacques sadly. 'You and +I and Madeleine will find some quiet spot, where none will know of the +past, and where we ourselves may learn to forget. I have already saved +enough to support us.'</p> + +<p>'And your wife, sir?' said the young lady, who had not hitherto +spoken.</p> + +<p>'Leonie, you can never marry me now. You are no fit mate for the son +of a wrecker.'</p> + +<p>'Jacques,' interposed the young surgeon, 'neither you nor Madeleine +has any right to suffer for the errors of your father. I made the +acquaintance of your sister at my aunt's school in St Omer. I loved +her; and before I started on this journey, I had from her a +half-promise, which I now call upon her to fulfil.'</p> + +<p>'What say you, Madeleine?' said Jacques gravely.</p> + +<p>'That I can never give my hand to a man whom I love too well to +dishonour.'</p> + +<p>'Madeleine, you are right, and you are a noble girl!' replied her +brother.</p> + +<p>'Children,' said the old man, with a groan, 'I see my crime now in its +full hideousness; but I can at least repair part of the evil done. +Now, listen to me. Let me see you follow the bent of your hearts, and +be happy, and I will go where you will, for you will have forgiven +your father. Refuse to do so, and I remain here—once a wrecker, +always a wrecker. Come, decide!'</p> + +<p>Madeleine held out her hand to Edouard, and Jacques to Leonie, his +friend's sister, returning from the colony where her parents had died. +The old man shut his eyes, and remained silent the rest of the +evening.</p> + +<p>Next day, conveyances were obtained from a neighbouring town, and the +crew and passengers departed. The reunited friends remained at +Montreaux, awaiting the recovery of Pierre, Jacques excepted, he being +forced to go to Havre, to explain events to his owners. In ten days he +returned. Old Sandeau was now able to be removed; and the whole party +left Montreaux, which was then stripped by its owners, and deserted.</p> + +<p>The family went to Havre. The father's savings as a captain had been +considerable. United with those of Jacques, they proved sufficient to +take a house, furnish it, and start both young couples in life. +Edouard set up as a surgeon in Havre, his brother-in-law was admitted +as junior partner into the house of Ponceau, and from that day all +prospered with them. Old Sandeau did not live long. He was crushed +under the weight of his terrible past; and his deathbed was full of +horror and remorse.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> This legend is still told by the peasants of Brittany, +who point out the site of Montreaux.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="LOWELL_MECHANICS_FAIR" id="LOWELL_MECHANICS_FAIR"></a>LOWELL MECHANICS' FAIR.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> are very few places in the world that bear the mark of progress +so strongly as this town, destined, beyond all doubt, to be the +Manchester of the United States, and to enter—indeed it is now +entering—into active rivalry with the Old Country in her staple +manufactures, cottons and woollens. In the year 1821, few visited the +small, quiet village, of about 200 inhabitants, situated in a +mountain-nook at a bend of the Merrimac, at a point where that stream +fell in a natural cascade, tumbling and gushing over its rocky, +shallow bed, quite unconscious of the part it was to play in the +world's affairs. This village was twenty-five miles north-west of +Boston, not on a high-road leading anywhere; but, nevertheless, it +began to move on, as usual, by the erection of a saw-mill, as at that +point it was found convenient to arrest the downward progress of the +timber, and convert it into plank. And so it went on, and on, step by +step, till it became the splendid town it is, so large as to have two +railway depôts: one in the suburbs, and the principal one in the +centre of the town—for the Yankees think the closer their railways +are to the town the better.</p> + +<p>Lowell now covers five square miles, with handsome, straight streets; +the principal one, Merrimac Street, being a mile and a half in length, +and about sixty feet wide, with footways twelve feet wide, and rows of +trees between them and the road. The appearance of this street reminds +the spectator of the best in France. The loom-power of a manufacturing +place, I understand, is estimated by the number of spindles, and this +works 350,000; the mills employ 14,000 males, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[pg 182]</a></span> 10,000 females; the +number of inhabitants reckoned stationary, 12,000. It has lately been +raised to the dignity of a city by a charter of incorporation, which, +in the state of Massachusetts, can be claimed by any town when the +number of its inhabitants amounts to 10,000: thus it appoints its +officers, and manages its own affairs, as a body corporate and +municipal.</p> + +<p>The most striking feature of the social system here, is the condition +of the mill-workers, of which, as it is so different from ours, I +shall give you some particulars. The corporation of Lowell has built +streets of convenient houses, for the accommodation of the workmen; +and nine-tenths of these are occupied by the unmarried. These houses +are farmed by the corporation to elderly females, whose characters +must bear the strictest investigation, and at a rent just paying a low +rate of interest for the outlay. They carry on the business under +strict rules, which limit the numbers, and determine the accommodation +of the inmates, two of whom sleep in one room. Females, whose wages +are 12s. per week, pay 6s. 6d. per week for board and lodging; for +males, the wages and cost of board are about 15 per cent. higher. +These females are housed, fed, and dressed as well as the wives and +daughters of any tradesman in Edinburgh or London. The hours of work +at the mills leave them leisure; which some spend in fancy +needle-work, so as to increase their income; and all, by arrangements +among themselves, have access to good libraries. The amusements are +balls, reading-rooms, lectures, and concerts; indeed, all the means of +intellectual cultivation are placed within their reach, and full +advantage is taken of them. There is an ambition to save money, which +they nearly all do; those in superior situations, such as overlookers, +have considerable sums in the savings-banks established by the +companies owning the mills; the workers in each mill thus putting +their weekly savings into the concern, from which they receive +interest in money, and so having an interest in the well-doing of the +mill itself, and a bond of attachment to its proprietors. In this +manner, the capital of all is constantly at work, and provision is +made for a possible slackness, which, however, has not yet befallen +Lowell.</p> + +<p>To this place, it is no longer a toilsome journey from Boston. +Three-quarters of an hour, in a very commodious railway-carriage, +brought me into the centre of the town, when a most interesting sight +presented itself. The railway had been pouring in for the occasion +upwards of 20,000 persons; and in the streets, all was bustle and +harmony; thousands of well-dressed persons—some of the females +elegantly so—moving in throngs here and there, all bearing the tokens +of comfort and respectability. The occasion of the gathering is called +the Mechanics' Fair, held for a fortnight, during some days of which +all mill-work is suspended; the attraction consisting of a +horticultural and cattle show, and an exhibition of the products of +art and manufactures of the county, which is Middlesex.</p> + +<p>The horticultural show was in the Town-hall, a large, handsome +apartment, with long aisles of tables, covered with piles of fruits +and vegetables; and such fruits! peaches, nectarines, apricots, and +the choicest plums, all of open-air growth, and not surpassed by any I +have seen—fully equal to the best hot-house productions of England. +Vegetables also very fine, all equal to the finest, except the turnip, +which in New England is small. The flowers as beautiful as in the Old +Country, but much smaller; consequently, that part of the show was +much inferior to our shows of the kind. In the evening of each day, +the fruits are put up to auction, and a good deal of merriment is +caused by this part of the entertainment. Those who supply the show +are well paid, as each morning there is a fresh supply; thus proving +that it is not the selected few that are exhibited, but the average +produce of the county.</p> + +<p>From thence I walked to the show of products of industry. I found a +building 600 feet in length, 40 feet wide, and two storeys high, +crammed with such a variety of articles that it is extremely difficult +to describe them, or, indeed, to reduce them to order in the mind. I +do not propose to send you a catalogue, but to convey, as far as I +can, the impression made upon me. The ground-floor is devoted to the +exhibition of agricultural implements and machinery. I have no +intention to enter into the question of our own patent laws, but I +cannot refuse to acknowledge the superiority of the arrangements here. +The greatest advantage is, that the right to an invention is so +simply, cheaply, and easily secured, that there is no filching or +ill-feeling. Talking with a very intelligent person, who was kindly +trying to give me definite ideas in this labyrinth of cranks and +wheels, by shewing and explaining to me the movements of a most +singular machine for making carding implements—I said: 'How is it, +that with these wonders, the American portion of the Crystal Palace in +London should have been so scant? Here is enough for almost an +indefinite supply: the reaping-machine is but a unit.' 'True,' he +replied, 'but we could get no guarantee for securing the patents; and +if one man was simple enough to give the English his reaping-machine, +it did not suit others to be robbed. We have little ambition about the +matter: satisfied with what we have, we cannot afford to give away +inventions for the sake of fine words.' This explained the whole to +me.</p> + +<p>The first store I looked over in this country was one in Boston, +having an immense stock of agricultural implements, and tools for +every mechanical purpose. I should know something of such matters, +having whistled at the plough myself, and used most of the implements; +and being therefore curious on the point, I looked in for the sake of +old associations. I am positive that every article for agricultural +and mechanical use is better made than with us, and more adapted to +its purpose—tools especially. What has been said of the plough in +London, is equally true of all other implements in use in America, +from the most complicated to the most simple. The Englishman uses what +his fathers used; the American will have the tool best adapted, +whether existing before his time or not. In favour of this superiority +in tools is the fine quality of the hard-woods used here. At the Fair +I saw some coach and chaise wheels, of the most beautiful make, of +hickory, which is as durable as metal-spokes, not thicker than the +middle finger, but strong enough for any required weight, and with +great flexibility; and from its extreme toughness, calculated for the +woodwork of implements. The apartment on the ground-floor was entirely +occupied by machines in motion, and each was attended by a person who +explained, with the greatest civility and intelligence, the uses of +the various parts of the machine, setting it going, or stopping it, as +necessary: each had its crowd of listeners; and I could not but admire +the patience and politeness of the lecturer, as he endeavoured to +explain the wondrous capabilities of his own pet machine. It would +require a volume to follow the subject thoroughly; but I will mention +what appeared to be the newest inventions, or those not known in +England.</p> + +<p>A crowd of ladies were watching with great attention the +Sewing-machine—sewing away with the greatest exactness, and much +stronger than by the ordinary mode with a needle, as each stitch is a +knot. The inventor was shewing it; and he said he had nearly completed +a machine for the button-holes. The next was a machine called 'The +Man'—and truly named, for a more marvellous production can scarcely +be conceived—for making implements for carding wool or cotton, the +article passing in as raw wire, going through before our eyes four +processes of the most delicate description, and finally coming out a +perfect card, with its wire-teeth exactly set, and ready for use. My +attention was drawn to the application of the Jacquard<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[pg 183]</a></span> principle to a +loom engaged in weaving a calico fabric, of various colours woven with +a pattern, and thus producing an elegant article, thick, and well +adapted for bed-furniture. But the most curious and simple, and +withal, perhaps, the most important invention for facilitating +manufactures, is what is called the 'Turpin Wheel,' taking its name +from the inventor. How simple may be the birth of a great idea! We all +observe that a log under a waterfall, coming down perpendicularly upon +it, spins round, as on an axis, till it escapes. This led to the +invention in question. The water falls upon the spokes of a horizontal +wheel, which it sends round with great velocity; and by this +contrivance the force of the water is more than doubled. I must not +omit to mention the machine just invented for weaving the fabric we +call Brussels carpeting. This machine will weave twenty yards of +carpeting per day, with one female to attend it. The carpet is worth +3s. per yard, while the wages paid for human aid in its production is +1¼d. per yard: machinery can go little further. Let me add, that I was +informed that everything on this floor was the invention of +working-men.</p> + +<p>Upon ascending to the first floor, I found the apartment arranged with +stands—each stand devoted to one sort of manufacture—and attended, +as below, by an intelligent person, to shew and explain. Here was +every description of furniture, cotton, and woollen fabric; but +neither velvets nor silks, which have not, as yet, been introduced. We +know so much of our doings in England in the woollen and cotton line, +that my attention was principally attracted to these specimens. Here +was everything except the broad-cloths—all the patterns of +plaid-shawls, so beautifully imitated and executed, that they would, I +am sure, pass in Edinburgh. I saw the kerseymere fabric that obtained +the prize in London, and nothing could be more beautiful; for the +calicoes, I believe we cannot produce them cheaper or better. A writer +in a journal here, observes: 'Why should our cotton go to England to +be spun when we can spin it in Massachusetts?' A very pertinent +question, well worth thinking of at home. We should be thankful to the +projectors of the Crystal Palace, that it has opened our eyes, for +nothing else could. There is no manner of doubt, that we can learn +something beyond yacht-sailing; but we shall not open our eyes to the +widest until the arrival in our market of the first cargo of +manufactured woollens and cottons; and as surely as we have barrels of +flour and pork, we shall soon find them with us: I saw first-rate +calico, which could be sold at 2d. per yard.</p> + +<p>The exports of manufactured goods from this country to all parts of +the world is increasing weekly; but of all that another time, for I am +carefully collecting information. One stand I would not omit, as it +furnished evidence of the condition of the operatives. The exhibition +is managed by the mechanics themselves, and the profits are devoted to +the support of a mechanics' institute, with the usual advantages of +library, balls, and concerts, but of a very superior order; while +every female who provides any article of her own production for +exhibition and sale, has a free ticket admitting to all the advantages +of the institution. This is found a useful stimulus, as the stand for +those articles testified, consisting as they did of all descriptions +of fancy-work: rugs, chair-bottoms, table-covers, tapestry, &c. +produced in overhours, tasteful in design, and beautiful in execution. +Let me not forget an invention, which is as great a boon to sufferers +as the water-bed: it is a contrivance applied to an ordinary bedstead, +which, by turning a handle, will support any part of the body, or +place the body in any required position. It was the invention of a +mechanic, who was nine months in bed in consequence of an accident, +and felt the want of something of the kind. It is adapted to a +bedstead at a cost of L.3.</p> + +<p>From thence I went to the cattle-show. I could see but little of that, +as most of the animals were gone; but I was assured it was very fine. +I believe it, if what I saw was a specimen—a pair of working oxen, +perfectly white, the pair weighing 7000 pounds. In our cattle-shows at +home, we find plenty of bulk, but it destroys form and symmetry: here +both were preserved. The fowls are of the long-legged Spanish breed, +coming to table like trussed ostriches; the plump English barndoor +sort are about being introduced. I had nearly forgotten a beautiful +and extraordinary invention—a rifle, not heavier than the common one, +that will discharge twenty-four balls in succession without reloading. +Where the ramrod is usually placed, is a smaller barrel, containing, +when filled, twenty-four ball-cartridges, and, after discharging, the +action of recocking introduces another cartridge, and so on, until the +whole are discharged; the whole twenty-four can be discharged in as +many seconds!</p> + +<p>After leaving this interesting exhibition, where I could have lingered +a whole day, I was joined by a friend, an American—a gentleman of +great attainments in science—to whose remarks I am indebted for the +following scraps. The Merrimac, when low—as when I saw it—is a +trifling stream, having a bottom of laminated rock, worn in channels +by the stream. At spring and fall, there is ten or fifteen feet of +depth; and to remedy this inequality, an important work was undertaken +and executed: to this we bent our way. It is a canal in form, but +should more properly be called a reservoir. It is 1¼ miles long, 100 +feet wide, and 15 feet deep; of solid granite, sides and bottom—equal +in durability to any work, ancient or modern. It is about half way cut +through the solid granite rock, which in that part furnishes a natural +wall. My friend had watched its progress, and gave me many interesting +details of the engineering processes employed: among others, the +tremendous application of steam and gunpowder. An engine bored holes +in the rock fifteen feet deep and twelve inches in diameter; and these +were so placed, and in such numbers, that at a single blast 170 tons +of granite were blown into the air—an operation hardly conceivable. +This canal leaves the town in a westerly direction—being, at its +outset, about a quarter of a mile from the Merrimac, but gradually +approximating for a quarter of a mile, until it touches and unites +with that river. Between the two, is one of the prettiest of public +walks, ten feet wide, having rows of trees on each side, and +terminating in a point; being the end of a splendid granite wall, at +its base thirty feet thick, and tapering to half the thickness, +dividing the natural from the artificial stream. Here we come to a +point of great interest: on the right is an artificial dam across the +river, with two sharp lines at an angle of sixty-seven degrees, the +point meeting the stream, thus stopping the waters, and insuring a +supply for the reservoir, while it forms a cascade of about twenty +feet.</p> + +<p>My friend gave me a very graphic description of the opening of the +works. The whole was built in a cofferdam, quite dry, and the opening +was a holiday. Every spot within sight was covered with spectators, +for whom the engineer had contrived a surprise. The works used in +keeping the water out of the reservoir, and protecting the new dam, +were undermined, and charged with gunpowder. At a given signal, the +train was fired, and in an instant the whole blew up; and when the +smoke cleared away, the fragments were floating down the Merrimac, and +the canal full of water.</p> + +<p>On the left from the point, the egress of water is regulated by +flood-gates of a superior construction. The building crosses the +canal, and contains seven huge gates, which are raised or dropped into +their places by beautiful machinery. To each gate is attached an +immense screw, which stands perpendicularly, twenty feet long and ten +inches in diameter. At its upper end, it passes through a matrix-worm +in the centre of a large cog-wheel, lying horizontally<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[pg 184]</a></span> The whole is +set in motion by the slightest turning of a handle; and here I saw the +application of the Turpin Wheel I spoke of before—no engine or +complication, but a wheel fifteen feet in diameter, fixed +horizontally, submerged in the stream, receiving the falling waters, +and thus rapidly revolving, and by a gear, giving motion to the +machinery for raising or lowering the immense gates, stopped or set +going by merely turning a stop-cock, and requiring no more force than +an ordinary water-cistern.</p> + +<p>I cannot leave this interesting spot without an attempt to describe +the beautiful scene. A little to the right, the river widens into a +sort of bay, with several fine islands covered with wood; in front, +across the stream, as far as the eye can reach, are the forests of New +Hampshire, with occasional headlands of greensward. In the autumn, it +has exactly the appearance of a gigantic flower-garden—the trees +being of every imaginable colour. 'Ah!' said my friend, 'this is an +interesting spot: it was the favourite residence and hunting-ground of +the Chippewas. The Indians, like your monks of old in Europe, always +chose the most beautiful and picturesque sites for their dwellings; +but they have retired before the advance of a civilisation they could +not share or appreciate.' Talking in this way, as we returned, he +called my attention to a singular phenomenon in the river. At some +remote period there was, and it remains to the present moment, a rock +standing in the middle of the stream, about twelve feet in diameter at +the top, of an irregular form, and of the hardest granite. By the +action of the water, a mass of granite had been thrown on the top, +where it lodged. At high-water, perhaps during three months in each +year, the stream had caused this mass to revolve on its own axis, +until it has worn itself of a round figure, and worn also the rock +into a cup, now about six feet deep. Still, it revolves when the water +reaches it—nature still plays at this cup-and-ball—the ball weighing +five tons. Talk of this sort brought us to the railway. In due time I +reached home; and I do not remember to have ever been more interested +than by the day spent at Lowell.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_SEA_AND_THE_POETS" id="THE_SEA_AND_THE_POETS"></a>THE SEA AND THE POETS.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Of</span> three poets, each the most original in his language, and each +peculiarly susceptible of impressions from external nature—Horace, +Shakspeare, and Burns—not one seems to have appreciated the beauty, +the majestic sublimity, the placid loveliness, alternating with the +terrific grandeur, of the 'many-sounding sea.' Judging from their +incidental allusions to it, and the use they make of it in metaphor +and imagery, it would seem to have presented itself to their +imaginations only as a fierce, unruly, untamable, and unsightly +monster, to be loathed and avoided—a blot on the fair face of +creation—a necessary evil, perhaps; but still an evil, and most +certainly suggestive of no ideas poetic in their character.</p> + +<p>It is marvellous, for there is not one of these poets who does not +discover a lively sense of the varied charms of universal nature, +and has not painted them in glowing colours with the pencil of a +master. Who has not noted with what evident love, with what a +nicely-discriminative knowledge Shakspeare has pictured our English +flowers, our woodland glades, the forest scenery of Old England, +before the desolating axe had prostrated the pride of English woods? +How vividly has not Burns translated into vigorous verse each feature +of his native landscape, till</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i3">—— 'Auld Coila's plains and fells,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Her muirs, red-brown wi' heather-bells,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Her banks and braes, her dens and dells,'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>live again in the magic of his song. And Horace—with what charming +playfulness, with what exquisite grace, has he not figured the +olive-groves of Tibur, the pendent vines ruddy with the luscious +grape, the silver streams, the sparkling fountains and purple skies of +fruitful Campania! Looking on nature with a poet's eye, as did these +poets, one and all of them, is it not a psychological mystery that +none of them should have detected the ineffable beauty of a +sea-prospect?</p> + +<p>First, as to Horace. When climbing the heights of Mount Vultur, that +Lucanian hill where once, when overcome by fatigue, the youthful poet +lay sleeping, and doves covered his childish and wearied limbs with +leaves—Horace must have often viewed, with their wide expanse +glittering in the sun, the waters of the Adriatic—often must he have +hailed the grateful freshness of the sea-breeze and the invigorating +perfumes of</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i5">—— 'the early sea-smell blown<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Through vineyards from some inland bay.'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Yet about this sea, which should have kindled his imagination and +inspired his genius, this thankless bard poetises in a vein such as a +London citizen, some half-century back, might have indulged in after a +long, tedious, 'squally' voyage in an overladen Margate hoy.</p> + +<p>No such spirit possessed him as that which dictated poor Campbell's +noble apostrophe to the glorious 'world of waters:'</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i5">—— 'Earth has not a plain<br /></span> +<span class="i0">So boundless or so beautiful as thine;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The eagle's vision cannot take it in;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The lightning's glance, too weak to sweep its space,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Sinks half-way o'er it, like a wearied bird:<br /></span> +<span class="i0">It is the mirror of the stars, where all<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Their hosts within the concave firmament,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Gay marching to the music of the spheres,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Can see themselves at once.'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Horace, indeed, has sung the praises of Tarentum—that beautiful +maritime city of the Calabrian Gulf, whose attractions were such as to +make <i>the delights of Tarentum</i> a common proverbial expression. But +what were these delights as celebrated by our poet?—the perfection of +its honey, the excellence of its olives, the abundance of its grapes, +its lengthened spring and temperate winter. For these, its merits, did +Horace prefer, as he tells us, Tarentum to every other spot on the +wide earth—his beloved Tibur only and ever excepted. In truth, Horace +valued and visited the sea-side only in winter, and then simply +because its climate was milder than that to be met with inland, and +therefore more agreeable to the dilapidated constitution of a +sensitive valetudinarian. His commentators suppose he produced nothing +during his marine hybernations: if the inclement season froze 'the +genial current of his soul,' the aspect of the sea did not thaw it.</p> + +<p>His motive for his sea-side trips is amusingly set forth in one of the +most lively and characteristic of his Epistles—the fifteenth of the +first book. In this he inquires of a friend what sort of winter +weather is to be found at Velia and Salernum; two cities, one on the +Adriatic, the other on the Mediterranean seaboard of Italy—what +manner of roads they had—whether the people there drank tank-water or +spring-water—and whether hares, boars, crabs, and fish were with them +abundant. He adds, he is not apprehensive about their wines—knowing +these, as we may infer, to be good—although usually, when from home, +he is scrupulous about his liquors; whilst, when at home, he can put +up almost with anything in the way<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[pg 185]</a></span> of potations. It is quite plain +Horace went down to the sea just in the spirit in which a turtle-fed +alderman would transfer himself to Cheltenham; or in which a fine +lady, whose nerves the crush, hurry, and late hours of a London season +had somewhat disturbed, would exchange the dissipations of Mayfair for +the breezy hills of Malvern, or the nauseous waters of Tunbridge +Wells.</p> + +<p>This certainly explains, and perhaps excuses, the grossly uncivil +terms in which alone he notices the sea. One of the worst of Ulysses' +troubles was, according to him, the numerous and lengthy sea-voyages +which that Ithacan gadabout had to take. Horace wishes for Mævius, who +was his aversion, no worse luck than a rough passage and shipwreck at +the end of it. His notion of a happy man—<i>ille beatus</i>—is one who +has not to dread the sea. Augustus, whose success had blessed not only +his own country, but the whole world, had—not the least of his +blessings—given to the seamen a calmed sea—<i>pacatum mare</i>. Lamenting +at Virgil's departure for Athens, he rebukes the impiety of the first +mariner who ventured, in the audacity of his heart, to go afloat and +cross the briny barrier interposed between nations. He esteems a +merchant favoured specially by the gods, should he twice or thrice a +year return in safety from an Atlantic cruise. He tells us he himself +had known the terrors of 'the dark gulf of the Adriatic,' and had +experienced 'the treachery of the western gale;' and expresses a +charitable wish, that the enemies of the Roman state were exposed to +the delights of both. He likens human misery to a sea 'roughened by +gloomy winds;' 'to embark once more on the mighty sea,' is his +figurative expression for once more engaging in the toils and troubles +of the world; Rome, agitated by the dangers of civil conflict, +resembles an ill-formed vessel labouring tempest-tossed in the waves; +his implacable Myrtale resembles the angry Adriatic, in which also he +finds a likeness to an ill-tempered lover. All through, from first to +last, the gentle Horace pelts with most ungentle phrases one of the +noblest objects in nature, provocative alike of our admiration and our +awe, our terror and our love.</p> + +<p>And even Shakspeare must be ranged in the same category. The most +English of poets has not one laudatory phrase for</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i5">—— 'The seas<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Which God hath given for fence impregnable'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>to the poet's England. It is idle to say that Shakspeare was +inland-bred—that he knew nothing, and could therefore have cared +nothing about the matter—seeing that, insensible as he might have +been to its beauties, he makes constant reference to the sea, and even +in language implying that his familiarity with it was not inferior to +that of any yachtsman who has ever sailed out of Cowes Harbour. He +uses nautical terms frequently and appropriately. Romeo's rope-ladder +is 'the high top-gallant of his joy;' King John, dying of poison, +declares 'the tackle of his heart is cracked,' and 'all the shrouds +wherewith his life should sail' wasted 'to a thread.' Polonius tells +Laertes, 'the wind sits in the shoulder of your sail'—a technical +expression, the singular propriety of which a naval critic has +recently established; whilst some of the commentators on the passage +in <i>King Lear</i>, descriptive of the prospect from Dover Cliffs, affirm +that the comparison as to apparent size, of the ship to her cock-boat, +and the cock-boat to a buoy, discover a perfect knowledge of the +relative proportions of the objects named. In <i>Hamlet</i>, <i>Othello</i>, +<i>The Tempest</i>, <i>The Merchant of Venice</i>, <i>The Comedy of Errors</i>, +<i>Twelfth Night</i>, <i>Winter's Tale</i>, <i>Measure for Measure</i>, and +<i>Pericles</i>, sea-storms are made accessory to the development of the +plot, and sometimes described with a force and truthfulness which +forbid the belief that the writer had never witnessed such scenes: +however, like Horace, it is in the darkest colours that Shakspeare +uniformly paints 'the multitudinous seas.'</p> + +<p>In the <i>Winter's Tale</i>, we read of—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i5">—— 'the fearful usage<br /></span> +<span class="i0">(Albeit ungentle) of the dreadful Neptune.'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>In <i>Henry V.</i>, of 'the furrowed sea,' 'the lofty surge,' 'the +inconstant billows dancing;' in <i>Henry VI.</i>, Queen Margaret finds in +the roughness of the English waters a presage of her approaching wo; +in <i>Richard III.</i>, Clarence's dream figures to us all the horrors of +'the vasty deep;' in <i>Henry VIII.</i>, Wolsey indeed speaks of 'a sea of +glory,' but also of his shipwreck thereon; in <i>The Tempest</i> we read of +'the never surfeited sea,' and of the 'sea-marge sterile and +rocky-hard;' in the <i>Midsummer's Night Dream</i>, 'the sea' is 'rude,' +and from it the winds 'suck up contagious fogs;' <i>Hamlet</i> is as 'mad +as the sea and wind;' the violence of Laertes and the insurgent Danes +is paralleled to an irruption of the sea, 'overpeering of his list;' +in the well-known soliloquy is the expression, 'a sea of troubles,' +which, in spite of Pope's suggested and tasteless emendation, +commentators have shewn to have been used proverbially by the Greeks, +and more than once by Æschylus and Menander. Still, Shakspeare, again +like Horace, was not insensible to the merits of sea-air in a sanitary +point of view. Dionyza, meditating Marina's murder, bids her take what +the Brighton doctor's call 'a constitutional' by the sea-side, adding +that—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i5">—— 'the air is quick there,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Piercing and sharpens well the stomach.'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>As to Burns, his most fervent admirer can scarcely complain when we +involve him in the censure to which we have already subjected Horace +and Shakspeare. He, too, writes about the sea in such a fashion, that +we should hardly have suspected, what is true, that he was born almost +within hearing of its waves; that much of his life was passed on its +shores or near them, and that at a time of life when external objects +most vividly impress themselves on the senses, and exercise the +largest influence on the taste.</p> + +<p>The genius of 'Old Coila,' in sketching the poet's early life, says—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">'I saw thee seek the sounding shore,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Delighted with the dashing roar;'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>but few tokens of this 'delight' are to be observed in his poetry. He +has, indeed, his allusions to 'tumbling billows' and 'surging foam;' +to southern climes where 'wild-meeting oceans boil;' to 'life's rough +ocean' and 'life's stormy main;' to 'hard-blowing gales;' to the +'raging sea,' 'raging billows,' 'boundless oceans roaring wide,' and +the like; but these are the stock-metaphors of every poet, and would +be familiar to him even had he never overpassed the frontiers of +Bohemia.</p> + +<p>One sea-picture, and one alone, is to be found in Burns, and this, it +is freely admitted, is exquisite:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">'Behold the hour, the boat arrive;<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Thou goest, thou darling of my heart!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Severed from thee, can I survive?<br /></span> +<span class="i2">But fate has willed, and we must part.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">I'll often greet this surging swell,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Yon distant isle will often hail:<br /></span> +<span class="i0">E'en here I took the last farewell;<br /></span> +<span class="i2">There latest marked her vanished sail.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Along the solitary shore,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">While flitting sea-fowl round me cry,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Across the rolling, dashing roar,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">I'll westward turn my wistful eye:<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Happy thou Indian grove, I'll say,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Where now my Nancy's path may be!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">While through thy sweets she loves to stray,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Oh! tell me, does she muse on me?'<br /></span> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[pg 186]</a></span></div></div> + +<p>This charming lyric, the pathetic tenderness of which commends it to +every feeling heart, is all that Burns has left in evidence that the +sea had to him, at least, one poetic aspect.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="CURIOSITIES_OF_CHESS" id="CURIOSITIES_OF_CHESS"></a>CURIOSITIES OF CHESS.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">More</span> has perhaps been written about chess-playing than any other of +the games which human ingenuity has invented for recreative purposes, +and it is not easy to foresee the time when dissertation or discovery +on the subject shall be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Scarcely +a year passes that does not add something to our knowledge of the +history of the royal game; and among the latest additions, the able +paper by Mr Bland, published in the <i>Journal of the Royal Asiatic +Society</i>, is not the least deserving of notice. It contains many +curious particulars and remarks, interspersed in its dry and technical +narrative, sufficient to form a page or two of pleasant reading for +those—and they are not few—to whom chess is interesting.</p> + +<p>We must premise that Mr Bland takes three but little-known Oriental +manuscripts as the groundwork of his observations; one of them, in the +Persian character, is said to be 'probably unique,' though, +unfortunately, very imperfect. It bears no date or author's name, +these being lost with the missing portions, but the treatise itself +contains internal evidence of very high antiquity. The author, whoever +he was, tells us that he had travelled much through Persia and the +adjacent countries, from the age of fifteen until the middle period of +life, during which he gained the knowledge and experience which +enabled him to write his book. Besides which, he measured his strength +with many masters of the art of chess-playing, adding on each occasion +to his reputation as a conqueror: 'and whereas,' as he relates, 'the +greater number of professors were deficient in the art of playing +without looking at the board, I myself played so against four +adversaries at once, and at the same time against another opponent in +the usual manner, and, by divine favour, won all the games.' Here, +singularly enough, we find a Persian Staunton making himself famous +perhaps long before Norman William thought of invading Britain—so +true it is, that in mere intellectual achievements we have scarcely +surpassed bygone generations. He, the Persian, evidently entertained a +comfortable idea of his own abilities; for he boasts largely of the +improvements and new moves or positions which he has introduced into +the game. He disputes, too, the authenticity of the belief, that chess +was originally invented in India, and that it was first introduced +into Persia in the sixth century of our era by a physician, whom +Nushirwan had sent to seek for the work known as Pilpay's Fables. On +the contrary, he contends that chess, in its original and most +developed form, is purely a Persian invention, and that the modern +game is but an abridgment of the ancient one. In how far this +statement is borne out by the fact, we have at present no means of +knowing; and until some more complete manuscript or other work shall +be brought to light which may supply the want, we must rest content +with the account familiar to most readers—that chess was invented by +an Indian physician for the diversion of the monarch, his master, and +the reward claimed in grains of corn, beginning with one grain on the +first square of the board, and doubling the number in regularly +increasing progression up to the last.</p> + +<p>We may here briefly state what the ancient, or, as it is commonly +called in the East, 'Timour's Game,' was. It required a board with 110 +squares and 56 men—almost as many again as are used in modern +chess—and the moves were extremely complicated and difficult to +learn. The rectangularity of the board was interrupted by four lateral +squares, which served as a fort, or special point of defence for the +king, whose powers, as well as those of the other pieces, were in many +respects different from those at present known. 'Timour's mind,' we +are told, 'was too exalted to play at the Little Chess, and therefore +he played only at the Great Chess, on a board of ten squares by +eleven, with the addition of two camels, two zarafahs,' and other +pieces, with Persian designations.</p> + +<p>Next we come to a complete chapter, entitled the 'Ten Advantages of +Chess,' in which the views and reasonings are eminently Oriental and +characteristic. The first explains that food and exercise are good for +the mind as well as for the body, and that chess is a most excellent +means for quickening the intellect, and enabling it to gain knowledge. +'For the glory of man is knowledge, and chess is the nourishment of +the mind, the solace of the spirit, the polisher of intelligence, the +bright sun of understanding, and has been preferred by the +philosopher, its inventor, to all other means by which we arrive at +wisdom.' The second advantage is in the promotion and cultivation of +religion; predestination and free-will are both exemplified—the +player being able to move where he will, yet always in obedience to +certain laws. 'Whereas,' says the writer, 'Nerd—that is, Eastern +backgammon—on the contrary, is mere free-will, while in dice, again, +all is compulsion.' The third and fourth advantages relate to +government and war; and the fifth to astronomy, illustrating its +several phenomena as shewn by the text, according to which 'the board +represents the heavens, in which the squares are the celestial houses, +and the pieces, stars. The superior pieces are likened to the moving +stars; and the pawns, which have only one movement, to the fixed +stars. The king is as the sun, and the wazir in place of the moon, and +the elephants and taliah in the place of Saturn, and the rukhs and +dabbabah in that of Mars, and the horses and camel in that of Jupiter, +and the ferzin and zarafah in that of Venus; and all these pieces have +their accidents, corresponding with the trines and quadrates, and +conjunction and opposition, and ascendancy and decline—such as the +heavenly bodies have; and the eclipse of the sun is figured by shah +caim or stale mate;' and much more to the same purport. We question +whether the astronomer-royal ever suspected he was illustrating his +own science when engaged in one of his quiet games of chess with the +master of trinity.</p> + +<p>The sixth advantage is somewhat astrological in character: as there +are four principal movements of chess, these answer to the four +physical temperaments, Cold, Warm, Dry, and Wet, which are ruled by +their respective planets; and thus each piece on the board is made to +have its peculiar significance in relation with the stars. It is +further shewn, that chess-playing is remedial against many of the +lesser bodily ailments; 'and no illness is more grievous than hunger +and thirst, yet both of these, when the mind is engaged in chess, are +no longer thought of.' Next in order, the seventh advantage, is 'in +obtaining repose for the soul;' as the author observes: 'The soul hath +illnesses like as the body hath, and the cure of these last is known; +but of the soul's illness there be also many kinds, and of these I +will mention a few.' These are ignorance, disobedience, haste, +cunning, avarice, tyranny, lying, pride, deceit, and envy. Deceit is +said to be of two kinds: that which deceives others, and that which +deceives ourselves. But of all evils, ignorance is the greatest; 'for +it is the soul's death, as learning is its life; and for this disease +is chess an especial cure, since there is no way by which men arrive +more speedily at knowledge and wisdom; and in like manner, by its +practice, all the faults which form the diseases of the soul are +converted into their corresponding virtues.' It is not to be doubted +that chess-playing may keep individuals out of mischief; but, whatever +may have been the case in ancient times, we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[pg 187]</a></span> do not hear of its +transforming vicious characters into virtuous ones in our days.</p> + +<p>The eighth advantage is social, inasmuch as it brings men of different +degrees together, and promotes their intimacy and friendship; and +'advantage the ninth, is in wisdom and knowledge, and that wise men do +play chess; and to those who object that foolish men also play chess, +and, though constantly engaged in it, become no wiser, it may be +answered, that the distinction between wise and foolish men in playing +chess, is as that of man and beast in eating of the tree—that the man +chooses its ripe and sweet fruit, while the beast eats but the leaves +and branches, and the unripe and bitter fruit; and so it is with +players at chess—the wise man plays for those virtues and advantages +which have been already mentioned, and the foolish man plays it but +for mere sport and gambling, and regards not its advantages and +virtues. This is the condition of the wise man and foolish man in +playing chess.' From this it seems a descent to the tenth advantage, +which is, that chess combines war with sport; and pleasant allegories +are made subservient to the inculcation of sound truths and important +principles.</p> + +<p>Next comes an explanation of the mode in which Great Chess was played, +with the nature and value of the various moves. Among the hard +technicalities with which it abounds, the writer takes occasion to +condemn the practice of giving a different value to the piece which +may have reached the end of the board; 'for,' as he says, 'what is +more natural or just than that men should occupy the station of their +predecessors, and that the son of a king should become a king, and a +general's son attain the rank of a general.' An instance of rigid +caste-law carried into a harmless recreation.</p> + +<p>In another manuscript, chess is shewn to have something to do with a +man's fortunes: he who could watch a game without speaking, was held +to be discreet, and qualified for a government office. And conquerors +are enjoined not to boast of their success; not to say, even if such +be the case, that they have won all the games, but that they have 'won +some.' Exemplary virtue is not, however, claimed for chess-players, as +in the former instance, for some are said to be continually 'swearing +false oaths, and making many vain excuses;' and again, 'You never see +a chess-player rich, who is not a sordid miser, nor hear a squabbling +that is not a question of the chess-board.' On the other hand, there +were 'rules of politeness in chess,' which it behoved all persons to +follow:—'He who is lowest in rank is to spread the board, and pour +out the men on it, and then wait patiently till his superior has made +his choice; then he who is inferior may take his own men, and place +all of them except the king, and when the senior in rank has placed +his own king, he may also place his opposite to it.' During the game, +'all foolish talk and ribaldry' is to be avoided, and onlookers are +'to keep silence, and to abstain from remarks and advice to the +players;' and an inferior, when playing with a superior, is enjoined +to exert his utmost skill, and not 'underplay himself that his senior +may win'—an observation which what is called the 'flunkey class' +might remember with advantage. And further, chess is not to be played +'when the mind is engaged with other objects, nor when the stomach is +full after a meal, neither when overcome by hunger, nor on the day of +taking a bath; nor, in general, while suffering under any pain, bodily +or mental.'</p> + +<p>Chess-playing without looking at the board, now taught by professors, +and supposed to be a comparatively modern art, was, as we have seen +above, known and practised many centuries ago; and among the +instructions last quoted are those for playing the 'blindfold-game.' +The player is 'to picture to himself the board as divided first into +two opposite sides, and then each side into halves, those of the king +and the queen, so that when his naib, or deputy, announces that 'such +a knight has been played to the second of the queen's rook,' or 'the +queen to the king's bishop's third,' he may immediately understand its +effect on the position of the game. This mode of playing, however, is +not recommended to those who do not possess a powerful memory, with +great reflection and perseverance, 'without which no man can play +blindfold.' These, with other instructions, are followed by the +author's remark, 'that some have arrived to such a degree of +perfection as to have played blindfold at four or five boards at a +time, nor to have made a mistake in any of the games, and to have +recited poetry during the match;' and he adds: 'I have seen it written +in a book, that a certain person played in this manner at ten boards +at once, and gained all the games, and even corrected his adversaries +when a mistake was made.'</p> + +<p>Besides their conventional value, the pieces had a money value, which +was essential to be known by all who desired to win. The rook and +knight were estimated at about sixpence each; the queen, threepence; +the pawns, three-halfpence; and the 'side-pawns,' three farthings. The +value of bishops varied, while the king was beyond all price. The +regulations respecting odds were also well defined, in degrees from a +single pawn up to a knight and rook; but any one claiming the latter +odds was held not 'to count as a chess-player.' And it was not unusual +for works on chess to contain puzzling problems, representations of +drawn games, and well-combined positions. Some authors describe five +different kinds of chess: one had 10 × 10, or 100 squares; another was +oblong, 16 × 4, which employed dice as well as the usual pieces; +another board was circular, with a central spot for the king, where he +could intrench himself in safety; another represented the zodiac, with +spaces for each planet, according to the number of houses or mansions +assigned by astrologers. The ingenuity did not end here: chess was +made to illustrate dreams, and to embellish many amusing games and +recreations. Odes and poems were written upon it, and the poets at +times exhibited their skill in a play upon words—for instance:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">'When my beloved learnt the chess-play of cruelty,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">In the very beginning of the game her sweet cheek<br /></span> +<span class="i2">(rukh) took my heart captive.'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>It served also to point riddles, some of which exhibit remarkable +ingenuity, as shewn by the following example, where the name of +Mohammed is enigmatically embodied. It is thus rendered:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">'The vow of Moses twice repeat;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The principles of life and heat;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The squares of chess, in order due,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Must take their place between these two;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">When thus arranged, a name appears,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Which every Muslim heart reveres.'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>The solution, as given by a reverend ulema of Constantinople to a +learned German who could not solve the mystery, is: 'Take the "vow of +Moses," which is 40; double it, and it becomes 80, equivalent to the +two Mims in the name Muhammed. Place under these the bases of the +temperaments—that is, the elements—which are four (the power of the +letter D); then take the number of the houses (or squares) of chess, +which are eight in a row, and place it (8 being equal to the letter H) +between the two Ms, and you have the name of the prophet, Muhammed +(MHMD.')</p> + +<p>'It has been necessary,' observes Mr Bland, 'to turn the Arabic +commentary a little, in order to make the solution more intelligible +to those unacquainted with the trick of Eastern riddles. Some further +explanation is also required to illustrate the solution itself. The +vow of Moses refers to his forty days' fast; the four +temperaments—the bile, the atrabile, phlegm, and blood—are +represented in the Arabian system of physics<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[pg 188]</a></span> by the four elements, +which are considered to be connected with them; the figures refer to +the numerical power of the <i>abjad</i>, or alphabet; and the enigma itself +has been attributed, though on uncertain grounds, to Ali, the +son-in-law of the prophet.'</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_SUCCESSFUL_MERCHANT" id="THE_SUCCESSFUL_MERCHANT"></a>'THE SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT.'</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Under</span> this title has lately been produced a novelty in our literature, +the memoirs of an eminent commercial man.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> Samuel Budgett died in +May 1851, at the age of fifty-seven. Though starting in life without +capital or credit, he had, by the sheer exercise of his own innate +qualities, risen to the head of one of the most colossal <i>concerns</i> in +England. Had he been merely a clever bargainer, and a skilful +organiser of business arrangements, there might have been some value +in his memoirs, as a guidance to young mercantile aspirants; but +Budgett was something more than all this, and his biography serves the +far higher purpose of shewing how a man may be at once a most adroit +merchandiser, and a man of liberal practice, and a true lover of his +kind. Let it not be supposed that he was a <i>soft</i> man, who had +prospered through some lucky accident. He really was a thorough-paced +follower of the maxim which recommends buying in the cheapest and +selling in the dearest market: he was reputed as <i>keen</i> in business. +But he was also kind-hearted and high-principled, and it is this union +of remarkable qualities which gives his memoirs their best value.</p> + +<p>Mr Budgett was a general provision-merchant at Bristol, with also a +large warehouse at Kingswood Hill, where his private residence was. +His biographer presents him as he came daily into town to attend to +business. 'You might have often seen driving into Bristol, a man under +the middle size, verging towards sixty, wrapped up in a coat of deep +olive, with gray hair, an open countenance, a quick brown eye, and an +air less expressive of polish than of push. He drives a phaeton, with +a first-rate horse, at full speed. He looks as if he had work to do, +and had the art of doing it. On the way, he overtakes a woman carrying +a bundle. In an instant, the horse is reined up by her side, and a +voice of contagious promptitude tells her to put up her bundle and +mount. The voice communicates to the astonished pedestrian its own +energy. She is forthwith seated, and away dashes the phaeton. In a few +minutes, the stranger is deposited in Bristol, with the present of +some pretty little book, and the phaeton hastes on to Nelson Street. +There it turns into the archway of an immense warehouse. "Here, boy; +take my horse, take my horse!" It is the voice of the head of the +firm. The boy flies. The master passes through the offices as if he +had three days' work to do. Yet his eye notes everything. He reaches +his private office. He takes from his pocket a memorandum-book, on +which he has set down, in order, the duties of the day. A boy waits at +the door. He glances at his book, and orders the boy to call a clerk. +The clerk is there promptly, and receives his instructions in a +moment. "Now, what is the next thing?" asks the master, glancing at +his memorandum. Again the boy is on the wing, and another clerk +appears. He is soon dismissed. "Now, what is the next thing?" again +looking at the memorandum. At the call of the messenger, a young man +now approaches the office door. He is a "traveller;" but +notwithstanding the habitual push and self-possession of his class, he +evidently is approaching his employer with reluctance and +embarrassment. He almost pauses at the entrance. And now that he is +face to face with the strict man of business, he feels much confused.</p> + +<p>"Well, what's the matter? I understand you can't make your cash quite +right."</p> + +<p>"No, sir."</p> + +<p>"How much are you short?"</p> + +<p>"Eight pounds, sir."</p> + +<p>"Never mind; I am quite sure you have done what is right and +honourable. It is some mistake; and you won't let it happen again. +Take this and make your account straight."</p> + +<p>'The young man takes the proffered paper. He sees an order for ten +pounds; and retires as full of admiration as he had approached full of +anxiety.</p> + +<p>"Now, what is the next thing?" This time a porter is summoned. He +comes forward as if he expected rebuke. "Oh! I have got such a +complaint reported against you. You know that will never do. You must +not let that occur again."</p> + +<p>'Thus, with incredible dispatch, matter after matter is settled, and +all who leave that office go to their work as if some one had oiled +all their joints.</p> + +<p>'At another time, you find the master passing through the warehouse. +Here, his quick glance descries a man who is moving drowsily, and he +says a sharp word that makes him, in a moment, nimble. There, he sees +another blundering at his work. He had no idea that the master's eye +was upon him, till he finds himself suddenly supplanted at the job. In +a trice, it is done; and his master leaves him to digest the +stimulant. Now, a man comes up to tell him of some plan he has in his +mind, for improving something in his own department of the business. +"Yes, thank you, that's a good idea;" and putting half-a-crown into +his hand, he passes on. In another place he finds a man idling. You +can soon see, that of all spectacles this is the one least to his +mind. "If you waste five minutes, that is not much; but probably if +you waste five minutes yourself, you lead some one else to waste five +minutes, and that makes ten. If a third follow your example, that +makes a quarter of an hour. Now, there are about a hundred and eighty +of us here; and if every one wasted five minutes in a day, what would +it come to? Let me see. Why, it would be fifteen hours; and fifteen +hours a day would be ninety hours—about eight days, working-time, in +a week; and in a year, would be four hundred days. Do you think we +could ever stand waste like that?" The poor loiterer is utterly +confounded. He had no idea of eating up fifteen hours, much less four +hundred days, of his good employer's time; and he never saw before how +fast five minutes could be multiplied.'</p> + +<p>Mr Budgett was the son of a worthy couple, not exactly in poor, but in +rather difficult circumstances. He had little school education; but +his mother gave him a good religious training. From his earliest +intelligent years, he loved traffic. His first transaction was getting +a penny for a horse-shoe which he had found. Discovering that for a +half-penny he got six marbles, but for a penny fourteen, he bought +pennyworths and sold them in half-pennyworths to his companions, thus +realising a profit. Meeting an old woman with a basket of cucumbers, +he bought them, and by selling them again, realised ninepence. Truly +in his case the boy was father to the man. But, what was notable in +him, he would give away his accumulated profits all at once, in the +purchase of a hymn-book, or for the relief of some poor person. Even +then, it was not for sordid or selfish ends that he trafficked. In +these early years, his singular tact also came out. 'I remember,' he +said, 'about 1806 or 1807, a young man called on my mother, from Mr +D—— of Shepton, to solicit orders in the grocery trade. His +introduction and mode of treating my mother were narrowly watched by +me, particularly when she asked the price of several articles. On +going in to my father, she remarked, there would be no advantage in +dealing with Mr D——, as she could not see that his prices were any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[pg 189]</a></span> +lower than those she was in the habit of giving. I slipped aside, and +began to think: "Why, that young man might have got my mother's trade, +if he had known how; if, instead of mentioning so many articles, he +had just offered one or two at a lower price than we have been in the +habit of giving, she would have been induced to try those articles; +and thus he would have been introduced, most likely, to her whole +trade: beside, his manner was rather loose, and not of the most modest +and attractive kind." I believe the practical lesson then learned has, +since that, been worth to me thousands of pounds—namely, +Self-interest is the mainspring of human actions: you have only to lay +before persons, in a strong light, that what you propose is to their +own interest, and you will generally accomplish your purpose.' There +are certainly few boys of twelve years who would have caught up such +an idea as this from so common-place a circumstance.</p> + +<p>By the time he was fourteen, he had realised thirty pounds by private +barter. He gave the money to help his parents. When put as apprentice +to an elder brother, a grocer in Kingswood Hill, it might have been +expected that he would speedily distinguish himself; and so he might +have done as far as intellect was concerned; but, unluckily, his +strength was at first inadequate for his duties, and his brother +actually sent him away as hopeless. With great difficulty, he made his +way into another trader's employment, and there he gave entire +satisfaction. His brother, then, reclaimed him, and though offered a +higher salary where he was, he returned to serve out his time. Long +before that period had arrived, he was beginning to soar above retail +business. 'The markets were well watched, every advantage of time or +change turned to account, and his singular power of cheap buying +exerted with all vigour. The trade steadily grew; every now and then +those in their own line were surprised at the sales they were able to +make, and the neighbourhood resounded with the news of the great +bargains to be had at Budgett's. As custom increased, so did envy and +accusation. Many scrupled not to declare, that they sold cheaper than +they bought, and therefore must soon come to an end; yet they went on, +year by year, in steady and rapid increase.... He already seemed to +descry in the distance the possibility of a great wholesale +establishment; but this must be reached by little and little. He would +not attempt what he could not accomplish. Any sudden bound, therefore, +by which he was at once to pass the gulf now separating him from his +object, was not to be thought of. A little at a time; secure what you +have, work it well, make it fruitful, and then push on a little +farther; but never stretch out to anything new till all the old is +perfectly cultivated.'</p> + +<p>The brother, who was fifteen years his senior, and a man of ordinary +character, was borne on by the towering genius of Samuel the +apprentice. 'Among the customers of the shop were numbers of good +women, who came from villages at a few miles' distance, mounted on +donkeys. As the flow of purchasers was great, a crowd of these patient +steeds would often be for a long time about the door, while their +respective mistresses were obtaining goods. In this concourse from a +distance, the quick eye of Samuel discovered the germ of an extended +trade. Why should he not go into their neighbourhood regularly, and +obtain their orders; so securing their custom always, and affording +them accommodation, while he obtained new chances of extension? His +brother was much more inclined to pursue the regular course than to +branch into anything new; and the caution of the one probably acted as +a useful counterbalance to the energy of the other. But Samuel was not +to be held within the shop-walls: he had his plans for erecting a +great business, and no power could restrain him. He soon set forth to +the villages of Doynton and Pucklechurch, and arranged to meet the +good folks at fixed times, in one house or another convenient for +them, and there to receive their orders. He made himself their friend: +he was hearty, familiar, and in earnest; he noticed their children; he +knew their ways; and he rapidly gained their favour, and effected +considerable sales.'</p> + +<p>'This point gained, he began to talk of supplying the smaller shops. +"Why should not we supply them as well as other people?" His brother +shrank from anything that seemed to approach the wholesale. He feared +that they would get beyond their means, and wished to pursue only the +old course. Samuel could wait, but he could not surrender. Supply the +smaller shops he would, and by degrees he managed to accomplish it. +Very gradually, the range of this quasi-wholesale trade extended. +Firmly keeping to his purpose of working all he had got, and going on +little by little, he made no abrupt enterprise—no great dash; but on, +on he plodded in the humblest way, caring nothing for show, but +careful that every foot of ground under him was solid. He gradually +began to make a modest sort of commercial journey; and among tradesmen +to whom he would not venture to offer the higher articles of grocery, +raised a considerable trade in such descriptions of goods as he might +supply without seeming to push into too important a sphere.'</p> + +<p>Having made a lucky purchase of butter, Samuel went amongst traders of +his own kind for orders, and at first met with little but contempt. He +persevered, nevertheless, and in a little time made his way. By little +and little his house, of which he became a partner, acquired a +footing, and began to be talked of as a kind of prodigy for a village. +The leading principle followed, was to do business entirely by +ready-money, in buying as in selling. A wonder may be felt how Mr +Budgett contrived, with no advantage of capital at starting, to act +upon this rule. The plan is simple, and may be easily followed. Let +the transactions be in a proper proportion to the means. It looks a +slow plan; but, in reality, by securing an exemption from pecuniary +embarrassment, it allows a business, other circumstances being equal, +to go on faster than might otherwise be the case. Mr Budgett could +accept small profits on his ready-money transactions, and by their +frequency, outstrip heavier-pursed but also heavier-minded men.</p> + +<p>The leading maxims of Samuel Budgett in business were—<i>Tact</i>, <i>Push</i>, +and <i>Principle</i>. In the two former, he was a great genius, and much he +no doubt was indebted to them. Yet we are inclined to think that +Principle had the chief hand in his success. He was entirely a just +man. He would rebuke a young salesman more severely for a slight +inequality in his weighing-scales against the public, than for a +neglect of his duty. It was a custom of grocers to mix up pepper with +an article called P.D. Mr Budgett long kept a cask of P.D.; but at +length, reflecting seriously on it one evening, he went to the shop, +re-opened it, took out the hypocritical cask to a neighbouring quarry, +and there staved it, scattering the P.D. amongst the clods, and slags, +and stones; after which he returned with a light heart to bed. There +was also a benevolence at the bottom of all Mr Budgett's proceedings +as a man of business. It appeared strongly in his relations to his +subalterns and working-people. Though a strict disciplinarian, and not +to be imposed upon in anything, he was so humane and liberal towards +all around him, that they served him as much from love as duty. He has +discharged men for misconduct or disloyalty, and afterwards pensioned +their families till they got other employment. His liberality in +supporting charitable institutions, and relieving private cases of +distress, knew hardly any bounds; but, at a fair computation, it has +been estimated at about L.2000 a year.</p> + +<p>Observing one of his men looking for some time very melancholy, he +called him up, and inquired into the cause. 'The sickness of his wife +had entangled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[pg 190]</a></span> him in debt; he could not eat, he could not sleep; his +life was a misery to him, and he had exclaimed with a pathos that sunk +deep into my dear relative's tender heart: "Master, I am in debt; +every time I go near the river, something bids me fling myself into +it, telling me there's water enough to rid me of all my troubles; and +that if I don't, I shall be sent into the prison there for debt!"</p> + +<p>'Deeply affected, he inquired of the poor man the names of his +creditors, the amount of their respective claims, and the peculiar +circumstances which had led to the contraction of each liability. +Having ascertained these particulars, and perfectly satisfied himself +that the man had not forgotten the precept of the society of which he +was a member—"Not to contract debt without at least a reasonable +prospect of discharging it"—he asked him whether freedom from these +liabilities would restore to him peace of mind. The question was +answered by a sort of sickly smile, which seemed to indicate a perfect +despair of such a consummation. "Well, come," said the master, "I +don't think things are quite so bad, ——, as they appear to be to +you. See here, my poor fellow, you owe —— pounds: it's a very large +sum for a man like you, to be sure; and if you had run into debt to +anything like this amount through extravagance, or even +thoughtlessness, I should have regarded it as an act of dishonesty on +your part, and I <i>might</i> have felt it right to discharge you. But you +are to be pitied, and not to be blamed. Cold pity alone goes for +nothing, so let us see how you can be helped out of your troubles. +Now, do you think your creditors, considering all the circumstances, +would take one-half, and be satisfied? Here's Dr Edwards—his bill is +the heaviest; if we can get him to take one-half"——</p> + +<p>"One-half, master!" exclaimed the poor man, "but if they <i>would</i> take +half, where's the money to come from? I 'arn't got a shilling in the +world but what's coming to me Friday night; and when I take my wages +now, I 'arn't any pleasure in looking at the money, because it 'arn't +my own; it should go to pay my debts, and I'm obliged to use it to buy +victuals. I think in my heart I shall ne'er be happy again."</p> + +<p>'Still more sensibly affected by the poor man's manner the longer the +interview lasted, my kind-hearted relative begged him not to distress +himself any more; he said that a Friend of his had given him a sum +that was quite equal to one-half his debts, bade him return to his +work, order a horse to be put into harness as he passed through the +yard, and brought round in ten minutes; and told him to be sure to +make himself as happy as he could till he saw him again. He +immediately drove round to every creditor the poor man had, compounded +with them for their respective claims, and obtained their receipts in +full discharge. On his return, the poor man's stare of bewilderment +was indescribable. He watched his master unfold the receipts one by +one without uttering a syllable; and when they were put into his hand, +he clutched them with a sort of convulsive grasp, but still not a word +escaped him. At length he exclaimed: "But, master, where's the money +come from?"</p> + +<p>"Never do you mind that, ——," was the reply; "go home, and tell your +wife you are out of debt; you are an independent man. I only hope the +creditors have felt something of the satisfaction in forgiving you +one-half your debt to them, that we know God feels in forgiving our +debts to him for Christ's sake: I have said that much to all of them."</p> + +<p>'But the puzzling question had not yet been answered, and again it was +put: "But, master, where's the money come from?"</p> + +<p>"Well, well, I told you a <span class="smcap">friend</span> had given it to me for you. +<i>You</i> know that Friend as well as I do. There now, you may leave your +work for to-day: go home to your wife, and thank that Friend together +for making you an independent man. But stay, ——, I had almost +forgotten one thing. I called to see Mr P—— as I drove through +Stoke's Croft; I told him the errand that had carried me away from +home all day, and he gave me a sovereign for you to begin the world +with."</p> + +<p>'The poor fellow was too much affected to say anything more. The next +morning, however, he appeared again, but after a most complete failure +in a valorous attempt he made to express his thanks, he was obliged to +leave the counting-house, stammering out that "both he and his wife +felt their hearts to be as light as a feather."'</p> + +<p>Mr Budgett was, by family connection, a Wesleyan, and at all periods +of his life under a strong sense of religion. He had even acted as a +lay-preacher. It was his custom to have all the people of his +establishment assembled for religious exercises every morning before +proceeding to business. He was active as a Sunday-school teacher, and +assisted with his purse and his own active exertions in every effort +to Christianise the rude people of Kingswood. When he became a +highly-prosperous man, he had a good country-house and a handsome +establishment; but wealth and its refinements never withdrew him from +familiar personal intercourse with his people. Neither did it ever in +the least alienate him from his many humble relations. His conduct, +indeed, in all these respects was admirable, and well entitled him to +be, what he was, the most revered man of his neighbourhood and +kindred. At his death, the expression of mourning was widely spread, +as if the whole population had felt in his loss the loss of a friend.</p> + +<p>The volume which supplies us with these particulars and extracts, is a +very interesting one; yet we could wish to see it abridged of some +portion of the long episodes, in the style of pulpit discourses, with +which the author has thought proper to expand it. If properly +condensed, and the details of the life presented given perhaps in +somewhat better order, so as to explain more clearly the steps of Mr +Budgett's rise as a merchant, the work might become a <i>vade-mecum</i> for +the young man of business, exhibiting to him a model of character and +conduct such as could not but exercise a good influence over his +future career.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> <i>The Successful Merchant</i>: Sketches of the Life of Mr +Samuel Budgett, late of Kingswood Hill. By William Arthur, A.M. +Hamilton, Adams, & Co. London: 1852.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="PET_BIRDS_OF_INDIA" id="PET_BIRDS_OF_INDIA"></a>PET BIRDS OF INDIA.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is said, that when women addict themselves to vice of any kind, +they carry it to extravagance, and become far worse than bad men. In +like manner, when the natural softness and amiability of the Hindoo +character yield to the temptations of luxury and dominion, the +individual grows into a tyrant as cruel and odious as any of those +depicted in history. This apparent discrepancy has given rise to many +speculative mistakes; but, in our opinion, it is as certain that the +mass of the Hindoos are gentle and kindly in their nature, as it is +that the mass of women are so. It is a curious thing to see the +gallant sepoy on a march, attended by his pet lambs, with necklaces of +ribbons and white shells, and ears and feet dyed of an orange colour. +But even wild creatures are at home with the kindly Hindoo. Fluttering +among the peasants threshing corn in a field, are flocks of wild +peacocks, gleaning their breakfast; and in the neighbourhood of a +village, a traveller can hardly distinguish between the tame and wild +ducks, partridges, and peacocks. 'There is a fine date-tree,' says a +recent writer, 'overhanging a kind of school, at the end of one of the +streets in the town of Jubbulpore, quite covered with the nests of the +baya bird; and they are seen every day, and all day, fluttering about +in scores, while the noisy children at their play fill the street +below, almost within arm's reach of them.'</p> + +<p>Almost all the natives of India are fond of rearing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[pg 191]</a></span> pet birds; and +the pet is, more frequently than otherwise, a parrot, which is prized +for its conversation. The same taste prevailed, we are told, in the +fifteenth century, in the city of Paris, where talking-birds were hung +out almost at every window. The authority says, that this was attended +with rather an awkward result. 'Leading the public life they did, in +which they were exposed to every sort of society, the natural morality +of the birds was so far lost, that they had become fluent in every +term of reproach and indecency; and thunders of applause were elicited +among the crowd of passengers by the aptness of their repartees.' In +India, the taste is the same, but the habits different; a sketch of +which we furnish from our Old Indian. The carpenter, she tells us, +while planing the plank, which he holds between his toes, amuses +himself by talking to his parrot. The shoemaker, while binding his +slippers, or embroidering his rich velvet shoes, for the feet of some +sable beauty, pauses every now and then, to listen to the chattering +of his pet. The <i>guala</i>, on returning home, after disposing of his +butter or buttermilk, first takes up some bamboo twigs, one of which +is appropriated to each customer, and marking, by a notch with a +knife, the quantity disbursed to each, turns, as a matter of course, +to his favourite parrot, and either listens to the recital of his +previous lessons, or begins to teach him some fresh invocation to some +score of gods and goddesses. These men seldom condescend to teach +their favourites anything else; but should a lady be the owner, the +parrot's lessons are more varied, and more domestic in their +character. He is taught to call his mistress 'mother,' and himself +'Baba mittoo' (sweet child.) He is sometimes instructed to rail at her +neighbours, and sometimes to scold the children; and thus she lives in +sweet companionship with her bird, feeding him with steeped grain, +rice and milk, sugar-cane and Indian corn. Of the two last he is +exceedingly fond.</p> + +<p>India abounds in a variety of parrots and perroquets, the names of +many of which I have forgotten; but the generic name is <i>Tota</i>. The +more common are the <i>kudjlah</i>, <i>teeah</i>, and <i>pahari</i>. These learn to +speak glibly, being generally taken out of the nest before they are +fully fledged. Crutches of various kinds are selected for the poor +captive, the most ingenious of which is made of a single joint of +bamboo, the two ends being formed into cups—the middle part being +cut, and then bent and arched over the fire; the perch being formed of +a straight piece of bamboo, which joins the two cups below. A hook +fastened to the top of the arch enables the owner to suspend it from +the thatched ceiling of his hut; and thus the parrot swings about, +listening to his master's pious ejaculations. At dusk, many of these +men may be seen parading through the bazaar, with their pets in their +hands, the latter loudly vociferating that Brahma is the greatest of +gods, or that Krishna and Radha were a loving couple; and so on. I +have often been amused at this mode of displaying religious zeal and +pious adoration.</p> + +<p>Should you penetrate into the more crowded parts of the bazaar, you +might happen to see the taste of the bird-fancier displayed after a +different, but, I am happy to say, exceptional fashion. A shop may +sometimes be found having a square space enclosed with a railing, with +a divan in the middle, for the accommodation of the master and his +visitors. On this railing a number of birds are perched, many of them +little tame bulbuls; these are detained by a ligature, passing over +the shoulders of the bird, and tied under the breast, leaving his +wings and legs free. The bulbul, though not the bird known by that +name in Persia, is a pretty songster; but he is as desperate a fighter +as a gamecock. Those, therefore, who delight in cruel sports, bring +their little pets to these shops, where no doubt birds of the best +mettle are to be found; and on the result of a battle, money and +sweetmeats are lost and won, while many a poor little bird falls a +sacrifice to its master's depraved taste. The tiny <i>amadavad</i>, with +his glowing carmine neck, and distinct little pearly spots, may also +occasionally be seen doing battle; he fights desperately, though he +also warbles the sweetest of songs.</p> + +<p>The affluent Hindoo Baboo or Mohammedan Nawab, among other luxuries, +keeps also his aviary. In these may be seen rare and expensive +parrots, brought from the Spice Islands. They delight also in <i>diyuls</i> +and <i>shamahs</i>. The latter is a smaller bird than our thrush, but +larger than a lark; his breast is orange, the rest of his plumage +black, and in song he is equal to our black-bird. The diyul also sings +sweetly; he is about the same size as the shamah, his plumage black, +with a white breast, and white tips to his wings. A well-trained bird +of either kind sells for about ten rupees, and twenty will be given +for a cuckoo from the Nepaul hills. A Baboo whom I knew had several +servants to look after his aviary, one of whom had to go daily in +search of white ants and ants' eggs for his insectivorous charge; for +the shamah and diyul are both insect-eaters.</p> + +<p>Some of the <i>Minas</i> (Gracula), of which there are several kinds in +India, articulate as distinctly, and are as imitative, as the parrots. +One of these birds was once brought as a present to my little girl. +The donor took his leave, assuring us that the bird was a great +speaker, and imitated a variety of sounds. This I found to be too +true, for I was awakened by him next morning at dawn of day. He had +evidently been bred in the neighbourhood of the hospital, and also +initiated into the mysteries of the parade. He coughed like a +consumptive patient, groaned like one in agony, and moaned as if in +the last extremity. Then he would call a 'halt!' and imitate the +jingling of the ramrods in the muskets so exactly, that I marvelled +how his little throat could go through so many modulations. I was soon +obliged to banish him to a distance from the sleeping-apartments, for +some of his utterances were anything but suggestive of soothing or +pleasurable sensations.</p> + +<p>The hill mina, a mountaineer by birth, seldom lives long in +confinement in lowland districts. After having endeared himself to his +master and his family by his conversational powers and imitative +qualities, he is not unfrequently cut off suddenly by a fit, and +sometimes expires while feasting on his bread and milk or +pea-meal-paste, or perhaps when he has only a few minutes before been +calling out loudly his master's name or those of the children. The +hill mina is a handsome bird, a size larger than our black-bird; he is +of one uniform colour—a glossy black, like the smoothest Genoa +velvet, harmonising beautifully with the bright yellow circle of skin +round his eyes, his yellow beak and yellow legs.</p> + +<p>The grackle or salik, which is a great favourite in the Isle of +France, has been correctly enough described in <i>Partington's +Cyclopædia</i>. It is a gregarious bird, greatly enlivening the aspect of +the grassy meadows at sunset, when his comrades assemble in large +flocks, and having picked up their last meal of grubs and +grasshoppers, resort for shelter to a neighbouring avenue, where they +roost for the night. The grackle is a tame and familiar bird, and will +sometimes build its nest close to the habitation of man. I have seen +one on the top of a pillar, under the shelter of a veranda; and +occasionally an earthen-pot is placed for its accommodation in the +fork of a neighbouring tree. Though their brood may be constantly +removed, they will return, year after year, to the same nest, +expressing, however, their discontent and distress when robbed, by +keeping up for some days a loud and querulous chattering.</p> + +<p>Those who dwell on the banks of the Ganges may sometimes see, during +the rainy season, a large boat floating past, having a raised cabin, +like a Bengalee<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[pg 192]</a></span> hut, constructed of mat and straw. From the +multiplicity of cages inside and outside, it may be gathered that here +are fresh supplies for the bird-fancier—captives from the hills of +Rajmahal and Moryheer. The constant fluttering among the inmates of +the crowded cages, and their mournful and discordant notes, indicate +that they are anything but a happy family—that they have been only +recently caught, and are not yet habituated to confinement. They are +soon, however, disposed of at the different stations or towns at which +the boat anchors, and become in due time the solitary and apparently +happy pets I have already described.</p> + +<p>I need only add, that there is no lack of pretty little bird-cages in +the Far East, constructed very tastefully by the neat-handed natives, +and sold for two or three annas.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="JUVENILE_ENERGY" id="JUVENILE_ENERGY"></a>JUVENILE ENERGY.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p>In December 1807, W.H. Maynard, Esq., was teaching a school for a +quarter in the town of Plainfield, Massachusetts. One cold, blustering +morning, on entering his schoolroom, he observed a lad he had not seen +before, sitting on one of the benches. The lad soon made known his +errand to Mr Maynard. He was fifteen years old; his parents lived +seven miles distant; he wanted an education, and had come from home on +foot that morning, to see if Mr Maynard could help him to contrive how +to obtain it. Mr Maynard asked him if he was acquainted with any one +in the place. 'No.' 'Do your parents know any one here?' 'No.' 'Can +your parents help you towards obtaining an education?' 'No.' 'Have you +any friends that can give you assistance!' 'No.' 'Well, how do you +expect to obtain an education?' 'I don't know, but I thought I would +come and see you.' Mr Maynard told him to stay that day, and he would +see what could be done. He discovered that the boy was possessed of +good sense, but no uncommon brilliancy; and he was particularly struck +with the cool and resolute manner in which he undertook to conquer +difficulties which would have intimidated common minds. In the course +of the day, Mr Maynard made provision for having him boarded through +the winter in the family with himself, the lad paying for his board by +his services out of school. He gave himself diligently to study, in +which he made good but not rapid proficiency, improving every +opportunity of reading and conversation for acquiring knowledge: and +thus spent the winter. When Mr Maynard left the place in the spring, +he engaged a minister, who had resided about four miles from the boy's +father, to hear his recitations; and the boy accordingly boarded at +home and pursued his studies. It is unnecessary to pursue the +narrative further. Mr Maynard never saw the lad afterwards. But this +was the early history of the Rev. Jonas King, D.D., whose exertions in +the cause of Oriental learning, and in alleviating the miseries of +Greece, have endeared him alike to the scholar and the philanthropist, +and shed a bright ray of glory on his native country.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="LITERARY_CIRCLES_OF_LONDON" id="LITERARY_CIRCLES_OF_LONDON"></a>LITERARY CIRCLES OF LONDON.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p>The society of the literary world of London is conducted after this +wise:—There are certain persons, for the most part authors, editors, +or artists, but with the addition of a few who can only pride +themselves upon being the patrons of literature and art—who hold +periodical assemblies of the notables. Some appoint a certain evening +in every week during the season, a general invitation to which is +given to the favoured; others are monthly; and others, again, at no +regular intervals. At these gatherings, the amusements are +conversation and music only, and the entertainment is unostentatious +and inexpensive, consisting of tea and coffee, wine or negus handed +about in the course of the evening, and sandwiches, cake, and wine at +eleven o'clock. Suppers are prohibited by common consent, for +costliness would speedily put an end to society too agreeable to be +sacrificed to fashion. The company meets usually between eight and +nine, and always parts at midnight.—<i>The Critic</i>.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_SKY-LARKS_SONG" id="THE_SKY-LARKS_SONG"></a>THE SKY-LARK'S SONG.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">It</span> comes down from the clouds to me,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">On this sweet day of spring;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Methinks it is a melody<br /></span> +<span class="i2">That angel-lips might sing.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Thou soaring minstrel! wingèd bard!<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Whose path is the free air,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Whose song makes sunshine seem more bright,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And this fair world more fair!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">I ask not what the strain may be,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Thus chanted at 'Heaven's gate'—<br /></span> +<span class="i0">A hymn of praise, a lay of joy,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Or love-song to thy mate.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Vain were such idle questioning!<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And 'tis enough for me<br /></span> +<span class="i0">To feel thou singest still the notes<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Which God gave unto thee.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Thence comes the glory of thy song,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And therefore doth it fall,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">As falls the radiance of a star,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Gladdening and blessing all!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Oh! wondrous are the living lays<br /></span> +<span class="i2">That human lips have breathed,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And deep the music men have won<br /></span> +<span class="i2">From lyres with laurel wreathed:<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">But there's a spell on lip and lyre,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Sweet though their tones may be—<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Some jarring note, some tuneless string,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Aye mars the melody.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The strings sleep 'neath too weak a touch,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Or break, 'neath one too strong;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Or we forget the master-chord<br /></span> +<span class="i2">That should rule all our song.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">When shall our spirit learn again<br /></span> +<span class="i2">The lay once to it given?<br /></span> +<span class="i0">When shall we rise, like thee, sweet bird!<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And, singing, soar to heaven?<br /></span> +</div></div> +<p class="author">Fanny Farmer.</p> + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="DOG-SELLING_EXTRAORDINARY" id="DOG-SELLING_EXTRAORDINARY"></a>DOG-SELLING EXTRAORDINARY.</h2> + +<p class="returnTOC"><a href="#Contents">Return to Table of + Contents</a></p> + +<p>Two ladies, friends of a near relative of my own, from whom I received +an account of the circumstance, were walking in Regent Street, and +were accosted by a man who requested them to buy a beautiful little +dog, covered with long, white hair, which he carried in his arms. Such +things are not uncommon in that part of London, and the ladies passed +on without heeding him. He followed, and repeated his entreaties, +stating, that as it was the last he had to sell, they should have it +at a reasonable price. They looked at the animal; it was really an +exquisite little creature, and they were at last persuaded. The man +took it home for them, received his money, and left the dog in the +arms of one of the ladies. A short time elapsed, and the dog, which +had been very quiet, in spite of a restless, bright eye, began to shew +symptoms of uneasiness, and as he ran about the room, exhibited some +unusual movements, which rather alarmed the fair purchasers. At last, +to their great dismay, the new dog ran squeaking up one of the window +curtains, so that when the gentleman returned home a few minutes +after, he found the ladies in consternation, and right glad to have +his assistance. He vigorously seized the animal, took out his +penknife, cut off its covering, and displayed <i>a large rat</i> to their +astonished eyes, and of course to its own destruction.—<i>Mrs Lee's +Anecdotes of Animals</i>.</p> + +<hr class="full" /> + +<p>Printed and Published by W. and <span class="smcap">R. Chambers</span>, High Street, +Edinburgh. Also sold by <span class="smcap">W.S. Orr</span>, Amen Corner, London; +<span class="smcap">D.N. Chambers</span>, 55 West Nile Street, Glasgow; and <span class="smcap">J. +M'Glashan</span>, 50 Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.—Advertisements for +Monthly Parts are requested to be sent to <span class="smcap">Maxwell</span> & Co., 31 +Nicholas Lane, Lombard Street, London, to whom all applications +respecting their insertion must be made.</p> + +<hr class="full" /> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBERS'S EDINBURGH *** + +***** This file should be named 17303-h.htm or 17303-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/3/0/17303/ + +Produced by Malcolm Farmer, Richard J. 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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: Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429 + Volume 17, New Series, March 20, 1852 + +Author: Various + +Editor: Robert Chambers and William Chambers + +Release Date: December 14, 2005 [EBook #17303] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBERS'S EDINBURGH *** + + + + +Produced by Malcolm Farmer, Richard J. Shiffer and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + + + + + CHAMBERS' EDINBURGH JOURNAL + + CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF 'CHAMBERS'S + INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE,' 'CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE,' &c. + + + NO. 429. NEW SERIES. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1852. PRICE 1-1/2_d._ + + + + +THINGS IN EXPECTATION. + + +The passing age is acknowledged to be remarkable in various respects. +Great advances in matters of practical science; a vast development of +individual enterprise, and general prosperity;--at the same time, +strange retardations in things of social concern; a singular want of +earnestness in carrying out objects of undeniable utility. Much +grandeur, but also much meanness of conception; much wealth, but also +much poverty. A struggle between greatness and littleness; +intelligence and ignorance; light and darkness. Sometimes we feel as +if going forward, sometimes as if backward. One day, we seem as if +about to start a hundred years in advance; on the next, all is wrong +somewhere, and we feel as if hurriedly retreating to the eighteenth +century! + +Upon the whole, however, we are ourselves inclined to look at the +bright side of affairs; and in doing so, we are not without hope of +being able to make some proselytes. Let us just see what are the +prospects of the next twenty years--a long enough space for a man to +look forward to in anything else than a dream. War, it is true, may +intervene, or some other terrible catastrophe; but we shall not admit +this into our hypothesis, which proceeds on the assumption, that +although people may wrangle here and there, and here and there fly at +each other's throats, still the bulk of civilised mankind will go on +tranquilly enough to present no direct barrier to the advancing tide. +Here is a list of a few trifles in expectation. + +A line of communication by railway from England to the principal +cities in India, interrupted only by narrow sea-channels, and these +bridged by steamboats. It will then be possible to travel from London +to Calcutta in a week. + +At the same time, there will be railways to other parts of +Asia--Ispahan, Bagdad, Damascus, and Jerusalem. From the +last-mentioned city, a line will probably proceed through the land of +Edom, to Suez and Cairo; thence to Alexandria. This last portion is +already in hand. Think of a railway station in the Valley of +Jehoshaphat! As the course of the Jordan presents few 'engineering +difficulties,' there might be a single line all the way from Nazareth +to the Dead Sea, on which a steamer might take passengers to the +neighbourhood of Petra. At a point near the shore of that mysterious +sheet of water, a late traveller indicates the spot where Lot's wife +was transformed into a pillar of salt. How interesting it would be to +make this a stopping-place for tourists to view the adjacent +scenery--rocky, wild, and scorched, as if fresh from the wondrous work +of devastation! + +It cannot be doubted that in a period much short of twenty years, +railways will have penetrated from Berlin northwards to Russia; and +therefore a communication of this kind through the whole of Europe, +even to the shores of the Indian Ocean, will be among the ordinary +things of the day. + +As for communication by electric telegraph, where will it not be? +Every town of any importance, from Moscow to Madras, will be connected +by the marvellous wires. These wires will cross seas; they will reach +from London to New York, and from New York to far-western +cities--possibly to California. The sending of messages thousands of +miles, in the twinkling of an eye, will be an everyday affair. 'Send +Dr So-and-so on by the next train,' will be the order despatched by a +family in Calcutta, when requiring medical assistance from London; and +accordingly the doctor will set off in his travels per express, from +the Thames to the banks of the Ganges. Spanning the globe by thought +will then be no longer a figure of speech--it will be a reality. +Science will do it all. + +Long before twenty years--most likely in two or three--a journey round +the world by steam may be achieved with comparative ease and at no +great expense. Here is the way we shall go: London to Liverpool by +rail; Liverpool to Chagres by steamer; Chagres to Panama by rail; +Panama to Hong-Kong, touching at St Francisco; Hong-Kong to Sincapore, +whence, if you have a fancy, you can diverge to Borneo, Australia, and +New Zealand; Sincapore to Madras, Bombay, Aden, and Suez--the whole of +the run to this point from Panama being done by steamer; Suez to +Cairo, and Cairo to Alexandria (rail in preparation); lastly, by +steamer from Alexandria to England. It is deeply interesting to watch +the progress of intrusion on the Pacific. Already, within these few +years, its placid surface has been tracked with steam-navigation; of +which almost every day brings us accounts of the extension over that +beautiful ocean. Long secluded, by difficulty of access from Europe, +it is now in the course of being effectually opened up by the railway +across the Isthmus of Panama. And the grandeur of this invasion by +steam is beyond the reach of imagination. Thousands of islands, +clothed in gorgeous yet delicate vegetation, and enjoying the finest +climate, lie scattered like diamonds in a sea on which storms never +rage--each in itself an earthly paradise. When these islands can be +reached at a moderate outlay of time, money, and trouble, may we not +expect to see them visited by the curious, and flourishing as seats of +civilised existence? There is reason to believe, that the equable +climate of many of them would prove suitable for persons affected with +the complaints of northern regions; and therefore they may become the +Sanatoria of Europe. 'Gone to winter-quarters in the Pacific!'--a +pleasant notice this of a health-seeking trip twenty years hence. + +It may be reasonably conjectured, that this great and varied extension +of journeying round the earth, and in all climates, will not be +unaided by new discoveries in motive power. At present, we speak of +steam; but there is every probability of new agents being brought into +operation, less bulky and less costly, before twenty years elapse. +Even while we write, men of science are painfully poring over the +subject, and giving indications that in chemistry or electricity +reside powers which may be advantageously pressed into the service of +the traveller. Admitting, however, that steam will be retained as the +prevailing agent of locomotion, we have grounds for anticipating +improvements in its application, which will materially cheapen its +use. As regards safety to life and limb, much will be done by better +arrangements. In steam-voyaging, we may expect that means will be +adopted to avert, or at least assuage, the terrible calamities of +conflagration and shipwreck--better acquaintance with the principles +of spontaneous combustion, and with the natural law of storms, being +of itself a great step towards this important result. + +One of the latest wonders in practical science, is a plan for cooling +the air in dwellings in hot climates; by which persons residing in +India, and other oppressively warm countries, may live habitually in +an atmosphere cooled down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or the ordinary +heat of a pleasant day in England. The very ingenious yet simple means +by which this is to be effected, will form the subject of notice in +our next number. Meanwhile, we may observe that the discovery is due +to Mr C. Piazzi Smyth, astronomer-royal for Scotland; and if perfectly +successful in practice, of which there can be no reasonable doubt, it +will have a most important effect in extending European influence over +the globe. + +The extension of the English language over the civilised world is a +curiosity of the age. French, German, Italian, and other continental +tongues, seem to have attained their limits as vernaculars. Each is +spoken in its own country, and by a few fashionables and scholars +beyond. But the language which pushes abroad is the English; and it +may be said to be rooting out colonised French and Spanish, and +becoming almost everywhere, beyond continental Europe, the spoken and +written tongue. Long the Spanish enjoyed the supremacy in Central +America; but it has followed the fate of the idle, proud, combative, +and good-for-nothing people who carried it across the Atlantic, and is +disappearing like snow before the sun of a genial spring. The sooner +it is extinct the better. Already the English is the vernacular from +the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific, wherever civilised +settlements are formed. As large a population now speaks this nervous +language in America as in Great Britain; and this is only an +indication of its progress. By means of a rapidly-increasing +population, the English language will in twenty years be spoken by +upwards of fifty million Americans; and if to these we add all within +the home and colonial dominion, the number speaking it at that period +will not be short of a hundred millions. What an amount of +letter-writing and printing will this produce! And, after all, how +small that amount in comparison with what will be seen a hundred years +hence, when many hundred millions of men are on the earth, English in +speech and feeling, whatever may be their local and political +distinctions! The gratification which one experiences in contemplating +facts of this kind, transcends the power of language. To all +appearance, our English tongue is the expression of civil and +religious freedom--in fact, of common sense; and its spread over the +globe surely indicates the progress of civilised habits and +institutions. + +In referring to the qualities which are usually found in connection +with the prevalence of English as a vernacular, we are led to +anticipate prodigious strides in the popularising of literature during +the next twenty years. What, also, may we not expect to see done for +the extension of epistolary correspondence? Intercourse by letter has +advanced only one step of its progress, by the system of inland +penny-postage. Another step remains to be effected: the system of +carrying letters oversea on the same easy terms. That this Ocean +Penny-Postage, as it is termed, will be carried out, at least as +regards the larger British colonies, within a period much under twenty +years, is exceedingly probable. When this grand achievement is +accomplished, there will ensue a stream of intercommunication with +distant lands, of which we can at present form no proper conception, +and which will go far towards binding all parts of the earth in a +general bond of brotherhood. + +Such are a few of the things which we may be said to be warranted in +looking for within a reasonably short period of time. Other things, +equally if not more contributive to human melioration, are less +distinctly in expectation. The political prospects of the continental +nations are for the present under a cloud. With all the glitter of +artistic and social refinement that surrounds them, the bulk of them +appear to have emerged but little beyond the middle ages; and one +really begins to inquire, with a kind of pity, whether they have +natural capacities for anything better. The near proximity to England +of populations so backward in all ideas of civil polity, and so +changeful and impulsive in their character, cannot but be detrimental +to our hopes of national advancement among ourselves; so true is it +that peace and happiness are not more matter of internal conviction +than of external circumstances. + +Unfortunately, if there be something to lament in the condition of our +neighbours, there is also something to humiliate on turning our +attention homeward. In a variety of things which are required to give +symmetry and safety to the social fabric, there appears to be an +almost systematic and hopeless stoppage. + +Nearly the whole of the law and equity administration of England seems +to be a contrivance to put justice beyond reach; and whether any +substantial remedy will be applied during the present generation may +be seriously doubted. + +It is universally admitted that, for the sake of the public health, +interment in London and other large cities should be legally +prohibited; and that various other sanitary arrangements in relation +to these populous localities should be enforced. Yet, legislation on +this subject seems to be beyond the grasp of statesmen. + +The system of poor-laws throughout the United Kingdom is, with the +best intentions, a cause of widely-spread demoralisation. These laws, +in their operation, are, in fact, a scheme for robbing the industrious +to support the idle. But where is the legislator who will attack and +remodel this preposterous system? + +The prevention of crime is another of our formidable social +difficulties. Every one sees how young and petty criminals grow up to +be old and great ones. It is admitted that the punishment of crime, +after disorderly habits are confirmed, is no sufficient check; and +that, if the evil is to be cured, we must go at once to its root. But +when or how is this to be done? Again, there is a call for that +scarcest of all things--statesmanship. + +The bitterness of sectarian contention is another of the things which +one feels to be derogatory to an age of general progress. No longer +are men permitted to kill each other in vindication of opinion, but +how mournful to witness persecution by inuendo, vituperation, and +even falsehood. Individuals and classes are seen bombarding each other +in vile, abusive, and certainly most unchristian language, all +ostensibly in the name of a religion which has for a fundamental +principle, an utter repudiation of strife! Whether any amendment is to +be looked for in this department of affairs within the next twenty +years is exceedingly uncertain. + +In the roll of disheartening circumstances in our social condition, it +would be unpardonable to omit the enormities of intemperance, which, +though groaned over day after day, remain pretty much what they have +been for years; and it is to be feared, that so long as reformers +confine themselves to attacking mere symptoms, instead of going to the +foundation of the evil--a deficiency of self-respect, growing out of a +want of instruction in things proper to be known, and for which the +education of the country makes no provision--all will be in vain. How +far there will prevail a more enlarged view of this painful subject, +is not discoverable from the present temper of parties. + +The legislative conservation of ignorance in the humbler classes of +the community, to which reference has just been made, is surely a blot +on our social economy. It is seemingly easier to girdle the globe with +a wire, than to make sure that every child in Her Majesty's dominions +shall receive the simplest elements of education. Within the sphere of +the mechanic or the chemist, flights beyond the bounds of imagination +may be pursued without restraint, and indeed with commendation; but +anything in social economics, however philanthropic in design and +beneficial in tendency, falls into the category of disputation and +obstruction; and, worst of all, education, on which so much depends, +is, through the debates of contending 'interests,' kept at a point +utterly inadequate for the general enlightenment and wellbeing. + +Thus, many matters of moment are either at a stand, or advancing by +feeble and hesitating steps, and the distance to be ultimately reached +remains vague and undefinable. At the same time, it is well to be +assured that improvements, moral and social, are really in progress; +and that, on the whole, society is on the move not in a retrograde +direction. Even with a stone tied to its leg, the world, as we have +said, contrives 'to get on some way or other.' + + + + +THE WRECKER. + + +On a certain part of the coast of Brittany, some years back, a gang of +wreckers existed, who were the terror of all sailors. Ever on the +look-out for the unfortunate vessels, which were continually dashed +upon their inhospitable shores, their delight was in the storm and the +blast; they revelled in the howling of fierce wind, and the +lightning's glare was to them more delightful than the brightest show +of fireworks to the dweller in large towns. Then they came out in +droves, hung about the cliffs and rocks, hid in caverns and holes, and +waited with intense anxiety for the welcome sight of some gallant ship +in distress. So dreadful were the passions lit up in these men by the +love of lucre, that they even resorted to infamous stratagems to lure +vessels on shore. They would light false beacons; and strive in every +way to delude the devoted bark to its destruction. + +The village of Montreaux was almost wholly inhabited by men, who made +wrecking their profession. It was a collection of miserable huts, +built principally out of the broken materials of the various vessels +driven on shore; and ostensibly inhabited by fishermen, who, however, +rarely resorted to the deep, except when a long continuance of fine +weather rendered their usual avocation less prosperous than usual. +They consisted in all of about thirty families, wreckers, for the most +part, from father to son, and even from mother to daughter--for women +joined freely in the atrocious trade. Atrocious indeed! for murder +necessarily accompanied pillage, and it rarely happened that many of +the crew and passengers of the unfortunate vessels escaped alive. +Bodies were indeed found along the shore; but even if they exhibited +the marks of blows, the sea and the rocks got the credit of the deed. + +The interior of the huts of the hamlet presented a motley appearance. +Their denizens were usually clothed in all kinds of costume--from the +peculiar garments of Englishmen, to the turbans, shawls, and +petticoats of Lascars, Malays, and others. Cases of spirits, chests of +tools, barrels of flour, piles of hams, cheeses, curious arms, +spy-glasses, compasses, &c. were thrust into coffers and corners; +while all the villagers were in the habit of spending money that +certainly was not coined in France. The state of the good people of +Montreaux was one of splendid misery; for, with all their ill-gotten +wealth, their improvidence and carelessness was such, that they often +wanted necessaries--so true is it that ill-got money is never +well-spent money. A month of fine weather would almost reduce them to +starvation, forcing them to sell to disadvantage whatever they still +possessed. + +This was not, however, the case with every one of them. A man dwelt +among them, and had done so for many years, who seemed a little wiser +and more careful than the rest of the community. His name was Pierre +Sandeau. He was not a native of the place; but had long been +established among them, and had at once shewn himself a worthy +brother. He was pitiless, selfish, and cold. Less fiery than his +fellows, he had an amount of caution, which made them feel his value; +and a ready wit, which often helped them out of difficulties. His +influence was soon felt, and he became a kind of chief. He was at last +recognised as the head of the village, and the leader in all marauding +expeditions. But the great source of his power was his foresight. He +had always either money or provisions at hand, and was always ready to +help one of his companions--for a consideration. In times of distress, +he bought up all the stock on hand, and even sold on credit. In course +of time, he had become rich, had a better house than the rest, and +could, if he liked, have retired from business. But he seemed chained +to his trade, and never gave any sign of abandoning his disgraceful +occupation. + +One day, however, he left Montreaux, and stayed away nearly a +fortnight. When he came back, he was not alone: he was accompanied by +a young and lovely girl--one of those energetic but sweet creatures, +whose influence would be supreme with a good man. Madeleine Sandeau +was eighteen--tall, well-proportioned, and exceedingly handsome; she +was, moreover, educated. Her father had taken her from school, to +bring her to his house, which, though so different from what she was +used to, she presided over at once with ease and nature. Great was the +horror of the young girl when she found out the character of the +people around her. She remonstrated freely with her father as to the +dreadful nature of his life; but the old man was cold and inexorable. +'He had brought her there to preside over his solitary house,' he +said, 'and not to lecture him:' and Madeleine was forced to be silent. + +She saw at once the utter futility of any attempt to civilise or +humanise the degraded beings she associated with; and so she took to +the children. With great difficulty, she formed a school, and made it +her daily labour to instil not only words, but ideas and principles, +into the minds of the young, unfledged wreckers. She gained the +goodwill of the elders, by nursing both young and old during their +hours of sickness, as well as by a slight knowledge of medicine, which +she had picked up in a way she never explained, but which always made +her silent and sad when she thought of it. + +When a black and gloomy night came round, and the whole village was on +foot, then Madeleine locked herself in her room, knelt down, and +remained in prayer. Now and then she would creep to the window, look +out, and interrogate the gloom. She never came forth to greet her +father on his return from these expeditions. Her heart revolted even +against seeing her parent under such circumstances, and towards +morning she went to bed--rarely, however, to sleep. + +On one occasion, after a cold and bitter day, the evening came on +suddenly. Black clouds covered the horizon as with a funeral pall; the +wind began to howl round the hamlet with fearful violence; and +Madeleine shuddered, for she knew what was to be expected that night. +Scarcely had the gale commenced, when Pierre rose, put on a thick +pea-jacket and a sou'-wester, armed himself, and swallowing a glass of +brandy, went out. He was the last to leave the village; all the rest +had preceded him. He found them encamped in a narrow gorge, round a +huge fire, carefully concealed behind some rocks. It was a cold, +windy, wet night; but the wreckers cared not, for the wind blew dead +on shore, and gave rich promise of reward for whatever they might +endure. + +A man lay on the look-out at the mouth of the gorge under a tarpaulin. +He had a night-glass in his hand, with which he swept the dark +horizon, for some time in vain. But the wind was too good to fail +them, and the wreckers had patience. + +It was really a terrible night. It was pitchy dark: not a star, nor +one glimpse of the pale moon could be distinguished. The wind howled +among the rocks, and cast the spray up with violence against the +cliffs, which, however, in front of the gorge, gave way to a low sandy +beach, forming the usual scene of the wreckers' operations. A current +rushed into this narrow bight, and brought on shore numerous spars, +boxes, and boats--all things welcome to these lawless men. + +'A prize!' cried the look-out suddenly. 'A tall Indiaman is not more +than a mile off shore. She is making desperate efforts to clear the +point, but she won't do it. She is ours, lads!' + +'Give me the glass!' exclaimed Pierre rising. The other gave him the +telescope. 'Faith, a splendid brig!' said the patriarch with a +sinister smile--'the finest windfall we have had for many a season. +Jean, you must out with the cow, or perhaps it may escape us.' + +The cow was an abominable invention which Pierre had taught his +comrades. A cow was tied to a stake, and a huge ship's lantern +fastened to its horns. This the animal tossed about in the hope of +disengaging himself, and in so doing presented the appearance of a +ship riding at anchor--all that could be seen on such nights being the +moving light. By this means had many a ship been lured to destruction, +in the vain hope of finding a safe anchoring-ground. The cow, which +was always ready, was brought out, and the trick resorted to, after +which the wreckers waited patiently for the result. + +The Indiaman was evidently coming on shore, and all the efforts of her +gallant crew seemed powerless to save her. Her almost naked masts, and +her dark hull, with a couple of lanterns, could now plainly be +distinguished as she rose and fell on the waters. Suddenly she seemed +to become motionless, though quivering in every fibre, and then a huge +wave washed clean over her decks. + +'She has struck on the Mistral Rock,' said Pierre. 'Good! she will be +in pieces in an hour, and every atom will come on shore!' + +'They are putting out the boats,' observed Jean. + +The wreckers clutched their weapons. If the crew landed in safety, +their hopes were gone. But no crew had for many years landed in safety +on that part of the coast: by some mysterious fatality, they had +always perished. + +Presently, three boats were observed pulling for the shore, and coming +towards the sandy beach at the mouth of the gorge. They were evidently +crammed full of people, and pulling all for one point. The boats +approached: they were within fifty yards of the shore, and pulling +still abreast. They had entered the narrow gut of water leading to the +gorge, and were already out of reach of the huge waves, which a minute +before threatened to submerge them. The wreckers extinguished the +lantern on the cow's horn. There was no chance of the boats being able +to put back to sea. + +Suddenly a figure pushed through the crowd, and approached the fire +near which Pierre Sandeau stood. It appeared to be one of the +wreckers; but the voice, that almost whispered in the old man's ear, +made him start. + +'Father!' said Madeleine, in a low solemn voice, 'what are you about +to do?' + +'Fool! what want you here?' replied Pierre, amazed and angry at the +same time. + +'I come to prevent murder! Father, think what you are about to do? +Here are fifty fellow-creatures coming in search of life and shelter, +and you will give them death!' + +'This is no place for you, Madeleine!' cried the other in a husky +voice. 'Go home, girl, and let me never see you out again at night!' + +'Away, Madeleine!--away!' said the crowd angrily. + +'I will not away!--I will stay here to see you do your foul deed--to +fix it on my mind, that day and night I may shout in your ears that ye +are murderers! Father,' added she solemnly, 'imbrue your hands in the +blood of one man to-night, and I am no child of yours. I will beg, I +will crawl through the world on my hands, but never more will I eat +the bread of crime!' + +'Take her away, Pierre,' said one more ruffianly than the rest, 'or +you may repent it.' + +'Go, girl, go,' whispered Pierre faintly, while the wreckers moved in +a body to the shore, where the boats were about to strike. + +'Never!' shrieked Madeleine, clinging franticly to her father's +clothes. + +'Let me go!' cried Pierre, dragging her with him. + +At that moment a terrible event interrupted their struggle. A man +stood upright in the foremost boat, guiding their progress. Just as +they were within two yards of the shore, this man saw the wreckers +coming down in a body. + +'As I expected!' he cried in a loud ringing voice. 'Fire!--shoot every +one of the villains!' + +A volley of small arms, within pistol-shot of the body of wreckers, +was the unexpected greeting which these men received. A loud and +terrible yell shewed the way in which the discharge had told. One-half +of the pillagers fell on the stony beach, the other half fled. + +Among those who remained was Madeleine. She was kneeling by her +father, who had received several shots, and lay on the ground in +agony. + +'You were right, girl,' he groaned; 'I see it now, when it is too +late, and I feel I have deserved it.' + +'Better,' sobbed Madeleine, 'better be here, than have imbrued your +hands in the blood of one of those miraculously-delivered sailors.' + +'Say you so, woman?' said a loud voice near her. 'Then you are not one +of the gang. I knew them of old, as well as their infernal cut-throat +gorge, and pulled straight for it, but quite prepared to give them a +warm reception.' + +Madeleine looked up. She saw around her more than fifty men, three +women, and some children. She shuddered again at the thought of the +awful massacre which would have occurred but for the sailor's +prudence. + +'My good girl,' continued the man, 'we are cold, wet, and hungry; can +you shew us to some shelter?' + +'Yes; but do you bid some of your men carry my father, who, I fear, is +dying.' + +'It is no more than he merits,' replied the man; 'but for your sake I +will have him taken care of.' + +'It is what I merit,' said Pierre, in a strange and loud tone; 'but +not from your hands, Jacques.' + +'Merciful God!' cried the sailor, 'whose voice is that?' + +'You will soon know; but do as your sister bids you, and then we can +talk more at ease.' + +Madeleine cast herself sobbing into her brother's arms, who, gently +disengaging her, had a litter prepared for his father, and then, +guided by Madeleine, the procession advanced on its way. An armed +party marched at the head, and in a quarter of an hour the village of +Montreaux was reached. It was entirely deserted. There were fires in +the houses, and lamps lit, and even suppers prepared, but not a living +thing. Even the children and old women on hearing the discharge of +musketry, had fled to a cave where they sometimes took shelter when +the coast-guard was sent in search of them. + +The delighted sailors and passengers spread themselves through the +village, took possession of the houses, ate the suppers, and slept in +the beds, taking care, however, to place four sentries in +well-concealed positions, for fear of a surprise. Madeleine, her +father, her brother, the ship's surgeon, and a young lady passenger, +came to the house of old Sandeau, who was put to bed, and his wounds +dressed. He said nothing, but went to sleep, or feigned to do so. + +Supper was then put upon the table, and the four persons above +mentioned sat down, for a few minutes in silence. Jacques, the captain +of the East-Indiaman, looked moody and thoughtful. He said not a word. +Suddenly, however, he was roused by hearing the young surgeon of the +_Jeune Sophie_ speak. + +'Madeleine,' said he, in a gentle but still much agitated tone of +voice, 'how is it I find you here--you whom I left at St Omer?' + +'Is this, then, the Madeleine you so often speak of?' cried the +astonished sailor. + +'It is. But speak, my dear friend.' + +'Edouard, I am here because yonder is my father, and it is my duty to +be where he is.' + +'But why is your father here?' continued the other. + +'I am here,' said the old man, fiercely turning round, 'because I am +at war with the world. For a trifling error, I was dismissed the +command of this very _Jeune Sophie_ twelve years ago. I vowed revenge, +and you see the kind of revenge I have selected.' + +'Dear father,' said Madeleine gently, 'see what an escape you have +had!' + +'Besides,' interposed Jacques, 'there was no occasion for revenge. M. +Ponceau, who had adopted me, searched for you far and wide, to give +you another ship. They dismissed you in a moment of anger. They proved +this, by giving me the command of the _Jeune Sophie_ as soon as I +could be trusted with it.' + +'What is done is done,' said Pierre, 'and I am a wrecker! I have done +wrong, but I am punished. Jacques, my boy, take away Madeleine; I see +this life is not fit for her. If I recover, I shall remain, and become +the trader of the village'---- + +'No, father, you must come with us,' observed Jacques sadly. 'You and +I and Madeleine will find some quiet spot, where none will know of the +past, and where we ourselves may learn to forget. I have already saved +enough to support us.' + +'And your wife, sir?' said the young lady, who had not hitherto +spoken. + +'Leonie, you can never marry me now. You are no fit mate for the son +of a wrecker.' + +'Jacques,' interposed the young surgeon, 'neither you nor Madeleine +has any right to suffer for the errors of your father. I made the +acquaintance of your sister at my aunt's school in St Omer. I loved +her; and before I started on this journey, I had from her a +half-promise, which I now call upon her to fulfil.' + +'What say you, Madeleine?' said Jacques gravely. + +'That I can never give my hand to a man whom I love too well to +dishonour.' + +'Madeleine, you are right, and you are a noble girl!' replied her +brother. + +'Children,' said the old man, with a groan, 'I see my crime now in its +full hideousness; but I can at least repair part of the evil done. +Now, listen to me. Let me see you follow the bent of your hearts, and +be happy, and I will go where you will, for you will have forgiven +your father. Refuse to do so, and I remain here--once a wrecker, +always a wrecker. Come, decide!' + +Madeleine held out her hand to Edouard, and Jacques to Leonie, his +friend's sister, returning from the colony where her parents had died. +The old man shut his eyes, and remained silent the rest of the +evening. + +Next day, conveyances were obtained from a neighbouring town, and the +crew and passengers departed. The reunited friends remained at +Montreaux, awaiting the recovery of Pierre, Jacques excepted, he being +forced to go to Havre, to explain events to his owners. In ten days he +returned. Old Sandeau was now able to be removed; and the whole party +left Montreaux, which was then stripped by its owners, and deserted. + +The family went to Havre. The father's savings as a captain had been +considerable. United with those of Jacques, they proved sufficient to +take a house, furnish it, and start both young couples in life. +Edouard set up as a surgeon in Havre, his brother-in-law was admitted +as junior partner into the house of Ponceau, and from that day all +prospered with them. Old Sandeau did not live long. He was crushed +under the weight of his terrible past; and his deathbed was full of +horror and remorse.[1] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] This legend is still told by the peasants of Brittany, who point +out the site of Montreaux. + + + + +LOWELL MECHANICS' FAIR. + + +There are very few places in the world that bear the mark of progress +so strongly as this town, destined, beyond all doubt, to be the +Manchester of the United States, and to enter--indeed it is now +entering--into active rivalry with the Old Country in her staple +manufactures, cottons and woollens. In the year 1821, few visited the +small, quiet village, of about 200 inhabitants, situated in a +mountain-nook at a bend of the Merrimac, at a point where that stream +fell in a natural cascade, tumbling and gushing over its rocky, +shallow bed, quite unconscious of the part it was to play in the +world's affairs. This village was twenty-five miles north-west of +Boston, not on a high-road leading anywhere; but, nevertheless, it +began to move on, as usual, by the erection of a saw-mill, as at that +point it was found convenient to arrest the downward progress of the +timber, and convert it into plank. And so it went on, and on, step by +step, till it became the splendid town it is, so large as to have two +railway depots: one in the suburbs, and the principal one in the +centre of the town--for the Yankees think the closer their railways +are to the town the better. + +Lowell now covers five square miles, with handsome, straight streets; +the principal one, Merrimac Street, being a mile and a half in length, +and about sixty feet wide, with footways twelve feet wide, and rows of +trees between them and the road. The appearance of this street reminds +the spectator of the best in France. The loom-power of a manufacturing +place, I understand, is estimated by the number of spindles, and this +works 350,000; the mills employ 14,000 males, and 10,000 females; the +number of inhabitants reckoned stationary, 12,000. It has lately been +raised to the dignity of a city by a charter of incorporation, which, +in the state of Massachusetts, can be claimed by any town when the +number of its inhabitants amounts to 10,000: thus it appoints its +officers, and manages its own affairs, as a body corporate and +municipal. + +The most striking feature of the social system here, is the condition +of the mill-workers, of which, as it is so different from ours, I +shall give you some particulars. The corporation of Lowell has built +streets of convenient houses, for the accommodation of the workmen; +and nine-tenths of these are occupied by the unmarried. These houses +are farmed by the corporation to elderly females, whose characters +must bear the strictest investigation, and at a rent just paying a low +rate of interest for the outlay. They carry on the business under +strict rules, which limit the numbers, and determine the accommodation +of the inmates, two of whom sleep in one room. Females, whose wages +are 12s. per week, pay 6s. 6d. per week for board and lodging; for +males, the wages and cost of board are about 15 per cent. higher. +These females are housed, fed, and dressed as well as the wives and +daughters of any tradesman in Edinburgh or London. The hours of work +at the mills leave them leisure; which some spend in fancy +needle-work, so as to increase their income; and all, by arrangements +among themselves, have access to good libraries. The amusements are +balls, reading-rooms, lectures, and concerts; indeed, all the means of +intellectual cultivation are placed within their reach, and full +advantage is taken of them. There is an ambition to save money, which +they nearly all do; those in superior situations, such as overlookers, +have considerable sums in the savings-banks established by the +companies owning the mills; the workers in each mill thus putting +their weekly savings into the concern, from which they receive +interest in money, and so having an interest in the well-doing of the +mill itself, and a bond of attachment to its proprietors. In this +manner, the capital of all is constantly at work, and provision is +made for a possible slackness, which, however, has not yet befallen +Lowell. + +To this place, it is no longer a toilsome journey from Boston. +Three-quarters of an hour, in a very commodious railway-carriage, +brought me into the centre of the town, when a most interesting sight +presented itself. The railway had been pouring in for the occasion +upwards of 20,000 persons; and in the streets, all was bustle and +harmony; thousands of well-dressed persons--some of the females +elegantly so--moving in throngs here and there, all bearing the tokens +of comfort and respectability. The occasion of the gathering is called +the Mechanics' Fair, held for a fortnight, during some days of which +all mill-work is suspended; the attraction consisting of a +horticultural and cattle show, and an exhibition of the products of +art and manufactures of the county, which is Middlesex. + +The horticultural show was in the Town-hall, a large, handsome +apartment, with long aisles of tables, covered with piles of fruits +and vegetables; and such fruits! peaches, nectarines, apricots, and +the choicest plums, all of open-air growth, and not surpassed by any I +have seen--fully equal to the best hot-house productions of England. +Vegetables also very fine, all equal to the finest, except the turnip, +which in New England is small. The flowers as beautiful as in the Old +Country, but much smaller; consequently, that part of the show was +much inferior to our shows of the kind. In the evening of each day, +the fruits are put up to auction, and a good deal of merriment is +caused by this part of the entertainment. Those who supply the show +are well paid, as each morning there is a fresh supply; thus proving +that it is not the selected few that are exhibited, but the average +produce of the county. + +From thence I walked to the show of products of industry. I found a +building 600 feet in length, 40 feet wide, and two storeys high, +crammed with such a variety of articles that it is extremely difficult +to describe them, or, indeed, to reduce them to order in the mind. I +do not propose to send you a catalogue, but to convey, as far as I +can, the impression made upon me. The ground-floor is devoted to the +exhibition of agricultural implements and machinery. I have no +intention to enter into the question of our own patent laws, but I +cannot refuse to acknowledge the superiority of the arrangements here. +The greatest advantage is, that the right to an invention is so +simply, cheaply, and easily secured, that there is no filching or +ill-feeling. Talking with a very intelligent person, who was kindly +trying to give me definite ideas in this labyrinth of cranks and +wheels, by shewing and explaining to me the movements of a most +singular machine for making carding implements--I said: 'How is it, +that with these wonders, the American portion of the Crystal Palace in +London should have been so scant? Here is enough for almost an +indefinite supply: the reaping-machine is but a unit.' 'True,' he +replied, 'but we could get no guarantee for securing the patents; and +if one man was simple enough to give the English his reaping-machine, +it did not suit others to be robbed. We have little ambition about the +matter: satisfied with what we have, we cannot afford to give away +inventions for the sake of fine words.' This explained the whole to +me. + +The first store I looked over in this country was one in Boston, +having an immense stock of agricultural implements, and tools for +every mechanical purpose. I should know something of such matters, +having whistled at the plough myself, and used most of the implements; +and being therefore curious on the point, I looked in for the sake of +old associations. I am positive that every article for agricultural +and mechanical use is better made than with us, and more adapted to +its purpose--tools especially. What has been said of the plough in +London, is equally true of all other implements in use in America, +from the most complicated to the most simple. The Englishman uses what +his fathers used; the American will have the tool best adapted, +whether existing before his time or not. In favour of this superiority +in tools is the fine quality of the hard-woods used here. At the Fair +I saw some coach and chaise wheels, of the most beautiful make, of +hickory, which is as durable as metal-spokes, not thicker than the +middle finger, but strong enough for any required weight, and with +great flexibility; and from its extreme toughness, calculated for the +woodwork of implements. The apartment on the ground-floor was entirely +occupied by machines in motion, and each was attended by a person who +explained, with the greatest civility and intelligence, the uses of +the various parts of the machine, setting it going, or stopping it, as +necessary: each had its crowd of listeners; and I could not but admire +the patience and politeness of the lecturer, as he endeavoured to +explain the wondrous capabilities of his own pet machine. It would +require a volume to follow the subject thoroughly; but I will mention +what appeared to be the newest inventions, or those not known in +England. + +A crowd of ladies were watching with great attention the +Sewing-machine--sewing away with the greatest exactness, and much +stronger than by the ordinary mode with a needle, as each stitch is a +knot. The inventor was shewing it; and he said he had nearly completed +a machine for the button-holes. The next was a machine called 'The +Man'--and truly named, for a more marvellous production can scarcely +be conceived--for making implements for carding wool or cotton, the +article passing in as raw wire, going through before our eyes four +processes of the most delicate description, and finally coming out a +perfect card, with its wire-teeth exactly set, and ready for use. My +attention was drawn to the application of the Jacquard principle to a +loom engaged in weaving a calico fabric, of various colours woven with +a pattern, and thus producing an elegant article, thick, and well +adapted for bed-furniture. But the most curious and simple, and +withal, perhaps, the most important invention for facilitating +manufactures, is what is called the 'Turpin Wheel,' taking its name +from the inventor. How simple may be the birth of a great idea! We all +observe that a log under a waterfall, coming down perpendicularly upon +it, spins round, as on an axis, till it escapes. This led to the +invention in question. The water falls upon the spokes of a horizontal +wheel, which it sends round with great velocity; and by this +contrivance the force of the water is more than doubled. I must not +omit to mention the machine just invented for weaving the fabric we +call Brussels carpeting. This machine will weave twenty yards of +carpeting per day, with one female to attend it. The carpet is worth +3s. per yard, while the wages paid for human aid in its production is +1-1/4d. per yard: machinery can go little further. Let me add, that I +was informed that everything on this floor was the invention of +working-men. + +Upon ascending to the first floor, I found the apartment arranged with +stands--each stand devoted to one sort of manufacture--and attended, +as below, by an intelligent person, to shew and explain. Here was +every description of furniture, cotton, and woollen fabric; but +neither velvets nor silks, which have not, as yet, been introduced. We +know so much of our doings in England in the woollen and cotton line, +that my attention was principally attracted to these specimens. Here +was everything except the broad-cloths--all the patterns of +plaid-shawls, so beautifully imitated and executed, that they would, I +am sure, pass in Edinburgh. I saw the kerseymere fabric that obtained +the prize in London, and nothing could be more beautiful; for the +calicoes, I believe we cannot produce them cheaper or better. A writer +in a journal here, observes: 'Why should our cotton go to England to +be spun when we can spin it in Massachusetts?' A very pertinent +question, well worth thinking of at home. We should be thankful to the +projectors of the Crystal Palace, that it has opened our eyes, for +nothing else could. There is no manner of doubt, that we can learn +something beyond yacht-sailing; but we shall not open our eyes to the +widest until the arrival in our market of the first cargo of +manufactured woollens and cottons; and as surely as we have barrels of +flour and pork, we shall soon find them with us: I saw first-rate +calico, which could be sold at 2d. per yard. + +The exports of manufactured goods from this country to all parts of +the world is increasing weekly; but of all that another time, for I am +carefully collecting information. One stand I would not omit, as it +furnished evidence of the condition of the operatives. The exhibition +is managed by the mechanics themselves, and the profits are devoted to +the support of a mechanics' institute, with the usual advantages of +library, balls, and concerts, but of a very superior order; while +every female who provides any article of her own production for +exhibition and sale, has a free ticket admitting to all the advantages +of the institution. This is found a useful stimulus, as the stand for +those articles testified, consisting as they did of all descriptions +of fancy-work: rugs, chair-bottoms, table-covers, tapestry, &c. +produced in overhours, tasteful in design, and beautiful in execution. +Let me not forget an invention, which is as great a boon to sufferers +as the water-bed: it is a contrivance applied to an ordinary bedstead, +which, by turning a handle, will support any part of the body, or +place the body in any required position. It was the invention of a +mechanic, who was nine months in bed in consequence of an accident, +and felt the want of something of the kind. It is adapted to a +bedstead at a cost of L.3. + +From thence I went to the cattle-show. I could see but little of that, +as most of the animals were gone; but I was assured it was very fine. +I believe it, if what I saw was a specimen--a pair of working oxen, +perfectly white, the pair weighing 7000 pounds. In our cattle-shows at +home, we find plenty of bulk, but it destroys form and symmetry: here +both were preserved. The fowls are of the long-legged Spanish breed, +coming to table like trussed ostriches; the plump English barndoor +sort are about being introduced. I had nearly forgotten a beautiful +and extraordinary invention--a rifle, not heavier than the common one, +that will discharge twenty-four balls in succession without reloading. +Where the ramrod is usually placed, is a smaller barrel, containing, +when filled, twenty-four ball-cartridges, and, after discharging, the +action of recocking introduces another cartridge, and so on, until the +whole are discharged; the whole twenty-four can be discharged in as +many seconds! + +After leaving this interesting exhibition, where I could have lingered +a whole day, I was joined by a friend, an American--a gentleman of +great attainments in science--to whose remarks I am indebted for the +following scraps. The Merrimac, when low--as when I saw it--is a +trifling stream, having a bottom of laminated rock, worn in channels +by the stream. At spring and fall, there is ten or fifteen feet of +depth; and to remedy this inequality, an important work was undertaken +and executed: to this we bent our way. It is a canal in form, but +should more properly be called a reservoir. It is 1-1/4 miles long, 100 +feet wide, and 15 feet deep; of solid granite, sides and bottom--equal +in durability to any work, ancient or modern. It is about half way cut +through the solid granite rock, which in that part furnishes a natural +wall. My friend had watched its progress, and gave me many interesting +details of the engineering processes employed: among others, the +tremendous application of steam and gunpowder. An engine bored holes +in the rock fifteen feet deep and twelve inches in diameter; and these +were so placed, and in such numbers, that at a single blast 170 tons +of granite were blown into the air--an operation hardly conceivable. +This canal leaves the town in a westerly direction--being, at its +outset, about a quarter of a mile from the Merrimac, but gradually +approximating for a quarter of a mile, until it touches and unites +with that river. Between the two, is one of the prettiest of public +walks, ten feet wide, having rows of trees on each side, and +terminating in a point; being the end of a splendid granite wall, at +its base thirty feet thick, and tapering to half the thickness, +dividing the natural from the artificial stream. Here we come to a +point of great interest: on the right is an artificial dam across the +river, with two sharp lines at an angle of sixty-seven degrees, the +point meeting the stream, thus stopping the waters, and insuring a +supply for the reservoir, while it forms a cascade of about twenty +feet. + +My friend gave me a very graphic description of the opening of the +works. The whole was built in a cofferdam, quite dry, and the opening +was a holiday. Every spot within sight was covered with spectators, +for whom the engineer had contrived a surprise. The works used in +keeping the water out of the reservoir, and protecting the new dam, +were undermined, and charged with gunpowder. At a given signal, the +train was fired, and in an instant the whole blew up; and when the +smoke cleared away, the fragments were floating down the Merrimac, and +the canal full of water. + +On the left from the point, the egress of water is regulated by +flood-gates of a superior construction. The building crosses the +canal, and contains seven huge gates, which are raised or dropped into +their places by beautiful machinery. To each gate is attached an +immense screw, which stands perpendicularly, twenty feet long and ten +inches in diameter. At its upper end, it passes through a matrix-worm +in the centre of a large cog-wheel, lying horizontally The whole is +set in motion by the slightest turning of a handle; and here I saw the +application of the Turpin Wheel I spoke of before--no engine or +complication, but a wheel fifteen feet in diameter, fixed +horizontally, submerged in the stream, receiving the falling waters, +and thus rapidly revolving, and by a gear, giving motion to the +machinery for raising or lowering the immense gates, stopped or set +going by merely turning a stop-cock, and requiring no more force than +an ordinary water-cistern. + +I cannot leave this interesting spot without an attempt to describe +the beautiful scene. A little to the right, the river widens into a +sort of bay, with several fine islands covered with wood; in front, +across the stream, as far as the eye can reach, are the forests of New +Hampshire, with occasional headlands of greensward. In the autumn, it +has exactly the appearance of a gigantic flower-garden--the trees +being of every imaginable colour. 'Ah!' said my friend, 'this is an +interesting spot: it was the favourite residence and hunting-ground of +the Chippewas. The Indians, like your monks of old in Europe, always +chose the most beautiful and picturesque sites for their dwellings; +but they have retired before the advance of a civilisation they could +not share or appreciate.' Talking in this way, as we returned, he +called my attention to a singular phenomenon in the river. At some +remote period there was, and it remains to the present moment, a rock +standing in the middle of the stream, about twelve feet in diameter at +the top, of an irregular form, and of the hardest granite. By the +action of the water, a mass of granite had been thrown on the top, +where it lodged. At high-water, perhaps during three months in each +year, the stream had caused this mass to revolve on its own axis, +until it has worn itself of a round figure, and worn also the rock +into a cup, now about six feet deep. Still, it revolves when the water +reaches it--nature still plays at this cup-and-ball--the ball weighing +five tons. Talk of this sort brought us to the railway. In due time I +reached home; and I do not remember to have ever been more interested +than by the day spent at Lowell. + + + + +THE SEA AND THE POETS. + + +Of three poets, each the most original in his language, and each +peculiarly susceptible of impressions from external nature--Horace, +Shakspeare, and Burns--not one seems to have appreciated the beauty, +the majestic sublimity, the placid loveliness, alternating with the +terrific grandeur, of the 'many-sounding sea.' Judging from their +incidental allusions to it, and the use they make of it in metaphor +and imagery, it would seem to have presented itself to their +imaginations only as a fierce, unruly, untamable, and unsightly +monster, to be loathed and avoided--a blot on the fair face of +creation--a necessary evil, perhaps; but still an evil, and most +certainly suggestive of no ideas poetic in their character. + +It is marvellous, for there is not one of these poets who does not +discover a lively sense of the varied charms of universal nature, and +has not painted them in glowing colours with the pencil of a master. +Who has not noted with what evident love, with what a +nicely-discriminative knowledge Shakspeare has pictured our English +flowers, our woodland glades, the forest scenery of Old England, +before the desolating axe had prostrated the pride of English woods? +How vividly has not Burns translated into vigorous verse each feature +of his native landscape, till + + ---- 'Auld Coila's plains and fells, + Her muirs, red-brown wi' heather-bells, + Her banks and braes, her dens and dells,' + +live again in the magic of his song. And Horace--with what charming +playfulness, with what exquisite grace, has he not figured the +olive-groves of Tibur, the pendent vines ruddy with the luscious +grape, the silver streams, the sparkling fountains and purple skies of +fruitful Campania! Looking on nature with a poet's eye, as did these +poets, one and all of them, is it not a psychological mystery that +none of them should have detected the ineffable beauty of a +sea-prospect? + +First, as to Horace. When climbing the heights of Mount Vultur, that +Lucanian hill where once, when overcome by fatigue, the youthful poet +lay sleeping, and doves covered his childish and wearied limbs with +leaves--Horace must have often viewed, with their wide expanse +glittering in the sun, the waters of the Adriatic--often must he have +hailed the grateful freshness of the sea-breeze and the invigorating +perfumes of + + ---- 'the early sea-smell blown + Through vineyards from some inland bay.' + +Yet about this sea, which should have kindled his imagination and +inspired his genius, this thankless bard poetises in a vein such as a +London citizen, some half-century back, might have indulged in after a +long, tedious, 'squally' voyage in an overladen Margate hoy. + +No such spirit possessed him as that which dictated poor Campbell's +noble apostrophe to the glorious 'world of waters:' + + ---- 'Earth has not a plain + So boundless or so beautiful as thine; + The eagle's vision cannot take it in; + The lightning's glance, too weak to sweep its space, + Sinks half-way o'er it, like a wearied bird: + It is the mirror of the stars, where all + Their hosts within the concave firmament, + Gay marching to the music of the spheres, + Can see themselves at once.' + +Horace, indeed, has sung the praises of Tarentum--that beautiful +maritime city of the Calabrian Gulf, whose attractions were such as to +make _the delights of Tarentum_ a common proverbial expression. But +what were these delights as celebrated by our poet?--the perfection of +its honey, the excellence of its olives, the abundance of its grapes, +its lengthened spring and temperate winter. For these, its merits, did +Horace prefer, as he tells us, Tarentum to every other spot on the +wide earth--his beloved Tibur only and ever excepted. In truth, Horace +valued and visited the sea-side only in winter, and then simply +because its climate was milder than that to be met with inland, and +therefore more agreeable to the dilapidated constitution of a +sensitive valetudinarian. His commentators suppose he produced nothing +during his marine hybernations: if the inclement season froze 'the +genial current of his soul,' the aspect of the sea did not thaw it. + +His motive for his sea-side trips is amusingly set forth in one of the +most lively and characteristic of his Epistles--the fifteenth of the +first book. In this he inquires of a friend what sort of winter +weather is to be found at Velia and Salernum; two cities, one on the +Adriatic, the other on the Mediterranean seaboard of Italy--what +manner of roads they had--whether the people there drank tank-water or +spring-water--and whether hares, boars, crabs, and fish were with them +abundant. He adds, he is not apprehensive about their wines--knowing +these, as we may infer, to be good--although usually, when from home, +he is scrupulous about his liquors; whilst, when at home, he can put +up almost with anything in the way of potations. It is quite plain +Horace went down to the sea just in the spirit in which a turtle-fed +alderman would transfer himself to Cheltenham; or in which a fine +lady, whose nerves the crush, hurry, and late hours of a London season +had somewhat disturbed, would exchange the dissipations of Mayfair for +the breezy hills of Malvern, or the nauseous waters of Tunbridge +Wells. + +This certainly explains, and perhaps excuses, the grossly uncivil +terms in which alone he notices the sea. One of the worst of Ulysses' +troubles was, according to him, the numerous and lengthy sea-voyages +which that Ithacan gadabout had to take. Horace wishes for Maevius, who +was his aversion, no worse luck than a rough passage and shipwreck at +the end of it. His notion of a happy man--_ille beatus_--is one who +has not to dread the sea. Augustus, whose success had blessed not only +his own country, but the whole world, had--not the least of his +blessings--given to the seamen a calmed sea--_pacatum mare_. Lamenting +at Virgil's departure for Athens, he rebukes the impiety of the first +mariner who ventured, in the audacity of his heart, to go afloat and +cross the briny barrier interposed between nations. He esteems a +merchant favoured specially by the gods, should he twice or thrice a +year return in safety from an Atlantic cruise. He tells us he himself +had known the terrors of 'the dark gulf of the Adriatic,' and had +experienced 'the treachery of the western gale;' and expresses a +charitable wish, that the enemies of the Roman state were exposed to +the delights of both. He likens human misery to a sea 'roughened by +gloomy winds;' 'to embark once more on the mighty sea,' is his +figurative expression for once more engaging in the toils and troubles +of the world; Rome, agitated by the dangers of civil conflict, +resembles an ill-formed vessel labouring tempest-tossed in the waves; +his implacable Myrtale resembles the angry Adriatic, in which also he +finds a likeness to an ill-tempered lover. All through, from first to +last, the gentle Horace pelts with most ungentle phrases one of the +noblest objects in nature, provocative alike of our admiration and our +awe, our terror and our love. + +And even Shakspeare must be ranged in the same category. The most +English of poets has not one laudatory phrase for + + ---- 'The seas + Which God hath given for fence impregnable' + +to the poet's England. It is idle to say that Shakspeare was +inland-bred--that he knew nothing, and could therefore have cared +nothing about the matter--seeing that, insensible as he might have +been to its beauties, he makes constant reference to the sea, and even +in language implying that his familiarity with it was not inferior to +that of any yachtsman who has ever sailed out of Cowes Harbour. He +uses nautical terms frequently and appropriately. Romeo's rope-ladder +is 'the high top-gallant of his joy;' King John, dying of poison, +declares 'the tackle of his heart is cracked,' and 'all the shrouds +wherewith his life should sail' wasted 'to a thread.' Polonius tells +Laertes, 'the wind sits in the shoulder of your sail'--a technical +expression, the singular propriety of which a naval critic has +recently established; whilst some of the commentators on the passage +in _King Lear_, descriptive of the prospect from Dover Cliffs, affirm +that the comparison as to apparent size, of the ship to her cock-boat, +and the cock-boat to a buoy, discover a perfect knowledge of the +relative proportions of the objects named. In _Hamlet_, _Othello_, +_The Tempest_, _The Merchant of Venice_, _The Comedy of Errors_, +_Twelfth Night_, _Winter's Tale_, _Measure for Measure_, and +_Pericles_, sea-storms are made accessory to the development of the +plot, and sometimes described with a force and truthfulness which +forbid the belief that the writer had never witnessed such scenes: +however, like Horace, it is in the darkest colours that Shakspeare +uniformly paints 'the multitudinous seas.' + +In the _Winter's Tale_, we read of-- + + ---- 'the fearful usage + (Albeit ungentle) of the dreadful Neptune.' + +In _Henry V._, of 'the furrowed sea,' 'the lofty surge,' 'the +inconstant billows dancing;' in _Henry VI._, Queen Margaret finds in +the roughness of the English waters a presage of her approaching wo; +in _Richard III._, Clarence's dream figures to us all the horrors of +'the vasty deep;' in _Henry VIII._, Wolsey indeed speaks of 'a sea of +glory,' but also of his shipwreck thereon; in _The Tempest_ we read of +'the never surfeited sea,' and of the 'sea-marge sterile and +rocky-hard;' in the _Midsummer's Night Dream_, 'the sea' is 'rude,' +and from it the winds 'suck up contagious fogs;' _Hamlet_ is as 'mad +as the sea and wind;' the violence of Laertes and the insurgent Danes +is paralleled to an irruption of the sea, 'overpeering of his list;' +in the well-known soliloquy is the expression, 'a sea of troubles,' +which, in spite of Pope's suggested and tasteless emendation, +commentators have shewn to have been used proverbially by the Greeks, +and more than once by AEschylus and Menander. Still, Shakspeare, again +like Horace, was not insensible to the merits of sea-air in a sanitary +point of view. Dionyza, meditating Marina's murder, bids her take what +the Brighton doctor's call 'a constitutional' by the sea-side, adding +that-- + + ---- 'the air is quick there, + Piercing and sharpens well the stomach.' + +As to Burns, his most fervent admirer can scarcely complain when we +involve him in the censure to which we have already subjected Horace +and Shakspeare. He, too, writes about the sea in such a fashion, that +we should hardly have suspected, what is true, that he was born almost +within hearing of its waves; that much of his life was passed on its +shores or near them, and that at a time of life when external objects +most vividly impress themselves on the senses, and exercise the +largest influence on the taste. + +The genius of 'Old Coila,' in sketching the poet's early life, says-- + + 'I saw thee seek the sounding shore, + Delighted with the dashing roar;' + +but few tokens of this 'delight' are to be observed in his poetry. He +has, indeed, his allusions to 'tumbling billows' and 'surging foam;' +to southern climes where 'wild-meeting oceans boil;' to 'life's rough +ocean' and 'life's stormy main;' to 'hard-blowing gales;' to the +'raging sea,' 'raging billows,' 'boundless oceans roaring wide,' and +the like; but these are the stock-metaphors of every poet, and would +be familiar to him even had he never overpassed the frontiers of +Bohemia. + +One sea-picture, and one alone, is to be found in Burns, and this, it +is freely admitted, is exquisite: + + 'Behold the hour, the boat arrive; + Thou goest, thou darling of my heart! + Severed from thee, can I survive? + But fate has willed, and we must part. + I'll often greet this surging swell, + Yon distant isle will often hail: + E'en here I took the last farewell; + There latest marked her vanished sail. + + Along the solitary shore, + While flitting sea-fowl round me cry, + Across the rolling, dashing roar, + I'll westward turn my wistful eye: + Happy thou Indian grove, I'll say, + Where now my Nancy's path may be! + While through thy sweets she loves to stray, + Oh! tell me, does she muse on me?' + +This charming lyric, the pathetic tenderness of which commends it to +every feeling heart, is all that Burns has left in evidence that the +sea had to him, at least, one poetic aspect. + + + + +CURIOSITIES OF CHESS. + + +More has perhaps been written about chess-playing than any other of +the games which human ingenuity has invented for recreative purposes, +and it is not easy to foresee the time when dissertation or discovery +on the subject shall be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Scarcely +a year passes that does not add something to our knowledge of the +history of the royal game; and among the latest additions, the able +paper by Mr Bland, published in the _Journal of the Royal Asiatic +Society_, is not the least deserving of notice. It contains many +curious particulars and remarks, interspersed in its dry and technical +narrative, sufficient to form a page or two of pleasant reading for +those--and they are not few--to whom chess is interesting. + +We must premise that Mr Bland takes three but little-known Oriental +manuscripts as the groundwork of his observations; one of them, in the +Persian character, is said to be 'probably unique,' though, +unfortunately, very imperfect. It bears no date or author's name, +these being lost with the missing portions, but the treatise itself +contains internal evidence of very high antiquity. The author, whoever +he was, tells us that he had travelled much through Persia and the +adjacent countries, from the age of fifteen until the middle period of +life, during which he gained the knowledge and experience which +enabled him to write his book. Besides which, he measured his strength +with many masters of the art of chess-playing, adding on each occasion +to his reputation as a conqueror: 'and whereas,' as he relates, 'the +greater number of professors were deficient in the art of playing +without looking at the board, I myself played so against four +adversaries at once, and at the same time against another opponent in +the usual manner, and, by divine favour, won all the games.' Here, +singularly enough, we find a Persian Staunton making himself famous +perhaps long before Norman William thought of invading Britain--so +true it is, that in mere intellectual achievements we have scarcely +surpassed bygone generations. He, the Persian, evidently entertained a +comfortable idea of his own abilities; for he boasts largely of the +improvements and new moves or positions which he has introduced into +the game. He disputes, too, the authenticity of the belief, that chess +was originally invented in India, and that it was first introduced +into Persia in the sixth century of our era by a physician, whom +Nushirwan had sent to seek for the work known as Pilpay's Fables. On +the contrary, he contends that chess, in its original and most +developed form, is purely a Persian invention, and that the modern +game is but an abridgment of the ancient one. In how far this +statement is borne out by the fact, we have at present no means of +knowing; and until some more complete manuscript or other work shall +be brought to light which may supply the want, we must rest content +with the account familiar to most readers--that chess was invented by +an Indian physician for the diversion of the monarch, his master, and +the reward claimed in grains of corn, beginning with one grain on the +first square of the board, and doubling the number in regularly +increasing progression up to the last. + +We may here briefly state what the ancient, or, as it is commonly +called in the East, 'Timour's Game,' was. It required a board with 110 +squares and 56 men--almost as many again as are used in modern +chess--and the moves were extremely complicated and difficult to +learn. The rectangularity of the board was interrupted by four lateral +squares, which served as a fort, or special point of defence for the +king, whose powers, as well as those of the other pieces, were in many +respects different from those at present known. 'Timour's mind,' we +are told, 'was too exalted to play at the Little Chess, and therefore +he played only at the Great Chess, on a board of ten squares by +eleven, with the addition of two camels, two zarafahs,' and other +pieces, with Persian designations. + +Next we come to a complete chapter, entitled the 'Ten Advantages of +Chess,' in which the views and reasonings are eminently Oriental and +characteristic. The first explains that food and exercise are good for +the mind as well as for the body, and that chess is a most excellent +means for quickening the intellect, and enabling it to gain knowledge. +'For the glory of man is knowledge, and chess is the nourishment of +the mind, the solace of the spirit, the polisher of intelligence, the +bright sun of understanding, and has been preferred by the +philosopher, its inventor, to all other means by which we arrive at +wisdom.' The second advantage is in the promotion and cultivation of +religion; predestination and free-will are both exemplified--the +player being able to move where he will, yet always in obedience to +certain laws. 'Whereas,' says the writer, 'Nerd--that is, Eastern +backgammon--on the contrary, is mere free-will, while in dice, again, +all is compulsion.' The third and fourth advantages relate to +government and war; and the fifth to astronomy, illustrating its +several phenomena as shewn by the text, according to which 'the board +represents the heavens, in which the squares are the celestial houses, +and the pieces, stars. The superior pieces are likened to the moving +stars; and the pawns, which have only one movement, to the fixed +stars. The king is as the sun, and the wazir in place of the moon, and +the elephants and taliah in the place of Saturn, and the rukhs and +dabbabah in that of Mars, and the horses and camel in that of Jupiter, +and the ferzin and zarafah in that of Venus; and all these pieces have +their accidents, corresponding with the trines and quadrates, and +conjunction and opposition, and ascendancy and decline--such as the +heavenly bodies have; and the eclipse of the sun is figured by shah +caim or stale mate;' and much more to the same purport. We question +whether the astronomer-royal ever suspected he was illustrating his +own science when engaged in one of his quiet games of chess with the +master of trinity. + +The sixth advantage is somewhat astrological in character: as there +are four principal movements of chess, these answer to the four +physical temperaments, Cold, Warm, Dry, and Wet, which are ruled by +their respective planets; and thus each piece on the board is made to +have its peculiar significance in relation with the stars. It is +further shewn, that chess-playing is remedial against many of the +lesser bodily ailments; 'and no illness is more grievous than hunger +and thirst, yet both of these, when the mind is engaged in chess, are +no longer thought of.' Next in order, the seventh advantage, is 'in +obtaining repose for the soul;' as the author observes: 'The soul hath +illnesses like as the body hath, and the cure of these last is known; +but of the soul's illness there be also many kinds, and of these I +will mention a few.' These are ignorance, disobedience, haste, +cunning, avarice, tyranny, lying, pride, deceit, and envy. Deceit is +said to be of two kinds: that which deceives others, and that which +deceives ourselves. But of all evils, ignorance is the greatest; 'for +it is the soul's death, as learning is its life; and for this disease +is chess an especial cure, since there is no way by which men arrive +more speedily at knowledge and wisdom; and in like manner, by its +practice, all the faults which form the diseases of the soul are +converted into their corresponding virtues.' It is not to be doubted +that chess-playing may keep individuals out of mischief; but, whatever +may have been the case in ancient times, we do not hear of its +transforming vicious characters into virtuous ones in our days. + +The eighth advantage is social, inasmuch as it brings men of different +degrees together, and promotes their intimacy and friendship; and +'advantage the ninth, is in wisdom and knowledge, and that wise men do +play chess; and to those who object that foolish men also play chess, +and, though constantly engaged in it, become no wiser, it may be +answered, that the distinction between wise and foolish men in playing +chess, is as that of man and beast in eating of the tree--that the man +chooses its ripe and sweet fruit, while the beast eats but the leaves +and branches, and the unripe and bitter fruit; and so it is with +players at chess--the wise man plays for those virtues and advantages +which have been already mentioned, and the foolish man plays it but +for mere sport and gambling, and regards not its advantages and +virtues. This is the condition of the wise man and foolish man in +playing chess.' From this it seems a descent to the tenth advantage, +which is, that chess combines war with sport; and pleasant allegories +are made subservient to the inculcation of sound truths and important +principles. + +Next comes an explanation of the mode in which Great Chess was played, +with the nature and value of the various moves. Among the hard +technicalities with which it abounds, the writer takes occasion to +condemn the practice of giving a different value to the piece which +may have reached the end of the board; 'for,' as he says, 'what is +more natural or just than that men should occupy the station of their +predecessors, and that the son of a king should become a king, and a +general's son attain the rank of a general.' An instance of rigid +caste-law carried into a harmless recreation. + +In another manuscript, chess is shewn to have something to do with a +man's fortunes: he who could watch a game without speaking, was held +to be discreet, and qualified for a government office. And conquerors +are enjoined not to boast of their success; not to say, even if such +be the case, that they have won all the games, but that they have 'won +some.' Exemplary virtue is not, however, claimed for chess-players, as +in the former instance, for some are said to be continually 'swearing +false oaths, and making many vain excuses;' and again, 'You never see +a chess-player rich, who is not a sordid miser, nor hear a squabbling +that is not a question of the chess-board.' On the other hand, there +were 'rules of politeness in chess,' which it behoved all persons to +follow:--'He who is lowest in rank is to spread the board, and pour +out the men on it, and then wait patiently till his superior has made +his choice; then he who is inferior may take his own men, and place +all of them except the king, and when the senior in rank has placed +his own king, he may also place his opposite to it.' During the game, +'all foolish talk and ribaldry' is to be avoided, and onlookers are +'to keep silence, and to abstain from remarks and advice to the +players;' and an inferior, when playing with a superior, is enjoined +to exert his utmost skill, and not 'underplay himself that his senior +may win'--an observation which what is called the 'flunkey class' +might remember with advantage. And further, chess is not to be played +'when the mind is engaged with other objects, nor when the stomach is +full after a meal, neither when overcome by hunger, nor on the day of +taking a bath; nor, in general, while suffering under any pain, bodily +or mental.' + +Chess-playing without looking at the board, now taught by professors, +and supposed to be a comparatively modern art, was, as we have seen +above, known and practised many centuries ago; and among the +instructions last quoted are those for playing the 'blindfold-game.' +The player is 'to picture to himself the board as divided first into +two opposite sides, and then each side into halves, those of the king +and the queen, so that when his naib, or deputy, announces that 'such +a knight has been played to the second of the queen's rook,' or 'the +queen to the king's bishop's third,' he may immediately understand its +effect on the position of the game. This mode of playing, however, is +not recommended to those who do not possess a powerful memory, with +great reflection and perseverance, 'without which no man can play +blindfold.' These, with other instructions, are followed by the +author's remark, 'that some have arrived to such a degree of +perfection as to have played blindfold at four or five boards at a +time, nor to have made a mistake in any of the games, and to have +recited poetry during the match;' and he adds: 'I have seen it written +in a book, that a certain person played in this manner at ten boards +at once, and gained all the games, and even corrected his adversaries +when a mistake was made.' + +Besides their conventional value, the pieces had a money value, which +was essential to be known by all who desired to win. The rook and +knight were estimated at about sixpence each; the queen, threepence; +the pawns, three-halfpence; and the 'side-pawns,' three farthings. The +value of bishops varied, while the king was beyond all price. The +regulations respecting odds were also well defined, in degrees from a +single pawn up to a knight and rook; but any one claiming the latter +odds was held not 'to count as a chess-player.' And it was not unusual +for works on chess to contain puzzling problems, representations of +drawn games, and well-combined positions. Some authors describe five +different kinds of chess: one had 10 x 10, or 100 squares; another was +oblong, 16 x 4, which employed dice as well as the usual pieces; +another board was circular, with a central spot for the king, where he +could intrench himself in safety; another represented the zodiac, with +spaces for each planet, according to the number of houses or mansions +assigned by astrologers. The ingenuity did not end here: chess was +made to illustrate dreams, and to embellish many amusing games and +recreations. Odes and poems were written upon it, and the poets at +times exhibited their skill in a play upon words--for instance: + + 'When my beloved learnt the chess-play of cruelty, + In the very beginning of the game her sweet cheek + (rukh) took my heart captive.' + +It served also to point riddles, some of which exhibit remarkable +ingenuity, as shewn by the following example, where the name of +Mohammed is enigmatically embodied. It is thus rendered: + + 'The vow of Moses twice repeat; + The principles of life and heat; + The squares of chess, in order due, + Must take their place between these two; + When thus arranged, a name appears, + Which every Muslim heart reveres.' + +The solution, as given by a reverend ulema of Constantinople to a +learned German who could not solve the mystery, is: 'Take the "vow of +Moses," which is 40; double it, and it becomes 80, equivalent to the +two Mims in the name Muhammed. Place under these the bases of the +temperaments--that is, the elements--which are four (the power of the +letter D); then take the number of the houses (or squares) of chess, +which are eight in a row, and place it (8 being equal to the letter H) +between the two Ms, and you have the name of the prophet, Muhammed +(MHMD.') + +'It has been necessary,' observes Mr Bland, 'to turn the Arabic +commentary a little, in order to make the solution more intelligible +to those unacquainted with the trick of Eastern riddles. Some further +explanation is also required to illustrate the solution itself. +The vow of Moses refers to his forty days' fast; the four +temperaments--the bile, the atrabile, phlegm, and blood--are +represented in the Arabian system of physics by the four elements, +which are considered to be connected with them; the figures refer to +the numerical power of the _abjad_, or alphabet; and the enigma itself +has been attributed, though on uncertain grounds, to Ali, the +son-in-law of the prophet.' + + + + +'THE SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT.' + + +Under this title has lately been produced a novelty in our literature, +the memoirs of an eminent commercial man.[2] Samuel Budgett died in +May 1851, at the age of fifty-seven. Though starting in life without +capital or credit, he had, by the sheer exercise of his own innate +qualities, risen to the head of one of the most colossal _concerns_ in +England. Had he been merely a clever bargainer, and a skilful +organiser of business arrangements, there might have been some value +in his memoirs, as a guidance to young mercantile aspirants; but +Budgett was something more than all this, and his biography serves the +far higher purpose of shewing how a man may be at once a most adroit +merchandiser, and a man of liberal practice, and a true lover of his +kind. Let it not be supposed that he was a _soft_ man, who had +prospered through some lucky accident. He really was a thorough-paced +follower of the maxim which recommends buying in the cheapest and +selling in the dearest market: he was reputed as _keen_ in business. +But he was also kind-hearted and high-principled, and it is this union +of remarkable qualities which gives his memoirs their best value. + +Mr Budgett was a general provision-merchant at Bristol, with also a +large warehouse at Kingswood Hill, where his private residence was. +His biographer presents him as he came daily into town to attend to +business. 'You might have often seen driving into Bristol, a man under +the middle size, verging towards sixty, wrapped up in a coat of deep +olive, with gray hair, an open countenance, a quick brown eye, and an +air less expressive of polish than of push. He drives a phaeton, with +a first-rate horse, at full speed. He looks as if he had work to do, +and had the art of doing it. On the way, he overtakes a woman carrying +a bundle. In an instant, the horse is reined up by her side, and a +voice of contagious promptitude tells her to put up her bundle and +mount. The voice communicates to the astonished pedestrian its own +energy. She is forthwith seated, and away dashes the phaeton. In a few +minutes, the stranger is deposited in Bristol, with the present of +some pretty little book, and the phaeton hastes on to Nelson Street. +There it turns into the archway of an immense warehouse. "Here, boy; +take my horse, take my horse!" It is the voice of the head of the +firm. The boy flies. The master passes through the offices as if he +had three days' work to do. Yet his eye notes everything. He reaches +his private office. He takes from his pocket a memorandum-book, on +which he has set down, in order, the duties of the day. A boy waits at +the door. He glances at his book, and orders the boy to call a clerk. +The clerk is there promptly, and receives his instructions in a +moment. "Now, what is the next thing?" asks the master, glancing at +his memorandum. Again the boy is on the wing, and another clerk +appears. He is soon dismissed. "Now, what is the next thing?" again +looking at the memorandum. At the call of the messenger, a young man +now approaches the office door. He is a "traveller;" but +notwithstanding the habitual push and self-possession of his class, he +evidently is approaching his employer with reluctance and +embarrassment. He almost pauses at the entrance. And now that he is +face to face with the strict man of business, he feels much confused. + +"Well, what's the matter? I understand you can't make your cash quite +right." + +"No, sir." + +"How much are you short?" + +"Eight pounds, sir." + +"Never mind; I am quite sure you have done what is right and +honourable. It is some mistake; and you won't let it happen again. +Take this and make your account straight." + +'The young man takes the proffered paper. He sees an order for ten +pounds; and retires as full of admiration as he had approached full of +anxiety. + +"Now, what is the next thing?" This time a porter is summoned. He +comes forward as if he expected rebuke. "Oh! I have got such a +complaint reported against you. You know that will never do. You must +not let that occur again." + +'Thus, with incredible dispatch, matter after matter is settled, and +all who leave that office go to their work as if some one had oiled +all their joints. + +'At another time, you find the master passing through the warehouse. +Here, his quick glance descries a man who is moving drowsily, and he +says a sharp word that makes him, in a moment, nimble. There, he sees +another blundering at his work. He had no idea that the master's eye +was upon him, till he finds himself suddenly supplanted at the job. In +a trice, it is done; and his master leaves him to digest the +stimulant. Now, a man comes up to tell him of some plan he has in his +mind, for improving something in his own department of the business. +"Yes, thank you, that's a good idea;" and putting half-a-crown into +his hand, he passes on. In another place he finds a man idling. You +can soon see, that of all spectacles this is the one least to his +mind. "If you waste five minutes, that is not much; but probably if +you waste five minutes yourself, you lead some one else to waste five +minutes, and that makes ten. If a third follow your example, that +makes a quarter of an hour. Now, there are about a hundred and eighty +of us here; and if every one wasted five minutes in a day, what would +it come to? Let me see. Why, it would be fifteen hours; and fifteen +hours a day would be ninety hours--about eight days, working-time, in +a week; and in a year, would be four hundred days. Do you think we +could ever stand waste like that?" The poor loiterer is utterly +confounded. He had no idea of eating up fifteen hours, much less four +hundred days, of his good employer's time; and he never saw before how +fast five minutes could be multiplied.' + +Mr Budgett was the son of a worthy couple, not exactly in poor, but in +rather difficult circumstances. He had little school education; but +his mother gave him a good religious training. From his earliest +intelligent years, he loved traffic. His first transaction was getting +a penny for a horse-shoe which he had found. Discovering that for a +half-penny he got six marbles, but for a penny fourteen, he bought +pennyworths and sold them in half-pennyworths to his companions, thus +realising a profit. Meeting an old woman with a basket of cucumbers, +he bought them, and by selling them again, realised ninepence. Truly +in his case the boy was father to the man. But, what was notable in +him, he would give away his accumulated profits all at once, in the +purchase of a hymn-book, or for the relief of some poor person. Even +then, it was not for sordid or selfish ends that he trafficked. In +these early years, his singular tact also came out. 'I remember,' he +said, 'about 1806 or 1807, a young man called on my mother, from Mr +D---- of Shepton, to solicit orders in the grocery trade. His +introduction and mode of treating my mother were narrowly watched by +me, particularly when she asked the price of several articles. On +going in to my father, she remarked, there would be no advantage in +dealing with Mr D----, as she could not see that his prices were any +lower than those she was in the habit of giving. I slipped aside, and +began to think: "Why, that young man might have got my mother's trade, +if he had known how; if, instead of mentioning so many articles, he +had just offered one or two at a lower price than we have been in the +habit of giving, she would have been induced to try those articles; +and thus he would have been introduced, most likely, to her whole +trade: beside, his manner was rather loose, and not of the most modest +and attractive kind." I believe the practical lesson then learned has, +since that, been worth to me thousands of pounds--namely, +Self-interest is the mainspring of human actions: you have only to lay +before persons, in a strong light, that what you propose is to their +own interest, and you will generally accomplish your purpose.' There +are certainly few boys of twelve years who would have caught up such +an idea as this from so common-place a circumstance. + +By the time he was fourteen, he had realised thirty pounds by private +barter. He gave the money to help his parents. When put as apprentice +to an elder brother, a grocer in Kingswood Hill, it might have been +expected that he would speedily distinguish himself; and so he might +have done as far as intellect was concerned; but, unluckily, his +strength was at first inadequate for his duties, and his brother +actually sent him away as hopeless. With great difficulty, he made his +way into another trader's employment, and there he gave entire +satisfaction. His brother, then, reclaimed him, and though offered a +higher salary where he was, he returned to serve out his time. Long +before that period had arrived, he was beginning to soar above retail +business. 'The markets were well watched, every advantage of time or +change turned to account, and his singular power of cheap buying +exerted with all vigour. The trade steadily grew; every now and then +those in their own line were surprised at the sales they were able to +make, and the neighbourhood resounded with the news of the great +bargains to be had at Budgett's. As custom increased, so did envy and +accusation. Many scrupled not to declare, that they sold cheaper than +they bought, and therefore must soon come to an end; yet they went on, +year by year, in steady and rapid increase.... He already seemed to +descry in the distance the possibility of a great wholesale +establishment; but this must be reached by little and little. He would +not attempt what he could not accomplish. Any sudden bound, therefore, +by which he was at once to pass the gulf now separating him from his +object, was not to be thought of. A little at a time; secure what you +have, work it well, make it fruitful, and then push on a little +farther; but never stretch out to anything new till all the old is +perfectly cultivated.' + +The brother, who was fifteen years his senior, and a man of ordinary +character, was borne on by the towering genius of Samuel the +apprentice. 'Among the customers of the shop were numbers of good +women, who came from villages at a few miles' distance, mounted on +donkeys. As the flow of purchasers was great, a crowd of these patient +steeds would often be for a long time about the door, while their +respective mistresses were obtaining goods. In this concourse from a +distance, the quick eye of Samuel discovered the germ of an extended +trade. Why should he not go into their neighbourhood regularly, and +obtain their orders; so securing their custom always, and affording +them accommodation, while he obtained new chances of extension? His +brother was much more inclined to pursue the regular course than to +branch into anything new; and the caution of the one probably acted as +a useful counterbalance to the energy of the other. But Samuel was not +to be held within the shop-walls: he had his plans for erecting a +great business, and no power could restrain him. He soon set forth to +the villages of Doynton and Pucklechurch, and arranged to meet the +good folks at fixed times, in one house or another convenient for +them, and there to receive their orders. He made himself their friend: +he was hearty, familiar, and in earnest; he noticed their children; he +knew their ways; and he rapidly gained their favour, and effected +considerable sales.' + +'This point gained, he began to talk of supplying the smaller shops. +"Why should not we supply them as well as other people?" His brother +shrank from anything that seemed to approach the wholesale. He feared +that they would get beyond their means, and wished to pursue only the +old course. Samuel could wait, but he could not surrender. Supply the +smaller shops he would, and by degrees he managed to accomplish it. +Very gradually, the range of this quasi-wholesale trade extended. +Firmly keeping to his purpose of working all he had got, and going on +little by little, he made no abrupt enterprise--no great dash; but on, +on he plodded in the humblest way, caring nothing for show, but +careful that every foot of ground under him was solid. He gradually +began to make a modest sort of commercial journey; and among tradesmen +to whom he would not venture to offer the higher articles of grocery, +raised a considerable trade in such descriptions of goods as he might +supply without seeming to push into too important a sphere.' + +Having made a lucky purchase of butter, Samuel went amongst traders of +his own kind for orders, and at first met with little but contempt. He +persevered, nevertheless, and in a little time made his way. By little +and little his house, of which he became a partner, acquired a +footing, and began to be talked of as a kind of prodigy for a village. +The leading principle followed, was to do business entirely by +ready-money, in buying as in selling. A wonder may be felt how Mr +Budgett contrived, with no advantage of capital at starting, to act +upon this rule. The plan is simple, and may be easily followed. Let +the transactions be in a proper proportion to the means. It looks a +slow plan; but, in reality, by securing an exemption from pecuniary +embarrassment, it allows a business, other circumstances being equal, +to go on faster than might otherwise be the case. Mr Budgett could +accept small profits on his ready-money transactions, and by their +frequency, outstrip heavier-pursed but also heavier-minded men. + +The leading maxims of Samuel Budgett in business were--_Tact_, _Push_, +and _Principle_. In the two former, he was a great genius, and much he +no doubt was indebted to them. Yet we are inclined to think that +Principle had the chief hand in his success. He was entirely a just +man. He would rebuke a young salesman more severely for a slight +inequality in his weighing-scales against the public, than for a +neglect of his duty. It was a custom of grocers to mix up pepper with +an article called P.D. Mr Budgett long kept a cask of P.D.; but at +length, reflecting seriously on it one evening, he went to the shop, +re-opened it, took out the hypocritical cask to a neighbouring quarry, +and there staved it, scattering the P.D. amongst the clods, and slags, +and stones; after which he returned with a light heart to bed. There +was also a benevolence at the bottom of all Mr Budgett's proceedings +as a man of business. It appeared strongly in his relations to his +subalterns and working-people. Though a strict disciplinarian, and not +to be imposed upon in anything, he was so humane and liberal towards +all around him, that they served him as much from love as duty. He has +discharged men for misconduct or disloyalty, and afterwards pensioned +their families till they got other employment. His liberality in +supporting charitable institutions, and relieving private cases of +distress, knew hardly any bounds; but, at a fair computation, it has +been estimated at about L.2000 a year. + +Observing one of his men looking for some time very melancholy, he +called him up, and inquired into the cause. 'The sickness of his wife +had entangled him in debt; he could not eat, he could not sleep; his +life was a misery to him, and he had exclaimed with a pathos that sunk +deep into my dear relative's tender heart: "Master, I am in debt; +every time I go near the river, something bids me fling myself into +it, telling me there's water enough to rid me of all my troubles; and +that if I don't, I shall be sent into the prison there for debt!" + +'Deeply affected, he inquired of the poor man the names of his +creditors, the amount of their respective claims, and the peculiar +circumstances which had led to the contraction of each liability. +Having ascertained these particulars, and perfectly satisfied himself +that the man had not forgotten the precept of the society of which he +was a member--"Not to contract debt without at least a reasonable +prospect of discharging it"--he asked him whether freedom from these +liabilities would restore to him peace of mind. The question was +answered by a sort of sickly smile, which seemed to indicate a perfect +despair of such a consummation. "Well, come," said the master, "I +don't think things are quite so bad, ----, as they appear to be to +you. See here, my poor fellow, you owe ---- pounds: it's a very large +sum for a man like you, to be sure; and if you had run into debt to +anything like this amount through extravagance, or even +thoughtlessness, I should have regarded it as an act of dishonesty on +your part, and I _might_ have felt it right to discharge you. But you +are to be pitied, and not to be blamed. Cold pity alone goes for +nothing, so let us see how you can be helped out of your troubles. +Now, do you think your creditors, considering all the circumstances, +would take one-half, and be satisfied? Here's Dr Edwards--his bill is +the heaviest; if we can get him to take one-half"---- + +"One-half, master!" exclaimed the poor man, "but if they _would_ take +half, where's the money to come from? I 'arn't got a shilling in the +world but what's coming to me Friday night; and when I take my wages +now, I 'arn't any pleasure in looking at the money, because it 'arn't +my own; it should go to pay my debts, and I'm obliged to use it to buy +victuals. I think in my heart I shall ne'er be happy again." + +'Still more sensibly affected by the poor man's manner the longer the +interview lasted, my kind-hearted relative begged him not to distress +himself any more; he said that a Friend of his had given him a sum +that was quite equal to one-half his debts, bade him return to his +work, order a horse to be put into harness as he passed through the +yard, and brought round in ten minutes; and told him to be sure to +make himself as happy as he could till he saw him again. He +immediately drove round to every creditor the poor man had, compounded +with them for their respective claims, and obtained their receipts in +full discharge. On his return, the poor man's stare of bewilderment +was indescribable. He watched his master unfold the receipts one by +one without uttering a syllable; and when they were put into his hand, +he clutched them with a sort of convulsive grasp, but still not a word +escaped him. At length he exclaimed: "But, master, where's the money +come from?" + +"Never do you mind that, ----," was the reply; "go home, and tell your +wife you are out of debt; you are an independent man. I only hope the +creditors have felt something of the satisfaction in forgiving you +one-half your debt to them, that we know God feels in forgiving our +debts to him for Christ's sake: I have said that much to all of them." + +'But the puzzling question had not yet been answered, and again it was +put: "But, master, where's the money come from?" + +"Well, well, I told you a FRIEND had given it to me for you. _You_ +know that Friend as well as I do. There now, you may leave your work +for to-day: go home to your wife, and thank that Friend together for +making you an independent man. But stay, ----, I had almost forgotten +one thing. I called to see Mr P---- as I drove through Stoke's Croft; +I told him the errand that had carried me away from home all day, and +he gave me a sovereign for you to begin the world with." + +'The poor fellow was too much affected to say anything more. The next +morning, however, he appeared again, but after a most complete failure +in a valorous attempt he made to express his thanks, he was obliged to +leave the counting-house, stammering out that "both he and his wife +felt their hearts to be as light as a feather."' + +Mr Budgett was, by family connection, a Wesleyan, and at all periods +of his life under a strong sense of religion. He had even acted as a +lay-preacher. It was his custom to have all the people of his +establishment assembled for religious exercises every morning before +proceeding to business. He was active as a Sunday-school teacher, and +assisted with his purse and his own active exertions in every effort +to Christianise the rude people of Kingswood. When he became a +highly-prosperous man, he had a good country-house and a handsome +establishment; but wealth and its refinements never withdrew him from +familiar personal intercourse with his people. Neither did it ever in +the least alienate him from his many humble relations. His conduct, +indeed, in all these respects was admirable, and well entitled him to +be, what he was, the most revered man of his neighbourhood and +kindred. At his death, the expression of mourning was widely spread, +as if the whole population had felt in his loss the loss of a friend. + +The volume which supplies us with these particulars and extracts, is a +very interesting one; yet we could wish to see it abridged of some +portion of the long episodes, in the style of pulpit discourses, with +which the author has thought proper to expand it. If properly +condensed, and the details of the life presented given perhaps in +somewhat better order, so as to explain more clearly the steps of Mr +Budgett's rise as a merchant, the work might become a _vade-mecum_ for +the young man of business, exhibiting to him a model of character and +conduct such as could not but exercise a good influence over his +future career. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[2] _The Successful Merchant_: Sketches of the Life of Mr Samuel +Budgett, late of Kingswood Hill. By William Arthur, A.M. Hamilton, +Adams, & Co. London: 1852. + + + + +PET BIRDS OF INDIA. + + +It is said, that when women addict themselves to vice of any kind, +they carry it to extravagance, and become far worse than bad men. In +like manner, when the natural softness and amiability of the Hindoo +character yield to the temptations of luxury and dominion, the +individual grows into a tyrant as cruel and odious as any of those +depicted in history. This apparent discrepancy has given rise to many +speculative mistakes; but, in our opinion, it is as certain that the +mass of the Hindoos are gentle and kindly in their nature, as it is +that the mass of women are so. It is a curious thing to see the +gallant sepoy on a march, attended by his pet lambs, with necklaces of +ribbons and white shells, and ears and feet dyed of an orange colour. +But even wild creatures are at home with the kindly Hindoo. Fluttering +among the peasants threshing corn in a field, are flocks of wild +peacocks, gleaning their breakfast; and in the neighbourhood of a +village, a traveller can hardly distinguish between the tame and wild +ducks, partridges, and peacocks. 'There is a fine date-tree,' says a +recent writer, 'overhanging a kind of school, at the end of one of the +streets in the town of Jubbulpore, quite covered with the nests of the +baya bird; and they are seen every day, and all day, fluttering about +in scores, while the noisy children at their play fill the street +below, almost within arm's reach of them.' + +Almost all the natives of India are fond of rearing pet birds; and +the pet is, more frequently than otherwise, a parrot, which is prized +for its conversation. The same taste prevailed, we are told, in the +fifteenth century, in the city of Paris, where talking-birds were hung +out almost at every window. The authority says, that this was attended +with rather an awkward result. 'Leading the public life they did, in +which they were exposed to every sort of society, the natural morality +of the birds was so far lost, that they had become fluent in every +term of reproach and indecency; and thunders of applause were elicited +among the crowd of passengers by the aptness of their repartees.' In +India, the taste is the same, but the habits different; a sketch of +which we furnish from our Old Indian. The carpenter, she tells us, +while planing the plank, which he holds between his toes, amuses +himself by talking to his parrot. The shoemaker, while binding his +slippers, or embroidering his rich velvet shoes, for the feet of some +sable beauty, pauses every now and then, to listen to the chattering +of his pet. The _guala_, on returning home, after disposing of his +butter or buttermilk, first takes up some bamboo twigs, one of which +is appropriated to each customer, and marking, by a notch with a +knife, the quantity disbursed to each, turns, as a matter of course, +to his favourite parrot, and either listens to the recital of his +previous lessons, or begins to teach him some fresh invocation to some +score of gods and goddesses. These men seldom condescend to teach +their favourites anything else; but should a lady be the owner, the +parrot's lessons are more varied, and more domestic in their +character. He is taught to call his mistress 'mother,' and himself +'Baba mittoo' (sweet child.) He is sometimes instructed to rail at her +neighbours, and sometimes to scold the children; and thus she lives in +sweet companionship with her bird, feeding him with steeped grain, +rice and milk, sugar-cane and Indian corn. Of the two last he is +exceedingly fond. + +India abounds in a variety of parrots and perroquets, the names of +many of which I have forgotten; but the generic name is _Tota_. The +more common are the _kudjlah_, _teeah_, and _pahari_. These learn to +speak glibly, being generally taken out of the nest before they are +fully fledged. Crutches of various kinds are selected for the poor +captive, the most ingenious of which is made of a single joint of +bamboo, the two ends being formed into cups--the middle part being +cut, and then bent and arched over the fire; the perch being formed of +a straight piece of bamboo, which joins the two cups below. A hook +fastened to the top of the arch enables the owner to suspend it from +the thatched ceiling of his hut; and thus the parrot swings about, +listening to his master's pious ejaculations. At dusk, many of these +men may be seen parading through the bazaar, with their pets in their +hands, the latter loudly vociferating that Brahma is the greatest of +gods, or that Krishna and Radha were a loving couple; and so on. I +have often been amused at this mode of displaying religious zeal and +pious adoration. + +Should you penetrate into the more crowded parts of the bazaar, you +might happen to see the taste of the bird-fancier displayed after a +different, but, I am happy to say, exceptional fashion. A shop may +sometimes be found having a square space enclosed with a railing, with +a divan in the middle, for the accommodation of the master and his +visitors. On this railing a number of birds are perched, many of them +little tame bulbuls; these are detained by a ligature, passing over +the shoulders of the bird, and tied under the breast, leaving his +wings and legs free. The bulbul, though not the bird known by that +name in Persia, is a pretty songster; but he is as desperate a fighter +as a gamecock. Those, therefore, who delight in cruel sports, bring +their little pets to these shops, where no doubt birds of the best +mettle are to be found; and on the result of a battle, money and +sweetmeats are lost and won, while many a poor little bird falls a +sacrifice to its master's depraved taste. The tiny _amadavad_, with +his glowing carmine neck, and distinct little pearly spots, may also +occasionally be seen doing battle; he fights desperately, though he +also warbles the sweetest of songs. + +The affluent Hindoo Baboo or Mohammedan Nawab, among other luxuries, +keeps also his aviary. In these may be seen rare and expensive +parrots, brought from the Spice Islands. They delight also in _diyuls_ +and _shamahs_. The latter is a smaller bird than our thrush, but +larger than a lark; his breast is orange, the rest of his plumage +black, and in song he is equal to our black-bird. The diyul also sings +sweetly; he is about the same size as the shamah, his plumage black, +with a white breast, and white tips to his wings. A well-trained bird +of either kind sells for about ten rupees, and twenty will be given +for a cuckoo from the Nepaul hills. A Baboo whom I knew had several +servants to look after his aviary, one of whom had to go daily in +search of white ants and ants' eggs for his insectivorous charge; for +the shamah and diyul are both insect-eaters. + +Some of the _Minas_ (Gracula), of which there are several kinds in +India, articulate as distinctly, and are as imitative, as the parrots. +One of these birds was once brought as a present to my little girl. +The donor took his leave, assuring us that the bird was a great +speaker, and imitated a variety of sounds. This I found to be too +true, for I was awakened by him next morning at dawn of day. He had +evidently been bred in the neighbourhood of the hospital, and also +initiated into the mysteries of the parade. He coughed like a +consumptive patient, groaned like one in agony, and moaned as if in +the last extremity. Then he would call a 'halt!' and imitate the +jingling of the ramrods in the muskets so exactly, that I marvelled +how his little throat could go through so many modulations. I was soon +obliged to banish him to a distance from the sleeping-apartments, for +some of his utterances were anything but suggestive of soothing or +pleasurable sensations. + +The hill mina, a mountaineer by birth, seldom lives long in +confinement in lowland districts. After having endeared himself to his +master and his family by his conversational powers and imitative +qualities, he is not unfrequently cut off suddenly by a fit, and +sometimes expires while feasting on his bread and milk or +pea-meal-paste, or perhaps when he has only a few minutes before been +calling out loudly his master's name or those of the children. The +hill mina is a handsome bird, a size larger than our black-bird; he is +of one uniform colour--a glossy black, like the smoothest Genoa +velvet, harmonising beautifully with the bright yellow circle of skin +round his eyes, his yellow beak and yellow legs. + +The grackle or salik, which is a great favourite in the Isle of +France, has been correctly enough described in _Partington's +Cyclopaedia_. It is a gregarious bird, greatly enlivening the aspect of +the grassy meadows at sunset, when his comrades assemble in large +flocks, and having picked up their last meal of grubs and +grasshoppers, resort for shelter to a neighbouring avenue, where they +roost for the night. The grackle is a tame and familiar bird, and will +sometimes build its nest close to the habitation of man. I have seen +one on the top of a pillar, under the shelter of a veranda; and +occasionally an earthen-pot is placed for its accommodation in the +fork of a neighbouring tree. Though their brood may be constantly +removed, they will return, year after year, to the same nest, +expressing, however, their discontent and distress when robbed, by +keeping up for some days a loud and querulous chattering. + +Those who dwell on the banks of the Ganges may sometimes see, during +the rainy season, a large boat floating past, having a raised cabin, +like a Bengalee hut, constructed of mat and straw. From the +multiplicity of cages inside and outside, it may be gathered that here +are fresh supplies for the bird-fancier--captives from the hills of +Rajmahal and Moryheer. The constant fluttering among the inmates of +the crowded cages, and their mournful and discordant notes, indicate +that they are anything but a happy family--that they have been only +recently caught, and are not yet habituated to confinement. They are +soon, however, disposed of at the different stations or towns at which +the boat anchors, and become in due time the solitary and apparently +happy pets I have already described. + +I need only add, that there is no lack of pretty little bird-cages in +the Far East, constructed very tastefully by the neat-handed natives, +and sold for two or three annas. + + + + +JUVENILE ENERGY. + + +In December 1807, W.H. Maynard, Esq., was teaching a school for a +quarter in the town of Plainfield, Massachusetts. One cold, blustering +morning, on entering his schoolroom, he observed a lad he had not seen +before, sitting on one of the benches. The lad soon made known his +errand to Mr Maynard. He was fifteen years old; his parents lived +seven miles distant; he wanted an education, and had come from home on +foot that morning, to see if Mr Maynard could help him to contrive how +to obtain it. Mr Maynard asked him if he was acquainted with any one +in the place. 'No.' 'Do your parents know any one here?' 'No.' 'Can +your parents help you towards obtaining an education?' 'No.' 'Have you +any friends that can give you assistance!' 'No.' 'Well, how do you +expect to obtain an education?' 'I don't know, but I thought I would +come and see you.' Mr Maynard told him to stay that day, and he would +see what could be done. He discovered that the boy was possessed of +good sense, but no uncommon brilliancy; and he was particularly struck +with the cool and resolute manner in which he undertook to conquer +difficulties which would have intimidated common minds. In the course +of the day, Mr Maynard made provision for having him boarded through +the winter in the family with himself, the lad paying for his board by +his services out of school. He gave himself diligently to study, in +which he made good but not rapid proficiency, improving every +opportunity of reading and conversation for acquiring knowledge: and +thus spent the winter. When Mr Maynard left the place in the spring, +he engaged a minister, who had resided about four miles from the boy's +father, to hear his recitations; and the boy accordingly boarded at +home and pursued his studies. It is unnecessary to pursue the +narrative further. Mr Maynard never saw the lad afterwards. But this +was the early history of the Rev. Jonas King, D.D., whose exertions in +the cause of Oriental learning, and in alleviating the miseries of +Greece, have endeared him alike to the scholar and the philanthropist, +and shed a bright ray of glory on his native country. + + + + +LITERARY CIRCLES OF LONDON. + + +The society of the literary world of London is conducted after this +wise:--There are certain persons, for the most part authors, editors, +or artists, but with the addition of a few who can only pride +themselves upon being the patrons of literature and art--who hold +periodical assemblies of the notables. Some appoint a certain evening +in every week during the season, a general invitation to which is +given to the favoured; others are monthly; and others, again, at no +regular intervals. At these gatherings, the amusements are +conversation and music only, and the entertainment is unostentatious +and inexpensive, consisting of tea and coffee, wine or negus handed +about in the course of the evening, and sandwiches, cake, and wine at +eleven o'clock. Suppers are prohibited by common consent, for +costliness would speedily put an end to society too agreeable to be +sacrificed to fashion. The company meets usually between eight and +nine, and always parts at midnight.--_The Critic_. + + + + +THE SKY-LARK'S SONG. + + + It comes down from the clouds to me, + On this sweet day of spring; + Methinks it is a melody + That angel-lips might sing. + + Thou soaring minstrel! winged bard! + Whose path is the free air, + Whose song makes sunshine seem more bright, + And this fair world more fair! + + I ask not what the strain may be, + Thus chanted at 'Heaven's gate'-- + A hymn of praise, a lay of joy, + Or love-song to thy mate. + + Vain were such idle questioning! + And 'tis enough for me + To feel thou singest still the notes + Which God gave unto thee. + + Thence comes the glory of thy song, + And therefore doth it fall, + As falls the radiance of a star, + Gladdening and blessing all! + + Oh! wondrous are the living lays + That human lips have breathed, + And deep the music men have won + From lyres with laurel wreathed: + + But there's a spell on lip and lyre, + Sweet though their tones may be-- + Some jarring note, some tuneless string, + Aye mars the melody. + + The strings sleep 'neath too weak a touch, + Or break, 'neath one too strong; + Or we forget the master-chord + That should rule all our song. + + When shall our spirit learn again + The lay once to it given? + When shall we rise, like thee, sweet bird! + And, singing, soar to heaven? + + FANNY FARMER. + + + + +DOG-SELLING EXTRAORDINARY. + + +Two ladies, friends of a near relative of my own, from whom I received +an account of the circumstance, were walking in Regent Street, and +were accosted by a man who requested them to buy a beautiful little +dog, covered with long, white hair, which he carried in his arms. Such +things are not uncommon in that part of London, and the ladies passed +on without heeding him. He followed, and repeated his entreaties, +stating, that as it was the last he had to sell, they should have it +at a reasonable price. They looked at the animal; it was really an +exquisite little creature, and they were at last persuaded. The man +took it home for them, received his money, and left the dog in the +arms of one of the ladies. A short time elapsed, and the dog, which +had been very quiet, in spite of a restless, bright eye, began to shew +symptoms of uneasiness, and as he ran about the room, exhibited some +unusual movements, which rather alarmed the fair purchasers. At last, +to their great dismay, the new dog ran squeaking up one of the window +curtains, so that when the gentleman returned home a few minutes +after, he found the ladies in consternation, and right glad to have +his assistance. He vigorously seized the animal, took out his +penknife, cut off its covering, and displayed _a large rat_ to their +astonished eyes, and of course to its own destruction.--_Mrs Lee's +Anecdotes of Animals_. + + * * * * * + +Printed and Published by W. and R. CHAMBERS, High Street, Edinburgh. +Also sold by W.S. ORR, Amen Corner, London; D.N. CHAMBERS, 55 West +Nile Street, Glasgow; and J. M'GLASHAN, 50 Upper Sackville Street, +Dublin.--Advertisements for Monthly Parts are requested to be sent to +MAXWELL & Co., 31 Nicholas Lane, Lombard Street, London, to whom all +applications respecting their insertion must be made. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 429, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBERS'S EDINBURGH *** + +***** This file should be named 17303.txt or 17303.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/3/0/17303/ + +Produced by Malcolm Farmer, Richard J. 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