Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

and Stewart; Campbell-(cheers)- whose | and the walls may be new, the spirit of the coffin was lately borne to a grave in that re- institution will, I hope, be still the same. nowned transept which contains the dust of My successor will, I hope, be able to boast Chaucer, of Spencer, and of Dryden; Black, that the fifth century of the university has whose discoveries form an era in the history been even more glorious than the fourth. of chemical science; Adam Smith, the great- He will be able to vindicate that boast by est of all the masters of political science; citing a long list of eminent men, great masJames Watt, who perhaps did more than any ters of experimental science, of ancient learnsingle man has done since the "New Atlan- ing, of our native eloquence, ornaments of tis" of Bacon was written, to accomplish the senate, the pulpit, and the bar. He will, that glorious prophesy. We now speak the I hope, mention with high honor some of my language of humility when we say that the young friends who now hear me; and he University of Glasgow need not fear a com-will, I also hope, be able to add that their parison with the University of Bologna.

"Another secular period is now about to commence. There is no lack of alarmists, who will tell you that it is about to commence under evil auspices. But from me you must expect no such gloomy prognostications. I am too much used to them to be scared by them. Ever since I began to make observations on the state of my country, I have been seeing nothing but growth, and I have been hearing of nothing but decay. The more I contemplate our noble institutions, the more convinced I am that they are sound at heart-that they have nothing of age but its dignity, and that their strength is still the strength of youth. The hurricane which has recently overthrown so much that was great and that seemed durable, has only proved their solidity. They still stand, august and immovable, while dynasties and churches are lying in heaps of ruin all around us. I see no reason to doubt that, by the blessing of God on a wise and temperate policy, a policy of which the principle is to preserve what is good by reforming what is evil, our civil institutions may be preserved unimpaired to a late posterity, and that, under the shade of our civil institutions, our academical institutions may long continue to flourish. I trust, therefore, that when a hundred years more have run out, this ancient college will still continue to deserve well of our country and of mankind. I trust that the installation of 1949 will be attended by a still greater assembly of students than I have the happiness now to see before me. That assemblage, indeed, may not meet in the place where we have met. These venerable halls may have disappeared. My successor may speak to your successors in a more stately edifice, in an edifice which, even among the magnificent buildings of the future Glasgow, will still be admired as a fine specimen of the architecture which flourished in the days of the good Queen Victoria. (Cheers.) But though the site

talents and learning were not wasted on selfish or ignoble objects, but were employed to promote the physical and moral good of their species, to extend the empire of man over the material world, to defend the cause of civil and religious liberty against tyrants and bigots, and to defend the cause of virtue and order against the enemies of all divine and human laws. (Cheers.) I have now given utterance to a part, and a part only, of the recollections and anticipations of which on this solemn occasion my mind is full. I again thank you for the honor you have bestowed on me, and I assure you that while I live I shall never cease to take a deep interest in the welfare and fame of the body with which, by your kindness, I have this day become connected."

MACAULAY'S RETIREMENT FROM POLITICAL

LIFE.

Mr. Macaulay has proclaimed his intention of withdrawing from political life. The occasion of his making this announcement was presented by the tender of the freedom of the city from the citizens of Glasgow, on the 22d of last month.

After the usual complimentary speeches had been made, and the necessary formalities had been complied with, Mr. Macaulay presented himself to the people, by whom he was received amidst the most enthusiastic applause and the waving of handkerchiefs, which lasted several minutes.

The speaker then proceeded:

"I thank you, my Lord Provost-gentlemen, I thank you from my heart for this great honor. I may, I hope, extend my thanks further-extend them to that constituent body, of which I believe you are, upon this occasion, the expositors-and which has received me here in a manner which has made an impression never to be effaced from my mind." Alluding to the box containing the document, veryifying his admission as a free

man, he continued: "This box, my lord, I shall prize as long as I live, and when I am gone, it will be appreciated by those who are dearest to me, as a proof that, in the course of an active and chequered life, both political and literary, I succeeded in gaining the esteem and good will of the people of one of the greatest and most enlightened cities in the British empire. My political life, my lord, has closed. The feelings which contention and rivalry naturally called forth, and from which I do not pretend to have been exempted, have had time to cool down. I can look now upon the events in which I bore a part, as calmly, I think, as on the events of the past century. I can do that justice now to honorable opponents, which perhaps, in moments of conflict, I might have refused to them.

"I believe I can judge as impartially of my own career, as I can judge of the career of another man. I acknowledge great errors and deficiencies, but I have nothing to acknowledge inconsistent with rectitude of intention and independence of spirit. (Great applause.) My conscience bears me this testimony, that I have honestly desired the happiness, the prosperity, and the greatness of my country; that my course, right or wrong, was never determined by any selfish or sordid motive; and that in troubled times, and through many vicissitudes of fortune, in power and out of power, through popularity and unpopularity, I have been faithful to one set of opinions, and to one set of friends. I see no reason to doubt that these friends were well chosen, or that these opinions were in the main correct.

"The path of duty appeared to me to be between two dangerous extremes-extremes which I shall call equally dangerous, seeing that each of them inevitably conducts society to the other. I cannot accuse myself of having ever deviated far towards either. I cannot accuse myself of having ever been untrue, either to the cause of civil and religious liberty, or to the cause of property and law. I reflect with pleasure that I bore a part in some of those reforms which corrected great abuses, and removed just discontents. I reflect with equal pleasure, that I never stooped to the part of a demagogue, and never feared to confront what seemed to me to be an unreasonable clamor. I never in time of distress incited my countrymen to demand of any government, to which I was opposed, miracles-that which I well knew no government could perform; nor did I seek even the redress of grievances, which it was the duty

of a government to redress by any other than strictly peaceful and legal means.

"Such were the principles upon which I acted, and such would have been my principles still. The events which have lately changed the face of Europe, have only confirmed my views of what public duty requires. These events are full of important lessons, both to the governors and the governed; and he learns only half the lesson they ought to teach, who sees in them only a warning against tyranny on the one hand, and anarchy on the other. The great lesson which these events teach us, is that tyranny and anarchy are inseparably connected; that each is the parent, and each is the offspring of the other. The lesson which they teach is this

that old institutions have no more deadly enemy than the bigot who refuses to adjust them to a new state of society; nor do they teach us less clearly this lesson, that the sovereignty of the mob leads by no long or circuitous path to the sovereignty of the sword. (Cheers.) I bless God that my country has escaped both these errors.

"Those statesmen who, eighteen years before, proposed to transfer to this great city, and to cities like this, a political power which but belonged to hamlets which contained only a few scores of inhabitants, or to old walls with no inhabitants at all-those statesmen, and I may include myself among them, were then called anarchists and revolutionists; but let those who so called us, now say whether we are not the true and the farsighted friends of order ?—(Great cheering.) Let those who so called us, now say how would they have wished to encounter the tempest of last spring with the abuses of Old Sarum and Gatton to defend-with Glasgow only represented in name, and Manchester and Leeds not even in name. then were not only the true friends of liberty, but the true friends of order; and in the same manner aided by all the vigorous exertions by which the government (aided by patriotic magistrates and honest men) put down a year ago, those marauders who wished to subvert all society-these exertions, I say, were of inestimable service, not only to the cause of order, but also to the cause of true liberty.

We

"But I am now speaking the sentiments of a private man. I have quitted politicsI quitted them without one feeling of resentment, without one feeling of regret, and betook myself to pursuits for which my temper and my tastes, I believe, fitted me better. I would not willingly believe that in

ceasing to be a politician I relinquish altogether the power of rendering any service to my country. I hope it may still be in my power to teach lessons which may be profitable to those who still remain on the busy stage which I have left. (Hear, hear.) I hope that it may still be in my power so faithfully, without fear or malignity, to represent the merits and faults of hostile sects and factions, as to teach a common lesson of charity to all. I hope it will be in my power to inspire, at least, some of my countrymen with love and reverence for those free and noble institutions to which Britain owes her greatness, and from which, I trust, she is not destined soon to descend. (Great cheering.)

"I shall now, encouraged by your approbation, resume with alacrity a task, under the magnitude and importance of which I have sometimes felt my mind ready to sink. I thank you again, most cordially, for your kindness. I value, as it deserves, the honor of being enrolled in your number. I have seen, with delight and with pride, the extent, the grandeur, the beauty, and the opulence of this noble city-a city which I may now call mine. (Cheering) With every wish for the prosperity, the peace, and the honor of our fair and majestic Glasgow, I now bid you, my kind friends and fellow-citizens, a most respectful farewell."

The honorable gentleman resumed his seat amidst the most enthusiastic plaudits.

THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES.

BY REV. DR. CROLY.

I was in the hand of God;
Borne upon the rushing gale,
On a visioned mount I trod,

Gazing o'er a boundless vale-
Far as eye could glance, 'twas spread
With the remnants of the dead.

Sons of the Captivity,

Prince and peasant, warrior, slave, There lay naked to the sky

"Twas a ruined Nation's grave; Death sat on his loneliest throne In that wilderness of bone.

Morn arose and twilight fell,

Still the bones lay bleached and bare: Midnight brought the panther's yell Bounding through his human lair, Till above the World of Clay Ages seemed to wear away.

On my spirit came a sound

Like the gush of desert springs, Bursting o'er the burning ground

"Prophet of the King of Kings,
Shall not Israel live again?—
Shall not these dry bones be men?"

Then I stood, and prophesied.
"Come together, bone to bone."
Sudden as the stormy tide,

Thick as leaves by tempests strown,
Heaving o'er the mighty vale,
Shook the remnants cold and pale!

Flesh to flesh was clinging now;
There was seen the warrior limb,
There was seen the princely brow-
But the stately eye was dim;
Mailed in steel, or robed in gold,
All was corpse-like, all was cold.

Then the voice was heard once more-
"Prophet, call the winds of Heaven!"
As along the threshing-floor

Chaff before the gale is driven,

At the blast, with shout and clang,
On their feet the myriads sprang!

Flashed to heaven the visioned shield,
Whirlwind-axe, and lightning sword,
Crushing on a bloody field

Syria's chariots, Egypt's horde, Till on Zion's summit shone Israel's Angel-guarded Throne.

Then, the vision swept away,

Thunders rolled o'er Earth and Heaven, Like the thunders of the day

When Earth's pillars shall be riven. Hear I not the rushing wings!

Art Thou coming? King of Kings!

From Hogg's Instructor.

BRIEF NOTES OF A BRIEF JOURNEY.

BY THE REV. GEORGE GILFILLAN.

applaud them with generous enthusiasm. There is less hesitation, less looking round to see what certain judges are thinking or how they are looking; more of instant and eager reception than in Scotland. It is the difference between pouring water through the stroup and through the lid of a kettle. Nor do we deem Scottish praise one whit more valuable when it does come-one clap is generally as good or as bad as another. We have found the same passages tell, and the same fail in telling, upon audiences in Dundee, Perth, Paisley, Glasgow, Liverpool, and London. The difference only was, that in some of those places the effect was swifter and more decided. The good thing, like a stamped letter, is free of the whole kingdom; the bad thing sinks alike in all atmospheres.

ON Tuesday evening, the 12th of Decem- | to be seen, they see them instantly, and ber, 1848, we started from the city of Dundee for London. We had been engaged to deliver a lecture, in behalf of the Early Closing Movement Society, in Exeter Hall, on the evening of the 14th, and to keep this solemn tryste, we hied accordingly. On Wednesday, at ten morning, we found ourselves in the express train for London, and by eleven at night we entered, private as pestilence, that illustrious city. It is an awful and overpowering thing to enter a great city at night, when the hypocrisy of the day is hushed, and when its real voice of sin, sorrow, joy, and desperation, rises to heaven, like the incense of some dark and dreadful sacrifice. Wordsworth has magnified the morning city, "when all that might heart is lying still;" but finer far to us is the throbbing of its wild liberated evening heart, which seems the mitigated voice of the entire universe, and which, of all melodies-not excluding that of the impatient winds, and the deep sombre ocean billowsis at once the mightiest and the most melting-less the voice of London than of London's soul.

The next day was occupied in rest from the fatigues of our journey, and in receiving calls from various respected friends, till came the inexorable hour of eight, when we had to appear in Exeter Hall. We went, certainly without much fear or trembling on the one hand, and without much exulting and bounding hope on the other, entertaining neither the Baptist Noel nor the Macaulay view of its verdict-regarding the voice of its thousands neither as the "bray of asses,' nor as the "vox Dei," but simply as the sound, sincere for the moment, of a vast, motley, mixed collection of all classes, ranks, and intellects, subjected to one fire of impulse, or to one frost of formality or indifference. Without dwelling egotistically on our reception, we may simply say that it was hearty and the audience large. There is a frankness and fullness of response in a London audience. When there are points

[ocr errors]

The object which we pleaded is certainly one of the most important in our age. Its society in London is pushing it with great energy and tact. It owes much, too, to the zeal, urbanity, and activity of the secretary, Mr. J. Lilwall. It has recently adopted the plan of public lectures, to raise, if possible, a fund of £1000 for the promotion of its benevolent object. Several distinguished men are already engaged. We cordially wish its general cause and special plans of prosecuting it all prosperity.

On the day succeeding our lecture, we repaired to the British Museum, where we had been invited by a gentleman connected with it, for the purpose of showing us certain curiosities which are not usually seen by strangers. We saw, besides various private collections of insects, fishes, &c., the original of Magna Charta, the original bull of Pope Leo X., conferring the title of Defensor Fidei on Henry VIII., Luther's German Bible in folio, a magnificent, gold-lettered copy of Magna Charta, &c., and a variety of aged MSS., including a copy of the Epistles of Ignatius, on which Mr. Curaton, one of the officials of the place, has founded of late a formidable attack on Puseyism. The library

at once, through its vastness, overwhelms, and, through the tide of human life which is poured into it, enlivens and encourages us. "The harvest is plenteous," but the multitude of readers convinces us that the laborers are not few.

Hurrying through it, our friend introduced us to honest old Hartwell Horne, whose broad hat, grey locks, and mild inquisitive visage seemed to constitute him the genius of the place. Peace to him, his noble motives, his heavy compilations, and his harmless vanity! He is one of the most agreeable and worthy of that race of bookworms, who form a pleasing dream amid the great encompassing drama of human life, of which, and its progress, change, and restless speculation, they know little more than do the boards of their shelves.

and is thoroughly able to understand the famous punning letters in the "Correspondence," he was, we think, bound in gratitude to have contributed his crown and his name to the object. No matter, "Expostulation" and the "Task" shall be read after "Pickwick" and "Dombey" are forgotten. Dickens is but a "cricket on the hearth;" Cowper was an eagle of God: and not Westminster Abbey itself, but the world, is, and shall be, a fitting monument to his memory. Dickens has tickled fancies; Cowper has saved souls. Even in humor and geniality, qualities undoubtedly possessed by Dickens, we regard Cowper as quite his match. In learning, genius, earnestness, and strength, there is of course no comparison. Should any of our readers wish to know more of, or to contribute to this truly national object, Mr. Adam White, British Museum, Bloomsbury, London, will supply all needful information.

The next day nothing remarkable occurred. On Sabbath (we hate the English nickname, Sunday, worse far than Tully for the full round Cicero,) the 17th, we set out in what proved a hopeless chase after Henry Mel

We now saw perhaps the greatest curiosity in the place. It was a letter of Charles Dickens's," by which hangs" the following tale Mr. Adam White, of the Museum (in the insect department), has for some time past busied himself in organizing a subscription for the erection of a monument to Cowper, in Westminster Abbey. He restricts subscriptions to five shillings as the max-ville, who, we understood, was to preach imum. Among many others, Wordsworth has warmly patronized the scheme, and written some noble letters on the subject, which we saw. Mr. Dickens was applied to. His reply stated, first, that he could not subscribe, because there were poets superior to Cowper excluded from the abbey.; and, secondly, because the abbey was not free to the public. Now, in the first place, Poet's Corner, where, of course, the monument would be erected, is free to the public. But, secondly, would Mr. Dickens refresh our memories as to what omitted poets or prose writers are superior to Cowper? Who are these great unknowns? Byron alone we look upon as Cowper's peer. But Byron's exclusion is justified, not only by his gross personal licentiousness, but by the misanthropy of his spirit, and the systematic attempt he made to overthrow the morality and religion of his country. Fitter he for the fiery tombs of Dante's "Inferno," than for the society of the meek and mighty dead in Westminster Abbey. It was a mere and contemptible evasion this on the part of Master Dickens. In fact, we much doubt if he be capable of sympathizing with the high moral tone, the manly energy, and the prophetic fury of William Cowper. But, as he can certainly relish "John Gilpin," and must sympathize with "Puss and Tiny,"

that morning in Southwark. Without vastly admiring the sermons of that gentleman, we had interest enough to wish to know by experience what was the charm which produced such unbounded admiration in the public. We were, however, disappointed. He did not preach in the chapel to which we were directed, and we were too late to seek him successfully in others. In the evening we preached to a crowded house in Mr. Binney's church. Mr. Binney we have already described in the INSTRUCTOR. We met him repeatedly in private, and relished exceedingly his frankness, his geniality, his freedom from cant, the everlasting activity of his mind, and the generous impetuosity of his heart. His congregation is the largest in the City, and one of the most interesting. It consists mainly of young, inquisitive, intelligent men. As you preach, you feel a breath of intellect rising up around you, which at once awes and nerves you. To be understood is far better than to be blindly admired. The true anatomist has no higher wish than after death to be well anatomized. So the preacher ought to feel the censure of some, when candid and sincere, to be better than the giddy applause of the multitude.

Next day, we called on Dr. Croly. We found him very much the character we had expected. had expected. He is bluff, strong, robust,

« AnteriorContinuar »