The Press. — London, England, 1853-12-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS. DECEMBER 10, 1853. SKETCHES OF RADICALS. 9. THE RADICAL MYSTIC. Sow: years ago, if you met a Radical, you were pretty certain to find that he was an Utility tan, lie prided IliniSelt . on his el 11 11111 sense. His great point always was to bring e‘crytliing to the test of the every-day understanding. Thus, he would tell you that a king was not a " producer " ; that a priest would be better occupied in felling timber, &e. &c. ; and, indeed, assuming that nun► is a two-legged pig (and I can easily fancy some Radicals believing that good deal can be said on the utilitarian side of atfiiirs. flan, however, is a being with sentiments, passions, immortal instincts—a most romantic animal in fact—and cannot be calculated upon idler Dr. Totukins's fashion. A rag of an old flag. a Queen Mary with het• grey eyes and fine manners, can raise a whole nation like a strain of music, and away go Dr. Tomkius's calculations to the wind. Why, the poor Mormon, even, doesn't only want unlimited bacon and apple-pie. and fifty wives (for I fancy only the elders c►ui enjoy the last-named luxury), he believes in some transcendental and superior ►luality of Mormonism, and aspires even when he chatters like an idiot. In fact, in politics, as in other departments of life, you must allow for sentiment, tmli tions, and the love of symbol. So that PA. Box ( now, 1 believe, or lately, au one of the blessings of the Reform Bill never to be for gotten), when he told his audience in his chapel that " the crown would be one day worth what it would fetch at a pawnbroker's," was not happily imitating Voltaire, but really proving his ignorance of human nature as well as his baboonish liveliness. I trust that he does not rely too firmly on the chance of his family getting the job at some future day, and hope that they will lu►ve a Radical borough to make something out of instead ! We must hail it its a promising stet, tl►en. that Radicalise► has proved itself capable of an alliance with sentiment. For the result of this has been a breed, much superior to the ineffable bores of old. a race of sentimental, mystical Radicals (fellows with "deep intentions:* bless you), who puzzle Mawker and irritate I ! A moist-eyed, interesting, unpractical set of 111011 who smoke to a degree scarcely credible, men curious in hats, and given to beards and tufts, and coffee and philosophy, such are the Radical Mystics. Italian liberators and German Republicans are their favourite objects of sympathy. Sometimes they are ascetic; they are occasionally vegetarians ; they hold peculiar views about marriage ; they are interested in art. Alto gether, they are as superior to most of the Radicals whom I have hitherto described as champagne to gooseberry, or the songs of Shelley to those of Squally the poet. How tine to lie on your sofa, my dear reader, with your pipe in your mouth, and hold the " universe in solution," as Nubil►us says! To bring institutions to the touchstone of the Universal! To contrast the hardened forms of things with the Ineffable Spirit ! In this u►oo d the thrones, churches, and social organisations of the world appear to the vision of Nubibus mere erystallisation% of an hour. " How are you this morning'?" said 1, in a matter-of-Met way, to Nubibus. ' Bibulous of the over-soul, sir," said Nubibus, " bibulous of the over soul !" lle loved, in fact, to set, as it were, all settled things spinning in his thought ; and to hear him talking of history was like looking at dissolving views : mosques and palm-trees faded out to make count for temples and groves of Academe•, and these again fin• cathedrals and feudal castles—the colours being always the same (as he urged). and the results were new combinati4ots of them. When you I►ad heard hin► holding forth after this fitshi 111 l you were ashamed to descend to the subject of the second reading of the Sugar• Duties Bill. and could scarcely propose dinner without speaking of a chop as a " phenomenon " The Mystic, when he applies On intellectual disposition of this kind to affairs of the day, is apt to be out of his element. To all argument in favour of aristocracy Nul►ibus replied that " all men were sharers in the L►finite Soul "—which, delivered in a manner half oracular and half-epigrammatic (after the approved America n ► model). startled the group (a very enlightened one at tlw conversazione where I heard it, fascinated little Miss Piper the poetess. and inter rupted a bald-headed old gentleman who was holding forth on atheism a few yards off. Of course there is no replying to Nul►ibtas when he is fairly afloat in this vein : we must be content to know from history that the " Infinite Soul " takes the form of distinction of race amid distinction of development, and—produces aristocracies. In the san e • way, when Rampantini the mystic would raise peoples by preaching that God is the people, and that the people is (1011, why complain of the obscurity of the doctrine? Our business is only with the flicts about the peoples in question. as facts are usually judged of. What is their state? Are they self-denying, energetie, brave? But all the Radical Mystics love the "high priori road ; " are terribly puzzled when they have the plain, concrete fact before them to deal with. 757 A favourite t hone of our Mystie is a reform by " Lore. - A "sacra ment of Love is preached as the cite thing to 'lire all the ills of the world. hence in novels we meet with galley -sLires of high views; and Philanthropy. bent on eltritement. rushes otr to hug the seounilrel. Yet the obstinate world will hate as well as los e t Nature having so arranged it). and. wishing seeress to the philanthropist. locks up its .goons. It is to be observed that this kind of speesdation is only indirectly assoeiated with Radicalism Proper. 'the direct effort of such teaching as I have here had in view is, of eourse, jugolMoilq youth w ith institutions ; nay, to make ingenuous youth think institutions of no eons:epicure—wander out of all beaten tracks- trust to sentimentalism and "intuitions," and become as entirely separated front working England as a hermit could wish. In this stage the Mystie ultimately becomes harmless. and must wait for better In c h i n th e pl ane t m er . envy. or wherever (if anywhere) he experts to go. But the active Nlystie—tonless, indeed, he heroines like llampautini, and has to tight it oat I—is likely in England to come at last nearer to Orthodoxy than the old-fashioned Utilitarian )tad by sir. For he at all events knows that the world eanoot he governed only by supply and demand; in time, too, perhapa, he learns that the *. traditions" of England are not so outworn "as he at first supposed. that they are to be loved amt cherished. if England is to continue to be great ! But the world is quite ignorant Att yet of the nature of the ltddieal Mystie, though obvi tttt sly bored by his utilitarian prodeeessor. Nothing could better show the ignorant character of the British Radical than the revelation of it at the great defection of British Radiealism from Carlyle which took place when the " Latter-day Pamphlets" appeared. The wooden fellows had supposed that Carlyle was a Rathieul, ail that the ',readier of hero-worship could be any thing but the pit ier and contemner of Democracy! You will observe that I h,m dle he lk Iyst iv rather inure tenderly than Ido Radicals in general. In titet. uhibus amuses me; and, in the nature of things, doctrines like his cannot propagate themselves to any very dangerous extent. lint for the Millivolt who is a mystic b trade, and only obscure from affectation—who talks in enigmas, with an eye to the pot—who affects the prophet to stimulate Wat Tyler and Jack Straw—and plays in the nineteenth VI ntury the part of tlio Father Hall of Pantheism—on him I say I will make one remark, and one only :—Ancient Pantheism, by seeing the Divine in everything. and cultivating an universal symbolism, 641 at last to the worship of the l•aboon ; modern Pantheism has this notable difference—it iwylas with it ! A LivrLE SCOTCH SONG Dili A oitEAT scoTeH STATESMAN. A 1 n-" .11 tek 11 . I I itZlelkiiii." " Why stand wi' sword on side, Tin kie, l Why stand wi' sword on side ? The Czar is at most worthy prince, And very 11111111 ! keep in fair Bulgaria, Illanube roll between." But aye she brought her squadrons up. And laughed at. AnEanEt.s. " 110 W rl,tild you hope to mateh his tiaree, Or make your own avail '.' The Czar has got at million hoarse. Anil twenty thantsand nail ; ilk head's the best at 'aril 111 is SWloril in battle keen." But aye site laid her gnus wi' Anal laughed at Anv.unEEN. " Ills eliaiii, ( yes, if yon ott.iek, You'll well deserve to wear-- 114.'11 dash upon you like a hawk, And maul yiin like a 1)4.111 . Le, if you engage wii Swept fi.4)iii creation clean. Rut aye she bade her trumpett, blare, And laughed at Anr.itnEEN. Iler boats are by the l).uml►e side, 'ler troops in order fair : No doubtful signs these legions guide, 1•'or l'AciiA's there. Before the Consitek learns Whitt those niano.uvres mean. She's o'er the border, and at an' Nit% anti AUERLMEN. Irter --