The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-07 00:00:00

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LIVERPOOL. STANDARD. Prophet, being under any pretence permitted to visit the sacred city in which his remains are deposited. To enable him to effect the visit he had in view, Lieut. Burton assumed the character of a Moslem pilgrim, and. in that disguise traversed a great portion of Aribia. in doing this, he laid himself open to great hazard, as detection of the imposture would, in all pro bability, have proved fatal to him. To secure the 'requisite familiarity with the minutiae of oriental life and'imanners, he studied hard and with much success for upwards of a month at Alexandria, where he passed himself for a dervish ; from this latter city he started for ',Cairo, paying still further attention to perfecting hiMself in oriental manners and accomplishments. Once rendered cut fait to his disguise, he adopted the external symbols of pilgrimage, and proceeded on his journey. At an early period of his wanderings, we find' him thus describing his Roman churches. It has four gates : that to the south is- the Bab el Muwajihah; eastward is the gate of our Lady Fatimah ; westward the Bab el Tanbah (of repentance), opening into the Rauzah or garden; and to the north, the Bab el Shami or ' Syrian gate. They are constantly kept closed, except the fourth, which admits, into the dark passage above alludedlto,, the officers who have charge of the treasures there deposited, and the eunuchs who sweep the floor, light the lamps, and carry away the presents sometimes thrown in here by devotees. In the southern side of the fence are three windows, holes about half a foot square, and placed from four to five feet above the ground; they are said to be between three and four cubits distant from the prophet's head. The most westerly of these is supposed to front Mohammed's tomb, wherefore it is called the Shubak el Nabi, or the Prophet's window. The next, on the right, as you front it, is Abubekr's, and, the most easterly of the three is Omar's. Above the Hujrah. is the Green Dome, surmounted outside by a large gilt crescent springing from a series of globes. The glowing imaginations of the Moslems crown this gem of the building with a pillar of heavenly light, which directs from three days' distance the pilgrim's steps towards El-Medinah. But alas ! none save holy men (and perhaps, odylic sensitives), whose material organs are piercing as their vision is spiritual, are alloUredithe privilege of beholding this poetic splendour. - - Two volumes only of these interesting wanderings have as yet been published. The third and concluding one is promised in course of the present autumn ;. it is to be devoted to a delineation of the wonders. of Meccah. The narrative of Mr. Burton is lively and light, with out being either frivolous or flippant. He proves himself at once a sharp and shrewed observer,, and a cunning annotator. His book will be read with interest and pleasure by all who desire information regarding the Mahomedan pilgrimage, or who take delight in a well-written narrative of personal adventure.. Familiar Words as affecting the Character of Englishmen and the Fate of England. By David Urquhart. London : Trubner and Co. The small publication of which the preceding is the title is an odd, and many people may consider a fantastical one. Its object seems to be an attempt to fix the value and nature of thi gs, and to regulate institutions and control events by a reference to the etymologies of words ; some of which etymologies, in Mr. Urquhart's view of them, are whimsical enough. Most of ordinary thinkers have been led to believe that the thing signified was of more consequence than the word signifying it, and have acted in accordance with that belief; the views and intentions of Mr. Urquhart take quite an opposite course. His faith is built on the signifying word, and displays but small sympathy with the matter signified. He, with some pains and much earnestness, informs his wondering countrymen that, as " relimion " comes from the Latin verb " to bind, it signifies the binding of man through his faith to his duties—not in all cases to all duties, but to those " that in modern English language are political." Havinc , so far secured his footing through the etymo logical quagmire, by resting on this definition, he places his next step in Athens, when he discovers that in Greece, whence we derive the word, " politics signi fied the knowledge of what was proper and fitting that the state should be." Having arranged his definitions, Mr. Urquhart proceeds to draw conclusions from them, which, without the application of some such violent process, assuredly would not follow. He not only defines mystically, but he also abjurgates with nearly as mysterious a fierceness. He pours out his condemnation on the division of labour, and is eloquent in denouncing the distinction of separate interests. "To subdivide a man," he tells us, "is to execute him, if he deserves the sentence—to assassinate him if he does not. The subdivision of labour is the assassination of a people." To divide a man into the separate limbs and portions of which his physical form consists, would, without doubt, end in his physical destruction ; but few, it is to be hoped, will so far forget the relation between fact and fiction as to believe that a community can suffer "execution" or " assassi nation " by having each of its members employed in the discharge of those duties which he or she is best qualified to perform. With such theorists as Mr. Urquhart, the first step in the way of realising their views is to effect a divorce between abstruse definition and facts as they exist ; having established this, their course is open and easy, till they are finally landed inextricably in a quagmire of their own creation. CHI. Gratitude an. Exposition of Psalm London : Seeley and Co. The author of the volume before us, the Rev, John Stevenson, Vicar of.Patrixbourne -witil bury, is already -favourably known to we public for his work. " Christ on the C 1 tion of Psalm xxii,7 which has reaehed tion, and " The Lord our Shepherd, an Psalm xxiii.," which has reached a fifth commentary of Psalm ciii., it may be ti 4 author must necessarily repeat hiraself„? Psalmist, invoking his soul to praLl.e,fl known words, `.` Bless the Lord, 0 ra.1: 1 4 the whole psalm to,recountino• the mat% which he has received. Vie Rev. Jcui f has, however, after giving an analysis divided it into tha- several h e ads, anelll, the first part to a "call to pe rsonal is given with the-fervour of a Christiall' u ' ence inspired by a familiarity with. the he proceeds, in the subsequent chaPteirki upon the many reasons which the PO ° for boundless gratitude. In the - task, which must; evidently have been a the author has been eminently sac enforcing his argument by cogent r ened by numerous quotations from in so varying both his theme an& his to avoid that sameness which might- have inseparable from the subject. There is, of the English, language in all the.rl of poetical beauty than the 1-1011 1 31 k its sacred character as a revelation of ti it immeasurably surpasses all other felicity of diction, an internal evider' which might shake the doubts• of seel Divine origin. The Rev. author• has this model, and while his teaching is. a the penitent sinner; the language I.n veyed is such as to attract even:the We Can with confidence recommen d rusal. Divided into chapters,. in. benefits enjoyed by the believer are' of, it forms a volume of sermons, priate text, distinct in itselt, and eu a call to_gratitude which cannot faiit c ' e ;f influence in promoting the extensiel' o o° 9 :loi We have no hesitation in saying thakfr a g even a moderate perception of his )1 °` Christian, can read this eloquent John Stevenson, Stevenson, even to- clip into its rid without being tempted to read en ;.. te a 5 " rise from the perusal feeling corefrw assurances of Divine mercy which are given from the highest authority as ce pearls. It is a book that, when ° l r again and again perused, because itS be sure to secure for it general ap Blackwood's _Magazine. Edin , The double duty of providing lovers of light literature, and use) those who make their reading pro& well performed. The magazine 01 written and graphic description of a locality not only interesting in more so by the presence of the finest was ever afloat. There is an inK the telling of " Zaidee—a Roinane e, every additional chapter more wel' tion of " Notes on Canada and the of America," gives us more of thoi tions of the wild and wonderful, which we have already given. Af is, despite the long delay, the of interest, the article on " the Russia," of which the second pal present number, will be perused sc larly as it details many curious rence to our gigantic enemy wt. known. It is, indeed, a brief tho' history of the prominent events told with especial reference to the peculiar system of policy which present war. In a review of Ma stone," the writer pays a deserves ti ., and valuable labours of the autt ° reference to the importance of pe j o England, that no living man has do Mr. Samuel Warren towards this,t we have, however, given a more e 4.00,,. book in question, we may now pass.lrotov An article beaded xodent light htc Ar.lGtiST rne-with.Bridge, known to the 1, f 144, on the Cross, an , tt as ' reached an eigh: 3 epherd , I' '3l hed a fifth oo,s, may be thous t t v o !ode t hiraself,inasruao qB,l to prvis.,,e, if th e t tios J ord, 0 ray soul; No, idoi d it John Sit L e the na l 'he L e Rev , the in analysis 0., ,eads, aril :h sonal g titude , t aChristian ancl, rity with, the t° zit en t chapter s, h the lit ,8 n the perernw- AI lave been a lab/ .ly suceessfui, roar )gent reasonisg, 'to s from erlure: ' ff a ,l ie an& his Sr• a m ight have 1,6 • There is iior all the majestic./ ,0!t 3 Holy Bible elation of tbs ti e :, 11 all other cash nal evidence o' nibts. o f. seeptifl • i u author, has clan ht C 110 kIV ;aching • g Lngu age Ater wen: the indiPc ktital commend it t 4 Ai . 1 'ek Ca ;ers, in. w;11,,.,„3te1!" a ever are er 10 10 0 t 'lO .mans, e tc ..' tot, ipos iunot fantail° )44 of ' h. h ni o f bis o f tilef, '1.4 oquent 60"„sw C4t, t h r tyi read ; 5111 I t O r "ge‘ l a r p nnt i i eltel let into it s ts p f;r ; r e:l4 :l ll'PA:lll:'' 13a::lit.ftlee5*°$5.. i i*l ‘ t :ttl' when 013-4, IR, becauseeer ° s '" - 13„,„Ir t Y, Edinburgh` ,1; Pa genteridint, ete and u seful d / 4 qm, tin bi l g profit a 1 1 yazme 004 r„seel itse Lption of the 01;,1 " ting in q" 14)o f the finest ,tv, t tl '4 eti, ; an indesert wttet a Rol-lance' e mor e weleell 1 01 a and, the Ptij„,os r e of those eVr) nderful, soil e "qr . rep. As the gt, r, the all-CoP), 711,4't on " they '" Nona pa erused tburfirriyeie:fuewisltlthiii:ocavliogitil°l:lll;i;:it. Est ce to the ( I ,.,°`' ork V Which 'Piety I,al (1 of de li desery the autlioVj 0 t1,,,1111 tee of per 1395 'lir' Ilan has , clarneble4. 'ards ths c`„vaeel°,i,`' a more e 0" 4 01', ,11L, SENSATIONS IN THE DESERT. In such circumstances the mind is influenced through the body. Though your mouth glows, and your skin is parched, yet you feel no languor, the effect of humid heat ; your lungs are lightened, your sight brightens, your memory recovers its tone, and your spirits become exuberant ; your fancy and ima gination are powerfully aroused, and the wildness and subli mity of the scenes around you stir up all the energies of your soul—whether for exertion, danger, or strife. Your morale improves : you become frank and cordial, hospitable, and single-minded: the hypocritical politeness and the slavery of civilisation are left behind you in the city. Your senses are quickened: ;they require no stimulants but air and exercise, — in the Desert spirituous liquors excite only disgust. There is a keen enjoyment in a mere animal existence. The sharp appetite disposes of the most indigestible food, the sand is softer than a bed of down, and the purity of the air suddenly puts to flight a dire cohort of diseases. Hence it is that both sexes, and every age, the most material as well as the most imaginative of minds, the tamest citizen, the most peaceful student, the spoiled child of civilisation, all feel their hearts dilate and their pulses beat strong as they look down from their dromedaries upon the " glorious Desert." Where do we hear of a " traveller" being disappointed by it ? It is another illustration of the ancient truth that nature returns to man, however unworthily he has treated her. And believe me, gentle reader, that when once your tastes have conformed to the tranquillity of such travel, you will suffer real pain in returning to the turmoil of civilisation. You will anticipate the bustle and the confusion of artificial life, its luxury and its false pleasures,with repugnance. Depressed in spirits, you will for a time, after your return, feel incapable of mental or bodily exertion. The air of cities will suffocate you, and the care-worn and cadaverous countenances of citizens will haunt yen like a vision of judgment. - Having reached Suez, he embarked on board a Pilgrim-ship, the accommodations of which he does not appear to appreciate highly. In the pilgrim-ship he traversed the Red Sea, and landed at Yambu, in the Moslem Holy Land, it being one of the several towns which share the honour of being considered the " gate of the Holy City." It is the third quarter of the caravan road from Cairo to Meccah. Leaving Yambu, our traveller was once more on the Desert, and pro ceeded to Bir Abbas, and thence to El-Medinah, first Obtaining a glimpse of that sacred city in the month Of July. Arrived in this spot, his occupations became numerous and exciting, not by any means unmixed with danger ; for, had he been discovered as a giaour, he would have paid the penalty of his rash intrusion in tlie forfeiture of his life. Bent upon gratifying his own curiosity, and desirous of imparting knowledge to others, Mr. Burton penetrated, as far as man is per mitted to do, into the secret recesses of the Mosque, and thus describes THE PROPHET'S SHRINE. - The Hujrab, or `Chamber,' as it is called, from the circum stance of its having been Ayisha's room ; is an irregular square of from 50 to 55 feet, in the S.E. corner of the building, and separated on all sides from the walls of the mosque by a passage about 26 feet broad on the S. side, and 20 on the eastern. The reason of this isolation has been before explained, and there is a saying of Mohammed's, "0 Allah, cause not my tomb to become an object of idolatrous adora lion ! May Allah's wrath fall heavy upon the people who make the tombs of their prophets places of prayer !, ' Inside, there are, or are supposed to be, three tombs facing the south, surrounded by stone walls without any aperture, or, as others say, by strong planking. Whatever this material may be, it is hung outside by a curtain, somewhat like a large four-post bed. The outer railing is separated by a dark narrow passage from the inner one, which it surrounds, and is of iron filagree painted of a vivid grass green—with a view to the garden,— whilst carefully inserted in the verdure, and doubly bright by contrast, is the gilt or burnished brasswork forming the long and graceful letters of the Suls character, and disposed into the Moslem creed, the profession of unity, and simikw religious sentences. On the south side, for greater honour, the railing -is plated over with silver, and silver letters are interlaced with it. This fence, which connects the columns and forbids ,passage to all men, may be compared to the halclaahhio of