The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-27 00:00:00

'4_ 14)T 0 ritlig+

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCT. 27, 1655.

POSTSCRIPT.

A ROYAL WARRANT about to be issued from the
War-Office contains the most important changes
with regard to the system of pensions to the widows
and families of officers killed in action, or dying of
their wounds within six months. Henceforth, under
certain provisions, the " Regulation Price of the
Commission " will be paid in full in lieu of pension,
to the widow and children first, then to the father,
mother, and sisters, but, having once reverted to such
members of his family, if none of them attain the
age of twenty-one the money reverts to the Crown.
The warrant to take effect only from the commence-
ment of the present war.

The TRIAL OF SIR JOHN DEAN PAUL, STRATIAN,
AND BATES commenced on Friday morning at the
Old Bailey, before Mr. Justice Willis, Mr. Baron
Alderson, and Mr. Baron Martin. The Attorney-
General, Mr. Bodkin, and Mr. Poland were for the
prosecution ; Sir F. Thesiger and Mr. Ballantine
appeared for the prisoner Strahan ; Mr. Sergeant
Bytes and Mr. Hawkins for Sir John Dean Paul ;
and Mr. James and Mr. Parry for Bates. The de-
fendants being called upon to plead to the indict.
ment charging them with making away with
5,0001. bonds, the property of Dr. Griffiths, and with
a conspiracy to defraud, Sir Frederic Thesiger ap-
pealed, under the provisions of the Old Bankers' Act,
7 and 8 Geo. IV., cap 29, sec. 40, 52, which provides
that disclosures before a Bankruptcy Commissioner
quash any conviction and evidence. The plea
was overruled by the Judges after a brief consulta-
tion, and the Attorney-General shortly opened the case

THE PRESS.

for the prosecution on behalf of Dr. Griffiths. The
rev. gentleman was then called, and gave evidence
of having daposited the 5,0001. bonds with the
prisoners, and of never having given them any
authority to convert those bonds to their own use.
Mr. Peppercorn, stockbroker, proved the purchase of
the bonds. Mr. Beattie proved the receipt of the
bonds from Sir John Dean Paul, Bart., as security
for an advance of 20,000/. Mr. Gibson proved the
sale of the bonds on behalf of Mr. Beattie; and the
case for the prosecution closed. Sir F. Thesiger,
Mr. Sergeant Byles, and Mr. Edwin James
severally addressed the jury on behalf of
their clients,— Sir F. Thesiger grounding his
defence of Mr. Strahan upon the plea that
there was no evidence to prove that gentleman
cognisant of the sale of the bonds, Mr. Edwin James
following the same ground on behalf of Mr. Bates,
while Mr. Sergeant Byles relied upon the Bankers'
Act (7 and 8 Geo. IV.) for the defence of Sir John
Dean Paul, which aet, the learned sergeant stated,
completely absolved his client from the consequences
of his own proceedings. The case was then adjourned
till this morning at ten. Mr. Bates was admitted to
bail ; the other two prisoners were locked up in New-
gate.

rittNITS in V arliament.

PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

Parliament 011 Tuesday was further prorogued by
Royal Commission until Tuesday, the 11th day of
December next.

The Lor) CHANCELLOR, the Earl GRANWLLE, and
the Earl of HAssowsy having taken their seats at
the foot of the throne, the Usher of the Black Rod
was directed to summon the Commons to hear the
Commission read. _ _ _

Shortly afterwards, one of the Clerks, attended by
the doorkeeper and some of the other officials of the
house, appeared at the bar, when the Commission
was read by the clerk at the table.
The LORD CHANCRILOR then, by virtue of the Com-
mission, declared it to be her Majesty's royal will and
pleasure that the Parliament should be further pro-
rogued until the day therein named ; and it stood
adjourned accordingly until the 11th of December.
The usual words conveying the significant intima-
tion that it would then meet for the despatch of
business, were not contained in the Commission.
The ceremony, which was simply one of form,
did not last many minutes, and beyond the few per •
sonages immediately engaged in it there were only a
few persons present.

Cation nttliigturt.

SOUTHWARK ELECTION.

A MEETING of the electors of this borough ,
took place on Tuesday evening. A resolution
expressive of the deep sorrow of the electors for
the death of Sir William Molesworth, and of their
high appreciation of his talents and integrity, was
passed unanimously, after which a resolution that
" Mr. Scovell represent the borough " was proposed
by Mr. Parker, and carried against one dissentient.
Mr. Scovell d telegraphed from Paris his willing-
ness to stand for the borough, and promised his
address speedily. A committee of electors was ap-
pointed to take the necessary steps to secure Mr.
Scovell's election, and it was stated by Mr. Sturmy
that no public meeting would be held until after the
burial of their late representative. Mr. Scovell is a
wharfinger in the neighbourhood, and at the last
general election polled 2,909 votes to Mr. Apsley
Pellatt's 8,857, and Sir William Molesworth's 3,940.
Mr. Conyngham, Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., and Mr.
Thompson are. spoken of as likely to contest the
borough, while Sir Charles Napier issued a laconic
address late on Tuesday, stating that he had been
solicited to offer himself as a candidate, and that if
the electors approved of his sentiments, which were
opposed to a personal canvass, they would send him
to Parliament, and if not they would choose a better
man.
On Thursday evening Mr. Scovell, who had arrived
from Paris, met his supporters, in order to explain
his political sentiments and present his address. Mr.
Martin, who was called to the chair, read the address,
which stated that Mr. Scovell was prepared to vote
for the ballot, the non-endowment by the State of any
religious sect, an extension of the suffrage, b reform
of the defective system of administration in our pub-
lic departments, and for all measures which would
promote the well-doing of the working classes. A
resolution was then unanimously passed, expressive
of the approbation of the meeting of Mr. Scovell's
sentiments, and that every step be taken to secure
his return. In a brief speech, Mr. Scovell further
stated that he should vote !or the emancipation of
the Jews, and that he was opposed to Church rates.
On the same evening, Sir Charles Napier attended
a crowded meeting of his friends at the Bridge-house
Hotel. The gallant admits' addressed the audio's*

SATURDAY,

at some length, and after a vigorous attack on the
Government for their management of the Baltic
campaign, upon the request of a gentleman to tell
the audience "something they did not know," Sir
Charles stated he was no bigoted supporter of any
party, that he was a Liberal to the backbone, and
that he thought we were now in a position to grant
i
peace if Russia sued for t ; that be was for the bal-
lot, against Church rates, sad in favour of adminis-
trative reform.

REPRESENTATION OF HUNTINGDON Comm.
Kr. James Rust, of Alconbury, has been returned,
without opposition, for the seat vacated in this county
by Viscount Mandeville succeeding his father as
Duke of Manchester. Mr. James Rust is a Conser-
vative, and his claims to the representation were
shortly stated by the Rev. J. Linton, who seconded
his nomination :

That gentleman not only resided, but was bred and
born among them. He had also considerable landed pos-
sessions in the county, and had, besides, an intimate prac-
tical knowledge of the proper modes of cultivating that
landed property, and therefore no man more fit could be
returned to Parliament to represent a purely agricultural
county. (Cheers.) Mr. Rust was, besides, an secomplished
scholar. He took the highest degree that the University
of Oxford had it in its power to bestow; he was also at one
time rising in his profession of the bar, and when that
profession was beginning to be remunerative to him he,
in the most disinterested manner, relinquished its emolu-
ments in order that he might exclusively devote his time
and his talents to the business and the interests of his
native county. (Cheers.)
Mr. Rust stated the course he intended to pursue :
He should most certainly take his place in the House
of Commons as one of that great Conservative party which
acknowledged the Earl of Derby as its head. iCheers.)
He should, however, judge of measures for himself,
and according to his views of what was really Con-
servative .--

The true Conservative spirit appeared to him to consist
of the utmost willingness to adopt every well-considered
scheme for the improvement of the administration of the
public affairs, and for increasing the general prosperity
and good order of the country. (Cheers.) They, as Con-
servatives, repudiated all inclination to innovate from
mere love of change, and they wished to uphold, from a
deep sense of their value and importance, alt the essential
and fundamental principles of our constitution. (Re-
newed cheers.) He, as a Conservative, should be ever most
especially desirous of maintaining the Protestant spirit of
our constitution. While he would concede to the members
of the Romish church, as he would to all others, the free
right of worshipping God in the manner and form most
agreeable to their conscientious feelings, yet he would
ever oppose, both in and out of Parliament, every attempt
on the part of the Court and Church of Rome to regain
within this empire that power which, two or three sen-
tries ago, was wrested from them at the Reformation.
(Cheers.)

On the great question of the war, he considered
that the aggressive designs of Russia must be fairly
resisted, and not until ►he abandoned them could
there be a prospect of peace:

Should ever Russia, by adopting a wiser course, show a
just regard for the independence of her neighbours, and
offer to us terms such as England and France would be
justified in accepting, who among them would not rejoice
at such a termination of the present war? In coneuding
his address, he was anxious again to repeat the assurance
he had already given, that until such a result could be ob-
tained, the Government of this country should have his
support in carrying on the war with the utmost vigour.
(Loud cheers.)
➢lr. J. M. Heathcote, in the Liberal interest, ad-
dressed the electors, stating his intention to come
forward as soon as a reasonable prospect of success
presented itself.

TontEss.—Mr. Mackenzie has, we believe, with-
drawn from the contest, and left the field open to the
nominee of the Duke of Somerset., Lord Gifford.

SuNtomarip.—The report that Mr. Hudson is
about to retire is denied by the Newcastle papers.
HEREFORD.—The bankruptcy of Sir Robert Price,
it was expected, would have created a vacancy in this
borough ; but we read in the Hereford Journal that
the seat will not become void until twelve months
have elapsed, and that if the bankruptcy is super-
seded within that period there will be no vacancy at
all.

WELLS. —The death, last week, of Mr. It. C.
Tudway, M.P., the Conservative member for
Wells, has left a vacancy in the representation.
Captain Jolliffe, son of Sir W. Hylton Jolliffe,
of Merstham, has been solicited by the Con-
servatives of Vells to offer himself for the vacancy
caused by Mr. Tudway's death, and he has ac-
cepted the invitation. Captain Jolliffe's family is
largely interested in the county of Somerset. From
motives of delicacy, no active steps will be taken until
after the funeral. The feeling of regfet for the loss
of Mr. Tudway, and of sympathy for his family, is
universal in Wells. It is reported that Mr. Sergeant
Kinglake will offer himself on the Liberal interest.
MEATH.-Mr. Meredith, a relative of Sir William
Somerville, is mentioned as about to oome forward on
he Liberal interest.

OCTOBER 27, 1855.

iittratart.

The Life and Travels of Herodotus. An
Imaginary Biography Founded on Fact.
By J. Talboys Wheeler, F.R.G.S. London :
Longmans.
Arm all that has been written and spoken
upon education in England, it is still astonish-
ing how comparatively inferior is the character
of our didactic works intended for the im-
provement of adolescent classes. If a parent
or preceptor desires to make a present of
a handsome and useful book, containing much
special information, and exhibiting a pleasing
style, it is not easy to obtain what is wanted.
Of mere school-books there is a superabun-
dance ; and our English classics, whether
poets, essayists, or historians, do not always
suit the requirements of the young persons,
whose shelves may already be over-supplied
with works of that kind. Would it be unrea-
sonable to expect that the counters of our biblio-
poies should have a range of volumes on classi-
cal subjects, readable in style, and showing re-
search in matter? The classics occupy a
great part in our English system of culture,
and we have no reason to be ashamed of the
performances of our scholars. Thirlwall,
Grote, and Mure have won deserved distinc-
tion, and are respected wherever the names of
Heeren, Muller, and Wachsmuth are appre-
ciated ; and in other departments of classical
illustration we have some highly distinguished
reputations.
There is reason to complain that there are
so few pleasing books which recognise and em-
body the late discoveries and rare knowledge
of some of our modern scholars. " The
Travels of Anacharsis," by the Abbe Barthe
lemy, was a good sort of book in its day. The
style had considerable rhetorical force, and
exhibited the unction of the peculiar school
of French eloquence. Its blending of literary
nerve with academical knowledge was dis-
played with ability, and the book deserved its
vogue. But the mere name of " Anacharsis "
shows what revolutions in educational matters
we have gone through. In the literature of
the eighteenth century all classical subjects
were seen through an artificial haze, while all
the labours of our modern scholars have tended
to realise, and in some respects to vulgarise,
our conceptions of antiquity. The artificial
classicism of Abbe Barthelemy is as obsolete
as the splendours of the old mansions in the
Faubourg St. Germain.
The author of the work before us has
attempted to produce a performance of a kind
much wanted. His conception is more
vigorous than his power of execution, and he
has erred by giving too much of compilation,
and not enough of composition. "An Imagi-
nary Biography Founded on Fact," necessa.
rily presents great difficulties to a writer
There must be invention of story and lifelike
incidents, while the allusions and subject-
matter must have authenticity of detail. Per-
fect success in such an anomalous class of com-
position could scarcely be expected. Even
"historical" novels of the best kind contain
much that is erroneous. Fiction and fact, are
jumbled together; and the novelist seeking to
interest his readers at any price tries, at the
expense of truth, "to make things pleasant,"
like a too " sharp " committee of directors to
a bubble company.
Mr. Wheeler candidly acknowledges these
difficulties, but we cannot say that he has
overcome them. Herodotus was areal person,
while his celebrated history contains much
that is legendary and dubious. The plan of
writing an " imaginary" life, therefore, of one
who actually lived, interferes with the personal
interest of the work and destroys the illusion.
A purely fictitious character should have been
taken : " Gil Blas," or " Anastasius," should have
suggested the sort of groundwork of the life of
an adventurer; strong human interest should
have been concentrated in the principal cha-
racter; and the author's knowledge, and what
might be called the properties of the subject,
should have been placed in a secondary light,
occasional passages being authenticated with
references to an appendix. But to do all that
would require genius for fiction and some

THE PRESS.

proficiency in novel writing ; and we fear that
the greatest talents would not find adequate
success in applying their faculties to subjects
so entirely remote from modern manners and
conceptions as the social life five centuries
before the Christian era.

The titlepage here promises us matter
illustrative of

History, manners, religion, literature, arts, and social
condition of the Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians,
Hebrews, Scythians, and other ancient nations, in the days
of Pericles and Nehemiah.

Certainly an ample bill of fare, and, so far as
to the matter, the author has kept his pro-
mise. He has not bated us a single dish, but
we do not approve of the way in which the
repast is served. He owns at once all the
liberties that he has taken :

The author's anxious desire to render it as popular as
possible has led him to take such freedoms as may
probably be censured by the severer scholar. He has
taken Herodotus to Persepolis and Jerusalem, and
brought him into contact with Nehemiah, for the sake of
connecting the awned history of the world with the pro-
fane. He has been compelled to throw a thick veil over
the dark vices of the ancient world that he might fit his
book for general perusal. He has been obliged to avoid
all criticism and boldly state results which have not as
yet received the approval of every scholar. He has even
thought it advisable to omit specific references to autho-
rities, as they would involve much critical discussion and
bewilder those readers for whom he has more especially
written.

The value of his performance is greatly
diminished by the suppression of his au-
thorities. An appendix, with references
to the portions of various works, would
have been most useful to the general reader.
He does not, for example, make the least
reference to the valuable commentary on
Herodotus by Dr. Blakesley, in Messrs. Long
and Macleane's edition, in the " Bibliotheca
Classics" (Whittaker's, 1854). Mr. Wheeler
says if his present work meets with public
approbation, it shall be followed by others of a
similar class. We doubt whether he has the
special aptitude for this most peculiar kind of
composition ; but, probably, in a second
attempt he would show improvement. As he
is familiar with his subject, and as he has a
smooth, flexible style, we shall give some
specimens of his writing. We select pas-
sages which exemplify the defects and merits
of his performance.
Thus we are treated to a family party at the
house of Polydorus at Corinth, and Herodotus
gets hints about the sights of the city:—
He determined to make friends with Polydorus, whom
he pitied as the victim of an all-engrossing business ; and
likewise to increase his experience of the fair sex, by con-
versing with the lovely daughters of his host.
Upon entering the room where the family appeared to
take their meals, he found the tables spread w►th wine,
white bread, pickled fish, and other delicacies, and no one
present but Polydorus and his two sisters, who received
him with a thousand compliments. Herodotus, determined
to show his politeness and breeding, made suitable replies ;
for he had been better accustomed to polite manners than
to female society. Melissa's raven hair was braided in the
most complicated manner, and confined in a beautifully-
ornamented bandeau ; whilst the white shoulder of Lydia
was set off with the elaborately-chased clasp which fastened
her chiton ; and indeed, had it not been for the lively re-
marks of the two fair ladies, Herodotus would have been
perfectly awe-struck by their marvellous beauty.
" I am afraid," said Polydorus, " that I cannot attend
you to-day; but my sisters may perhaps serve as company,
and our streets will afford yon sights. If, however, you
like to walk along the street leading to Cenchrea, we can
give you a dinner at our office, and I will show you all our
statues and pictures, and drive you back to supper. I
have promised to follow Glauous immediately, for we have
ta load a ship which sails tomorrow for Athens; but after
to-day I shall have more leisure." Uttering a few more
apologies, Polydorus withdrew from the room, and left the
house for his father's place of business.

But ah ! Mr. Wheeler, why did you not favour
us with "the lively remarks" of those two
interesting young ladies ? The first sentence
of the following passage is disappointing, and
the tenor of its writing shows that we have a
compiler before us
We need not repeat the conversation which followed.
The ladies of Corinth were far more free and unrestrained
in their manners than those of any other Greek city, and
Melissa and Lydia fairly aroused our young traveller by
the gaiety and animation of their discourse. They made
lively remarks upon the weather, expressed the utmost
weariness at the noise and excitement of Corinth, avowed
wishes for some flowery home in a quiet island, rallied
Herodotus on the fair maidens of lonia, and brought him
out to an extent which surptised himself and delighted his
fair listeners. The lady of the house entered the room, but
after the usual compliments her presence was almost for•
gotten. The slaves removed the remains of the morning
meal, but their attentions were totally unheeded. The
grave and philosophic Herodotus was repeating philosophic

1027

criticisms, quoticg sentimental lyrics and gay iambics, de-
scribing all the wonders of Samoa and Pe the
scenery of the lonian isles, boasting .•t the snub) b;,.cs
and glorious shores of his native land, and, in short, con-
ducting himself in a style which would have done honour
to young Athens. It was, therefore, nearly noon before he
finally left his fair entertainers, and commenced his walk
through the streets of Corinth, of which we shall have
much to say in our next chapter.

Here is, however, a much better attempt to
realise the author's proposed object. It has a
stronger air of human life, with fidelity to local
colour :

The sun was just rising over the hills of Halicarnassus,
when Herodotus stood on the deck of a Samian mer-
chantman, and took a silent farewell of his native city.
The slopes on which the several houses were built sur-
rounded the harbour like the walls of an amphitheatre,
gradually declining towards the sea. His heart was full,
for he had just taken a last farewell of his father, and
wai watching the early beams gilding the roof of that
home which he hail never left ht-fore. The noise and
bustle, however, of the scene around him soon broke in
upon his melancholy. The rowers below were labouring
to get the ship out to sea, where she would meet with a
favorable wind. Sailors were running about with long
boat-hooks, to prevent the vessel's sides from coming in
contact with the piers. The captain was standing at the
helm, screaming out a volley of oaths and directions upon
every one around him, and apparently only restrained
by the necessity of holding the tiller from rushing for-
ward and throwing some bewildered seaman over the
bulwarks. The freshness of the morning air, and the
liveliness of the spray, gave a new and welcome buoyancy
to our hero's spirits; and when, some two or three hours
afterwards, the rowers had brought the ship round the
promontory, and the sailors set the sails to the wind, he
seemed to ride so joyously over the billows, that, he felt
more inclined to cheerfulness and jesting than he had
experienced for months. The vessel was making a return
voyage from Egypt, and the only passengers on board
were Herodotus and a slave whom he had brought with
him. Our hero soon entered into conversation with the
captain, who, whether in a calm or in a storm, was a
very amusing man, and who described all the wonders
connected with the temples and pyramids of Memphis
and the Delta, until Herodotus could scarcely help think-
ing that his conversation was almost as interesting as epic
rhapsodies.

Dr. Arnold was nearly the first in England
to set the example of intensifying desc riptio
of ancient life by references to our moderns
politics. Much of his history of Rome reads
like a translation of Livy interleaved with
Hansard, and the jargon of English politics
in the days of the Melbourne Ministry is too
often obtruded on the reader. As a man Dr.
Arnold was truly admirable, but his opinions
we often dissent from, and in no respects
more than in his ideas on the art of writing
history. But Arnold was biassed by the pre•
vious example of Niebuhr. The great German
showed in his researches that the era of the
French Revolution was present to his memory
and imagination while making his litekary
excavations.

Mr. Wheeler follows these eminent examples.
Thus, in treating of the period B.C. 610-460 at
Athens, he tells us of " Two great political
"parties at Athens—the Conservatives, led by
" Isageras ; and the Reform party, led by
" Clisthenes " : and elsewhere (p. 14) we read
of " The Young Athens (!) party, led by Peri-
cles." In attempting dialogue the author's I
pen at once runs into dissertation. Thus the
beginning of the following passage is lifelike,
but the compiler soon appears :
-

- -
" And what do you think of Athens? " said Euphorion
to Herodotus as they sat together in the warm afternoon in
the open court of the andronitis.
" I scarcely know yet," replied our traveller. "It
seems to be more populous than Sparta, and yet not so
large ; and more bustling than Corinth, but without half
the traffic."
" True," replied Euphorion ; " Athens is a young giant.
Her infant democracy is already as strong as the Hera-
cleid Government of Sparta. Her citizens work not for
themselves, like the traders at Corinth, but for the State.
They are the bravest, the wisest, the gayest, and the most
active in all the world. To-morrow we shall see men from
all the demes in Attica at the Popular Assembly. By the
way, you will want a little enlightenment upon the present
state of affairs at Athens, or you will not be able to under-
stand the speeches.
" There are two /great parties in Athens--the old
Conservative party, and the more democratic, or young
Athens party. The Conservative party is headed by
Cimon, the son of Milthules ; the young Athens party by
Pericles, the son of Xantluppus. Cimon and the Conser-
vatives are opposed to all progress and all reforms. They
want to carry on the war against Persia for ever, to keep
up a friendly alliance with Sparta under any circum-
stances, and to stem the tide of democracy. Oa the other
hand, Pericles and young Athens are all for progress and
for democratic perfection. They wish to end the war with
Persia by an honourable peace, to renounce the alliance
with Sparta, to set up the land forces of Argos as a rival to
the land forces of Sparta, and to obtain for Atbees the
headship of Hellas.

I