The Press.
London, England, 1857-04-04 00:00:00

anb

THE ROYAL BRITISH BANK was once more brought
before the public on Wednesday last, when Mr.
Apsley Pellatt was examined with reference to his
connection with this great ►swindle. To sum up the
examination we may briefly say that Mr. Apsley
Pellatt could remember nothing. In the course of
the examination the following characteristic letter
WAS read :

Caledonian United Service Club, Edinburgh.
October 10, 18.19. Noon.
My dear Sir,—Yon will sympathise in my great saris•
faction in being able to report to you :-
1. That I have already ananeed on terms as simple as
they are advantageous for the Royal British Bank that I
shall obtain any sum that may be necessary to enable ns
to commence business whenever we choose, and to give
the " conge " to the black—ds (" shareholders," I mean)
of the north (great laughter) in asiyle truly right " royal "
(roan of laughter) ; and
2. That I have carried my point for my fair and honour•
able client, and have secured her the odd 1,0001.
It would be too presumptuous to say with the warrior
of old, "Veni, vidi, vici (a laugh); but I ought, with all
humility, to say and proclaim that He in whom I trust
is indeed invincible. For ever blessed be His name !
(Great sensation and hisses.)

Yours most sincerely,
HUGH INNES CAMERON.

Please let my friend the Deputy-Governor know that I
leave (1).V.) at 9 tonight, and hope to be at the bank to-
morrow at 2 p.m. Request Mr. Allardice to stop proceed-
ing with the cash journal till I arrive. 11. I. C.
Edward Mullins, Esq.

The Commissioner said he did not see how
Cameron's letter could be connected with Mr. Pellatt,
unless it could be shown that it was laid before the
board.

➢ir. 'ANIMATER: 7t is necessary that I should put
the question in order to complete evidence which
will ultimately have to go elsewhere. (Clapping of
hands.)

In October, 1850, Mr. Peßatt went into Wales, in-
spected the Welsh property, came back, and imme-
diately tendered his resignation. Before leaving the
board, however, he signed a petition to the Crown to
increase the capital of the bank 500,00 a In his
letter of resignation he observes :
I have the satisfaction of having done what little was in
my power to aid you and the friends of the bank in bring-
ing into active operation a sound, practical, and benevolent
commercial establishment, founded upon safe and unerring
principles, which, properly worked out, must ultimately
lead t) great utility, and yield a good dividend to the pro-
prietors.
I believe I could not retire from the court at a more
fitting period than the present. when improving balances,
high public opinion, and increasing confidencf.. must not
only afford the directors great satisfaction, but will offer
facilities for securing men of commercial weight and in-
tegrity of character to fill up the vacancies of the court, for
strengthening and consolidating the permanent interests
of the bank.

The examination of Mr. Stapleton, M.P., takes pla
on Wednesday next.
FIVE CASES OF MURDER, one of manslaughter, and
two of cutting and wounding, were tried at the dit-
ferent assizes between the let and 2ud of this
month;

APRIL 4, 1857.

f it t ratur t.

The Life of Charlotte Bronte. By Mrs. Gaskell.

Two Vols. London : Smith and Elder.
"CAN any good thing come out of Nazareth ?"
In the year 1840, an out-of-the-way village, in
the wilds of Yorkshire, by name Haworth,
obtained some transient notoriety by the
uncompromising resistance made by the vicar
and his curate to the agitation against church
fates. They preached and lectured against
Dissent with so much energy that a local
newspaper greatly marvelled that such dis-
plays of intellect should emanate from the
village of Haworth, " situated among the bogs
" and mountains, and until very lately sup-
" posed to be in a state of semi-barbarism.'
A few years later, and this semi-barbarous
village was to become for ever memorable for
the literary genius which shone forth from it,
and for a social history unsurpassed for its
sad, romantic interest. The quiet churchyard
of Haworth is now sanctified by associations
which will make it hereafter a place of pilgrim-
age.
The story of the Bronte family transpired
slowly. In the first flush of the success of
"Jane Eyre" everyone asked, " Who is Currer
Bell ?'"r he wonder was not diminished when
it was found that there were also an Ellis and
an Acton Bell,—both exhibiting literary talent
of a most striking and peculiar kind. It was
long before the public could be persuaded
that the three writers were sisters,—all young
women, and brought up in the seclusion of an
isolated Yorkshire parsonage. While the
marvel was yet fresh, and by many still
doubted, it became known that two of these
sisters were hurried to the grave within a few
months of each other. The most gifted yet
remained, and in " Shirley " and " Villette"
gave new evidences of her brilliant power. A
fortunate destiny seemed to await her. She
married happily. She was still young; much
was expected from the maturity of her genius ;
and never did funeral knell sweep more dis-
mally over the mind of the literary world than
when it was announced that she too had
sunk to the grave.

The whole strange and pathetic story is
faithfully told in Mrs. Gaskell's memoir. Mrs.
Gaskell was one of Charlotte Brente's few
female friends ; they were attached by many
links of sympathy ; and it is evident from their
writings that their minds were to some extent
cast in the same mould. Mrs. Gaskell dues
her friend full justice. She does not attempt
to criticise either her works or her character ;
but she warmly sympathises with both, and
she allows the facts of Miss Bronte's brie
career to speak for themselves.
In the peculiar surroundings of the Bronte
family may be found an explanation of the
peculiarities (in some respects masculine and
savage) which appear not only in " Wuthering
Heights " and " The Tenant of Wildfell-hall,"
but also in " Jane Eyre." The sisters reflected
in their writings the stern, rough aspects both
of Nature and society which they witnessed,
as Salvator Rosa painted the wild, grotesque
scenes which were most familiar to his eye.
The sisters were in a manner " outlaws " from
the softer and more refined influences of
modern life; and hence the force with which
they were able to express the rude manners
and) dark passions of the " semi-barbarous"
country in which they were reared. This cir-
cumstance must never be lost sight of in esti-
mating the writings of Charlotte Bronte. Her
mind was formed under the pressure of mas-
culine influences.

The village of Haworth lies embedded in
the range of moors between Yorkshire and
Lancashire, on the old road between Keighley
and Colne. The vegetation is of the scantiest
character. The fences are all of stone. A few
stunted shrubs scarcely relieve the dull, grey
aspect of the widely-spread country. " All
" round the horizon there is the same line of
" sinuous wave-like hills ; the scoops into
" which they fall only revealing other hills
" beyond, of similar colour and shape, crown.xl
" with wild black moors."

In the midst of this solitude is the church
of Haworth. The churchyard is large and