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►ood
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 American► 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 sane•
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 with
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 Inch in the planet mer.
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,mdle 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.