The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-07 00:00:00

gsage Is ersegasuel a gasp of the Opinions. This " the bilk
error is iiillowerd by undieorhainstig • " ningof I
who extras& a pluses or paragraph Alla* it 4.iumeitted,
embodying the dictates of human whiten,. If be
indignantly contrast the respective raised of ' hem
workman who toils for his bread,an4 the peer w "Mil I
lives amid luxury, and demand for this Arum a "the
share in the government of a country whereof he "fair,
is as %natal a citizen as the latter, the cry is raised " the
thut he tries to set class against class, when the " boroughs
tenth is that he wishes to make each clam con- " payment
Mated with its social condition by extend- " vision respecting the registers of divided won-
ing to both corresponding political rights. His " ties and ►oeoughs."
failing consists in having too forcibly denounced
the abuses which pained him. Many persons have
been unable to credit that he did not want greater
changes than those he advocated, or that he would
rest before he had overturned the Constitution.
With surprise, then, they witnessed his expression
of satisfaction with such a measure as the new
Reform Bill. They could not object to his refus-
ing to accept it as a settlement of the question
until the rate-paying clauses and distribution of
seats shall have been amended, for hardly a
man of common sense denies the expediency of
of such alteration. Having no longer any reason
for denouncing Mr. Bazaar as an incendiary,
these persons now taunt him with being a Con-
servative. In writing thus they betray the vexa-
tion of children who, after having been terrified
by a ghost, are bitterly disappointed when, on re-
covering their senses, they discover that the source
of alarm was merely the branches of a willow tree
rustling in the breeze.

A SMALL controversy is afloat in the papers
with regard to the origination of Sir WALTIR
Scores magnificent "Hymn for the Dead" in the
Lay of the Lea Minstrel. Mr. GLADSTONZ having
praised that hymn in high terms at a recent
lecture, an attempt has been made to depre-
ciate its poetic worth, on the ground that it is
simply a version of the old Latin hymn so
well known as the Dies /re. An article
in the Spectator of to-day justifies to our thinking
the warm milogium of Mr. Oranerous, and shows
that the fine imagery in the modern hymn is due to
Sir Watries alone, and that be has drawn nothing
of value from the old Latin poet. "No
" poems," says the writer, "so equally fine of
" their kind, could be cast in more different
" styles or express more different moods of
" poetry," and he proves his sissrtion by placing
before the reader the "Hymn for the 11
" Dead," and an extremely literal translation
of the Dies Da. Sir WALT= Soars
then, great in so many walks of literature, has moo-
ceeded in what few poets have accomplished. We
have many noble hymns in our language ; but these
hymns are not the work of our great poets. Mu.-
role never wrote a hymn in the modern accepta-
tion of the word, and his version of some
of the Psalms is about, if not quite, as
feeble as the version of Tars and BRADY.
Pore produced one hymn remarkable for
vapid thought and over-strained sentiment.
TuomeoN, like COLERIDOS, wrote a grand
piece in blank verse which he calls a hymn, but it
may be more justly termed a sacred poem. Moons
and BYRON tried to compose hymns, and failed
ignominiously. WORDSWORTH and TENNYSON have
not tried at all. Mrs. BROWNING in early life
composed one at least not unworthy of her genius,
but she withdrew it from publication, and it is
unknown to readers of her works. The " Book of
" Praise," which, with some grievous deficiencies,
is perhaps the best hymn-book in the language,
contains a few written by poets, but the most
popularhymns inthe collection, and the hymns most
worthy of being popular, are the productions of
versifiers who are unknown in the world of
poetry. The fact, we think, is incontestable, but
the reason for the fact is not very obvious. Our
greatest poets, SPZNCES, MILTON, WORDSWORTH,
for example, are in the highest sense of the term
religious poets. Yet they could not write hymns,
while men of slight genius, but much fervour, like
TOPLADY, WESLEY, and WATTS, have produced
some that bid fair to last as long as the " Paradise
" Lost" itself. There is no species of composition
more affectionately received, or more likely to
confer permanent popularity on the author than a
good hymn, but this kind of immortality is seldom
granted to our poets.

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 7, 1868.

personal realise. It Inge hr a &Mirk, intelligthia, Wed
teatime poliey. Now that the Palmerston& and Derby@ I
are pee, Mr. Disraeli he. the Ant demos of itmiraratiag
it. Will he try!
The Spectator digresses the Peers and their preition.
What Peer is there left, it take—nnlms, indeed, it be Lord
Shaftesbury—to whose any power to the orrantry leeks for
geklance, or before whom a democratic House of Com-
moos is likely to pays& en hoer? If the House is still to ,
be strong, and true liberals hate before ell things WM-
siency, it most reform itself, aad the dinettes of "Morn I
has been perceived by some of the keenest mem
within the order itself. Prozise are we believe, abandoned,
though the resolutica thandosing; them was, we believe, I
Inver formally voted ; but the house absolutely requires ,
men members, more esparties, and more beldame— that is,
requires a limited but milekat Werth of life peers, the
heeds of prefenions, esseupatioss, inderson, end intoner@
other then the church and the law. The addition of
a mingle men like Mr. Maine—we name him because be
is sway, and it is not invkßous would instantly
inewasio the power of any debate is the Lords upon his
subject, jurisprodeene ; and the addition of, ay,
twenty-dye strong men, familiar in the highest
degree not only with the rethink of legislation, but
the ides& which cause legislation, would restore to the
house its true end very elevated funnier so the revising
senate of the empire, the the house in which politicians
ma speak without the fear of man before their eyes. What
porti aof our polio', our legislation, or our administra-
tion is it which the Howe of Peen revises now?

- -
with Adesizal Xempei and Cambia Stanhope of the Ocean
cm beard, sad the whole petty, including Oaptaia Breaker
sad nearly all the deem of the Sylvia, went up
to the Legation. The day following (Bth) it set
in • heavy gale, lad they were unable to cross
the bar. Oa the 'resins of the 9th the Admiral
determined to try the bar, towing the Sylvia's steam
cutter oat. They were obliged to separate the two boat.
as there was • tremendous sea retuning and they were
both nearly ewansped. The admiral's best, deeply lades,
with Copt. Stanhope, Ossantander Brasher, Lieut. Bullock,
Kr. Mitford of the legation end some oilcan of the 9th just
succeeded in esteem bold of the Laplese, French man-oi-
-1 war, where for five hours they hold oa asters, up to their
middles in water and exploding to go down every minute.
The sea was so heavy and the wind so furious that,
though hanging on astern of the ship, no ens could be got
eat of the boat. At lost, in • lull, they made a
; dash for the Sylvia. The officer eonimanding her had in
tho meanwhile been obliged to get the ship under weigh
and steam further out, a. she was too close to the shore.
Provideatially they succeeded in reaching the ropes veered
astern for them from the Sylvia; the lifeboat was
then lowered and with great risk of life the
whole party was got on board, nearly paralysed
with cold and banger. The admiral showed
the greatest pluck the whole time. Next morning the
ether boat was soon inside the bar. Oa Saturday the 11th
American Admiral Bell determined to MINI the bar, and
started with his flag lieutenant, sad • boat's crew of
eleven. The boat was upset on the bar, sad the admiral,
his Sag lieutenant, and eight men were drowned.

PRINCE NAPOLEON'S VISIT TO BERLIN.

The visit of Prince Napoleon to Berlin continues
to be the chief topic of political speculation in
Paris. The incognito with which the illustrious
traveller was to make the tour of the courts of
Germany has already been lost. The • Prince
has been waited on by the Prince Royal of
Prussia, by the Princes Albert and Adalbert, the
Duke Augustus of Wurtomberg, and Count
von Bismarck, and has been conveyed in the
gala court carriages to the royal palace.
Whatever may be the object of Prince Napoleon's
mission—and that he has a mission is now generally
admitted—he must be content to execute it under
the glare of the public eye, and beneath the
nearer and keener vision of diplomacy.
The object of his visit to Berlin can
scarcely be to assure the Prussian government
of the friendly dispositions of France, for the
Emperor Napoleon himself has repeatedly given
expresaion to the " brotherly" feeling which animates
him and which is known to exist between
great potentates, and it would be an in-
sult to his sincerity to . conjecture that his
cousin was sent to confirm the assurance
already given by the Emperor. If, as is generally
assumed, the Prince has gone to try his hand at
weaning Primal* from the entente cordiale with
Russia, the probability is that his success will ter-
minate with the gala part of the mission.

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a Mr t ' Pawls, will wen 4110 BY _
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it
of 1 ;The • a. =jai game Ilirii, drown. i ? AratutAL ~ i ELEVEN MEN.
w I •VS .nt .82, W°6l4 • dimes dome. sad •. 1" 11111119110 W OF ADMIRAL KEPPE]
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r, tamely, dm, ,1, the titlei4ehme s, pnevaiiing z . What that la dose, ' will AND A BOAT'S CREW.
disfranchisement of Reigate and latree other Ow poiaarratioa at meg Maaaarviag =My law cabinet i --The-sheethei Beeeeekt ei the 23rd January ha
d a amfamd aim*, fa paallemsaat mil? Mt. Boa. • _
°ugh' ; clams 38, the penalty for corrupt ark would like, smaller militias ; hat the aoaatry does I the f°ll°winE :
malt of. rates ; China. 3s, temporary pro- sot weatand ail sottave it. ft li aka sad wary of !
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