The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-30 00:00:00

30, 147.

LITERATURE.

THE POACHER'S WIFE.
By Charlton Carew. 2 Yids.

This is, in many respects, a powerfully-written I
work. The author is imbued with the most deter-
mined h(,stility to the game laws; his every energy
is directed to exposing the evils with which they are
pregnant, the frightful consequences that are too
often occasioned by their operation. In order to
effect this, his great object, he tells a simple tale of
woman's love, and woman's trials, commencing at the
point where novels generally terminate—" her mar-
riage." Dinah Mountford has loved not wisely, but
too well. She has given herself to the object of her
heart's young affections, Locksley, the son of a neigh-
bouring tradesman, who, having devoted himself to
agricultural pursuits, had formerly been a welcome
guest, but who, on the failure of his father,
the sale of the farm, and the reduction
of the family from comfort and comparative affluence
to little better than absolute beggary, had been re-
jected by her worldly-minded uncle, and forbidden
the house. She, however, remained faithful ; and,
although dependent on that uncle who could with-
hold the fortune bequeathed by her father if she
married without his consent, and who wished her to
receive the addresses of Snipe, head gamekeeper to
.Sir Ralph Oldham, a wealthy landowner in the
county, she united her fortunes with those of the
penniless Locksley. The indignant uncle forbade her
his house, and vowed never again to see her ; but,
when dying, is induced by a true friend to relent,
and invite his niece to come to him. That friend
(Mr. Fellowes) undertakes to be the messenger, but
is unfortunately killed on the road, and the
niece, who by her uncle's death has become
entitled to 12,000/., remains ignorant of her
good fortune, and suffering under the most pinching
poverty. Three poachers are next introduced, drink-
ing at the village ale house, waiting for Locksley,
who driven by the pressure of his circumstances, has
reluctantly consented to join them on the night in
question. The poaching scene is most graphically
delineated ; their expedition has been very successful,
and they agree to return to the "Fox in Cover" by
different routes. Locksley, who is full of painful
reflections at his debut in crime, is alarmed by a loud
outcry, and finds his quondam companions engaged
in rifling the carriage of Sir Ralph Oldham, the
Lord of the Manor, on which they have just been
poaching. One of them has just prostrated Sir
Ralph's eldest son, and is about to murder
him, when Locksley interferes, and saves him
first from the would-be assassin, and subse-
quently from his savage dog, who was about
fastening his fangs in his throat. Scarcely, however,
has he achieved this rescue, when he is seized on by
his former rival and inveterate enemy Snipe, who, in
place of vindicating his character as he might have
done, and acquitting him from all the charges, so
arranges matters that the evidences of his guilt
appear quite conclusive. He is borne to gaol, and
while there is visited by a person who urges him to
effect his escape, and furnishes him with the means
of doing so. This is a Mr. Vaughan, the sub-editor
of a country newspaper, who having discovered that
' Mrs. Locksley is entitled to so large a fortune, con-
ceives a plan of marrying her after getting rid of
Locksley. He thinks his guilt will be aggra-
vated by prison breaking. Hence he advises him to
do so, and the moment the escape is effected, he gives
information to the gaol authorities. Locksley re-
turns to his cottage, and while there, Snipe comes to
persecute Mrs. Locksley with his odious addresses.
Locksley, of course, rescues his wife, and has dis-
armed Snipe of his gun, when the prison authorities,
who have come in pursuit, knock at the door. Locks-
ley rushes out at the window, closely followed by
the party, and a close chase ensues. This is given
in the most spirited manner. We shall give a brief
extract :
Again he looked round ; his pursuer was within a
dozen yards of him, while the rest of the party were
heard shouting some way behind. Both men exerted
themselves to the utmost, and kept a straight onward
course, undismayed by the thorny bushes through which
they dashed, leaving many a sanguine trace thereon.
But still 119 advantage was gained by either ; the same
relative distance was preserved between them, till, as
they were rushing down a steep declivity, Locksley
slackened his pace, and catching hold of the branches
of soma shrubs, suddenly stopped. His pursuer at-
tempted to do the same, but Locksley, turning quickly
upon him, tripped the man up, and sent him headlong
down the hill.

"At this minute, the moon was again momentarily
obscured by masses of clouds, which drove on, pile upon
pile, at one time looking like a huge black mountain
rearing its " monstrous head" into the firmament, at the
next scattered far away by the fury of the wind. The
fugitive paused and listened. No sound save that of the
wind broke upon his ear.
" I'm freed from the blood-hounds,' thought he,
though for how long I know not. What course shall I
take ? I know not where I am, or which way to turn
to find a place of safety. Oh what is life worth to me!
Men hunt me and shoot at me as though I were a savage
beast. And lam a savage beast,' he cried aloud, with
fierce emphasis ; 'savage as the hungry tiger ; and I'll
tear into pieces my fellow beast if he dares lay his paw
on me. lam no longer a man ; I hate all men as all
men hate me. Curses on them all I'

" His uplifted arms and dilated eyes gave him the ap-
peanut-ire a some prophet of old, thundering his ana•he-
mas out upon the world. An instant after, and his
thoughts dwelt upon his wife and child. The fiend had
fled, and Locksley fell toweringly to the earth, while his
own unholy words rung in his ears.
"Ab! what sound is that? Up again, Locksley: you
are a man once more, and must not yield while you are
such. They're close upon you—dash down the hill—
stay not a moment—away !
" The treacherous moon broke out again as Locksley
sprang forward, closely followed by three men. The
wind was with them, so the speed with which they went
down the hill was absolutely terrific. A narrow stream
ran at the bottom. None of the men knew the ground
they were traversing; but directly Locksley arrived at
its borders, he saw the smo(,th though rapid current, and
in an instant knew its great depth. tie paused not,
however, but plunged into the chill water, and struggling
to the opposite bank, caught hold of some grass, and
tried to drag himself up. But the bank was steep and
slippery, and in his first attempt he failed, falling back
into the stream. He heard a cry and a heavy splash,
and the next instant he was seized by a strong hand, and
dragged beneath the water.
" A desperate struggle now took place between the
two men; they sunk and rose again, entwined in a fierce
embrace, till Locksley, freeing one hand, caught his op-
ponent by the throat, and forced him to loose his hold.
Another tremendous effort, and he clambered up the
bank, barely a moment, however, before his adversary
had done the like. The rest of the party had crossed
the stream where it was less deep, aid the pursuit
began afresh, with a more savage earnestness even than
before."

Eventually he gets avray from his pursuers, after
a hundred " hair-breadth 'stapes." Snipe, however,
has been shot during the pursuit by Vaughan, who
supposed him to be Locksley, but the murder is uni-
versally ascribed to the latter, for whose apprehension
a large reward is offered.
Mrs. Locksley, after the escape of her husband, is
driven from her cottage, houseless, and destitute.
She encounters the greatest sufferings and privations
along with her child, who falls a victim thereto,
even the most benevolent refusing the slightest aid
when they hear that she is connected with Locksley,
the poacher, prison breaker, and murderer. Ulti-
mately she is restored to affluence and comfort, her
husband's character vindicated from the unjust impu-
tations that had been levelled against it. Vaughan,
who is arrested for large embezzlement, commits
suicide, first making a clean breast of it, and
leaving a written confession of his crimes, and all
ends happily. Locksley becomes assistant to the
land steward of Sir Arthur Oldham, who has suc-
ceeded to his father's title and estate on his being shot
during a hattue by Lord Plaistic.
There are very many powerfully written scenes in
these volumes, and the author manifestly possesses
great enthusiasm and ability, from which the most
favourable results may be augured when he possesses
a little more experience ; his faults are those of a
young writer, and such as will be corrected by time,
while his more favourable points, his originality, his
vivid powers of delineation, will be ripened and
matured by the same influence. should he devote
the necessary care to his future productions, and
coolly and dispassionately examine and repress the
luxuriance of his fancy, we doubt not that he will
attain a high position amongst the most popular
authors of the day.

PEDESTRIANISM.—MOLLOY AND SON'S 100-MILE
MATCH.—The heavy undertaking of Molloy, the veteran
pedestrian, and his son, a youth of 17, to walk 100 miles
between them in twelve successive hours, was brought to
issue on Monday, according to articles ; a great number
of spectators being attracted by the endurance of the
performance and the peculiarity of the conditions. At
eight o'clock, A.m., the father and son (the former in his
47th year) started in company on their arduous task,
walking on a measured half-mile near the fourth mile-
stone on the Edgware-road. The performance of the
match, it will be observed, involved the average comple.
tion of upwards of four miles per hour throughout the
whole period of twelve hours, and this was exceeded by
more than an average, including allslt°ePrPlaillgoeiss..
for refreThment, &c., of andfour
ile
,a the halfed miles.
At one o'clock twenty-five miles had been completed ;
but shortly after two, about.the 30th mile,
loy was evidently going in difficulty; he therefore stopped
while his junior partner in the undertaking walked one
mile, after which the latter took the like respite, and the
older pedestrian footed it a mile solo in turn. From the
32d to the 48th mile, they kept company, after which the
younger Molloy went a-head, and made. seven minutes
out of the old man in the last two miles, completing his
fifty miles in 11 hours 33 minutes, the veteran also com-
ing in terribly beaten in 11 hours 40 minutes. Thus
winning ~ith 47 minutes to spare beta eon them ; good
work decidedly, and better than we gave either of then
c Odic for being capehie of 3
i sovereigns, which, with ‘sliu"mineg'. promised st
ntibb.9y2t
ions,
in the event of success, has been well earonne both
the men.

DR. CHALMERS ON THE EDUCA-
TIONAL QUESTION.
The following paper, the last composition on any
public matter which emanated from the pen of Dr.
Chalmers, will be perused with deep interest by all
our readers, both from the vast importance of the
subject discussed, and the sad consideration that the
voice which could so wisely enunciate regarding this
and every other topic of practical bearing on the !sell-
being of man, will be heard among us no more for &ex.
The paper originated in a conversation which to6te
place in London on the national education scheme,
between the lamented deceased and the Hon. Fox
Maule, when the latter, struck by the breadth and
general applicability of the Doctor's views, urged him
to commit them to writing. Dr. Chalmers did so
whilst at Whitfield, Gloucestershire, on his way
home; and the following valuable document emi-
nently practical in its nature, and suited, we should
think, in a country such as Scotland, to unite the
suffrages of the majority in all denominations—n'sa
the result. For our own part, we regard it as s
legacy of sound, well- weighed advice to our Church
and country, to which both would de well to serve
themselves heir :
"It were the best state of things, that we had d
Parliament sufficiently theological to discriminate be
tween the right and the wrong in religion, and to en.
courage or endow accordingly. But failing this, it
seems to us the next best thing, that, in any public
measure for helping on the education of the people,.
Government were to abstain from introducing the
element of religion at all into their part of the:
scheme, and this, not because they hold the matter to'
he insignificant—the contrary might be strongly
impressed in the preamble of their Act; but on the:
ground that, in the present divided state of the
Christian world, they would take no cognizance or
sect, because they would attempt no control over
the religion of applicants for aid—leaving this matter
entire to the parties who had to do with the erection
and management of the schools which they had
been called upon to assist. A grant by the State
upon this footing might be regarded as being MN-
priately and exclusively the expression of their value
for a good secular education.
The confinement for the time being of any Go-
The
measure for schools to this object we hob"
to be an imputation, not so much on the present.
state of our Legislature, as on the present state
the Christian world, now broken up into sects and
parties innumerable, and seemingly incapable of any
effort for so healing these wretched divisiorits as 0,
present the rulers of our country with aught like §llOl
a clear and unequivocal majority in favour of what
good and true, as might at once determine them
to
fix upon and to espouse it.
"It is this which has encompassed the Govern.'
ment with difficulties, from which we can see no'
other method of extrication than the one which We
~.
have ventured to suggest. And as there seevas 11:
reason why, because of these unresolved differences,'
public measure for the health of all—for the recre
lion of all—for the economic advancement of
all-
should be held in abeyance, there seems as little rea-
son why, because of these differences, a public sr. easie,r...
for raising the general intelligence of all shoult.ll
held in abeyance. Let the men, therefore, of a•
churches and all denominations alike, hail sucha mea-
sure, whether as carried into effect by
tion in letters or in any of the sciences ; and, 'man'
while, in these very seminaries, let that education its
religion which the Legislature abstains from pro-
viding for, be provided for as freely and amplyas,
they will by those who have undertaken the charge.a
them. a good educe-
" We should hope, as the result of such a sehetne,
i
for a most wholesome rivalship on the part of many n
tne great aim of rearing, on the basis of their respec.:
tive systems, a moral and Christian population,eti
taught in the principles and doctrines of the Gospe,
along with being well taught in the lessons of oral'
nary scholarship. Although no attempt should be
made to regulate or to enforce the lessons of religion
in the inner hall of legislation, this will not prevent,
but rather stimulate, to a greater earnestnessis the
contest between truth and falsehood—between light
and darkness—in the outer field of society; nor will
the result of such a contest in favour of what is right
and good be at all the more unlikely, that the families,.
of the land have been raised by the helping Whetherot
the State to a higher platform than before,
as respects their health, or their physical comfort, or
their economic condition, or, last of all, their place
in the scale of intelligence and learning.
Religion would, under such a system, be the.
immediate product, not of legislation but of
.the,
Christian and philanthropic zeal which prevailed
throughout society at large. But it is well when
what legislation does for the fulfilment of its object
tends not to the impediment, but rather, we apPre-
hend, to the furtherance of those greater and higher
objects which are in the contemplation of those
whose desire are chiefly set on the immortal well
being of man.
" On the basis of these general views, I have two
remarks to offer regarding the Government scheme of
education.
"1. I should not require a certificate of satis-
faction with the religious progress of the scholars
from the managers of the schools, in order to their
receiving the Government aid. Such a certificate
from Unitarians or Catholics implies the direct sanc-
tion or countenance by Government to their re-
spective creeds, and the responsibility, not of allow-
ing, but, more than this, of requiring, that these
shall be taught to the children who attend. A bare
allowance is but a general toleration, but a require-
ment involves in it all the mischief, and, I would
add, the guilt, of an indiscriminate endowment for
truth and error.
" 2. I would suffer parents or natural guardians to
select what parts of the education they wanted for
their children. I would not force arithmetic upon
them, if all they wanted was writing and reading;
and as little would I force the catechism, or any part
of the religious instruction that was given in the
school, if all they wanted was a secular education.
That the managers in the Church of England schools
shall have the power to impose their Catechism upon
the children of Dissenters, and, still more, to compel
their attendance on Church, I regard as among the
worst parts of the scheme.
" The above observations, it will be seen, meet any
questions which might be put in regard to the ap-
plicability of the scheme to Scotland, or in regard to
the use of the Douay version in Roman Catholic
schools.
"I cannot conclude without expressing my despair
of any great or general good being effected in the
way of Christianizing our population, but through the
medium of a Government themselves Christian, and
endowing the true religion, which I hold to be their
imperative duty, not because it is the religion of the
many, but because it is true.
" The scheme on which I have now ventured to
offer these few observations I should like to be adopted,
not because it is absolutely the
Catholicthebes
t,burteloigniloynthbeylotehset
in circumstances.,e,sTishtienegndowrrient of
t
State I should deprecate, as being ruinous to the
country in all its interests. Still, Ido not look for
the general Christianity of the people but through the
medium of the Christianity of their rulers. This is
a lesson taught historically in scripture by what we
read there of the influence which the personal cha-
racter of the Jewish monarchs had on the moral and
religious state of their subjects—it is taught experi-
mentally by the impotence, now fully established, of
the voluntary principle—and last, and most decisive
of all, it is taught prophetically in the book of Reve-
lation, when told that then will the kingdoms of the
earth—(Basileiai, or governing powers)—become the
kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ; or the Govern-
ments of the earth become Christian Governments.
(Signed) "THOMAS CHALMERS."

ZENON, BY THE REV. R. CoutioLD.—The author
of this work is already favourably known to the public,
by the Histories of Margaret Catchpole and Mary
Anne Wellington. These works have become exceed-
ingly popular, and have earned for their writer a well"
deserved reputation. He now appears before the public
as the author of an historical narrative, selected from an
era and a class of people whose manners and customs arc
less known than those of modern nations. The scene of
his story is Rome, and the age, that of Domitian. Fria
leading object is to pourtray the sufferings of the early
Christians under the persecutions of the Roman Em-
perors. Ilis secondary purpose is to describe the
In m his
ners and picturesque early life of the Roma-as.
double capacity of a clergyman and a scholar, he appears
to possess the necessary talents and information to ac-
complish both these ends in a manner very pleasing and
satisfactory to the general reader. The incidents of the
work are at once various and striking, and moral and
religious truths of great importance are both simplY and
powerfully expressed. The work has afforded us so
much pleasure that we can sincerely recommend it to
our readers.—Messenger.
on
A,on WILSON'Sdy AEI r N. TWE
Wilson gave
vEeNhzi ENTERTAINMENTS.—At —p
popular
the Music Hall,
entitled " An Hour wi' Burns," in which
of the most popular of Burns' and also recites the
songs, in
famoue poem of " Tana o' Shanter." Wilson was
splendid voice, and gave all his songs with even more,
than his usual excellence, and his recital of " Tam o
lar entertainment,
entitled
Shanter " was hailed with repeated plaudits. sirjl:3ssmiomse-
cellaneous songs were all of a first-rate description, and
gave great delight. He introduced, by desire, the ex-
quisite song of "The Skylark" and the humorous ditty of
The Married Min's Lament," both of which produced
their usual elh cts—the former exciting the utmost admi-
ration of the beauty of the words, the appropriateness of the
delicious melody, and the b,antiful delivery of it by the
singer; and the latter putting the visible faculties to the
test by the humorous manner in which it was given. It
was whispered in the room that Macille. Jenny Lind was
in a private box listening to the dulcit strains of Scotias
minstrel. By particular desire, Wilson is to give one
performance more, when his programme is to contain
all the chocr‘ morceaux of the season.
Mr. C:,,rd,vell, 2,1.1)., was in Liverpool ,luring the
whole of Wednesday and Thursday OIL business con-
nected with his nomination as one of the candidates for
the representation of Liverpool.—Liverpool Albion.