The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-25 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Lalla Rookh : an Oriental Romance. By Thomas
Moore. Longman.
It is not often that we meet with so beautiful a
book as the one before us. It is perfect in its style
and admirably adapted for an elegant gift, or an
ornament to the drawing-room or library. It
has besides the rare merit of being intrinsically
valuable as well as externally excellent. The
works of Moore contain, amid some superfi-
ciality, much that is charming, and his name
is undeniably ranked among our first order of
British bards. There is a flowing measure and a
sparkling style in his verses that are melodious in
the extreme, and are never more welcome than at
present, when unhappily the fashion has obtained
of substituting mysticism for melody. The bewil-
dered students of our latter-day muses have to wade
through what may be appropriately described, in
the words of Fadladeen, as " some thousands of
lines as harsh and indigestible as the filberts of
Berdaa." " The Fire Worshippers" presents as
striking an exposition of devoted attachment and
heroic courage as poet ever chose to set forth the
achievements of the brave, or illustrate the magic
influence and potent spells of love. Hafed and
Hinda are shining stars in the horizon of all
devotees of romance, and lasting monuments to the
fame of him who has sent them forth crowned with
beauty's wreath and honour's garland to delight
and impress the youth of many generations. The
description of Hinda is again and again referred to
by those who would depict all that is graceful and
fair in their heroines, and a more fascinating
portraiture has seldom been given than in these
lines :
Oh what a pure and sacred thing.
Is Beauty, Curtain'd from the sight
Of the gross world, illumining
One only mansion with her light !
Beautiful are the maids that glide,
On summer-eves, through Yemen's dales,
And bright the glancing looks they hide
Behind their litters' roseate veils ;
And brides, as delicate and fair
As the white jasmine flow'rs they wear,
Heth Yemen in her blissful clime,
Who, lull'd in cool kiosk or bow'r,
Before their mirrors count the time,
And grow still lovelier ev'ry hour ;
But never yet hath bride or maid
In Araby's gay Haram smil'd,
Whose boasted brightness would not fade
Before Al Hassan's blooming ehild.
The hero may furnish a model for patriots, and
all defenders of their country can take no better
models for steadfast endurance and glorious zeal
than the band of Ghebers, who maintained bright
and inviolate the sacred trust committed to their
charge, and resolved :
Though living they could not be victorious—
Yet, dying, their deaths should be glorious.
There was something grand in the sublime
despair with which they regarded their success
and yet persevered in their efforts.
When Hope's expiring throb is o'er,
And e'en Despair can grasp no more,
This spot shall be the sacred grave
Of the last few who vainly brave
Die for the land they cannot save.
Yet the same God who heard their sires
Heard them as on the altar fires,
They swore the latest, holiest deed,
Of the few heart s still left to bleed,
Should be in Iran's injured name
To die upon that mount of flame ;
The last of all her patriot line
Before her last untrampled shrine.
The concluding passages in the career of Hafed
arc most impressive :
'Tis come, his hour of martyrdom,
In Iran's sacred cause 's me';
And though his life hath passed away
Like lightning on a stormy day,
Yet shall his death hour leave a track—
Of glory, permanent and bright,
To which the brave of after times,
The suffering brave, shall Long look back.

"They come, the Moslems come I" he cries,
His proud soul mounting to his eyes,
Now, Spirits of the Brave who roam
Enfranchis'd through yon starry dome,
Rejoice, for souls of kindred fire
Are on the wing to join your choir.
There is something holy in the faith that thus
triumphed over all obstacles, and in the devotion
that regarded death as the stepping-stone to glory
and suffering of the most dreadful kind only, the
means to escape ignominy, and thus a friend and
guardian :
And ne'er did Saint of Issa gaze
On the red wreath, for martyrs twin'd,
More proudly than the youth surveys
That pile, which through the gloom behind,
Half lighted by the altar's fire,
Glimmers—his destin'd funeral pyre ?
Heap'd by his own, his comrades' hands,
Of ev'ry wood oderous breath,
There, by the Fire-God's shrine it stands,
Ready to fold in radiant death
Tho few still left of those who swore
To perish there, when hope was o'er—
The few, to whom that couch of flame,
Which rescues them from bonds and shame,
Is sweet and welcome as the bed
For their own infant Prophet spread,
When pitying Heav'n to roses turn'd
The death-flames that beneath him burn'd I
Hafed's greatest moments were his last ; and the
struggle ho made to reach the goal, while the foes
pressed around him, is a worthy close to his life of
heroism, and throws a halo over his death of mar-
tyrdom :
A voice spoke near him—'twas the tone
Of a lov'd friend, the only one
Of all his warriors, left with life
From that short night's tremendgus strife.—
" And must we then, my Chief, die here ?
"Foes round us, and the Shrine so near 1"
These words have rous'd the last remains
Of life within him—" What ! not yet
" Beyond the reach of Moslem chains 1"
The thought could make ev'n Death forget
His icy bondage—with a bound
He springs, all bleeding, from the ground,
And grasps his comrade'sD arm, now grown
Ev'n feebler, heavier than his own,
And up the painful pathway loads,
Death gaining on each step he treads,
Speed them, thou God, who heard'st their vow!
They mount—they bleed—oh save them now—
The crags are red they've clamber'd o'er,
The rock. weed's dripping with their gore;—
Thy blade too, Hafed, false at length,
Now breaks beneath thy tott'ring strength!
Haste, haste—the voices of the Foe
Come near and nearer from below—
One effort more—thank Heav'n I 'tie past,
They've gaiu'd the topmost steep at last.
And now they touch the temple's walls,
Now Hafed sees the Fire divine—
When, lo I—his weak, worn comrade falls
Dead on the threshold of the shrine.
" Alas, brave soul, too quickly fled I
" And must I leave thee with' ring here,
" Tho sport of every ruffian's tread,
"The mark for every coward's spear ?
" No, by yon altar's sacred beams 1"
He cries, and, with a strength that seems
Not of this world, uplifts the frame
Of the fall'n Chief, and tow'rds the flame
Bears him along ;—with death-damp hand
The corpse upon the pyre he lays,
Then lights the consecrated brand,
And fires the pile, whose sudden blaze
Like lightning bursts o'er Oman's Sea.—
"Now, Freedom's God ! I come to Thee,"
The youth exclaims, and with a smile
Of triumph vaulting on the pile, .
In that last effort, ere the fires
Have harm'd one glorious limb, expires I
" Paradise and the Peri" is a most exquisite com-
position, and in its few pages brings before the
' mind's eye many lands and varied scenes. The
descriptions all through this work convey their
meaning in the most charming manner, and the
similes and allusions are replete with graceful
thoughts, clothed in beautiful language, as when
the Peri soars to the gate—
And she already hears the trees
Of Eden, with their crystal bells
Ringing- in that ambrosial breeze
That from the throne of Allah swells.
And further on, in her last venture for the hidden
charm—
Now upon Syria's land of roses
Softl,y the light of eve reposes;
And, like a glory, the broad sun
Hangs over sainted Lebanon,
Whose head in wintry grandeur towers,
And whitens with eternal elect;
While summer, in a vale of flowers,
Is sleeping rosy at his feet.
The sinner beholding the innocent child praying
is one of the finest subjects that a poet ever touched
upon, and the passage that records it is most appro-
priate—
Ara how felt, he, the wretched Man
Reclining there—while memory ran
O'er many a year of guilt and strife,
Flew o'er the dark flood of his life,
Nor found one sunny resting-place,
Nor brought him back one branch of grace.
" There was a time, he said, in mild,
Heart-humbled tones—" thou blessed child
When, young and haply pure as thou
" I look'd and pray'd like thee—but now"
He hung his head—each nobler aim,
And hope, and feeling, which had slept
Freni boyhood's heaurci
he
thawteipnts_tahnet came
Fresh' Fresh o'er him,
n
•
And now—behold him kneeling there
By the child's side, in humble pray'
r,While the same sunbeam shines upon
The guilty and the guiltless one,
of joy proclaim through Heav'n
And iymi
The triumph of a Soul Forgiv'n 1
'Twos when the g °Men orb had ,
While on their knees they l'g,.,esre4' yet,
here fell a light more l
Than ever came' from suonvoerlystiaarr,
Upon the tear that, warm and meek,
Dew'd that repentant sinner's cheek.
To mortal eye this light might seem
A northern flash or meteor beam—
But well th' enraptur'd Peii knew
'Tv,eis a bright smile the Angel threw
From Heaven's gate, to hail that tear
Her harbinger of glory near !
" The Light of the Harem," and " The Veiled Pro-

phet of Khorassan," are not such felicitous composi-
tions, but they contain here and there some delight-
ful pieces, and " The Feast of Roses" is very charm-
ing. The illustrations in this book are very
admirably done ; they are no less in number than
sixty-nine. They are from original drawings by
John Tenniel, engraved on wood by the brothers
Daiziell. They represent the principal scenes and
characters of the narrative ; and scattered abun-
dantly through its course, they impart a grace,
while they infuse a life and-spirit into its pages.
There are also five ornamental title-pages, which
are most elegant, and add an additional attraction
to the book, bang of Persian design ; they are by
T. Sulman, jun., engraved by H. Woods. At the
commencement there is an illuminated title•page,
from several ancient M.SS. in the library of the
East India House. Of the others, the one prefixed
to " The Light of the Harem" is the most graceful
and pleasing; it is from porcelain and illuminated
MSS. The preface is that -written originally
for " Lalla Rookh," in the collected edition of
Moores works. In it mention is made
of the flattering testimony that the poet received
of the merit of his compositions, inasmuch as they
were rendered into the language of the nation
which he had chosen as the scene of his romances.
Allusion is made to the circumstance by a lively
friend of the poet in these lines—
I'm told, dear Moore, your lays are sung
•
(Can it be true, you lucky man ?)
By moonlight in the Persian tongue,
Along the streets of Ispahan.
The admirers of elegant literature will be gratified
with this volume, and the refined ranks of the
reading community are greatly indebted to those
whose handiwork has presented them with a charm-
ing production of genius, illustrated with discern-
ment of taste, and arranged with peculiar skill.
Among the brilliant stores of ornamental books
that abound in the winter season, it is not likely
that many will surpass in excellence or attraction
this beautiful and interesting work.

VISIT OF LORD PALMERSTON TO
LEEDS.

ARRIVAL OF HIS LORDSHIP.
Very extensive preparations are being made in
Leeds in anticipation of the public meetings, at
which Lord Palmerston, during his visit to York-
shire, has consented to assist. His lordship was
expected to arrive in town at three o'clock yester-
day afternoon; and a vast concourse of people
assembled at that hour at the Central station. The
train made its appearance punctually, but did not
contain the Premier of England ; and the good
people of Leeds had to restrain their enthusiasm
until the arrival of the next Great Northern train,
which the time-bills fixed for six o'clock. At that
hour an immense multitude congregated on and
around the station. The train arrived with tolerable
punctuality, and his lordship, with Lady Palmerston
leaning en his arm, and accompanied by the Right
Hon. W. Cowper, chief commissioner of Public
Works, made his way through a lane which was
readily opened up for his passage, to the waiting-
room, while the horses were being put to his lord-
ship's own carriage, which was brought by the same
train. When the party entered the waiting-room
the officials shut the door; but it was soon opened
by his lordship, who, as well as Lady Palmerston,
seemed immensely to enjoy the popular anxiety and
enthusiasm. On the top of the carriages of the
train, which commanded a sight of the waiting-
room door, the more agile of the populace
swarmed like bees ; but they did not long
enjoy the point of advantage, as the train was
moved off and shunted on to a siding—a
manoeuvre at which his lordship seemed greatly
amused. The crowd gave many broad hints that
they should like to hear his lordship speak, and
pressingly asked for "just a word or two ;" but the
noble Viscount made no sign until it was announced
that the carriage was in readiness, when he said—
Gentlemen, there is a good old saying, "Welcome
the coming, speed the parting guest." You have
been very kind in receiving ns,'l hope you will let
us have a lane to get away.
This sally elicited loud applause and laughter.
An opening was immediately made in the vast
crowd, and amid tumultuous cheering his lordship
and party passed to an open carriage, drawn by
four beautiful grey horses, and drove off to Kirk-
stall Grange, the seat of Wm. Beckitt, Esq., whose
guest his lordship will be during his stay in Leeds.
Though the crush at the station was immense dur-
ing the time his lordship remained, the utmost
good humour prevailed.
Lord Fitzwilliam, the lord lieutenant of the
county, arrived in Leeds in the course of the after-
noon, and formed one of the distinguished party
entertained last night at dinner at Kirkstall Grange.
This day (Thursday), the Chambers of Commerce
of Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Bradford, Halifax, Hud-
dersfield, and Batley, will meet at twelve o'clock,
to make preliminary arrangements for the inter-
view with his lordship on the subject of the amend-
ment and consolidation of the Bankruptcy and
Inr-
solvency Laws, which interview is fixed for throe
o'clock. In the evening, Lord Palmerston will
preside at the soiree of the Mechanics' Institution
and Literary Society, in the Victoria Hall.
At noon, to-morrow, his lordship will meet the
Mayor and Corporation at the Town Hall, t o
receive from them an address, and will be welcomed
by a large assemblage of the magistracy and th e
public, for whose admission arrangements have beeli
made by the distribution of tickets to the numbe r
of 1,800, of which 1,000 are appropriated to the
corporation, 500 to the mayor, and 300 to the
magistrates. The mayor and corporation will appal a-
in their robes, and seats will be reserved for the
special guests of his worship, to the number of 100.
The Leeds Volunteer Artillery, and the Leeds
Volunteer Rifles will be present at the south front
of the hall, to receive his lordship with all honour
on his arrival. At the close of the proceedings Lord
Palmerston will adjourn to the mayor's rooms and
partake of luncheon, on the invitation of his wor-
ship, and will be joined by the Riding and borough
members, the magistrates, the corporation, and
other gentlemen who have been invited by the
Mayor to meet him. The same afternoon, at three
o'clock, his lordship will preside over the annual
meeting of the Leeds Ragged School Society, in the
Music Hall. He will afterwards return to Kirk-
stall Grange, where he is expected to remain until
Saturday niorning, when he will proceed to Fryston
Hall, near Pontefract, and become the guest of
Richard Monckton Milnes, Esq., M.P. During
his stay there he will meet the tenantry of his
Fairborn estate, and take luncheon with them at
the vicarage, Ledsham, which has been kindly
placed at the disposal of the tenantry* by the Rev.
Mr. Landon for the purpose. Sir, John Ramsden,
M.P., Mr. Milnes, M.P., and others of the local
gentry are also expected to be present. The day
has not been finally decided, but it will either be
on Saturday or Monday, probably on the Monday.