The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 25, 1866.

LITERATURE.

Dr. Newman's New Poem.
The Dream of Gerontius. By J. 11. N.
Burns, Lambert, and Oates.

The initials J. 11. N. are as famous in their way
as those of I. K. L. They are as unmistakeably
indicative of the writer's identity, of his personality,
of his individuality. Subscribed to any effusion of
his, he can be no longer said to have written that
effusion anonymously. It is not so much a futile at-
tempt at concealment on his part—his employment
at any time of those distinctive and distinguishing
initials—as it is the conspicuous emblazonment of
the fact of his affecting something in the way
of such a concealment, that is of one wholely,
and obviously, and necessarily futile. The
mask from behind which he speaks to us is per-
fectly transparent—and behind it, behind the mask
of those well known initials J. H. N., who is there
that does not recognise the features of John Henry
Newman, formerly of Oxford, now of Birming-
ham—the world-famous author of Tract Ninety,
of Callista, of Loss and Gain, of the Apologia ?
Even, however had there been no such clue to
the authorship of these fifty miniature pages of
letter-press, as is here put ready-to-hand for every-
one's acceptance who lists, in those three initial-
letters of J. H. N.—we cannot but think that there
are quite as recognisable indications of the author's
identity abundantly scattered through the poem it-
self—imbedded in the verse as in amber—dis-
tinguishable in the very nature and ordering of the
thoughts and emotions of which that verse is so won-
drously and impressively, so clearly and yet so subtly
expressive. " The Dream of Gerontius," it is
especially worthy of note the poem is entitled—the
Dream ! It is to be regarded, therefore, as no dog-
matic utterance indicative of Dr. Newman's belief in
regard to the other world of which it treats—but
simply, solely, and wholely as the articulation of
some among his imaginings in regard to it. And won-
derful imaginings they certainly are 1 As unlike as
possible to the philosophical extravagances (if any
such paradoxical phrase can be employed for the
nonce) as those set forth by the fantastic fancy of Sir
Humphrey Davy in his eccentric little work, en-
titled " The Last Days of a Philosopher," where
the inhabitants of that " other world" are described
as not a jot less grotesque or bizarre in their aspect
than—what shall we say ?—than the denizens of the
Flying Island of Laputa—than the creatures float-
ing about among the coral and ooze of an aquarium !
Here, in Dr. Newman's poem, on the contrary, the
existences peopling the other world are spiritual
existences, disembodied souls, angelic beings, imps
and demons, powers and principalities. The atmos-
phere of metaphysical abstraction into which we
thus soar aloft—borne upward upon the wings of
Dr. Newman's imagination—is rarified to the ex -
tremest limits of appreciation on the part of the
reader, of expression in " thoughts that breathe, and
words that burn" on the part of the dreamer of this
same " Dream of Gerontius."
"Jesu, Maria—l am near to death,"
is his first utterance—the first utterance (as he lies
a-dying) of Gerontius. During the first dozen
pages or so of this little record of his
experiences—physical, intellectual,. spiritual—
as he reposes there upon his death-bed
surrounded, in articulo mortis, by sympathising
friends and ecclesiastical assistants, slowly fading
away from this world into the next, into that " other
world" of which we have just now spoken more
than once. Here it is that--towards the close of his
long agony—Gerontius communes with himself
(within himself) as follows

It comes again,
That sense of ruin, which is worse than pain,
That masterful negation and collapse
Of all that makes me man; as though I bent
Over the dizzy brink
Of some sheer infinite descent ;
Or worse, as though
Down, down for ever I was falling through
The solid framework of created things,
And needs must sink and sink
into the vast abyss. And, crueller still,
A fierce and restless fright begins to fill
The mansion of my soul.
And so on to the very conclusion of this uttermost
conflict between the powers of Life and Death, when
—bewildered as to which in his instance has proved
the Conqueror—Gerontius puts to himself the
awful problem already indicated. Exclaiming
at last, as the conclusion arrived at through his
very bewilderment.—

I am not dead
But in the body still ; for I possess
A sort of confidence, which clings to me,
That each particular organ holds its place
As heretofore, combining with the rest
Into one symmetry, that wraps me round,
And makes me man ; and surely I could move,
Did I but will it, every part of me.
And yet I cannot to my sense bring home
By very trial, that I have the power.
'Tis strange; I cannot stir a hand or foot,
I cannot make my fingers or my lips
By mutual pressure witness each to each,
Nor by the eyelid's instantaneous stroke
Assure myself I have a body still.
Nor do I know my very attitude,
Nor if I stand, or lie, or sit, or kneel.

Surely—in every syllable of it—a very wonderful
description : mystically and refinedly realistic to the
imagination of a consciousness of disembodiment !

Further 011—where it may be said, that Gerontius'
marvellously introspective soliloquy has fairly
floated us off into the empyrean—we are carried
beyond all our ordinary earthly ideas of time and
space by the Guardian Angel, who thus wondrously
contrasts for the soul of Gerontius, the different
sense of duration among men and among angels,
on earth and in heaven, observing that—
Spirits and men by different standards mete
The less and greater in the flow of time.
By sun and moon, primeval ordinances—
By eau which riße and 'Jet laarm9nipusly—

By the recurring seasons, and the swing,
This way and that, of the suspended rod
Precise and punctual, men divide the hours,
Equal, continuous, for their common use.
Not with us in th' immaterial world;
But intervals in their succession
Are measured by the living thought alone,
And grow or wane with its intensity.
And time is not a common property ;
But what is long is short, and swift is slow,
And near is distant, as received and grasped
By this mind and by that, and every one
Is standard of his own chronology.
The least satisfactory part of this otherwise most
impressive spiritual drama is that in which the
Chorus of Demons chant, or rather mow and gib-
ber, their impish revilings—making one shudder as
with a sense of abhorrence at their shriek of wanton
exultation where they howl forth—

What's a Saint ?
One whose breath
Doth the air taint
Before his death :
A bundle of bones,
Which fools adore—Ha! ha!
When life is o'er,
Which rattle and stink
E'en in the flesh !

As this loathly and fantastic portion of the Dream
is, we repeat, of all the least satisfactory, descend-
ing even to colloquisms like " chuck" and " fudge"
—the loveliest part of all is that comprising within it
the angelic suggestion to the spirit of Gerontius of
the rapturous sense of joy awaiting him when ho
shall behold his Judge ! The Angel saying to
Gerontius that when he sees the Godhead—
Tho sight of Him will kindle in thy heart
All tender, gracious, reverential thoughts.
Thou wilt be sick with love, and yearn for Him,
And feel as though thou couldst but pity him,
That one so sweet should ere have placed Himself
At disadvantage such, as to be used
So vilely by a being so vile as thee.
There is a pleading in His pensive oyes
Will pierce thee to the quick, and trouble thee.
And thou wilt hate and loathe thyself; for, though
Nov sinless, thou wilt feel that thou bast sinned,
As never thou didst feel ; and wilt desire
To slink away, and hide thee from His sight ;
nd yet wilt have a longing aye to dwell
Within the beauty of His countenance.
And these two pains, so counter and so keen,—
The longing for Him, when thou seest Him not ;
The shame of self at thought of seeing Him,—
Will be the veriest, sharpest purgatory.
Altogether—in spite of those little imps of darkness
whose babblings jar so inharmoniously and incon-
gruously with the eloquent dreamings of Gerontius
and his angelic associates—this vision of the soul is
not unworthy of the pure heart and elevated intel-
lect from which it emanates. Dated on the 2d of
last November, the Dream here related by Dr.
Newman has but just now made its appearance, and
that, moreover, in a form so small, and with a pur-
pose so radiant, that one would be almost tempted
to speak of it as a poetic diamond, or rhythmical
epigram, but that any conceit, however seemingly
apt, were little less than an impertinence, as it seems
to us, applied to imaginings so awful and austere
in their way as these self-communings of the soul of
Gerontius.

RICHARD COBDEN'S LlFE—(Lockwood and Co.)
—told as it ought to be (with an especial regard ou
the writer's part to " the unadorned eloquence" of
fact), has here been related in a two shilling volume
worthy of purchase, perusal, and preservation, by
John M'Gilchrist, the biographer of Lord Dun-
donald. The book relates succinctly the political
career and public services of the Apostle of Free
Trade. The cover is adorned with a likeness of
Mr. Cobden, and the title-page with a vignette of
his birthplace.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE IN 1745 —(Warrington)—
is the title of a little fourpenny pamphlet, the MS.
" copy" of whi'3h was written more than a hundred
years ago by one Henry Orford, a Cheshire farmer.
It has a powerful interest just now, not alone for
the farmers of Cheshire, but for the farmers of all
England, relating as it does to the history of a
mysterious murrain that, after the lapse of more
than a century, has recently made its appearance.
For the publication (at last !) of this little brochure
we are indebted to the Warrington Guardian—for
the which we herewith offer to our contemporary
our acknowledgments.

UNWIN'S INDICATOR FOR 1866—is a capital little
eighteenpenny contrivance, by which the 365 days
of the year are distinctly indicated as they come
round. A leaf being torn off as each day dies out
allows its successor to become visible until it in
turn shall have elapsed.

HEALTH OF THE METROPOLIS•

- -Z.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Report.)

In the week that ended on Saturday, Jan. 20, the
births registered in London and 12 other large
towns of the United Kingdom were 4,568, the
deaths registered 3,590. The annual rate of mor-
tality was 31 per 1,000 persons living.
In London the births of 1,149 boys and 1,097
girls, in all 2,246 children, were registered in the
week. In the corresponding weeks of ten years,
1856-65, the average number, corrected for in-
crease of population, was 2,081.

The deaths registered in London during the week
wore 1,569. It was the third week of the year, and
the average number of deaths for that week is, with
a correction for increase of population, 1,641. The
number of deaths actually returned is less by 72
than that obtained by calculation.
Whooping-cough is the most fatal disease in the
zymotic class according to the present return, and
it is recorded in 78 cases. There are 69 deaths from
typhus, 38 from scarlatina, 38 from measles, 16
from small-pox. To phthisis 165 deaths are re-
ferred, to bronchitis 188, to pneumonia 110, to dis-
ease of the heart 59. The corrected average for
bronchitis in corresponding weeks of previous years
is 226.

On Dec. 29, at 6, Cranbrook-street, Bethnal-
green, the wife of a weaver, aged 49, died from want
of food and necessaries. Censure on husband and
mother.

On Jan. 10., a hawker, aged 60, died from dis-
ease of the heart, accelerated by destitution. Was
found dead in Bethnal-green.

On Jan. 27, in St. Mary's Hospital, a labourer,
aged 35 years, died from chloroform administered
during an operation.

The following seven deaths by carriage accidents
in the streets were registered in the week :—A coal
weigher, aged 63 years, fell from a vanj died on Jan.
-4 in the Royal Free Hospital. The widow of a
coachman, aged 75 years, run over:by a van ; died
on Jan. Bin the Royal Free Hospital. The son of
a coachtrimmer, aged 11 years, run over by an om-
nibus ; died on Jan. 8. A surveyor, aged 52 years,
fell from an omnibus on account of insufficient con-
struction of seat ; died on Jan. 3 in the German
Hospital. A carman, aged 17 years, run over; died
on Jan. 16 in the London Hospital. The widow of
a dairyman, aged 82 years, run over by a cart; died
on Jan. 4, at 10, Redden-street, Golden-square. A
wine cellarman, aged 55 years, run over by a van
in Redcross-street, Southwark ; died on Jan. 10.

The anual rate of mortality last week was 27 per
1,000 in London, 28 in Edinburgh, and 31 in Dub-
lin ; 44 in Liverpool, 42 in Manchester, 33 in Sal-
foid, 29 in Birmingham, 34 in Leeds, 29 in Shef-
field, 31 in Bristol, 41 in Newcastle-on-Tyne, 26 in
Hull, and 33 in Glasgow. The rate in Vienna was
35 per 1,000 during the week ending the 13th inst.,
when the temperature was 51 Fahrenheit lower
than in the same week in Lonon, where the rate
was 26 per 1,000.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.740 in.
The barometric pressure fell to 29.53 in. on Tuesday-,
rose to 33.09 on Wednesday, and fell to 29.43 on
Saturday. The mean temperature of the air in the
week was 46.9 deg., which is 10.3 deg. above the
average of the same week in 50 years (as determined
by Mr. Glaisher). The mean temperature wasmuch
above the average every day ; and this excess was
13.9 on Sunday, and about 10 deg. on Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The mean degree
of humidity in the air was 84, complete saturation
being represented by 100. The wind blew from the
S.W. The rain-fall was o.6lin.,which wasmeasured
on five days, but chiefly on Monday and Tuesday.

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Wednesday.

Her Majesty drove out yesterday morning, ac-
companied by their Royal Highnesses Princess
Louise and Prince Leopold.
His Serene Highness Prince Christian of Schles-
wig Holstein went out shooting.
The Rev. George Prothero had the honour of
dining with the Queen and royal family.

VISIT OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
TO THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND.

NEWPORT, SALOP, Wednesday.
The enthusiastic Shropshire and Staffordshire folk
resident in Newport and the neighbourhood gave
their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of
Wales a very hearty reception on their arrival yes-
terday on a visit to the Duke and Duchess Of
Sutherland, and the result is believed to have been
highly gratifying to the noble duke and his royal
guests. It was understood to be the wish of the
Prince of Wales that the public demonstration
should be kept as much within bounds as possible,
and this was done ; still there was one continued
ovation from Newport Railway Station to Lilleshall
House, the pleasant Shropshire scat of the D uke
of Sutherland.

The Earl and Countess of Erroll have arrived ja
Grafton-stroct from Stains Castle, Aberdeenshire.
The Earl and Countess Spencer, since their re-
turn to Althorp Hall, Northamptonshire, from Norfolk,
have been entertaining a succession of visitors.
The Earl de Grey has left town for Hull. The
noble earl will return to town to-morrow.

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer
and Mrs. Gladstone received the Duke and Duchess of
Argyll, Lord John Hay, Dr. and Lady Millicent Jones, lir.
and Mrs. Holman Hunt, Mr. and Mrs. Woolner, and 3
select party at dinner yesterday evening, at their residence
on Carlton-house-terrace. Mrs. Gladstone received friends
after dinner.

Yesterday forenoon the marriage of Lieutenant-
Colonel Francis Lambton, of the Scots Fusilier Guards.
son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lambton, with Lady Victoria
Alexandrina Elizabeth Campbell, eldest daughter of the
Earl and Countess of Cawdor, took place at St. George's
Church, Hanover-square.
The infant child of Sir R. and Lady Emily peel
was christened yesterday afternoon at the Royal Chapel'
Whitehall, in the presence of a select number of friendS•
Her Majesty was represented by the Marchioness of EIY
and the Duchess of Wellington.
DEATH OF SIR JOHN HA LL.—SirJohn Hall, M.D./
K.C.8., Inspector-General of Hospitals, died at Pisa, 'Oh
on the 17th Jan., aged 72.

Amateur Performance for the Royal

Dramatic College.

On Tuesday night a clever band of amateur
calling themselves the " :Wandering Thespians!,
gave, at St. Martin's Hall, in which a ;very elegant
little theatre was temporarily erected for the occa-
sion, a representation of the celebrated pieces,
" Still Waters Run Deep" and " Masks and Faces."
The performance was for the purpose of in-
creasing the funds of the Royal Dramatic Col-
lege; and, judging from the very large attendance,
the praiseworthy effort will result in a very hand-
some sum being added to the funds of this admirable
institution. It is unusual to criticise the efforts of
amateurs on such laudable occasions, yet were the,
contrary the case, the " Wandering Thespians:
need have no fear of the dreaded gooseqll4`,
of the most exacting critic. After a veil
admirable overture played by the " Wandering
Minstrels, another kindred body of performers, the
curtain rose on Tom Taylor's " Still Waters gun
Deep," which was performed with a spirit and ease
quite unusual amongst amateurs. Mr. R. Cornet
and Mr. Walter Stephens, as Mr. Potter and
Captain Hawksley, each gave a very ad-
mirable rendering of their respective parts;
whilst Mr. Garton sustained the character 01
John Mildmay with the utmost earnestness and
effect. The ladies, as usual, distinguished them-
selves, and a more telling and praiseworthy per-
formance than that of Miss Sullivan, who sustained
the character of Mrs. Hector Sternhold, we have
seldom witnessed. She brought out all the pecu-
liarities of the part with the ability of a perfeCu
artist, and, as a necessary consequence, the
audience were much delighted with her perfor-
mance. In " Masks and Faces," the second piece'
Miss Maud Burton and Mrs. Leigh as Kitty
Clive and Mrs. Triplet, each performed their part°
with much ability, and so did the gentlemen, 111°11
particularly Mr. Walter Stephens, who gave a vivid
and truthful representation of the actor, autlint'
musician, and painter Triplet.
A very telling address touching the objects of the
performance and the excellence of the College 11,
,:
delivered by Miss Sullivan, and such was the cut;
success of the performance that we shall always
pleased to witness any future representations by the
" Wandering Thespians," who no doubt will beee:
as celebrated as their " wandering " ran°
brethren.

THE QUEEN'S NEW CHAPLAIN .--The Rev. jT.
Rowsell, who has just been appointed an honOrarY
lain in Ordinary to the Queen, is M.A. of St. John's
lege, Cambridge. He was for several years engaged te of
very laborious work of St. Peter's district, StepneStepney,°4ll„t d
the poor east-end parishes, and was afterwards apP°,-°...
by the Bishop of London Rector of St. Margaret's, 1.1°1,,t
bury. Mr. Rowsell has been three times appointed se, -"11
preacher before the University of Cambridge, and has
al
several occasions been appointed to preach at the 6Peig
services in St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey. lif:11
no parochial charge attached to his benefice, Mr. 11",-„e.0
has been actively employed on tho committee of the
of London's Ftuid and of other societies in Londol6