The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-08 00:00:00

OLD ENGLISH SONG AND STORY.

Many thanks are due to those gentlemen under whom
the course of Friday evening lectures at the Collegiate
Institution are arranged, for the opportunity they have
afforded the public of learning much that is valuable
and interesting on the home subject of Old England's
songs and stories ; for the two are inseparably linked to-
gether in our native literature. Where the rising gene-
ration compose a large portion of the audience, it is espe-
cially necessary that themes so essentially national should
meet with due attention ; if we desire to preserve in our
land that generous patriotism which has stamped its im-
press on the English mind, and the extinction of which, if
ever accomplished by the cold-blooded utilitarians who
have sprung up in our day, must bring sadness and sorrow
in its train.
On Friday evening last, Mr. George Barker, of London,
a composer of some note, delivered the first of two lec-
tures, at the Collegiate Institution, on " Our British
School of Song." In a pleasant exordium, he descanted
on the pleasures and advantages of music. As a healthy
exercise, of which the most eminent medical men had ex-
pressed their enthusiastic approval ; as an agreeable mode
of, at once, keeping the respiratory organs in order, and
providing a fertile source of amusement ; and as an enno-
bler of man, in all his relations,—to God, and his fellow
creatures. The lecturer enforced its practice and
cultivation as a necessity. The music of the coun-
try, he felt assured, gave a vivid and generally
correct reflection of the people. Thus, in Italian
music there was a warmth and earnestness which
we sought for in vain among the profound, but less
passionate Germans; Spain, in her romances, still retained
her attachment to fashion and beauty ; while England,
in the simplicity of her ballads and songs—and in her
rich glees and madrigals—presents a faithful type of her
frank and free-hearted people. Less fitted for moving
masses of people than the French or German, the songs
of England were more appropriate to the drawing-room
and the study. That music was worthy of study, was
evident from the fact that Frederick the Great, one of
the greatest statesmen, had composed one hundred and
thirteen pieces ; that Henry the Fourth, the first Pro-
testant King of France, was devoted to music; that
Luther ranked music next to the highest purpose of life ;
and that Alfred the Great excelled in music as well as in
knowledge, having founded the chair at Oxford now so
worthily held by Sir Henry Bishop, the distinguished
composer. Mr. Barker closed his exordium with quota-
tions from Addison and Shakspere, and then proceeded
to illustrate at length his brief and pithy observations
in a series of songs, embracing " The Dream," " The
Emigrant," and a quaint ditty from one of the most
fanciful poets who flourished in the brilliant age of the
Vestal Queen. As for one of the songs included in the
first part, " Stars ! stars ! beautiful stars," the com-
position appeared to us puerile and inappropriate. Indeed,
though well executed, it bore a marked resemblance to
the cry of a buy-a-broom girl, or some such classic melody
borrowed from the streets. There is a lofty solemnity in
those denizens of the great

"Roof of the world,"

which both poet and composer have evidently never felt.
Worthier of the theme are the lines of a local bard,
unfortunately little known :
Glory fountains, ever flowing!—
Chalices of gorgeous light !
Crystal glebes, with morning glowing,
Glittering round the dome of night !
Flames celestial I—fires eternal!—
Blazing opals of the skies !
Flashing in the spheres supernal,
Lighted by your burning eyes.
Orbs the future years inurning—
Stalactites of Space's cave—
Lamps around the Eternal burning.
Warming worlds without a grave!
Myriad colour'd systems !—brightening
Heights whereto thought cannot rise,
Plumbing with your pauseless lightning
Depths where even distance dies!

The second part of Mr. Barker's " Evening" consisted of
a glowing description of the scenes and character of Sher-
wood Forest. Hundreds had passed along the highway
which led through that forest without dreaming for a
moment of the charmed world which lay at such a little
distance from them—with all its wealth of scenic beauty
and endearing association. Sherwood, in his opinion,
was worth travelling a hundred miles to see, and when
once seen could never be forgotten. He alluded, en
passant, to its connexion with the bards of modern as
well as ancient days, recognising in it the birthplace and
home of such sweet singers as the Howitts, Hall, Bailey
the author of " Festus," and many more whose names
will live endeared to time. He then, in a succession of
songs, neatly interwoven with anecdote and commentary,
brought out in bold relief the various noted actors who,
once on a time, created no ordinary sensation on the stage
of Sherwood Forest, including, of course, Robin Hood,
Little John, and Friar Tuck. He expressed his adhe-
rence to the idea that the bold outlaw was a " yeoman."
according to the expression of the old poem, and not the
Earl of Huntingdon, as was now so commonly believed.

Several encores were given in the course of the evening,
and to the bill of fare Mr. Barker kindly added a really ex-
cellent song, borrowed almost literally from the lips of
Topsy, the quaint little heathen introduced to public
notice by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. The audience
separated at the conclusion of this clever little melody,
which we do not hesitate to pronounce one of Mr. Barker's
happiest hits, evidently well pleased with the truly English
entertainment.

THE RECENT GALES.-FEARFUL LOSS

OF LIFE

In the Standard of last week, we gave an account of the
disastrous loss of the barque Irene, on Saturday night,
opposite the Coburg-dock, when ten persons out of the
twenty one on board were drowned. The bodies of
Richard Whitburn and William Reece, seamen belonging
to the Irene, were found on Sunday morning, and the in-
quest was opened on Tuesday last, before P. F. Curry,
Esq., the borough coroner. In consequence of rumours
being afloat tending to implicate the crew of the steam-
tug Uncle Sam (which had the Irene in tow) for not
rendering efficient assistance to the persons who clung to
the wreck, a special jury was summoned. Mr. Watkins,
the owner of the Uncle Sam, attended to watch the case on
behalf of the crew of that vessel, who had gone to sea on
Monday morning. The witnesses called were Hugh Reed,
master mariner; Griffiths Hughes, the pilot in charge of
the Irene ; William Madren, carpenter ; W. Jones, second
mate ; and Jas. Williams, one of the crew. These
witnesses deposed that the Uncle Sam made some efforts
to get near the Irene after she struck, and she also sent a
small boat towards them ; but they conceived that the ex-
ertions of the crew of the steamer were not well directed,
and that they were much to blame for their negligence.
Mr. Reed particularly stated that there would have
been no danger of the steamer running under the stern
of the Irene, and thereby saving all hands. The inquest
was adjourned until Thursday. when Sir George Stephen
appeared to conduct the case for the parties alleged to
have been culpable in the matter. The following wit-
nesses were called—Captain Melville, of the Uncle Sam ;
John Newton, the captain of the steamer Queen ; and
one of the persons rescued from the wreck by the boat of
the Powerful ; John Lancaster Dowd, the mate of the
steamer Queen ; Charles Melville, engineer of the Uncle
Sam ; and William Shore and Thomas Kelly, seamen on
board the Uncle Sam. These witnesses testified that
every possible exertion had been rendered by the Uncle
Sam and the Queen after the accident took place. Capt.
Newton, who had gone on board the Irene immediately
previous to her upsetting, was very explicit. The captain
of the Uncle Sam, he said, had done everything in his
power, under the circumstances, to approach the wreck,
and save those that were clinging to it. The case was
adjourned to yesterday (Monday).
The adjourned inquest was resumed yesterday morning,
at half-past 11 o'clock. Mark Melville, the master of the
Uncle Sam, was the first witness called. He deposed
that there was a necessity to break the hawser connecting
the vessel with the tug, and he gave orders to break it.
They were at the extreme length of the hawser, and the
reason of necessity was, that he saw there was great dan-
ger when the vessel was going down. It would have
caused a great deal of damage, supposing that they bad
not cast off the hawser. He did not think it cord have
been used as a means of saving the crew. They enild not
with safety to their own ship have increased their power.
Robert Anderson, assistant-engineer of the Uncle Sam,
recapitulated the evidence of previous witnesses, corrobo-
rating the statement that a line was thrown by William
Shaw, a sailor on board the tug. By a jury-
man.—He did not see the line leave his hand,
but took it for granted that he did so. Everything was
done, he affirmed, by the crew of the Uncle Sam to save
the lives of the people on the wreck that could have
deposed
e
done.—William Baldock, mate on board the tug,"
to the strain on the hawser having been such that s
necessary to cast it off, as they were placedi n
greatdan-
ger.i They did their utmost towsaiviciatathe crew
svaorfdtsl,iecslpretanien,
anitthey could do no more
of the Powerful, steam-tug, dep
the windward of the wreck, he orosed tde!hat when he came to
lowered. He ordered three boys into but believed
d
four went. They were the means of rescuing the survivors
from the wreck. It might be attended with risk ; but,
hearing the
people scream, they did not hesitate to make
tmhieghatttehmaype slackened a littleduring the previous two h Ours.
After they had got the survivors on board they perceived
the Uncle Sam. She might have been alongside of them,
and they not see her ; because their attention was exclu-
sively occupiedwd th
rescu withrescued
e rescuing the drowning people. When
survivors, and had time to look
t ey
round, they saw the Uncle
Sam. He heard no hail from
on board the Uncle Sam pre • musty to their saving the
people. She might have made a hail, without those on
board the Powerful perceiving it. The coroner inquired
the names of the four men
with which witness, however, said he
was unacquainted.
The coronet intimated that be willed to be futniPhed