The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-24

"THE GLORY AND THE SHAME OF ENGLAND."-By
G. Edward Lester. Vols .Neac York, Harper &
Brothers, 1912.
Few books which have lately issued from the
American press have attracted so large a share Of
public attention as "The Glory and the Shame of
England" We rejoice that it is so. The very fact
| that such book receives warm welcome IN our
country speaks volumes for the soundness and large
ness of the American heart. This book could never
receive an extended circulation, except in country
where Freedoms affairs thronged with true-hea-
ed worshippers and where there deep and wide
spread sympathies with the wronged, and wretched-
and degraded. Where human rights best under.
stood and most regarded, the topics treated OF in
these volumes occupy large space in the minds Of
all who think and Mr.. Lester deserves the thanks of
the friends of liberty, that, through the medium Of
his book, they have been presented to thousands who
had hitherto given them but little heed, while those
who have made them subject of investigation, will
find here an amount of statistical and other nforma-
ton which has never before been presented in one
view to the American public. Mr. Lester has almost
entirely deserted the great beaten highway of tour
ists described so Often that know all the emile
Stones and bridges, and hotels and are acquainted
WIN all pol Wy
Whoever opens his book expecting to meet there an
eloquent description Of nothing, elegant prattle about
the hourly trivial of the day, perfumed
sentences, written with a crow-quill pen, upon the
finest vellum," will be grievousy disappointed The
great ure-house toyshop,' from which ma
ny of our +" Sketches" and "glances,' and CLEAN
ings," and notes." have been furnished with mat
ter, has been lightly drawn upon If any Incl
dents" encountered, and "perils by flood and
feldn Mr. Lester has not endeavored to confer upon
them Immortality at the hands of the printer His
mind appears to have been occupied with other and
higher speculations. Many books which have been
written about England give us the same kind of in
formation that we derive from landscape painting,
and present to the mind the same objects which
would be most conspicuous in the picture. There
are "nobe avenues of oaks,' and Z" old elms," and
gray ruins +" and noble mansions and " venerable
cathedras," and green lawns,' and trim hedges,
gardens, and fountains; and if cottage is in the
back ground, it is basking in much sunshine, with
t sweet vine at door and window. All these things
and much more certainly to be seen in &C the ia.
therland" and all these the author of these volumes
saw, and admired and had power to describe, too, as
any may know by reading the letter on West
Minister Abbey, out ne saw tnere also an OBJECT Whch
engrossed his attention than all Others and that
was mo,,--man in circum tances that awakened I'M
wonted emotions in his Republican bosom. In our
youth and ignorance of true civilization we of Amer
lea are accustomed to think that, if is willing
to labor, he may also have the liberty to eat to eat
his fill, of such provision may well supply the
waste of muscle. But Mr.. Lester soon discovered
that when nation has reached the highest sum-
mits of civilization, it by follows, with any
tolerable certainty, that man shall feed himself or
children, because he is willing to endure even the
most exhausting toll He found that there is depth
| of poverty and degradation below the lowest
| deep that had been discovered on his native
shores, and he supposed it not mimportant
| 10 investigate the causes which had scooped ou,
the deep, dark, filthy abyss in which he found
| so many of the bold peasantry of Merrie
| England" Contrary to many great and notable ex-
ampes he has dared to feel deeper interest in the
fate of starving child, lis emaciaed and despairng
parent than in regard to the number and condition of
Lord - horses, of the deer in his park, or the
rabbits in his warren, the color of his veres
OF the mountings of his carriage. Though thorough