The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-05-06


Bear true hearts oer the main,
But shall guide thy helm more,
Nor whisper love again
Years before the accession of her Maj
esty, Queen Victoria, and yet at not so re-
mote date as to be utterly beyond the pc
riod to which our middle aged readers ex-
tend, it happened that two English gentle
men sat at the table on summers evening,
after dinner, quietly slipping their wine, and
engaged in desultory conversation. They
were both men known to fame. One of
them was sculptor whose statues adorned
the palaces of princes, and whose chiselled
busts were the pride of half the nobility of
his nation; the other was no less renowned
as an anatomist and surgeon. The age of
the anatomist might have been guessed at
fifty, but the guess would have erred on the
side of youth by at least ten years. That
of the sculptor could scarcely be more than
fve-and-thirty. A bust of the anatomist
SO admirably executed as to present, al
though in stone, the perfect similitude Of
life and flesh, stood upon pedestal oppo-
site the table at which sat the pair, and at
once explained at least one connecting link
of companionship between Them The an
atomist was exhibiting for the criticism of
his friend, a rare gem which he had just
drawn from his cabinet; it was crucifix
magnificently carved in ivory, and incased
in setting of pure gold.
"The carving, my dear sir" observed
Mr.. Fiddyes, the sculptor, sis, indeed, as
you say, exquisite. The muscles are ad-
mirably made out, the flesh we'll modelled
wonderfully so for the size and material ;
and yet-by-the-by, on this point you must
know more than 1.-The more l think upon
the matter, the more | regard the artistic
conception as utterly false and wrong"
"You speak in riddle replied DR.. Car
nell "but pray 60 on and explain"
sit is a fancy first had in my student
days." replied Fiddyes. 'Conventionality,
not to say proper and becoming reverence,
prevents people by no means ignorant from
considering the point. But once think up
on it, and you, at least Of all men, must at
once perceive how utterly impossible it
must be for victim nailed upon cross by
hands and feet, to preserve the position in
variably displayed in figures of the cruci-
fixion. Those who thus portray il, fail in
what should be their most awful and agon-
zlng effect. Think for one moment, and
imagine, if you can, what would be the at
titude of man, living or dead, under this
frightful torture"
''lou startle me, returned the great
surgeon, ''not only by the truth Of your
remarks, but by their obviousness. 1t is
strange, indeed, that such matter should
| think upon it, the more the bare idea of
actual crucifxion seems to horrify me,
though heaven knows | am accustomed to
scenes of suffering. How would you rep
resent such terrible agony"
"Indeed, I can't tell," replied the sculpt
or: ''to guess would be almost vain. The
fearful strain upon the muscles, their utter
helplessness and inactivity, the frightful
swellings, the effect of weight upon the
racked and tortured sinews, appall me toe
much even for speculation"
''But this replied the surgeon, tone
might think a matter of Importance, not
only to art, but, higher still, to religion it
self"
'Maybe so, returned the scul ptor. ''But
perhaps the appeal to the senses through
true representation might be too horrible
for either the one Or the other"
"Still:" persisted the surgeon, 81 should
hke-say for curiosity, though l am weak
enough to believe in my motive as high
er one-to ascertain the effect from actual
observation.
$50 should l, could it be done, and, of
course, without pain to the object, which,
as condition, seems to present, at the out
set, an impossihility"
''Perhaps not" mused the auatomist Il
think | have notion. Stay, we may con-
trive this matter. | will tell You my plan,
and it will be STANCE indeed if we too can
not manage to carry it oat.'
The discourse here, owing to the rapt
attention of both speakers, assumed a low
and earnest tone, but had, perhaps, better
be narrated by relation Of events to which
it gave rise. Suffice it to say the sovereign
was more than once mentioned during its
progress, and in a manner which plainly
told that two speakers each possessed suffi-
cient influence to obtain the assistance of
royalty, and that such assistance would be
required in their schemes.
The shades of evening deepened while
the two were still conversing and, leaving
this scene, let us cast one hurried glimpse at
another, taking place contemporaneously
Between Pimlico and Chelsea, and across
canal the bed of which has since been
used for the railway terminating at Victo-
ria station, there was, at the time of which
we speak, rude timber footway, long since
replaced by more substantial and conven-
lent erection, but was known as the wood
en- bridge. 1t was named, shortly after
ward, Cutthroat Bridge, and for this reason.
While Mr. Fiddyes and DR.. Carnell were
discoursing over their wine, as we have al
ready seen, one Peter Starke, drunken
pensioner, was numbering his wife upon the
spot we have last mentioned The coinci
dence was curious.
In those days the punishment of crimi-
nails followed closely upon their conviction.
The Chelsea prisoner whom we have men
toned was found guilty on Friday, and SEN
fenced to die on the following Monday. He
was sad scoundrel, impenitent to the last,
glorying in the deeds of slaughter which he
had witnessed and acted during the series