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ration, and enter fully into the theme, glad of the new thoughts even when the old theme, per se, has no charms for us. Amongst the many fine things which have been said of Memory, where are there four lines which concentrate so much regret as are found embedded in this utterance?

I dare not let it languish,

Dare not indulge in memory's rapturous pain;

Once drinking deep of that divinest anguish, How could I taste the empty world again? This is no maundering of a simply sentimental spirit, but the outcome of a soul that had suffered, and had not lost its strength, though a deep sorrow encompassed it, and obscured its vision. There was not the light that shone in the old days, and the regret that has overtaken many a heart formed a truthful and fine utterance in one who was gifted with a power of expression beyond her fellows. But the last lines which this wonderfullygifted woman ever wrote strike us as being specially note-worthy. They are an address to the Deity: space fails us to quote them all, but as a specimen of their strength we may give the following:

Vain are the thousand creeds
That move men's hearts; unutterably vain;
Worthless as withered weeds,

Or idlest paths amid the boundless main.

To waken doubt in one

Holding so fast by Thine infinity.

Though earth and man were gone,
And suns and universes ceased to be,
And Thou wert left alone,
Every existence would exist in Thee.

There is not room for death,

Nor atom that His might could render void; Thou, thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. We will not stay to investigate the theology of this passage, but as a specimen of poetic vigour it is well worthy of reprinting. The poems of Charlotte Brontë strike us as being the least excellent in the collection. Correct as they are in sentiment and expression, they lack the emphasis to be perceived in those of her sisters. The probability is that while Emily and Anne Brontë would have attained considerable eminence as poets, Charlotte would have wasted her powers on a branch of literature to which she was not quite adapted. In the case of Emily, the brief, decisive, epigrammatic form of expression suited her genius, just

as the devotional cadence suited that of Anne, but Charlotte had better scope in a more didactic and extended style. One spirit breathes through the poems of Acton Bell-that which animates the trembling suppliant appealing to Heaven. They are all a single cry couched in different, but exquisite language, the cry of a dependant for guidance by a Sovereign substance of the soul's aspiration is the hand. The moods may differ, but the same, and there are few sweeter religious poems than that which contains the last thoughts and wishes of Acton Bell. The verses are so well known that we refrain from reproducing them; but they may be taken as a good illustration of the spirit which animated the author, and form a touching farewell to a world in which she could never be said to have been at home.

With regard to the position which the Brontës occupy amongst authors, we express ourselves with some diffidence. In summing up their general merits, and pronouncing upon their works, it must be done as a whole, and with no singling out of particular excellences. So, whilst Charlotte Brontë infinitely eclipses novelists of the highest reputation in isolated qualities such as those we have already endeavoured to point out - it must be confessed that when we speak of her as the artist it cannot be as pertaining to the very highest rank. Her genius is intense, but not broad, and it is breadth alone which distinguishes the loftiest minds. But if she fails to attain the standard of the few writers who have been uplifted by common consent to the highest pinnacle of fame, she is the equal of any authors of the second rank. not too much to predict, in fact, that many meretricious works which have been commended for public admiration will lose in popularity, while those of which we have been speaking will increase. It is impossible for two of the works of Charlotte Brontë to fall out of our literature. They have been stamped as genuine gold and will keep continually in circulation. Works which fail to pass this ordeal are those which are either weak or false; these are both strong and true.

It is

We obtain from the author of Jane Eyre no multitude of characters, but those we do get we become closely familiar with — and one being of veritable flesh and blood is worth a thousand insubstantial imitations. The novels deal with no particular forms of religious belief, or social questions, which the author

would doubtless but have regarded as | prince, who sat by his side. During the accidents of which she cared to take no whole time his Majesty's favourite wife account; and hence we may affirm that remained seated behind him. Every after the lapse of fifty years her works now and then the Shah would shove a would read as freshly as when they first handful of food into her mouth, and as made their appearance. It was humanity his handfuls were remarkably large, the she strove to produce; not its creeds, poor creature was nearly choked. When crotchets, or peculiarities; and it is for the time allotted for the repast expired, this reason that the labour will trium- the princes rose and quitted the room phantly stand the test of time. The without washing their hands, for this inner life of a soul is very much the same indispensable termination to an Eastern in all ages. Its hopes, its fears, and meal is not permitted to take place in the its joys do not change with the chang-presence of royalty. The Shah himself ing seasons and the revolving years. used to linger over his dinner after their Ages pass away, and those writers and departure, for he was very fond of the writings which have only appealed to pleasures of the table. Sometimes of an transient phases of thought or particular evening gambling would take place in changes of society are swept away as by his apartments. Of course, it was etia resistless current, whilst those who quette to lose to his Majesty, and moredefy the potency of the waves are the over it was the custom for one-tenth of all gifted few who have shown the genuine winnings to go to the Shah, who placed power of interpreting nature, or of deal- them in a vessel shaped like a duck. ing with the passions of the human heart. Consequently nearly all the ready cash in the assembly had by the end of the sitting taken one direction, and the Shah, shaking his singular cash-box, would observe laughingly, "The King's bird has been fortunate to-night." In George the Third's reign gambling used on stated occasions to take place at St. James's, It is singular how little we know about but it was the groom porter, not the SovPersian manners and customs, consider-ereign, who profited by the transaction. ing how long we have held diplomatic Among other customs enforced by etiintercourse with the King of Kings. Yet quette is the rule that where a superior the subject is not devoid of interest, es- dines with an inferior the latter brings in pecially at the present moment. The the first dish himself, a practice not withPersian tongue has long been the lan-out precedent at Western courts. guage of Oriental diplomatists, and Persian etiquette is remarkable for its elaboration. Indeed, Persia is now almost the only country where Oriental etiquette is kept up in all its ancient purity.

From The Globe. PERSIAN ETIQUETTE AND PECULIAR

ITIES.

The customs of the Court of the present Shah are very different from those which prevailed in the time of the celebrated Futteh Ali Shah, who died in 1835. When he took his mid-day meal, or dinner, he used first of all to seat himself and taste some of the dishes; then, on a given signal, his wives came in and stood round the room. At the same time the princes, his sons and grandsons, were summoned from the ante-chamber, and stood round the table-cloth without saying a word. On a signal from the Shah they squatted down in their appointed places, and silently proceeded to eat. The dishes which stood next them might be to their tastes or the contrary, but it was not etiquette to ask for anything, or to help themselves from a dish at a distance. The Shah only spoke to the senior

The

bringing in a dish is, however, in Persia no light undertaking, and requires considerable skill, strength, and practice, for the manner in which the operation is performed is, especially at court, strictly prescribed. The dish or tray must be held at arm's length, carried perfectly horizontally, and deposited precisely in the right place at once. Some ludicrous stories are related about this practice. One old gentleman with a magnificent beard had to bring in a large tray containing several dishes, and place it in front of the Shah. The tray was heavy, the bearer was feeble, and, to make matters worse, just as he was about to deposit it a candle, which he had not observed, set fire to his magnificent beard. For a moment he was in a state of the utmost perplexity. To put down the tray elsewhere than in its appointed place, an operation which required some deliberation, was out of the question. To allow his cherished beard to be consumed was also impossible. He was equal to the

occasion, and plunging his flaming beard | reception by the present Shah some into a dish of curds which stood on the eleven years ago. His Majesty will not, tray he calmly completed his task, amidst it is to be hoped, be disappointed on findthe applause and amusement of the be-ing, when he attends the ball at Buckingholders. ham Palace on Wednesday next, that the

not the custom in Persia for any one save the sovereign to wear jewels. Another peculiarity in Persian court life is that on state occasions no one save the Shah himself is mounted.

All marks of respect are observed by Archbishop of Canterbury invokes no the Persians with the utmost punctilious-blessing on the Queen, and that Mr. Tenness and exactitude. On the Shah enter-nyson does not open his mouth. ing the throne-room on a State occasion The jewels of the Shah are, as we can and seating himself, an official shouts judge for ourselves, magnificent, but this out, "He has passed!" and all present is partly explained by the fact that it is bow by stooping the body and placing the palms of the hands lightly on the knees. The "eye of the State" then walks backwards from the Shah, and, moving down the assembly, gives handfuls of silver coins from a golden salver. Inferior officers distribute sherbet from jewelled cups and bowls of rare china. The next incident is the recital by a Mula of the prayer for the sovereign, and the whole affair winds up with an ode spoken by the Poet Laureate. Such is an abstract of Mr. Eastwick's description of a

It may not be generally known that the Shah is not the first royal Persian who has visited London. His predecessors were three Persian princes who, having been engaged in a rebellion, fled here in 1835 to implore the intercession of the British Government. They were not, however, received as public guests.

having him burnt as a heretic, to such lengths was the odium theologicum carried in those days! The copy of Tyndale's work thus secured for our great public library is of the first edition, and is believed to be unique. Copies of a later edition are in the Bodleian and the Cathedral Library at St. Paul's, but there was no copy of either in the British Museum until the recent purchase was effected.

WE understand that a volume of very great interest has recently been acquired for the Library of the British Museum, namely, one of the rarest works of Tyndale, the great Reformer, and first translator of the New Testament into modern English. It is entitled, "The Exposition of the Fyrste Epistle of Seynt Jhon, with a Prologge before it: by W. T." There is no place of imprint mentioned, but there is every reason to believe that it was printed at Antwerp, and the date of publication is given at the end as "the yere of our lorde, 1531, in September." Tyndale was then living at Antwerp, and a copy of this very work fell into the hands of one Vaughan, who had been commissioned by the English Government to watch over Tyndale's move-'TIS ments, and, if possible, inveigle him to return to England. Vaughan sent the book to Cromwell, requesting him to lay it before the King, which we presume was done. In the following year it was strictly prohibited, and Sir Thomas More, in his "Confutacyon of Tyndale's Answere," alludes to it in the following sarcastic and bitter terms: "Then we have fro Tyndale the fyrste pystle of Saynte John in suche wyse expowned, that I dare say that blessed Apostle rather then his holy wordes were in suche a sense byleved of all Crysten people hadde lever his pystle hadde never been put in wrytynge." The animosity shown by Sir Thomas More towards Tyndale was of the most intense kind, and he used every exertion to get him into his power with a view to

AGAINST THE TIDE.

Athenæum.

sweet to float along the flowing tide,
The water's soothing melody around,
And unseen harps with notes of dulcet sound
Lulling the car as down the stream we glide,
And all of beautiful and fair to see,

And balmy winds blowing upon the brow,
And all is well if left as it is now.
But let the brave clear thinker strive to free
Earth's groaning spirits from their galling
chain,

And, like a shipwrecked sailor far from
shore

Upon a raft amid the surging main,

He hears the warning of the breaker's roar, And, should he drift into some smiling bay, Fierce-visaged warriors motion him away.

Tinsley's Magazine.

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PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY
LITTELL & GAY, BOSTON.

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For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. But we do not prepay postage on less than a year, nor when we have to pay commission for forwarding the money; nor when we club the LIVING Age with another periodical.

An extra copy of THE LIVING AGE is sent gratis to any one getting up a club of Five New Subscribers. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & GAY.

THE DESERTED VILLAGE.

IN MEMORIAM.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "MARY POWELL." Oh no! the place is not the same, beneath its sheltering hill,

Though country lanes around it wind, and tempt the wanderer still,

And though the rustic church's chime repeats its ding-ding-dong,

To urge the loiterer wasting time with, "Come, John, come along!"

Although the windmill land and hill to-day's pedestrian greet,

And though the burrow roses still spring underneath his feet,

And though the field that's last but one, not under water now,

Has stepping-stones across, that run o'er what was once a slough,

And periwinkles from the edge, outside the vicarage gate,

And sunflowers overtop the hedge where once we used to wait,

While from the study overhead was uttered blithe good morrow,

Infectious in its cheerfulness, and deadly foe

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SPRING WORSHIP.

As some fond mother loves to run, And in her darling's cradle peep, And feast upon him in his sleep, And finds her doting never done;

To watch his blossomhood expand; Detect fresh beauties every day; Nor lets an hour slip away Without some favour from her hand

So I, when Candlemas is o'er,

And leaden days of gloomy cheer, Delight to watch the budding year, To see it flourish more and more.

I think it then a natural sin-
When shooting germs begin to prick,
And rubies gem the budding quick-
A kind of crime to stay within.

Then daily I frequent the lane,

And where the crystal runlets rise; And thank God for his balmy skies, And feast upon the fair champaign;

Watch lovingly the growth of green, From lattice-work to copious shroud; And every flight of feathery cloud; And every aspect of the scene;

The fallows, mellowing richly dark;

The woodlands, purpling every hill; The flying bows; the bickering rill; The heavens, inviting up the lark.

The woodland violet, white or blue; The native topaz of the bank; Assailed from heavens on either flank By wild wood-music, fluting through;

The snowdrop with its airy bell;

The crocus with its golden cup; The dainty cowslip starting up; The daisy meek, in many a dell.

The spiritual lilies of the vale;

The spotted foxglove, quaint of hue; The classic hyacinth steeped in dew; The pansy, lady of the dale.

For thy sworn lover, Spring, am I;

I watch thee with assiduous love, Crowned from eternal founts above, My heart is something like thy sky.

And in thine eyes I get a gleam,

A gleam of everlasting youth; Ah me, the imperishable truth, The purity and deathless dream!

Chambers' Journal.

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