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and the Austrian Provinces would be, distracted, if not persuaded, by the spectacle of a crusade for the cause of nationalities. Even Garibaldi would feel a little uncertain as to the path of duty, as he could not head at one and the same moment a guerilla war

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vier have acquired the happiest influence at home over the mind of the French Emperor. Everything will once more necessarily blow over, and the French nation be consoled with the promise for the twentieth time that the Edifice is now at last about to be crowned, and a new law introduced in Poland and in Italy. To head such a about the public press. It is singular that Catholic league as this would be the Ema politician of the Emperor's grasp of mind peror's delight that is to say, if it did not should be incessantly exhausting his own cost too many lives, and if he could calcutreasury and the patience of Europe by late with absolute certainty on its success. these indefinite prolongations and postpone- To have the Pope and the French Empress ments. War, it would seem, never is, but crying with joy at the news of alternate always is to be. The explanation is that Te Deums at Warsaw and Baden-Baden, to the Emperor cannot but perceive that the see French Marshals proudly prancing about war programme on which he is constantly at the head of military contingents from forcing himself to ponder is unsuited to the Catholic Spain and even Catholic Belgium, real wants of his age and country. He is and to be able to hope that the excitement by no means inaccessible to ideas of right about Poland might make the Roman quesand wrong, and a grain of conscience easily tion easier of solution, in which case Italian makes him sour. Those who are best ac- legions might yet be fighting with enthusiquainted with his habits and disposition ap-asm in the Polish forests side by side with pear agreed in thinking that he has no nat- the French Zouaves all this is a sort of ural turn or inclination for engaging in a political picture which the Emperor of great and hazardous campaign. Handling course has often drawn at times in his rothe powder-barrel, and calculating the ef-mantic soul. The reconciliation of the Pafects of its explosion, is an occupation for pacy and of democracy would seem thus to which he has even a predilection, but firing be complete; and France would get the it would be an act of fury from which his better nature, at well as his ordinary instincts, both equally recoil. Napoleon III., like Hamlet, might continue through whole years to brood over an enterprise which he could not bring himself to execute, if it were not for the natural tendency of political clouds to precipitate themselves in wet weather. Englishmen know by experience the meaning of "drifting into war," and the danger is lest the situation which the Emperor has partly created should in its turn produce the catastrophe from which he shrinks.

Rhine, with the approval both of the patriots and the priests of Southern Europe. This dreamy, misty, Napoleonic fancy has been ruined, as it was sure in the ordinary course of things to be, by a very commonplace event. The Queen of Spain, who was to have played the glorified part of at once lending men to France and contributing an air of sanctity to the undertaking, has suddenly been deposed by her subjects, who could not abide an intolerable mixture of piety, misgovernment, and feminine depravity. The loss of an army on the eve of a desperate campaign is a serious affair, The general impression that a movement especially when the army is one on whose upon the Rhine was meant to coincide (in co-operation at the nick of time depends case of Russian intervention) with a revival the whole success of the arrangement. of Polish agitation and a Franco-Austrian Anxious as the Spanish Revolution may be expedition in favour of Catholic Poland, is to appease or propitiate the French Empire, doubtless founded upon a modicum of fact. liberated Spain is scarcely likely to embark Such a combination was probably one on in a speculative filibustering adventure, which the Imperial fancy has rested in its which at most could only end in the aggranpassage from one phase to another, and for disement of an already powerful neighbour. the present, like Beau Brummel's mangled And indeed, supposing that no such ingencravat's, must be considered to be one more ious scheme was seriously entertained at of the Emperor's failures. The advantage the Tuileries as a Franco-Catholic alliance, of the design, if it was ever really matured, still the explosion of a successful rebellion was doubtless that France might thus ex- in Spain has not been without its uses. pect to engage on her side a certain amount The dreams of an undecided person are of pious and a certain amount of revolutionary fervour. The Pope might bless the banners whose mission was to avenge the Catholic Bishops of Poland; while the scattered spirits of sedition in France, Italy,

easily disturbed. A rat behind the tapestry at the last might have kept Hamlet from avenging his father's ghost. No one can feel sure what the French Emperor might or might not have attempted this winter, if

at the critical moment his resolution had not been shaken by hearing a noise upon his frontier.

It is not pleasant to think that the peace of Europe is at the mercy of any single man; but no condition is without its consoling side, and it is some comfort to feel that the French Emperor has his nerves. Les nerfs, said the philosopher, voilà l'homme. Napoleon III. might have been a bold desperado, with the spirit and determination of a burglar. As it is, he is a sovereign who is reluctant to shed blood, who knows what military glory means to the poor and industrious, and who in his heart, perhaps, is not sorry when something occurs to render it easy for him to put off his great conquests till another day. He would doubtless rejoice, for the sake of humanity, if Prussia at the last moment would give him a small, even the smallest piece of tribute money. What the representative of French vanity requires is indeed rather consideration and deference than concession; and Napoleon III. often perhaps sighs (in the interests of humanity) to think what a happy family the Continent would be if France might enjoy even the faintest shadow of hegemony. His policy, alternately bold and tanid, humitarian and reactionary, conclusively shows that despotic power cannot safely be entrusted even to philosophers who have what is called the popular fibre. The Empire is not peace. It has not justified the first blast of trumpets with which its chief entered the political arena. Neither, on the other hand, is the Empire war. The Empire, to Europe, means suspense. How long Prussia will consent to have the sword of Damocles hang over her head has yet to be seen; but if she does not mind it, and if 1868 is to close quietly in spite of all the rumours of the autumn, one cannot but allow that suspense is not so bad but that certainty might be worse.

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one who heard Mr. Reverdy Johnson, and every one who has read what he said, must have felt a conviction that the representative of the United States was speaking mere smooth things to please for a moment, but was uttering the genuine sentiments of his own mind and of the minds of a vast number of his countrymen. They wish, as we wish, to forget the past, and to go on better and more kindly for the future; and in nothing was Mr. Johnson's speech more commendable, nothing showed the wisdom and generosity of a statesman more, than the manner in which he dealt with the objection that there were some present who ought not to have been there, and who while the civil war was going on, had sympathized, and even perhaps cooperated with the South. The partisans of the North in this country are even more American than the Americans themselves, and were in a state of great fury and agitation because Mr. Laird and other Copperheads had been asked to be present. They expected that Mr. Johnson would feel the same horror at sitting down to eat with such persons as an American Republican feels at sitting down to eat with a negro. But Mr. Johnson was much wiser than his friends, and not only did not allow the presence of Mr. Laird to spoil his dinner, but went out of his way to express his satisfaction that the representative of the United States was treated as if the civil war was now past and forgotten, and was welcomed simply as the guest of English merchants and statesmen. How are outstanding difficulties ever to be surmounted, how are Americans ever to get over the soreness which they felt while the war was going on, if the member for Birkenhead is not to be asked to a Liverpool dinner because the English friends of the North have a too vivid remembrance of his misdoings? If Mr. Johnson had shown himself petty enough to resent that the representative of one-half of the port of Liverpool should have been asked to meet him, he would not have been the man to establish the friendship of the two nations on a firm basis. It must have been gratifying to THE Liverpool banquet to Mr. Reverdy all the sensible portion of his audience to Johnson has been a complete success. find that he frankly dealt with the matter in Coming at exactly the right moment, when a graceful and generous manner. Perhaps, the minds of men on both sides of the At- however, his audience was even more gratlantic were prepared and anxious for some ified by the declaration which he took upon sign of reciprocal good-feeling and assured himself to make with regard to the public amity between the two nations, it has risen debt of the United States. It seems to into an event of real political importance, have been an afterthought, for it was only by affording a means of placing on record at the close of the entertainment that he the good relations now existing between touched on this point. Probably some of England and the United States. Every his Liverpool friends thought that, as he

From The Saturday Review, 24 Oct. MR. REVERDY JOHNSON AT LIVERPOOL.

had said so much that was true, and had done so much to tranquillize the feelings of different kinds of people, it was a pity the bondholders should not come in for a share of the good things going, and that a word should not be spoken to keep up the price of Five-Twenties. Whether Mr. Johnson was right in committing himself and the nation he represents so decidedly on a point which is still kept open in the battlefield of American politics, he alone can decide. We in England cannot criticize his conduct in any way on this head. We can only accept his declaration with the sincerest pleasure, and rejoice to find so leading an American statesman, placed in so responsible a position, declare that even if the point in dispute is one that can be fairly raised between the debtor and the creditor, prudence and honesty alike concur in determining that it shall be ruled in favour of those who have lent their money.

Lord Stanley was there to meet Mr. Johnson, and joined in giving the welcome assurance that all was going on as well as possible between himself and their guest, and that all the questions at issue between ourselves and the Americans were in a fair way to be settled very shortly, and on terms highly satisfactory to both parties. On two points the possession of the island of San Juan and the naturalization of aliens an understanding seems already to have been arrived at. It ought not to be difficult to deal with such a subject as the island of San Juan. Very few Englishmen have ever heard of the island, and our only feeling as to it must be that we do not wish to be bullied out of it, or out of anything else; but that really we have so many possessions we know nothing about, and do not know what to do with, that we should be rather glad than otherwise to find our title bad to some of them. As to naturalization, it never was an international difficulty at all. A few violent Americans tried to make capital out of it, and to use it as a means of hurting the feelings of Britishers; but we in England never saw it in that light at all. The difficulties that surround the subject are difficulties, not of national feeling or custom, but simply of law. It so happens that, in this as in many other cases, the rule which we are willing to accept is simple enough, but the application of it is by no means easy. Let us suppose that we and the Americans and every other civilized nation are willing to adopt the principle that every male of full age may at his pleasure, and by going through certain forms, change his nationality. This sounds

simple enough, and Englishmen are quite as ready to accept it as Americans can be. But the consequence of the rule in the sphere of criminal law, in the sphere of family life and of inheritance, are not easy to foresee and to determine properly; and it is quite as much to the interests of Americans that they should be properly determined as it can be to that of Englishmen. The discussion of the claims on both sides arising out of the war is not yet ended, but both Lord Stanley and Mr. Johnson seem to think an agreement as equitable as possible under the circumstances will very soon be come to; and it is evident that Mr. Johnson and Mr. Seward will be glad the matter should be settled before the new President forms his Cabinet, and that Lord Stanley would like to have the credit of going out of office with the credit of leaving so good piece of finished work behind him. Both sides, we suppose, will agree to admit to some extent the claims of the other, and therefore both sides will have something to pay. The balance may possibly be against England. We may have to pay the money, but then we shall have one great source of satisfaction to comfort us. The Americans will be only settling those ordinary claims for reparation which arise so easily and naturally out of every war where the interests and commerce of a neutral are largely mixed up with those of a belligerent. But we shall be establishing a principle at once new and greatly to our advantage. We shall be binding over all neutrals not to inflict on us the injury to which a great maritime Power is most exposed in time of war. We shall be insuring ourselves against depredations on our mercantile marine at the hands of neutrals or by their connivance; and this is a source of security and advantage to us which we shall be sure to be purchasing very cheaply, whatever may be the exact amount of pecuniary satisfaction to the Americans which Lord Stanley may undertake we shall render.

The good feeling prevailing between the United States and England seemed so clearly established, the banquet went off so well, and it seemed such an excellent thing to have secured peace between the two nations on such pleasant terms, that Lord Stanley and Mr. Gladstone were both led to speculate on the possibility of the example being followed elsewhere, and of Europe being tranquillized in the same manner. Lord Stanley allowed it to be understood that, in his opinion, the danger of war between France and Prussia had been exaggerated, and it was principally because persons had chosen to think war inevitable

From Saint Paul's.

CLARISSA.*

Here, says Mr. Dallas to all English readers, is a great treasure. There are circumTHIS is indeed an old tale, and we should stances connected with it which seem to not now have thought of inviting the atten- make it unavailable to the public in its tion of our readers to one so old, were it present shape. Let us see if we cannot so not for the boldness and unambiguous handle this piece of unsurpassed excellence, thoroughness of the challenge thrown down as to make it of general service to humanity. by Mr. Dallas, in his introduction to this "Unfortunately," says Mr. Dallas, “Richnew edition of Samuel Richardson's well-ardson has a great fault; he is prolix. known novel. He expresses an opinion, He gives us indeed gold, but the gold is almost in so many words, that Richardson shapen into a goblet so huge that few of us is the greatest of all novelists, and "Clar- can lift it to our lips." And then he goes issa" the greatest of al! novels. He quotes readers a simple abridgment of the marvelon, "I have ventured to offer to English Macaulay, who is said to have expatiated lous tale, to Thackeray on the pleasures which he and others took in reading Clarissa" among the hills in India. He tells us that Sir James Mackintosh declared that it was the finest work of fiction ever written in any language. He overwhelms us with French admiration, naming Alfred de Musset, D'Alembert, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot, though, as two out of these five were admittedly adverse critics, we hardly see to what this leads. And then he tells us that

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fiction, - because, for the honour of literature, I lament that the noblest of all novels, the most pathetic, and the most sublime, should be unread and well-nigh unknown among us." To cure the evil of prolixity, therefore, Mr. Dallas has abridged the work by omitting such of the letters as he deemed to be unnecessary to the development of the story.

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In this there is an admission that "Clar

many besides Diderot put Richardson and issa," as left to us by the author, is in the the Bible together. In fact, Mr. Dallas present day unreadable. Thus there arise means to assert that there is the strongest two questions. Is Mr. Dallas right in the possible evidence which can be given by the extreme amount of eulogy which he passes admiration of contemporaries and by the on a work which he admits to be beyond judgment of critics that "Clarissa" is the power of English readers to digest in greatest of novels. But he goes on to add, in making that popular which is now adpresent form; and will he be successful - and this is the point at which he aims, that, though "Clarissa" is thus excellent, mittedly unpopular by the simple work of it does not now receive that attention which abridgment? We notice the book thinkso excellent a work deserves, and does noting that his judgment is wrong and that his administer to readers generally that delight labours will prove to be futile; because which it is capable of affording. This, in- the matter is of great importance, and be deed, is the very gist of the plea which he cause it may be worth while to inquire why puts forward. "I lament," he nobody now reads Richardson's novels. "that says, the noblest of all novels, the most pathetic, Now and again we hear the voice of a In these days everybody reads novels. and the most sublime, should be unread, and well-nigh unknown among us." And thoughtful or earnest man raised against again, "For the novelist who could so prethis popular reaction. Mr. Carlyle or the vail, I claim in all the English courts of Archbishop of York may endeavour to criticism, and in the regard of all his coun- prove that we are dissipating our minds, trymen, a reversal of the sentence of neglect wasting our time, and encouraging laxity from which he now suffers." And again, but the preaching of the preacher is of no and diffuseness in our intellectual powers; "I challenge for him in all the courts of avail. Men are as laborious as ever they English criticism and in the regard of all were. Our wives and our daughters are his countrymen a reconsideration of his more highly educated than were our meth We work, and ers and grandmothers. pray, and ride, and dance, and gan'le, But we all read novels; - lawyers, divines, and talk politics as assiduously as ever. merchants, soldiers, sailors, courtiers, poli ticians, and what not. There is hardly a man or a woman who can read who des not require that some amount of novel read ing shall be printed for the delight of his T her leisure hours. And so much is learned

services."

There is an enthusiasm in this, a true admiration for an undoubtedly noble work, and a true interest for the reputation of a great writer, which the lovers of English literature cannot but love. One's first feeling on reading Mr. Dallas's remarks is that of sympathy, at any rate with Mr. Dallas.

"Clarissa:" A Novel, by Samuel Richardson, edited by E. S. Dallas. Tinsley, 1868.

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that he has omitted nothing necessary to the story, and that, in the three volumes now under notice, "Clarissa" is a better novel than it was as left by Richardson. We will not pause to assert that an author should be judged by his works as he himself leaves them, and will acknowledge, also, as we proceed, that the world of readers is indebted to the editor or commentator who will make that which fitted the taste of one age fit also for the taste of later ages by his labours. But we venture to express our opinion that, even in this abridgment, "Clarissa is so prolix, that the impatience of the times will not endure the book; and also that, as a work of art, it is not only prolix, but is so replete with other faults which have been condemned by the ever-advancing literary education of the day, that it can never again become popular.

from novels, -so much of good and of evil, | has undertaken on our behalf to make it -so very many of the details of everyday less so. We will acknowledge, as we pass life are done honestly or dishonestly, self- on, that he has so far done his task well, ishly or unselfishly, in a manner divine or diabolical, as the mind of the doer may have been operated upon beneficially or injuriously by the novelist's art, that the production and possession of good novels instead of bad, that is of novels that will teach good lessons instead of novels that will teach bad lessons, is a matter of vital importance to the nation. We think that we are right in asserting that the novels of the day have more effect on the national mind than either the sermons or the poetry; more probably than any other branch of literature with the exception of newspapers, even if we except them. In speaking of the novels of the day, we mean the novels which are now read, and should count Richardson's among those if they were in daily If this be so, it would be a great thing to redeem from darkness and bring out into meridian light a work, of which the lessons are undoubtedly moral, if that There are those, among whom, however, work be, as it is asserted, of all novels the we do not think that we should reckon Mr. best and most charming. Dallas, lovers of literature too, who It is confessed that nobody reads "Clar-will tell us that our education and taste as issa." Richardson's novels must, indeed, to that which we read have gone backwards; be classed among those standard national that men and women who prefer Macaulay works of literature with which men in gen- to Burnet, Tennyson to Dryden, or Thackeral think it no harm to profess an acquain-eray to Richardson, do so because to their tance, although they have never read a line attenuated intellects and sickly judgments of them, and have never opened the volume. tinsel shines brighter than gold. These are There are many such national works. We the "lauditores temporis acti," the Conserdon't mean to say that men and women lie vatives in literature, for there are Conabout them. If asked to put their hands servatives in literature as in politics, men on their hearts and say whether they had who are very serviceable to us in saving us perused this or that book from end to end, from too quick a desertion of things that the truth would come from them clearly and are old, because they are old, the drag rapidly. But in the ordinary conversation upon our wheels which might otherwise run of the world, it is customary to presume an down the hill too quickly. But we hold acquaintance with these happy literary own- them to be altogether wrong in their judgers of brevet rank. Beaumont and Fletcher ment of men's intellects. As age succeeds are a great example. We are disposed to age, that which is most worthy keeps its believe that Spenser might be named in the hold upon us. As it is in matters political, list; Bunyan's" Pilgrim's Progress" should so it is also in matters of literature. Trial be inserted; and De Foe's writings, with by jury remains, and is likely to remain, the exception of "Robinson Crusoe." Dry- let Messrs. Beales and Odgers be ever so den's poems, Chesterfield's letters, and Dr. triumphant; and Shakspeare is still known Johnson's works, of course we do not in- to us at least as intimately as in any previclude his dictionary, may be added. In ous age. The very admission that "Clarthis catalogue Richardson's novels must issa" is not read, is of itself proof to us certainly find a place. All these are books that "Clarissa " is unreadable. which it is assumed that every man has Mr. Dallas admits that this work is proread, which all men have on their book-lix, and endeavours to cure the fault. But shelves, but which nobody ever reads. If unfortunately the book is weighted with a “Clarissa" is so pre-eminently the best of novels, and as novels are now more popular than ever, why is "Clarissa" among the books that are never opened?

Mr. Dallas tells us that it is prolix, and

double prolixity. It is prolix in all its parts, as well as in its whole. Cut it to pieces as you will, and it will still be prolix. The telling of every incident is done with a prolixity that to us is amazing; and, as the

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