in that shadowy hour, unseen, except to the answering heart that consciously knew it, a brow clear, unclouded, serene with truthearnest truth, loving truth, human truthstamped on it, so that in after-coming years neither might quail nor blanch beneath the downcast, averted glance of the other, for the breach of any of the commandments, lesser or greater, sacred to both? But to return to Thackeray's sentiments on this subject. He may unchallenged assert that Scott's ladies are many of them as he describes and believes; for it was the error, the want, in Scott's brilliant depictings of life's pageantries, that these low views of women scarcely ever allowed him to do justice to himself or to his heroines, the actual love-heroines of his novels. Those who, at the conclusion of his tales, are led to the altar, and in the true Prince-andCinderella style, are united to the heroes in all due form, in the holy bands of matrimony, are rarely, in any of his works, the woman of heart, soul, character, and, withal, true womanliness, who, as a delineator of human nature, under a necessity to make his book interesting, he was forced to describe as they are, and around whom entwine every interest and warm affection of the reader. Yet, as a man reared and tutored by custom and the force of received opinions, he dared not brave, with the usual clap-trap necessary for stage-effect, after rousing our sympathies for, entwining our minds by, and enchaining our hearts to one of those noble exhibitions of woman as she might, ought to be, and oftentimes is, he leads us gradually down from the height of this well-placed admiration and noble aspiration, causing glowing feelings, by slowly-winding descent to the worldly termination of necessity-for the hero to marry the tame piece of smiling propriety, capable of becoming all that Thackeray describes, and who has for this purpose, through these pages, in a shadowy, impalpable manner, only made us aware of another presence beside the real woman, to be ready at the close for the approved and expected consummation. Who-what man even-has not felt indgnant that, despite the strong prejudices of the age against her name and nation, and the prestige of Rowena's royal Saxon descent, the noble, queenly Rebecca should be calmly put aside for the fair-haired Saxon lady-Flora MacIvor for Rose Bradwardine? Even little Fenella seems wronged, and oh! how many others! Die Vernon alone, of all his lady-heroines, acts out her part, and shines throughout the book, from first to last, the sole, sole charm; and why? Because, forsooth, her fine abilities are permitted to be more than half obscured by her physical powers and abilities, horsemanship, etc. Jeanie Deans, of course, is below the mark. Scott could allow that a true woman, in her grade of life, might be as clever as she could; but even here the wilful, wayward, spoiled beauty is the love-heroine. Though Scott's manly and chivalrice heart allows the existence of the most beautiful and glowing specimens of woman, and though his imagination and pencil depict such, yet his worldly self, the educated man and calculating Scotsman, withdraws prudently from all such the crowning point of woman's glory-love, and the devotion of the heart, leading to marriage. And why? Because they were not capable of carrying out into daily life and practice, with firm and gentle devotion, their duty as women? No; but because men have for ages, allowed themselves so low a standard of moral excellence, that even in those instances of rare intellectual endowments they dare not put themselves on a level in daily contact with a clear-sighted woman of pure and elevated views. It is not that men are so mean or narrow in their range of vision, or do not acknowledge the beauty of high excellence, that they will not allow a rival near the throne of mental supremacy. Nature has so distinctly marked their supremacy in points essential for duty in their different spheres, that few men, even of limited capacity, but must be conscious of a difference of powers. Allowing their superiority in many respects over women of fine intellects, they never can interfere with each other, their powers and the needs for their exercise are so diverse. The whole error exists and has arisen from defective moral training in men for untold ages; lowering the standard of excellence at which they are to aim, and lessening their responsibility, and the force of moral perceptions of right. Here lies the evil. Let but a Decalogue be acknowledged for men as well as women; let but both sexes be trained to clear and earnest views of right, truth, and duty, and there need be no clashing or collision of interests, or jealous claims for superiority. Men will have manliness enough to see, to feel, to admire, to allow and acknowledge the beauty, purity, refining and beneficial influence of clear, high-minded, right principled woman; will know that bread and puddings can be as well concocted, and buttons and braids as neatly put on, by a woman of such qualifications, as by one who has striven earnestly to be a wheedling, fondling, lying one through life; the woman will look up with delighted reverence and proper homage to her lord, her governor, her king, in the broad place of rightful head and superior, where God and nature placed him. It is the false basis upon which each is placed by the accumulated defective training of ages, that renders it necessary for men to ignore, despise, and contemn-or endeavour to do so-all intellectual women, and necessary for intellectual women to hide their light under a bushel, more than half-afraid or ashamed to show it, and consequently, as Thackeray says, "fondly lie" through life. But Shakspeare-Shakspeare to be put in the same category with writers who are not beyond or above their age !-Shakspeare! he who wrote for the whole world, for all ages-of all men, for him to be accused of having drawn "affectionate, motherly, that sort-of-thing wo men!" Shakspeare! we do indeed view all things through the colouring of the glasses that necessity, education, or habit induce us to wear. Shakspeare! what play of his is there in which the women-the clever, brilliant, noble, gifted, talented women, right women—are not the main-spring of the plot; the more than halfessential charm of the whole, which removed, the play would seem stale, flat, and unprofitable? Change them, and try the effect. Replace Portia, in the "Merchant of Venice," by one of those tame, motherly, decciving dames, and where is the play-the interest, power, force? Even Nerissa and Jessica-remove them and insert in their places insipid Amelias, see the effect, and how every other character would fail in interest! Where can a specimen of more noble womanhood, in the whole range of literature, be shown than Portia, with her wit, her brilliant sallies, her intellectual riches, her clear, cool judgment, keen perception? And did Shakspeare allow the possession of these qualities to lessen her attractiveness as a woman; her gentle, fervent, earnest, tender devotion and submission to her bosom's lord, to whom she gave herself co freely and so beautifully. No! but Bassanio was a man worthy to be loved by such a woman as Portia; and therefore he gloried in her glory. He feared not her rivalry; he knew still that, as in every true woman's heart and character, the brightest light, the clearest radiance, was that derived from him who has to love and cherish her-her husband; and that the beams of his excellence and glory must, as the sun's rays do, illuminate and display, in softened splendour, the mountains, hills, vales, and waters of the moon, which, without the possession of these inherent qualities would not by half so well reflect it from arid moor or desert sand. Look through the whole range of his plays is one woman made capable of interesting our sympathies or winning our admiration, in whatever circumstances placed, without the charms of intellect and cultivated mental faculties ? Where is Isabella, in her holy beauty and her far-searching glance of fearless rectitude? Rosalind, with her powers of wit and winning brightness? Beatrice, even, in her sparkling, diamond-jewelled robe of raillery and talent, shows through its folds and brilliancy freshglowing gleams of real woman's heart as well as will. Thus it will ever be a clever woman beneath the protecting ægis of a noble man, if not seem ingly so brilliant as herself, yet feels that the power is there, the strength; and beneath the overshadowing ægis of his beaming, fostering love, such a woman will live and breathe only gently, and bless and soften and purify; and man, yes man-the world, will yet see these enshrouding mists of probation vanish away, and prove that the error is not in woman, or in their being clever women, but in men being educated to false views of life, duty, and self. NELLIE. A sweet little maid is my own pretty Nell, For wooing, alas! she's too young, and I fear Hope can smoothen the roughest of paths, darling Nell; Then, meantime, I'll strive for all honour and fame; ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. POETRY received and accepted, with thanks: "I'll Hope no more;" "To the Little Eastern;" "In Te Speravi;" "A Woman's Song;" "Lines;" "The Mysterious Visitor." M. W., Ballymoney, will perceive we have not overlooked her graceful favour. We shall be glad of others from her pen. POETRY declined, with thanks: "The Bluebell Wreath" (pretty, but imperfect); "The Contretemp" (clever, but unsuitable); Life's Wayfarer." PROSE accepted, with thanks : A Voyage from Corfu," &c.; "Lord Byron's Letters." PROSE declined: "The Deerings of Deerings Drafi." We very regretfully return this story, which opens so well that we were the more disappointed at the want of sustained power in the second part. Unhappily, the alterations have rather weakened than improved it. W. E. and Co.-We have not received the music referred to by this correspondent, but will notice it in our next, if received in time. Music, books for review, &c., must be sent in by the 10th of each month, to receive notice in our next number. PRINTED BY ROGERSON AND TUXFORD, 265, STRAND, |