LITERARY NOTES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Paris, September 12.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2083, 12 November 1885, Page 4

LITERARY NOTES. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Paris, September 12.

Tr^svsoN is known to Fiench littiatmc •nice qiurter of a eentmy, and is studied as a classic. "Knorh Aiden" and the " Idyls of the King ' aro on tin-, official list of school books He appeals to the most cultivated tastes and to be felt he mint li" stndidl in the conditions in winch he has written. Tliat is to say, in solitude, calm, nnd with forgetfnlncss of, or disdain for. vnljiaritics. In a word, in the tranquil Inllin is of intellectual .^jjjwer. Respecting the juvenile poems of Tennyson, M Filon remarks, wh.»t the student secki. but dots not find, is Tennyson. The poetic iiHtiument in there, but not the soul lo make it vibrate. As regards Hallam, the latt<;r thought in Tmnyon. He seemed to use the poetic famine* of his friend as if they were his owi.. The sudden death of Ilallain it Vienna after a short illness in the autumn of 1833, tuiminnted the friend■hip Tennyson chanted his grief. His was not that silent mourning too deep for tears ami voice The calamity ex cites the faculties of the poet. At first it is stupefaction, then the saddest de pression, next revolt, to believe the catastrophe. Each recurring year awakens its souvenirs. Time heals the wounds of many, but does it so the poet's who remains faithful to his sorrow ? Can grief itself die ? As formerly, ho could not live without his friend, so Tennyson now cannot live without his chagrin ; hence imagination depicts it under every form, and presents it under every simile. The chants are short, ot swallow flight dimension; they are flying leaves, falling one over the Other, as so many spadefuls of sarrcd earth, till in the course of ten years they form a mound. But the latter is not a book, as a book exacts order and unity ; the tirnt is absent, the second invisible, as the poet conceals his friend True, we learn the friend had blue tyes, studied law, and «cd a relative of the poet's ; they had an excursion up the Rhine and read Dante on the grass. But all this ia not unity. Why? Ten n\ sin aimed not to pamt, but to idealise his friend, to ihvmisi) his physiiguoiny. The reader is incapable of realising io many abstractions lent to Hallam. We aie not in picsence of a man, but of an aggregate of faculties, of a pyramid of \irturs. li it a demonstration of the immortality of the soul' Nj;it is a commencement and a finishing with faith. Tennyson lived with his mounting during ten yeais. It ends : he .and Hallam are one ; the poet returns to life, and the long funeral hymn ends by a nuptial song. The Idyls of the King, more than any other of Tennyson's uoiks, the Fiench consider to bu the product of distinct inspirations, laboriously pieced together, where the Mosaic joinings are visible. It is thus that royal residences are ordinarily constructed ; just as it has been obseived of Fontainbleait, a palace rende/.voi's, aged, and of different styles. Arthur is the pel Bonification, as he ought to be. of the " flower of kings." Tennyson has given to that oft-sketched figure, polish, finish, elegance, and artistic splendour, making him Ihe ap'>gcc of a civilisation that never existed, ivn-utinf! of the<"^' «f woimn, force af the service of right, and though springing Godwards on the wing-j of prayrr. Arthur is not only the ideal of society, but the superior soul of humanity. They arc Tennyson's poems of real life— the peasants and the sailois, which the Fiench like b< st ; he observer the characters in the truest of all ways by li\ ing in their midst. Out of simple materials, appirently beneath prosp, he makes poetry. This explains why Enoch Arden and the (handrr.othcr are popular and favourites. The latter most of all ; and by its consoling and soothing conclusion, where, as ever with Tennyson, the spirit of Christianity breathes over doubt, and clearing it away like Hie summer mist, displays the heavens. Of Enoch Arden it may be estimated by a reference to Tola's* boast about his book : "It h the first that has truly the odour of the people." lie it so ; but if the people has its odour, it has »oin<-timcs too its "perfume," and that perfume exhales from every page of Enoch Ardeu. Tennyson is not ranked by tho French ill the exponent of the Anglo-Saxon, genius in the sense as are Shakespeare and Di< kens. He possesses the art of composing the science of proportions, and an exquisite sentiment of form and sound. He sculpts, he retouches, he erases, liut then they are the thousand blows of the hammer which impart to the forged object, its form and value. Tennjson possesses instinctively the genius of harmony of words. He intimates all with Ins verses, fiom the neighing and galloping of steeds, the sharp, diy snap of the guitar ; the joyous vibration of bell*; the dying away of echoes ; the sough of the waves as they kiss the beach, brief, all tho sounds of living nature, from the groaning thunder, to the chirping of the grasshopper. But the moral value of Tennyson, reBides in his literary *incerity ; he exErtfica what he liimieif has felt, what c himselt thought, and nothing more. That is too hi* originality ; be givei us an idcul prince, a "missionary of the Infinite," saving society by self devotion and example, while before the solitary tomb of bis fiiend, the poet seeks, lift in death and truth in lo\e. Wherever Spam has truly dominated, she has left manners stationary and traditions untouched. This is more evident still in the mother country itself, wheie ;t will be seen, Spaniards unite all the miseries, to all the giandcurs. It is still full middle age in the Iberian Peninsula. J'hc houses aie built the lame, as under I'hilippe 11, and the windows piotccted with railings of the same model, as during the domination of the. Moots. But in the- past, tlic in uiiiers< of tlio people wciein harmony with its institutions, now, that hirmony e\ists no more ; there is a permanent antagonism bftwern what Spaniards wish to br, and what they can be. So thinks M. Guesnel. It is not in sitting under the orange tree at Cadi/, oi the laiuel roses of Sc\ille tliat Spain can lw known. The towns eicry where aie at all times an imperfect miiror of a nation's social lift*. A truer text is to mix among the agricultural, the .uti/ait, and tlic small proprietor cia»K> s of the provuiu . Again, it is v«iy difficult to appicu.ite the history of a. people where changes are sc midden, and l evolutions, coups d' etat, and restaurations succeed without end, and without ieason ; where events march us rapid and as irregular as a drama by Lope Us Vega. Spain is not a kingdom, but a combination of several provinces slenderly roped together, and full of dislikes and jealousies. Neither is Madrid n capital in the sense of other capitals, it is one of tlie/Sp.iins within Spain, a c-ntre for intiigura, placehunters and adventurers in every walk nnd grade of life, and from all pait«of the provinces. I'haamc, smoking, and making love are the chief business in Sp.wn. Kvory Spaniard who has neither Jewish nor iMooiish blood in his veins is an hidalago, hence, why the shepherds of Catalonia me -so pioud of their birth. It explains also why the Andalusian.s arc so proud ; w here th«» humblest peasant or miner when lie lias hi-> douched hat cocked o\er one ear, and hfs J"/n or red silk scarf round his waist, feels himself to be a prince If he met a lady he would spread like a Raleigh, his mantle on the ground for her feet. The Spaniaid'.s contempt for life makes him a brave soldier, but a cruel, pitiless man. He is cruel towards animals from bis cradle ; he will often bite the ears of bis mule or t>rick it with his stiletto, if it gets stnbborn. He replies they are not Christians — no trm G)t*tt(t>i'>». It was this spirit made Senor burn Jews and heretics. r lbe Spaniards are a bra\e people, but paradoxical. Tlic immortal type of Don Quixote lives in them stU^ The most constant pic occupation f^^H _^JMhhm2P<l 'he nrtimn \<* As^ol^^^A

to write correctly But they make good mother-. and faithful wives ; are so biave, so uood htiiuoureil and merry, that look but in their pretty, Lushing faces, ami you forget all defects. M. .lametel, in his account of the Comini, states the inhabitants ignore umbrellas ; but in older to pn serve their hovcii hail hats fiom »lie rnin, they ve&r a hood umbrella without a handle, made of oilid pipei :it opens o- er the hit, au J . 11 kept in position by string*. The shower past, »lik wearer puts the folded hood up hi* »lcevo, or into his boot. The Corenns. the author «nys, nvre the discoverers of the famous China ink, and aNo of a spei ial paper, Inrju-ly employ d in the. Kant, called "Corcnn." This papci is also made into waterproof gaimeiiK and owes its quitifi-a of mi permeability, to a liquid obtained from an unknown plant in the intciior of the countrj The unmarried girls, of the inpeiior chsscß, are as elo-ely see.hule.il and y riled, as TuikiMi ladies But the children, unlike those of China, do not fly at the appioach of Westerns. The lower people dross the same as the men, and aid in pulling plough? as in China. Before a man marries, Ins mother visits his intended, to ascertain, that she is neither old, blind, humpbacked, or crippled. It is as great a dishonour to wed a deformed bride, as .1 widow. The fiancee presents a suit of clothes to her betrothed ; bis mother examines them minutely, and if she sees they arc well stitched, concludes the girl will make a pood wife. The Coreans do not pay their clergy, but to enable the httexto live single, and keep their heads shaved, they cause them to dance in public, to spin round like Dutch tops on fete dny, and then make a collection among the sppctatois. The gecond rolame of the Memoires ■nr le second Umpire, by M. de Manpas, are, consideung Ins political opportunities and position very impartially 'vritten. The ancient home minister of the second empire, claims foi himself alone, the principal role, in the Coup iV Ktat of December, 18.11. He is severe on Marshals Saint Arnaud and Mngnan However, it not the less their plims which made the crime successful. The author siy-, Piince Jerome Napoleon was kept in tliud.uk about the conspiracy, and his fathci also, the old ex king, lest he might peath, the first being connected with the deinajjogiws. The financial swindling of high olticiaN arc judged in .1 manner woithy of histoty, as also the personal politics of N.ipoleon 111. M. dc M-uipas approves of the maladroit marriage of the Emperor, and lauds Prince Napoleon for his " transcendental talents ;" aUo for his " mdituy courage," which opinion does not credit him with, although certified to, by Marshal Canrobeit. The conduct and consequences of the war in the Crimea, Italy, China and Mexico ; the responsibilities of the 1870 invasion, and the revolution springing therefrom, are masterly descriptions, but too short. Ama/onia is the new name given to the provinces watered by the Ama/oii, a river 4750 miles in length, and which occupies about one-third of the empire of Brazil ; the latter is six times as large as France and (iernnny ; 103 Belqmms could becuvedout of its area. M. de Santa Nery di.ivvs attention to the commercial future of the beautiful region of the "Ama/onia," which the brother of I'i/aro, the coiujueror of I'eiu, in hit. voyage to discover Eldorado, made known in Io3!>. The chief tributary of the Ama/on is the Madeiia, a name .signifying woo.l, lrnm the quantity of trunks of 1 trees it carries down. It is not leaddy navigable in some parts, but these drawbacks rue being remedied by theconstiuction of railway sections, parallel to the river, so that the Madeiia Valley, a veritable Ifa^ela*, will be opened up to the enteipri'-e of t ho world. Those with opening updark-contincnts on the biain might examine the region, especially since the white man on the Congo js unpleasantly in demand by the natives for roasting and grilling purposes.

Thegiils' favourite Roman hctoMarius. "Is your lather at home, sonny!" a^ked a man of a little boy "Yeth tliir." "Can I see lumr" "No thir." "Why not?"' "'Ciuth lie'tli locked up and mother's gone shopping with tho key of the room in her pocket."

Knrcvnov ix Scoti.wd.—A return just issued shows the education progress and expenditure of Scotland in 1884 compared w ith that of England and Wales. The number of schools inspected was 18,7b'l and 3,131 respectively, repreFenting mci cases on the previous \oar of 1 2 and 1.3 per cent.; the average attendance was 3,273,000 and 4-18,000, representing mci eases of 4 7 and 3 ."> respectively ; the number of childred examined in Standard IV. andnpwaidswas732,3»2.ind 123,000, lcpresonting mci eases of 10-0 m England and 40 in Wales The numlior of pupil teachers were 25,087 and 3.029, being a decrease respectively of 1,34.1 and 12, representing m England a decrease of 5.1 per cent.

Fiundily Societies.—TheHon. Sidney Herbert M.P., Lord of tho Treasury, speaking at Donhcad, St. Andrews, paid that there was nothing which raised the character and moral tone of the labouring classes so much as belonging to and sustaining friendly societies. Joining such a society ga\c a man a feeling that he was his own master as it were, that he \\a-> li'dependent of ihe relieving oflicei, and that he had something to look fniuard to, to sustain him in his old age instead of going upon the parish.

TitK Dh'Kmsion ok Thahk. —Mr Gtoigc Mitchell, having written to Lord Idde«lrigh recommending certaiu remedies fot the depression of trade, among which was the nationalisation of all insuf fluently culthated Kind and all lands belonging to Government, City companies, and chanties; uccjiiisition by the State of all railways; the unearned incrciiK nt of jiroperty to pay a tax of 30 per cent, to tho Government nnd di\ idends of companies above 71 per cent., to pay 30 ptr cent, to the Government, has received the following reply: — " Treasury, .S.W., August '24, IBSO.— Sir, —I am desired by Lord Idileskigh to thank you for jour lrttcr of the l!)th mat , and to say th.it the subject* to which you refer shall le brought before the Royal Commission on the Depression of Trade, and a\w your suggestions with reference to the depression in the marblo industry.—l am, air, \ours faithfully, G. 11. Murray." American Cob Hop Bitters arc the Purest and Best Bitters Ever Made. They arc compounded from Hops, Malt, Buehu, Mandrake, and Dandelion, tlio oldest, best, and the most valuable medicines in the world and contain all the best and most curative piopeities of all other remedies, being the gicat/st Blood Pinilier, Livtr Regulator, and Lifo and Health Restoring Agent on earth. No disease or ill health can possible lon^ exist wheic they are iisrd, so \ariedand perfect are their opciations. They gnc new life and vigor to the aged and infiim. To all whose etnploymentH cause irrcgulaiity of the bowels or urinaiy oigans, or who re(|uire an Apprti/er, Tonic and mild Stimulant, Amoiican Co's Hop Hitters aie invaluable j being highly curative, tonic and stimulating, without intoxicating. No matter what your leelings or symptoms are, what the disease or ailment is use Hop Bitters. Don't wait until you are sick, but if you only fed bad or miserable, use Hop Bitters at once. It may save your life. Hundreds have been saved by so doing. £300 w ill be paid for a case they will not cure or help. Do not suffer or let your ffiends suffer, but use and urge them to use American Hop Bitters. Remember, Ameiican Hop Bitters is no \ lie, druggfd, drunken iiostuiin, but the I*lll cst and ])e«-t Medicine c\ci made. bL'fry the Bitters to-day. Get at Chemists Beware- of mirations. name ba^n in