be at the common tyrant's feet. To induce expanse of soulless and lifeless provinces, Prussia to take the step on which, according forming a merc pedestal for the vanity of one to this modest and beneficent doctrine, the overweening metropolis? It is not everybody Rhine provinces would escheat to France, that thinks it the summit of all happiness and was plainly the object of the earnestly desired grandeur to be absorbed and annihilated in interview with the prince regent, and is the the glory of Paris, as a Buddhist hopes to be object of the pamphlets in which M. About absorbed and annihilated in the Divine Es and the rest of the emperor's literary volti-sence. Thoroughly French, too, is the habit geurs impress the advantages of "unity" on of regarding confederacies as necessarily "imthe German nation. Sardinia has been in- potent." They are comparatively "impotent" cited to go to war with Austria and extend for the purposes of internal tyranny and of her own dominions in Italy, in order to fur- external aggression, which, to a Frenchman, nish the pretext which the emperor's "tact" seem the grand objects of national existence. perceives to be required by the "tendency But they are not "impotent" for their proper of opinion" in the present day, for the reven- object, which is that of maintaining peace dication (not by force) of Savoy and Nice. among a group of states without extinguishPrussia is urged to extend her dominions in ing their independence, and securing them Germany that she may furnish a similar pre- all against the attacks of external enemies. text for a like process in regard to the fron- Nothing could be looser, in a political point tier of the Rhine. There is yet another of view, or less respectable in the eyes of a quarter in which the same game may be French worshipper of unity, than the fedplayed. If Spain, in the process of "decom- eral organization of the states of Holland; position and recomposition," should happen, yet, that confederacy overthrew, in defensive "under the irresistible pressure of public war, the two greatest and most centralized opinion," to "cast an eye" upon Portugal, monarchies of Europe. The Swiss Federand thus substitute a single strong monarchy ation can hardly be said even to possess a for the "impotent" duality of the Peninsula, federal executive, so loose is the tie between would it not be "reasonable," would it not be "just," that France, as a "compensation" and a "security," should revendicate (but not by force) Spain up to the Ebro? Could this obvious moral necessity escape the "tact" of the emperor? Has he not already shown that it is present to his mind?

French publicists naturally measure the morality of other states by that of their own. They fancy Prussia must be longing to thrust her hand into her neighbors' pockets, just as they are themselves. They take it for granted that German sovereigns must come to a congress with hearts as insincere and designs as perfidious as those which a French diplomatist brings to a conference of nations. But, besides this, they import their own political tastes and aspirations into the minds of people totally different in character from themselves. The "unity" which they fancy so irresistibly tempting to all the world, is, in fact, tempting to themselves alone. It is a peculiarity of their own character and temperament to see the height of greatness in a nation organized like a single huge barrack under one vast and uniform oppression. The Germans belong to the nobler race-the race which inclines not to the "unity" of an enormous herd of men obeying a single driver, but to freedom of self-development and masculine independence. Germany has multiplied centres of political and intellectual life, great in their collective energy, and usefully qualifying each other by their various tendencies. What would she gain by relinquishing all these, and reducing herself to a vast

She

the different cantons; yet it has held its own,
and bids fair still to hold its own, against the
most powerful aggressor. Any one who
meddled with the territories of the United
States of America would probably, in like
manner, be speedily convinced that local self-
government is not necessarily the source of
military weakness. Prussia has no need to
seck greatness by grandiose immorality. True
moral greatness is within her reach.
may be the honored chief, without being the
grasping and oppressive mistress, of the great
German League. She may take the lead, on
behalf of Germany and humanity, in keeping
the French nation within its natural boun-
daries, which are those of the French language
and the French race. She may save a por-
tion of a noble, moral, and free people from
being absorbed into a military despotism, con-
founded in character with its subjects, and
reduced to the same level of morality with
those who inspire the Opinion Nationale.

From The Saturday Review, 7 July.

RUSSIA.

THE foreign policy of France has lately appeared so dangerous, and the emperor has created such profound distrust of the use to which he will put the power he has obtained, that Englishmen have very naturally begun to regret having contributed to place Europe at the mercy of an adventurer. No doubt the Crimean war gave a great lift to Louis Napoleon. It enabled him to reap all the benefits of associating with England and all

the benefits of eclipsing her. It taught the struction of credit and an enormous increase French to hope that he knew the invaluable of taxation. secret of managing an ally so as to get the The war also seems to have lessened the best of the alliance. It opened the door for prestige and impaired the power of the cenendless private intrigues, and encouraged the tral government. There is a hesitation, an notion that peace or war depended on his inconsequence, and a fruitless declaration of will. This was all very pleasant for him, but ineffective wishes in the court of St. Petersit is not pleasant for us to look back on; and burg, which is something new there. One of so the Crimean war is often voted a mistake the best fruits of the war was supposed to be in England. It cost us a great many men and the emancipation of the serfs. We had the a great many millions of money; and as satisfaction of thinking we had blessed our laborers are scarce, and the Income-tax is enemies, and brought liberty in one hand if heavy, we feel all the evil of the war very we held the sword in the other. But somedistinctly. Whatever good it may have done how the emancipation seems at a stand-still. us, on the other hand, is almost wholly nega- There is no open opposition. Some of the tive, and therefore unfelt. We are relieved nobility approve, and some disapprove, but from the pressure of Russia on Europe; but no one positively refuses to obey the czar. this is only what we think our due, and no At the same time, the emancipation has now one is thankful when wrong things are merely sunk into the stage where nothing is done at set right. Disapprobation of the war has present, and hopes are relegated to a very uneven gone so far as to induce a vague belief certain future. We are told that emancipa that Russia was not in the least injured by tion is really going to begin in the autumn of the great struggle, and that she is now as this year, and are assured that this time there rich, honored, and powerful as ever. This, is to be no mistake. But no one seems to at least, is demonstrably untrue. Whether the have spirit to do any thing at once. So, too, Crimean war was worth its cost to England is the peace was to be inaugurated with a great a matter of opinion, but the present state of concession to the liberty of the press; but the Russia is a matter of fact. The change that press is much where it was. Remarks are has come over the affairs of Russia, may be tolerated on England and France, for they estimated from the simple circumstance that hurt nobody; but no point of domestic policy last year she tried to borrow twelve millions is even submitted to discussion. The govern of money, and had to take up five millions ment has no clear line, and does not guide its of the loan herself, and that she is now en- subjects. There have also been instances deavoring in vain to float a loan in the Lon- lately where high office has been refused on don market on terms which would be thought the ground that those to whom it was offered quite satisfactory if offered by Brazil. The did not like to mix themselves up with the reason is that the war was an overwhelming administration. The private misery has, in trial for a young country. An expenditure that is nothing more than a cause of grumbling to an old and rich country like England, is serious to a country that has just begun to accumulate wealth and open trade on a large scale. Commercial stability, government credit, and private fortunes were all shaken to their foundations in Russia by the severity of the shock of a war against two rich and strong countries. The suffering, the harrassing anxiety, the sense of oppressive calamity which the Crimean war has entailed on hundreds and thousands of Russian families are beyond the conception of a nation which has never known the real horrors of war. In the thinly populated districts where agriculture affords the sole means of subsistence, the chief source of distress has arisen from the fearful consumption of the lives of men and beasts in the war; and how fearful that consumption was, may be judged from the fact, that one regiment left Moscow a thousand strong and marched into Sebastopol with eleven men. But in the towns ruin has followed ruin, and the commercial population has had to contend with an almost entire de

short, told on the conduct of public affairs; and the Russians behave like the dispirited subjects of a beaten empire. They are not, of course, humiliated by the military results of the war, for the credit of their resistance was quite as great as the credit of our attack. But they have suffered so much that they are disheartened and uncertain; and their government, we suspect, does not appear to them quite the grand and omnipotent thing it did. Russia is going through the moral prostration that follows a severe physical malady, and would be profoundly astonished if she could comprehend that one of the adversaries who knocked her down insisted on believing that she was as strong and hearty as ever.

The effects of the war on the position of Russia in Europe are still more apparent. It is only since Sebastopol was taken that Prussia has begun to breathe freely. The influence of the Emperor Nicholas and of Russia in the states of North Germany was not unlike the influence of the company in the courts of the native princes of India. The people hated the Russians, but they feared even more that they hated them, and a large por

tion of the aristocracy actually prided them- content with security and freedom, and not selves on being the slaves of Russia. That separate from Austria, yet it is a great thing free institutions are possible in Germany is that they should have a fair field to fight in, owing to the Crimean war, and nearly as if fighting must come, and they probably much may be said of Italy. It is understood would not get any thing at all if Austria could that Russia cannot afford a war, and will not rely on Russia. In the East, Russia must alundertake one unless it is absolutely forced ways be powerful. An empire with sixty on her, whereas, in the days of the Emperor millions of Christian inhabitants, and a frontier Nicholas, it was supposed that the great de- so comparatively close to Constantinople, sire of Russia was to find an opportunity of must be very influential with the Porte. But showing her strength. Now, when Russia the issue of Prince Gortschakoff's recent atthreatens to withdraw her representative tempt to assert Russian supremacy has refrom Turin because Count Cavour is sus- minded Turks and Christians that Russia is pected of encouraging Garibaldi, the an- only one among other great states, and is an nouncement attracts little more attention enemy that may be encountered and beaten. than the threat to the same effect that pro- In itself, the Crimean war seems to us a deceeds from Spain. Russia is only one among cided success. The object was to cripple the nations that Count Cavour has to reckon Russia, and thus lessen her political influence. with, and by no means one of the most impor- She is crippled very seriously, and her polititant. She is no longer the great protectress cal influence is palpably lessened. It is said of despotism, ordering the ends of the earth that we have lost more than we have gained, to bear patiently their native tyranny on for we have taken political influence from pain of her displeasure. Nowhere, perhaps, Russia to give it to France. This is a very is the difference more felt than in Hungary. difficult point to decide, but we may observe The Crimean war not only made Russia gen- that, as one principal effect of the Crimean erally unwilling to interfere, but it specially war has been to increase the number and imalienated her from Austria, who forsook her, portance of the free neighbors of France, the as she thought, in the day of her adversity. result has, so far at least, been clearly in The Hungarians, therefore, have only their favor of the country that is at the head of old enemies, the Hapsburgs, to settle mat- European liberty, and not of imperialism. ters with; and although we hope they will be

MURAL BURIAL.-Blomefield mentions an instance at Foulden in Norfolk, thus: On the foundation of the south side aisle, facing the churchyard, is an arched monument over a flat marble gravestone, partly covered by the arch, partly by the wall. It appears to be about temp. Edward I. Blomefield says these arched monuments and this "immuring of founders," were common in ancient days. Did the custom arise from the more barbarous one of burying a living person in the foundation-wall" for luck?" We read of such burials in old history, but they neither averted attack nor ruin. F. C. B.

GEORGE II. HALFPENNY.-On a halfpenny of George II., of which I have seen two specimens, a rat appears in the act of climbing to the knee of Britannia. Is this a genuine coin? and what is the meaning of this singularity, which is so contrived that, at first sight, the rat might be mistaken for that part of the robe which should. cover the knee of Britannia. I have heard it said that a new species of rat first appeared in England at the accession of the Hanoverian dynasty.-Notes and Queries. J. MN.

"WITHERED VIOLETS."-Twenty years ago "Withered Vio

A FATHER'S JUSTICE.-Where may the orig- I met with some verses upon inal of the following story be found? lets," beginning:

“In old times a king passed a law, that whoever in his dominions was convicted of adultery should lose both his eyes. The first offender was his own son; the king, determined that the law should take its course, but still pitying the criminal, ordered one of his own eyes to be extracted and one of his son's, and thus satisfied the demands of justice, and extended mercy to his son."-Notes and Queries.

LIBYA.

"Long years have passed, pale flowers, since
you

Were culled and given in brightest bloom,
By one whose eyes eclipsed their bluc,
Whose breathi was like their own perfume.”
I should feel obliged for the remainder of the
poem, and its author and occasion.-Notes and
N. J. A.

Queries.

green tint of great clearness and beauty. Below is the cape, an irregular line of rocks jutting into crags and peaks, at the right, and the water of the ocean.

scene of great brilliancy and richness. It is Gignoux has just finished an autumn called "The First Snow." The storm is over, and a clearer sky than is there shown was perhaps never put on canvas. At the right is a slight eminence covered with small trees, with a little cottage embowered among them. The leaves have not fallen, but have been changed by the first frosts into that gorgeous display and contrast of color only to be seen, it is said, in our American landscapes. Below this is a clean sketch of snow, relieved by two or three figures, and to the left a mixed wood and water scene, with hills in the distance.

NEW YORK PAINTERS. BIERSTADT, since the close of the academy's exhibition, has completed his large landscape, "Base of the Rocky Mountains," which was exhibited, in an unfinished state, preparatory to its departure for Boston, where it will probably remain permanently to grace the gallery of the Athenæum. The stillness of the piece has been relieved by the introduction of a characteristic buffalo hunt of mounted Indians in the foreground. The enormous ridge, crowned by Mount Long and Laramie Peak, some twelve or fifteen thousand feet above the level of the plain, together with the broad field of sky beyond, have all been retouched and received new life at the hand of the artist. A work of much merit before, it will not fail to secure a full appreciation, now that it is complete. Whittredge is just applying the last touches The same gentleman, who has spent con- to his "Lake of Albano," painted for W. S. siderable time among our Rocky Mountain Caldwell, of Louisville, Kentucky. It is a scenery, has already another large picture pleasant Italian landscape, skilfully wrought projected and drawn in charcoal, illustrative out. To the left, on a steep bluff, is the of our American Alps. This scene is in the frowning Castle of Gandolpho, a favorite remidst of wild crags and snow-capped peaks, sort of the popes of Rome during the sumfrowning in all their terrible magnificence. mer months. At the foot of this steep is a The relief to this awe-inspiring view is found rude sheep-fold; and a drove of gray buffalo in an exhibition of quiet Indian life, among are winding their way up a narrow footpath the Shoshones, in a gorge of valley which to the height above. To the right is the opens in the foreground. lake, a sheet of blue water occupying the Of a different character is a charming crater, as the geological formation indicates, piece, by the same artist, just completed, of an extinct volcano. The near bank is recalled "The Old Mill." It is a German lieved with a shepherd's hut and goats, and scene, drawn from nature, made up of the in the distance is seen portions of the camlittle old stone mill, with its steep, mossy pagna. roof, and overshot wheel, with the water running in white foam over the buckets, and finding its half-hidden and tortuous way to a little pond, where some ducks are playing. William Hart has just completed a small landscape of unusual merit, called "Morning on Cape Elizabeth," for J. Lorimer Graham, Jr. Cape Elizabeth is near Portland, Maine. The sun is seen struggling through a fogbank, and the delicacy and brilliancy, and at the same time naturalness, with which this difficult subject is managed, constitute the charm and novelty of the piece. The sun is not hidden, but simply obscured. His shape and outline are there, but so tempered that the eye can rest upon him, but not without being dazzled, while above and behind the mist his clear light shows a sky of a blue

This gentleman's larger and more elaborate work the "Lago Maggiore," also just completed, and highly praised by those who saw it, has just been forwarded to its place of destination, Cincinnati.

A photograph has recently been issued of Mr. R. M. Staigg's charming picture-"The Little Street-Sweeper." A bare-footed little girl is represented standing on the crossing, with her broom in one hand and extending the other for the reward of her services to the passers-by. The look of childish naiveté in her appealing eyes is dashed with a premature pensiveness which is quite touching. In other respects, also, the simplicity and truth to nature, apparent in the design make this among the best productions of the artist's genius.-New York Evening Post.

LORD BROUGHAM, after his inauguration at | Edinburgh as Chancellor of the University, proceeded to Paris, where he has been spending a few days during the Whitsuntide recess. His lordship's late inaugural address at the Univer

sity of Edinburgh has appeared of such high literary merit to the French savans, that an eminent professor at one of the French colleges is about to bring out a French translation of it.