ARISTOCRACY OF TALENT. (Suggested by attending a Meeting of the Mechanic's Institute.) "I consider the human soul, without education, like marble in the quarry, which shows none of its inherent beauties. * * * 'A statue lies hid in a block of marble!'"-THE SPECTATOR, No. 215. Time is progressive, and its progression is rapid; it is the maalstrom of life, whose resist less current draws all within its reach swiftly into its vast and tumultuous vortex; and as the tiny bark and the mighty vessel, when once within the magic line of its power, are drawn swiftly and surely into the yawning gulf, so man, the mightiest and most beautiful of God's all-wonderful creations, is drawn with the tiny barks of his soul-his ambitions, thoughts, hopes, dreams, and cares-is hurried, almost resistlessly on, and, swallowed in Time's waves, launched into eternity. The large vessel, with its complement of men and valuable cargo, if drawn into this certain destruction and swallowed up, and especially when it has weathered the terrific storm-blast of the north, has battled with and overcome the countless terrors of the sea, perchance approaching to harbour from its toil in some not distant port-if such a ship as this be lost on its home-journey to rest and ease, the sensation is greater, and the memory retains more vividly the circumstances of its destruction, than if it were only the ill-built, ill-regulated, ill-conditioned bark, that carelessly was left, almost unguided and alone, to pursue its onward course to ruin and destruction; the one being a calamity to the nation, a loss to the people in general, from a commercial or personal interest which all must have or feel in her; the other a loss only to a few, and her ill-condition and ill-regulation themselves serving to sink her deeper into forgetfulness and oblivion. And so the man, whose mind is powerful and great, whose talents and whose virtues have exalted him in the world's estimation, when he is drawn down swiftly to the grave, his loss is felt and remembered longer than that of the man whose energies of mind have dwindled on uncultivated and unknown; the one being a loss to his na tion and the world, while the other is a loss but to the few, leaving nought to be remembered save self, the very insignificance of which helps to immure the shadowy recollection of its littleness of worth. It is the mind which exalts the man; it is the offspring of the mind which leaves one man chronicled in memory, where ten thousand are forgotten to the world; it is the mind and its offspring which have engraved indelibly and indestructibly the memory of Byron, Keats, Kirke White, and hundreds of others, of all arts and sciences, who have, like them, been hurried on and early snatched away. It is the mind and its offspring, which have traced indelibly the names and memory of Milton, Shakspeare, Scott, and hundreds more, whose genius and soul have made them all "Self-monumented heroes!"' But how to produce them; how is the latent talent to be brought forward to the world? What mighty engine shall, from the dense mass of the mind-gifted population, seek out the great, though the greatness be unseen, existing unformed, even in its general outline imperceptible to the world? Aristotle has said, "A statue lies hid in a block of marble." Who could have told, in ages long since passed, that from the uncouth block the Belvidere Apollo, or the Venus de Medicis, should issue? None. And yet they were produced; the mind produced these masterpieces of beauty and of art, which the cunning hand, so prompted, has copied for the world. But what engine moved, and does still move, to operate upon the mind, to rouse its talent and bring forth its hidden store? It is education! General and universal education! Education, to be general, must extend equally to the poor and the rich; and I remember to have heard Dr. Southwood Smith make use of the following words-"The poor man's eye, observing a colour, can tell as exactly the hue which it presents as the eye of the rich man. Why should he not be able to discern with his mind, equally well as the rich man, the theory of sciences and arts which are at present withheld from him?" Aristocracy of talent should never, can never again exist; the barrier has been partially removed, at least in this and many other countries, and what was gained by its existence in comparison with what was lost? It needs only a moment's reflection to observe the absurdity of the idea that talent necessarily belongs to the rich and powerful; doubtless, hitherto some, nay most, of the remarkable men of England have been produced from the aristocratic and middle circles, and why? Because instruction is an article saleable at an immense price, and therefore it can only be purchased by the rich to the exclusion of the poor; but if the faultless forms of the Venus de Medicis and the Apollo Belvidere were, as they must have been, contained in the rough-hewn block of marble, may not a Milton, a Newton, a Shakspeare, a Watt, an Inigo Jones, or a Sir Joshua Reynolds, exist in the squalid, wretched child, or the rough, unpolished mechanic, wanting only the mind stored with ability to act upon and shape the uncouthness of the intellect, from which may-can be produced something beyond mediocrity, something that shall be an acquisition and an honour to the world; nor are instances wanting where such have been produced. What then has that self-allotment of learning to the rich, that aristocracy of talent gained for England alone, compared to the rich veins of priceless worth which have for centuries lain buried beneath the ungainly exterior of the poor man, unexplored because unsought for, and now lost for ever? It was neither in the glittering gold nor silver, but in the dull leaden casket, that Bassanio found the prize which gave him the loved, the talented, the treasured Portia for his wife and so it is that a nation shall find, beneath the dull, ungainly exterior of her poor, the rich, the talented and glowing minds, which shall wed her name to immortality; and this fact should never be lost sight of, that it is not the country which makes the man, but the man the country! This is a truism which aristocracy of talent has forgotten, or selfishly applied exclusively to itself. A man leaves his right and proper sphere of action, if he make an aristocracy of talent-or, rather, if he endeavour to make it: he is, in so doing, usurping the authority of his Creator: he is endeavouring to raise what God has purposely and decidedly opposed. Had He intended such a law to exist, He would doubtless have given a man a soul, gifted with or deprived of its full energies, according as he was born into a high or low class of society; and this would necessarily have produced that aristocracy of talent, which nations in general seem bent on establishing; but it is incompatible with the will of God, who has made the spirit equal in The stark-mad senses of a fool had thought Again, Education, to be general, must be general in the subjects of its instruction; treating of, and diffusing knowledge of all arts, and all sciences; so that in the "upward path," the mind may expand, and, with its expansion, grasp at and retain theories and facts as food for contemplation: and when the child has left the fostering care, and has escaped from "A matron old, whom we schoolmistress name, Who boasts unruly brats with birch to tame!" and has passed through the "boys' school," at length issuing to "win his fortune in a world of care," there is nothing so well suited to refine and strengthen the mind, in knowledge that cannot be otherwise than useful and agreeable to an intellectual spirit or to the thinking man, than those invaluable societies," the Mechanics' Institutes;" and, for a moment, we would draw the reader's attention to a meeting of the Mechanics' Institute, Southampton Buildings, which took place on Wednesday, the 7th of May. Shortly after twelve o'clock, the body and gallery of the theatre in the Institute were filled with a highly respectable audience, chiefly consisting of "mechanics," members of the Institute. At one o'clock, Lord Brougham, Lord Kinnaird, the Lord Bishop of St. David's, with other noblemen and gentlemen, made their appearance on the platform, preceded by the President (Mr. Birkbeck), the son of the founder of this, the parent of Mechanics' Institutes; who read a letter from Earl Radnor, who was to have presided on the occasion, stating that from indisposition he was deprived of the pleasure of filling the chair. Mr. Birkbeck then proposed that Lord Brougham and Vaux should preside, which plan being adopted with unanimous applause, the business of the meeting was opened by an excellent straightforward-to-the-purpose speech from the noble chairman, delivered in his usual collected, firm, and impressive manner. His lordship stated, that it was with feelings of the deepest regret he was obliged to state that "the Mechanics' Institute," from registering from one thousand to fifteen hundred names, could not now muster more than from five to sixhundred members. This the noble_chairman attributed to the formation of new Institutes, whose theatres, library, and reading-rooms were larger and more commodious. His lordship then observed, that it was with great pain he traced that feeling of pride in the higher and middle classes, which forbid the children of the mechanic mingling with or joining, in their studies, those of higher birth; he lamented that such was the fashion, united with the erroneous idea of aristocracy of talent; and his lordship gave as his opinion (with, of course, all due deference to the ladies present), that many mothers, aunts, and grandmothers are the supporters of this aristocracy of talent, whose feelings revolted at the idea of their children mixing with the poorer classes. His lordship then spoke at some length on the decayed state of the library, and the necessity of repairing and enlarging it; which, from the present low state of the funds, the Institute were unable to do; and, having addressed the meeting for upwards of three-quarters of an hour, he resumed his chair, and Lord Kinnaird then rose and addressed the assembly. His lordship's speech tended chiefly to show, how, in Dundee, the forming of a Mechanics' Institute had been productive of the most beneficial effects; that the readingroom was attended, regularly, by at least from one to two hundred members; and that some of the first engineers of the day had attended, and profited by the lectures delivered in its theatre. This is the Watt Institute, of which Lord Kinnaird is President. Mr. William Ewart, M.P., then addressed the meeting; and was followed by the Lord Bishop of St. David's. The Rev. Prelate is doubtless well known to my readers, from his indefatigable zeal in acquiring and applying the Celtic language, for the diffusion of gospel truths among his flock. His lordship's address was expressive and highly energetic, yet simple and to the purpose; the Rev. Prelate touched upon the moral improvements that the Mechanics' Institutes tended to diffuse; and after Mr. Vallentine Knight had addressed the meeting, Lord Brougham retired from the chair, to transact some public business at which his presence was required; and the Lord Bishop of St. David's having filled the vacant seat, the business of the meeting continued. Dr. Southwood Smith then delivered, in his serene, thoughtful style, a short address: it was beautiful in its comparisons, strong in its arguments, and powerful to the extreme from the very quietude with which it was given. The Rev. Mr. Rogers, Lord Dudley Stuart, and Mr. Luke Hansard successively addressed the assembly; after whom Basil Montague rose. This gentleman, who has reached a very advanced age, delighted the audience with one of the most lively and amusing speeches it has been our lot to hear for a long time; it was dispersed with the most sparkling anecdote, and abounded with a kindness of feeling and sentiment that could not be other than heart-felt. He presented, at the close of his speech, the whole of his collection of books as a donation towards improving the library of the Institute. Mr. Edward Johnson; Mr. Buckingham, the geologist; Mr. Busby, the American traveller; Captain Townsend, and Mr. Foggo, having each addressed the audience, Mr. Birkbeck, the President of the Institute, moved, that a vote of thanks be given to the many noblemen and gentlemen, who had honoured the meeting with their presence. The Lord Bishop of St. David's, as President, again addressed the meeting, which dispersed shortly before five o'clock. It is a sad thing that, after having struggled on from its first foundation, by George Birkbeck, M.D., in 1823, this, the parent of the Mechanics' Institutes, should be dwindling to decay, not from any neglect on the part of the management, but literally destroyed by its own children. It has given birth to, and educated talent, which, when able to run alone,' has burst its leading strings, and set up for itself, building larger premises, having larger reading-rooms and libraries, as also more commodious theatres for lectures, classes, &c., &c. The consequence is, that that which should have come to feed the parent has gone to the mouth of the child, and that parent must-till such time as her funds will enable her to have more capacious and better regulated apartments, as far as comfort and convenience go-necessarily fall and dwindle to decay. The rooms and accommodation in use twenty years ago, in the youth of a newly-started scheme, cannot be supposed to suit the public of '45, if there are better to be had; an art or a science, a lottery or scheme, be it what it may, must keep pace with the advance of the age. This argument may be laughed at by some who would hastily accuse me of endeavouring to support an injurious practice, which is, of making the accommodation good, and, perhaps, almost approaching to the luxurious, and so taking from the means which should afford instruction and amusement, and thus pampering the body to the deprivation of the mind. The lectures and instruction at the parent Institute are doubtless as good as or even better than those of her children; yet in teaching an ill-educated body, the personal comforts of that body must be minutely considered, because it is only natural that a youth or a man as yet unable to appreciate the merits or demerits of what he hears, will trouble himself little about it; and till such time as his mind is so far advanced in general knowledge, that he is enabled to select or judge the good from the inferior in that which appertains to the mind, he will look after bodily enjoyments; it is his nature, and nature will be obeyed: the fact is this, a man will not sit on a wooden stool if a stuffed one is to be had. The one is hard and uncomfortable, the other luxuriously soft and easy: luxury-seeking man chooses the latter; but the wooden stool he will soon find to be an agreeable change. Funds! How much may be done with funds! They are the steam which set the mental and physical railroad engines in motion. Funds ! they are the great supporters of the numberless towers of the passions, be they devoted to the mind or the body, to virtue or to vice. Funds ! they are the Atlas, on whose shoulders the heaviest and all lighter transactions of the world are heaped. Give me but where to fix a lever, and I will move the world," was a boast in heathen fable. Give them but FUNDS, and they will make a world; aye, and a world whose strength shall be in knowledge, a world composed of good and great men; and, of a new generation, thousands shall have an aristocracy in talent, that shall make them of themselves 66 a world, whose strength and power shall expose this false presumption of aristocracy of talent' the paltry, little mindedness of the station-proud lessen the praise that is now bestowed where the or the purse-proud man, who now to the poor talent of the aristocracy justly claims it, and its shuts up the marvellous book of science,' and claims are great, and deserve the honour and forbids not in words only but by deeds, that trust of the nation; on the contrary, the public from his rough, unpolished mind should be mind is an ever-stretching tube, never to be shaped the statue,' that should leave, in the filled while there is more to be added: it can find fine moulding of its thoughts and actions, that praise and censure enough for all. Let certain which would claim an universal praise, admira-mothers, aunts, and grandmothers" give tion, and wonder. Nor would the annihilation of thought to this! LITERATURE. in this manner furnishing himself with every useful and ornamental article for one of his largest rooms. TALES FROM THE EASTERN LAND. 1 Vol. | elegant services of plates and dishes. He continued (Burns). These tales describe Fairyland and its beings in a wonder-exciting view, bringing pictures of scenes and actions almost beyond the comprehension, and which claim the swiftest wings of fancy to enable the mind to grasp them and appreciate their beauties. This class of tales are eminently suited to lead the mind, of both young and old, to the contemplating of, and the belief in, a supernatural power; and the romance once ended, it is natural that that which in it excited the mind with speculations and wonderment the most, should retain the firmest hold on the memory. Doubtless the supernatural-the wonder-of the tale usurps all recollection, or of it claims the most distinctly revivifying power, leading the mind to the contemplation of the invisible influence in the imagination, and from that to the contemplation of the boundless power and goodness of the Infinite. These tales abound with glimpses of nature, and the following may serve as an example; it is from the tale of Jalaladdeen of Bagdad : "When the young men met for the first time at the want of accommodation, owing to the small size his house, they were astonished at its meanness and of the rooms. Jalaladdeen apologised to them, saying it had been his father's house, and that in consequence he did not wish to part with it. Though his companions approved of this motive, still they considered that he ought to provide a spacious diningroom for their comfort, or to build an open pavilion in the garden, where they might assemble more conveniently. "When he awoke the next morning, he reflected on the transactions of the previous day, lamenting that he had so entirely disregarded his father's last words, and had totally neglected the observance of the Prophet's command. These thoughts, coupled with the admonition of his dying father, occasioned great anguish to his heart; and the recollection of the vast expense incurred by the feasting of the former day, and the calculation of the sum he should require to entertain his friends with similar hospitality, made him feel an inclination to withdraw from the connexion; but, as he had pledged his word, he was reluctant to quit them at so early a stage. "He then calculated what he should require, and proceeded to the chamber where his riches lay. But the sight of the treasures banished all care from his breast; for,' thought he to himself, if I should expend a sum similar to that of yesterday, I shall want but very little of this gold." He then took a bag of gold with him, and went out to purchase the necessaries for the banquet. "On arriving at the city, he took a porter with him, and bought various articles for the feast: a table for six, with a costly cover and carpet. From thence he proceeded to a silversmith, and purchased jugs, and flagons, and drinking vessels, and other utensils for the table, superior to those of his friends. Then he visited a china-shop, and selected some of the handsomest porcelain china and japan ware that was to be found, and provided himself with "In this small chamber,' said one, it is impossiand inconvenient.' ble to enjoy oneself at ease; the room is so contracted something: a pavilion must be erected in the garden; "Yes, brother,' said another; 'you must do and while you are about it, let it be both handsome and commodious.' They then suggested all kinds of plans for the building; each one pointing out some novel feature or other which he particularly begged might not be forgotten in its construction. "Jalaladdeen was soon thoroughly convinced of the necessity of providing a large room for their comfort; and pledging himself now, as he knew what he promised to use his best endeavours to render the was required, to follow the suggestions of his friends, building conformable to their several tastes. "He accordingly, the next day, sent for an architect, who well knew how to enlarge upon what was necessary for the solidity of the pavilion, what was requisite for its proper appearance, and what the cost of the building would be; and desired him to erect it. Jalaladdeen yielded to his opinion on every point, hoping to gain the praise and approbation of his friends; and in order to carry this out more fully, he would not suffer any one to enter the garden during the progress of the work. "At length the pavilion was completed; and the friends were assembled together there for the banquet. Everything was deemed praiseworthy, and highly approved. "At last, however, one exclaimed, 'It is much to be regretted, friend Jalaladdeen, that your garden is so small. What a miserable prospect you have! on this side nothing but poor vegetable-gardens; on the other side, that ugly old building obstructs the view. If I were in your place, I would buy up the land around, pull down the barracks and the little buildings adjacent, and thus make one vast pleasuregarden, befitting such a splendid pavilion.' "As the rest of the guests concurred, Jalaladdeen began to think himself, that to erect a large handsome pavilion on such small grounds was indeed a mistake. He immediately, therefore, bought up all the small gardens, for which he was obliged to pay a heavy price; firstly, because the owners did not wish to part with them; and secondly, as the produce of the ground was necessary for their subsistence. "As he had now got the requisite space on all sides, he employed a skilful gardener to lay out the grounds tastefully; and in order to cultivate this new garden, and keep it constantly in proper order, he was compelled to enlarge his establishment by a head gardener and several assistants. His house was too small to accommodate them: he therefore built a dwelling-house for them on a suitable spot of the garden. Thus one foolish expenditure always renders another outlay necessary. "This daily intercourse, however, was soon discontinued; and they assembled every day at Jalaladdeen's pavilion. He took a delight in being continual host, on account of the praise which they lavished upon him, and the assurance they gave him that his table produced the best fare, and that the taste of his saloon was of the most superior order. By this means, in a short time his treasures of gold were expended; still he comforted himself with his precious stones, of which he possessed an immense quantity. At last these gems were squandered away; and he offered one costly article after another to a jeweller for sale, who on each occasion named a less price than before. Soon his only remaining valuable ring was sold for a small sum; and Jalaladdeen entertained his friends for the last time. "What,' said a third, do you wish us to take up the office of host, in order to come to the same end at which you have arrived?' "I will give you some sound advice,' said a fourth-Whenever you meet with a fool who is inclined to lay out his money in the purchase of such a poor tasteless garden as you have made, dispose of it to him, and with the proceeds take a little shop, and support yourself by trade.' "Look to yourself,' said the fifth: I am very sorry for you; but I cannot help you.' "They then left him, some upbraiding him, others shrugging their shoulders with pity. "These are friends indeed!' said Jalaladdeen, bitterly, as they deserted him. 'Oh, why did I neglect my father's injunctions? Even on the first day of our acquaintance, I should have taken warning by their carelessness in disregarding the Prophet's commandment concerning the abuse of wine. Ah me, I am justly punished!' "He immediately began to retrench his household expenditure; and shortly his handsome tapestries and costly goods were all sold off, and he was reduced to the necessity of economising most rigidly. But deeply as he felt the loss of those comforts which he had so lately enjoyed, his reflections bore still heavier upon him. "In his contemplations one day on his unhappy lot, he laid himself down in the same chamber in which he had received his dying father's commands. Here he experienced the most bitter anguish for the past-looked forward with sorrow and amazement to the future, as he had no one to advise and counsel him. Here his eye lighted upon the nail in the wall; and the last words of his father rung again in his ears-Take this rope; you will see a nail in the wall; fasten it, and pull three times.' "Jalaladdeen immediately opened a drawer where the rope lay, fetched a stool to the spot, made fast the end of the rope to the nail, and pulled with all his might. At the third pull he found he had torn the nail out of the wall, which had brought with it a square piece of board, thus leaving a large opening : he observed, too, that this was not the effect of chance, but of design. How great, then, was his astonishment when, on fetching a ladder, and looking into the opening, he discovered a much larger bag of gold, pearls, and other precious stones, than that one he found on a previous occasion, and which he had so thoughtlessly squandered. He now perceived that his father had prevented his touching this treasure until he should have learnt by misfortune how easily vast riches are dissipated, and should have been convinced by experience of the truth of his fatherly instructions and warning." From the tale of "The two Talismans" the below extracted may give some idea of passage the style of the work in its descriptive portions, which are often very fine : ------ "Some slaves made their appearance in the morning, and conducted him through a side-door into a neat bath-room. Here they undressed him, and seated him in a very fragrant bath; they then laid him on a couch, rubbed him dry with soft warm carpets, and anointed him. Afterwards they produced a new dress of delicate and costly material, and put it upon him; they then led him again to the circular hall, where he found breakfast prepared. After the lapse of some time, young men advanced to him, and invited him to practise shooting with them. They had brought with them steel bows and arrows, and had fixed as a mark a small orange on one of the high steel lamps; they shot at it repeatedly from the other end of the room, but always missed their mark; at last Nazareddin's arrow flew from his bow, pierced the orange through, and fell with it to the ground: all wondered at his skill, and overwhelmed him with applause. They then repaired to the space in front of the palace, and brought javelins to throw for a contending game. They placed an egg on one of the thin steel pillars which enclosed the footpath; and long time they tried in vain; but when Nazareddin's turn came, he knocked it down at the first blow. They now fetched small steel shields of the size of a plate, and threw their lances one against the other, and warded off the blow. Nazareddin had never before tried such an exercise; he defended himself, however, with his shield, and drew his sword. Then he stood as a mark for their javelins; but guarded his person against all, so that many fell in pieces on the ground. In these and other youthful contests and exercises they beguiled the time from hour to hour; they then returned to the hall, where the table was again spread with the most delicious viands. But as Nazareddin understood as little of their lan |