305 THE MELANCHOLY MAN'S MUSINGS.-No. 3. CHAPTER IX. THE MELANCHOLY MAN BEING SICK TALKETH OF WOMEN "ENGLAND is the paradise of women," says an old proverb. It is equally true that its women have made England a paradise. Even China, with its odious Yank-tse-kiang, would be bearable if it were stocked with Englishwomen. Tacitus tells us that the ancient Germans (from whom, by the bye, our Englishwomen are descended) believed that there was something divine in their women, and reverenced them accordingly. The red Indian lady walks behind her husband with his dogs, and helps them to carry his baggage. AND OF MARRIAGE. Marriage is the grand middle epoch in a woman's life. It is both a birth and a death. There is the solemnity of death, and the hope and the joy of new life. The past becomes as a blank-the old home of childhood is no more a home-the ties which bound her to her own flesh and blood are loosed. She is another's, and herself another. This is solemn as death. Long years of happiness are pictured before her, shared by one she loves and the household hearth, with its happy faces-and the melody of childhood's prayer, the innocent prattle and the confiding smile; and then the vision passes on to the comforts of a green old age-an old age soothed and gladdened by those whom she has borne and cherished, cheered by the endearing tendernesses of womanhood, or supported by the noble pride of opening manhood. "Thy children shall be like the olive branches round about thy table." A sacred thing is marriage. 'Tis a covenant made before God, which only sin and shame can break. 'Tis an entering upon new and higher duties in the presence of the holy Church-and with an earnest supplication for a blessing from above. Yes, and they are blessed who come to plight their mutual love with devout reverence and humble faith-their union upon earth is a pledge and antepast earnest of their union in heaven. Marriage is The holiest ordinance of God, whereon Love must be won by love, and heart to heart Linked in mysterious sympathy, before We pledge the marriage vow; and some there are Who hold, that, ere we enter into life, Soul hath with soul been mated, each for each Married in a shop—a barn—a smithy! It chills one's soul to think of it. Married! It is not marriage. 'Tis junction-convention-nobody knows what. But, to be sure, it is no rite. Religion cannot hallow it; faith and hope can bring no blessing on it. It is a civil contract-a business matter-a bargain-a thing of yea and nay, and nothing more. VOL. I. X "I will." 66 Done! Does the ring fit? Capital! You're man and wife now. Half-a-crown is my fee-more, if you like. Thank you, Sir. Good morning." CHAPTER X. THE MELANCHOLY MAN DIVERTETH HIMSELF WITH ANACREON. "Wine causeth all men to err that drink it."-I ESDRAS, iii. 18. Anacreon was born at Teos of Ionia, about 600 years before the Christian era-lived at the court of Polycrates, monarch of Samos, and died at the age of 85, choked by a grape-stone. This is almost all we know of Anacreon's personal history. However, we read much of his character in his poems, which will never perish. They are well worthy of attentive study, if it be only to observe the melancholy picture of a man of the finest genius, most exquisite taste, and tenderest amiability, eagerly seeking happiness in the delights of sense, while he is continually lamenting how vain they arehow stale, flat, and unprofitable. Here is a lesson for most grave and solemn meditation. There is so much real pathos and natural simplicity in all his verses, that we cannot help deeply sympathizing with him throughout; we smile, and sigh, and weep with him-for his poems prove themselves, at first sight, to be the genuine outpourings of a noble and sensitive spirit. So faithfully does he sing the simple emotions of his own bosom, that his simplicity is even almost infantile; there are no fine epithets which dazzle but do not delight-no rhetorical flourishes-no majestic march of high unmeaning words. Like our own Wordsworth, he disdains the fantastic trickery of gaudy verbiage, and is content to express in language plain, but eloquent, the real poetry of his nature. OUR BARD IS ACCUSED OF INDECENCY. Now, however little we would tolerate such a vice, we believe that much more fuss has been made on this head than ever there had need be. He certainly does not exceed either Prior or Dryden in this particular; and I think men who can overlook the immorality of the two Christian poets (so called), would not be committing a breach of charity if they forgave the aberrations of one who possessed only heathen notions of moral propriety. But really Anacreon has been ransacked for indecent allusions, and most abominable wickednesses have been discovered by the microscopic art of critics in his most innocent lays have been "faithfully done into English" by his pure-minded translators, for the public edification, with small foot-notes, containing a little faint blame, as a sort of antidote, and disclaiming all participation in the sin. Now, all such cant and pretended prudery we utterly loath and abhor. Anacreon is not quite pure; but he is much purer than some of his English translators: and here we drop the subject. Yet, we have another thing to charge translators with, and that is, that they have not, generally speaking, given us Anacreon himself, but a mere extravagant caricature. The Muse of Anacreon is an artless and unaffected maiden-most beautiful when unadorned: but they have introduced to us a buxom, romping wench, all bedizened with paint, and tricked up with ribbons, and flounces, and furbelows. Yet we must allow that Anacreon is an author whom it is exceedingly difficult to translate, so as to present, in plain English, a just idea of the varied charms of his plain Greek. I have, however, dared to try my hand upon a few of his Odes, as specimens of his style of thought and language. If I have succeeded, I may hope to be thanked for my skill; if I have failed, I may, at least, console myself with the thought that I am not without courage. CONCERNING HIMSELF. Go, bard, and all your strains employ, Yet am I a captive wight; Nor troop nor navy conquered me- Who in malicious ambush lies, And throws his dart from Chloe's eyes. AN ODE, ALLEGORICAL AND EPIGRAMMATICAL. When Vulcan once upon a time did frame 66 Institutional Intelligence. In our last number we urged, at some length, the important advantages attending the introduction of amusing studies into the proceedings of Literary and Mechanics' Institutions, and we took the opportunity to enforce the value of the practice of Elocution, as one of the most recreating and delightful of such pursuits. On the present occasion we intend to speak of another means towards the end we had in view, a means which involves a higher aim, and includes a nobler enjoyment. Our object, at the present time, is to urge the establishment, in every Literary and Mechanics' Institution, of Classes for the Discussion of Historical and Philosophical subjects. We are aware that in many Societies such Classes already exist, but we know, at the same time, that the practice is by no means general, and, therefore, needs enforcement. Now, of the advantages which are caused by discussion we have, fortunately, no need to speak-they are thoroughly known, and we believe appreciated; but the establishment of Discussion Classes, for the purpose of presenting a popular, as well as instructive, study to the members of Literary Institutions, seems to be undreamt of by the majority of Institutional Managers. We intend, therefore, on the present occasion, to show that such Classes may, and do, present strong and successful inducements to the members of Literary Societies, and. as it is our opinion that example is better than precept, we shall present facts, rather than theories, in support of our assertion. Amongst such Classes as those of which we have spoken, that of the City of London Literary and Scientific Institution is, and always has been, one of the first and best. If it be right to judge a tree according to its fruits, then must we pronounce this Class to be a most excellent one; for its fruits are such as should be spoken of with pride. It has produced many orators of great and acknowledged power; amongst others we may name Mr. ROEBUCK, Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON, the Rev. DANIEL MOORE, Mr. J. H. PARRY, &c. &c., and amongst its members, at the present time, are many who give promise of high future excellence. It has lately been our privilege to attend some of the meetings of this Class, and we intend, in the present article, to give an account of the discussions we have heard; no less for the pleasure we feel in presenting so much eloquence to our readers, than for the sake of proving the point with which we started. The Discussion which we shall report commenced on Thursday evening, December the 22nd, 1842, on the question "Is the Intellect of Woman equal to that of Man ?" Mr. FRANCIS EVANS being in the chair. The Secretary (Mr. W. GATHERER) having read the Minutes of the previous meeting, and the Chairman having put them for confirmation, Mr. A. W. PORTER proceeded to open the subject of debate. He commenced by remarking upon the interesting nature of the question, and committing himself to the good feeling of his auditors. It was once his opinion, he said, that woman's intellect was equal to that of man, and that her different education accounted for her different degree of mental power; but he had since been led to a totally different conclusion. He might be told that he was inconsistent, perhaps, and it was possible that some of his friends might charge him with turning his coat; but, for his part, he thought that consistency was mere humbug-(laughter)-and that if a man saw reason to change his views, he ought not to be ashamed to own his error. (Cheers.) It was said that woman's education was bad. Well, he would admit it—he knew it was bad; he was aware that she was taught to sew, and to sing, and to dance, and to talk and think about love; but still, had not man's education been defective too, and had not he proved his mental strength in despite thereof? He was of opinion that no amount of education bestowed upon woman would make her equal in intellect to man. He would imagine a woman parliament-(laughter)-why, in such an assembly, nothing would be talked about but tea-parties, fashions, and things like that. He would mention a circumstance that came under his own observation when he was at Paris. The ladies were permitted to go on the Stock Exchange for a time, and what was the consequence? Why, that the gentlemen could not transact their business, for the chattering and noise that the ladies made: and the result was just what might have been expected; one day the ladies were politely informed, by the door-keeper, that they were not again to be admitted. (Laughter.) He would next give his hearers the benefit of Addison's opinion on the subject. [Here the speaker quoted some passages from the Spectator" and the "Tatler," which went to show the difference of intellect in the sexes, and augued that women were gay and joyous, men stern and severe; vivacity being the characteristic of women, and gravity of men.] He would next look at the question in a phrenological point of view, and he found that there were essential differences in the phrenological developments of man and woman. He found, for instance, that woman had less firm ness than man, that she had more benevolence, and so on. Besides, man was created first, and therefore must be the most perfect: it could not be supposed that a being made out of one of man's ribs could be so perfect as man himself. He would not trespass longer on the patience of his audience; he knew that there were many in the Class who could treat the subject much more eloquently than he could do, and, therefore, he would give way to them. However, he could not sit down without quoting from a verse of a song, which seemed very applicable to the subject, and which, after showing the absurdity of women meddling with politics and things of that sort, concluded as follows: ""Tis a pity when charming women Talk of things that they don't understand."-(Cheers.) Mr. JAMES SMITH-Sir, I cannot help thinking, that although the opener has displayed some ingenuity, he has not made out his case. He has doubtless proved that the mental capacities of the sexes are different, but he has not proved that woman's is inferior. (" Hear, hear," and cheers.) Now, there are many instances in which women have been equal to men in philosophy and science-Mrs. Somerville, for instance. It was admitted that no astronomer of the present day was equal to her. (Cheers.) There are plenty more instances, but I need not name them. Sir, I agree with the opener that the education of woman is inferior to that of man-it always has been so ; but this by no means proves that her intellect is below his. (Hear, hear.) If it has not been cultivated, how can it be shown that, if cultivated, it would not be equal? (Cheers.) I agree with the opener in his remark about consistency; I know that consistency is the bugbear of sectarians and partisans ; but, Sir, I believe that there is a consistency which can be maintained-a consistency which shall cause a man to be true to himself, and I think that this consistency is lacked by the opener. He has not given us such reasons as might warrant him in changing from his former opinions to his present. I think we have a right to complain that the opener has produced no arguments; he has made assertions, but has not proved them. In a case like this we should have arguments, if any there be: but no! I will not anticipate them. I believe it is not wise to anticipate arguments that may be used. I will leave them therefore to be developed by those who have them to urge, and answered by those who may see their falsity. (Cheers.) Dr. WILLIAMS was of opinion that, if the last speaker was right in quarrelling with the opener for asserting what he did not prove, he (Dr. W.) would be justified in attacking him (Mr. Smith) for the same reason; for certainly his speech was nothing but assertions from beginning to end. (Hear, hear.) He was much pleased with the opener's mode of treating the question; he modestly admitted that he came for information-he confessed his desire to be enlightened, and therefore he (Dr. W.) thought the words of the Poet "If I am right, thy grace impart Still in the right to stay; were applicable to him. I think (continued the Doctor) that the question should be considered in three points of view: 1st, Phrenologically or philosophically: 2ndly, Historically; and 3rdly, by reference to Natural History. I had no thought of speaking on the question-indeed, I did not even know that it was to be discussed; I therefore shall not attempt to enter fully into these matters, but still, I think I can mark out the right track through which this question should be followed; and if so, I shall be perfectly satisfied. (Cheers.) First, then, let us look at the question phrenologically. Now woman is known to have less brain than man. I admit that some women, like Mrs. So |