PROSE SUBJECTS, FROM FEBRUARY TO JUNE, 1842. 1. De fœnore et de legibus fœnebribus. 2. Duo viatores, ab ipso fonte profecti, Rhodani cursum animi causâ usque ad mare explorant. 3. Quis rerum fuerit status circa annum post Christum sexcentesimum. 4. "Nunc dimittis :" (Christianus, ipsis Apostolis æqualis, jam ad centesimum annum provectus, grates Deo agit ob fidem per universum ferè terrarum orbem pervulgatam.) 5. John, xvi. 22. “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin." (English Prose.) 6. De sectis Judæorum, Pharisæis, Sadducæis, et Essenibus; necnon de Publicanis et quos vocant Judaizantibus sive Christianis Judaismum affectantibus. 7. Νεωτερίζουσι τοῖς ὀλίγοις ἀντιλέγει ὁ Θρασυβοῦλος. (Gk.) 8. Quintus Varus cum legionibus in Germaniâ occidione occisus. 9. Caius Trebatius Testa a Britanniâ Ciceronis litteris, (Ep. ad Div. lib. vii.) respondet. 10. De vitâ et moribus Sultani Mamudi. 11. De seditione inter Athenienses quâ quadringenti illi viri rempublicam invaserunt. 12. Macedonum et Russorum regna inter se compar antur. 12. Quæritur quæ sit philosophia et quam ob causam ei a pluribus invideatur. VERSE SUBJECTS, FROM FEBRUARY TO JUNE, 1842. 1. Abydos a Philippo expugnata. 2. Gray's Hymn to Adversity. 3. Sophonisba. 4. Fodinæ mercenarii subito terræ lapsu pœne obruti post longum et gravissimum vitæ discrimen tandem ad lucem proferuntur. 5. Hannibal Italiam relinquit. 6. Novi Ulyssis errores-columnæ Herculis, Iberia, Oceanus. 7. Scipio Africanus in cellâ Jovis secum meditatur. 12. Fortuna. 13. Halcyones. 14. Puteus in Monte Zion defossus vivas aquarum venas in lucem aperit, (in allusion to an Artesian well lately sunk in the dry rock of Jerusalem.) 15. Porcia, Catonis Filia, Bruti Uxor. 16. Domus ultima. (C.) EXTRACTS FROM TRAVELLING JOURNALS. It will have been already gathered from Dr. Arnold's letters, how great a pleasure he took in travelling. It was in fact, except so far as his domestic life can be so considered, his chief recreation, combining, as it did, opportunities for following out his delight in history with his love of external nature, both in its poetical and scientific aspect. In works of art he took but little interest, and any extended researches in physical science were precluded by want of time, whilst from natural history he had an instinctive, but characteristic shrinking. "The whole subject," he said, "of the brute creation is to me one of such painful mystery, that I dare not ap proach it." But geography and geology in all their forms, plants and flowers, not from any botanical interest, but for their own sakes,—beauty of architecture and of scenery,—had an attraction for him, which it is difficult adequately to express; and, when to these were added the associations of great historical events, it may well be conceived how enthusiastic was his delight in his short summer tours, and how essential a part of his life they became, whether in present enjoyment, or past recollection. It was his practice when travelling, to keep very minute journals, which, as his tours were, partly from necessity and partly from choice, extremely rapid, he wrote always on the spot, or immediately after, and often whilst actually in the act of travelling. And, being addressed throughout to his absent wife or children, as the case might be, they partake partly of the character of a private diary, or of private letters, but rather of conversation, such as he would have held with those whom he was addressing, had they been actually with him. It is obvious that no selections from journals of this description can give any adequate notion of the whole, of which they are fragments,-of the domestic playfulnesses, the humorous details, in verse or prose, of travelling adventures, the very jolts of the carriage, and difficulties of the road, the rapid sketches of the mere geographical outline of the country, the succession of historical associations,the love, brought out more strongly by absence, for his own church and country,―the strain of devout thought and prayer pervading the whole,-which, when taken altogether, give a more living image of the man himself, than any thing else which he has left. But to publish the whole of any one of the many volumes through which these journals extend, was for many reasons impossible, and it has therefore been thought desirable to select, in the following extracts, such passages as contained matters of the most general interest, with so much of the ordinary context as might serve to obviate the abruptness of their introduction, and in the hope that due allowance will be made for the difference in their character, as they are read, thus torn from their natural place, instead of appearing in the general course of his thoughts and observations, as they were suggested by the various scenes and objects through which he was passing. I. TOUR IN THE NORTH OF ITALY, 1825. Chiavasso, July 3, 1825. 1. I can now understand what Signor A- said of the nakedness of the country between Hounslow and Laleham, as all the plains here are covered with fruit trees, and the villages, however filthy within, are generally picturesque either from situation, or from the character of their buildings, and their lively white. The architecture of the churches, however, is quite bad, and certainly their villages bear no more comparison with those of Northamptonshire, than St. Giles's does with Waterloo Place. There are more ruins here than I expected, ruined towers, I mean, of modern date, which are frequent in the towns and villages. The countenances of the people are fine, but we see no gentlemen anywhere, or else the distinction of ranks is lost altogether, except with the court and the high nobility. In the valley of Aosta, through which we were travelling all yesterday, the whole land, I hear, is possessed by the peasants, and there are no great proprietors at all. I am quite satisfied that there is a good in this, as well as an evil, and that our state of society is not so immensely superior as we flatter ourselves. I know that our higher classes are immensely superior to any one here; but I doubt whether our system produces a greater amount of happiness, or saves more misery than theirs ; and I cannot help thinking, that, if their dreadful superstition were exchanged for the Gospel, their division of society would more tend to the general good, than ours. Their superstition is indeed most shocking, and yet with some points in which we should do well to imitate them. I like the simple crosses and oratories by the road side, and the texts of Scripture which one often sees quoted upon them; but they are profaned by such a predominance of idolatry to the Virgin, and of falsehood and folly about the Saints, that no man can tell what portion of the water of life is still retained for those who drink it so corrupted. I want more than ever to see and talk with some of their priests, who are both honest and sensible, if, indeed, any man can be so, and yet belong to a system so abominable. 2. On the cliff above the Lake of Como. July 25, 1825. We are on a mule track that goes from Como along the eastern shore of the lake, and as the mountains go sheer down into the water, the mule track is obliged to be cut out of their sides, like a terrace, half way between their summits and their feet. They are covered with wood, all chestnut, from top to bottom, except where patches have been found level enough for houses to stand on, and vines to grow; but just where we are it is quite lonely; I look up to the blue sky, and down to the blue lake, the one just above me, and the other just below me, and see both through the thick branches of the chestnuts. Seventeen or eighteen |