Part 14 (1/2)
”'So help me, God!' the e, So that nought happens here of sad or strange But 'peace' is written on each frown of strife
”For Thou dost help the man that honoureth Thee!
Ay, and Thy Christian-Israel of this land That hitherto hath recognised Thy hand, How blest above the nations still are we!
”Yet now our Senate schemes to spurn aside (On false pretence of liberal brotherhood) The Heavenly Father of our earthly good, Because one atheist hath his God denied!
”What, shall this wrong be done? Must all of us Groan under co avowed blaspheovern thus?
”So help us, God! it shall not: England's ion practised and profest; For so alone by blessing is she blest, Christian and Protestant in life and light”
To gratify an eminent friend ished not to exclude Jews and Mahometans from an open profession of Godliness as they viewed the question, I altered, in subsequent reprints, the last line, ”Christian and Protestant in life and light,” to ”Loving and fearing God in faith and light:” though personally inal I will in this place give a remarkable extract in a letter to me fro hiht side: we kno he quoted Lucretius on the wrong: against which I wrote a strong protest in the _Times_ I like not to show private letters,--but this is manifestly a public one He says:”I thank you for your note, and I can assure you that I believe the promoters of the Affirmation Bill to be already on the side you wish(unwittingly) serious injury to religious belief” It is strange to see how much intellectual subtlety combined with interested partisanshi+p can be self-deceived, even in a hly conscientious
Ast other of ht to name a famous couple--”The Nun's Appeal,” and ”Open the Convents”--which ritten at the request of Lord Alfred Churchill, and given to Edith O'Gorman, the Escaped Nun (otherwise the excellent and eloquent Mrs Auffray), to aid her Protestant Lectures everywhere: she has circulated the the like in Australia and New Zealand
In reply to some excellent members of the Ro holy women and sacred retreats, ainst the evil side both of nunneries and ood to be found in both
My real protest is for liberty both to ainst coercion of any kind, material or spiritual Given perfect freedom, I would not o” if thou wilt; only let the resolve be revocable, not a doom for ever
CHAPTER XXIII
PLAYS
One of y of Plays,” with twelve dramatic scenes,--issued by Allen & Co, of Waterloo Place The first of the three, ”Alfred,” was put upon the stage at Manchester by that ill-starred genius, Walter Montgo it out also at the Haymarket, a very short time before his lamentable death He was fond of the play and splendidly i trained his ohite horse to gallop riderless across the stage when Alfred was supposed to have been defeated by the Danes The vision in act ii scene i was thrillingly effective; and the whole five acts went very well fro preternaturally quiet,--which disconcerted me until my theatrical mentor praised the silence of that vast crowd, as the best possible sign of success: they were held enthralled as oneof as expected ofcheers assailed ot out of the theatre as quick as I could, and was half way to my hotel when two or three excited supers rushed after me with a ”Good God, Mr
Tupper, come back, come back, or the place will be torn down!” so of course I hurried to the front--to encounter a tuh I e inan umbrella! However, no one but ruity, and as I had huenerously condoned ht to record that son, now Mrs Labouchere, ill quite recollect her early triumph in Martin Tupper's first play My best compliments and kindly remembrance I here venture to offer to her
The second play, ”Raleigh,” is very differently constructed; for whereas the tih” was sixty years: in fact with the forle conquest, with the latter the varied battles of a long life I have several tis, and know the points that tell In ”Raleigh” the introduction of Shakespeare, the cloak incident, the trial scene, Elizabeth's death, and the terrible clie, seemed chiefly to interest and excite the audience
I wrote ”Washi+ngton” principally to pleasefor a second time; but it rather da its Grand Exhibition, and was giving ”Readings out of h the Star Company, that my _entrepreneur_ stoutly objected to my proposal to read this new play of mine, with the reton,--he's quite played out: give us anything else of yours you like” As he was my financial provider, and paid well, of course I had to acquiesce
Perhaps thein the play was the account of ton's heraldry: here is part of the passage; the whole being too long to quote: one asks ”Coat-of-arms?--as this coat-of-arms?” and Franklin answers,--
”I'll tell you, friends, I've searched it out and known it for e And found the Washi+ngtons of Wessyngton In county Durharave Manor, County Northampton, bore upon their shi+eld Three stars atop, two stripes across the field Gules--that is red--on white, and for the crest An eagle's head upspringing to the light, It's motto, Latin, ”Issue proveth acts”
The architraves at Sulgrave testify, And sundry painted s in the hall At Wessyngton, this was their fainian home: And at Mount Vernon I myself have noted An old cast-iron scutcheoned chied with that heraldry”
In my first American Journal will be found more about this discovery of mine--in 1851--then quite new even to Americans Here in London, Mr
Tuffley of Chelsea and Northainal coat-of-arms with a view to orna my twelve dramatic scenes, the most appropriate to mention in this volume of personalia, are the thich detail certain perilousthe lives of two ancient ancestors, the one on my mother's side, the other on my father's The latter records the historic incident whereby John Tupper saved the Channel Islands for Williaold collar andAdue The former sho nearly an Arthur Devis at Preston paid the penalty of death owing to his strange rese Pretender, for whoe Government of the time offered a reward of 30,000 to any one who could catch him alive or dead My mother's ancestor was thus very nearly ood looks, as a life-sized portrait at Albury, and an ivory miniature here at Norwood, help to prove If any wish to know more about these matters, I dare say that Messrs Allen aforesaid have _one_ copy left: if not, consult Mudie, that virtuous philanthropist who benefits the reading public at the cost of the private author
CHAPTER XXIV