Memoir and Letters of Francis W. Newman Part 14

"While I regret all this, I yet expect Kossuth to be great again whenever action in Hungary recommences; but he cannot bear _in_action well; and, alas! I make no doubt his private resources cannot bear delays. I almost begin to fear that he _covets_ to be driven publicly to America by our Government, as less ignominious than being starved into the same step. I cannot understand ... how he fails to see that _if_ we weaken Russia we strengthen the chances of liberty, though Aberdeen would not allow his particular policy in 1853-4. We are doing _so very much_ more than he asked of the Americans in 1852 that the tone he a.s.sumes is wonderful. And then to scoff as he does, as though we had done _nothing_ in destroying the Russian Black Sea Fleet and overthrowing the whole prestige of their military superiority. To have been beaten by the Turks is still _more_ humiliating.... I wonder whether you have any alarm about America. I _should_ have some alarm if Nicaragua and the Mosquito land were the topic of quarrel; for I think the Americans would really fight us as a single nation to hinder us establis.h.i.+ng ourselves on American soil _south_ of them. They sufficiently dislike our _northern_ position....

"Very cordially yours,

"F. W. Newman."

We now pa.s.s to Newman's letters in the year 1856; and the first of this series speaks of the "Harry" who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume, as having been Professor Alleyne Nicholson, of Aberdeen. He was coming to stay with Professor Newman during term time:--

"7 P.V.E. R.P., "_28th Oct._, 1856.

"The grammar used in University College School is _Key's Grammar_....

Hitherto, no particular Greek Grammar has been used in the school, but Greek has been taught through _Robson's Constructive Greek Exercises_, which, I presume, Harry ought at once to work at.... A Greek Grammar by Mr. Greenwood is expected to be ready by Christmas, and is to be brought into the school. It will be new _to all_; and Harry will be on a par with the rest about it.

"_Robson's Constructive Latin Exercises_ ... are used in the school....

Give him" (Harry) "my very kind regards, and say that his little bedroom here looks to me desolate until he comes; but I cannot flatter him that I have anything to fill up the emptiness of heart he will feel when he loses not only papa and mamma, but also his faithful coadjutor in study-- _Annie!_ Seriously, you will have to consider about his evening _amus.e.m.e.nts_, for it will not do to be studying morning and night. What think you of giving a well defined time to _drawing_ every evening? He has so much taste for drawing insects that he cannot fail in outline. We have a little room which we call 'the boy's room,' where he can put any of his Natural History collections which you think it well he should try, but we have _no b.u.t.terflies to catch,--few even in summer."

At the end of July, Newman went to stay with Dr. Nicholson and his family at Penrith, and there are one or two notes concerning his journey t.i.ther.

The next letter is dated 24th Aug., 1856. He wrote therefore when the Crimean War was still going forward. That war which, amongst mistaken policies, blundering Government tactics, and aimless ambitions, holds a foremost place. It was not till the end of the year 1855 that it came to an end. After the attack on Sebastopol, the French--whose army had suffered quite as much from the terrible winter and from disease, etc., as our own--succeeded in taking the Malakoff Tower. This made it impossible for the Russians to defend Sebastopol any longer, and in March, 1856, peace was proclaimed. Then followed Russian promises, which were made as easily as they were broken.

"7 Park Village, East.

"_24th August_, 1856.

"My dear Nicholson,

"Events have proved that Russia, too, painfully knew her own weakness.

Probably he" (Louis Napoleon) "already in December knew that she knew it, and the war was far too unpopular with the French to be continued except on a different policy, with new necessities and new prizes to be won. Our policy from March, 1853, to March, 1855, was so hollow and so silly, that no wisdom could afterwards bring things right, or make the results of the war worthy of the cost; but the _comparative_ result in March, 1856, is so vast a gain over what nine out of ten of our statesmen (so called) were projecting to accept in March, 1855, that I cannot open my lips against the peace in itself. I could not in any case wish the war continued, except on new principles for worthier objects. However, Russia has really had a terrible lesson, and a great humiliation. That she could not take Silistria or Kars against Turkish troops, except by the accident of famine, will never be forgotten by German armies or statesmen.... The native Russian peasants and low persons do not _yet_ know that the Czar was beaten; they suppose him to have conquered with immense cost; but the n.o.bility knew the truth, and it will leak through to the lowest people, I expect, in the course of a few years. I think Europe has a respite of a quarter of a century from the incubus of Russia; and _if_ in that interval the Hapsburgs are overthrown, all will yet come right. I fear we are still forced again (in spite of Mazzini and Kossuth) to regard the French as having the initiative of revolutions. I have resolved to give up all extra and needless effort of the brain, until I can really get rid of certain morbid symptoms, quite chronic, which distress me, so that my projected Latin a.n.a.lysis lies in embryo.

"... I have had satisfactory approval of my _Iliad_ from my brother, Dr.

Newman, a fastidious critic and practical poet, as also from other private quarters which I count much on; but reviews as yet do not notice me.... I have no high expectation of the very existence of the book becoming known, except slowly to many who might perhaps be glad of it if they knew it....

"Ever your faithful friend,

"F. W. Newman."

In October of the same year he thus speaks of the School of University College:--

"... The School of U.C. is remarkably full of pupils this season. My junior cla.s.s has unusually _old_ pupils; I do not yet know their quality.

One (a Mr. Sa.s.soon, a Jew?) [Footnote: Probably this was the father of the present Sir Edward Sa.s.soon, second Baronet.] I mistook for a German, but he told me he is an Arab of Hindoo birth, and talks a little Arab and Hindostanee, but knows more of English than of any other language. His English is good, though the p.r.o.nunciation is a little foreign."

In another letter, written this same month, he speaks of Mazzini as knowing that the "liberties of Italy cannot be safe without revolution either in France or Austria." That he feels it must come sooner or later, so that it would be better for Italy to act and suffer rather than to become "stupefied." Newman declares that the Governments know, and is the reason why they "hate Mazzini, since ... success in Italy will cause explosions elsewhere."

Newman goes on to say: "For myself I look at it thus. The deliverance of Italy _cannot_ come by Governments (unless these are first revolutionized); it can only come by insurrection. No one from without can ever know or judge what is the time for hopeful insurrection: it must be done from within, and generally without plan. My sole question is, Is the cause legitimate? I find that it is. I leave Italians to judge of the time. Meanwhile every year I would give of my superfluity to the aid of patriotic effort.... To fail ten times may be necessary for success in the eleventh. If they were losing heart and becoming denationalized, the case would be bad; but it is the contrary. The fusion with Austria is impossible. The more they bleed the more they are united, and the more resolved.... My wife is cheered to learn that Harry will go to Mr. Bruce's on Sunday. A black spot had rested on her heart, I find, from fearing that he would go _nowhere_ to church. I am sending you a corrected copy of my translation of the first chorus in _Antigone_, since you honour it by putting it into your _Sophocles_....

"Ever your affectionate friend,

"F. W. Newman.

"To Dr. J. Nicholson, etc."

Another mention of the translation I also insert here. He had been able to give far more time to it than if he had been in London, for he had in September been spending some time at Ventnor. "A youth introduced to me by Mrs. Pulszky is zealous in the Greek tragedians, and I have been helping him to a little _Sophocles_ which put me up to translating the 1st Chorus after I had been reading it with him...."

Here is the translation to which allusion is made:--

"SOPHOCLES, ANTIGONE"

1ST CHORAL SONG

_1st Strophe_

"O ray of the Sun, the fairest That over the rills of Dirke To Thebe the seven-gated Wast ever of yore unveil'd The eyelid of heaven gilding; At length thy splendour on us was shed, Urging to hasty reverse of rein The Argive warrior white of s.h.i.+eld And laden in panoply all complete, Who sped in van of the routed.

Stirr'd from afar against our land By Polyneikes' doubtful strife, He like an eagle soaring came, Screen'd by a wing of snow unstain'd, With many a stout accoutrement And horse-hair crested helmets.

_1st Antistrophe_

"At mouth of the portals seven Above our abodes he hover'd With lances that yawn'd for carnage; But vanish'd, afore his chaps With slaughter of Thebes were glutted; Afore the flicker of pitchy flame Might to the crown of turrets climb.

So fierce the rattle of war around Was pour'd on his rear by the serpent-foe Hard match'd in deadly encounter.

For Jove the over-vaunting tongue Supremely hates. Their full fed stream Of gold, of clatter, and of pride He saw, and smote with brandish'd flame Him, who at summit of his goal Would raise the peal of Conquest.

_2nd Strophe._

"Foil'd in his frantic rush, Though still with blasts of hate against us raving, Down dropt he, torch and all, And heavy struck the Earth, who upward spurn'd him.

Such auspice of the war To us was fair; and elsewhere new successes Befel, whereon the right Great Ares routing wheel'd the chariot-battle.

For, posted at the seven gates, Equals to equals, seven chiefs To trophy-bearing Jupiter Payments of solid bra.s.s bequeath'd.

Save that the gloomy-hearted twain, Sprung from one mother and one sire, Planted with adverse dint the spear And earn'd a fate in common.

_2nd Antistrophe_

"But now, since Victory Mighty of name at length is come, delighted In car-borne Thebe's joy; Henceforth forget we battle's past annoyance.

But through the livelong night Let us in sacred band approach the temples, And Bacchus to the dance-- The G.o.d who shakes the soil of Thebes--be leader.

"But hither Creon, lo! proceeds, Son of Menoekeus, newly rais'd The sceptre of this land to sway.

Now at new tokens of the G.o.ds, Methinks, some sage device he plies.

Therefore to special parliament Hath he by general summons fetch'd This meeting of the elders."

The next letter largely concerns Persia. And it is necessary to remember that, in the early part of the nineteenth century, she began, at the suggestion of France, a most unfortunate war (as regards herself) with Russia.

In 1826 there was another war, and this cost Persia all the rest of her possessions in Armenia. The taxation of the people, which the rulers enforced to enable them to pay the expenses of the war, caused the former to rise in insurrection in 1829. The death of the Crown Prince in 1833 seemed the crowning blow to the fortunes of Persia, for he had been the only man who had seriously tried to raise his country from the depths to which she had fallen.