UTILITY OF THE REAL SCENES OF NATURE. 



155 



volence be general among a people addicted to 

 such cruel and savage amusements ! And, need 

 we wonder to find, that troops of lawless banditti 

 are continually prowling among the mountains 

 and forests of that country, committing murders 

 and deoredations ? One of the authors just now 

 quoted, when alluding to banditti, and detailing 

 the incidents which occurred on his route to 

 Madrid, says, &quot;In this country it is impossible 

 to distinguish friends from foes, as all travellers 

 go well armed. We met just here half a dozen 

 horsemen, many of whom had swords and pistols, 

 and we afterwards saw peasants riding on asses, 

 armed in the same way. A few leagues further 

 on, we met a strong detachment of cavalry patrol- 

 ing the road, in consequence of a daring robbery, 

 which had just been committed on a nobleman 

 who was bringing his bride to court from Bacre- 

 lona. He had a numerous retinue ; the banditti 

 were twelve in number, and completely armed.&quot; 



If we now take a cursory glance at our 

 POPULAR LITERARY WORKS, and at several of 

 our publications intended for the nursery, we 

 shall find that a goodly portion of them is stamp 

 ed with the character of frivolity and of maligni 

 ty. When the young mind is just beginning to 

 expand, instead of being irradiated with the 

 beams of unadulterated truth, a group of distort 

 ed and unsubstantial images, which have no pro 

 totypes in nature, is presented to the view of the 

 intellect, as the groundwork of its future progress 

 in wisdom and knowledge. Instead of the sim 

 ple and sublime precepts of Christian benevo 

 lence, the wild and romantic notions connected 

 with chivalry, the superstitions of the dark ages, 

 and the love of false heroism, and of military 

 glory, are attempted to be indelibly riveted on 

 the minds of the young. What else can be ex 

 pected, when such legends and romances as the 

 following, occupy the principal part of the nur 

 sery library? Slue Beard; Cinderella; Tom 

 Thumb ; Jack the Giant-Killer ; Valentine and 

 Orson ; The Seven Champions of Christendom ; 

 Robin Hood ; Goody Two-Shoes ; Puss in 

 Boots; Sinbad the Sailor; Aladdin, or, the 

 Wonderful Lamp; Thalaba, or, the Destroyer ; 

 The Blood-Red Knight ; The Maid and&quot; the 

 Magpie ; Fairy Tales, and a long list of similar 

 tales and romances , equally improving and im 

 portant ! Such works are published, even at the 

 present time, not only in a Lilliputian size, to 

 suit the lower ranks of the community, but in a 

 style of splendour and elegance, calculated to 

 fascinate the highest circles of society. Ten thou 

 sands of copies of such publications, are present 

 ly in circulation throughout every part of the 

 British empire : and what is the great object 



nation; but another entertainment, called fiesta de 

 novillos, which is an image of the hull-fi&amp;lt;:ht, is still 

 retained and it is notimprobable, that, by this time 

 the true bull-fight has been again revived. 



they are calculated to accomplish ? To exhibit 

 distorted views of the scenes of nature, and of 

 human society ; to foster superstitious notions ; 

 to inspire the minds of the young with an inordi 

 nate desire after worldly honour and distinction 4 

 to set before them, as an ultimate object, the 

 splendour and felicity of&quot; riding in a coach and 

 six ;&quot;and to familiarize their minds to chivalrous 

 exploits, and to scenes of butchery and revenge. 

 If we glance at the popular literary works of 

 the present day, intended for the amusement of 

 children of a larger growth, we shall find many 

 of them imbued with a similar spirit, and having 

 a similar tendency. What is it that just now 

 fascinates our literary loungers, our polished 

 gentry, our educated females, nay, all ranks of 

 the community, from the dignified clergyman to 

 the humble weaver, and which threatens to de 

 stroy all relish for plain unvarnished facts, and 

 for substantial knowledge ? The novels of 

 Waverley, Guy Mannering, Rob Roy, Tales of 

 my Landlord, The Fortunes of Nigel, St. Ro- 

 nan s Well, Marmion, The Corsair, Childe 

 Harold, and a shoal of similar publications, which 

 are daily issuing from the press. And what is 

 the general tendency of the great majority of 

 such works ? To distort and caricature the facts 

 of real history ; to gratify a romantic imagina 

 tion ; to pamper a depraved mental appetite ; to 

 excite a disrelish for the existing scenes of na 

 ture, and for the authenticated facts which have 

 occurred in the history of mankind ; to hold up 

 venerable characters to derision and contempt ; 

 to excite admiration of the exploits and the ma 

 lignant principles of those rude chieftains and 

 barbarous heroes, whose names ought to descend 

 into everlasting oblivion; to revive the revenge 

 ful spirit of the dark ages ; to undermine a sacred 

 regard for truth and moral principle, which are 

 the basis of the happiness of the intelligent uni 

 verse ; and to throw a false glory over scenes of 

 rapine, of bloodshed, and of devastation. To 

 such works, and to their admirers, we might ap 

 ply the words of the ancient Prophet : &quot; He 

 feedeth on ashes ; a deceived heart hath turned 

 him aside, that he cannot say, Is there not a lie 

 in my right hand ?&quot; 



&quot; For, sure, to hug a fancied case, 

 That never did, nor can take place, 

 And for the pleasures it can give, 

 Neglect the facts of real life, 

 Is madness in its greatest height, 

 Or I mistake the matter quite.&quot; WUTcle. 



To affirm, that it is necessary for the entertain 

 ment of the human mind, to have recouse to ficti 

 tious scenes and narratives, and to the wild 

 vagaries of an unbridled imagination, is, in effect 

 to throw a reflection upon the plans and the con 

 duct of the Creator. It implies, that, in the 

 scenes of nature which surround us, both in the 

 heavens and on the earth, and in the administra 

 tions of his moral government among men, God 



