LESSON CCXCIII.-OCTOBER THE TWENTIETH. The Nature of Political Constitutions. WHEN we speak of a political constitution, we mean some form or principle of government, regularly constituted, and capable of being acted upon; but they may be either democratic, aristocratic, or of a mixed character. They are, 1. Democratic, when the fundamental law guarantees to every citizen equal rights, protection, and participation, direct or indirect, in the government; such as the constitutions of the United States of America, and of some cantons of Switzerland. 2. Aristocratic, when the constitution establishes privileged classes, as the nobility and clergy, and entrusts the government entirely to them, or allows them a very disproportionate share of it; such a constitution was that of Venice. 3. Of a mixed character; to which latter division belong some monarchical constitutions, which recognize the existence of a sovereign whose power is modified by other branches of government, of a more or less popular cast. Of this last kind is the BRITISH CONSTITUTION. It assigns the making of laws to the sovereign, and the Houses of Lords and Commons, the sovereign being at the same time the executive power and personal representative of the nation; the House of Lords being a court of appeal from the Courts of Law; and the House of Commons the originator of all taxes and financial grants, for the use of the executive. It has been truly said, that it is not absolutely essential to the existence of a constitution, that it should be producible in a visible form. The period of time when the foundations of the present English government were laid by the association of the people in their original character cannot, indeed, be ascertained. Many of the laws which are in use to this day in Great Britain may be traced back to the remotest period of antiquity; and the origin even of the institution of juries, an institution so congenial to the genuine spirit of freedom, is lost in the obscurity of the fabulous ages. The constitution of Great Britain is a constitution of principles, not of articles; and however frequently it may have been violated by tyrants, monarchical, aristocratical, or democratical, the people have always found it expedient to restore the original foundation, while, from time BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR. 409 to time, they have been successful in improving and ornamenting the building. 1. Describe a democratic constitution. 2. What is meant by an aristocratic government? 3. Of what kind is the British constitution? 4. What is said, in the last paragraph, respecting it? LESSON CCXCIV. OCTOBER THE TWENTY-FIRST. Battle of Trafalgar. On this day, in 1805, was fought the famous battle of Trafalgar, between the English, and the combined fleets of France and Spain, in which Nelson fell a sacrifice to his country's glory. "The death of Nelson," says Dr. Southey, 66 was felt in England as something more than a public calamity; men started at the intelligence, and turned pale, as if they had heard of the loss of a dear friend. An object of our admiration and affection, of our pride and of our hopes, was suddenly taken from us; and it seemed as if we had never, till then, known how deeply we loved and reverenced him. "So perfectly, indeed, had he performed his part, that the maritime war, after the battle of Trafalgar, was considered at an end; the fleets of the enemy were not merely defeated but destroyed; new navies must be built, and a new race of seamen reared for them, before the possibility of their invading our shores could again be contemplated. It was not, therefore, from any selfish reflection upon the magnitude of our loss that we mourned for him; the general sorrow was of a higher character. The people of England grieved that funeral ceremonies, public monuments, and posthumous rewards, were all which they could now bestow upon him whom the king, the legislature, and the nation, would alike have delighted to honour; whom every tongue would have blessed; whose presence in every village through which he might have passed would have wakened the church bells, have given schoolboys a holiday, have drawn children from their sports to gaze upon him, and 'old men from the chimney corner' to look upon Nelson, ere they died. "The victory of Trafalgar was celebrated, indeed, with the usual forms of rejoicing, but they were without joy, for such already was the glory of the British navy, through T Nelson's surpassing genius, that it seemed scarcely to receive any addition from the most signal victory that ever was achieved upon the seas; and the destruction of this mighty fleet, by which all the maritime schemes of France were totally frustrated, hardly appeared to add to our security or strength; for while Nelson was living, to watch the combined squadrons of the enemy, we felt ourselves as secure as now, when they were no longer in existence. "There was reason to suppose, from the appearances upon opening the body, that in the course of nature, he might have attained, like his father, to a good old age. Yet he cannot be said to have fallen prematurely whose work was done; nor ought he to be lamented, who died so full of honours, and at the height of human fame. The most triumphant death is that of the martyr; the most awful, that of the martyred patriot; the most splendid, that of the hero in the hour of victory; and if the chariot and the horses of fire had been vouchsafed for Nelson's translation, he could scarcely have departed in a brighter blaze of glory.” The British fleet consisted of twenty-seven sail of the line and four frigates. The combined fleets, of thirty-three and seven large frigates. Their superiority was greater in size and weight of metal than in numbers. They had 4000 troops on board; and the best riflemen who could be procured, many of them Tyrolese, were dispersed through the ships. Before the battle commenced Nelson retired to his cabin, and wrote the following prayer:· "May the Great God, whom I worship, grant to my country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory; and may no misconduct in any one tarnish it; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature in the British fleet! For myself individually I commit my life to Him that made me; and may His blessing alight on my endeavours for serving my country faithfully! To Him I resign myself, and the just cause intrusted to me to defend. Amen, amen, amen!" 1. What famous battle was fought on this day, in 1805 ? 2. How was the death of Lord Nelson felt in England? 3. For what did the people of England grieve? 4. Which is the most triumphant death? -the most awful? - the most splendid? 5. What was the purport of the hero's prayer? GYPSIES. 411 LESSON CCXCV.- OCTOBER THE TWENTY-SECOND. The Hallowed Morn. DEAR is the hallow'd morn to me, Which echoes through the blest abode, And dear the rustic harmony, Sung with the pomp of village art; That music of a thankful heart. In secret I have often pray'd, And still the anxious tear would fall; But, on thy sacred altar laid, The fire descends, and dries them all. Oft when the world, with iron hands, Then dear to me the Sabbath-morn! Go, man of pleasure, strike the lyre, Ours be the prophet's car of fire, That bears us to a Father's arms! LESSON CCXCVI. OCTOBER THE TWENTY-THIRD. Gypsies. THIS wandering tribe, or race of vagabonds, is spread over the greater part of Europe, and some parts of Asia and Africa; strolling about and subsisting mostly by theft, low games, and fortune-telling. The name is supposed to be corrupted from Egyptian, as they were formerly thought to have come from Egypt; but it is now believed they are of Indian origin, and that they belonged to the race of the Sindes, an Indian caste, which was dispersed, in 1400, by the expeditions of Timour. Their language is the same throughout Europe with but little variation, and even now resembles the dialect of Hindostan. In short, the late Bishop Heber relates, in his "Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India,” that he met with a camp of gypsies on the banks of the Ganges, who spoke the Hindoo language as their mother tongue; and he further observes, that he found the same people in Persia and Russia. Gypsies are remarkable for the yellow brown, or rather olive colour of their skin; the jet black of their hair and eyes; the extreme whiteness of their teeth; and for the symmetry of their limbs, which distinguishes even the men, whose general appearance, however, is repulsive and shy. Though some occasionally follow a trade or honest calling, they rarely settle permanently anywhere. Whereever the climate is mild enough, they are found in forests and deserts, in companies. They seldom have tents, but seek shelter from the cold of winter in grottoes and caves, or they build huts, sunk some feet in the earth, and covered with sods laid on poles. They are fond of instrumental music, which they chiefly practise by the ear, and their lively motions are remarkable in their own peculiar dances. The youthful gypsies traverse the country, the men obtaining their living by gymnastic feats, tricks, &c., while the women invariably practise fortune-telling and chiromancy. They are not nice in their food, but eat all kinds of flesh, even that of animals which have died a natural death. Brandy is their favourite beverage; tobacco their greatest luxury; both men and women chew and smoke it with avidity, and are ready to make great sacrifices for the sake of satisfying this inclination. As for religion they have no settled notions or principles: amongst the Turks they are Mohammedans; in Christian countries, if they make any religious profession at all, they follow the forms of Christianity, without, however, caring for instruction, or having any interest in the spirit of religion. They marry with none but their own race, but their marriages are formed in the rudest manner, and when a gypsy becomes tired of his wife, he will turn her off without ceremony. |