Then adieu, silver Teivi! I quit thy loved scene, And adieu, Dinas Emlyn! still green be thy shades, THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. In order to secure his empire effectually against restless and fugitive enemies, She-hwang-te conceived the vast design of erecting the great wall, a stupendous work, upon which twenty centuries have exerted but little comparative effect, which still subsist as a monument of the existence of this monarch, and of his power and resources. The largest of the pyramids of Egypt contains but a small portion of the quantity of matter in this wall; the solid contents of which, not including the projecting masses of stone and brick, which alone include as much masonry as all London, are supposed to exceed in bulk the materials of all the dwelling-houses in England and Scotland. The vastness of the mass may be better appreciated by considering that, according to the calculation of Mr. Barrow, it is more than sufficient to surround the circumference of the earth, on two of its great circles, with two walls, each six feet high and two feet thick. The emperor directed his general, Mung-teen, when he had completed his successful campaign against the Heung-noo Tartars, to survey the walls which had been constructed by some of the northern states to complete their union, and to continue the great barrier from the Kea-yuh-Kwan, to the place where, at a subsequent period, Wang-hae-low was built, on the shore of the eastern sea, a space of 1,500 miles, over deep valleys and mountains of great elevation. Enormous numbers of some say millions, were collected from all parts of the empire, and set to work upon this immense structure, the superintendence of which was entrusted to Mung-teen, who had under him an army of 300,000 men. Vessels laden with iron were sunk at the sea-shore, where the wall began, to make a buttress for it. Large arches were built for the passage of rivers. Along the wall at certain distances, were forts for garrisons; gates were made at convenient distances for traffic, passage of troops, &c. ; and its width was so great, that in some parts seven horsemen could walk abreast at the top and narrowest part of the walk. The work was completed in the short space of ten years, B. C. 205; but short as the period was, not only was its projector no more but his dynasty had ceased to reign.-Asiatic Journal. men, MANCHESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL. "Praise the Lord upon the harp sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving. With trumpets also and shawins; O show yourselves joyful before the Lord the king."-Psalm 98. THE inhabitants of Manchester and environs have had, during this last week, a rich banquet of melody offered for their enjoyment, in the performances connected with the Musical Festival, being the second held in this town. It is a subject on which every one possessing the love of harmony and sweet sounds would delight to dwell; but the lateness of the time, and the contracted limits of this article preclude a detailed account, therefore a short general notice must suffice. The Festival was held in the Collegiate Church, which building, from its size and general arrangement, affords convenience for the purpose seldom found out of a cathedral. The preparations inside were of the most extensive nature, large extra galleries having been erected, and an ample orchestra provided for the performers; the number of vocalists engaged was 238, and of instrumentalists 132; being a much larger number than at the former festival in 1828. This mighty host consisted of the first singers of the day, including Mr. Bennett, Mr. Machin, Mr. H. Phillips, Mr. Terrial, Signor Ivanoff, Signor Lablache, Madame Malibran, Madame Caradori, Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. W. Knyvett, &c., together with the veteran Braham, whose voice, at near three score years and ten, is full of the richness and melody of middle age; he seems as if nature had exempted him from decay, till a successor could be found to tell with equal power the splendour bright" of the newly created world. The instrumentalists were also the first-rate performers on their respective instruments, and the whole was conducted by Sir Geo. Smart. The pieces selected for performance were Haydn's Oratorio of the "Creation", Handel's "Messiah ", Beethoven's "Mount of Olives", Spohr's "Last Judgment"; and a variety of selections from Handel, Mozart, &c. The only drawback on the performances was the indisposition of Madame Malibran, who was unable to appear in some parts for which she was announced; but, with this exception, the performances went off extremely well. Sacred music possesses a vast superiority over other descriptions of melody; and when the noble productions of genius and devotion* are accompanied by the auxiliaries employed in an oratorio, this superiority is shown in a manner which at once astonishes and charms, awes and delights; and a person who has never attended such a performance can form but a very inadequate idea of the effect-at one time the full deep tone of Braham or Phillips, rolling its solemn melody from wall to wall, at another the dulcet strain of an enchanting warbler, stealing like hyblean murmurs over the hearer, till all is merged in the thundering burst and overpowering swell of the chorus; pealing and echoing around, till the loud praises seem to rend the vaulted roof, and to ascend to the high heavens of whichthey tell. Let any one who has heard it refer to one part of the "Messiah" :-The Redeemer is in anguish for the sins of man -"Behold, and see if there was any sorrow like unto his sorrow"-(most beautifully given by Braham)-" He was cut off from the land of the living." The bitterness of death is passed, the strain rises higher-" Thou didst not leave his soul in hell, nor didst thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption." The cerements of the grave are burst-the chorus requires the gates of heaven to be opened, "and the King of Glory shall come in." The semi-chorus demands "who is the King of Glory!" and the responding chorus having answered, the whole break out in a strain of the noblest grandeur. This is by no means a solitary instance, but it gives a good idea of the nature of the performances. The church was well attended at all the performances; as also were the concerts in the evenings, consisting of selected pieces from the best English and Italian composers; and on Friday evening a Fancy Dress Ball was held in an extensive suite of rooms, formed by erecting a spacious saloon, and passages connecting the Theatre, Assembly Rooms, and the Portico News Rooms, where every one who was fired with the ambition of "strutting his hour" as a despot, or a slave-a sage, or a mountebank, -had ample opportunity of so doing. The receipts of the various performances, and the surplus left after paying expences, are not yet made known; report says the probable sum taken is from £16,000 to £20,000; at all events, there is no doubt of a handsome addition to the funds of the public charities of the town, to which the balance is to be devoted. In addition to the other festivities of the week, many thousands were hocussed by an announcement that Mr. Graham would ascend in his balloon, and after waiting some hours in anxious expectation were obliged to disperse with their curiosity ungratified; Mr. Graham, however, made some amends by a very fine ascent the following day. September 17th, 1836. G. P. JENNINGS. *Handel says, that before sitting down to compose his oratorios, he used to pray to the Almighty that "he would grant him power to praise him as he ought to do." THE FATHER'S ADDRESS TO HIS FIRST-BORN. How is my heart delighted and distress'd; The thorny path that you must travel through, Oh! what angelic power, what heavenly friend Bid the destroyer at a distance stand, Make her young soul a chaste and hallowed shrine, By thee through death's dark vale securely led, EDWARD POWELL, P. Prov. G. M. St. Martin's Lodge, Tunstall, July 20th, 1836. P. G. M. JAMES MANSALL. "Our actions are our heralds, and they fix The grave has at length closed upon the mortal remains of James Mansall, who, during the whole course of a useful life, maintained the character of an upright and industrious member of society; and in the early periods of the Manchester Unity, fulfilled the highest offices in it, with credit to himself, and usefulness to the then infant Institution. The subject of this brief memoir was born at Sheffield, in 1766, where his father had a short time previously removed from near Bilston, in Staffordshire, where he had managed a small farm, and also carried on the business of a joiner. His father died when his son was about two years old, leaving him the youngest of five children; in 1776 he was put to learn the trade of a scissor maker, at which he continued five years, at the expiration of which time, he bound himself apprentice to a saw maker, and joined in communion with a religious body, to whose tenets he continued throughout life seriously and conscientiously attached. At the age of thirty-two, Mr. Mansall commenced business in Sheffield, as a saw maker, and not long after, it became his duty to visit America. During the period he had resided at Sheffield, he had been frequently solicited to join the society of Odd Fellows, and during his voyage he found that the toasts, sentiments, and songs given were generally of a moral kind, and on inquiry, he found that the passengers were principally Odd Fellows; this conduct removed those scruples which had previously existed in his mind, and he determined to join the Order as soon as he should revisit his native land; but it was not until he had left Sheffield, and established himself in Manchester, that he carried it into effect. In 1812 he joined the Wellington Lodge, in which he went through the various offices with benefit to the Lodge. In the year 1815, Mr. Mansall was appointed deputy to Mr. John Lloyd, (who then filled the office of G. M.) and which he fulfilled for two years, and in 1818 he was unanimously appointed G. M., which important situation he held for three successive sittings. During the time he was in office many and important alterations were effected, and which had a tendency to accelerate those improvements, the beneficial effects of which the Order is now experiencing; aided and assisted by the "working bees" of that day, by the Armitts, Hardman, Derbyshire, and others, the foundation stone of our Institution was fixed upon that firm basis which time alone can remove. The offices which Mr. Mansall held he found no bed of roses; he had to contend against the open attempts of the Order's avowed opponents, and the more formidable, but insiduous views of its pretended friends; but supported by the real wishes of our Unity, he came off in every contest victorious, and each succeeding attack served only to cement more closely the ties of the Unity, and to show to the world in their true light, those inestimable blessings of our motto, "Friendship, Love, and Truth;" bearing in mind, that on all occasions, Thrice is he armed, who has his quarrel just, Mr. Mansall was one of the fearless and intrepid supporters of the Order, when its tenets wanted supporting; his counsel and his purse were always open to the wants of his brethren, and in good report and in evil report, he was alike the firm champion of its rights and privileges. If G. M. Mansall had any failing, and where is the individual without one? it was in the over-forgivingness of his disposition-gifted with all the kindlier feelings of our nature, he forgave those on whom forgiveness was thrown away-he at times pitied where he ought to have punished. After his services as G. M. Mr. Mansall did not stand prominently forward in public life, though he was a warm supporter of the Magazine, and the printing of the General Minutes of the Order, by which two publications much permanent good was effected. Shortly after this he ceased to be a subscribing member of the Order, under circumstances which did not reflect any discredit on him, "for he never stooped to meaness nor courted dishonour," and which at this lapse of time it is here unnecessary to relate. However, the Dudley A. M. C. were so satisfied of the purity of his intentions and past valuable services, that a resolution was unanimously passed "That he should be allowed to join any Lodge as an honorary member," a distinction never before or since granted to any individual-advanced in years and not in the best of health, P. G. M. Mansall did not often take advantage of this privilege granted to sterling merit; but when he did visit a Lodge, which was only, I believe, on two occasions, on both of which he presented medals, the lodge-room was crowded to excess. The elder brethren of the Order came for the days of" Auld lang syne," the younger to see an individual who had been instrumental in supporting the unity when it wanted support. If he did not often visit the Lodges, he was pleased to hear of their prosperity, and had his best wishes for its continuance. The last and most painful part of my duty is now to come. For a considerable length of time Mr. Mansall's health had been gradually declining; and on the 19th day of January, 1836, in the 72nd year of his age, he left this transitory, for another and a better, world. If there have been individuals who have presided over the Order possessed of more transcendant abilities, yet in honesty of intention and uprightness of action, Mr. Mansall has had no superior. May each of us through life imitate his virtues, and may our latter end be like his peace. Such is the sincere desire of the Order's well-wisher, JOHN S. MYERS. LETTER I. ON THE NATURE OF REAL WEALTH. "There is no real wealth, excepting the labour of man."-GODWIN. We wanted, as Horatio says, "no ghost to tell us this." But though self-evident, the subject is seldom considered, and never, perhaps, actually acted upon. Did the labouring man duly appreciate his real value in the social scale-did he feel fully the importance of the position he holds-did he see, as he ought to do, that instead of being a dependant, he is the only really independent individual in existence-did he, I say, consider this, he would, surely, endeavour, at least, to conduct himself so as to convince the world that he was aware of, and deserving, the distinguished rank he knew he held in society. He should never forget the tale of the "Prince and the Basket-maker." The king upon the throne is not so independent as the collier in a coal pit. One of the greatest difficulties which lie in the way of accomplishing so desirable an object is the alehouse !-remove that stumbling-block, and the way to independence and happiness is Macadamized-your house becomes the mansion of peace, and " your household the subjects of content,”—you stand erect in the presence of your fellow-men, however opulent they may suppose themselves to be, and assert and vindicate the Nobility of Nature. "An honest man's the NOBLEST work of God." I am aware that much patience, forbearance and industry must be applied to the task; but these are the very sinews of that "real wealth" of which the philosopher speaks. They are current in all countries. They speak all languages. They are comprehensible alike to the savage and the sage, and are of universal interpretation and appliHe who seriously and seduously applies himself to the accomplishment of this task is sure of success. Nothing but the hand of Providence can stop his progress, or prevent him from reaching the summit of human happiness. cation. There is not a country in the world, perhaps, which contains so many noble institutions for the relief of the afflicted, as England. I shall only briefly allude to the many thousands of infirmaries, dispensaries, lunatic asylums, &c. &c. which bedeck this speck of earth,' like so many constellations, and make Englishmen justly proud of the land of their fathers--nor shall I stop to enumerate the numerous private societies which abound in every town and village throughout the land-but come at once to that which stands at an immeasureable distance from any other in the worldI mean THE MANCHESTER UNITY OF INDEPENDENT ODD FELLOWS. What an admirable auxilary does this Institution afford to the man of "real wealth." Should his labour be suspended for a season, by sickness, he falls back upon the labour of former years, the funds of his Lodge are thrown open, and he is made comfortable during his illness. Should death overtake him, his bereaved family have the consolation of knowing that his remains will be consigned to the grave with decent solemnity, and a sum given them to provide those articles usual on such occasions, and which custom has rendered almost absolutely necessary. The same funds are made available, too, in case of the death of a wife. Again, should labour fail him in one part of the country, these inexhaustible funds send him with comfort to another part, where he may resume his independence. I must now conclude. Letter II. in time for the next Number. Manchester, September, 1836. |