CHAPTER LXVII.

ENGLAND IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

It would be impossible within the limits of a small volume, much less of a single chapter, to give any adequate description of the condition of England during this age of wonderful development and progress. We can but glance at a few prominent incidents in those departments of social improvement, which in other centuries have been considered more at length.

The most pleasing feature in the history of religion during the present period, has been the establishment of societies for the promotion of the Christian faith, and the spread of its glorious light throughout the world. Of these, noblest in design and success is "The British and Foreign Bible Society." God chose a little child to be the instigator of this mighty enterprise.

A Welsh girl, tripping over her native hills, was met by the Rev. Mr. Charles of Bala. He stopped the child, and asked if she could tell him the text on which he had preached the preceding Sunday. The little girl hung her head as she replied that she had not been able to get at the Bible that week. On inquifing the reason, the clergyman found that there was but one Bible within several miles, and that this child was in the habit of walking a long distance every week, over rugged mountain paths, for the privilege of reading the word of God.

The fact that a large district of Great Britain was destitute of Bibles, made a deep impression on the mind of Mr. Charles. He visited London and spoke of it to others: Christian hearts were roused, nor was it long before the resolution was made to print and sell Bibles at such prices as would enable the poor to obtain them. Thus began, in 1804, with a subscription of only three thousand dollars, "The British and Foreign

Bible Society," which now has a revenue of nearly eight hundred thousand dollars, and has circulated thirty-seven millions of Bibles and Testaments.

The operations of those societies already established in England for the promotion of Christianity, were greatly extended, whilst new institutions for the same noble purpose were founded both by the Established Church and by dissenters. By the exertions of such societies in England and America, the blessings of Christianity have been carried to the remotest colonies of Great Britain, and to many heathen lands. Christian schools have been founded, and Christianity preached in China, amid the jungles of India, the sands of Africa, and the isles of the Pacific. The Sandwich Islands have become Christianized, and of barbarous New Zealand it is beautifully recorded: "the lion has been converted into the lamb, and the lamb has been gathered into the fold of the Redeemer."

Sunday-schools, for the instruction of the young, first founded in 1780, by Robert Raikes, have become so general, that there is scarcely a parish or religious society throughout England or the United States, in which they do not now exist. In the train of Christianity

"Steals on, large-hearted Charity,

Tempering her gifts, that seem so free,
By time and place,

Till not a woe the bleak world see,
But finds her grace."

We cannot dwell upon all that she has been doing in this our day-the institutions that men, animated by her pure spirit, have founded for the sick, the blind, the afflicted, and the outcast.

One such noble institution, "The Metropolitan Lunatic Asylum," at Hanwell, must stand as a type of others. Here for the first time in England the barbarous system of coercing the insane, gave place to that of judicious medical treatment. Instead of being chained in cells, and left in idleness, a prey

to the fancies of their own disordered intellects, employment has been furnished according to the abilities of the inmates: the men engaged in gardening and building; the women made happy by the industry of the needle.

In the history of literature during the past half century, an interesting feature has been the new style of periodical review. The first which appeared was "The Edinburgh Review," established in 1802 by the Rev. Sydney Smith, Messrs., afterwards Lords Jeffrey and Brougham, and other men of distinguished talent. The contributors to the columns of this periodical were Whigs, who advocated successively the great reform questions of the day. The boldness and ability of their writings gave no little support to the promoters of the abolition of slavery, the repeal of the corn-laws, &c. "The Quarterly Review," a Tory publication, was established in London in the year 1809. It is distinguished for beauty of literary composition, and its columns have been enriched by the genius of Sir Walter Scott, Southey, and Lord Canning. "Blackwood's Magazine," designed to counteract the Whig influence of "The Edinburgh Review," was set up in 1817 by its able editor, Professor Wilson, so well known as "Christopher North."

In the year 1827 "The Society for promoting the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge" commenced its noble career. It was founded mainly by the exertions of Mr. Brougham, Lord John Russell, and the benevolent Friend, William Allen, in order to effect the publication, in a cheap form, of elementary treatises on scientific subjects;-such as the workingman could understand and profit by.

The society has since greatly extended its operations. Through the efforts of Mr. Knight in conjunction with it, such valuable works as "The Penny Magazine," "The Penny Cyclopedia," and "The Library of Entertaining Knowledge," and many others of an equally useful character, have been given to the world.

In the useful and industrial, as well as in the fine arts, the improvements and discoveries of the last fifty years well-nigh

surpass those of all preceding centuries combined. From the invention of lucifer matches up to the wonders of steam and the electric telegraph, each year seems to unfold some ever new and marvellous triumph of the genius of man over the world of matter.

of

In the year 1811, "The Comet," the first British steamboat, was launched upon the Clyde, and now one-half the navy Great Britain consists of steam-vessels of war. Steamboats ply by hundreds around the British islands. The voyage to America only occupies ten days, and that to India, which once required three or four months, is now reduced to six weeks. In less than fifty years after "The Comet," "The Great Eastern," 700 feet in length, of 22,000 tons burthen, with a power equal to 11,000 horses, and room for the transportation of 10,000 troops, has made her first passage across the Atlantic in eleven days.

The first successful experiment of a steam-carriage propelled over an iron railway, was performed in the year 1805, at Merthyr Tydvil, in Wales. On this occasion the locomotive. moved at the rate of five miles an hour, drawing ten tons of coal. Several years passed before the construction of a railway for travelling On the 15th September, 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad was opened Now many thousand miles of railway spread over the surface of England, and intersect it like a net-work: first-class carriages give ease to the traveller, whilst with security and comfort he pursues his journey at the rate of less than one and a half

penny per mile. In triumphs of architecture, especially as exhibited in the construction of great public works, the age has been peculiarly fruitful. Among such works may be mentioned, the famous Thames Tunnel, the Tubular and Suspension Bridges over the Menai Straits, the new Houses of Parliament, and several of the beautiful bridges over the Thames. Of the latter, Waterloo, erected, as the name would intimate, in the year 1815, was declared by Canova to be the finest bridge in Europe, and alone worth the journey from Rome to London

to see.

A marvel of this age, which has scarcely yet ceased to astonish the world, is the electric telegraph This wonderful application of the power of electro-magnetism was first made in the United States in the year 1832. Its earliest introduction into England was in 1840. Along these wires messages are transmitted, almost with the rapidity of thought, and there is scarcely a village in England where communications may not be forwarded by telegraph.

In closing this brief review, we would not omit all mention of the Crystal Palace, that remarkable monument of social progress, which has well been named the last wonder of the world.

To the Prince Consort of England is due the praise of having originated the grand idea of an "Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations." To Mr. (afterwards Sir Joseph) Paxton belongs the honor of having designed the marvellous structure of iron and glass, wherein might be exhibited fair samples of the world's art and industry. This, the largest compact building on the face of the earth, was erected in Hyde Park, London, in less than nine months, out of materials hitherto wholly untried in the great constructions of ancient or modern times.

"Like Arabia's matchless palace,

Child of magic's strong decree,
One vast globe of living sapphire,

Floor, walls, columns, canopy."

Nor was the exhibition within unworthy of the beautiful structure There, during the summer of 1851, was represented all that was most excellent in use or beauty of the industry of all lands. Literally one hundred nations from Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and the fifth continent, Australia, united in the celebration of this jubilee of art. From the 1st day of May, when the queen in person opened to her subjects and to the world the portals of this marvellous palace, so great was the throng of admiring visitors, from every rank and class in society, and almost from every quarter