1812.]

AFGHANISTAN.

439

it not well-nigh impossible?) a generous, unselfish spirit towards his competitors in the game.

Oct. 29th. For three or four days, papers full of Lord Londonderry's epistolary attack on me. Thank God the business of my defence has been assumed by third parties, who have thus left me to leisure and satisfaction. Went yesterday with the Queen Dowager to see the Steephill Nunnery, near Canford. No males admitted generally, and the Lady Abbess made objection, but was overruled by the Priest, who declared that the invitation of a Queen to her suite, masculine though it were, contained a dispensing power. A Cistercian nunnery, a female La Trappe; rules very rigorous, observance of them much mitigated; among others a rule prevails that no one speaks to her fellow; words are never exchanged except with the Superior or Chaplain. And this, poor things, is to be their notion of Christianity, and of the requirements of Scripture. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it.'

*

November 9th.-Wilton.* Here for the first time in my lifea most magnificent dwelling-place-it is 'ceiled with cedar and painted with vermilion,' yet I rejoice to say that the occupier, though not the actual proprietor, Sidney Herbert, has entered into and shared the spirit of David; he has not been content to dwell in a house of cedar, while the Ark of God dwelleth within curtains;' the new and noble Church in the town attests his zeal for the Temple of the Lord.' Quod felix faustumque sit!

This

Have been to London to transact business in Lunacy. is a mighty subject, and one on which authority and power could be extensively and beneficially exercised. How often do I exclaim,

'O Thou, my thoughts inspire,

Who touched Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire.'

But God's strength is 'made perfect' in man's weakness.

The history of our arms in Afghanistan in the unfortunate expedition to reorganise the internal condi

* Wilton, Salisbury-the Earl of Pembroke's. Sidney Herbert, afterwards Lord Herbert of Lea, was Lord Pembroke's younger brother.

tion of that region which has been called "the land of transition between Eastern and Western Asia," was studied very attentively by Lord Ashley, and his Diaries contain a digest of all the stirring events from the first visit of "Bokhara" Burnes, and through all the series of disasters that followed, until, in 1842, the result was that "after four years of unparalleled trial and disaster, everything was restored to the condition in which we found it; except that there were so many brave Englishmen sleeping in bloody graves."

It would be foreign to our purpose to quote at length from his Diaries on subjects that were not personal to himself, but his views on the Campaign in Afghanistan, as well as on the China War, may be given here briefly, as, upon both those subjects, he was before long to take a public stand.

China and Afghanistan remit us by every mail fresh accounts of useless successes and indelible disgraces. The wretched inhabitants and soldiery of that unintelligible empire are mowed down, with as little resistance, as grass for the oven; the narratives of Captain Bingham's work are the records of an abattoir.

Nov. 15th. And this is the way to recommend Christianity to the Orientals? Timour and Nadir Shah did more for Mahometanism. Have been studying, every morning, St. Paul's epistles. Well may St. Peter say, there are some things hard to be understood!'

6

Nov. 22nd.-Intelligence of great successes in China, and consequent peace. I rejoice in peace; I rejoice that this cruel and debasing war* is terminated ; but I cannot rejoice, it may be unpatriotic, it may be un-British, I cannot rejoice in our successes; we have triumphed in one of the most lawless, unnecessary, and unfair struggles in the records of History; it was a war on which good men could not invoke the favour of Heaven, and Christians have shed more Heathen

The reference is to the first Opium War

1842.]

THE SECOND ADVENT.

441

blood in two years than the Heathens have shed of Christian blood in two centuries! I tremble the more, because I feel assured that vengeance will come in some terrible shape; these sins will not remain unpunished; failure might have mitigated our retribution, but success will prove our ruin.

Nov. 24th.-Intelligence yesterday of further success in Afghanistan. Capture of Ghuznee and Cabul, and consequent peace. This is a blessing, and saves us from further cruelty and sin; but I tremble; Pride goeth before a fall.'

Nov. 25th. The whole world is intoxicated with the prospect of Chinese trade. Altars to Mammon are rising on every side, and thousands of cotton children will be sacrificed to his honour. What can be more disgusting than the total oblivion of all causes, modes, and results of these wars, in the foresight or forehopes of large profits? . . . The peace too is as wicked as the war! We refuse, even now, to give the Emperor of China relief in the matter of the opium trade.

Dec. 16th. The Home Secretary has appointed one special Commissioner-a limb of the Poor Law-to investigate the Employment of women and children in Agriculture. The motive is manifest, when you know the man; it is calculated first to delay, and then to oppose my efforts. He will allow me to do nothing until the report be made, and then, beside, qualify my doings by arguing that agriculturists are no better off. This would be inconceivably untrue, but quite enough for a Parliamentary statement, backed by official authority. What are the proportionate numbers of females, the intensity of their labour, the duration of absence from home, the hours of toil, the locality, and all the circumstances? As a million

to zero.

Dec. 17th.-Anxious all night, full of suspicions that a trick is intended. ..

...

Dec. 22nd.—The weather we have enjoyed throughout this whole year has been the temperature and climate of Eden. God be praised! the poor find their comfort in it. Yesterday was my father's birthday, on which he completed his seventy-fourth year, a most green and vigorous old age-God grant that he may turn it to his everlasting account!

Dec. 25th.-Christmas Day. There is very little seeming, and no real, hope for mankind but in the Second Advent; all our efforts are

weak and transitory, and issue in works very little stronger or more lasting-if we succeed in any project having for its end the good of the human race; first, we have to contend against the various lets and hindrances which arise in the execution of every honest purpose, the abatements, the diversions, the overthrows of our schemes; next, we must consider how small a portion of our fellow-creatures can receive benefit from any policy of ours-the widest plan and the fullest success of benevolence never yet affected the twentieth part of mankind-nothing can be universal but the reign of our blessed Lord on the throne of David, when there shall be Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill towards men,' 'even so come, Lord Jesus!'

Dec. 26th.-The collect for the third Sunday in Advent contains the whole object and means of national and individual education. It exhibits (as is most true) the affairs of this world as subservient to those of the next; it shows the object to be the preparation of man's heart for Christ's Second Coming; the means, to be the general diffusion and maintenance of the gospel by the Ministers and stewards' of God's holy mysteries. Here is wisdom! Now, had I my own way, as absolute Prince, or Prime Minister, of these realms, I would reduce these principles to action. I would recast the whole arrangement of parishes, especially in towns. I would assign to every three thousand souls a resident pastor, with a decent income and comfortable house; and I would then leave education to take care of itself, forbidding to the State any meddling, suggesting, directing, planning, in matters wherein it can have no knowledge. The State should insist and enforce that the duty be done, but not presume to interfere with its own theories and doctrines.

Dec. 31st. It is manifest that my 'public support' in the coming year will undergo considerable abatement. Publicity being one of my instruments, any means towards it being abstracted, I shall find myself in greater labour and less co-operation. Even the Dorset County Chronicle has imbibed the poison, and seems shy of rendering me any service among my constituents.

A man having neither an official station nor a party to back him, cannot, humanly speaking, afford to lose the assistance of newspapers. I am beginning to be a little anxious; I wonder now whether I am so for myself, or in behalf of the cause.' I know full well that there is in all these things a leaven of personality.

CHAPTER XI.

1843.

Apprehensions-The "Repeal Year"-Daniel O'Connell-Afghanistan—The Gates of Somnauth-Lord Ellenborough's Proclamation-Pious Slave-holders -Assassination of Mr. Edward Drummond; Correspondence with Sir Robert Peel thereon-Troubled State of Country-Second Report of Children's Employment Commission-Nature of its Revelations-Need of Education among the Working Classes; An Address to the Crown thereon -A Remarkable Speech-Factory Education Bill proposed by Government —Opposition of Dissenters-The Bill Amended and ultimately Withdrawn -The Opium Question-The-Indo-Chinese Opium Trade-First Great Indictment of the Opium Trade in Parliament-Arguments used-Motion Withdrawn-Opinions upon the Speech-Estimate of Characters of Sir Robert Peel, Lord John Russell, and Sir James Graham-State of the Poor of London-Field Lane Ragged School-A Disreputable Locality and its Traditions-Co-operation of Charles Dickens-A Novel Practice in the Church - Pews and Pew-rents - Birthday Reflections — Opposition to Collieries Bill-At Brocket-Riots in Manchester-Movements in the Churches-Pusey Interdicted from Preaching-Letter from Elizabeth Fry— A Foreign Tour-Antwerp-Aix-la-Chapelle-Bavaria-Carlsbad-Prague -Vienna-Visits to Philanthropic Institutions-Continental Sundays-Linz Ratisbon - Nuremberg-Wurtemberg-Heidelberg-FrankfortDomestic Life-Russia-Lord Ashley's Philanthropy Attacked-Miss Harriet Martineau-Speech at Sturminster on Condition of Agricultural Labourer -Consequences-The Nestorian Christians-Correspondence with Lord

Aberdeen.

"I HAVE undertaken," wrote Lord Ashley in 1842, "more than I know how to accomplish." Yet the year 1843 was destined to bring him an enormous accession of labour. Three gigantic questions-National Education, the Opium Trade, and Ragged Schoolswere to be added to those which already occupied his attention.