palace of crystal. Once and again we repeat that the designs of France are obvious. In the silent ballet of events, what means the appearance, for a moment, of the French fleet on our coasts? It is the stealthy peep on the proscenium of the theatre of war. The blow is meant to follow.

We are half inclined, every week, to repeat these words in our journal :-England is at the mercy of France, her ancient enemy. She has no means of repelling the foe from her coast; and London, with all her treasures, invites the foreigner to something more in accordance with his tastes than a boastful display of rival manufactures. England is doomed, if she do not exert and arm herself! There never fell a nation so easy a victim !

In the year 1808, both Captain Birch and Lord Selkirk wrote able works on our National Defences. Both these writers painted the unprotected state of England in strong colours. But there was no steam-navy then, and England was still mistress of the sea. It is now a question of mechanical agency, and above all of numbers and practice, even more than courage and daring. The element, which Buonaparte could not conquer, defends us no longer. Since then, what have the French not done, and what have we not neglected? Imagine the mere fact of an invasion. Grant that the 50,000 or 100,000 Frenchmen who may land when it please them on our coast, should lie in Highgate Cemetery, still what irremediable damage would be done to our trade, credit, and prosperity! What loss of life, honour, and property! But we do not see that they either must or would fail. How could we meet them? A merchant panic would ensue. Then a general one. This is no country for guerilla warfare. We have not the desperate resource even of Moscow. We have no spot where even 10,000 men

could make a stand, until volunteers were enrolled, around our Queen, our archives, and our regalia. Besides, we should have to deal with practised troops. We repeat, there is nothing to prevent a landing, and when they are once landed the thing is accomplished. There is not a man in England can deny this statement, if he once give it his attention. Away with your "Rule Britannias" and your "Battles of the Nile!" Nations are not awed either by songs or traditions. Every day proves, on the Continent, that Materialism now dictates to the world as much as in the days of Alexander.

A Frenchman, Carnot, has written a work on " HedgeFighting in England." He has actually laid down the manner in which the thing is to be done. In our opinion, gathered from all the symptoms we have seen, nothing is wanting but the hint or command of Louis Napoleon or Changarnier to declare war and invasion. It will be done by a coup-de-main. May we be idle prophets !

At this moment, even in trifles, every evil augury surrounds us. We have dismissed our man in armour from the Lord Mayor's Show, and added a peaceful compliment of maudlin philanthrophy towards the whole world which is now in arms. Peace, Happiness, and Britannia, are represented in tawdry combination. But France, separated from us by a moving bridge bearing the awful implements of war, literally bristles with bayonets, and a challenge lies at our feet in the shape of unheard-of Papal aggression. Derision is not always a farce. We have burnt our effigies of Guy Fawkes, and the French journals darkly sneer and vituperate. They speak of a fitting pendant to the glories of Nelson. "Take care lest London itself be set on fire," they say. Such is the crisis.

We shall recur to the work of Sir Francis Head. In the meantime, we select one passage as bearing upon our late remarks upon the treatment of Captain Warner :—

"We must here relate a curious anecdote. In October, 1817, Sir Howard Douglas, an old artillery officer, submitted to the Lords of the Admiralty, in manuscript, his treatise on Naval Gunnery, published in 1819, in which the mode of simultaneous loading was recommended; and as the treatise was translated into the French, Russian, Dutch, and Swedish languages, and used as their manual, as it is also by the Americans, le feu simultanné was adopted by regulation in the French navy, and became known to our service as 'the FRENCH system of loading!' As such, it attracted the observation of the Admiralty, who have recently ordered this French invention to be tried on board the Excellent, where it has been found to succeed so well that it is now again, as the 'French invention,' under trial by our Squadron of Evolution by sea; on which element it has long ago been found by the French to answer admirably. The moral of our little story is as follows:

"Had any conflict taken place between the French and British fleets in 1840, or in 1844, the French would, to our cost, have used against us the invention of an English Officer; which, though printed and published to the whole world, it has taken the British people upwards of thirty years to adopt-indeed, which is not yet adopted. We, however, deem it just to observe, that this reflects upon no particular administration; Sir Howard Douglas's recommendation having, for nearly a quarter of a century, been equally overlooked by all."

Since writing the above, within the last day or two, we have seen an article in the Daily News, expressing surprise at the "hyper-insolence" of the Courts of Vienna and Petersburg. But the question is not asked why they are insolent. Prussia is in the gap. She alone resists Absolutism and the Cossack. Shall she be treated like Poland and Hungary? and, if so, what will be the fate of England?-To be conquered and perish, as she will deserve, for her inexpressible folly. NOVEMBER, 1850.

A TRIBUTE TO MAZZINI.

WE were glad to see, the other day, that the Daily News, in a review of his work on Italy, did ample honour to the character, conduct, and genius of Mazzini. But we lament the time, when the tardy tribute of a rising newspaper is the only satisfaction which awaits such a man, mourning in a foreign land over the wreck of his country. Still we cry -"Courage! The hour may yet arrive when those fervent aspirations shall be realized, and true eloquence of heart, as well as head, prevail. Courage-Mazzini !"

We intended, some time past, ourselves to review the noble work which encircles the brow of the patriot with splendid literary honours; but we shall now probably content ourselves with some selections. From amongst crowds of political self-seekers and shuffling inconsistent legislators -from amongst dishonoured monarchs, lying diplomatists, traitor generals, and false mediators-the name of Mazzini, with those of a Kossuth, a Pepé, and a Klapka, stands out in glorious relief. He is a man of genius in action, a practical Lamartine, a true and earnest son of liberty.

THE DEFENCELESS STATE OF ENGLAND.

THERE are many persons living who remember a cruel experiment made with a Lion, who had for a long period occupied a den in a wild-beast show or exhibition. Twelve trained bull-dogs, if we recollect rightly, were matched against him. It was generally expected that he would crush them without difficulty. But he had for years lived

́a life of unnatural ease: his courage was a tradition long 'left behind him in the far-off African forest.

Not an

assailant did he strike or lacerate! At first he was goodhumoured, then astonished, then nerveless. His fierce enemies bit through his lip, fastened where they pleased, mangled and tore him. He did not even lash his tail in anger. With stupid and reproachful glances he looked at his canine and human torturers, until cruelty was satiated with his wounds, and large tears rolled down his hairy face and mingled with his blood. The only courage that remained to him was negative. He uttered no complaint. After the dogs were called off, the poor fellow merely died— a reproach to his race, a disgraced old lion, unpitied by gambler, keeper, butcher, or nobleman.

"Why did he not show fight?" they said. The answer is, "Because his nature was changed and enfeebled by habit."

In the condition of that lion is the British nation at present. Its courage and practice are matter of past history. The foes, it might so easily crush but for long enervation, will rush upon it in a body. The prestige of lionhood will not defend it. It has forgotten the use of claws and teeth, save to mumble over the bone of commerce. The showman is the peace-monger; the gamblers and betting-men are the fund-holders and mill-owners; the believers in its abstract powers mere confident lion-worshippers; the disgust of the assembled multitude the derision of Europe!

Since our article last week, we have seen the comments in the public journals upon the work of Sir Francis Head. They are in general precisely what we expected. There is free-trade cant and philanthropy usque ad nauseam. The clever wickedness and ponderous facetiousness of the Times