REVIEW.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9093, 18 April 1891, Page 5 (Supplement)

REVIEW.

" The Decline and Fall of the British Empire; or the Witch's Cavern." Anonymous.— London: Trischler and Co. Danedm: Joseph Braithwaite. The title of this book leads to the impression that tho somowhat limping altornative waß choßen a 8 an afterthought in order to assure the hesitating reader that ho was not about to be decoyed into purchasing a work of a nature similar to the " Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" The writer was desirous of placing before his readers a bird's eyn view of Australia io 2990, the England of th". same period, and at tUe name time tbe England of to-day, or rather the Huglaud of the next dozen years. He has ohoßen to present his opinion of the trend ot Bocial events in the form of a narrative, and be hiw succeeded bo well that that numerous class of readers who peruse n book for tho sako of the i story alone will do so with interest nnabatert to the end, while the more select circle will mid greater pleasuro in noting the skill and acuteness of observation with which the complex questions are handled. The story has follows : William Furley has, in the year 2988, taken his degree with honours at the Melbourne University, and meditates pursuing his academical studies in the hope of pulling off the educational blue ribbon of Australia at tho Metropolitan University. But his health breaks down anil he is advised to travel. He, therefore, with a party makes a tour of Australia. In his account of tho travels of the party the author wisely avoids tha almost irresistible tendency to be "Jules Verne-ish.1 Having "Erewhon" and the "Coming Race" in his mind's eye he attributes to the thirtieth century Australians only one method of locomotion not already known—viz, an air Bhip, and even that is eschewed by tho party, who decide to travel by tho electric railway. Proceeding at the rate of 80 miles an hour they in due time reach the federal capital, Eyreton. It contains 150,000 inhabitants, and cannot expand or become overcrowded because of tho rigid preservation of cultivated reserves all round it, and of the no le?s rigid municipal supervision over the size of buildings. The conditions of life are perfect, bat individualism has free scope. The Senate is about to fit, and the party attend a debate on a motion to repeal the restrictions which embarrass the exchange of commodities between the Australian Republic aud tho Chinese Empire. The Protection v. Freetrade debate ends decidedly in favour of retaining the restrictions. This is due to an able speech by the president, Lord Lington (the State ennobles its eminent men, and makeß their title hereditary to tho first generation). But the writer is not so optimistic as to believe that crime finds no place in the Republic, for at this juncture is introduced a murder, and the execution of the murderer by electricity, he having been given hi 3 choice between that method and drowning or poison. At the conclusion of the tour of Australia, the party decido to visit England, and are joined by a professor of antiquities, who designs to prosecute his researches among the ruins of ancient London. They travel by electric ship, and, by way of Zanzibar, the entrepot of the East, cross Africa. They find it in amusing contrast to that described in " Darkest Africa," a book published about 1003 years before. The people are a blending of the Anglo-Saxon with the n^gro race; more languid in type than the Australian, and with less ardent aspirations for political freedom. Still pursuing their way, the party cross the Mediterranean and on the voyage the ship is befogged. A change of climate has befallen Europe. Tho Gulf Stream has been diverted by means of the Panama Canal. Its warm waters no longer lave

the 6hores of Europe, and the average temperature has fallen 15 degrees. This circumstance has played an important part in the downfall of England. They land at Plymouth—a village of less than 500 inhabitants,—and take part in a boar hunt; pass Southampton, whose " water " has long since siltei up; see the birren Bhore where Brighton once stood, and anchor at Gravesend, because the Thames ia too shallow to allow them to proceed further. They go on to London next morning in a coach and four, tha driver cracking his whip and the guard blowiog his horn, and ou their arrival in London maoy of the population turn out— roiny of them poorly dressed, and anxious to offer their services. The same desolation seen along the coast is everywhere visible. The Bite of the docks is a swamp; wolves are hauted ou

Palace Hill, the ancient site of the Crystal

Palace, and the exhumation of a statue of Lord Bsaconsfield—of whom none of the party but

the antiquarian had ever heard—enabled the professor to complete his map of ancient LondoD. The houses are very small, and social

inequalities prevail. At this juncture the inner, or• real story of the "Decline" commences. FuiUy, walking abroad, encounters n witch, who, by incantations conjures up visions of the ancient Babylon, wiih its seething mass of

poverty, crime, and despsir. The picture the author draws nllegerically is a highly dramatic one. Then the witch places a ring on hia finger, gives him a draught', and he falls asleep and awakes metempsychosed into Mr Graham, a journalist in the London of 1890. Ho is an assistant editor, and gains access to the best society. From encountering a waif in the streets, be becomes cognisant of and a helper to a family bravely struggling at the very foot of tha industrial ladder. The man is a mattress maker and his wife cleans offices. The children^

two boys and two girls—are necesßarily left much alone, and one of the little boys dies. The mau succumbs to the pressure of circumstances, and flies to drink for relief. He sinks lower and lower, finally murders his wife and is hanged. The girla are taken care of by a lady friend of Graham, and the boy goes to Australia, does well, enters Parliament, becomes a Minister of the Crown and returns to become a powerful socialist leader. One of the girls is entrapped by means of the confeEsional of the advanced ritualists, and this loads to a vivid description of the gradations of vice from the gilded cottage in St. John's Wood to the river. The chief oharactera in the story are witnesses of but not active participants in the socialistic movements of the time, and this episode forms the keystone of the work. We are introduced to a socialist lecturer, who inflames his audience with the arguments that all men are equal; that wealth is the prodncb of robbery and spoliation; that the people were designedly kept in ignorance in order that they might not enforce their rights; and that it was their duty to return to Parliament members of their own class, who would change the laws and force the " robber 3 " to disgorge their ill-gotten wealth. That would take, it was calculated, at least 200 years, so that the better way was to use their fisticuffs and take their own. -Then the nation would own everything, and give work too all who desired it. A man would be paid in " time," and could spend it aB he chose or lay it by for a rainy day or old age. These arguments were easily disposed of by Mr Graham,who mounted theplatform to reply. The same lecturer afterwards delivered an atheistic lecture at which he was also confuted: this time by the arguments of a clergyman, who finally denounced the lecturer as an apostate, who had caused the ruin of the girl previously mentioned. But at length there arose a leader— also a socialist, and intent by legitimate means upon doing away with the industrial and social evils which had wrecked his youthful home. Ue speedily superseded the blatant demagogues, and so welded the people that they returned members pledged to land nationalisation. A bill embodying it was duly passed, but was contemptuously thrown out by the Lords. An appeal w»s made to the country and tho principle reaffirmed. The bill was again rejected by the Upper House, and tho Crown was then advised to create a sufficient number of peers to enable it to pass. Tho sovere:gn refused, the Ministry resigned, an Opposition Hiuistry assumed office,but was in a minority,and business was at a standstill. It was determined to hold a mass meetingin Trafalgar square, the authorities endeavoured to prevent it, the spark was kindled, London was sacked and burned to th 9 ground, the monarchy was overthrown, and a (socialist republic was established in its stead. From this point began the decadence of England England's freedom hnd passed oway, and with it England's greatness. Tho totablishment of equality did not remove vice. " Still from the gin palace came the drunken soDg, and the poor night walker stood about its doors, as of old, as of old; for human n&ture never changes, and is always the same, always the same." It would not be fair, we think, to judge this remarkable story from the mechanical point of view of its construction. IE so, we might c»vil at the possibility of the Panama Canal having so much effect on tho Gulf stream as claimed, aud we might be disposed to ask what would be the probable effect upon other parts of Europe than Britain by the change in climate. Not only the countries along the coasts of Europe, bat many others, would probably find changes result from the decadence of British commerce whoso ultimate effects can only be coDJsctured, but they certainly would have some impression upon Australia It is equally difficult to suppose that Britain, still containing IEO.OOO inhabitants.and still in somewhat active communication with the outside world, would retrogade so much as to lose her railways, her canalp, and above ail, her learning. We readily accede, however, to the author's evident desire to havo the book considered a picture of the events of tho time, and an estimate of the direction in which they trend Ha has shown himself not only an acute reader of events, but a shrewd observer of human naturo. We refrain from giving illustrations or tnese after this somewhat copious resume, but cheerfully recomm-nd readers to find them for themselves. It is not necessary to assent to bid views to recognise the ability with which they are put forward, or the courage which prompts him to prophesy what may take place within a single lifetime.