Select Poetry.

Colonist, Issue 67, 11 June 1858, Page 4

Select Poetry.

GOD IS LIGHT. 1 John.-*-!, 5. Eternal Light! Eternal Light! How pure the soul must be, When, placed within Thy searching sights It shrinks not, but, with calm delight, Can live and look on Thee. The spirits that surround Thy throne May bear the burning bliss, But that iB surely theirs alone, Since they have never, never known A fallen world like this. Oh, how shall I, whose native sphere Is dark, whose mind is dim, Before the Ineffable appear, And on my naked spirit bear The uncreated beam ? There is a way for man to rise To that sublime abode, An offering and a sacrifice, A holy Spirit's energies, An Advocate with God. These, these prepare us for the sight Of Majesty above; The sons of ignorance and night Can dwell in the Eternal Light, ; Through the Eternal Love ! — Rev. Thomas Binney.

LECTURE ON GENERAL HAVELOCK. The following is the substance of a lecture recently delivered to the members of the Diss -Mutual Improvement Society, by the Rev. John Ellis:—

The speaker commenced with a reference to a course of lectures which he had previously given on India, when he told them something about Lucknow, its vast population, its crowded clay houses, and its dirty lanes, narrow and filthy. They saw beggars at every corner, on the steps of every door, and the rest of the people bearing arms. They saw grave men in palanquins counting their beads, attended by lacqueys with swords and bucklers; consequential people riding on elephants with shields, and spears and gims; and people of lower rank lounging at shop doors with shields over their shoulders and swords in their sheaths. At that lecture he and his audience travelled together through Lucknow's narrow streets —gazed upon its pretty mosques, its large houses, and its well stocked bazaars, and admired its Oxfordstreet, and its royal residence. Little did they then think—for little had they heard '—of the sufferings and heroic deeds of the noble and the brave, who at that time occupied that royal residency, surrounded by nearly ,30,000 foes mad with revenge and ' thirsting for their blood—and who, Irom the Ist of July to the 19th November, subsisted on the coarsest food, endured the pangs of suspense, and battled with the monster despair. For 86 days was that noble band warring with the ravages of disease, familiar with the visage of death, in daily converse with the tomb, deafened with the noise of musketry, startled continually by the whizzing of balls, by the falling of roofs, by the crumbling of walls, by 'the exploding of mines, by the opening of breaches, by the shattering of defences, by the sighs of the bereaved, by the cries, of the wounded, and by the groans of the dying. They sent out messengers, but for 26 days none returned. At last the tidings reached them that in six days help would arrive, and then hope stood on tip-toe stretching its vision, listening with intensity, holding its breath, looking for the signalrocket, and not daring to sleep lest the joy should be lost. They gazed on in vain day after day and night after night, not knowing till 35 days and 35 nights of painful suspense had passed away that still there was hope, nor till two days after that grasping the reality. Little did those at home then think that their brethren and sisters in a far distant land had endured so much as the result of mammon's misrule and routine's mismanagement. Little had he said when they last met —for little did he then know—of the daring deeds performed outside by their heroic countrymen, who, over mountains of slain, through massive walls, amid constant showers of leaden rain mingled with fire, and in the face of glittering steel waved by overpowering numbers, resolved to save or perish in the attempt—and succeeded in the rescue of every man, woman, and child. There was one name which England would never forget in connection with this event-—a name which the rescued would ever cherish—a name that would shine

When monarehs' crowns and nabobs' gems Are mixed with common dust.' That name was Henry Havelock. I will not, said the lecturer, call him Sir Henry Havelock, he can afford to dispense with that; besides which, it came rather too late. On the 19th of November, the women and children were taken from the Residency. Six days later dysentery had separated the body from the noble spirit, and on the day after that the London Gazette stated that her Majesty had elevated him" to the baronetcy of " Sir Henry Havelock of Lucknow." I hope society will not accept it, as he did not. Give it to his son, if you please, but do not fetter the father's name with it. Give it to some mortal who has nothing else. But you will naturally ask—Who was this Henry Havelock? I answer, he was a man—a Christian—a soldier—a hero. . All that bear the name of men are not men; all men are not Christians ; all Christians are not soldiers; all soldiers are not heroes. But you would like to know where he was born—where he was taught—where he lived—and where he fought. I will tell you. He was born in Sunderland, at Bishop Wearmouth, on April sth, 1795. I think we ought to observe his birthday; for, if properly kept, it might do more than all the saints' days in the calendar. His father was a shipowner, and when Harry §rew up he sent him to the Charterhouse chool; but falling into difficulties he had to remove him. Henry then entered the Middle Temple, and studied under Chitty; but, preferring the life of a soldier to that of a lawyer, he left the Temple and took to the field. He had a brother who had distinguished himself in the Peninsula, and obtained a soldier's glory in the shape of wounds. By the influence of his brother, Henry was gazetted to a second-lieutenancy

in the Rifle Brigade. He had no hope of advancement, except by merit—what a pity that anybody has, either in the army or out of it! He served eight years at home, and then exchanged into the 13th Regiment of the Line, then, going to India, took part in the Burmese war, and wrote an account of it; served^ through the first and second Afrghan campaigns; was at the storming of Ghusnee, at the defence of Jellalabad, at the combat of Maharajahpoor, and at the battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, and Sobraon. He returned to England, spent two years here, and was next appointed First Quartermaster, and then Adjutant-General, of the Queen's Forces in India. He was sent to the Persian war, and commanded at the taking of Mohammerah. The war over, he returned to India, and was wrecked off Ceylon in the Erin, on his voyage to Calcutta. He arrived in Calcutta just in time to hear of the mutiny at Meerut and Delhi, and was immediately sent to Allahabad as Briga-dier-General, to command the movable column against Nana Sahib. He fought eight or nine battles with Kana's savage troops, and though his men were few and Nana's many, he fought and conquered. The action of the 16th July, at Cawnpore, will not be soon forgotten; and the last, but not least, the relief of the brave and true at Lucknow, will become a household tale when we are gone. Fathers will tell it to their sons, and they again to theirs, and " Havelock " will become a name revered and honored by the brave and true in g.ll time to come.

Well* to conclude my tale, Lord Palmerston moved the thanks of Parliament to Havelock, and said that he had had the good fortune, in the space of two months, to gain nine victories over a force greater in numbers than his own, and to take 70 pieces of cannon. Another speaker in the House said, " I think that, considering the climate, the1 time of year, the number of battles fought, and; the distance already marched, the march of Havelock, with his devoted band of heroes, deserves to be reckoned amongst the most brilliant enactments in our military annals. 5' For his first exploits he was rewarded with a pension of £100 a year. After, that he was raised to the rank of a general officer, honored with the riband of a knight commander of the Bath, rewarded with £1000 annual pension, and the colonelcy of the 3rd Buffs—and last, though too late, made into a Baronet. He has left a widow, now Lady Havelock, the daughter of Dr. Marshman, of Serampore, and three daughters and three sons, to mourn his loss and copy his example. The eldest son, now Sir Henry Marshman Havelock, holds a captain's commission in the 18th Royal Irish, and has lately been serving under his father. Lady Havelock is now at Bonn, on the Rhine, and it is said that the Queen intends to give her and her daughters a residence in Hampton Court Palace. I hope it is true, and I feel sure, if it be, the country will sing with more glee than ever —" God save our gracious Queen."

Now, having told you my tale, allow me a short time to tell you what I think about Havelock from what I have heard of him. I never saw him, yet methinks I see him— Brave, brave boy!—-he climbs a lofty tree in quest of a bird's nest; the branch snaps and down he falls—" Were you not frightened," says his father, " when the branch snapped ?" " No! I had too much to do thinking of the eggs to be frightened; I was sure they would be smashed to pieces." I look again! he is about 12 years of age —a dog is worrying his father's sheep—he does not beat it off nor cry out, but runs to a haystack, coolly makes a hay band, throws it round the dog's neck, chokes him, flings his carcass into a pond, and walks off. I see him again; he is at school—how quiet, grave, and thoughtful. The schoolboys call him " Phloss," a nickname for philosopher. There is a schoolboy fight, and foul-play is practised. Harry flies to the rescue of the injured, and receives a black eye for his heroism. Dr. Russell wants to know how he got his badge of glory, and he won't tell, as that would implicate his comrades. He is flogged, but the secret is buried. There is a vessel sailing on the Chinese seas. At midnight she strikes upon a rock. A thin spare man, in private clothes, springs on deck, and in sharp, military tone, cries, "Men, be steady, and we may be saved, but if we have confusion all will be lost. Obey your orders, and think of nothing else." They obey, and next day all lives are saved, with the specie and the mails. He musters the men on the shore, and they all kneelunder the blue canopy of heaven. He thanks his Father for the preservation— rises up and walks away as if nothing had happened. That is Henry Havelock. He is in the Affghan war. If the march begins, at 6 he rises at 4—if at 4 he rises at 2—*■ to read the Scriptures and commune with God. He is at Rangoon, where he converts a large chamber in the grand Pagoda into a place of worship. He is not afraid of the images, and he does not fear that the roof will fall in, as some poor pigmies do when they go into a strange chapel where their idol is not set up. Enter into that Pagoda, and you see 100 soldiers worshipping, with their officer, the living God. Here is a military emergency: a particular troop is ordered out—the men are intoxicated, and cannot take a place of danger. " Then," says the commander, " turn out Havelock's men; he is always ready, and his men are never drunk." Notwithstanding all this, he is persecuted, ridiculed, and misrepresented. The " things" who carry their religion in their knapsacks call him a fanatic—they cannot understand him; they march in mighty pomp to do what they call divine service—they stand up and sit down, and they say "We have been doing the things we ought not to have been doing, and leaving undone the things we ought to have done." And they march back again, and begin again to do things they ought not to do, and leave undone the things they ought to do. And, then, away they march again, crying—" Have mercy upon us, miserable

sinners! for we have been doing again what we ought not to have done, and leaving undone what we ought to have done." They cannot understand the man whose religion is reality. There is an office vacant—" Give it to Havelock," says a friend to the Governor-General. Hie demurs—" This Havelock is an enthusiast and a fanatic." A return is made of the conduct of the severral companies in the regiment; it is examined, and Havelock's men are found to be best-behaved and most sober of all. " Oh, but they are Baptists," say the jacks in office. •• I wish they were all Baptists, then," said the Governor-General. Havelock is made Adjutant, and the General says, "Continue to give religious instruction to your men, and do every thing .to promote temperance among them." He does his duty as an individual, as a domestic being, and as a member of society. He does his duty at the council-table, in the battle-field, by night and by day. For four months and a half he would not, could not, rest. For seven weeks, with his brave comrades, he is enshielding the shattered residence of the feeble women and helpless children. They are at last safe, but his strength fails him; sickness lays hold upon him, he.feels his end approaching, and says—"For more than 40 years I have so ruled my life that when death cornea I meet it face to face without fear." Death does come, arid then, " Come, my son," said he, " see how a Christian man can die "; and he resigns himself to his God.

In conclusion, let me say Henry HavGlock was a man. All who be r the name of man do not deserve it. The Divine Image is so obscured by selfishness arid sensuality, that in many caaes it is difficult to ascertain the species of the animal. Sometimes there are creatures on thrones in whom there appears more of the brute than the man. The tiger predominates in some —the fox in others—the serpent in many—the ass in not a few. The peacock sometimes eclipses humanity; sometimes the monkey does so. Havelock was a man: he had a mind, and dared to think; he had a conscience, and could afford to keep it! he had a heart, and could trust its impulses. Havelock, too, was a Christian. Ifdo not mean that he was christened—he might be, but Ido not know. I do not mean that he was confirmed. Ido not-mean that he went to chapel, sung psalms, talked prayers, heard sermons, and subscribed at collections. I do not mean that he took the sacrament at the church or the chapel;, that he was called a Trinita-. rian, or a Unitarian, or a Methodist, or an Independent, or a Baptist. Ido not mean that he was a clever extractor of doctrines, a strict performer of discipline, a passive panderer to clerical influence, a general observer of ready-made virtues, a critical subscriber to the letter, or a capacious swallower of it dogmas. A man may have no more" Christianity than Nana Sahib, and do all that. Ido not mean he wa3 a splendid performer of all ceremonies, for nothing is easier. There was a generation of vipers just 1,800 years ago who could do all that, and give alms into the bargain. I believe Haveloek was a Christian—that Christ was not only on -his lips, but in him; that his meat and drink was to do God's will. He went to India to minister, not as many did, to be ministered unto. With him Christianity was a life, not a notion. His mind was as one with tlite Infinite mind; his conscience with the Infinite conscience; his heart with the Infinite heart; his soul with the Infinite soul. He thought God's thoughts—God's thoughts are truth; he willed God's will—God's will is right; he: I felt God's feeling—God's feeling, is love; he lived God's life—God's life is holiness. The last feature in Henry Havelock's character to which I will refer is his decision. He was not the plaything of circumstances —he made circumstances subservient to his designs. His passions were not wasted in vacillating to and fro. He was exempt from much interfer-enee which the irresolute have to encounter. He gained the ascendancy over others, who, but for his decision, would have proved hostile to his plans. He fought his way to glory through barriers apparently insurmountable. He had confidence in his own judgment. He had determination to act in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience. He had courage to brave every danger. ; The; threats of foes, the frowns of friends^ did not deter him from duty. The love of self did not prevent his sacrifices. He was possessed of that which opposition could not shake, which persecution could not burn, which desertion could not wither, which the world could not take away, which sickness could not endanger, which the balls of the enemy could not shatter, which death could , not destroy, which judgment could not aimishilate, which eternity cannot exhaust. "Inke. Daniel, lie feared not the lions; and like the Hebrew children, he was not afraid of the flame. His motto was—Truth against all the world, right against all might, love against all hate, God against all Mammon. This character is worthy of imitation. We must possess the essentials of this character if we would make the world better for .our having lived in it. There is work for all to do in the battle of life. Wherever we may be, we shall find much to contend with. If we look around us, we shall seevirtue oppressed, vice honored, truth branded, falsehood enthroned, right condemned, wrong applauded, love blighted, passion cherished, humanity crucified, and selfishness crowned. If we look within us we shall find—passions to control, clesires to curb, false wants to destroy, tempers to govern, dispositions to regulate, self to deny. Henry Havelock may aid us in doing this, and, if so, our evening with him will not have been lost. Farewell, old warrior—* Farewell for the present f we Will meet thee anon, When our warfare is o'er, And life's battle is won.

An Alien Measure.— IPa\mer&t<yii trying ing, on the uniform, as measured. for him by Louis Napoleon, of a Sergent de Police. Punchy