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Literary notices,The Life and Adventures of Michael Armstrong, the Fact onBoy, By Mbs. Trollope. No. 1.—London: Henrv Colburn, Great Marl borough-street. ^Of all descriptions of slavery that ever existed in the world there is none, taking every circumstance into account / hideous as that engendered in the factories of England, ft -° often flippantly said, there is nothing in a name; but the ** is much in if. Because the people, by bawlfog'orators, are called free, it if supposed they are so; and tfcit personal a]a Tery has beetf unknown since the reign of Henry n. : where*/ the bulk of the people in this country, frep as they are it(d to be, are in every respect, except in name, slaves; ai}, nowhere are they more completely so than In those pandemoninms—the Cotton Factories. We are glad, therefore see this hateful system exposed by the caustic pen of JV/r ° Trollope, who, with many and great failings as a writer ]V perhaps, better calculated than any person to lay bare’theatrocities perpetrated in these prisons. Fictitious persona^ are, perhaps, best adapted to bring the factory syitem fall home to the hearts of the British people; forExample draws when precept fails,And sermons are less read than tales.The work before us is illustrated by well-executed plates jn the style of Cruickshank, with a frontispiece representing’^ Satanic Majesty, in high glee, sustaining the factory gygt*^ the burdea of which rests upon the shoulders of two working men. Tim work commences with a graphic deccrfprion 0f Dowling Lodge, the princely residence of the presiding demon of the Factory,—Sir Matthew Dowling,—a man of millions. He is described as one of those grasping money-makers with which the country is cursed. Ignorant, but vain ; possessing neither taste, politeness, nor a knowledge of any feelino 8ave that of scraping money together, he affects a love for tbs am of music, elegance, and, in bis way, apes the fashionables 0f the beau monde. At a dinner party given at Dowling Lodge a variety of persons are introduced, and among them Ladv Clarissa Shrimpton,—a spioster, near forty, to whom Sir Matthaw, in admiration of her title, pays the most devoted attention. In a ramble after dinner with Sir Matthew into ft green lane, she is terrified at a cow, which Michael Armstrong, the hero of the tale, drives away, and for this semee her Ladyship, who is all romance and affectation, insists that Sir Matthew shall take him from the factory and provide forhim Id Ills house as long as the boy lives, to which the greedy knight reluctantly consents:* You are a happy little boy,’ said Lady Clarissa, ‘ in bavin? had the extraordinary good fortune of looking- over vondernaa u*e extraoraiqary good tortune ol looking over yonder gate'kt the moment you did; and you are a brave little fellow Into the bargain for nof running away, as you certainly might have done, When you saw that dreadful beast. Oh! those tre. ^Oftdous oru9, Sir Matthew! they haunt me still! I am te sure it will he weeks before 1 lay my head on my pillowhpui d*earning of them. But you drove them awav, my dear child, and as -a reward for it, you shall be comfortably clothed and fad far the rest of your life. You will like that, WftH’t you ?! * I should very much like never to go to work at the factory an? more,' replied the child; ‘but, please mtmf he added the minute after, 1 I’d sooner you’d clotheaud few Teddy than me. He looked over the gate first,« Did he,my dear? Then that is anothermsnn why this good gentleman’s favour should be shown to you5 ftrif year brother saw my distress first, it was you who w^ie the first to relieve it.' ‘ That was only because Teddy i? so fome, please ma/am,’ said the boy. ‘ Lame, is~ ? ! However, my little. r, „ . . „ have this day made afriend by serving me, who will put you in a situation where, if you behave well, you will be able to assist all who belong to you.* The enild opened a pair of remarkably large eyes, and fixing then* op he* face, said, ‘ What! mother and all?’ ‘ Yes, I should thifik so, my dear. He is a fine intelligentlooking little fellowL is he not, Sir Matthew? But he dt-ei oknot look healthy. However, I dare say he will improve in that respect. 'Plenty of food generally cures all poor peopled complaints, particularly when they are young. How old are you, my dear?’ 4 Nine last birthday,’ replied the boy. ‘A tall lime fellow for his though very thin, to be sure.And what is your name?’ 4 Miehael Armstrong, ma'am.14 Michael Armstrong: I shall not forget it, I assure you; far truly do 1 believe that I should have been trampled in the dust by this time, if you had not been beart*strong as well tu Armstrong. AnH what shall we do with him at first, Sir Matthew? Shall we take him home with us?* *Wkat! toyour cottage, my dear lady Yes, certainly, if it will give you pleasure.* ‘ My dearest Sir Matthew! there you are at• . • * . 4 T ^ a % . • • a . .your jeatings again.' 4 Ha ! ha! ha! Lady Clarissa, you begin to know me so well, that I shall never be able to cut vaj little dry jokes upon you/ replied the knight laughing, as it seemed, most heartily, but inwardly cursing the audaciousexaction of bus fair friend, attempting to make him pay tbeenormous jrice she hinted at, fog permitting him to enjoy thehonour ar?d glory of flirting with her. The idea of beinq tbus entrapped, and forced to adopt * a bay of rags out of his oi?» factory' (for it was thus he inwardly designated little Michael), galled him for a moment so severely, that he was within anace of exclaiming, ‘ Confound you, and the beggar's brat to~ getker, you old fool!1 But, most fortunately tor all parties, be did no such thing; on the contrary, he happily remembered at the critical moment* the important hints he had received from he excellent friend Dr. Crock Icy, and instantly decided 4 that this absurd whim of her ladyship’s should bi wotfanLup into the d—d good-natured thing that was to set ail«gbL*Having thus introduced tbe poor factory boy, we havi space but for one more short extract: it it one of the kit postage? In the number. Sir Matthew is apprehensive of « 44 strike” among the work people, and sends for his head man,ParsonsA short baH hour brought the master and man to a tete^a-ten in the snug little apartment described in the first chapter. 4 Goad manring, Parsons/ said Sir Matthew. Tbe overlooker bowed his head respectfaUy* * Have you heard any thing of this meeting at the Weaver’s Arm*, raraoiis?* inquired Sir Matthew. ‘ A3 much as a man is likely to bear, Sir Mattherv,who, as you will easily believe, was not intended to bear anv thing/ replied the confidential servant * And how muca was that* Parsons? Sit down Parsons—sit down, aodlet t»hear all about it’ 41 was a coming, sir, if you hadn’t a sent for me/ rejoined the overlooker; ‘for to say trutb,my mind misgive* me, that there’s mischief brewing.’ 41 have heari as much/ said the master,4 hot it can hardly have gone very for yet, if such a sharp-sighted fellow as you only suspect 4 That’s true, sir/ said the man, with a grim smile, in acknowledgment of the compliment; 4 and I’ve not been idle, 1 F* mise you. But all i know |ot certain is, that the people, ow and young, our own people I mean, have, one and all, takes dudgeon about that gitl Stephens, that died the week before la-t, just after leaving the mill. She had been at work ai day in the spinning-mill, and was one to guess that she was twlow ?’ 4 It was a d—-d 3tupid thing though, Parsons, to nas girl go on working, and not know whether she was dying o ..at.’ 4 And how is one to know, sir? I’ll defy any man t find out, what with their tricks, and what with their r« • faintings.' 4 You won’t tell me, Parsons, that if yon set jo wits to work, you can’t tell whether they are shamming not?’ ‘That’s not the question. Sir Matthew, askin?)o *pardon. There’s no great difficulty in finditag out wbea notthey are in a real -faint, or only making the most or being little rickish from standing and want of air. That a o° difficulty. The thing is to know, when they reallj to the downright farmings, whether they are likely t0 .You know Dr. Crockley would come at a moments w*JDlljJf at any time, and feel their pulses.’^ ‘ And he does_do u ^But, in the first place, I doubt if any man can ju t whether girls are likely to go on fainting, aud up again31wnetner gm* are jineiy 10 go on raiuwug, r.lots and lots of ’em do for years, or drop down an/ ^Nancy Stephens did. That’s one thing; and anotheru'Dr. Crockley is 30 fond of a joke, that ’tis rarely o°e ^ J(,e when be speaks earnest, and when he does not. He ^Nancy Stephens, about a month ago, and all he said wa3- Ti do look a little pala in the M,_ * L ‘cure her, I have no doubtL »» m•» a itta• o ♦ n rmt All.haven't j?°ldo look a little pale ia the gills, to be sure, but a dance \vou».* ‘ A dance I sayi I. doctor. * •please to tell me, says I, how the work is to get on, d ,dCtory boys and girls set off dancing ?’ 4 Maybe you ns a fiddle?’ said he. 4 Maybe I haven’t/ said I. ' Wel says he,4 if it don’t suit jou to let them dance to the ^nuU J •# M j M 4 * V MW 4A » J ^ t * i ' f t)bet ten to one you’ll be after making ’em dance to tne 'And with that, if.you'll believe me, sir, he set offcapt-r-,, • d making antics, just as if there had been somehoijy a strapping him. To be sure, it was fit to make °n j!flaughing to see him; but that’s not the way you ,eto do on* any good as to finding out the real conditiopeople.’ . T. }gThe description of the punning doctor is well rut o » ^ what a contrast to tbe dying girl. Are not the Factory at much dealers in human flesh, though under another as the importers of negroes into the West Indies*1 ;1—\hv •.1-*{- «%'iffRI?t h r ou g h it or no J “ AndVh.™1..^ g.eat difficulty of«... I-JVI -
Newspaper Details
London Cleave Gazette of Variety
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Mar 23, 1839
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 02 Jun 2023
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