,journals47            ,,blackwood',s   
,,edinburgh ,,magazine4    ,no4 ,,cccli4
    ,,january1 #ahde4    ,vol4 ,,lvii4  
,,contents     ,homer1 ,dante1 and      
,michael ,angelo1                     #a
    ,settled at ,last1 ,or1 ,red ,river 
,recollections1        #ah    ,borodino4
 ,an ,ode1                              
#cj    ,a ,ramble in ,montenegro1       
#cc    sthetics of ,dress4 ,a ,case of  
,hats1                  #ea    ,the     
,three ,guardsmen1                      
#ei    ,marston2 ,or the ,memoirs of a  
,statesman4 ,part ,,xv41    #ge         
,janus3 ,from the ,fasti of ,ovid1      
#id    ,to a ,blind ,girl1              
#ih    ,the ,forced ,sale1              
#ii    ,vanities in ,verse4 ,by ,b4     
,simmons1                   #aad        
,coleridge and ,opium-eating1           
#aag    ,,edinburgh3    ,,william       
,,blackwood ,,and ,,sons1 #de1 ,,george 
,,street4   ,,and #bb1 ,,pall-,,mall1   
,,london4    ,to whom all               
,communications 7post paid7 must be     

addressed4    ,,sold ,,by ,,all ,,the   
,,booksellers ,,in ,,the ,,united       
,,kingdom     ,,printed ,,by            
,,ballantyne ,,and ,,hughes1            
,,edinburgh4       ,,blackwood',s       
,,edinburgh   ,,magazine4    ,,vol4     
,,lvii4    ,,january-,,june1 #ahde4     
,,william ,,blackwood  ,,sons1          
,,edinburgh1    ,,and    #bb1           
,,pall-,,mall1 ,,london4    #ahde4      
,,blackwood',s   ,,edinburgh ,,magazine4
  ,,no4 ,,cccli4  ,,january1 #ahde4     
,vol4 ,,lvii4    ,,homer1 ,,dante1 ,,and
 ,,michael ,,angelo4   ,there is        
something inexpressibly striking1 it may
 almost be said awful1 in the fame of   
,,homer4 ,three thousand years have     
elapsed since the bard of ,chios began  
to pour forth his strains2 and their    
reputation1 so far from declining1 is on
 the increase4 ,successive nations are  
employed in celebrating his works2      
generation after generation of men are  
fascinated by his imagination4          
,discrepancies of race1 of character1 of

 institutions1 of religion1 of age1 of  
the world1 are forgotten in the common  
worship of his genius4 ,in this         
universal tribute of gratitude1 modern  
,europe vies with remote antiquity1 the 
light ,frenchman with the volatile      
,greek1 the impassioned ,italian with   
the enthusiastic ,german1 the sturdy    
,englishman with the unconquerable      
,roman1 the aspiring ,russian with the  
proud ,american4 ,seven cities1 in      
ancient times1 competed for the honour  
of having given him birth1 but seventy  
nations have since been moulded by his  
productions4 ,he gave a mythology to the
 ancients2 he has given the fine arts to
 the modern world4 ,jupiter1 ,saturn1   
,mars1 ,juno1 are still household words 
in every tongue2 ,vulcan is yet the god 
of fire1 ,neptune of the ocean1 ,venus  
of love4 ,when ,michael ,angelo and     
,canova strove to embody their          
conceptions of heroism or beauty1 they  
portrayed the heroes of the ,iliad4     
,flaxman's genius was elevated to the   

highest point in embodying its events4  
,epic poets1 in subsequent times1 have  
done little more than imitate his       
machinery1 copy his characters1 adopt   
his similes1 and1 in a few instances1   
improve upon his descriptions4 ,painting
 and statuary1 for two thousand years1  
have been employed in striving to       
portray1 by the pencil or the chisel1   
his yet breathing conceptions4 ,language
 and thought itself have been moulded by
 the influence of his poetry4 ,images of
 wrath are still taken from ,achilles1  
of pride from ,agamemnon1 of astuteness 
from ,ulysses1 of patriotism from       
,hector1 of tenderness from ,andromache1
 of age from ,nestor4 ,the galleys of   
,rome were1 the line-of-battle ships of 
,france and ,england still are1 called  
after his heroes4 ,the ,agamemnon long  
bore the flag of ,nelson2 the ,ajax     
perished by the flames within sight of  
the tomb of the ,telamonian hero1 on the
 shores of the ,hellespont2 the         
,achilles was blown up at the battle of 

,trafalgar4 ,alexander the ,great ran   
round the tomb of ,achilles before      
undertaking the conquest of ,asia4 ,it  
was the boast of ,napoleon that his     
mother reclined on tapestry representing
 the heroes of the ,iliad1 when he was  
brought into the world4 ,the greatest   
poets of ancient and modern times have  
spent their lives in the study of his   
genius or the imitation of his works4   
,withdraw from subsequent poetry the    
images1 mythology1 and characters of the
 ,iliad1 and what would remain8         
,petrarch spent his best years in       
restoring his verses4 ,tasso portrayed  
the siege of ,jerusalem1 and the shock  
of ,europe and ,asia1 almost exactly as 
,homer had done the contest of the same 
forces1 on the same shores1 two thousand
 five hundred years before4 ,milton's   
old age1 when blind and poor1 was       
solaced by hearing the verses recited of
 the poet1 to whose conceptions his own 
mighty spirit had been so much indebted2
 and ,pope deemed himself fortunate in  

devoting his life to the translation of 
the ,iliad4  ,no writer in modern times 
has equalled the wide-spread fame of the
 ,grecian bard2 but it may be doubted   
whether1 in the realms of thought1 and  
in sway over the reflecting world1 the  
influence of ,,dante has not been almost
 as considerable4 ,little more than five
 hundred years1 indeed1 have            
elapsed--not a sixth of the thirty      
centuries which have tested the strength
 of the ,grecian patriarch--since the   
immortal ,florentine poured forth his   
divine conceptions2 but yet there is    
scarcely a writer of eminence since that
 time1 in works even bordering on       
imagination1 in which traces of his     
genius are not to be found4 ,the        
,inferno has penetrated the world4 ,if  
images of horror are sought after1 it is
 to his works that all subsequent ages  
have turned2 if those of love and divine
 felicity are desired1 all turn to the  
,paradise and the ,spirit of ,beatrice4 
,when the historians of the ,french     

,revolution wished to convey an idea of 
the utmost agonies they were called on  
to portray1 they contented themselves   
with saying it equalled all that the    
imagination of ,dante had conceived of  
the terrible4 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds has
 exerted his highest genius in depicting
 the frightful scene described by him1  
when ,ugolino perished of hunger in the 
tower of ,pisa4 ,alfieri1 ,metastasio1  
,corneille1 ,lope de ,vega1 and all the 
great masters of the tragic muse1 have  
sought in his works the germs of their  
finest conceptions4 ,the first of these 
tragedians marked two-thirds of the     
,inferno and ,paradiso as worthy of     
being committed to memory4 ,modern      
novelists have found in his prolific    
mind the storehouse from which they have
 drawn their noblest imagery1 the chord 
by which to strike the profoundest      
feelings of the human heart4 ,eighty    
editions of his poems have been         
published in ,europe within the last    
half century2 and the public admiration1

 so far from being satiated1 is         
augmenting4 ,every scholar knows how    
largely ,milton was indebted to his     
poems for many of his most powerful     
images4 ,byron inherited1 though often  
at second hand1 his mantle1 in many of  
his most moving conceptions4 ,schiller  
has embodied them in a noble historic   
mirror2 and the dreams of ,goethe reveal
 the secret influence of the terrible   
imagination which portrayed the deep    
remorse and hopeless agonies of         
,malebolge4  ,,michael ,,angelo has     
exercised an influence on modern art    
little1 if at all1 inferior to that     
produced on the realms of thought by    
,homer and ,dante4 ,the father of       
,italian painting1 the author of the    
frescoes on the ,sistine ,chapel1 he    
was1 at the same time1 the restorer of  
ancient sculpture1 and the intrepid     
architect who placed the ,pantheon in   
the air4 ,raphael confessed1 that he    
owed to the contemplation of his works  
his most elevated conceptions of their  

divine art4 ,sculpture1 under his       
original hand1 started from the slumber 
of a thousand years1 in all the         
freshness of youthful vigour2           
architecture1 in subsequent times1 has  
sought in vain to equal1 and can never  
hope to surpass1 his immortal monument  
in the matchless dome of ,st ,peters4   
,he found painting in its infancy--he   
left it arrived at absolute perfection4 
,he first demonstrated of what that     
noble art is capable4 ,in the ,last     
,judgment he revealed its wonderful     
powers1 exhibiting1 as it were1 at one  
view1 the whole circles of ,dante's     
,inferno--portraying with terrible      
fidelity the agonies of the wicked1 when
 the last trumpet shall tear the veil   
from their faces1 and exhibit in        
undisguised truth that most fearful of  
spectacles--a naked human heart4        
,casting aside1 perhaps with undue      
contempt1 the adventitious aids derived 
from finishing1 colouring1 and          
execution1 he threw the whole force of  

his genius into the design1 the         
expression of the features1 the drawing 
of the figures4 ,there never was such a 
delineator of bone and muscle as        
,michael ,angelo4 ,his frescoes stand   
out in bold relief from the walls of the
 ,vatican1 like the sculptures of       
,phidias from the pediment of the       
,parthenon4 ,he was the founder of the  
school of painting both at ,rome and    
,florence--that great school which1     
disdaining the representation of still  
life1 and all the subordinate appliances
 of the art1 devoted itself to the      
representation of the grand and the     
beautiful2 to the expression of passion 
in all its vehemence--of emotion in all 
its intensity4 ,his incomparable        
delineation of bones and muscles was but
 a means to an end2 it was the human    
heart1 the throes of human passion1 that
 his master-hand laid bare4 ,raphael    
congratulated himself1 and thanked ,god 
that he had given him life in the same  
age with that painter2 and ,sir ,joshua 

,reynolds1 in his last address to the   
,academy1 reflected1 not without vanity1
 that his ,discourses bore testimony to 
his admiration of that truly divine man1
 and desired that the last words he     
pronounced in that academy1 and from    
that chair1 might be the name of        
,michael ,angelo4#a  ,the fame of these 
illustrious men has long been placed    
beyond the reach of cavil4 ,criticism   
cannot reach1 envy cannot detract from1 
emulation cannot equal them4 ,great     
present celebrity1 indeed1 is no        
guarantee for future and enduring fame2 
in many cases1 it is the reverse1 but   
there is a wide difference between the  
judgment of the present and that of     
future ages4 ,the favour of the great1  
the passions of the multitude1 the      
efforts of reviewers1 the interest of   
booksellers1 a clique of authors1 a     
coterie of ladies1 accidental events1   
degrading propensities1 often enter     
largely into the composition of present 
reputation4 ,but opinion is freed from  

all these disturbing influences by the  
lapse of time4 ,the grave is the        
greatest of all purifiers4 ,literary    
jealousy1 interested partiality1 vulgar 
applause1 exclusive favour1 alike       
disappear before the hand of death4 ,we 
never can be sufficiently distrustful of
 present opinion1 so largely is it      
directed by passion or interest4 ,but we
 may rely with confidence on the        
judgment of successive generations on   
departed eminence2 for it is detached   
from the chief cause of present         
aberration4 ,so various are the         
prejudices1 so contradictory the        
partialities and predilections of men1  
in different countries and ages of the  
world1 that they never can concur       
through a course of centuries in one    
opinion1 if it is not founded in truth  
and justice4 ,the vox populi is often   
little more than the vox diaboli2 but   
the voice of ages is the voice of ,god4 
,it is of more moment to consider in    
what the greatness of these illustrious 

men really consists--to what it has     
probably been owing--and in what        
particulars they bear an analogy to each
 other4  ,they are all three            
distinguished by one peculiarity1 which 
doubtless entered largely into their    
transcendent merit--they wrote in the   
infancy of civilization4 ,homer1 as all 
the world knows1 is the oldest profane  
author in existence4 ,dante flourished  
about the year #acjj3 he lived at a time
 when the ,english barons lived in rooms
 strewed with rushes1 and few of them   
could sign their names4 ,the long life  
of ,michael ,angelo1 extending from     
#adgd to #aefd1 over ninety years1 if   
not passed in the infancy of            
civilization1 was at least passed in the
 childhood of the arts3 before his time1
 painting was in its cradle4 ,cimabue   
had merely unfolded the first dawn of   
beauty at ,florence2 and the stiff      
figures of ,pietro ,perugino1 which may 
be traced in the first works of his     
pupil ,raphael1 still attest the        

backward state of the arts at ,rome4    
,this peculiarity1 applicable alike to  
all these three great men1 is very      
remarkable1 and beyond all question had 
a powerful influence1 both in forming   
their peculiar character1 and elevating 
them to the astonishing greatness which 
they speedily attained4  ,it gave       
them--what ,johnson has justly termed   
the first requisite to human            
greatness--self-confidence4 ,they were  
the first--at least the first known to  
themselves and their contemporaries--who
 adventured on their several arts2 and  
thus they proceeded fearlessly in their 
great career4 ,they had neither critics 
to fear1 nor lords to flatter1 nor      
former excellence to imitate4 ,they     
portrayed with the pencil1 or in verse1 
what they severally felt1 undisturbed by
 fear1 unswayed by example1 unsolicitous
 about fame1 unconscious of excellence4 
,they did so for the first time4 ,thence
 the freshness and originality1 the     
vigour and truth1 the simplicity and    

raciness by which they are              
distinguished4 ,shakspeare owed much of 
his greatness to the same cause2 and    
thence his similarity1 in many respects1
 to these great masters of his own or   
the sister arts4 ,when ,pope asked      
,bentley what he thought of his         
translation of the ,iliad1 the scholar  
replied1 ,you have written a pretty     
book1 ,mr ,pope2 but you must not call  
it ,homer4 ,bentley was right4 ,with all
 its pomp of language and melody of     
versification1 its richness of imagery  
and magnificence of diction1 ,pope's    
,homer is widely different from the     
original4 ,he could not avoid it4 ,the  
awful simplicity of the ,grecian bard1  
his artless grandeur and unaffected     
majesty1 will be sought for in vain in  
the translation2 but if they had        
appeared there1 it would have been      
unreadable in that age4 ,michael        
,angelo1 in his bold conceptions1       
energetic will1 and rapid execution1    
bears a close resemblance to the father 

of poetry4 ,in both1 the same faults1 as
 we esteem them1 are conspicuous1       
arising from a too close imitation of   
nature1 and a carelessness in rejecting 
images or objects which are of an       
ordinary or homely description4 ,dante  
was incomparably more learned than      
either3 he followed ,virgil in his      
descent to the infernal regions2 and    
exhibits an intimate acquaintance with  
ancient history1 as well as that of the 
modern ,italian states1 in the account  
of the characters he meets in that scene
 of torment4 ,but in his own line he was
 entirely original4 ,homer and ,virgil  
had1 in episodes of their poems1        
introduced a picture of the infernal    
regions2 but nothing on the plan of     
,dante's ,inferno had before been       
thought of in the world4 ,with much of  
the machinery of the ancients1 it bears 
the stamp of the spiritual faith of     
modern times4 ,it lays bare the heart in
 a way unknown even to ,homer and       
,euripides4 ,it reveals the inmost man  

in a way which bespeaks the centuries of
 self-reflection in the cloister which  
had preceded it4 ,it is the basis of all
 the spiritual poetry of modern1 as the 
,iliad is of all the external imagery of
 ancient1 times4  ,in this respect there
 is a most grievous impediment to genius
 in later1 or1 as we term them1 more    
civilized times1 from which1 in earlier 
ages1 it is wholly exempt4 ,criticism1  
public opinion1 the dread of            
ridicule--then too often crush the      
strongest minds4 ,the weight of former  
examples1 the influence of early habits1
 the halo of long-established           
reputation1 force original genius from  
the untrodden path of invention into the
 beaten one of imitation4 ,early talent 
feels itself overawed by the colossus   
which all the world adores2 it falls    
down and worships1 instead of           
conceiving4 ,the dread of ridicule      
extinguishes originality in its birth4  
,immense is the incubus thus laid upon  
the efforts of genius4 ,it is the chief 

cause of the degradation of taste1 the  
artificial style1 the want of original  
conception1 by which the literature of  
old nations is invariably distinguished4
 ,the early poet or painter who portrays
 what he feels or has seen1 with no     
anxiety but to do so powerfully and     
truly1 is relieved of a load which      
crushes his subsequent compeers to the  
earth4 ,mediocrity is ever envious of   
genius--ordinary capacity of original   
thought4 ,such envy in early times is   
innocuous or does not exist1 at least to
 the extent which is felt as so baneful 
in subsequent periods4 ,but in a refined
 and enlightened age1 its influence     
becomes incalculable4 ,whoever strikes  
out a new region of thought or          
composition1 whoever opens a fresh vein 
of imagery or excellence1 is persecuted 
by the critics4 ,he disturbs settled    
ideas1 endangers established            
reputations1 brings forward rivals to   
dominant fame4 ,that is sufficient to   
render him the enemy of all the existing

 rulers in the world of taste4 ,even    
,jeffrey seriously lamented1 in one of  
his first reviews of ,scott's poems1    
that he should have identified himself  
with the unpicturesque and expiring     
images of feudality1 which no effort    
could render poetical4 ,racine's        
tragedies were received with such a     
storm of criticism as wellnigh cost the 
sensitive author his life2 and ,rousseau
 was so rudely handled by contemporary  
writers on his first appearance1 that it
 confirmed him in his morbid hatred of  
civilization4 ,the vigour of these great
 men1 indeed1 overcame the obstacles    
created by contemporary envy2 but how   
seldom1 especially in a refined age1 can
 genius effect such a prodigy8 how often
 is it crushed in the outset of its     
career1 or turned aside into the humble 
and unobtrusive path of imitation1 to   
shun the danger with which that of      
originality is beset6  ,milton's        
,paradise ,lost contains many more lines
 of poetic beauty than ,homer's ,iliad2 

and there is nothing in the latter poem 
of equal length1 which will bear any    
comparison with the exquisite picture of
 the primeval innocence of our ,first   
,parents in his fourth book4            
,nevertheless1 the ,iliad is a more     
interesting poem than the ,paradise     
,lost2 and has produced and will produce
 a much more extensive impression on    
mankind4 ,the reason is1 that it is much
 fuller of event1 is more varied1 is    
more filled with images familiar to all 
mankind1 and is less lost in            
metaphysical or philosophical           
abstractions4 ,homer1 though the father 
of poets1 was essentially dramatic2 he  
was an incomparable painter2 and it is  
his dramatic scenes1 the moving panorama
 of his pictures1 which fascinates the  
world4 ,he often speaks to the heart1   
and is admirable in the delineation of  
character2 but he is so1 not by         
conveying the inward feeling1 but by    
painting with matchless fidelity its    
external symptoms1 or putting into the  

mouths of his characters the precise    
words they would have used in similar   
circumstances in real life4 ,even his   
immortal parting of ,hector and         
,andromache is no exception to this     
remark2 he paints the scene at the ,scan
 gate exactly as it would have occurred 
in nature1 and moves us as if we had    
seen the ,trojan hero taking off his    
helmet to assuage the terrors of his    
infant son1 and heard the lamentations  
of his mother at parting with her       
husband4 ,but he does not lay bare the  
heart1 with the terrible force of       
,dante1 by a line or a word4 ,there is  
nothing in ,homer which conveys so      
piercing an idea of misery as the line  
in the ,inferno1 where the ,florentine  
bard assigns the reason of the          
lamentations of the spirits in          
,malebolge--    ,questi non hanno       
speranza di morte4  ,these have not the 
hope of death4 ,there speaks the        
spiritual poet2 he does not paint to the
 eye1 he does not even convey character 

by the words he makes then utter2 he    
pierces by a single expression1 at once 
to the heart4  ,milton strove to raise  
earth to heaven3 ,homer brought down    
heaven to earth4 ,the latter attempt was
 a much easier one than the former2 it  
was more consonant to human frailty2    
and1 therefore1 it has met with more    
success4 ,the gods and goddesses in the 
,iliad are men and women1 endowed with  
human passions1 affections1 and desires1
 and distinguished only from sublunary  
beings by superior power and the gift of
 immortality4 ,we are interested in them
 as we are in the genii or magicians of 
an eastern romance4 ,there is a sort of 
arial epic poem going on between earth  
and heaven4 ,they take sides in the     
terrestrial combat1 and engage in the   
actual strife with the heroes engaged in
 it4 ,mars and ,venus were wounded by   
,diomede when combating in the ,trojan  
ranks2 their blood1 or rather the       
,ichor which blest immortals shed1      
flowed profusely2 they fled howling to  

the palaces of heaven4 ,enlightened by a
 spiritual faith1 fraught with sublime  
ideas of the divine nature and          
government1 ,milton was incomparably    
more just in his descriptions of the    
,supreme ,being1 and more elevated in   
his picture of the angels and           
arch-angels who carried on the strife in
 heaven2 but he frequently falls into   
metaphysical abstractions or theological
 controversies1 which detract from the  
interest of his poem4  ,despite         
,milton's own opinion1 the concurring   
voice of all subsequent ages and        
countries has assigned to the ,paradise 
,regained a much lower place than to the
 ,paradise ,lost4 ,the reason is1 that  
it is less dramatic--it has less        
incident and action4 ,great part of the 
poem is but an abstract theological     
debate between our ,saviour and ,satan4 
,the speeches he makes them utter are   
admirable1 the reasoning is close1 the  
arguments cogent1 the sentiments        
elevated in the speakers1 but dialectic 

too4 ,in many of the speeches of the    
angel ,raphael1 and in the council of   
heaven1 in the ,paradise ,lost there is 
too much of that species of discussion  
for a poem which is to interest the     
generality of men4 ,dryden says1 that   
,satan is ,milton's real hero2 and every
 reader of the ,paradise ,lost must have
 felt1 that in the ,prince of ,darkness1
 and ,adam and ,eve1 the interest of the
 poem consists4 ,the reason is1 that the
 vices of the first1 and the weakness of
 the two last1 bring them nearer than   
any other characters in the poem to the 
standard of mortality2 and we are so    
constituted1 that we cannot take any    
great interest but in persons who share 
in our failings4  ,perhaps the greatest 
cause of the sustained interest of the  
,iliad is the continued and vehement    
action which is maintained4 ,the        
attention is seldom allowed to flag4    
,either in the council of the gods1 the 
assembly of the ,grecian or ,trojan     
chiefs1 or the contest of the leaders on

 the field of battle1 an incessant      
interest is maintained4 ,great events   
are always on the wing3 the issue of the
 contest is perpetually hanging1 often  
almost even1 in the balance4 ,it is the 
art with which this is done1 and a state
 of anxious suspense1 like the crisis of
 a great battle kept up1 that the great 
art of the poet consists4 ,it is done by
 making the whole dramatic--bringing the
 characters forward constantly to speak 
for themselves1 making the events       
succeed each other with almost          
breathless rapidity1 and balancing      
success alternately from one side to the
 other1 without letting it ever incline 
decisively to either4 ,tasso has adopted
 the same plan in his ,jerusalem        
,delivered1 and the contests of the     
,christian knights and ,saracen leaders 
with the lance and the sword1 closely   
resemble those of the ,grecian and      
,trojan chiefs on the plain of ,troy4   
,ariosto has carried it still further4  
,the exploits of his ,paladins--their   

adventures on earth1 in air1 and water2 
their loves1 their sufferings1 their    
victories1 their dangers--keep the      
reader in a continual state of suspense4
 ,it is this sustained and varied       
interest which makes so many readers    
prefer the ,orlando ,furioso to the     
,jerusalem ,delivered4 ,but ,ariosto has
 pushed it too far4 ,in the search of   
variety1 he has lost sight of unity4    
,his heroes are not congregated round   
the banners of two rival potentates2    
there is no one object or interest in   
his poem4 ,no narrow plain1 like that   
watered by the ,scamander1 is the       
theatre of their exploits4 ,jupiter1    
from the summit of ,gargarus1 could not 
have beheld the contending armies4 ,the 
most ardent imagination1 indeed1 is     
satiated with his adventures1 but the   
closest attention can hardly follow     
their thread4 ,story after story is     
told1 the exploits of knight after      
knight are recounted1 till the mind is  
fatigued1 the memory perplexed1 and all 

general interest in the poem lost4      
,milton has admirably preserved the     
unity of his poem2 the grand and        
all-important object of the fall of man 
could hardly admit of subordinate or    
rival interests4 ,but the great defect  
in the ,paradise ,lost1 arising from    
that very unity1 is want of variety4 ,it
 is strung throughout on too lofty a    
key2 it does not come down sufficiently 
to the wants and cravings of mortality4 
,the mind is awe-struck by the          
description of ,satan careering through 
the immensity of space1 of the battle of
 the angels1 of the fall of ,lucifer1 of
 the suffering1 and yet unsubdued spirit
 of his fellow rebels1 of the adamantine
 gates1 and pitchy darkness1 and burning
 lake of hell4 ,but after the first     
feeling of surprise and admiration is   
over1 it is felt by all1 that these     
lofty contemplations are not interesting
 to mortals like ourselves4 ,they are   
too much above real life--too much out  
of the sphere of ordinary event and     

interest4  ,the fourth book is the real 
scene of interest in the ,paradise      
,lost2 it is its ravishing scenes of    
primeval innocence and bliss which have 
given it immortality4 ,we are never     
tired of recurring to the bower of ,eve1
 to her devotion to ,adam1 to the       
exquisite scenes of ,paradise1 its      
woods1 its waters1 its flowers1 its     
enchantments4 ,we are so1 because we    
feel that it paints the ,elysium to     
which all aspire1 which all have for a  
brief period felt1 but which none in    
this world can durably enjoy4  ,no one  
can doubt that ,homer was endowed with  
the true poetic spirit1 and yet there is
 very little of what we now call poetry 
in his writings4 ,there is neither      
sentiment nor declamation--painting nor 
reflection4 ,he is neither descriptive  
nor didactic4 ,with great powers for    
portraying nature1 as the exquisite     
choice of his epithets1 and the         
occasional force of his similes prove1  
he never makes any laboured attempt to  

delineate her features4 ,he had the eye 
of a great painter2 but his pictorial   
talents are employed1 almost            
unconsciously1 in the fervour of        
narrating events1 or the animation of   
giving utterance to thoughts4 ,he       
painted by an epithet or a line4 ,even  
the celebrated description of the fires 
in the plain of ,troy1 likened to the   
moon in a serene night1 is contained in 
seven lines4 ,his rosy-fingered         
morn--cloud-compelling                  
,jupiter--,neptune1 stiller of the      
waves--,aurora rising from her crocus   
bed--,night drawing her veil over the   
heavens--the black keel careering       
through the lashing waves--the shout of 
the far-sounding sea--and the like1 from
 which subsequent poets and dramatists  
have borrowed so largely1 are all brief 
allusions1 or epithets1 which evidently 
did not form the main object of his     
strains4 ,he was a close observer of    
nature--its lights1 its shades1 its     
storms and calms1 its animals1 their    

migrations1 their cries and habits2 but 
he never suspends his narrative to      
describe them4 ,we shall look in vain in
 the ,iliad1 and even the ,odyssey1 for 
the lengthened pictures of scenery which
 are so frequent in ,virgil and ,tasso1 
and appear in such rich profusion in    
,milton4 ,he describes storms only as   
objects of terror1 not to paint them to 
the eye4 ,such things are to be found in
 the book of ,job and in the ,psalms1   
but with the same brevity and magical   
force of emphatic expression4 ,there    
never was a greater painter of nature   
than ,homer2 there never was a man who  
aimed less at being so4  ,the portraying
 of character and event was the great   
and evident object of the ,grecian bard2
 and there his powers may almost be     
pronounced unrivalled4 ,he never tells  
you1 unless it is sometimes to be       
inferred on an epithet1 what the man's  
character that he introduces is4 ,he    
trusts to the character to delineate    
itself4 ,he lets us get acquainted with 

his heroes1 as we do with persons around
 us1 by hearing them speak1 and seeing  
them act4 ,in preserving character1 in  
this dramatic way of representing it1 he
 is unrivalled4 ,he does not tell you   
that ,nestor had the garrulity of age1  
and loved to recur to the events of his 
youth2 but he never makes him open his  
mouth without descanting on the         
adventures of his early years1 and the  
degenerate race of mortals who have     
succeeded the paladins of former days4  
,he does not tell us that ,achilles was 
wrathful and impetuous2 but every time  
he speaks1 the anger of the son of      
,peleus comes boiling over his lips4 ,he
 does not describe ,agamemnon as        
overbearing and haughty2 but the pride  
of the king of men is continually       
appearing in his words and actions1 and 
it is the evident moral of the ,iliad to
 represent its pernicious effects on the
 affairs of the ,helenic confederacy4   
,ulysses never utters a word in which   
the cautious and prudent counsellor1    

sagacious in design but prompt in       
execution1 wary in the council but      
decided in the field1 far-seeing but yet
 persevering1 is not apparent4 ,diomede 
never falters2 alike in the field and   
the council he is indomitable4 ,when    
,hector was careering in his chariot    
round their fortifications1 and the king
 of men counselled retreat1 he declared 
he would remain1 were it only with      
,sthenelus and his friends4 ,so         
completely marked1 so well defined are  
his characters1 though they were all    
rapacious chiefs at first sight1 little 
differing from each other1 that it has  
been observed with truth1 that one well 
acquainted with the ,iliad could tell1  
upon hearing one of the speeches read   
out without a name1 who was the chief   
who uttered it4  ,the two authors1 since
 his time1 who have most nearly         
approached him in this respect1 are     
,shakespeare and ,scott4 ,both seem to  
have received the pencil which paints   
the human heart from nature herself4    

,both had a keen and searching eye for  
character in all grades and walks of    
life2 and what is a general             
accompaniment of such a disposition1 a  
strong sense of the ridiculous4 ,both   
seized the salient points in mental     
disposition1 and perceived at a glance1 
as it were1 the ruling propensity4 ,both
 impressed this character so strongly on
 their minds1 that they threw           
themselves1 as it were1 into the very   
souls of the persons whom they          
delineated1 and made them speak and act 
like nature herself4 ,it is this        
extraordinary faculty of identifying    
themselves with their characters1 and   
bringing out of their mouth the very    
words which1 in real life1 would have   
come1 which constitutes the chief and   
permanent attraction of these wonderful 
masters of the human heart4 ,cervantes  
had it in an equal degree2 and thence it
 is that ,homer1 ,shakspeare1           
,cervantes1 and ,scott1 have made so    
great1 and1 to all appearance1 durable  

impression on mankind4 ,the human heart 
is1 at bottom1 every where the same4    
,there is infinite diversity in the     
dress he wears1 but the naked human     
figure of one country scarcely differs  
from another4 ,the writers who have     
succeeded in reaching this deep         
substratum1 this far-hidden but common  
source of human action1 are understood  
and admired over all the world4 ,it is  
the same on the banks of the ,simos as  
on those of the ,avon--on the ,sierra   
,morena as the ,scottish hills4 ,they   
are understood alike in ,europe as      
,asia--in antiquity as modern times2 one
 unanimous burst of admiration salutes  
them from the ,north ,cape to ,cape     
,horn--from the age of ,pisistratus to  
that of ,napoleon4  ,strange as it may  
appear to superficial observers1        
,cervantes bears a close analogy1 in    
many particulars1 to ,homer4            
,circumstances1 and an inherent turn for
 humour1 made him throw his genius into 
an exquisite ridicule of the manners of 

chivalry2 but the author of ,don        
,quixote had in him the spirit of a     
great epic poet4 ,his lesser pieces     
prove it2 unequivocal traces of it are  
to be found in the adventures of the    
,knight of ,la ,mancha himself4 ,the    
elevation of mind which1 amidst all his 
aberrations1 appears in that erratic    
character2 the incomparable traits of   
nature with which the work abounds2 the 
faculty of describing events in the most
 striking way2 of painting scenes in a  
few words2 of delineating characters    
with graphic fidelity1 and keeping them 
up with perfect consistency1 which are  
so conspicuous in ,don ,quixote1 are so 
many of the most essential qualities of 
an epic poet4 ,nor was the ardour of    
imagination1 the romantic disposition1  
the brilliancy of fancy1 the lofty      
aspirations1 the tender heart1 which    
form the more elevated and not less     
essential part of such a character1     
wanting in the ,spanish novelist4  ,sir 
,walter ,scott more nearly resembles    

,homer than any poet who has sung since 
the siege of ,troy4 ,not that he has    
produced any poem which will for a      
moment bear a comparison with the       
,iliad--fine as the ,lady of the ,lake  
and ,marmion are1 it would be the height
 of national partiality to make any such
 comparison4 ,but1 nevertheless1 ,sir   
,walter's mind is of the same dimensions
 as that of ,homer4 ,we see in him the  
same combination of natural sagacity    
with acquired information2 of pictorial 
eye with dramatic effect2 of observation
 of character with reflection and       
feeling2 of graphic power with poetic   
fervour2 of ardour of imagination with  
rectitude of principle2 of warlike      
enthusiasm with pacific tenderness1     
which have rendered the ,grecian bard   
immortal4 ,it is in his novels1 however1
 more than his poetry1 that this        
resemblance appears2 the author of      
,waverley more nearly approaches the    
blind bard than the author of the ,lay4 
,his romances in verse contain some     

passages which are sublime1 many which  
are beautiful1 some pathetic4 ,they are 
all interesting1 and written in the same
 easy1 careless style1 interspersed with
 the most homely and grotesque          
expressions1 which is so well known to  
all the readers of the ,iliad4 ,the     
battle in ,marmion is beyond all        
question1 as ,jeffrey long ago remarked1
 the most ,homeric strife which has been
 sung since the days of ,homer4 ,but    
these passages are few and far between2 
his poems are filled with numerous and  
long interludes1 written with little    
art1 and apparently no other object but 
to fill up the pages or eke out the     
story4 ,it is in prose that the robust  
strength1 the powerful arm1 the profound
 knowledge of the heart1 appear2 and it 
is there1 accordingly1 that he          
approaches at times so closely to       
,homer4 ,if we could conceive a poem1 in
 which the storming of                  
,front-de-,boeuf's castle in            
,ivanhoe--the death of ,fergus in       

,waverley--the storm on the coast1 and  
death scene in the fisher's hut1 in the 
,antiquary--the devoted love in the     
,bride of ,lammermoor--the fervour of   
the ,covenanters in ,old ,mortality1 and
 the combats of ,richard and ,saladin in
 the ,talisman1 were united together1   
and intermingled with the incomparable  
characters1 descriptions1 and incidents 
with which these novels abound1 they    
would form an epic poem4  ,doubts have  
sometimes been expressed1 as to whether 
the ,iliad and ,odyssey are all the     
production of one man4 ,never1 perhaps1 
was doubt not merely so ill founded1 but
 so decisively disproved by internal    
evidence4 ,if ever in human composition 
the traces of one mind are conspicuous1 
they are in ,homer4 ,his beauties       
equally with his defects1 his variety   
and uniformity1 attest this4 ,never was 
an author who had so fertile an         
imagination for varying of incidents2   
never was one who expressed them in     
language in which the same words so     

constantly recur4 ,this is the          
invariable characteristic of a great and
 powerful1 but at the same time         
self-confident and careless mind4 ,it is
 to be seen in the most remarkable      
manner in ,bacon and ,machiavel1 and not
 a little of it may be traced both in   
the prose and poetical works of ,scott4 
,the reason is1 that the strength of the
 mind is thrown into the thought as the 
main object2 the language1 as a         
subordinate matter1 is little           
considered4 ,expressions capable of     
energetically expressing the prevailing 
ideas of the imagination are early      
formed2 but1 when this is done1 the     
powerful1 careless mind1 readily adopts 
them on all future occasions where they 
are at all applicable4 ,there is        
scarcely a great and original thinker in
 whose writings the same expressions do 
not very frequently recur1 often in     
exactly the same words4 ,how much this  
is the case with ,homer--with how much  
discrimination and genius his epithets  

and expressions were first chosen1 and  
how frequently he repeats them1 almost  
in every page1 need be told to none who 
are acquainted with his writings4 ,that 
is the most decisive mark at once of    
genius and identity4 ,original thinkers 
fall into repetition of expression1     
because they are always speaking from   
one model--their own thoughts4          
,subordinate writers avoid this fault1  
because they are speaking from the      
thoughts of others1 and share their     
variety4 ,it requires as great an effort
 for the first to introduce difference  
of expression1 as for the last to reach 
diversity of thought4  ,the reader of   
,dante must not look for the            
heart-stirring and animated             
narrative--the constant interest--the   
breathless suspense1 which hurries us   
along the rapid current of the ,iliad4  
,there are no councils of the gods2 no  
messengers winging their way through the
 clouds2 no combats of chiefs2 no cities
 to storm2 no fields to win4 ,it is the 

infernal regions which the poet1 under  
the guidance of his great leader1       
,virgil1 visits2 it is the scene of     
righteous retribution through which he  
is led2 it is the apportionment of      
punishment and reward to crime or       
virtue1 in this upper world1 that he is 
doomed to witness4 ,we enter the city of
 lamentation--we look down the depths of
 the bottomless pit--we stand at the    
edge of the burning lake4 ,his survey is
 not a mere transient visit like that of
 ,ulysses in ,homer1 or of neas in      
,virgil4 ,he is taken slowly and        
deliberately through every successive   
circle of ,malebolge2 descending down   
which1 like the visitor of the tiers of 
vaults1 one beneath another1 in a feudal
 castle1 he finds every species of      
malefactors1 from the chiefs and kings  
whose heroic lives were stained only by 
a few deeds of cruelty1 to the depraved 
malefactors whose base course was       
unrelieved by one ray of virtue4 ,in the
 very conception of such a poem1 is to  

be found decisive evidence of the mighty
 change which the human mind had        
undergone since the expiring lays of    
poetry were last heard in the ancient   
world2 of the vast revolution of thought
 and inward conviction which1 during a  
thousand years1 in the solitude of the  
monastery1 and under the sway of a      
spiritual faith1 had taken place in the 
human heart4 ,a gay and poetic mythology
 no longer amazed the world by its      
fictions1 or charmed it by its imagery4 
,religion no longer basked in the       
sunshine of imagination4 ,the awful     
words of judgment to come had been      
spoken2 and1 like ,felix1 mankind had   
trembled4 ,ridiculous legends had ceased
 to be associated with the shades       
below--their place had been taken by    
images of horror4 ,conscience had       
resumed its place in the direction of   
thought4 ,superstition had lent its     
awful power to the sanctions of         
religion4 ,terror of future punishment  
had subdued the fiercest                

passions--internal agony tamed the      
proudest spirits4 ,it was the picture of
 a future world--of a world of          
retribution--conceived under such       
impressions1 that ,dante proposed to    
give2 it is that which he has given with
 such terrible fidelity4  ,melancholy   
was the prevailing characteristic of the
 great ,italian's mind4 ,it was so      
profound that it penetrated all his     
thoughts2 so intense that it pervaded   
all his conceptions4 ,occasionally      
bright and beautiful ideas flitted      
across his imagination2 visions of      
bliss1 experienced for a moment1 and    
then lost for ever1 as if to render more
 profound the darkness by which they are
 surrounded4 ,they are given with       
exquisite beauty2 but they shine amidst 
the gloom like sunbeams struggling      
through the clouds4 ,he inherited from  
the dark ages the austerity of the      
cloister2 but he inherited with it the  
deep feelings and sublime conceptions   
which its seclusion had generated4 ,his 

mind was a world within itself4 ,he drew
 all his conceptions from that          
inexhaustible source2 but he drew them  
forth so clear and lucid1 that they     
emerged1 embodied as it were1 in living 
images4 ,his characters are emblematic  
of the various passions and views for   
which different degrees of punishment   
were reserved in the world to come2 but 
his conception of them was so distinct1 
his description so vivid1 that they     
stand forth to our gaze in all the agony
 of their sufferings1 like real flesh   
and blood4 ,we see them--we feel        
them--we hear their cries--our very     
flesh creeps at the perception of their 
sufferings4 ,we stand on the edge of the
 lake of boiling pitch--we feel the     
weight of the leaden mantles--we see the
 snow-like flakes of burning sand--we   
hear the cries of those who had lost the
 last earthly consolations1 the hope of 
death3--      ,quivi sospiri1 pianti ed 
alti guai   ,risonavan per l' aer senza 
stelle1   ,perch' io al cominciar ne    

lacrimai4     ,diverse lingue1 orribili 
favelle1   ,parole di dolore1 accenti d'
 ira1   ,voci alte e fioche1 e suon di  
man con elle     ,facevano un tumulto1  
il qual s' aggira   ,sempre 'n quell'   
aria senza tempo tinta1   ,come la rena 
quando 'l turbo spira4        99        
99       99       99       99     ,ed   
io3 maestro1 che  tanto greve   ,a lor  
che lamentar li fa si forte8   ,rispose3
 dicerolti molto breve4     ,questi non 
hanno speranza di morte4                
,inferno1 c4 iii4       ,here sighs1    
with lamentations and loud moans1       
,resounded through the air pierced by no
 star1   ,that e'en ,i wept at entering4
 ,various tongues1   ,horrible          
languages1 outcries of woe1   ,accents  
of anger1 voices deep and hoarse1       
,with hands together smote that swell'd 
the sounds1   ,made up a tumult1 that   
for ever whirls   ,round through that   
air with solid darkness stain'd1   ,like
 to the sand that in the whirlwind      
flies4        99       99       99      

99       99     ,i then3 ,master6 ,what 
doth aggrieve them thus1   ,that they   
lament so loud8 ,he straight replied3   
,that will ,i tell thee briefly4 ,these 
of death   ,no hope may entertain4      
,,cary',s ,dante1 ,inferno1 c4 iii4     
,here is ,dante portrayed to the life in
 the very outset4 ,what a collection of 
awful images in a few lines6 ,loud      
lamentations1 hideous cries1 mingled    
with the sound of clasped hands1 beneath
 a starless sky2 and the terrible       
answer1 as the cause of this suffering1 
,these have not the hope of death4  ,the
 very first lines of the ,inferno1 when 
the gates of ,hell were approached1 and 
the inscription over them appeared1     
paints the dismal character of the poem1
 and yet mingled with the sense of      
divine love and justice with which the  
author was penetrated4      ,per me si  
va nella citt dolente2   ,per me si va  
nell' eterno dolore2   ,per me si va tra
 la perduta gente3     ,giustizia mosse 
'l mio alto ,fattore2   ,fecemi la      

divina ,potestate1   ,la somma ,sapienza
 e 'l primo ,amore4     ,dinanzi a me   
non fur cose create1   ,se non eterne2  
ed io eterno duro3   ,lasciate ogni     
speranza voi che 'ntrate4               
,inferno1 c4 iii4       ,through me you 
pass into the city of woe3   ,through me
 you pass into eternal pain3   ,through 
me among the people lost for aye4       
,justice the founder of my fabric moved3
   ,to rear me was the task of power    
divine1   ,supremest wisdom1 and        
primeval love4   ,before me things      
create were none1 save things           
,eternal1 and eternal ,i endure4   ,all 
hope abandon1 ye who enter here4        
,,cary',s ,dante1 ,inferno1 c4 iii4     
,dante had much more profound feelings  
than ,homer1 and therefore he has       
painted deep mysteries of the human     
heart with greater force and fidelity4  
,the more advanced age of the world1 the
 influence of spiritual faith1 the awful
 anticipation of judgment to come1 the  
inmost feelings which1 during long      

centuries of seclusion1 had been drawn  
forth in the cloister1 the protracted   
sufferings of the dark ages1 had laid   
bare the human heart4 ,its sufferings1  
its terrors1 its hopes1 its joys1 had   
become as household words4 ,the ,italian
 poet shared1 as all do1 in the ideas   
and images of his age1 and to these he  
added many which were entirely his own4 
,he painted the inward man1 and painted 
him from his own feelings1 not the      
observation of others4 ,that is the     
grand distinction between him and       
,homer2 and that it is which has given  
him1 in the delineation of mind1 his    
great superiority4 ,the ,grecian bard   
was an incomparable observer2 he had an 
inexhaustible imagination for fiction1  
as well as a graphic eye for the        
delineation of real life2 but he had not
 a deep or feeling heart4 ,he did not   
know it1 like ,dante and ,shakspeare1   
from his own suffering4 ,he painted the 
external symptoms of passion and emotion
 with the hand of a master2 but he did  

not reach the inward spring of feeling4 
,he lets us into his characters by their
 speeches1 their gestures1 their        
actions1 and keeps up their consistency 
with admirable fidelity2 but he does    
not1 by a word1 an expression1 or an    
epithet1 admit us into the inmost folds 
of the heart4 ,none can do so but such  
as themselves feel warmly and           
profoundly1 and paint passion1 emotion1 
or suffering from their own experience1 
not the observation of others4 ,dante   
has acquired his colossal fame from the 
matchless force with which he has       
portrayed the wildest passions1 the     
deepest feelings1 the most intense      
sufferings of the heart4 ,he is the     
refuge of all those who labour and are  
heavy laden--of all who feel profoundly 
or have suffered deeply4 ,his verses are
 in the mouth of all who are torn by    
passion1 gnawed by remorse1 or tormented
 by apprehension2 and how many are they 
in this scene of woe6  ,a distinguished 
modern critic#b has said1 that he who   

would now become a great poet must first
 become a little child4 ,there is no    
doubt he is right4 ,the seen and unseen 
fetters of civilization2 the multitude  
of old ideas afloat in the world2 the   
innumerable worn-out channels into which
 new ones are ever apt to flow2 the     
general clamour with which critics1     
nursed amidst such fetters1 receive any 
attempts at breaking them2 the          
prevalence1 in a wealthy and highly     
civilized age1 of worldly or selfish    
ideas2 the common approximation of      
characters by perpetual intercourse1 as 
of coins1 by continual rubbing in       
passing from man to man1 have taken away
 all freshness and originality from     
ideas4 ,the learned1 the polished1 the  
highly educated1 can hardly escape the  
fetters which former greatness throws   
over the soul4 ,milton could not avoid  
them3 half the images in his poems are  
taken from ,homer1 ,virgil1 and ,dante2 
and who dare hope for emancipation when 
,milton was enthralled8 ,the mechanical 

arts increase in perfection as society  
advances4 ,science ever takes its       
renewed flights from the platform which 
former efforts have erected4 ,industry1 
guided by experience1 in successive     
ages1 brings to the highest point all   
the contrivances and inventions which   
minister to the comfort or elegances of 
life4 ,but it is otherwise with genius4 
,it sinks in the progress of society1 as
 much as science and the arts rise4 ,the
 country of ,homer and schylus sank for 
a thousand years into the torpor of the 
,byzantine empire4 ,originality perishes
 amidst acquisition4 ,freshness of      
conception is its life3 like the flame1 
it burns fierce and clear in the first  
gales of a pure atmosphere2 but         
languishes and dies in that polluted by 
many breaths4  ,it was the resurrection 
of the human mind1 after the seclusion  
and solitary reflection of the middle   
ages1 which gave this vein of original  
ideas to ,dante1 as their first wakening
 had given to ,homer4 ,thought was not  

extinct2 the human mind was not dormant 
during the dark ages2 far from it--it   
never1 in some respects1 was more       
active4 ,it was the first collision of  
their deep and lonely meditations with  
the works of the great ancient poets1   
which occasioned the prodigy4           
,universally it will be found to be the 
same4 ,after the first flights of genius
 have been taken1 it is by the collision
 of subsequent thought with it that the 
divine spark is again elicited4 ,the    
meeting of two great minds is necessary 
to beget fresh ideas1 as that of two    
clouds is to bring forth lightning1 or  
the collision of flint and steel to     
produce fire4 ,johnson said he could not
 get new ideas till he had read4 ,he was
 right2 though it is not one in a       
thousand who strikes out original       
thoughts from studying the works of     
others4 ,the great sage did not read to 
imbibe the opinions of others1 but to   
engender new ones for himself2 he did   
not study to imitate1 but to create4 ,it

 was the same with ,dante2 it is the    
same with every really great man4 ,his  
was the first powerful and original mind
 which1 fraught with the profound and   
gloomy ideas nourished in seclusion     
during the middle ages1 came into       
contact with the brilliant imagery1     
touching pathos1 and harmonious language
 of the ancients4 ,hence his astonishing
 greatness4 ,he almost worshipped       
,virgil1 he speaks of him as a species  
of god2 he mentions ,homer as the first 
of poets4 ,but he did not copy either   
the one or the other2 he scarcely       
imitated them4 ,he strove to rival their
 brevity and beauty of expression2 but  
he did so in giving vent to new ideas1  
in painting new images1 in awakening new
 emotions4 ,the ,inferno is as original 
as the ,iliad2 incomparably more so than
 the neid4 ,the offspring of originality
 with originality is a new and noble    
creation2 of originality with           
mediocrity1 a spurious and degraded     
imitation4  ,dante paints the spirits of

 all the generations of men1 each in    
their circle undergoing their allotted  
punishment2 expiating by suffering the  
sins of an upper world4 ,virgil gave a  
glimpse1 as it were1 into that scene of 
retribution2 ,minos and ,rhadamanthus   
passing judgment on the successive      
spirits brought before them2 the flames 
of ,tartarus1 the rock of ,sisyphus1 the
 wheel of ,ixion1 the vulture gnawing   
,prometheus4 ,but with ,homer and       
,virgil1 the descent into the infernal  
regions was a brief episode2 with ,dante
 it was the whole poem4 ,immense was the
 effort of imagination requisite to give
 variety to such a subject1 to prevent  
the mind from experiencing weariness    
amidst the eternal recurrence of crime  
and punishment4 ,but the genius of      
,dante was equal to the task4 ,his fancy
 was prodigious2 his invention          
boundless2 his imagination              
inexhaustible4 ,fenced in1 as he was1   
within narrow and gloomy limits by the  
nature of his subject1 his creative     

spirit equals that of ,homer himself4   
,he has given birth to as many new ideas
 in the ,inferno and the ,paradiso1 as  
the ,grecian bard in the ,iliad and     
,odyssey4  ,though he had reflected so  
much and so deeply on the human heart1  
and was so perfect a master of all the  
anatomy of mental suffering1 ,dante's   
mind was essentially descriptive4 ,he   
was a great painter as well as a        
profound thinker2 he clothed deep       
feeling in the garb of the senses2 he   
conceived a vast brood of new ideas1 he 
arrayed them in a surprising manner in  
flesh and blood4 ,he is ever clear and  
definite1 at least in the ,inferno4 ,he 
exhibits in every canto of that         
wonderful poem a fresh image1 but it is 
a clear one1 of horror or anguish1 which
 leaves nothing to the imagination to   
add or conceive4 ,his ideal characters  
are real persons2 they are present to   
our senses2 we feel their flesh1 see the
 quivering of their limbs1 hear their   
lamentations1 and feel a thrill of joy  

at their felicity4 ,in the ,paradiso he 
is more vague and general1 and thence   
its acknowledged inferiority to the     
,inferno4 ,but the images of horror are 
much more powerful than those of        
happiness2 and it is they which have    
entranced the world4 ,it is easier1 says
 ,madame de ,stal1 to convey ideas of   
suffering than those of happiness2 for  
the former are too well known to every  
heart1 the latter only to a few4  ,the  
melancholy tone which pervades ,dante's 
writings was doubtless1 in a great      
measure1 owing to the misfortunes of his
 life2 and to them we are also indebted 
for many of the most caustic and        
powerful of his verses--perhaps for the 
design of the ,inferno itself4 ,he took 
vengeance on the generation which had   
persecuted and exiled him1 by exhibiting
 its leaders suffering in the torments  
of hell4 ,in his long seclusion1 chiefly
 in the monastery of ,santa ,croce di   
,fonte ,avellana1 a wild and solitary   
retreat in the territory of ,gubbio1 and

 in a tower belonging to the ,conte     
,falcucci1 in the same district1 his    
immortal work was written4 ,the         
mortifications he underwent during this 
long and dismal exile are thus described
 by himself3--,wandering over almost    
every part in which our language        
extends1 ,i have gone about like a      
mendicant2 showing against my will the  
wound with which fortune has smitten me1
 and which is often falsely imputed to  
the demerit of him by whom it is        
endured4 ,i have been1 indeed1 a vessel 
without sail or steerage1 carried about 
to divers ports1 and roads1 and shores1 
by the dry wind that springs out of sad 
poverty4  ,in the third circle of hell1 
,dante sees those who are punished by   
the plague of burning sand falling      
perpetually on them4 ,their torments are
 thus described--      ,supin giaceva in
 terra alcuna gente2   ,alcuna si sedea 
tutta raccolta2   ,ed altra andava      
continuamente4     ,quella che giva     
intorno era pi molta2   ,e quella men   

che giaceva al tormento2   ,ma pi al    
duolo avea la lingua sciolta4     ,sovra
 tutto 'l sabbion d'un cader lento      
,piovean di fuoco dilatate falde1       
,come di neve in alpe senza vento4      
,quali ,alessandro in quelle parti calde
   ,d' ,india vide sovra lo suo stuolo  
,fiamme cadere infino a terra salde4    
,inferno1 c4 xiv4       ,of naked       
spirits many a flock ,i saw1   ,all     
weeping piteously1 to different laws    
,subjected3 for on earth some lay       
supine1   ,some crouching close were    
seated1 others paced   ,incessantly     
around2 the latter tribe   ,more        
numerous1 those fewer who beneath   ,the
 torment lay1 but louder in their grief4
     ,o'er all the sand fell slowly     
wafting down   ,dilated flakes of fire1 
as flakes of snow   ,on ,alpine summit1 
when the wind is hush'd4   ,as1 in the  
torrid ,indian clime1 the son   ,of     
,ammon saw1 upon his warrior band       
,descending1 solid flames1 that to the  
ground   ,came down4                    

,,cary',s ,dante1 c4 xiv4   ,the first  
appearance of ,malebolge is described in
 these striking lines--      ,luogo  in 
,inferno1 detto ,malebolge1   ,tutto di 
pietra e di color ferrigno1   ,come la  
cerchia che d'intorno il volge4     ,nel
 dritto mezzo del campo maligno         
,vaneggia un pozzo assai largo e        
profondo1   ,di cui suo luogo conter l' 
ordigno4     ,quel cinghio che rimane   
adunque  tondo   ,tra 'l pozzo e 'l pi  
dell' alta ripa dura1   ,e ha distinto  
in dieci valli al fondo4                
,inferno1 c4 xviii4       ,there is a   
place within the depths of hell         
,call'd ,malebolge1 all of rock         
dark-stain'd   ,with hue ferruginous1   
e'en as the steep   ,that round it      
circling winds4 ,right in the midst     
,of that abominable region yawns   ,a   
spacious gulf profound1 whereof the     
frame   ,due time shall tell4 ,the      
circle1 that remains1   ,throughout its 
round1 between the gulf and base   ,of  
the high craggy banks1 successive forms 

,ten bastions1 in its hollow bottom     
raised4                                 
,,cary',s ,dante1 c4 xviii4   ,this is  
the outward appearance of ,malebolge1   
the worst place of punishment in hell4  
,it had many frightful abysses2 what    
follows is the picture of the first3--  
,ristemmo per veder l'altra fessura     
,di ,malebolge e gli altri pianti vani3 
,e vidila mirabilmente oscura4          
,quale nell' arzana de' ,veneziani      
,bolle l' inverno la tenace pece1   ,a  
rimpalmar li legni lor non sani--       
99       99       99       99       99  
,tal non per fuoco ma per divina arte1  
,bollia laggiuso una pegola spessa1     
,che 'nviscava la ripa d'ogni parte4    
,i' vedea lei1 ma non vedeva in essa    
,ma che le bolle che 'l bollor levava1  
,e gonfiar tutta e riseder compressa4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,e vidi dietro a noi un diavol nero     
,correndo su per lo scoglio venire4     
,ahi quant' egli era nell' aspetto      
fiero6   ,e quanto mi parea nell' atto  

acerbo1   ,con l' ali aperte e sovre i  
pi leggiero6     ,l' omero suo ch' era  
acuto e superbo   ,carcava un peccator  
con ambo l'anche1   ,ed ei tenea de' pi 
ghermito il nerbo4        99       99   
99       99       99     ,laggi il butt 
e per lo scoglio duro   ,si volse1 e mai
 non fu mastino sciolto   ,con tanta    
fretta a seguitar lo furo4     ,quei s' 
attuff e torn su convolto2   ,ma i demon
 che del ponte avean coverchio          
,gridar3 qui non ha luogo il ,santo     
,volto4     ,qui si nuota altramenti che
 nel ,serchio3   ,per se tu non vuoi de'
 nostri graffi1   ,non far sovra la     
pegola soverchio4     ,poi l' addentar  
con pi di cento raffi1   ,disser3       
coverto convien che qui balli1   ,si che
 se puoi nascosamente accaffi4          
,inferno1 c4 xxi4     ----,to the summit
 reaching1 stood   ,to view another gap1
 within the round   ,of ,malebolge1     
other bootless pangs4     ,marvellous   
darkness shadow'd o'er the place4       
,in the ,venetians' arsenal as boils    

,through wintry months tenacious pitch1 
to smear   ,their unsound vessels in the
 wintry clime4        99       99       
99       99       99   ,so1 not by force
 of fire but art divine1   ,boil'd here 
a glutinous thick mass1 that round      
,limed all the shore beneath4 ,i that   
beheld1   ,but therein not              
distinguish'd1 save the bubbles         
,raised by the boiling1 and one mighty  
swell   ,heave1 and by turns subsiding  
fall4        99       99       99       
99       99   ,behind me ,i beheld a    
devil black1   ,that running up1        
advanced along the rock4   ,ah6 what    
fierce cruelty his look bespake4   ,in  
act how bitter did he seem1 with wings  
,buoyant outstretch'd1 and feet of      
nimblest tread4   ,his shoulder1 proudly
 eminent and sharp1   ,was with a sinner
 charged2 by either haunch   ,he held   
him1 the foot's sinew griping fast4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,him dashing down1 o'er the rough rock  
he turn'd2   ,nor ever after thief a    

mastiff loosed   ,sped with like eager  
haste4 ,that other sank1   ,and         
forthwith writhing to the surface rose4 
,but those dark demons1 shrouded by the 
bridge1   ,cried--,here the hallow'd    
visage saves not3 here   ,is other      
swimming than in ,serchio's wave1       
,wherefore1 if thou desire we rend thee 
not1   ,take heed thou mount not o'er   
the pitch4 ,this said1   ,they grappled 
him with more than hundred hooks1   ,and
 shouted--,cover'd thou must sport thee 
here2   ,so1 if thou canst1 in secret   
mayst thou filch4                       
,,cary',s ,dante1 c4 xxi4   ,fraught as 
his imagination was with gloomy ideas1  
with images of horror1 it is the        
fidelity of his descriptions1 the minute
 reality of his pictures1 which gives   
them their terrible power4 ,he knew well
 what it is that penetrates the soul4   
,his images of horror in the infernal   
regions were all founded on those       
familiar to every one in the upper      
world2 it was from the caldron of       

boiling pitch in the arsenal of ,venice 
that he took his idea of one of the pits
 of ,malebolge4 ,but what a picture does
 he there exhibit6 ,the writhing sinner 
plunged headlong into the boiling waves1
 rising to the surface1 and a hundred   
demons1 mocking his sufferings1 and with
 outstretched hooks tearing his flesh   
till he dived again beneath the liquid  
fire6 ,it is the reality of the scene1  
the images familiar yet magnified in    
horror1 which constitutes its power3 we 
stand by2 our flesh creeps as it would  
at witnessing an auto-da-f of ,castile1 
or on beholding a victim perishing under
 the knout in ,russia4  ,michael ,angelo
 was1 in one sense1 the painter of the  
,old ,testament1 as his bold and        
aspiring genius arrived rather at       
delineating the events of warfare1      
passion1 or suffering1 chronicled in the
 records of the ,jews1 than the scenes  
of love1 affection1 and benevolence1    
depicted in the gospels4 ,but his mind  
was not formed merely on the events     

recorded in antiquity3 it is no world   
doubtful of the immortality of the soul 
which he depicts4 ,he is rather the     
personification in painting of the soul 
of ,dante4 ,his imagination was         
evidently fraught with the conceptions  
of the ,inferno4 ,the expression of mind
 beams forth in all his works4 ,vehement
 passion1 stern resolve1 undaunted      
valour1 sainted devotion1 infant        
innocence1 alternately occupied his     
pencil4 ,it is hard to say in which he  
was greatest4 ,in all his works we see  
marks of the genius of antiquity meeting
 the might of modern times3 the imagery 
of mythology blended with the           
aspirations of ,christianity4 ,we see it
 in the dome of ,st ,peter's1 we see it 
in the statue of ,moses4 ,grecian       
sculpture was the realization in form of
 the conceptions of ,homer2 ,italian    
painting the representation on canvass  
of the revelations of the gospel1 which 
,dante clothed in the garb of poetry4   
,future ages should ever strive to      

equal1 but can never hope to excel them4
  ,never did artist work with more      
persevering vigour than ,michael        
,angelo4 ,he himself said that he       
laboured harder for fame1 than ever poor
 artist did for bread4 ,born of a noble 
family1 the heir to considerable        
possessions1 he took to the arts from   
his earliest years from enthusiastic    
passion and conscious power4 ,during a  
long life of ninety years1 he prosecuted
 them with the ardent zeal of youth4 ,he
 was consumed by the thirst for fame1   
the desire of great achievements1 the   
invariable mark of heroic minds2 and    
which1 as it is altogether beyond the   
reach of the great bulk of mankind1 so  
is the feeling of all others which to   
them is most incomprehensible4 ,nor was 
that noble enthusiasm without its       
reward4 ,it was his extraordinary good  
fortune to be called to form1 at the    
same time1 the ,last ,judgment on the   
wall of the ,sistine ,chapel1 the       
glorious dome of ,st ,peter's1 and the  

group of ,notre ,dame de ,piti1 which   
now adorns the chapel of the ,crucifix1 
under the roof of that august edifice4  
,the ,holy ,family in the ,palazzo      
,pitti at ,florence1 and the ,three     
,fates in the same collection1 give an  
idea of his powers in oil-painting3 thus
 he carried to the highest perfection1  
at the same time1 the rival arts of     
architecture1 sculpture1 fresco and oil 
painting4#c ,he may truly be called the 
founder of ,italian painting1 as ,homer 
was of the ancient epic1 and ,dante of  
the great style in modern poetry4 ,none 
but a colossal mind could have done such
 things4 ,raphael took lessons from him 
in painting1 and professed through life 
the most unbounded respect for his great
 preceptor4 ,none have attempted to     
approach him in architecture2 the cupola
 of ,st ,peter's stands alone in the    
world4  ,but notwithstanding all this1  
,michael ,angelo had some defects4 ,he  
created the great style in painting1 a  
style which has made modern ,italy as   

immortal as the arms of the legions did 
the ancient4 ,but the very grandeur of  
his conceptions1 the vigour of his      
drawing1 his incomparable command of    
bone and muscle1 his lofty expression   
and impassioned mind1 made him neglect1 
and perhaps despise1 the lesser details 
of his art4 ,ardent in the pursuit of   
expression1 he often overlooked         
execution4 ,when he painted the ,last   
,judgment or the ,fall of the ,titans in
 fresco1 on the ceiling and walls of the
 ,sistine ,chapel1 he was incomparable2 
but that gigantic style was unsuitable  
for lesser pictures or rooms of ordinary
 proportions4 ,by the study of his      
masterpieces1 subsequent painters have  
often been led astray2 they have aimed  
at force of expression to the neglect of
 delicacy in execution4 ,this defect is1
 in an especial manner1 conspicuous in  
,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 who worshipped  
,michael ,angelo with the most devoted  
fervour2 and through him it has         
descended to ,lawrence1 and nearly the  

whole modern school of ,england4 ,when  
we see ,sir ,joshua's noble glass window
 in ,magdalen ,college1 ,oxford1 we     
behold the work of a worthy pupil of    
,michael ,angelo2 we see the great style
 of painting in its proper place1 and   
applied to its appropriate object4 ,but 
when we compare his portraits1 or       
imaginary pieces in oil1 with those of  
,titian1 ,velasquez1 or ,vandyke1 the   
inferiority is manifest4 ,it is not in  
the design but the finishing2 not in the
 conception but the execution4 ,the     
colours are frequently raw and harsh2   
the details or distant parts of the     
piece ill-finished or neglected4 ,the   
bold neglect of ,michael ,angelo is very
 apparent4 ,raphael1 with less original 
genius than his immortal master1 had    
more taste and much greater delicacy of 
pencil2 his conceptions1 less extensive 
and varied1 are more perfect2 his       
finishing is always exquisite4 ,unity of
 emotion was his great object in design2
 equal delicacy of finishing in         

execution4 ,thence he has attained by   
universal consent the highest place in  
painting4  ,nothing1 says ,sir ,joshua  
,reynolds1 is denied to well-directed   
labour2 nothing is to be attained       
without it4 ,excellence in any          
department1 says ,johnson1 can now be   
attained only by the labour of a        
lifetime2 it is not to be purchased at a
 lesser price4 ,these words should ever 
be present to the minds of all who      
aspire to rival the great of former     
days2 who feel in their bosoms a spark  
of the spirit which led ,homer1 ,dante1 
and ,michael ,angelo to immortality4 ,in
 a luxurious age1 comfort or station is 
deemed the chief good of life2 in a     
commercial community1 money becomes the 
universal object of ambition4 ,thence   
our acknowledged deficiency in the fine 
arts2 thence our growing weakness in the
 higher branches of literature4 ,talent 
looks for its reward too soon4 ,genius  
seeks an immediate recompense2 long     
protracted exertions are never          

attempted2 great things are not done1   
because great efforts are not made4     
,none will work now without the prospect
 of an immediate return4 ,very possibly 
it is so2 but then let us not hope or   
wish for immortality4 ,present time and 
future1 says ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 are
 rivals2 he who solicits the one must   
expect to be discountenanced by the     
other4 ,it is not that we want genius2  
what we want is the great and heroic    
spirit which will devote itself2 by     
strenuous efforts1 to great things1     
without seeking any reward but their    
accomplishment4  ,nor let it be said    
that great subjects for the painter's   
pencil1 the poet's muse1 are not to be  
found--that they are exhausted by former
 efforts1 and nothing remains to us but 
imitation4 ,nature is inexhaustible2 the
 events of men are unceasing1 their     
variety is endless4 ,philosophers were  
mourning the monotony of time1          
historians were deploring the sameness  
of events1 in the years preceding the   

,french ,revolution--on the eve of the  
,reign of ,terror1 the flames of        
,moscow1 the retreat from ,russia4 ,what
 was the strife around ,troy to the     
battle of ,leipsic8--the contests of    
,florence and ,pisa to the revolutionary
 war8 ,what ancient naval victory to    
that of ,trafalgar8 ,rely upon it1      
subjects for genius are not wanting2    
genius itself1 steadily and             
perseveringly directed1 is the thing    
required4 ,but genius and energy alone  
are not sufficient2 ,,courage and       
disinterestedness are needed more than  
all4 ,courage to withstand the assaults 
of envy1 to despise the ridicule of     
mediocrity--disinterestedness to trample
 under foot the seductions of ease1 and 
disregard the attractions of opulence4  
,an heroic mind is more wanted in the   
library or the studio1 than in the      
field4 ,it is wealth and cowardice which
 extinguish the light of genius1 and dig
 the grave of literature as of nations4 
,,settled ,,at ,,last2 ,,or1 ,,red      

,,river ,,recollections4  ,,chap4 ,i4   
,,homeward ,,bound4   ,i had left ,new  
,orleans with the full intention of     
proceeding without stop or delay to my  
home upon the ,red ,river2 but          
notwithstanding this determination1 my  
wife and myself were unable to resist   
,richards' pressing invitation to pause 
for a day or two at his house4 ,upon our
 yielding to his solicitations1 he      
proceeded to recruit other guests among 
our travelling companions1 and soon got 
together a pleasant party4 ,my          
father-in-law1 ,monsieur ,menou1 went on
 to my plantation1 but ,julie remained  
with us1 as did also her aunt1 ,madame  
,duras1 an agreeable old lady with a    
slight expression of perfidy in her     
light blue1 ,french-looking eyes1       
possessed withal of infinite delicacy   
and finesse--a fervent admirer of the   
old court school of ,louis the          
,fifteenth1 in the chronique scandaleuse
 of which she was as well versed as if  
she had been herself a contemporary of  

that pleasure-loving monarch4 ,besides  
these ladies1 there was a young         
,frenchman named ,vergennes1 the third  
son of some ,gascon viscount1 and a     
distant cousin of the ,menous1 who had  
come to ,america till the scandal       
occasioned by certain republican        
scribblings of his in one of the        
newspapers of the day should have blown 
over1 and till he could revisit his     
country without risk of obtaining a     
lodging gratis in the ,conciergerie4 ,he
 had brought with him a head crammed    
with schemes for the political          
regeneration of the whole world1 and a  
trunkful of ,french fashions1 neither of
 which1 as ,i reckoned1 were likely to  
take much with us4 ,he made me laugh    
inwardly twenty times a-day by his      
,utopian theories and fancies4 ,truth to
 tell1 in matters of politics or of     
sound common sense1 these ,frenchmen are
 for the most part mere children1 and   
reach their dying day without ever      
becoming men4 ,take them by their weak  

points1 their unlimited vanity or their 
love of what they call glory1 and you   
may ride them like a horse to water4    
,vergennes1 however1 when one could get 
him off his hobby1 was a pleasant       
gentlemanly fellow enough4  ,it was     
impossible to spare ,richards more than 
three days1 and at six o'clock on the   
morning of the fourth1 we went on board 
the steamer ,alexandria4 ,i had         
prevailed on my friend and his wife1 and
 the whole party1 to come and pass a    
week or two at my house1 which was now  
quite ready for the reception of guests4
 ,the three days we had remained with   
,richards had been one continued fte1   
and considering the good living1 and the
 heat of the weather--the thermometer   
ranging from #ie to #ajj--there were few
 things more agreeable or better to be  
done1 than to take a steam up the ,red  
,river4 ,the fresh breezes on the water 
might save some of us a touch of fever4 
,on board we went therefore1 all in high
 glee and good-humour with each other4  

,we had passed the ,atchafalaya1 and had
 crossed over to the ,francisville side1
 in order to avoid the powerful current 
occasioned by the influx of the ,red    
,river into the ,mississippi4 ,a strong 
wind had sprung up1 and in the middle of
 the stream the waves were of a         
considerable height4 ,the ,mississippi  
was full to overflowing1 and the mouth  
of the ,red ,river1 as far as the eye   
could reach1 presented the appearance of
 an extensive lake1 with thousands of   
tree trunks floating upon it4 ,i had    
left the cabin1 and was standing on deck
 with ,richards and ,vergennes1 looking 
out upon the broad sheet of water that  
lay before us4 ,we were just turning    
into the ,red ,river when ,i observed a 
rowboat pulling across from the         
direction of ,woodville1 and which had  
already arrived within a hundred yards  
of us without attracting the attention  
of any one on board the steamer4 ,it was
 cutting in and out amongst the enormous
 floating trees1 with a boldness that1  

in that part of the river--near the     
middle of which we were--might almost be
 called insanity4  ,that man must be    
mad1 or in love6 cried the captain4  ,it
 is ,ralph ,doughby6 exclaimed          
,richards4 ,captain1 it is ,mister      
,doughby4 ,pray1 stop the ship and let  
him come on board4  ,doughby it was4    
,the mad fellow was standing bolt       
upright1 and hardly taking the trouble  
to bend to one side or the other in     
conformity with the movements of the    
boat1 which was dancing about on the    
waves and between the tree-trunks1 while
 the six negro rowers were washed over  
and over by the spray4  ,here's your    
famous ,red ,river6 shouted the         
harebrained ,doughby4 ,a fine country   
for wild-ducks and geese1 and alligators
 too4 ,hurra1 boys6  ,for ,god's sake1  
,mr ,doughby6 screamed and implored the 
ladies1 as the ,kentuckian dashed his   
boat slap up to the side of the steamer1
 without waiting till the speed of the  
vessel was slackened1 and hastily caught

 a rope which was thrown to him4 ,just  
at that moment a wave as high as a man  
rose between the steamer and the boat   
and separated them1 and ,doughby still  
maintaining his hold on the rope1 he was
 dragged out of his skiff and tossed    
like a feather against the steamer's    
side1 where he hung half in and half out
 of the water4  ,haul in1 boys--haul me 
in1 lads--or your d----d paddles will do
 it6  ,pull him in6 shouted we all1 pull
 him in for ,god's sake6  ,ay1 pull in6 
cried ,doughby1 and giving a spring     
upwards he caught hold of the railing of
 the deck1 threw himself over it with a 
bound1 and stood in all safety amongst  
the astonished and grinny-visaged       
,cyclops who were hastening to his      
assistance4 ,we hurried down from the   
quarterdeck1 breathless with            
astonishment at this desperate and      
unnecessary piece of daring4  ,pshaw    
cried ,doughby2 steward1 a glass of hot2
 and1 captain1 see that my portmanteau  
comes on board1 and that my negers get  

away with whole skins2 and a good       
morning to you1 gentlemen--in five      
minutes we shall meet again4  ,and so   
saying1 he emptied the glass which the  
black steward held out to him1 made a   
slight bow to the ladies on the         
quarterdeck1 sprang into the gentlemen's
 cabin1 and thence into the first       
state-room that stood open4  ,an entre  
en scne quite  la ,doughby1 said        
,richards laughing4  ,quite so1 replied 
,i4  ,ralph ,doughby1 ,esquire of ,new  
,feliciana1 ,la41 was an old            
acquaintance of ,richards and myself1   
and an excellent specimen of a          
warm-hearted1 impetuous1 breakneck      
,kentuckian1 with a share of earthquake 
in his composition that might be deemed 
large1 even in ,kentucky4 ,he had come  
to ,louisiana some eight years          
previously1 a voyage of a thousand miles
 or more down the ,cumberland ,river1   
the ,ohio1 and ,mississippi1 in a flat  
boat with half a dozen negroes1 some    
casks of flour1 hams1 and ,indian corn1 

and a few horses1 and had settled at    
,woodville on a couple of thousand acres
 of good land1 bought at five dollars an
 acre1 to be paid in five years4 ,his   
industry and energy had caused him to   
thrive1 and he was now as well          
established planter as any on the       
,mississippi2 his six negroes had       
amounted to forty1 his wilderness had   
become a respectable plantation1 his    
cotton was sought after1 and he had not 
only paid for his acres but had already 
a large sum in the ,planters' ,bank4    
,his frank open character had made him  
friends on all hands1 and there was not 
a more popular man in ,louisiana than   
,major ,ralph ,doughby4  ,during the    
stay ,i made at ,richards' house        
previously to my marriage1 ,doughby had 
passed a day there in company with one  
,mr ,lambton and his daughter1          
,yankees--the latter a beautiful girl1  
but cold and formal like most of her    
countrywomen4 ,an aunt of hers1 who     
possessed large plantations on the      

,mississippi1 had made up a match       
between ,miss ,lambton and ,doughby1 and
 they were then proceeding to ,new      
,york1 where the marriage was in due    
time to be solemnized4 ,richards and    
myself had observed1 however1 that the  
wild headlong manners and character of  
the ,kentuckian1 joined though they were
 to great goodness of heart and many    
sterling qualities1 did not appear very 
pleasing to the stiff1 etiquette-loving 
fine lady1 and it was without any great 
surprise that we heard1 some time       
afterwards1 of the marriage being broken
 off1 in consequence1 it was said1 of   
some wild freak of ,doughby's4 ,we were 
asking one another for the particulars  
of this rupture1 which neither of us had
 heard1 when the ,kentuckian made his   
reappearance in the cabin4 ,he had      
changed his dress1 and1 taking him      
altogether1 was by no means an          
ill-looking fellow4 ,his light blue     
gingham frock and snow-white trousers   
fitted him well2 an elegant straw hat1  

very fine linen1 and a diamond shirt-pin
 that must have cost the best part of a 
thousand dollars1 contributed to give a 
sort of genteel planter-like air4 ,his  
first care upon emerging from his       
state-room was to empty a glass of      
toddy4 ,he then approached ,richards and
 myself4  ,and ,miss ,lambton8 said     
,richards enquiringly4  ,haven't you    
heard8 said ,doughby2 you must have     
heard6 ,it's all up--she won't hear     
speak of me--persists in her            
resolution--won't see me2 or give me a  
chance of making my peace4 ,i'm the most
 unlucky fellow on the face of the      
earth1 continued he1 changing his tone  
on a sudden to a melancholy sort of     
whine--,i wish ,i lay three hundred feet
 deep in the bed of the ,mississippi4 ,i
 tell you1 boys1 it's clean up with me1 
,i feel that4 ,i'm a lost man1 done for 
entirely--shall never recover it6  ,we  
burst out into a violent fit of         
laughter1 as who would not have done at 
the sight of a young giant of           

seven-and-twenty1 with cheeks as red as 
poppies1 shoulders that seemed made like
 those of ,atlas to support a world2    
pair of dark blue-grey eyes with a      
laughing devil dancing in them1 and a   
little moist just now from the effects  
of the toddy1 and the man dying of love6
 ,he measured five feet thirteen inches 
in his stockings1 with legs that might  
have belonged to an elephant1 and fists 
calculated to frighten a buffalo4  ,be  
d----d to your laughing6 cried          
,doughby--,steward1 another glass--d'ye 
hear1 you cursed neger1 where are you   
hidden8 ,don't you hear when a gentleman
 speaks to you8 ,d'ye want me to tattoo 
your black brainpan8 ,you laugh1 he     
continued to ,richards and myself1      
relapsing into his whimpering tones2 but
 if you only knew--none of the women    
will have me--this is the seventh who   
has packed me off4  ,the seventh6 cried 
,i laughing1 what1 only the seventh1    
,doughby8 ,pshaw6 that's nothing2 during
 my bachelor's life ,i had at least two 

dozen refusals1 and ,i am only a year   
older than yourself4  ,you be hanged    
with your two dozen6 ,steward1 the toddy
 is only fit for old women--too much    
water in it2 you don't know how to make 
toddy4 ,tell your captain to come here4 
,i'll have you sent to the devil4 ,no1  
,i tell you my heart is so full1 it     
feels as if it would burst4 ,she won't  
hear of me4 ,i will tell you all about  
it1 boys--but who is that8 interrupted  
he1 pointing to ,vergennes1 who was     
standing near us1 and looking on in     
great wonderment4 ,ah1 ,monshur ,tonson6
 happy to see you1 ,monshur ,tonson6    
,parleh vouh ,english8 ,prenez un seat1 
et un glass de ,madeira4 ,nous parlerons
 hansamble le ,franseh4 ,neger1 a bottle
 of ,madeira2 and let it be good1 or    
you'll get the bottle across your       
crooked shins4 ,a bottle of ,irish for  
me1 d'ye hear1 real ,irish whisky1 or if
 you haven't any1 ,scotch will do4 ,no1 
boys1 ,i tell you ,i am a gone man4     
,dismissed1 sent away1 packed off with a

 flea in my ear1 as they say4  ,and so  
saying1 he threw himself on a sofa with 
a violence that made it crack again2 the
 steward brought the ,madeira and the   
whisky1 and we drew round the table to  
condole with the love-stricken          
,kentuckian4 ,a few minutes passed in   
the composition of the toddy1 which was 
evidently destined to play the chief    
part in the way of a consoler2 and when 
,doughby had got a large beer-glass of  
the comfortable mixture before him1 he  
began his narrative4   ,,chapter ,,ii   
,,the ,,race4  ,i will tell you how it  
all happened1 and how it was that ,miss 
,lambton--in short you shall hear it    
all--it's the first time ,i have spoken 
about it1 but now it shall out2 you     
shall judge and decide between us1 by   
,jove you shall6 ,you recollect it was  
in the beginning of ,june that we left  
your house1 ,richards1 to go up the     
,mississippi--it was a ,friday1 a day   
that ,i hate4 ,all seamen and hunters do
 hate it2 it's an unlucky day4 ,all the 

bad luck ,i ever had1 came to me on     
,fridays4 ,i had a feeling that         
something would go wrong when we went on
 board the ,helen ,m',gregor4 ,i thought
 ,miss ,lambton looked shy upon me1 and 
the old gentleman stiffer than ever4 ,i 
followed the ,miss1 however1 wherever   
she went1 so close1 that once or twice  
,i trod the fringe off her petticoats4  
,that was bad manners1 ,doughby4        
,pshaw6 ,what did it matter8 ,i told her
 not to bother her head about it1 that  
when we got to ,new ,york1 or even to   
,cincinnati or ,louisville1 ,i would buy
 her a whole shopful of dresses4 ,she   
made no answer to that2 but when ,i had 
the misfortune to tear her third        
flounce1 she said1 that if ,i went on in
 that way she would not have a whole    
gown left when she got to ,louisville4  
',with a whole one or none at all1      
,miss1' said ,i1 'you'll always be a    
charming creature4' ,that now was as    
pretty a compliment as ever was paid in 
,kentucky1 but she did not seen to hear 

it4  ,on the third day we were just     
passing ,st ,helena1 when old ,lambton  
came up to me4 ',mister ,doughby1' said 
he1 quite confidential like1 'pardon me1
 my dear good ,mister ,doughby1 but     
don't you think that you sometimes take 
rather too much ardent spirits1 and     
thereby injure your health as well as   
give a bad example to your              
fellow-citizens1 which1 on the part of a
 respectable man like yourself1 is very 
much to be regretted8'  ',bad example6' 
says ,i--'to be regretted1 ,mister      
,lambton6--,i take too much ardent      
spirits6 ,i certainly am not of that    
opinion1 ,mister ,lambton1 and if you   
are ,i can only say you are very much   
mistaken4 ,you shall see yourself1' said
 ,i1 'how much ballast an old           
,kentuckian can take in without sinking 
under it3 devil a diving duck ever      
swallowed more water than a ,kentucky   
man can rum4'  ,i thought to let the old
 squaretoes see that he had a man before
 him1 not one of his spindleshanked     

tallow-chopped ,yankees1 who go sneaking
 about the meeting-house from morning   
till night1 or moping in their rooms1   
and calculating and speculating how they
 can best take in honest warm-blooded   
,south and ,westlanders4 ',you shall    
see1' said ,i--but he shook his head and
 walked away1 and ,i looked after him1  
and shook my head too4 ,pah6 ,i found   
out afterwards that he was president of 
a temperance society1 the devil take    
them all6 ,temperance societies6 ,what  
is rum for1 if it isn't to be drank8    
,doughby was rapidly warming with his   
subject4  ,he is a queer old fellow1    
that ,mister ,lambton1 as stiff and as  
cold as an icicle on a water-butt4 ,of a
 morning he was scarcely out of bed when
 he knocked at the door of the ladies'  
cabin in his brocade dressing-gown1 and 
,miss ,lambton must come out and hear   
him read the whole morning service of   
the ,episcopal ,church1 and make the    
responses1 and so on1 for a full hour4  
,then the whole day he walked about as  

grave and solemn as the chief-justice of
 the district court4 ,before dinner he  
said a grace which lasted a full quarter
 of an hour4 ,the soup was often cold1  
and half the dinner eaten up from under 
our noses1 while this was going on4     
,sometimes most of the other passengers 
had done their dinner1 and were gone to 
the bar to take a glass1 and he still   
praying4 ,i was often ready to jump out 
of my skin with impatience4  ,the       
praying was all well enough1 if it had  
not lasted so long1 said ,i1 laughing4  
,pah6 ,i hate people who are always     
wanting to be a shining light to their  
fellow-citizens4 ,there's a deal of     
pride1 a deal of arrogance and          
presumption in it4 ,if a man wishes to  
pray1 let him do so1 and ,i do it       
myself2 but people don't want to be     
reminded of those things4 ,i tell you ,i
 have always found pride behind that    
sort of piety4 ,the ,yankees think we   
are heathens1 and that they are the     
elect who are to enlighten us4 ,pshaw6  

,i hate such humbug4  ,not so badly     
reasoned1 observed ,richards4  ,however1
 continued ,doughby1 ,i soon saw that1  
with one thing or another1 ,i was       
getting out of the old gentleman's good 
books4 ,he became more and more stiff   
and silent4 ,that wouldn't have annoyed 
me much2 but one morning the captain    
came to me and said1 in a sort of       
apologising manner1 that the ladies had 
desired him to beg me not to pay so many
 visits to their cabin1 particularly of 
a morning1 when some of them had not    
quite finished their toilet1 but that ,i
 should always ask leave first and have 
myself announced1 as it is set down in  
the regulations4  ',what6' says ,i1     
'have myself announced when ,i go to see
 my own wife1 that is to be8 ,what do   
the other ladies matter to me1 whether  
they've got on silk gowns or cotton     
ones8 ,i only go to see ,miss ,lambton4'
  ',miss ,lambton was present1' said the
 captain1 'when the ladies gave me the  
commission2 and she and ,mr ,lambton    

most particularly requested me to have  
the regulations enforced4'  ',miss      
,lambton6' said ,i2 'that's a lie now1  
captain4 ,she never could have done     
that4'  ',mister ,doughby1' said he1 'it
 is no lie2 and if another than yourself
 had said such a thing1 ,i would have   
struck him down like a mad dog4 ,and ,i 
must beg of you to retract your words1  
and ascertain to your own satisfaction  
that what ,i have said is a fact4'  ,so 
,i ran off and asked ,miss ,lambton and 
,mr ,lambton1 and they answered me as   
dry as fagots1 and said the captain had 
spoken the truth4 ,i was a'most raving  
mad when ,i heard this1 as savage as a  
panther2 and1 to console myself1 ,i     
drank perhaps a trifle more than ,i     
should have done4 ,but what else can one
 do on a voyage up the ,mississippi8    
,much as ,i like him1 old father        
,mississip1 one gets awful sick of him  
after a time1 steaming along for days   
and weeks together1 nothing to be heard 
but clap-clap-clap1 trap-trap-trap1 or  

to be seen but the dull muddy waters and
 the never-ending forest4 ,day and      
night1 wood and water1 water and wood4  
,it is wearisome work at the best4  ,it 
was exactly two o'clock in the afternoon
 on the seventh day of our voyage when  
we got beyond ,wolf's ,island1 which1 as
 you know1 lies above ,new ,madrid and  
below the mouth of the ,ohio4 ,the poor 
,helen ,m',gregor burst her boiler since
 then1 as you'll have heard1 at that    
very place1 and sent half a hundred     
passengers into the other world4 ,past  
,wolf's ,island1 we came up with the    
,ploughboy1 the ,huntress1 the          
,louisville1 and a couple more steamers1
 all going our way4 ,it made quite a    
little fleet4 ,i was sitting in the     
cabin with ,miss ,lambton and the old   
gentleman1 who were cool and silent     
enough1 when somebody called out1 ',here
 comes the ,george ,washington4' ,a     
glorious steamer it is that ,george1    
more like a floating palace than a boat1
 as it goes skimming along as lightly   

and smoothly as a swan4 ,it's a real    
pleasure to see it4 ,i kept my place by 
,miss ,lambton2 but1 to tell you the    
truth1 ,i was sitting upon hot coals4   
,what can be the reason that we men feel
 so deucedly cowed and quailed by the   
petticoats8 ,hang me if ,i know4        
,suddenly there was a cry upon deck1    
',the ,washington is passing us4' ,i    
could stand it no longer1 but bolted    
up-stairs1 and sure enough there it came
 in all its pride and power1 trarara1   
trarara1 rushing and dashing and        
spitting fire like ,emperor ,nap4 at the
 head of his guards and dragoons and    
artillery4 ,it was already in the midst 
of the other five steamers1 passing them
 all4 ,the whole of our passengers were 
on deck looking on1 and ,i can tell you 
that our hearts beat quick as we saw the
 ,george walking up to us4 ,the         
dinner-bell rang4 ,not a foot moved to  
go below4 ',captain1' cried ,i1 'we must
 not let the ,george pass us2 you can't 
think of allowing such a thing8' says   

,i2 'must show them that we are         
,mississippi men4'  ',mister ,doughby1' 
says he1 'it's the ,george ,washington1'
 says he--'hundred and twenty horse     
power1' says he4  ',devil a hundred1'   
said ,i4 ',you only say so because you  
are afraid to race him4 ,and if he had  
two hundred horse power1 what then8     
,shorten your stirrups and give your    
horse the spur1' say ,i4  ,i saw that   
the captain's blood was getting up2 his 
eyes were fixed on the old ,george as if
 he would have eaten it1 and he became  
red and blue and green1 all manner of   
colours1 like a dolphin2 his teeth      
chattered1 and he bit his lips till the 
blood ran over his chin4 ,on came the   
,washington quicker than ever1 the      
paddles clattering1 the steam hissing1  
the crew hurraing like mad4  ',captain1'
 cried ,i1 'the ,washington's passing   
you2 it's all up with the honour of the 
,helen ,m',gregor4'  ,the captain stood 
there as if his face had been rubbed    
over with chalk1 and the drops of sweat 

ran down his forehead4 ,the five        
steamers that we had passed were now    
hurraing with delight to see that we    
should be humbled in our turn4          
',captain1' said ,i1 'will you let      
yourself be beaten out of the field     
without firing a shot8 ,the ,helen      
,m',gregor is a new ship--,crack on1    
man6'  ,he could stand it no longer1 but
 ran forward and screamed out to the    
stokers4 ',more wood6' cried he1 ',high 
pressure1 high pressure6'  ',blaze away1
 boys6' cried ,i1 ',blaze away1 and     
hurra for the ,helen ,m',gregor6'  ,and 
the fellows pitched whole cartloads of  
wood upon the fire1 and stirred and     
poked away till they were wet through   
with perspiration1 and our chimney began
 to whistle and sing1 that it was a     
pleasure to hear it4 ,we were just      
entering the ,ohio1 the ,washington     
close upon our heels1 when old ,lambton 
and ,emily came running upon deck in an 
almighty fright4  ',mr ,doughby1 for    
heaven's sake6 ,mr ,doughby--captain1   

for ,god's sake6 ,will you destroy      
yourself1 and the steamer1 and your     
fellow-citizens8 ,will you race with the
 ,george ,washington8'  ',for ,god's    
sake1 ,mr ,doughby6' cried the ,miss4   
',mr ,doughby6' squealed the old        
,yankee1 who had quite forgotten his    
stiffness1 ',i demand and insist that   
you use your influence to prevent the   
captain from racing4'  ',pshaw6' said   
,i1 'it's nothing of the sort--ain't    
going to race--only want to see which   
ship goes quickest4'  ',that must not   
be4 ,i protest against it--the safety of
 our fellow-citizens--our own4 ,if the  
boiler bursts'----  ',nonsense6' said   
,i--'safety of our fellow-citizens6 ,our
 fellow-citizens are in safety4 ,we     
don't mean to race1 ,mister ,lambton1'  
says ,i2 'we are only trying for a      
minute which ship can go the fastest4'  
',mr ,doughby6' cried ,emily1 half      
beside herself--throwing her arms round 
me1 and trying to drag me towards the   
engine--',mr ,doughby1 if you have the  

smallest affection--regard ,i would     
say--for me1 exert your influence1 stop 
this horrid racing6'  ,and then she left
 me and ran to the captain1 who was     
standing beside the engineer4  ,the     
,washington was close behind us--we1 as 
,i said before1 were running slap into  
the mouth of the ,ohio4 ,there's no     
finer piece of water in the whole world 
for a race4 ,the current of the         
,mississippi drives back that of the    
,ohio as far as ,trinity1 so that upon  
entering the river1 the stream is in    
your favour4 ,the two rivers are        
together four or five miles wide1 and   
form a sort of circus1 enclosed by the  
shores of ,illinois1 of ,old ,kentuck1  
and her daughter ,missouri4#d ,we were  
nearest to the ,illinois side1 which    
gave us a small advantage over our      
opponent1 who was more on the ,kentucky 
side1 end kept coming on faster and     
faster1 with the other five boats1 who  
had also clapped more steam on1 a short 
distance behind him4 ,our ,helen        

,m',gregor still kept the lead2 who the 
devil could have helped racing8 ,no one1
 of a certainty1 except such a          
mackerel-blooded ,yankee as old         
,lambton4 ,all was heat and steam1      
rattle and clatter2 the engines         
thumping1 the water splashing1 the fire 
blazing and roaring out of the chimneys1
 which sent out clouds of smoke and     
showers of sparks4 ,the enemy was close 
upon us1 ,father ,george's honest face  
almost in a line with our stern4        
',helen ,m',gregor1 hold your own6'     
cried ,i4 ',don't spare the wood1 boys1 
lay it on thick1 pile it up             
mountaineous2 ten dollars for you when  
you've beaten him6'  ',hurra6' cried the
 hundred passengers2 'hurra6 ,the       
,washington loses1 we are gaining       
ground4'  ,only the captain could not   
say a word2 he stood there with his blue
 lips pressed hard together1 looking    
more like a statue than a man4 ,we were 
going our twenty knots1 and keep it up  
we must if we did not want to fall back 

amongst the mob of the ,huntress1 the   
,ploughboy1 and the rest of them4 ,every
 joint and hinge in the boat seemed to  
be cracking1 the engine roared and      
groaned1 the steam howled and hissed4   
',the ,helen ,m',gregor is a gallant    
lass6' cried ,i4 ',a brave ,scotchwoman6
 ,she has fire in her veins4'  ,and so  
she really had4 ,she stretched out like 
a racehorse that feels the spur in his  
flank for the first time2 not steaming  
or swimming1 but flying like a bird1    
rushing like a wild-cat or an elk that's
 been shot at2 the waters of the ,ohio  
flashing from her side in a white creamy
 foam4 ,the ,kentucky shores on our     
right1 with their forests and           
cotton-trees1 were flying away from us2 
on our left1 the banks of ,illinois     
seemed to dance past us1 the big trees  
looking like witches scampering off on  
their broomsticks4 ,behind us1 the high 
land of ,missouri was rapidly           
disappearing1 ,colonel ,boon's          
plantation getting smaller every second1

 till at last it appeared no bigger than
 a dovecot4 ,every thing around us      
seemed in motion1 swimming1 flying1     
racing4 ,hurras by thousands2 seven     
steamers groaning1 creaking1 hissing1   
and rattling2 a noise and a heat that   
made our heads dizzy1 blinded our eyes1 
and took away our hearing4 ,it was a    
gallopade1 a race between giants4  ,we  
were close to the wood below            
,trinity--the race as good as won1 for  
,trinity was of course the winning post4
 ,suddenly the captain cried out1 ',he  
is passing us6' and1 as he said the     
word1 he looked as wild as a tortured   
redskin1 and bit his lips more savage   
than ever1 and caught hold of the       
quarterdeck railing as if he would have 
torn it down4  ',captain1' said ,i1     
'it's impossible--he is not passing us4'
  ',look yourself1 ,mr ,doughby1' said  
he4  ,the man was right4 ,the old       
,george is an almighty fast ship1 that  
is certain4 ,i saw that in two minutes  
we should be beaten4 ,we had not even so

 long to wait4  ',by my soul he is      
passing us6' cried ,i4  ',he is passing 
us1' repeated the captain in a low      
voice4 ,he was deadly white4 ,i couldn't
 say a word2 and as for him1 he was     
obliged to support himself against the  
railing1 or he would have fallen down4  
,there was no help for it1 however2 the 
,washington's figure-head was already in
 a line with our stern--in ten seconds1 
a third of the vessel's length was      
parallel with us--another ten seconds1  
two-thirds1 and in less than a minute he
 dashed proudly before us with a        
deafening hurra from crew and           
passengers1 which was echoed from the   
other five steamers1 till we heard      
nothing on all sides but hurras and     
hurras4 ,i would have given a thousand  
dollars down to have reached ,trinity   
two minutes sooner4 ,just then a number 
of voices cried out1 ',the boiler's     
bursting6 ,the boiler's bursting6' ,and 
there was a cracking noise1 and then a  
loud rush4 ,here comes the hot bath1    

thought ,i1 and wished myself a pleasant
 journey out of the world4 ,but it was  
nothing2 the cry came from a couple of  
negers1 echoed by ,miss ,lambton and    
,mister ,lambton1 and the rest of the   
old women folk from the ladies' cabin4  
,they had gone in a body to the         
engineer1 and had so begged1 and prayed1
 and bothered him1 that he had given in1
 and opened the valve1 and we only half 
a mile from ,trinity4 ,i am certain that
 if the cowardly rascal had not done    
that1 we should have made a drawn race  
of it1 for the ,washington got in not   
two minutes before us4 ,i fell upon the 
engineer1 and if it had not been for the
 captain1 and one or two old            
acquaintances1 ,i should have leathered 
him upon the spot--ay1 if it were to    
have cost me a thousand dollars2 he     
deserved it well1 the dishonourable     
scamp6 ,we were now in ,trinity1 we had 
done five miles in less than twelve     
minutes2 but ,miss ,lambton was so      
angry1 and the old gentleman so bitter  

cold and stiff--a pair of fire-tongs is 
nothing compared to him--,couldn't be   
helped1 however4 ,honor before every    
thing4  ,but you really were too        
foolhardy1 observed ,richards4          
,foolhardy6 repeated ,doughby1          
foolhardy1 when the honour of a ship was
 at stake6  ,pshaw6 ,the honour of a    
steam-boat6  ,pshaw1 do you say1        
,richards8 ,well1 if ,i didn't know you 
to be a thoroughbred ,virginian1 hang me
 if ,i should not almost take you for   
one of those wishywashy ,creoles4       
,pshaw1 say you1 the honour of a        
steam-boat6 ,a steamer1 let me tell you1
 is also a ship1 and a big one too1 and 
an ,american one1 a thorough ,american  
one4 ,it's our ship2 we invented it1    
they'd have been long enough in the old 
country before finding such a thing     
out--,pshaw1 do you say8 ,and if ,percy 
had said pshaw upon ,lake ,erie1 or     
,lawrence on ,champlain1 or ,rogers1 or 
,porter1 you might say pshaw to every   
thing--to the honour of a steamer1 a    

ship1 a country4 ,but ,i tell you that  
the man who says pshaw when his ship is 
beaten in a race1 will also say it when 
it is taken in a fight4 ,in short1 that 
sort of pride is emulation1 and that    
emulation is the real thing4  ,but the  
life of so many men8  ,i tell you1 that 
of the hundred and twenty passengers    
that we had on board the ,helen1 there  
were not three besides that leathern old
 ,yankee1 ,mister ,lambton1 and the     
women1 who would have cared one straw if
 the boiler had burst1 provided we had  
got to ,trinity two minutes the sooner4 
,we could not help laughing at this     
,kentucky bull1 but at the same time we 
were compelled to admit the truth of    
what ,doughby meant to say4 ,in spite of
 ,uncle ,sam's usual phlegm and         
nonchalance1 there are occasions when he
 seems to change his nature2 and in the 
anxiety to see his ship first at the    
goal1 to forget what he does not        
otherwise easily lose sight of1 namely1 
wife and child1 land and goods2 as to   

his own life1 it does not weigh a       
feather in the balance4 ,he becomes a   
perfect madman1 setting every thing upon
 a single cast4 ,and the yearly loss of 
five hundred to a thousand lives1       
sacrificed in these desperate races1    
does not appear to cure him in any      
degree of his mania4  ,well1 continued  
,doughby1 resuming his narrative1 it was
 as much as ,i could do to get a word   
from ,miss ,emily during the rest of the
 voyage4 ,the time went terribly slow1  
and my patience was clean expended when 
we got to ,louisville4 ,we stopped at   
the ,lafayette ,hotel1 and ,i was in my 
room before dinner1 when the waiter     
brought me a letter from ,mister        
,lambton4 ,the old gentleman had the    
honour to inform me1 in accordance with 
his daughter's wishes1 that there did   
not exist sufficient harmony between my 
character and that of ,miss ,emily to   
render a union between us desirable4    
,and1 under these circumstances1 he took
 leave to request of me that ,i would   

consider the projected marriage as      
entirely broken off2 and1 with his and  
his daughter's best wishes for my       
happiness1 he had the honour to be my   
very humble servant4 ,there was a deal  
more of it1 but that was the pith4 ,when
 ,i had read it1 ,i burst out of my room
 like mad1 either to throttle old       
,lambton or to throw myself at his      
daughter's feet1 ,i didn't rightly know 
which4 ,but the ,yankee had been too    
cunning for me4 ,he had left the hotel  
with his daughter1 and gone off by the  
,cincinnati steamer4 ,i went on board   
the next that was going1 and got to     
,cincinnati three hours after him1 but  
missed him again4 ,he had taken a chaise
 and started for his estate at ,dayton1 
near ,yellow ,springs4 ,and all ,i have 
done since is no use4 ,she won't hear of
 me1 and ,i'm the most unhappy fellow   
alive4  ,and so saying1 he threw his    
feet upon the table1 crossed his arms1  
and remained in this position for a     
couple of minutes1 staring earnestly at 

the ceiling4 ,suddenly he brought his   
legs down again1 started up1 and gazed  
through the cabin window4  ,hallo6 cried
 he1 here are your ,red ,river bottoms4 
,will have a look at them--will go on   
deck8 ,you may take away1 steward4      
,come1 ,monshur ,tonson1 come with me1  
come1 my dear little ,frenchman6 ,nous  
parlons hansamble le ,fransch4  ,and    
thereupon he struck up the favourite    
western ditty1 ,let's go to ,old        
,kentuck1 seized young ,de ,vergennes by
 the arm1 and dragged him through the   
folding-doors and out upon deck4  ,he's 
not the man to break his heart about a  
woman1 said ,i to ,richards4  ,hardly1  
replied my friend4   ,,chapter ,,iii    
,,the ,,stag ,,hunt4  ,we had sat for   
some time talking over ,doughby's       
mishaps1 when we were interrupted by a  
noise upon deck4 ,hurras and hellos were
 resounding off on every side and corner
 of the steamer4 ,we hurried out to see 
what was the matter1 and found the cause
 of the tumult to be a fallow deer1 that

 had taken the water some two hundred   
yards from our steamer1 and was swimming
 steadily across from the right to the  
left bank of the river4 ,the yawl had   
already been lowered1 and was pushing   
off from the side with five men in it1  
amongst whom ,doughby of course took the
 lead4  ,there he is again1 cited       
,richards4 ,of a certainty the man is   
possessed by a devil4  ,hurra1 boys6    
,give way6 shouted ,doughby1 flourishing
 a rifle full six feet in length4 ,the  
four oars clipped into the water1 and   
the boat flew to the encounter of the   
deer1 who was tranquilly pursuing his   
liquid path4  ,we were about entering   
one of those picturesque spreads1 or    
bays of the ,red ,river1 which perhaps  
no other stream can boast of in such    
abundance1 and on so magnificent a      
scale4 ,the lofty trees and huge masses 
of foliage of the dense forest that     
covered the left bank1 bent forward over
 the water1 the dark green of the       
cypresses1 and the silver white of the  

gigantic cotton-trees1 casting a        
bronze-tinted shadow upon the dusky red 
stream1 which at that point is full     
fifteen hundred feet broad2 the right   
bank offering a succession of the most  
luxuriant palmetto grounds1 with here   
and there a bean or tulip tree1 amongst 
the branches of which innumerable       
parroquets were chattering and          
bickering4 ,a pleasant breeze swept     
across from the palmetto fields1        
scarcely sufficient1 however1 to ruffle 
the water1 which flowed tranquilly      
along1 undisturbed save by the paddle of
 our steamer1 that caused the huge black
 logs and tree-trunks floating upon the 
surface1 to knock against each other1   
and heave up their extremities like so  
many porpoises4 ,the steamer had just   
entered the bay when a boat shot out    
from under the wood on the left bank1   
and greatly increased the romantic      
character of the scene4  ,it was a long 
,indian canoe made out of the hollowed  
trunk of a cotton tree2 a many-tined    

antler was stuck in the prow1 and dried 
legs and haunches of venison lay in the 
fore part of the boat2 towards the stern
 sat a young girl1 partially enveloped  
in a striped blanket1 but naked from the
 waist upwards1 impelling the boat in   
the direction of the deer by long       
graceful sweeps of her oar2 in front of 
her was a squaw of maturer age1         
performing a like labour4 ,in the centre
 of the canoe were two children1 queer  
guinea-pig-looking little devils1 and   
near these lay a man in all the lazy    
apathy of a redskin on his return from  
on the hunting ground2 but towards the  
stern stood a splendid ,antinous-like   
young savage1 leaning in an attitude of 
graceful negligence on his rifle1 and   
evidently waiting an opportunity to get 
a blow or a shot at the stag4 ,as soon  
as these children of the forest caught  
sight of the steamer and of ,doughby's  
boat1 they ceased rowing1 only          
recommencing when encouraged by some    
loud hurras1 and even then visibly      

taking care to keep as far as possible  
from the fire-ship4 ,it was a           
picturesque and interesting sight to    
observe the two boats describing a sort 
of circle on the broad ruddy stream1    
while the steamer rounding to1 formed in
 a manner the base of the operation1 and
 cut off the stag's retreat4 ,presently 
a shot fired without effect from        
,doughby's boat1 drove the beast over   
towards the canoe4 ,the long slender    
bark darted across the animal's track   
with the swiftness of an arrow1 and as  
it did so1 the ,indian who was standing 
up dealt the stag a blow that caused it 
to reel and spin round in the water1 and
 change its course for the second time4 
,when ,i again glanced at the canoe1 the
 young ,indian had disappeared4  ,here  
he comes shouted ,doughby1 pointing to  
the deer1 which was now swimming towards
 his boat4 ,give way1 boys6 the ,indians
 must learn of a ,kentucky man how to   
strike a stag4 ,give way1 ,i say6  ,the 
noble beast had recovered from the      

severe blow it had received1 and had now
 approached the steamer towards which it
 cast such a supplicating tearful look1 
that the hearts of the ladies were      
touched with compassion4  ,mr ,doughby1 
cried half a score feminine voices1     
spare the poor beast6 ,pray1 pray let it
 go6  ,spare a stag1 ladies6 ,where did 
you ever hear of such a thing8 ,hurra1  
boys6 shouted he1 as the boat came up   
with the deer1 and clubbing his rifle1  
he delivered a blow with the but-end    
that split the stock in two1 and threw  
the stunned animal upon the gunwale of  
the boat4 ,quick as thought1 ,doughty   
clutched the antlers with one hand1     
while with the other he reached for the 
knife which one of his companions held  
out to him4 ,at that moment the deer    
threw itself on one side with a         
convulsive movement1 the boat rocked1   
,doughby lost his balance1 the stag1    
which was now recovering its strength1  
drew itself violently back1 and in an   
instant the ,kentuckian was floundering 

in the water1 struggling with the deer1 
to whose horns he held on with the gripe
 of a tiger4  ,hallo1 ,mister ,doughby  
in the ,red ,river6  ,the whole ship was
 now in an uproar1 the ladies screaming1
 the men shouting directions and advice 
to those in the boat4 ,we began to be   
somewhat anxious as to the result2 for  
although these water hunts are by no    
means uncommon occurrences1 they are    
often dangerous and sometimes fatal to  
the hunter4 ,the deer had been severely 
stunned and hurt1 but not killed1 by the
 blow it had received1 and it now strove
 fiercely against its powerful opponent1
 throwing him from side to side by      
violent tossess of its head4 ,doughby   
still held on like grim death1 but his  
eyes began to roll and stare wildly1 his
 strength was evidently diminishing1 and
 he had each moment more difficulty in  
partially controlling the stag's        
movements1 and preventing the furious   
beast from running its antlers into his 
body4 ,it was in vain that the four men 

in the boat endeavoured to render       
assistance4 ,man and beast were rolling 
and twisting about in the river like two
 water snakes4 ,the scene that had at   
first been interesting had now become   
painful to behold4  ,fire1 ,parker6     
,fire1 ,rolby6 shouted several voices   
from the steamer to the men in the boat4
  ,knock the cussed redskin on the head6
 was the unintelligible rejoinder of one
 of the latter4  ,the stag had now got  
,doughby close to a tree-trunk1 against 
which it was making violent efforts to  
crush him4 ,his life was in imminent    
peril1 and a universal cry of horror and
 alarm burst from the spectators4 ,just 
then the head of the deer fell on its   
breast1 the eyes glazing and the legs   
flinging out convulsively in the agony  
of death2 at the same time1 however1    
,doughby began to sink1 and a bright    
streak of blood that rose to the surface
 of the water1 and spread in a circle   
round the combatants1 gave reason to    
fear that the mad ,kentuckian had       

received some deadly hurt4 ,at last the 
men in the boat succeeded in getting    
hold of ,doughby and the stag1 the      
former being seized by the hair of the  
head1 while his hands still clung to the
 deer's antlers with the desperate grasp
 of a drowning man4 ,a shout of triumph 
echoed from one end of the steam-boat to
 the other1 and we all felt a sensation 
of relief proportionate to the painful  
state of suspense in which we had been  
kept4  ,doughby sat for a short space   
doubled up in the bottom of the boat1   
gazing straight before him with a fixed 
unconscious sort of look4 ,the grating  
of the boat against the side of the     
steamer seemed to rouse him from his    
apathy1 and he slowly ascended the      
ladder4  ,for heaven's sake1 ,doughby1  
cried ,richards1 as the ,kentuckian set 
his foot upon deck1 what demon is it    
that possesses you1 and drives you to   
risk your neck at every turn8  ,the     
devil take you1 retorted ,doughby1 and  
your ,red ,river water to boot6 ,brr1   

brr6 d----d bad water your ,red ,river  
water1 say ,i6 ,no1 no1 talk to me of   
,mississippi water4#e ,if ,i am to be   
drowned1 it sha'n't be in the stinking  
,red ,river4 ,i've a taste in my mouth  
as if ,i had swallowed saltpetre and    
sulphur1 with a dash of prussic acid4   
,but tell me1 cried he to the passengers
 and sailors by whom he was surrounded1 
who gave him his settler8 ,the deer1 ,i 
mean4 ,who finished him8  ,who8 repeated
 every body1 why1 who but yourself1     
,mister ,doughby8  ,i6 replied ,doughby1
 shaking his head1 ,i had something else
 to do besides knifing the stag4 ,no1   
no1 ,i had plenty to think of to keep   
away from the tree-trunk4 ,besides1 ,i  
let the knife fall at the very moment   
the beast dragged me out of the boat4   
,but see there1 boys6 added he1 pointing
 to the deer1 which was at this moment  
hoisted upon deck4  ,the animal had a   
deep knife wound in the belly1 and the  
tendons of the hind legs were cut right 
across4  ,that's the ,indian's          

handiwork1 said ,doughby4  ,what        
,indian8 cried we all4  ,the ,indian    
whom ,rolby was going to knock on the   
head4  ,i thought he wanted to chouse us
 out of the deer1 said ,rolby2 ,i saw   
his bacon-face appear for a minute from 
behind the tree-trunk1 and at first ,i  
took it for a log1 but ,i soon saw it   
was a redskin4 ,it wouldn't have been a 
great harm if ,i had sent a bit of lead 
through him4 ,what business has an      
,injun to meddle1 when gentlemen----    
,no great harm6 interrupted ,doughby    
impatiently4 ,the ,indian1 ,i can tell  
you----d'ye hear8 ,ralph ,doughby tells 
you----has more real blood in his little
 finger than ten such leather-chopped   
fellows as yourself in their whole      
bodies1 making all allowance for your   
white hide and your citizenship1 neither
 of which1 by the way1 are much better  
than they should be4 ,ten times more1 ,i
 tell you1 and1 if you don't believe it1
 ,i'll let you know it4 ,a fine fellow  
he is1 that redskin4 ,he saw that ,i was

 at a pinch1 and he came to help me when
 none of my own friends were able4 ,and 
now1 see yonder1 there he stands in his 
canoe again1 just as if he had done     
nothing but the most natural thing in   
the world4 ,chouse us out of the deer1  
say ye2 and who had a right to hinder   
him if he had8 ,the beast was bred in   
his woods as well as ours2 a fair field 
and no favour is our motto in old       
,kentuck4 ,i tell you the ,indian is a  
brave redskin1 and the stag is his2 but 
,i'll buy it of him4 ,hallo1 captain6 a 
dozen bottles of rum into the boat6     
,howard1 ,richards1 let me have half a  
dozen dollars1 silver dollars1 d'ye     
hear8 ,i'll pay the ,indian a visit on  
board his canoe1 and thank him as he    
ought to be thanked4  ,no sooner said   
than done4 ,the captain1 however        
unwilling to lose any more time1 could  
not resist the impetuosity of the       
good-natured scatterbrain1 who sprang1  
dripping wet as he was1 into the boat1 a
 bottle in each hand1 and a friendly    

hurra upon his lips4 ,the ,indians at   
first seemed alarmed and doubtful as to 
his intentions2 but the signs and words 
of peace and encouragement that were    
given1 and shouted to them from all     
sides1 and above all1 the sight of the  
bottles1 soon removed their fears4 ,in  
another minute or two we saw ,doughby in
 their canoe1 shaking hands with them1  
and putting one of the bottles to his   
mouth4 ,a little more1 and ,i believe   
they would all1 men1 women1 and         
children1 have begun the war-dance in   
the canoe1 so delighted were they with  
the magnificent present of the rum and  
dollars4 ,as it was1 they shook and     
mauled ,doughby till he was fain to jump
 back into his boat1 and escape as well 
as he could from their wild caresses and
 demonstrative gratitude4  ,but we have 
been nearly twelve hours on the water1  
and the ,alexandria is a noted fast     
steamer4 ,our course has lain for some  
time between banks covered with gigantic
 forests of live oak1 cotton1 bean1 and 

cypress trees1 with here and there a    
palmetto field1 and on the north shore  
an occasional plantation1 for the most  
part a mere log-hut1 with a strip of    
tobacco1 cotton1 or ,indian corn4 ,we   
have seen numerous deer1 who1 on the    
appearance of our steamer1 gallop back  
into the woods--swans1 cranes1 geese1   
and ducks1 wild pigeons1 turkeys1 and   
alligators1 are there by thousands4 ,we 
now enter a broad part of the river1 and
 are gliding along in front of a wide   
clearing1 some half mile long1 and      
surrounded by colossal evergreen oaks2 a
 snug-looking house of greenish-white   
colour stands in the middle of the      
plantation1 with orange gardens--that   
are to be--laid out and enclosed in     
front of it2 one enormous live oak1 that
 looks as if it had stood there since   
the flood1 spreading its knotty limbs   
over the eastern side of the habitation4
 ,the windows on the balconies are open1
 the ,venetian blinds drawn up1 the     
sinking sun throws its mellow rays over 

the whole peaceful and pleasant scene4  
,and see there6 ,we are expected3 a     
small variegated ball flies up to the   
top of the lightning conductor1 and the 
banner of our ,union flutters out1      
displaying its thirteen stripes and     
twenty-four stars1 and the white        
,american eagle1 the thunder of ,jupiter
 and the symbols of peace in his talons4
 ,at the same moment1 ,plato and ,tully1
 two of my negroes1 come rushing like   
demented creatures out of the house1 one
 with a stick in his hand1 the other    
bearing a pan of hot coals4 ,they are   
closely pursued by ,bangor1 who seems   
disposed to dispute ,tully's title to   
the embers4 ,in the struggle the coals  
fly in every direction2 of a surety1 the
 dingy rascals will burn my house before
 my eyes4 ,now comes ,philip1 a fourth  
negro1 and tries to snatch the stick    
from ,plato's hand2 but the latter is on
 his guard1 and fetches his adversary a 
wipe over the pate1 that snaps the      
stick--a tolerably thick one1 by the    

way--in two4 ,both retreat a short      
distance1 and lowering their heads like 
a couple of angry steers1 run full tilt 
against each other1 with force that     
would fracture any skulls except        
,african ones4 ,once1 twice1 three      
times--at the third encounter1 ,plato   
the sage bites the dust before the hero 
of ,macedon4 ,confound the fellows6 ,my 
companions are laughing fit to split    
themselves1 but ,i see nothing to laugh 
at4 ,i shall have them in hospital for  
the next ten days4 ,tully1 however1 has 
picked up the pan and the embers1 and is
 rushing towards a flag-staff near the  
shore1 from which the ,louisianian flag 
is waving4 ,i see now what they are all 
at4 ,they have brought down the ,wasp   
and the ,scorpion from on ,menou's      
plantation1 two four-pounders so named1 
which were taken last year on board a   
,porto ,rico pirate1 and which my       
father-in-law bought4 ,boum--boum--and  
at the sound the whole black population 
of the plantation comes flocking to the 

shore1 capering and jumping like so many
 opera-dancers1 only not quite so       
gracefully1 and shouting out--,massa    
come2 hurra1 massa come6 ,massa maum    
bring2 hurra1 massa6 and manifesting a  
joy that is probably rendered more      
lively by the hopes of an extra ration  
of rum and salt-fish4 ,and now ,monsieur
 ,menou and his son hurry down to       
receive us2 the steamer stops1 the plank
 is thrown across1 and amidst shaking of
 hands1 and farewells1 and good wishes1 
our party hurries on shore4 ,thank      
heaven6 we are home1 and settled at     
last4     ,,borodino4--,,an ,,ode4      
,,strophe4      ,weep for the living6   
mourn no more     ,thy children slain on
 ,moskwa's shore1   ,cut off from evil6 
want1 and anguish1       ,and care1 for 
ever brooding and in vain2   ,no more to
 be beguiled6 no more to languish       
,under the yoke of labour and of pain6  
,their doom of future joy or woe        
,for good or evil done below1   ,the    
,judge of all the earth will order      

rightly6     ,flee winding error through
 the flowery way1   ,to daily follow    
truth6 to ponder nightly     ,on time1  
and death1 and judgment1 nearer day by  
day6   ,bewail thy bane1 deluded        
,france1     ,vain-glory1 overweening   
pride1   ,and harrying earth with eagle 
glance1     ,ambition1 frantic homicide6
   ,lament1 of all that armed throng    
,how few may reach their native land6   
,by war and tempest to be borne along1  
,to strew1 like leaves1 the ,scythian   
strand8   ,before ,jehovah who can      
stand8     ,his path in evil hour the   
dragon cross'd6   ,he casteth forth his 
ice6 at his command     ,the deep is    
frozen6--all is lost6   ,for who1 great 
,god1 is able to abide thy frost8       
,,epode4    ,elate of heart1 and wild of
 eye1   ,crested horror hurtles by2     
,myriads1 hurrying north and east1      
,gather round the funeral feast6   ,from
 lands remote1 beyond the ,rhine1       
,running o'er with oil and wine1        
,wide-waving over hill and plain1       

,herbage green1 and yellow grain2       
,from ,touraine's smooth irriguous      
strand1   ,garden of a fruitful land1   
,to thy dominion1 haughty ,rhone1       
,leaping from thy craggy throne2   ,from
 ,alp and ,apennine to where   ,gleam   
the ,pyrenees in air2   ,from pastoral  
vales and piny woods1   ,rocks and lakes
 and mountain-floods1   ,the warriors   
come1 in armed might   ,careering1      
careless of the right6   ,their leader  
he who sternly bade   ,freedom fall2 and
 glory fade1   ,the scourge of nations  
ripe for ruin1   ,planning oft their own
 undoing6   ,but who in yonder swarming 
host   ,locust-like from coast to coast1
   ,reluctant move1 an alien few1       
,sullen1 fierce1 of sombre hue1   ,who1 
forced unhallow'd arms to bear1         
,mutter to the moaning air1   ,whose    
curses on the welkin cast   ,edge the   
keen and icy blast6   ,iberia1 sorrow   
bade thee nurse   ,those who now the    
tyrant curse1   ,whose wrongs for       
vengeance cry aloud6   ,lo1 the coming  

of a cloud6   ,to burst in wrath1 and   
sweep away   ,light as chaff the firm   
array6   ,to rack with pain1 or lull to 
rest   ,both oppressor and oppress'd4   
,,antistrophe4      ,is it the wind from
 tower to tower     ,low-murmuring at   
midnight hour8   ,athwart the darkness  
light is stealing1     ,portentous1 red 
with unrelenting ire1   ,inhuman deeds1 
and secrets dark revealing6     ,ye     
guilty1 who may quench the kindled fire6
     ,fall1 city of the ,czars1 to rise 
,ennobled by self-sacrifice1   ,than    
tower and temple higher and more holy6  
,the wilful king appointed o'er mankind 
,to plague the lofty heart1 and prove   
the lowly1     ,is fled6--,avenger1     
mount the chariot of the wind6       ,be
 thine1 to guide the rapid scythe1      
,to blind with snow the frozen sun1     
,against th' invader doomed to writhe1  
,to rouse the ,tartar1 ,russ1 and ,hun6 
,bid terror to the battle ride6         
,indignant honour1 burning shame1       
,revenge1 and hate1 and patriotic pride6

   ,but not the quick unerring aim   ,of
 volley'd thunder winged with flame1    
,nor famine keener than the bird of     
prey1       ,nor death--avail the hard  
of heart to tame6       ,blow wind1 and 
pierce the dire array1   ,flung1 drifted
 by thy breath1 athwart the frozen way6 
,,epode4      ,before the blast as      
flakes of snow     ,drive blindly1      
reeling to and fro1     ,or down the    
river black and deep     ,melt--so the  
mighty sink to sleep6     ,like ,asshur1
 never more to boast6     ,or ,pharaoh1 
sunk with all his host6     ,so perish  
who would trample down     ,the rights  
of freedom1 for renown6     ,so fall1   
who born and nurtured free     ,adore   
the proud on bended knee6     ,roll1    
,beresina1 'neath the bridge     ,of    
death6 rise ,belgium's fatal ridge6     
,rise1 lonely rock in a wide ocean1     
,to curb each haughty mad emotion6   ,to
 prove1 while force and genius fail1    
,that truth is great1 and will prevail6 
,the hour is coming--seize the hour6    

,divide the spoil1 the prey devour6     
,howl o'er the dead and dying1 cry      
,all ye that raven earth and sky6       
,with beak and talon rend the prey1     
,track carnage on her gory way1   ,to   
chide o'er many a gleamy bone   ,the    
moon1 or with the wind to moan6         
,benumb'd with cold1 by torture wrung1  
,to winter leave the famine-clung1   ,o 
thou for whom they toil and bleed1      
,deserted in their utmost need6   ,hear1
 hear them faithful unto death   ,invoke
 thee with the fleeting breath1   ,and  
feel 7for human still thou art7   ,ruth 
touch that adamantine heart6   ,survive 
the storm and battle-shock1   ,to linger
 on th' ,atlantic rock6      ,from      
ghastly dream1 from death-like trance   
,awake to woe1 devoted ,france6   ,to   
care and trouble1 toil and pain1   ,till
 glory be acknowledged vain1   ,and     
martial pomp a mere parade1   ,and war1 
the bravo's bloody trade6   ,a beacon   
o'er the tide of time   ,be thou1 to    
point the wreck of crime6   ,the spoiler

 spoil'd1 from empire hurl'd1   ,the    
dread and pity of the world6      ,o    
then1 by tribulation tried1   ,abjuring 
envy1 hate1 and pride1   ,warn'd of the 
dying hour foretold   ,of earth and     
heaven together roll'd1   ,revering each
 prophetic sign   ,of judgment and of   
love divine1   ,bow down1 and hide thee 
in the dust1   ,and own the retribution 
just2   ,so may contrition1 prayer1 and 
praise1   ,preserve thee in the latter  
days6    ,e4 ,,peel4     ,a ,,ramble    
,,in ,,montenegro4   ,few nations of    
,europe have been less known than the   
,montenegrians1 and the name even of    
their country is seldom found on maps4#f
 ,surrounded by great empires1 they have
 always preserved the independence of   
their rugged mountains1 and have even   
succeeded in wresting several rich      
plains from the sway of ,turkey4 ,with  
this power hostilities seldom cease2 but
 such is the system with which her      
resources are managed1 that while the   
,montenegrians are at peace with one    

pasha1 they are enabled to concentrate  
their force against another--and all the
 while the ,sublime ,porte does not     
condescend to interfere4 ,not many years
 ago1 they possessed the reputation of  
being a horde of robbers2 and1 in all   
probability1 the pilgrim who ventured   
among them would have returned1 if at   
all1 as shirtless as themselves4 ,but   
the breath of the spirit of the age1    
though faintly wafted to their          
mountains1 has softened something of    
their character1 without destroying in  
the least their independence or         
nationality4 ,bold1 hardy1 and free1    
ready and eager for the foray and the   
fray1 a stranger is now as safe among   
them as in any part of her ,majesty's   
kingdom4  ,whoever wishes to make the   
acquaintance of this primitive people1  
will do well to embark on board the     
,austrian ,lloyd's ,company's steamer   
from ,trieste to ,cattaro4 ,they will be
 well accommodated1 at reasonable       
charges1 and have an opportunity of     

seeing the principal towns of ,dalmatia1
 a country little frequented by         
travellers4 ,such was the case with     
ourselves1 7an ,english lady and        
gentleman17 who quitted ,trieste on the 
#eth of ,november #ahdc4 ,the voyage    
commenced pleasantly1 and we had the    
good-luck to have the ladies' cabin to  
ourselves4 ,the captain was a very      
gentlemanlike person1 the steward       
attentive1 and the passengers full of   
politeness4 ,zara1 the capital of       
,dalmatia1 where we stopped a day and a 
night1 is a walled town of moderate     
extent1 said to contain #hjjj           
inhabitants4 ,it possesses some         
antiquities4 ,over the gates of this1   
and all other of the ,dalmatian         
seaports1 the ,lions of ,saint ,mark yet
 remain4 ,it is best known for the      
excellence of its rosoglio4 ,the next   
town we arrived at was ,sebenico1 now   
much decayed1 and ,spalatro1 the most   
interesting of all1 where the badness of
 the weather1 during the short time we  

stayed1 prevented our landing to see the
 extensive ,roman remains4 ,after       
anchoring off ,curzola for a night1 we  
came to ,ragusa1 where we stopped two   
days4 ,at ,zara and ,sebenico we had    
opportunities of seeing the ,morlaccian 
race4 ,these are the rural inhabitants  
of ,dalmatia1 speaking a ,sclavonic     
dialect1 while in the towns they pride  
themselves on their ,venetian origin and
 language4 ,amongst these peasants were 
the noblest specimens of the human kind 
,i have ever seen4 ,of stature almost   
gigantic1 and of the amplest development
 of chest1 their symmetry of limb and   
elasticity of step would have called    
forth notice in a ,scottish ,highlander4
 ,nor could a somewhat manifest omission
 to cares of the toilet disguise        
complexion and features almost          
faultless1 and in which an expression of
 frankness and good-nature left one     
nothing to fear from their armed        
numbers4 ,i speak not of a few among a  
crowd1 but of nearly all ,i saw4 ,it was

 from amongst these that the ,french1   
during their occupation1 chose their    
finest grenadiers2 but at present1 in   
consequence of the scantiness of the    
population1 the humanity of the         
,austrian government has suspended all  
conscription4 ,still it is possible1    
that1 in the hour of danger1 ,austria   
might profit more from the devoted      
loyalty of this armed and stalwart      
peasantry1 than if her ranks were filled
 with its forced recruits4 ,their dress 
consists of a coarse brown jacket1 and a
 waistcoat of red cloth1 both ornamented
 on the edges1 and made to sit close on 
the shoulders1 without any collar1 and  
which advantageously display their well 
put on head and neck4 ,they wear a small
 red skull-cap1 round at top2 but1 when 
married1 they usually surround this with
 a white turban4 ,their pantaloons are  
of blue1 and fit close from the knee to 
the ankle1 and below they wear the      
opunka--a species of sandal1 made of    
sheepskin1 and bound with thongs1 which1

 as may be seen from their elastic step 
and upright carriage1 are well fitted to
 their country2 round their waist is a  
red sash1 and in front a leather belt1  
in which is placed a yataghan and a     
smaller knife1 and exhibiting usually   
the handsome pommels of silver or       
brass-mounted pistols4 ,over all is a   
long brown cloak1 open in front1 and    
fastening over the chest1 forming a     
dress which1 with their free and martial
 bearing1 gives them the appearance of  
ready-made soldiers4 ,the women are1    
comparatively1 inferior to the men2 but 
their countenances are cheerful1 and a  
white napkin gracefully put on the head1
 had a very classical appearance4 ,for  
the rest1 they wore a coarse shirt--over
 that a coarser1 without arms1 neither  
coming much below the knee--a           
party-coloured apron and stockings1 with
 opunkas1 like the men4 ,near ,zara is a
 small colony of ,albanians1 who still  
retain their national manners and dress1
 though settled time out of mind4       

,ragusa--of old a republic1 with its    
doge and senate--is a city whose glory  
has departed4 ,this little              
state--consisting of the town1 the      
promontory of ,sabioncello1 the island  
of ,melida1 with a few smaller          
ones--numbering about forty thousand    
inhabitants1 had never been subject by  
,venice1 and was governed on the most   
aristocratic principles4 ,at the time of
 the late war1 the inhabitants of the   
city owned about four hundred large     
vessels--and observing the profiting by 
neutrality1 they traded every where1 and
 acquired great wealth4 ,but they were  
not destined to escape the storm which  
overthrew so many mightier states4 ,in  
#ahji they became compulsory allies of  
the ,french4 ,their nominal independence
 lasted about two years longer4 ,during 
the time the ,french occupied it1 the   
city was attacked by the combined forces
 of the ,russians and ,montenegrians2   
the former by sea1 while the latter     
conducted the operations on land4       

,luckily they failed to take it2 but    
they burned and destroyed1 without      
exception1 every one of the numerous    
villas by which it was surrounded4      
,since the loss of her independence1 the
 trade of ,ragusa has ceased1 and her   
wealth has departed2 while many of her  
once haughty nobility have no other     
subsistence than a scanty pension1 which
 the bounty of the government affords   
them4 ,the town is interesting1 and some
 of its buildings ancient and peculiar1 
though hardly to be called handsome--the
 scale being small4 ,of the country     
houses desolated by the ,montenegrians1 
not one in twenty has been repaired2 and
 they remain roofless and blackened1 a  
lasting memorial of the ferocity of that
 people4 ,the neighbourhood is          
beautiful1 and appears more so after the
 stony desolation which the rest of     
,dalmatia exhibits4 ,though the houses  
still remain in ruins1 the gardens      
continue to be cultivated4 ,olives1     
vines1 figs1 and carruba trees grow in  

them1 and the tops of the hills are     
covered with stone pines and delightful 
evergreens1 of heaths1 junipers1        
cypress1 and other plants1 which at home
 we coax to grow in our greenhouses4    
,quitting ,ragusa1 after having been    
once driven back by the badness of the  
weather1 we at length entered the ,bocca
 of ,cattaro1 after a passage of about  
nine hours4 ,both in its general and    
immediate position1 few spots can be    
imagined so cut off from the rest of the
 world as ,cattaro4 ,standing close on  
the sea1 with stupendous mountains      
overhanging it on each side1 it is      
deprived even of the light of the sun   
for the greater part of the day2 and1   
towards the end of ,november--this is no
 boon4 ,by land the ,dalmatian          
coast-road 7the only one1 ,i believe1 in
 the country7 passes through it1 but it 
would prove indifferent1 ,i should      
think1 to any but the pedestrian2 and   
there is also the mountain-path1 of     
three hours' ascent1 which leads into   

,montenegro1 and issues up from the     
gates of the town in a zigzag form1 till
 it appears lost in the clouds4 ,any one
 wishing to quit ,cattaro1 has indeed1  
like the country waiter in ,england1 but
 three desperate alternatives4 ,he must 
wait for the next steamer1 a whole month
 if in winter1 and return the way he    
came4 ,or he may attempt to pass through
 ,albania to ,greece or the islands1    
which would in all likelihood prove the 
last attempt he would ever make4 ,or he 
may hire one of the country trabacolos  
to take him where he likes4 ,they are   
neither fast in their sailing nor       
luxurious in their accommodation--the   
price being any thing but cheap4 ,in one
 thing the traveller has no difficulty1 
which is to discover the first hotel1 as
 their number is strictly limited4      
,consequently in about half an hour1    
during which the steamer had taken her  
departure1 we found ourselves the       
inmates of the principal salon in the   
,locanda della ,corona4 ,it is ever a   

comfort1 when expectation is not at its 
highest1 to find things better2 and     
happy the mind that seeks it6  ,the     
house was not very dirty1 the landlady  
was full of kindness1 and not destitute 
of good looks4 ,after her first         
paroxysms of welcome and surprise had   
passed1 then succeeded admiration1 then 
a general presentation to all friends   
and relations of the family that could  
be summoned on a short notice1 with many
 fervent blessings and prayers for our  
welfare1 and at length1 which pleased us
 as much as any thing1 a very eatable   
dinner4 ,during that day1 and part of   
the ensuing week1 ,i improved my        
acquaintance with ,cattaro--an          
acquaintance which1 before final        
separation1 became very intimate indeed4
 ,it contains several small squares or  
places1 with some churches and other    
public buildings4 ,there is a           
respectable caf1 which is frequented by 
the officers of the garrison1 and on the
 whole it is rather a neat little town4 

,the population may be about three      
thousand4 ,it is fortified1 having two  
gates to the land and one to the sea4   
,perched above1 at a great height1 is   
the castle1 said to be of considerable  
strength4 ,in the late war ,cattaro was 
taken from the ,french by ,sir ,william 
,hoste1 ,bart41 and afterwards          
garrisoned by the ,vladika of           
,montenegro1 since which time an        
,englishman has hardly been seen by the 
people within their gates4 ,consequently
 their ideas of robbing the stranger are
 faint and barbarous2 here1 as          
throughout ,dalmatia1 should you give a 
man money1 and the sum be not even more 
than twice the value of the obligation1 
the poor ignoramus is delighted1 and    
thanks and blesses you most fervently4  
,the climate of ,cattaro is not         
considered healthy4 ,the inhabitants die
 of consumption in the winter1 and fever
 in the summer1 and they generally have 
a sickly appearance4 ,there are smart   
silversmith shops1 and many ornaments   

are wrought with much neatness4 ,there  
are several also devoted to the sale of 
arms1 as the ,montenegrians here buy and
 repair the principal weapons they use4 
,pistols1 guns1 and yataghans are       
mounted in silver and mother-of-pearl1  
coral and other stones1 with skill and  
taste4 ,the population are as remote in 
appearance from that of any town in     
western ,europe1 as in the most         
primitive part of the ,east4 ,the       
town's-people wear a black jacket of    
cloth or velvet1 with silver basket     
buttons1 a small cap1 and wide drawers  
of the same cloth1 with black stockings 
or high boots1 and a red sash4 ,the     
costumes of some of the villages along  
the shores of the ,bocca are very       
pretty4 ,the women from ,dulcinea wear a
 body petticoat and jacket of scarlet1  
with silver buttons and buckles1 and a  
white covering tastefully enfolding the 
head and shoulders4 ,the peasantry to   
the south wear the ,montenegrian dress2 
the poorer ones1 in extreme scantiness4 

,these profess1 like that people1 the   
tenets of the ,greek church1 and in     
appearance and dialect do not differ    
from them4 ,a bolder look1 however1 and 
an air of independence1 usually mark the
 ,montenegrian4 ,between ,cattaro and   
,montenegro there is no quarantine or   
restriction of intercourse4 ,without the
 latter the former would cease to       
exist--without the former life would be 
burdensome in ,montenegro4 ,three times 
a-week a bazar is held outside each of  
the land gates1 to which the            
,montenegrians descend1 themselves      
loaded with arms and independence1 and  
their women and mules with the richest  
products of their country4 ,of these1   
mutton hams of peculiar excellence1     
potatoes that cannot be imitated in     
these parts1 salt fish from the lake of 
,scutari1 7to be caught1 ,i fear1 no    
more17 a root which looks yellow1 and   
dyes to match1 with hides1 poultry1 and 
pigs1 form the principal4 ,one of the   
chief articles which they seek is salt1 

with which some of the above luxuries   
are compounded4 ,this being a government
 monopoly1 is sold at the office in the 
town1 and an animated scene takes place 
on its opening1 each striving to be     
served first1 and1 as a matter of       
course1 all speaking at once4  ,having  
in a few days almost exhausted the      
varieties of ,cattaro1 and the weather  
assuming a more favourable aspect1 it   
became time to execute our intended     
journey up the mountain4 ,times were    
stirring in ,montenegro4 ,the nation was
 at war with two pashas1 and the        
,vladika had taken the field in person4 
,rumours were numerous2 we could not    
have come at a better time1 and our trip
 promised to be one of interest4 ,his   
highness's postmaster1 a gigantic       
warrior1#g waited on us to furnish mules
 and guides4 ,cesarea ,petrarca1        
gentleman1 of ,cattaro1 hairdresser1    
auctioneer1 and appraiser1 ex-courier1  
formerly chef de cuisine to the         
,vladika--an homme capable1 as he not   

unaptly styled himself1 attended us to  
cook and interpret2 and we started for  
,cettigna on the #agth of ,november1    
about nine o'clock4 ,i may here say a   
few words concerning the state of       
politics then existing in ,montenegro4  
,for the last half century or more1     
under the auspices of the late revered  
bishop1 so highly sainted in soul1#h and
 so beautifully preserved in body1 the  
,montenegrians1 backed secretly by an   
influential power in the north1 have    
been pursuing a system of territorial   
encroachment as well as internal        
improvement4 ,anciently their domain    
consisted of but a range of gloomy and  
barren rocks1 which would alike oppose  
the footsteps and extinguish the hopes  
of the invader2 since which various     
fertile pianuras have been gained on the
 side of ,herzigovina and ,bosnia4 ,in  
#agha ,kara ,mahmoot1 hereditary bey of 
,scutari1 marched with a great army into
 ,montenegro4 ,advancing towards        
,cettigna1 he was attacked in a narrow  

defile by the ,vladika4 ,this was a     
great day for ,montenegro4 ,the         
,albanians were utterly routed1 and     
,black ,mahmoot1 being taken prisoner1  
surrendered his glory and his head to   
his priestly conqueror1 and it remains  
there among the trophies of the         
,episcopal dwelling4 ,the present       
,vladika is not unworthy of his martial 
uncle4 ,he is truly the flower of the   
house of ,petrowitch4 ,on his first     
arrival from ,st ,petersburg to assume  
the government1 his appearance was that 
of a ,frank#i gentleman1 and his habits 
those of a priest2 but he discovered    
before long that the dress of his native
 mountains better became his manly form1
 while the troubles in which his state  
was so constantly engaged1 soon made him
 exchange the crosier for the sword1 and
 become as ardent a warrior as his      
predecessor4 ,ever since the beginning  
of the summer1 war had been waged with  
,osman ,pasha of ,mostar1 concerning a  
disputed territory4 ,on one occasion the

 opposed forces were in sight for a     
week4 ,the ,montenegrians consisted of  
seven thousand foot--the ,turks 7,i     
write according to my information7 of   
forty thousand horse4 767 ,every day    
they fought1 sometimes for two1         
sometimes four hours and upwards1 as    
fancy dictated4 ,about fifty persons had
 been more or less injured in this      
pastime1 but their ardour was rather    
increasing than diminishing1 when the   
pasha of ,scutari1 without notice or    
warning1 seized on the islands of       
,vranina and ,lessandro1 at the head of 
the lake of ,scutari4 ,the              
,montenegrians had there a post of about
 twenty men1 but they were overpowered1 
several killed1 and the rest sent       
captive to ,scutari4 ,not satisfied with
 this1 he fortified ,lessandro in such a
 manner that no ,montenegrian could fish
 in the lake with any kind of pleasure  
or comfort4 ,this was a vital blow4     
,visions of the market of ,cattaro rose 
before the eyes of the nation4 ,peace   

with ,osman ,pasha was concluded at any 
sacrifice1 and the ,vladika instantly   
hastened to concentrate his energies    
toward the recovery of the lost islands4
  ,our party consisted of ourselves and 
two mules1 one being for the            
luggage--,cesarea ,petrarca1 in the full
 pride of office1 and armed for our     
protection with a very small sword and a
 very small gun--a woman who had charge 
of the mules--and ,spiro ,martinowitch1 
an old and respectable ,montenegrian1   
with ,milo his son1 to act as guides4   
,we began the ascent about ten o'clock4 
,close outside the walls was pointed out
 a village1 the residence of a race of  
valiant butchers1 who have ever been at 
feud with the ,montenegrians1 by whom   
their numbers have been much reduced4 ,a
 tale was related of three having       
defended themselves against four hundred
 of the enemy4 ,after following the     
steep but otherwise good road for about 
two hours1 we arrived at a stone with   
different species of eagles on two      

sides1#aj which marks the boundary of   
the respective territories4 ,the road   
instantly degenerates into an           
indifferent mule-track4 ,it took another
 hour to gain the principal ascent1     
then1 pursuing our way along the high   
land1 we reached a small hamlet1 where  
we stopped a few minutes to comfort     
ourselves with what could be procured4  
,the path from hence to ,cettigna passes
 over a country which1 at any season1   
must appear barren and inhospitable4    
,the peaks of the highest mountains in  
,montenegro rise immediately above it4  
,the ground was now covered with about  
an inch of snow1 and the air extremely  
cold4 ,a few stunted bushes of beech    
underwood1 which serves for fuel1 seemed
 to be the only vegetation4 ,every thing
 else1 grey rocks1 sharp and rugged1 to 
the smallest fragment4 ,we passed on our
 way the village of ,negusi1 the        
paternal seat of the family of          
,petrowitch4 ,here the present ,vladika 
was born1 in a mansion which was pointed

 out to us4 ,it is a long-shaped hut1   
built of loose stones1 without windows  
or upper story4 ,a somewhat better      
dwelling is the property of the bishop's
 uncle1 who governs the village and     
adjacent district4 ,passing on by the   
hamlets of ,bayitzi and ,donikrai1 we   
arrived at the ,episcopal residence     
about half-past five in the evening1 and
 immediately took up our quarters in the
 first hotel4 ,i will not say that the  
decorations of the chief apartment were 
in the highest style of magnificence2   
but the bed was clean1 and to find any  
thing clean in these parts may be       
considered a victory gained4 ,our       
hostess was from ,cattaro1 the seat of  
every refinement to the ideas of a      
,montenegrian2 and our host was a kind  
civil man1 speaking both ,french and    
,italian1 and had been formerly engaged 
in the great war4 ,for the present he   
found it convenient to remain in        
,montenegro1 having been lately         
concerned in an unfortunate affair near 

,budua1 where certain tenements were    
harried and burned4 ,cattaro1 therefore1
 and its delights1 were denied him for  
the present2 but it was hoped that the  
temporary bad odour would soon pass     
away4 ,the village was nearly deserted2 
few remained that night in ,cettigna but
 ancient men4 ,the ,vladika was on and  
away4 ,he had departed that morning1 his
 brother remaining to take charge of the
 place4 ,to-morrow the assault of the   
fortress was to commence1 or1 some said1
 it had already begun4 ,we felt we had  
arrived at a good moment1 and were      
prepared to hasten in the morning to the
 scene of action1 thirsting with        
excitement4 ,it was thought not unlikely
 that a battle might take place4 ,the   
evening was cold and wet1 and we        
therefore took up our position over the 
kitchen fire4 ,in these regions this is 
placed in the middle of the room1 and   
the smoke gets out how it can1 or not at
 all4 ,a peculiar sensation in the eyes 
will present itself to the mind as the  

result of such an arrangement4 ,the     
kitchen1 however1 besides being the     
warmest1 was by far the gayest place4   
,here we watched our dinner cooked1 and 
ate it afterwards2 heard of wars and    
rumours of wars2 listened to heroic     
ballads1 chanted by a warrior1 and      
accompanied by a species of one-stringed
 fiddle2 and made the acquaintance of   
two very fashionable young men4 ,one was
 the bishop's nephew1 a handsome lad    
about seventeen1 who was1 on account of 
his youth1 very shy and modest1 and     
acted as cavaliero servente to the      
kitchen-maid4 ,the other was a          
remarkably good-looking and well-dressed
 young man1 whom ,i had observed on     
entering the place1 and set down to be  
somebody4 ,he was1 alas6 but a tailor   
from ,bosnia1 who had come on a         
speculation to ,cettigna4 ,a barren     
profession his1 where fashions remain   
the same summer and winter1 and a suit  
lasts till it drops off4 ,he was an     
accomplished musician1 as well1 on the  

one-stringed instrument2 boasted of a   
white pocket-handkerchief1 and his      
,italian1 added to our ,servian1 made up
 about twelve words in common2 so that  
the evening passed very sociably1 and we
 retired to rest full of hope for the   
morrow4 ,but when that morrow came1 one 
melancholy prospect of rain and mist    
presented itself4 ,the white clouds hung
 on the mountain-tops immediately above4
 ,not a breath of wind was stirring1 and
 the rain descended in torrents4 ,there 
seemed not a chance of its clearing1 nor
 did it during the whole day4 ,it was   
not1 therefore1 considered prudent to   
proceed1 where no bed was to be found1  
and where the chance of even shelter was
 any thing but certain4 ,add to which1  
my companion in arms was taken with a   
violent cold2 so we felt obliged to     
restrain our military ardour for one    
day1 and proceeded to seek such         
recreation as the metropolis afforded4  
,cettigna1 the seat of the government of
 ,montenegro1 and residence of the      

,vladika1 is yet a city of no great     
magnitude4 ,it is situated prettily     
enough on a little plain1 around which  
the rocky summits of the mountains rise 
in the form of an amphitheatre2 not to  
any great height1 however--the elevation
 of the plain itself being very great4  
,the most ancient building1 indeed the  
only one which seems not to have been   
erected within these few years1 is the  
monastery4 ,this was till very lately   
the residence of the ,vladika and his   
predecessors1 and it was here the ,king 
of ,saxony lodged when he visited       
,montenegro in #ahcf4aa ,it is situated 
on the side of the rocks which bound the
 plain1 and consists of several         
buildings of different periods joined   
together4 ,the oldest has two rows of   
arched passages1 or cloisters1 in front1
 one above the other4 ,behind the       
convent1 a wall runs up the hill1 and   
encloses a small circuit of rocky       
ground4 ,the whole is in a very         
uncertain state of repair4 ,on the      

summit of a small rock immediately      
above1 is a round tower1 built          
apparently for ornament at no very      
ancient date1 but never finished or     
roofed4 ,it does not owe its decorations
 to the hand of the architect4 ,they are
 of a rarer kind4 ,from the ends of     
poles fastened into the top of the wall1
 two or three dozen heads1 in all stages
 of decay1 overlook the residence of a  
,christian bishop4 ,these are ,turks or 
,albanians who have fallen in different 
encounters1 or possibly in cold blood1  
as the ,montenegrians never spare the   
life of a prisoner4 ,it was with        
somewhat doubtful feelings that ,i      
contemplated these trophies4 ,around1   
the earth was strewed with skulls and   
other relics of humanity4 ,it was said  
that no head had been put up for nearly 
two years4 ,certain it is1 that the     
,lord ,vladika did not cause to be      
placed there the heads of eighteen      
,turkish commissioners1 who1 in the     
,august previous1 entered ,montenegro to

 discuss a boundary question4 ,but why  
should ,i tell tales8 ,i was hospitably 
received1 and treated1 me and mine1 with
 civility and kindness1 not only by the 
,vladika1 but by every individual ,i    
met1 and returned with my head          
undisturbed by the trip4 ,some of the   
countenances still bore traces of good  
looks1 though withered by the sun and   
storm of years4 ,it was a severe test   
for beauty2 but the head of one young   
man certainly stood the trial4 ,fine    
features1 of a cast frequently seen     
towards the north of ,albania1 and a set
 of the best teeth1 7this is very       
general17 showed that he might have once
 been more prosperous in love than he   
proved to be in war4 ,i thought of a    
relic1 and took up a skull1 the best ,i 
could find1 but it was full of red      
earth1 and seemed damp and unpleasant2  
so ,i put it down again4 ,i next        
discovered a beautiful tooth2 this would
 have surpassed the former in elegance  
and convenience1 but ,i fancied it not  

either1 and came away1 trusting to my   
mind for a remembrance of the spot4     
,from hence ,i made a sketch of the     
present residence of the bishop1 the    
second among the remarkable edifices of 
,cettigna and its environs4 ,it was     
built within these five years1 under the
 auspices of no less than my trusty     
attendant ,petrarca4 ,the style is not1 
strictly speaking1 imposing4 ,perhaps   
this arose from suggestions of economy1 
or possibly from the mind of the        
architect being at that moment          
unprepared with any other4 ,simplicity  
in design and execution characterize it 
throughout4 ,it consists of a long      
single building of one low story1       
containing two rows of about twenty     
windows on each side4 ,there is a door  
in the middle1 and at each end a small  
wing placed crosswise1 and a very little
 higher than the rest1 containing a     
window above and a door below4 ,both    
before and behind1 a large court is     
enclosed by a low wall of loose stones1 

with little turrets at the corners1 and 
two doorways in the principal4 ,in the  
front court are some old brass and iron 
cannon1 lying dismounted--trophies of   
,turkish war4 ,behind is an attempted   
kitchen garden4 ,the remainder of       
,cettigna is small1 hardly worth        
mentioning--six or seven houses with an 
upper floor1 and about twice as many    
ordinary huts4 ,this forms the          
metropolis of ,montenegro4 ,but small as
 it is1 ,i doubt if there be a bigger   
village in the country1 the population1 
though sufficiently numerous1 dwelling  
in small scattered hamlets4 ,the better 
houses act as hostelries when called on1
 which may be the case when ,parliament 
is sitting2 but apart from the bishop's 
officials and retainers1 the place does 
not probably contain a hundred souls4   
,it being now noon1 and the rain        
unabated1 we determined to see all the  
sights of the city4 ,his highness's     
residence was first visited4 ,it        
contains the ,chamber of ,deputies1 a   

printing establishment1 and various     
apartments for the accommodation of     
friends and relatives4 ,entering one of 
these we found the ,vladika's brother1  
whom ,i have previously alluded to1 and 
had the honour of a presentation4 ,he is
 a very ordinary-looking personage2 and1
 as the powers of language were wanting 
to express our feelings1 we soon took   
leave4 ,the bishop's rooms for public   
and private reception1 consist of a     
billiard-room no bigger than is         
necessary for the due performance of the
 game1 at which he is a great adept1 a  
small anteroom and bedroom4 ,his valet  
and chamberlain1 a well-dressed         
,montenegrian1 did the honours4 ,in the 
billiard-room the walls are hung with   
arms1 though some of these were now     
absent on service4 ,i observed some fine
 ,turkish swords1 some of an ancient    
date1 presents to different ,vladikas2  
some ,albanian daggers1 straight1 with a
 triangular blade1 resembling the       
ancient ,venetian misericordes2 and a   

handsomely mounted and antique ,servian 
sword1 the blade with the wolf-mark1 so 
well known in the ,highlands and other  
parts of ,europe4 ,there were some      
handsome fire-arms2 and1 among others1 a
 splendid pipe lately presented by      
,osman ,pasha of ,mostar4 ,in the       
anteroom ,i remarked with pleasure a    
small three-legged stand1 with a basin  
and towel2 and ,i have heard that other 
contrivances for the purification of the
 ,episcopal person are not wanting1     
though no such met my eye4 ,in the      
bedroom1 where the odour of tobacco     
still remained unmitigated1 was a       
cabinet1 which1 when opened1 displayed  
objects well worthy the attention of the
 next pasha who may visit ,cettigna4    
,russian orders and snuff-boxes         
uncountable1 set in the choicest        
brilliants2 presents from the ,emperors 
of ,austria of no mean value2 a         
remembrance or two of the ,king of      
,saxony1 c4 c4 ,all these were opened by
 the cameriere to our free inspection2  

but not for this1 nor the trouble we    
afterwards gave him when exhibiting the 
sacerdotal robes1 keeping him above half
 the day1 would he accept the smallest  
remuneration4 ,this completed the public
 rooms1 7his highness is reported on    
occasions to give grand entertainments1 
but the whereabouts was not manifest17  
and we proceeded to the ancient convent4
 ,this1 formerly the ,episcopal         
dwelling1 is still the residence of the 
chief officials attached to the         
,vladika4 ,the first among these is the 
vicar--7his other avocations having only
 permitted the ,vladika to officiate on 
two occasions7--no baron or squire or   
knight of the shire1 c4 ,truly on this  
occasion the holy father had not been   
unmindful of himself2 and1 considering  
the early hour and dreary state of the  
weather2 was as jovial as the heart     
could desire4 ,a peculiar leer and      
frequent ebullitions of laughter1 from  
mysterious causes1 showed the frame of  
mind he was in4 ,after coffee1 and a    

glass of aniseed brandy1 we viewed his  
priestly robes1 which were of cloth of  
gold and very handsome4 ,we then        
proceeded to make the acquaintance of   
the other officials1 going the round of 
the convent4 ,we were most cordially    
received2 indeed1 we appeared to be a   
godsend to these poor people4 ,there was
 a ,dalmatian schoolmaster1 a very      
intelligent young man1 who superintended
 the branch of national education2 his  
highness's secretary1 an ,italian2 and a
 woman from ,cattaro1 the wife of       
another now absent at the camp1 and the 
only example of female aristocracy in   
,montenegro4 ,at the apartment of each  
of the inmates1 coffee1 invariably      
excellent1 and glasses of brandy1 were  
handed round4 ,these the holy personage 
in our company always emptied to the    
uttermost1 and then would romp and      
wrestle with the schoolmaster1 and      
perform all kinds of frolics4 ,he was a 
,hungarian by birth4 ,when our ,german  
or his ,italian respectively failed1    

then ,latin assisted our communications2
 and1 what with the wet weather and the 
coffee1 we all became very sociable and 
chatty4 ,after an hour or two so spent1 
we took our way to the chapel4 ,it is   
very small2 not capable1 ,i should say1 
of accommodating above twenty or thirty 
persons4 ,there1 embalmed1 are the      
remains of the late ,vladika4 ,the vicar
 removed the lid of the coffin1 and he  
there appeared attired in full          
canonicals4 ,his face1 however1 was     
hidden1 and the covering was not        
removed4 ,the limbs appeared to be much 
shrunk4 ,the holy man took the hand of  
the deceased1 and1 kissing it with the  
most solemn devotion1 burst into a wild 
laugh1 and closed the lid4 ,a small     
trifle pro salute anim was expected in a
 box adjoining it4 ,we next went to the 
robe-room1 passing along a series of    
mouldy and rat-eaten floors to a small  
room1 such as might be found in a       
dilapidated stable-loft2 there1 from old
 dingy boxes1 were drawn forth such     

garments as created astonishment--the   
richest damask and cloth of gold of all 
colours--their weight enormous--so      
massive that they would almost stand    
alone4 ,i have never seen any thing so  
splendid2 and the effect of such upon   
the fine form of the ,vladika must be   
worth beholding4 ,in another chest were 
deposited the crowns of different       
,vladikas4 ,they are of a shape         
resembling the ancient ,russian diadem1 
being not of the form of any kind of    
coronet1 but a cap all covered or       
entire1 globular at top1 and diminishing
 towards where they fit the head4       
,perhaps there were half a dozen or     
more4 ,they were richly ornamented with 
precious stones--the present ,vladika's 
the most so4 ,i understand they are     
presents from ,st ,petersburg4 ,by nine 
next morning the rain had somewhat      
cleared1 and the weather was mild and   
promising4 ,we started1 therefore1      
hoping that night to reach the quarters 
of the ,vladika1 though no one could    

speak positively to the place4 ,we made 
some enquiries as to the chance of      
finding shelter1 as the nights were     
singularly cold2 but it was of course   
apparent that time alone could decide4  
,none of our friends from the monastery1
 who had been so warlike the day before1
 made their appearance2 so we started   
without any addition to our party4 ,the 
road was nearly all on the descent1 and 
usually so stony and rough as to make   
riding the mule a matter of difficulty4 
,we passed by ,dobro ,skorsello1 one of 
the richest communes of ,montenegro2    
there figs1 vines1 and olives are grown3
 a wild species of mulberry occurs1 and 
large trees of it frequently appeared   
before a hut or hamlet4 ,these are      
wide-spreading and ancient1 but not     
tall4 ,this district furnishes seven    
thousand fighting men4 ,here we met the 
wife of one of the principal senators   
among a troop of females with bundles of
 wood upon their head4 ,we now had the  
first intelligence from the camp4       

,descending into a little plain we met  
about two hundred men returning to      
celebrate a village fte1 as their       
services were not just then required4   
,they passed in single file2 wild1      
active-looking fellows they certainly   
were4 ,in about half an hour after1 we  
encountered forty or fifty others4      
,these were peculiarly warm in their    
friendship1 and slapped me so hard on   
the back that it required my utmost     
force to return the compliment with any 
thing like cordiality4 ,they took it    
into their heads that ,i was a certain  
long-expected bombardier who was to     
direct their artillery against          
,lessandro1 and they loaded me with     
compliments and good wishes4 ,i almost1 
at the moment1 regretted my want of     
knowledge in the art4 ,about one o'clock
 we descended upon the ,nariako river1  
then a rapid clear green stream1 which  
conducts the torrents of the upper      
mountains to the lake of ,scutari2 and1 
in another hour1 reached the village of 

that name1 which is known also by the   
,italian one of ,fiumara4 ,we trusted   
here to procuring a boat which would    
convey us the remainder of the journey2 
but the natives of this free country are
 seldom in a hurry1 and in fact it was  
necessary that we should be made popular
 idols for a certain space2 nor had we  
the means of keeping each other in      
countenance4 ,i was hurried off1        
accompanied by ,petrarca1 to the house  
of the captain of the district1 a       
senator1 ,i understood1 and eminently   
brave2 while my unfortunate companion1  
without any one to help1 was taken      
possession of by a lady of rank1 a      
,cattarese by birth1 but who had nearly 
forgotten her native tongue1 and in a   
short time was surrounded by all the    
females and olive branches of the place4
 ,the usual brandy1 with coffee and     
pipes1 was served to our party4 ,the    
houses1 or little dirty huts rather1    
have in front a small balcony covered at
 top1 and raised about four or five feet

 from the ground2 here ,spiro1          
,petrarca1 and myself were seated1 with 
my host and several others4 ,while the  
lady of the house brought in the pipes  
and refreshments1 ,i made some very     
sensible observations1 which ,petrarca  
clothed in ,servian1 and the replies    
seemed in every way equal2              
notwithstanding1 in about an hour the   
liveliness of the scene began somewhat  
to wear off1 and ,i took the first      
opportunity of hastening to rescue the  
other sufferer4 ,here ,i discovered the 
object of public attention seated on a  
bench with her host and hostess1 one on 
each knee as it were1 and the room      
thronged with spectators2 women and     
children were squatted or perched on    
every conceivable spot4 ,the harmony of 
the party had1 however1 undergone for a 
moment a trifling disorder2 for1 while  
all the rest had been full of compliment
 and courtesy1 one elderly lady had     
thought proper to express herself in a  
manner contradictory to the general     

feeling1 and in the strongest terms1    
going even the length of shaking her    
fist at the occupant of the post of     
honour4 ,she was1 however1 bundled out  
most unceremoniously1 neck and crop1 as 
the phrase is4 ,after further delays1   
and declining a most uninviting         
dormitory1 a boat was got ready2 four   
warriors were in her1 and we departed   
amid the cheers of the population and a 
promiscuous discharge of fire-arms4     
,this was warmly responded to by our    
party2 nor did ,i much regret when these
 demonstrations had ceased1 as a        
,montenegrian considers it quite        
etiquette to discharge his heavy-loaded 
piece any where in the immediate        
vicinity of the head1 so long as the    
muzzle just clears the honoured         
individual4 ,in a few minutes we were   
gliding down the beautiful stream4 ,the 
absence of all wild animals is          
peculiarly observable in the mountains4 
,a woodcock or red-legged partridge are 
occasionally seen2 but few quadrupeds   

are met with1 and the larger and fiercer
 kinds are rarely known to occur4 ,this 
deficiency1 however1 in the general     
zoology1 is amply compensated by the    
birds which frequent the ,fiumara river4
 ,as we proceeded1 muffled up in the    
bottom of the boat1 for it was very     
cold1 the fitful exertions of our       
warlike crew disturbed quantities of    
aquatic birds4 ,the river widened       
greatly1 the mountain banks             
disappearing1 till at length the shores 
became obscure in the distance1 and thus
 it imperceptibly enters and forms the  
lake of ,scutari4 ,cormorants and ducks 
passed over in flocks2 noble herons got 
up screaming on every side4 ,one of     
these was the milk-white aigrette2      
superior in size to the common heron4   
,the kingfishers had a beautiful        
appearance4 ,i never saw this bird      
elsewhere in such multitudes4 ,i did not
 request any of my crew to try their    
skill1 as ,i had had enough of firing   
for the time being1 nor did ,i take a   

fancy to do so myself4 ,the large bore  
and light metal of their arms1 added to 
the weight of the charge1 spoke of a    
recoil any thing but pleasing1 and which
 ,i hear usually takes place4 ,next day1
 however1 ,i asked the captain of the   
boat to show me a shot2 he took aim at a
 diver which kept appearing a-head2 he  
fired when nothing but the neck was     
visible above water1 and the ball       
completely divided it1 the head barely  
hanging by a bit of skin4 ,the bird was 
distant about fifty yards1 and the boat 
moving1 while he stood on the bow4 ,at  
some longer shots he was not so         
successful4 ,we passed a village at a   
small distance1 and lay on our oars to  
hear the news4 ,most of the people were 
absent2 but one1 a great man1 was seated
 on the hut-top1 with a few idlers round
 him4 ,this was the chief president of  
the senate--the speaker of the house1 in
 short2 and undoubtedly1 if stentorian  
lungs are of any use for that office in 
a ,montenegrian parliament1 he was most 

amply qualified4 ,for twenty minutes    
this eminent man conversed with us--the 
distance at first being about a quarter 
of a mile1 and probably it might be     
three miles or more before he was       
finally out of hearing4 ,the ,turkish   
fortress of ,dzabiack now appeared      
perched on a steep isolated hill rising 
from the marsh4 ,it seemed1 as we passed
 it about two miles off1 to be in a very
 dilapidated condition4 ,the            
,montenegrians1 however1 had at present 
no designs upon it2 and its garrison    
maintained a peaceful neutrality4 ,they 
have on several occasions destroyed this
 fortress1 which has been occupied again
 by the ,turks4 ,it gives then little   
annoyance1 being distant1 ,i should     
think1 five miles from the head of the  
lake4 ,all was now water1 but the       
principal channels above were passable1 
the rest being overgrown with weeds4 ,at
 several of these1 long consultations   
occurred as to our best route4 ,it began
 to rain a little1 and the place of our 

destination seemed doubtful4 ,at length 
we emerged on the broad beautiful lake1 
and our progress was easy4 ,we soon came
 in sight of the beleaguered island and 
fortress of ,lessandro4 ,the cannonade1 
which we had heard during the earlier   
part of the day1 had long ceased1 and   
all seemed quiet4 ,it was still         
twilight1 but the place to which our    
people had determined on going1 lay     
beyond the foot of a mountain which     
projected to a nearer approach with the 
island4 ,this was the very mountain on  
the top of which the ,vladika had placed
 his batteries4 ,they considered it     
prudent1 therefore1 to wait till dark1  
before passing within point-blank range 
of the enemy's guns4 ,we1 therefore1    
hauled the boat up1 and waited under lee
 of the point4 ,as soon as the light had
 failed1 we moved forward1 passing      
stealthily along the shore to within    
about three hundred yards of the fort4  
,the previous garrulity of our party was
 now hushed1 and they exhibited the most

 laudable prudence4 ,i observed1        
however1 that they had all their guns   
cocked and ready1 as if they intended to
 have returned any compliment from the  
fortress2 but no such contingency was at
 hand4 ,the ,albanians were engaged in  
chanting martial choruses1 possibly to  
maintain their own valour as well as    
dismay their opponents1 and show what   
excellent health and spirits they       
possessed after the two days' siege4 ,at
 any rate1 they made too much noise to  
hear any thing but themselves4 ,as we   
went along shore1 we were several times 
challenged by those on the look-out1 and
 long explanations passed in low yet    
distinct tones4 ,at length the danger   
was passed1 and we went a-head for about
 two miles along the lake2 then1 turning
 off up a deep sluggish stream1 we came 
in sight of our quarters4 ,a large fire 
blazed in the principal of three huts1  
and by its light numerous persons were  
seen around it4 ,landing with our       
baggage and equipage1 we soon joined the

 circle2 about a dozen warriors were    
here assembled4 ,they were very civil to
 us1 and glad to see our party4 ,they   
gave us the best place at the fire1     
where1 spreading our plaids1 we were    
soon occupied with such dainties as the 
place or our own providence supplied4   
,when it came to be bed-time1 the       
fighting part of the community          
good-naturedly suffered themselves to be
 persuaded to go to the other end of the
 room1 by which means we were enabled to
 lie down by the fire4 ,there they      
rolled themselves up1 and1 in the       
shortest possible time1 were in a state 
of oblivion4 ,i may observe that the    
people in general1 men or women1 have   
seldom any beds4 ,they lie down any     
where on the floor1 ensconced in a      
capote or cloak1 removing perhaps their 
opunkas1 but scarcely ever any other    
garment4 ,we should have been pretty    
comfortable but for the minute hosts    
that peopled the apartment4 ,late at    
night1 too1 the extreme cold compelled  

several parties to seek refuge by the   
fire who had no right or little         
thereto--as the house-cat and her two   
kittens2 she would take no denial1      
however often repelled4 ,whenever one   
awoke1 there she would be with her      
interesting offspring close nestled     
under one's chin4 ,the family dog1 too1 
suffered severely from cold2 he was1 as 
often as he entered1 kicked out by his  
master in a way that did the heart good2
 and his murmurs of complaint and       
resentment would last for a full ten    
minutes4 ,but the door would not fasten1
 and he always found his way in again1  
trampling over1 in his way to the fire1 
the recumbent forms of the sleepers1 in 
a manner far from conducive to          
good-humour4 ,it was1 therefore1 not to 
be wondered at that our slumbers were   
not prolonged to a late hour4 ,i set    
forth at break of day to find a         
clear-looking place in the river3 for as
 ,i was to be presented to his highness1
 ,i could not afford to forego any      

advantages4 ,the ice was on the side of 
the pools2 but with the aid of a small  
box ,i carried under my arm1 ,i soon had
 all the requisites of an elaborate     
dressing-room4 ,several of the          
,montenegrians were also on the alert1  
rubbing their faces with the muddy water
 on the edge of the lake2 but whether to
 make them cleaner or dirtier did not   
appear4 ,breakfast was soon dispatched4 
,already the cannonade had commenced1   
and we hastened to the scene of action4 
,lessandro is a small low islet1 perhaps
 a hundred yards long by forty or fifty 
wide2 at one end was the principal1 at  
the other1 a minor fort4 ,the first     
consisted of a thick round tower1 flat  
at top1 where their largest gun was     
mounted4 ,this was surrounded by a low  
wall1 with two small bastions at        
different angles2 the other was a square
 building1 with a bastion at one corner1
 containing1 ,i believe1 the stores4    
,all over the island were the tents of  
the soldiers--that of the commander     

distinguished by a red flag4 ,i think ,i
 counted about forty4 ,the              
,montenegrians declared they had in the 
island five hundred men4 ,not one was   
visible however1 the whole day4 ,under  
the lee of the chief fort was anchored a
 small gun-boat from ,scutari4 ,on one  
side of ,lessandro rises1 in immediate  
proximity1 the mountainous island of    
,vranina4 ,it was here that the ,vladika
 at first wished to have taken up his   
position2 but boats1 it was said1 were  
wanting to transport his men and        
munitions4 ,had he attempted this1 a    
serious encounter would probably have   
taken place2 but he had given up the    
idea1 and it was as in consequence of   
this that we had met the men returning  
home the day before4 ,the spot he fixed 
on was a mountain directly opposite     
,vranina1 but at a greater distance from
 the object of attack4 ,he had not with 
him altogether above fifty men4 ,this   
time we had once more to pass within a  
quarter of a mile of the fort2 and as we

 were a boat-load of armed men hastening
 to headquarters1 ,i somewhat expected  
they might have condescended to notice  
us4 ,such1 however1 was not the case2   
and we landed and ascended the hill to  
where the battery was placed4 ,we had   
not been there long before the ,vladika1
 who was on a higher part of the ground1
 having heard of our arrival1 came down 
to meet us4 ,i felt for a moment rather 
modest1 and began to wonder what        
business ,i had there4 ,however1 we     
advanced with all boldness1 and soon    
distinguished the chieftain from his    
attendants by his giant stature4 ,no    
bishop's cassock covered his towering   
form4 ,clothed in scarlet and gold1 he  
descended the hill with the true        
,albanian strut4 ,his manner was frank  
and cordial2 and on his invitation we   
all three sat down on the grass to      
partake of a camp luncheon4 ,the        
,vladika was then in the thirty-fifth   
year of his age4 ,in truth1 he was a    
goodly man--a very ,saul among his      

people4 ,his height ,i should think very
 nearly midway between six and seven    
feet4 ,he was not fat1 but the breadth  
and massiveness of his chest and limbs  
was extraordinary4 ,his figure was very 
finely proportioned1 and his movements  
free and active4 ,his face was somewhat 
broad1 with good features1 and his voice
 peculiarly soft and pleasing4 ,his hair
 and beard black1 and1 after the fashion
 of the ,greek clergy1 uncut4 ,he wore a
 ,turkish pelisse of scarlet1 coming    
nearly to the knee1 and trimmed with    
gold and sable1 a large fur cap1 and the
 usual blue drawers and opunkas of the  
,montenegrians4 ,a pair of plain        
,european pistols were in his belt--the 
only arms he wore4 ,the place where we  
sat was in a most picturesque situation4
 ,the ,turkish balls kept whizzing past1
 forming1 as his highness remarked1     
beautiful music4 ,indeed1 it seemed to  
me we were very nearly in the line a    
well-directed shot ought to have taken2 
but1 of course1 it was not my place to  

speak4 ,our fare consisted of cold meat 
carved in slices with the yataghan1 and 
rum out of the mouth of the same bottle4
 ,he conversed in ,french fluently1 and 
various courteous speeches showed it was
 not the first time he had encountered  
female society4 ,he seemed excited when 
relating the misdeeds of his enemies1   
and his usually languid voice assumed a 
little asperity1 as he described the way
 in which1 while he made war in ,bosnia1
 ces diables des ,turcs had surprised   
his garrison at ,lessandro4 ,my         
knowledge of gunnery was not extensive1 
still ,i could not be ignorant of the   
chance he had1 with three short         
twelve-pounders1 of injuring any        
building whatever1 when firing at it at 
a distance of eight hundred yards1 in an
 almost perpendicular direction4 ,the   
fort1 besides1 seemed very sturdy and   
solid1 and ,i could not flatter him with
 hopes of success4 ,he did not1 however1
 appear to be without hope4 ,certainly1 
had he chosen to risk an assault with   

some trifling loss1 the place might have
 been in his possession2 but boats were 
not at hand in sufficient numbers1 and  
besides1 such a proceeding might not    
have been popular with amateur soldiers4
 ,he asked me if ,i had brought any     
letters to him2 ,i frankly owned ,i had 
not4 ,ah6 he said1 you came from        
curiosity1 that you might talk in the   
gay circles of ,london1 of having seen  
the ,vladika of ,montenegro4 ,i did not 
say1 that were ,i to do so1 ,i should   
talk very unintelligibly to a great many
 of my hearers4 ,after our collation was
 finished1 we rose and proceeded to the 
battery1 if it could be honoured with   
such a name4 ,but had its power been as 
extensive as the view from it1 it would 
have amply sufficed4 ,the day was now   
most beautiful and spring-like1 and     
various flowers1 with sportive          
butterflies and other insects1 enlivened
 the mountain side4 ,the broad blue lake
 lay beneath1 and in the extreme        
distance the position of ,scutari itself

 could be distinguished4 ,three ranges  
of mountains were visible1 rising one   
above the other1 till the snowy chains  
of ,bosnia bounded the horizon4 ,the    
cannonade1 as there was little to be    
apprehended1 added to the beauty and    
interest4 ,the wreathing of the white   
smoke on the ,turkish tower1 and the    
report borne along in the calm air1 and 
echoed a dozen times by the distant     
mountains--the gradual approach and     
whizzing of the balls1 and the shot from
 our guns1 as it hit the buildings1 or  
occasionally bounded along the water1   
were all interesting novelties4 ,i made 
a sketch1 to the best of my ability1 of 
every object of interest in the vicinity
 of this lovely spot4 ,as regards       
matters purely military1 we had three   
guns in operation--short twelves1 as ,i 
have already mentioned2 a rampart was   
before them1 formed of earth1 bound with
 stakes1 and about three feet thick4 ,i 
was told this had only been struck four 
times4 ,few people were about4 ,nor     

could gunners of fame have been in      
plenty1 for ,i soon discovered ,petrarca
 pointing the cannon4 ,the shot also was
 of different sizes--any that could be  
got1 as ,austria does not favour the    
importation of warlike materials into   
,montenegro2 and to this disparity of   
metal may be ascribed the constant      
difficulty which the ,montenegrian      
gunners experienced in hitting even the 
island4 ,still they kept the game alive1
 the ,turks not giving one shot for     
three4 ,they appeared to have four guns1
 but their biggest was on the platform  
of the chief tower1 a screen of masonry 
protecting it from lying entirely open  
to our position on the hill4 ,they fired
 also several shells1 but they did no   
damage1 exploding high in the air4 ,at  
length the ,vladika approached the best 
cannon1 anxious to display his skill4   
,he took a long aim1 and then fired1    
exulting greatly when the ball struck   
the stone screenwork at top of the      
tower4 ,this was just where he aimed1   

and it was the best shot by far that ,i 
had seen4 ,a little dust seemed to fly1 
but no further damage4 ,the reply of the
 ,turks came promptly1 but his highness 
did not honour their skill by even      
ducking below the rampart4 ,it lodged in
 the side of the hill several feet below
 us4 ,we remained1 enjoying the         
interesting scene and beautiful day1    
till about one o'clock1 when the        
,montenegrian batteries suspended       
operations from a temporary failure of  
ammunition4 ,being desirous of passing  
the night in less crowded quarters than 
the previous one1 we now took our leave 
of the ,vladika1 and returned to the    
hamlet we had left in the morning2 and  
having with some difficulty procured a  
pony1 we set off to get as far on our   
road to ,cattaro as we could1 not       
returning by ,cettigna1 which would have
 been round about1 but entering the     
,austrian territory above ,budua and    
,castel ,astua--,cattaro at present     
lying to the north-west of us4 ,the boy 

who conducted this same pony1 7a little 
mare1 with a mule foal running beside   
her17 was the most unmitigated savage ,i
 have met with on my travels1 though not
 more than ten years old4 ,he was the   
ugliest little urchin ,i ever saw--his  
only clothing was a piece of an old sack
 and ragged opunkas4 ,after galloping   
some distance to meet us1 his mind      
misgave him as to his pistol1 and he    
returned and made his father1 who was   
working in the field1 exchange with him4
 ,he then undertook to lead the pony1   
7the animals here do not go pleasantly  
unless led1 and also by some one they   
are acquainted with17 which he did in   
the most desperate manner1 walking at   
about seven miles an hour4 ,no concern  
of his what became of the knees of the  
occupant1 or with what stones or thorns 
they might be brought into collision4   
,when he came to a precipice in the     
road1 and there were many1 down he      
jumped tugging the beast after him1 and 
not looking behind once4 ,all this time 

the foal kept jamming up against its    
mother4 ,it was soon evident that the   
dismissal of this youth and his cattle  
was a sine qua non1 as cautions were    
vain4 ,but on a sum being offered which 
he considered less than his due1 having 
come about a mile1 he took his own part 
in a manner most edifying in one so     
young2 and had the retainers of our     
party not been as well provided as he1  
,i believe he would have pistolled the  
whole of us4 ,at length1 finding his    
efforts fruitless1 he sprang on the     
pony1 and putting her to her best pace1 
was soon out of sight4 ,about the same  
time we fell in with two monks from the 
convent of ,bercelli1 who were on their 
way to pay their respects to the        
,vladika4 ,this was fortunate1 as we had
 intended to sleep there4 ,these were   
the only inmates1 and had the key of the
 place with them4 ,after treating the   
party to brandy1 one of them turned back
 with us4 ,he was an old man1 and he had
 to return a distance of twelve miles2  

but he never seemed to give this a      
thought4 ,they were dressed in black    
gowns1 and high black caps4 ,our road   
lay through a populous district1 and    
many were the salutations ,petrarca     
received1 coupled with enquiries        
respecting us--long conversations taking
 place over miles of intervening hill   
and dale4 ,this time1 ,i believe1 ,i    
filled the part of the ,english         
ambassador4 ,the outward appearance of  
our quarters1 when we arrived1 was not  
prepossessing2 but the state of dirt of 
the best room could hardly have been    
anticipated4 ,its equal--,i speak       
advisedly--could not be found out of the
 country we were in4 ,the floors mouldy 
and rat-eaten--old shelves hanging      
about1 containing every kind of         
rubbish--crusts of bread1 a bit of      
tallow candle in a bottle--old cups and 
glasses in different directions1 with   
the remains of something in the bottom  
of every one4 ,the only covering on the 
boards which formed the bed1 was a      

sheepskin blanket1 very old and dirty1  
looking like the mother of fleas4 ,it   
would take a page to mention the        
manifold horrors that presented         
themselves4 ,at length1 after a late bad
 supper1 ,i felt repose desirable1 be it
 where it might4 ,we had stipulated1    
however1 for the sole possession of this
 melancholy dormitory1 and having made  
up the best bed ,i could1 turned in with
 loathing2 but the cold made one less   
particular1 as it was hard frost1 and   
the windows had no shutter or fastening 
of any kind4 ,i found1 however1 there   
was one exception to our sole right of  
tenure2 no other than the old priest    
himself1 whom ,i had shortly to get up  
and let in4 ,poor man6 he had nowhere   
else to go2 and having given up his     
luxurious couch1 he proposed for himself
 to court slumber on the top of an old  
chest--it looked hard1 certainly1 and   
the poor old man seemed ill at ease4    
,all night he rested none4 ,he groaned  
much1 and was afflicted with a cough and

 its usual results2 and in each result  
he laboured long and strenuously1 as    
though putting his whole soul in it1    
till a severe shock on the opposite wall
 showed the successful issue of his     
exertions4 ,we did not lie in bed next  
morning very long after waking1 and by  
six o'clock were on our road1 expressing
 a firm determination to reach ,cattaro 
or perish1 sooner than pass another     
night in a ,montenegrian homestead4     
,there was no other mule to be procured 
to-day1 so it was a case of riding and  
tying with the portmanteau4 ,when the   
latter walked1 it usually did so on the 
head of the poor woman who brought the  
mule4 ,the remainder of our luggage     
consisted of two carpet-bags1 and ,spiro
 and ,melo slung one of these upon each 
of their guns1 and proceeded merrily4   
,we entered the ,austrian territory by  
the village of ,braitsch4 ,the people   
hereabouts are very poor and ill-off4   
,our way overlooked the sea2 below us   
lay ,budua4 ,we halted1 to give         

ourselves and the mule a drink1 by the  
fort of ,stanivitch4 ,this was formerly 
a convent1 and under the dominion of    
,montenegro2 but ,austria has lately    
become possessor of it1 through1 ,i     
believe1 a pecuniary arrangement with   
the ,vladika4 ,his territory1 however1  
at no time reached the sea in any part1 
though this is not distant above two or 
three miles2 it was now a military post4
 ,a ,moravian captain was in command1   
who most politely invited us to stay the
 night1 fearing we should be unable to  
reach ,cattaro2 however1 it was then    
only four o'clock1 the day was bright1  
and the sight of the sea encouraged us4 
,besides1 ,i noticed a flea on the      
collar of his coat4 ,we thanked him for 
his kindness1 and persevered on our     
journey4 ,our road lay nearly all on the
 descent1 and while it was good1 and the
 daylight lasted1 we hurried forward    
with all speed4 ,at length it became    
very rocky and precipitous2 and1 as the 
light soon failed entirely1 it became   

necessary to mount the portmanteau1 as  
it was not possible for any biped to    
sustain it longer on their head1 and to 
maintain their equilibrium as well4     
,from very bad1 things got to much      
worse4 ,the track1 as well as the whole 
country1 was composed of angular grey   
rocks1 among which1 in the now total    
darkness1 it became nearly impossible to
 discern the path4 ,these stones had a  
light appearance1 and it was desirable  
to avoid bringing one's shins in contact
 with them2 but if a spot seemed dark1  
and might be imagined to be soft ground1
 it proved to be one of the villanous   
prickly bushes of the country4 ,this    
shrub grows all over ,albania and       
,dalmatia1 and1 ,i believe1 in ,italy2  
it is low and bushy1 with abundance of  
flat round seed2 the spines are set both
 ways1 up and down the twig1 and are the
 most malignant thorns ,i ever met with4
 ,whatever part of your garments they   
catch hold of1 from that they have never
 been known to part4 ,presently our road

 became inhabited by a stream of water1 
and every step that avoided the stones  
was ankle-deep in mud4 ,how the mule    
could have got on1 as ,i could not see1 
,i cannot imagine1 but the box which it 
carried was not seriously damaged4 ,the 
two guides in their opunkas walked      
firmly1 but the others were tumbling    
frequently4 ,the female who had come    
with us now fairly compounded1 according
 to the sporting phrase1 and gave vent  
to her sufferings in tears and          
reproaches4 ,this had1 however1 a       
reviving effect upon others of our      
party1 who were near compounding        
themselves--for ,i had rather been      
holding out the endurance of this poor  
woman1 who had walked most of the day   
with a portmanteau on her head1 as an   
example for imitation4 ,the town of     
,cattaro at length became visible far   
below us1 after almost the longest three
 hours ,i ever passed4 ,at other times1 
,i might have been tempted to derive    
amusement from the mishaps of my friends

 under similar circumstances2 but at    
present1 some of the party had been     
reduced to such desperation1 that ,i    
began sometimes to doubt the favourable 
issue of our journey4 ,by nine o'clock  
the land gates are closed1 and this we  
had heard already strike4 ,the sea gate 
is open for another hour4 ,it was not   
till after this1 that1 having gained the
 coast road which leads to ,cattaro from
 the south1 we reached the town4 ,there1
 a boat was requisite to take us over   
the sea gate2 but all the town boats had
 long since retired1 and it took us at  
least half an hour to awake somebody on 
board a trabacolo in the harbour4 ,when 
at length we were conveyed to the gate1 
a small gratuity to the sentinels gained
 us admission1 and a little before      
midnight we found ourselves once more in
 our favourite inn4 ,we remained some   
days at ,cattaro1 arranging for our     
departure4 ,during this time1 we heard  
that the ,vladika had at length found   
his task hopeless1 and abandoned        

hostilities4 ,he had been1 however1 a   
week arriving at such a conclusion1 and 
the sound of the cannonade was heard    
during the whole of the time occupied by
 our return4 ,it was a pity to see a    
worthy potentate of moderate means      
spending his pocket-money so            
fruitlessly4 ,the philanthropist will be
 glad to learn that no lives were       
sacrificed during this protracted siege4
 ,the ,montenegrians1 more modest than  
some of our own neighbours on a late    
occasion of very similar glory1 laid    
claim only to having wounded one man in 
the fort2 but an ,albanian bulletin     
might have denied even that4  ,before   
concluding1 a few further particulars   
concerning ,montenegro will not be out  
of place4 ,in former days1 as ,i have   
observed1 they were but a den of        
mountain thieves1 dangerous to each     
other1 and unapproachable by strangers4 
,at the present time1 no country can    
boast superiority in either of these    
respects4 ,indeed1 in so small a        

community1 crime is rare1 from the      
greater certainty of detection4 ,i speak
 nothing1 of course1 of border pastimes 
with their neighbours2 and these1       
possibly1 form a safety-valve to the    
pent-up propensities of the inhabitants4
 ,this important change has been brought
 about within fifty years1 but1 most of 
all1 during the twelve years that the   
present ,vladika has reigned4 ,but the  
,vladikas who have effected this change1
 actuated by the desire of improving the
 condition of their people1 have been   
obliged to barter their independence1 in
 a manner1 for ,russian gold1 in order  
to give them the means of effecting it4 
,i am not able to say when the          
subsidizing system first commenced1 but 
at present the ,vladika1 as well as all 
the officials and senators1 receive     
their stipends4 ,that of the ,vladika   
amounts1 ,i believe1 to about eight     
thousand pounds annually2 but this may  
include a small tax of1 ,i think1 two   
shillings on each household1 which is   

paid by the ,montenegrians themselves4  
,of the senators1 there are forty who   
are elected by the communes1 and paid by
 ,russia4 ,there is also a force of     
eight hundred men paid1 and residing in 
different districts1 which forms an     
executive police2 but there is nothing  
in the shape of a standing army4 ,the   
,vladikas are appointed by the emperor  
in nepotal succession from the family of
 ,petrovitch4 ,the present ,vladika     
received his education at ,st           
,petersburg1 and several of his nephews 
are now there1 from whom his successor  
will be chosen4 ,i am not acquainted    
with the amount of temporal power       
possessed by the ,vladika1 but ,i should
 think it was subject to much restraint4
 ,i have heard that1 on more than one   
occasion in the senate1 he has been     
personally threatened during the stormy 
debates which have occurred4 ,though he 
is generally popular1 it would seem that
 here1 as elsewhere1 there exists a     
strong party opposed to all reform1 and 

pining for the good old days of general 
license4 ,the demeanour of the          
,montenegrians to their ,vladika1 though
 respectful1 is free and independent4   
,on meeting him the hand is raised to   
the head1 or1 if near1 they offer to    
kiss his hand4 ,this salutation is paid 
to any ordinary priest1 and             
occasionally1 through all ,dalmatia1 to 
a stranger like myself4 ,russia1 it will
 be seen1 reigns as completely in       
,montenegro as though its passes were   
occupied by her soldiers4 ,the supplies 
stopped1 all would be anarchy and       
confusion4 ,nor do the ,montenegrians   
object to this in any way4 ,their       
personal independence is in no way      
compromised1 and their laws and usages  
remain unaltered4 ,there is not a single
 ,russian in ,montenegro1 and1 only     
knowing them at distance1 they regard   
them at present with hearty good-will4  
,the ,vladika1 however1 who reaps the   
greatest benefits1 has1 it would appear1
 to submit to a certain loss of freedom4

 ,during the past summer he visited     
,trieste and ,vienna2 and ,i was        
informed1 on good authority1 had desired
 to go to ,england1 but had been unable 
to obtain the permission of an emperor  
who seems determined no one shall travel
 but himself4 ,the ,vladika had         
certainly expressed to me a hope that he
 should visit ,england some time4 ,there
 can be no doubt that it is well worth  
while thus to secure the alliance of the
 ,montenegrians1 for they would prove a 
bitter thorn in any collision either    
with ,turkey or ,austria4 ,the country  
is divided into twelve military         
jurisdictions1 under so many captains1  
and every man is bound to serve1 though 
by what power1 except inclination1 ,i am
 sure ,i do not know4 ,i do not imagine 
that this has been particularly provided
 for1 so willing are they to serve      
uncalled4  ,the population of           
,montenegro is at the present time not  
short of one hundred and twenty thousand
 souls4 ,of these1 more than half would 

be serviceable were their own territory 
invaded2 for every boy of eight years   
old and upwards carries a gun1 and there
 is no reason he should not point it as 
straight as an older person1 presenting1
 at the same time1 a smaller mark to the
 enemy4 ,the women even occasionally    
assist1 and at all times carry the      
ammunition and supplies4 ,i used        
sometimes to think1 when meeting one of 
these armed urchins1 how ignominious it 
would be to be robbed by him2 and yet1  
were he only cunning enough to keep out 
of arm's-length1 ,i don't exactly know  
how it could be helped4 ,the arms of the
 ,montenegrians consist of a long gun1  
usually very elegantly mounted1 the     
stock short1 and curved like a horse's  
neck2 round his waist is a belt with    
cartouch-boxes containing the spare     
ammunition1 the cartridges for immediate
 use being in the pistol-belt in front4 
,here1 in a leather case1 is a mass of  
arms which occupy the same relative     
position to the wearer as the youthful  

kangaroo to its parent2 here are a brace
 of pistols with a pointed pommel1 and a
 yataghan1 which is used in these       
countries to the entire exclusion of the
 sword1 and which1 from its position in 
the belt1 does not get in the way when  
walking--the ramrod for the pistols     
also1 which in the ,east is a separate  
arm1 containing sometimes a dagger or a 
pair of tongs for adjusting the         
never-absent pipe1 and a smaller knife  
is often slung on behind4 ,in ordinary  
times1 a yataghan or pistol may be      
dispensed with2 but whatever may be the 
occupation of man or boy1 the gun is    
never left behind1 whether ploughing1 or
 cutting wood1 or carrying the heaviest 
burdens4 ,it is almost extraordinary    
that they should thus encumber          
themselves1 as1 within their own        
boundary1 none are so safe1 and their   
mountains seldom afford them a living   
mark4 ,i believe it arises very much    
from a fondness for the weapon4 ,the    
greatest care is taken of it1 and it    

undergoes a complete cleaning after     
every shot4 ,the arms of the people in  
general present a striking contrast to  
their dress4 ,on the former they spend  
most of their spare money1 and they are 
kept in great order and cleanliness4    
,the warriors1 when they take the field1
 fight more for plunder than for honour 
and glory4 ,the spoils of houses and    
farm-steads1 or the arms or heads of    
their enemies1 7a prisoner is never     
spared17 all form desirable prizes4 ,it 
must be remembered their service is     
chiefly voluntary1 and they receive no  
pay4 ,it is not their tactics to expose 
themselves much in battle4 ,the grey    
rocks1 which suit well the colour of    
their dress1 afford a shelter1 from     
behind which they take well-directed    
aim4 ,every man acts to the best of his 
judgment--usually acute where           
self-preservation is the law2 and their 
great activity and powers of endurance  
enable them1 in their difficult country1
 to contend with many advantages against

 regular troops4 ,in #ahch1 during a    
temporary collision with ,austria1 they 
gave as good as they received1 to say   
the least2 and perhaps it was owing to  
this that peace was so soon concluded4  
,in such a country cavalry is out of the
 question1 and horses are seldom used4  
,the ,vladika himself possesses a       
considerable stud4 ,the dress of the    
people--at all seasons the              
same--consists of a white coat of coarse
 cloth1 with generally a blue edging1   
open in front1 and reaching nearly to   
the knee4 ,this has no buttons1 but is  
fastened round the waist by a red sash4 
,they are usually shirtless1 and their  
hardy bosoms brave the storm in all     
weathers4 ,around their shoulders is    
thrown a description of plaid1 generally
 of a brown colour1 about three feet    
wide and six feet long2 and from keeping
 this in its proper position1 a slight  
stoop becomes habitual4 ,they have wide 
drawers of blue serge1 or sometimes of  
the material of their coats1 which is   

thicker2 of this also are their leggings
 formed4 ,under the opunkas is worn a   
thick woollen sock2 but in wet weather  
the men and women usually go barefooted4
 ,on their head is a small round cap of 
scarlet or black cloth4 ,their custom is
 to shave the whole of the face         
excepting the mustaches1 as well as the 
sides and crown of the head2 but from   
long neglect1 it is often difficult to  
distinguish the favoured localities4    
,petrarca1 in his avocation of barber1  
was in the greatest request4 ,the       
costume of the women does not differ    
widely1 but the coat is longer1 and a   
petticoat replaces the blue             
drawers--round their waist is a belt of 
great weight1 about three inches wide1  
and of the thickest leather1 set with   
cornelians and other coarse stones1     
mounted in brass4 ,the red cap is usual1
 and the hair is often prettily braided4
 ,i have seen some head-dresses composed
 of silver coins4 ,none of the people   
seem to be in the habit of bathing or   

washing1 and they do not remove their   
garments at night4 ,the children have   
often nothing but a shirt4 ,as a nation 
they are healthy and robust1 though     
fevers occur at certain times in some   
districts4 ,among the men two casts of  
features are general2 the one1 known    
among us as the ,jack ,sheppard         
face--the lower parts rather prominent1 
and the nose short and somewhat turned  
up1 the complexion and hair very dark4  
,the other is very different1 a bright  
colour and high handsome features2 yet  
nearly every person one meets belongs to
 one of these two varieties4 ,the latter
 is commonest among the tallest men4    
,they have all very good teeth1 and     
their expression is intelligent and     
good-humoured4 ,as in feature1 so in    
stature1 considerable uniformity        
appears4 ,their height averages about   
five feet ten1 with great development of
 muscle4 ,the women are relatively      
inferior in looks--they are broad and   
short1 seeming to possess great         

strength2 but the labour they undergo1  
and the burdens they carry1 appear      
inimical to beauty4 ,they have often    
pleasant countenances and good          
brick-dust complexions4 ,the ,servian or
 ,naski here spoken is considered among 
the purest dialects of ,sclavonic--it   
has a very pleasing sound1 being softer 
and more melodious than the ,russian4   
,my stay was unfortunately not long     
enough to obtain much knowledge of it1  
and this want will sufficiently account 
for any errors that may appear in my    
descriptions of what ,i did not         
personally witness2 for it prevented    
that free intercourse with the people1  
by which a true insight to their manners
 can alone be acquired4 ,their laws seem
 very simple2 he who kills is           
killed--shooting being the mode of      
execution4 ,he who robs must make good2 
and1 as few of the people are in abject 
poverty1 this is usually done4 ,should  
they fail1 a summary flogging is        
inflicted4 ,at ,cettigna is a small     

prison2 ,i believe there is no other4   
,when any one is there confined1 he     
trusts entirely to his friends for      
subsistence4 ,they are good-humoured1   
obliging1 and extremely loquacious2 but 
their continued spitting is very        
disagreeable4 ,i witnessed no games or  
diversions among them except the        
one-stringed fiddle2 but ,i understood  
that they have a few athletic sports1   
such as wrestling and putting the stone4
 ,they often go to sea4 ,i encountered  
two among the crew of an ,austrian      
packet4 ,they all profess the ,greek    
faith1 and are in their way very        
religious4 ,when passing a church they  
bow and cross themselves1 and perform   
all sorts of pious movements1 which     
sometimes border on the ludicrous4      
,before going to sleep they make long   
prayers4 ,previous to visiting the      
,vladika1 an armed ,montenegrian entered
 in the morning the house where we      
slept1 and casting aside his gun and    
cloak1 commenced reading mass to the    

assembled party4 ,this was the priest of
 the parish4 ,the older members of the  
community are not usually very          
enlightened2 but through the schools    
established by the ,vladika1 where      
instruction is dispensed gratuitously1  
most of the rising generation can read  
and write their native language1 and a  
sufficiency of neatly printed books are 
issued from the press he keeps employed 
at ,cettigna4 ,no social distinctions   
are yet known among them1 and the most  
perfect equality prevails--even the sons
 address their father by his ,christian 
name4 ,the only exception is in the     
person of the ,vladika--his lot on the  
whole is not an enviable one4 ,the only 
educated mind among the many--the only  
polished gentleman among simple         
peasants2 he is indeed an isolated      
being4 ,handsome and in the prime of    
life1 yet there must be none to cheer   
his lot1 or lighten his solitude1 nor   
any to whom he would love to transmit   
his mountain throne4 ,in this respect   

the laws of his order are stringent1 and
 the breath of scandal has never yet    
sullied his fair name1 though it is     
quite true that whilst in his native    
land the temptations are not very       
severe4 ,i should not be surprised if a 
report ,i heard current should prove    
true1 that he intended1 at no very      
distant period1 to relinquish the       
government of ,montenegro1 and spend the
 remainder of his days among a people   
more congenial to the habits of a man of
 education4 ,were he an absolute        
potentate1 an extended field for        
benefiting his countrymen might be      
obtained2 but with his more             
constitutional power1 the attempts he   
has been able to make have been         
constantly thwarted by prejudice and    
ignorance4 ,had he the privileges or the
 ties of an ordinary man1 then1 as we   
all know1 the barrener the rocks1 the   
dearer seems the love of the native     
land2 but1 situated as he is1 he can    
hardly be accused of want of patriotism 

if his stay in ,montenegro should not   
extend beyond the time required in      
saving sufficient of his income to quit 
it4  ,our voyage from ,cattaro to ,corfu
 was accomplished in a small            
trabacolo--the ,san ,marco of           
,spalatro--having on board three men and
 a boy4 ,these boats1 though not fast1  
are very safe1 and the ,dalmatians in   
general manage small craft well4 ,the   
north wind is scarce at this time of the
 year1 but a beautiful tramontana blew  
during the time we were working out of  
the ,bocca4 ,this we lost entirely1 and 
not a breath moved its calm waters4 ,we 
had also to wait some hours at ,port    
,rosa1 situated at the entrance of the  
,bocca1 for our papers4 ,by the time we 
were out at sea1 the wind had nearly    
died away1 and the next day found us    
employed gathering wild pomegranates on 
the desolate shores near ,antiversi1 in 
,albania4 ,again a beautiful tramontana 
sprang up1 and in a vessel of first-rate
 sailing powers1 would almost have      

brought us in4 ,all day we went         
gallantly along4 ,the heads of          
,ducazzo--,dyrrichium of old--began to  
appear1 and soon we passed it in a foam4
 ,all night we held on1 and in the      
morning were beside the infames scopulos
 ,acroceraunia1 and in sight of the     
island of ,sassina1 near the harbour of 
,avlona4 ,on we went still1 till at     
length there appeared the land of the   
,phoeacians1 like a shield upon the sea2
 but there was a cloud over it which    
portended ill4 ,it advanced towards us1 
and extended rapidly4 ,it was soon      
evident to the most sanguine that the   
wind was changing1 and there was shortly
 no mistake about the matter4 ,i        
implored our skipper to keep on1 though 
he tacked to the coast of ,apulia2 but  
he knew his trade too well--the trade of
 a trabacolo consisting in never losing 
sight of shore4 ,so we were obliged to  
put in to ,avlona harbour1 deeply       
lamenting4 ,two days were spent here1   
not daring to land for fear of putting  

ourselves in quarantine4 ,above the town
 rises the fortress of ,canina1 but all 
wears a ruined appearance4 ,the people  
of the neighbourhood1 called            
,chimariots1 have the worst reputation  
of all the ,albanians4 ,the coast of    
,albania between this and ,corfu has a  
very barren and inhospitable appearance4
 ,the snowy peaks of the ,pindus rise   
directly from the sea4 ,a few bushes    
were visible on the mountains1 but      
timber of any size is scarce4 ,villages 
and houses are seldom seen4 ,a glad     
contrast was presented when1 on the     
tenth day of our voyage1 we approached  
the beautiful shores of ,corfu2 and it  
was no small comfort1 after so long an  
imprisonment in this little tub1 with   
holes to creep in about the size of a   
dog-kennel1 and in the roughest possible
 weather1 to find ourselves in one of   
the most comfortable hotels in ,europe1 
and surrounded by old friends4  ,since  
my visit to ,montenegro1 the ,vladika   
went to ,vienna--,i believe to gain the 

mediation of ,austria concerning the    
disputed territory of ,lessandro4 ,after
 his return ,i understand he was visited
 by ,lord ,clarence ,paget1 commanding  
her ,majesty's frigate ,l',aigle1 who   
had been sent to gain some information  
regarding his territory2 so that1       
perhaps1 a more accurate account may be 
obtained than what is to be found in    
these rough notes4     ,,sthetics ,,of  
,,dress4  ,a ,,case ,,of ,,hats4   ,of  
all the follies that can be fairly      
placed to the charge of the human       
race--and1 ,heaven knows1 they are thick
 as gnats in a summer sunbeam--none can 
be laid at more people's doors than the 
fickleness and vagaries of the judgment 
in adorning1 to say nothing of covering1
 man's outer scaffolding--the body4 ,and
 the worst of it is1 that this folly-cap
 fits all men1 from the ,red ,indian of 
,america to the sallow-faced1           
eye-slitted ,chinese2 and through all   
the robed pomp of the solemn ,turk to   
the chattering and capering monkeyism of

 the ,parisian exquisite--there are fops
 every where4 ,as ,mr ,catlin will tell 
you1 one of his lanky ,ojibbeway1 or    
,ioway1 or ,cutaway1 or                 
,anyotherkindo'way ,indians varies the  
feathers in his head-dress1 and sticks  
new tinsel on his buffalo-mantle1       
whenever he can get them2 spending as   
much time in be-painting his cheeks on a
 summer morning1 as ,beau ,brummell1 of 
departed memory1 ever wasted in tying   
his cravat4 ,and so it has ever been--so
 it will ever be2 man is not only a     
two-legged unfledged animal1 but he is  
also a vain imitative ape1 fond of his  
own dear visage1 blind to his           
deformities1 and ever desirous of       
setting himself off to the best         
advantage4 ,it is of no use quarrelling 
with ourselves for this physiological   
fact--for we presume it to be one of the
 best ascertained phenomena connected   
with the genus homo--it is better to    
take it as we find it2 and if we cannot 
hope to cure man of the absurdity any   

time this side of the millennium1 let us
 try if we cannot turn the failing to   
some account1 and make it useful as well
 as ornamental4  ,the chief quarrel to  
be picked with man for his dressing     
propensities1 is on the ground that he  
not only hides and disfigures the fair  
proportions bestowed on him by his      
,maker1 but that he ever and anon loads 
himself with such masses of useless     
incongruities1 that the very end and    
object of his care are stultified4      
,instead of making himself smart1       
pretty1 becoming1 beautiful--or any     
other word that you can find in the     
dandy's dictionary--he frequently       
succeeds in making himself positively   
ugly--frightful1 in the pure abstract   
sense of the term--or detestable1 in the
 lingo of the ,stultzean tribe--and     
relapses1 as a ,frenchman would say1    
from civism to brutism3 ,ah6 quel animal
 que l'homme6  ,but let it not be       
supposed that we speak of man only1 as  
applied to that great branch of the     

species designated by the most          
experienced naturalists as homo vir2 it 
is quite as true of the other moiety1   
the homo femina4 ,if it be possible that
 a woman should ever be made frightful  
by any thing except age1 then it is     
surely by dress2 if a woman never does a
 foolish thing in any other way1 yet at 
least she errs in her habiliments2 if   
she be fickle at all1 7and speak to the 
fact1 ye disappointed bachelors and ye  
complaisant husbands67 in what is she   
more fickle than in dress8 ,we might    
waste a life in finding a suitable      
simile for her volatility in this       
matter3 rainbows with changing colours1 
water on a windy day1 the wind itself in
 the month of ,march1 the               
much-desiderated perpetual motion2 all  
are feeble similes to describe a woman's
 fickleness in dress4 ,shall we liken it
 to her tongue's untiring play8 or shall
 we not rather say that it is a         
psychological fact standing per se8 the 
concomitant effect and consequence of   

her beauty8 ,but1 dear creatures6 we are
 not going to quarrel with them for what
 gives us so much unconscious pleasure1 
7we do not mean milliners' bills1 gentle
 reader27 we glory in living under a    
petticoat government1 and in essentially
 petticoatian times4 ,all we shall do is
 to give a word of advice2 and in trying
 on their caps for them1 we will show   
them the rationale of their bows and    
their lace1 if they will only have the  
patience to sit still for the           
experiment4  ,before embarking on such  
an important project1 allow us to say   
that we are not going to quiz old       
,whang-,fong for his pig-tail and       
peacock feathers1 nor his ,cannibalean  
majesty for his obstinate refusal to    
wear a decent pair of inexpressibles2 it
 is a stiff subject to meddle with the  
dressing propensities of people that    
live in many a place that's underneath  
the world4 ,for all we care1 ,abd el    
,kader and his ,arabs may stifle        
themselves up in their greasy blankets  

swarming with ancestral vermin under a  
nearly tropical sun2 and the good people
 of ,igloolik may bedeck themselves with
 the spoils of fish1 flesh1 and fowl1 to
 set the fashions of the ,arctic circle4
 ,we are going to speak merely of our   
home acquaintances and our ,european    
friends2 if these only would be         
reasonable in their dress1 what a new   
thing it would be in the world--quel    
progrs6 quel vnement6  ,the fundamental 
rule of dress we take to be the         
following--utility in all cases1        
ornament when practicable4 ,the first   
should ever precede1 and serve as the   
basis to the second2 and it is the      
inversion of their due positions that   
causes so many applications of the utile
 and the dulce to end in sheer          
absurdity4 ,the usefulness of any       
article or system of dress depends      
entirely upon climate1 modified of      
course by the occupation or pursuits of 
the wearer2 the beauty of it or the     
suitableness of the ornament to the     

character of the vestment4 ,we defy all 
the editors of the ,recueils des ,modes1
 ,petits ,courriers des ,dames1 ,belles 
,assembles1 c41 with even the           
poet-laureates of ,moses and ,son1 ,hyam
 and ,co41 with the whole host of       
,israelitish schneiders1 to find out a  
better sthetic definition of the law of 
dress than this4 ,who would have the    
effrontery to maintain that an          
,englishman1 the very type of the useful
 at ,calcutta in his cotton jacket and  
nankeens1 would in the same habiliments 
be a suitably dressed man at ,st        
,petersburg8 and however much a well-set
 ring may ornament an aristocratic      
finger1 7though aristocratic fingers1   
like aristocratic hands1 as ,byron      
observes1 need no ornament to tell their
 origin17 who but an ,otaheitan would   
admire the application of them to the   
gouty toes of some fine old ,english    
gentleman8 ,usefulness first1 then1 and 
ornament afterwards2 think first of what
 you actually want for your health or   

comfort2 cut your coat upon that        
pattern1 clap on your lace afterwards2  
but enrich it only to improve its       
appearance1 not to interfere with1 to   
conceal1 or to alter its original       
destination4  ,to begin1 however1       
methodically1 let us take what are      
commonly understood by well-dressed     
,english people of the present day1 and 
let us criticise them from top to toe4  
,and first1 then1 of a gentleman's      
head--le chef1 as the ,french call      
it--and the chapeau1 its present gear4  
,what a covering6 what a termination to 
the capital of that pillar of the       
creation1 ,man6 what an ungraceful1     
mis-shapen1 useless1 and uncomfortable  
appendage to the seat of reason--the    
brain-box6 ,does it protect the head    
from either heat1 cold1 or wet8 ,does it
 set off any of natural beauty of the   
human cranium8 ,are its lines in harmony
 with1 or in becoming contrast to1 the  
expressive features of the face8 ,is it 
comfortable1 portable1 durable1 or      

cheap8 ,what qualities1 either of use or
 ornament1 has it in its favour that it 
should be the crowning point of a       
well-dressed man's toilet8 ,the hat is1 
beyond all doubt1 one of the strangest  
vestimental anomalies of the nineteenth 
century4  ,the history of the hat is    
this3--,the simplest covering for a     
man's head after his own unshorn        
locks--7do not remind us of the matted  
and living locks of the ,indians or     
,hottentots7--must have been something  
like the ,greek skull-cap4 ,this we hold
 to have been the root1 or nucleus1 of  
the hat2 and yet even this cap had a    
fault in point of utility1 for it failed
 to shadow the eyes3 and on the earliest
 ,greek monuments we find a cap with a  
wide brim appended1 or a flattish       
straw-hat following close upon the      
,phrygian bonnet4 ,a light flattish hat 
has its recommendation in a warm        
country1 but it will not do for the     
winds and storms of a northern clime2   
and hence all the old ,gauls1 the       

northern nations1 the ,tartars1 and the 
peasants of ,europe1 for many a long    
century wore a modified cap--sometimes  
swelling out into ornamental            
proportions1 at others shrinking into   
the primitive simplicity of the         
,phrygian or ,greek cap4 ,shall we      
confess it1 fastidious reader8--we      
strongly suspect the cap worn by that   
idle fellow ,paris1 when he so          
impudently ogled the goddesses on ,mount
 ,ida1 to have been very similar to the 
good old bonnet de nuit of our          
grandfathers--7shall we whisper it1 of  
ourselves87 ,yes1 that little cocked-up 
corner at the top looks like a budding  
tassel2 he never had such bad taste as  
to tie it with a riband round his brows2
 and we do not read in ,homer that      
,helen1 though a capital workwoman1 ever
 gave him one2 but we are inclined to   
believe that the old punty-dunty1       
pudding-bag-shaped cap which is still   
worn by the ,french peasantry in their  
field occupations1 and is still         

patronized by a large portion of ,queen 
,victoria's loving subjects1 is of the  
highest antiquity1 and based1 we have no
 doubt1 on utility4 ,we must be candid  
enough to say1 that we give up the      
argument as to the intrinsic beauty of  
this species of cap--truly we think it  
the very type of all that is slovenly2  
but for use1 there is not a more        
comfortable1 portable1 pliable1 buyable1
 and washable a commodity1 than         
your--nightcap are we to say8 no--than  
your bonnet ,grec4  ,hats1 properly so  
called1 whether of cloth or fur1 were   
evidently the invention of some         
out-of-door people2 but then they were  
not the brimless pyramidal canisters of 
the present fashion1 but were either    
caps with dependent brims1 or else broad
 and flexible ,spanish sombreros4 ,the  
very idea of a hat is that of           
utility--something to keep off the sun  
and the rain--any thing will do for     
warmth that will aid the hair in keeping
 in the natural caloric of a man's head2

 and hence we much doubt whether the    
,irish1 that hot-headed nation1 ever    
wore hats in early times4 ,from the want
 of shade being early felt by civilized 
nations1 more than shelter from rain1   
and from hat-shapes being found on early
 southern monuments1 we are inclined to 
think that the hat was more extensively 
worn in ,southern than in ,northern     
,europe2 more1 as it is1 in ,southern   
,england than in ,northern ,scotland4   
,hence1 although we find many iron      
skull-caps1 like hats1 used by the      
military in the fifteenth century2 and  
although we find traces of hats even in 
the plebeian costumes of the middle     
ages--yet we look upon the ,spanish and 
,italian hat of the sixteenth century1  
as the more immediate origin of its     
degenerate successor1 the actual        
chapeau4 ,we need not trace the         
variations of its form through the      
seventeenth century1 from the           
high-crowned things of ,henry ,,iii4 of 
,france1 and ,james ,i4 of ,england1 to 

the graceful beavers of ,louis ,,xiii41 
,philip ,,iii41 and ,charles ,i4 of     
,england2 the change was all in favour  
of the beaver2 and certainly the hat    
reached its culminating point of        
excellence during the reign of our      
martyr king4 ,who has studied the       
splendid portraits of ,vandyke1 or the  
heads of ,rubens1 and has not perceived 
the uncommon grace given to them by the 
well-proportioned and not excessive hat8
 ,who does not remember the fine        
portrait of ,rubens himself1 with his   
black ,spanish hat turned up in front1  
the very perfection of that style of    
head-dress8 ,put a modern hat by the    
side of this hat of ,rubens1 and say    
which bears off the palm2 there can     
hardly be two opinions upon the subject4
 ,the great change of this hat took     
place1 as is well known1 in ,louis      
,,xiv4's court1 where first of all      
feathers were laid all round upon the   
flat of the brim1 and next the brim was 
edged with lace1 and pinched or cocked  

up1 for greater use in military service4
 ,it might have been useful for a       
military man1 especially one who had to 
handle a bayoneted musket2 but it was a 
fatal invasion of the principle of      
beauty to adopt a permanent cock4 ,there
 is no doubt that the flat cocked hat1  
the small three-cornered pinched hat of 
the days of ,louis ,,xiv4 and ,louis    
,,xv41 gave much smartness to the       
soldier1 and much neatness to the       
civilian2 the change1 too1 corresponded 
with other alterations of dress1 from   
the loose and flowing1 to the tight and 
succinct principle2 but picturesque     
effect was entirely lost2 all the       
sentimentality1 all the romance of the  
hat1 evaporated in the formal cock4 ,but
 this small flat hat of the seventeenth 
and eighteenth centuries1 was perfection
 and beauty itself1 compared with the   
outrageous and elevated cocked hat which
 came into fashion sometime before      
#agej1 and which is the immediate       
prototype of the present military cocked

 hat4 ,here the principle of utility was
 entirely abandoned2 it was sacrificed  
to the display of an unnatural brim4    
,the hat was no longer formed by the    
pinching up of a circular brim of       
moderate dimensions2 but three enormous 
flaps were made to rear their unwieldy  
height in the air1 and were             
strengthened1 stiffened1 and supported1 
against the envious winds1 to the       
torment of the wearer1 and to the       
disfigurement of his person4 ,all       
through the first half of the tasteless 
reign of good old ,george ,,iii41 did   
this horrible covering disguise the     
beau's head2 and the effect of it may   
still be judged of by his grandchildren1
 when they contemplate1 not without awe1
 the rubicund figure of some            
metropolitan church-beadle with his     
large-caped coat1 silver-headed cane1   
and monstrous three-cornered hat4 ,our  
modern great ladies1 strange to say1    
seem to have an especial affection for  
this hat1 since they take particular    

care to have a couple of footmen behind 
their carriage glorying in this capital 
atrocity1 while on the coach-box they   
encourage the older form of the flat    
cocked hat of ,louis ,,xv4  ,all cocked 
hats1 be it observed1 are glorious      
rain-traps2 the only improvement they   
are capable of is one not yet patented1 
namely1 the appending of neat flexible  
spouts1 say of ,macintosh cloth1 from   
each corner1 so as to convey the water  
in pleasant meanderings over the back   
and coat-tails4 ,in dry weather these   
spouts might be tied up1 and would form 
graceful curves either before1 behind1  
or on one side of the cocked flaps1     
while in a shower they would add dignity
 to utility1 as they hung all adown the 
back of the wearer4 ,one kind of        
utility1 however1 the old cocked hat    
certainly had2 it served in some degree1
 maugre the looping up of the brim1 to  
shelter the face from the sun2 not      
indeed when worn full front1 as it was  
in ,dr ,johnson's time1 and as we       

remember the household troops used to   
wear it--but when1 by a daring          
innovation of revolutionary times1 it   
came to be turned round on its human    
pivot1 and lay gently athwart the line  
of vision4 ,thus it is that our generals
 wear it in this nineteenth century2    
thus it was that the ,great ,duke got   
all through ,spain with it2 though      
,napoleon1 who greatly reduced its      
dimensions1 always kept to the orthodox 
full-front2 and in all positions1 except
 the latter1 it certainly does shade    
some portion of the face from the sun4  
,but while1 for example1 the projection 
of one peak shades the nose1 the ears   
and cheeks are left to fish for         
themselves2 or else1 if the hat wheels  
round again to the front1 the ears come 
under its benignant shade1 but the tip  
of the proboscis suffers awfully4 ,the  
cocked hat has always been a two-horned 
dilemna ever since the third peak moved 
up in the world from its original       
position of horizontal equality1 and    

aspired to be a near neighbour of the   
cockade or towering plume4  ,it was that
 wicked revolution of ,france1 or rather
 that dissolute time preceding it1 which
 produced the most mischief in the hat  
line4 ,look at any of the pictures of   
that day--look at the portraits of the  
,conventionalists--look at the old      
prints of country gentlemen hunting or  
riding races at ,newmarket--remember the
 ,sir ,joshuas in many a noble gallery2 
and you will not fail to remark that the
 choice spirits of the day1 the go-ahead
 lads of that time1 had let down the    
flaps of their cocked hats into         
slouching1 and we must say1 most        
slovenly circular brims4 ,there was a   
sort of free-and-easy look affected in  
that day about the head1 totally at     
enmity with the prim rigidity of the    
cocked beaver2 you might have taken off 
your chapeau rond1 as it then came to be
 called1 and you might have sat on      
it--it would have been never the worse2 
but not so with its stiff old father--no

 liberties were to be taken with him2   
once sit upon him1 and you would have   
crushed him forever4 ,this very         
difference of hats marked a difference  
of politics--at least in ,france4 ,there
 the old chapeau  trois cornes was the  
badge of the aristocracy3 the chapeau   
rond and the bonnet rouge were sworn    
brothers in the cause of democracy4 ,the
 times were getting unhinged2 all       
fashions were relaxing2 so were public  
morals2 so were private morals2 so were 
men's hats3 hats and heads seemed to    
have a sympathy1 and to have gone wrong 
together4  ,and what has been the       
history of the hat since that day8--the 
civilian's hat we mean4 ,who remembers  
the overlapping crowns which came into  
fashion soon after the great peace1 at a
 time when ,frenchmen wore their brims  
extravagantly pinched up at the sides1  
and deeply pulled down fore and aft8    
,sometimes the hat rose up in pyramidal 
majesty2 sometimes it was shut in like a
 telescope wanting to be pulled out4    

,and then every kind of fancy man had a 
fancy hat3 there was the                
,neck-or-nothing hat1 the ,bang-up1 the 
,corinthian1 the ,jerry1 and the ,logic2
 or else distinguished leaders of ton   
lent their names to it1 and we had the  
,petershams1 the ,barringtons1 c4       
,through every degree of absurdity has  
the chapeau rond passed1 until it seems 
to have settled down into that quiescent
 state of mediocrity which marks the    
decline of empires and of hats4 ,the    
brim is no longer only half an inch     
broad as it was once1 nor four inches   
broad as we also remember it3 it seems  
to vary between the limits of one inch  
and two--a breadth just sufficient to   
let the line of shade1 when the head is 
erect1 come upon the eye-lids1 and just 
sufficient to clear the ears4 ,but if   
the head be moved ever so little1 or if 
the rain come down ever so slantingly1  
the services of the hat are at an end3  
it is well enough to intercept any thing
 coming down perpendicularly1 but       

slantendicularly1 as friend ,slick      
says--no4 ,its present height is just   
enough to prevent your wearing it in a  
carriage1 and such1 too1 as to give a   
moderate wind a good purchase upon it3  
the substance is such that the least    
exposure to wet ruins it1 whether of    
beaver or silk2 a moderate blow will    
crack or break its form2 and for the    
first week1 if you have any thing like a
 sensitive head1 or any bosses of       
unknown qualities protruding from your  
cranium1 you are doomed to incessant    
headache from hat-pinchings4 ,it has no 
properties of usefulness to recommend   
it1 and none of ornament1 saving        
this--if it can be called such--the     
being an invaluable appendage for a     
little man to make himself appear tall4 
,what a wide interval from the          
simplicity of its ,phrygian original6   
,having1 therefore1 criticized our      
present head-gear1 and condemned our    
hats1 without pulling them to pieces1   
let us enquire what a proper covering   

for the head should be3 first of all in 
point of usefulness1 and next in point  
of comely appearance4 ,but let no man   
vainly imagine that we expect to suit   
the fancies of all the creatures        
privileged to wear hats1 or even to     
cover their heads2 we do not pretend to 
invent1 or decide upon1 any one given   
type or form of head-dress4 ,so many are
 the wants of a man in covering his     
head1 so widely differing from each     
other are the exigencies of different   
people1 that uniformity in hats is to be
 given up as a bad job3 to attempt it   
would foil the strength of a ,hercules3 
the utmost we can hope to effect is to  
lay down certain limits for the         
variations of this apex of human pride4 
,for us1 then1 who live in a climate    
rainy1 windy1 hot1 and cold1 all within 
any twenty-four hours of the year1 just 
as the case may be1 it is plain that we 
want for general use something that will
 be proof against the atmospherical     
accidents that may befall any man who   

goes abroad to take the air4 ,and here  
let it be observed1 that in reasoning   
about hats1 all thoughts about that     
effeminate invention1 the umbrella1 are 
to be laid aside4 ,this utensil is truly
 a disgrace to the manhood of the times2
 and its existence1 by allowing people  
to dispense with warm cloaks and other  
anti-rain appliances1 has caused more   
disease1 in letting them catch cold1    
than any thing else we know of4 ,our    
stalwart ancestors did admirably well   
without umbrellas2 they wore good cloaks
 or coats1 and broad beavers to keep the
 rain out of their necks1 faring not a  
jot the worse for it4 ,umbrellas are    
only fit for men-milliners1 ,cockney    
travellers1 and women4 ,the nature of a 
hat1 we flatter ourselves1 is something 
independent of cotton and whalebone2 and
 instead of the umbrella claiming       
precedence over the hat1 the hat1 we    
take it1 should be above the umbrella4  
,an ,englishman's hat1 then1 should be  
something that will keep the rain off   

his face and neck when the weather is   
bad1 and shield his eyes from the glare 
of the sun on the few days when sunlight
 is oppressive--and these two           
requirements settle at once1 on all     
principles of common sense1 that a man1 
if he has only one kind of covering for 
the head1 should have a hat with a broad
 brim4 ,this is the very foundation of  
the definition of an useful hat1        
providing that a hat is really to be the
 thing worn for protecting a man's upper
 story4 ,usefulness will also decide    
against height in the crown4 ,cui bono  
this same high crown of ours1 that looks
 more like a watering-pot deprived of   
its spout and handle than a reasonable  
article of human apparel8 ,down with the
 crowns1 say we6 ,if you will wear a    
hat1 down with your crown4 ,you may put 
down your half-sovereign or sovereign1  
or whatever you please1 for your new hat
 first of all1 but down with your crown 
too4 ,here1 gentle reader1 you will     
exclaim against our taste1 and will     

protest that we would sacrifice every   
thing to that horrid utilitarian        
principle1 which opposes all ideas of   
beauty and poetry4 ,we are free to      
confess that1 in our opinion1 there is  
not much poetry to be made about such a 
subject--unless some obsolete verses1   
,all round my hat1 may be alleged to the
 contrary2 but as for the beauty of the 
head-piece1 we protest that we admit its
 existence1 and think that it should be 
consulted by whomsoever would pay proper
 attention to his own outward           
appearance4 ,the merely useful may      
possibly make the shape approximate to  
that of a ,quaker's or a jarvey's1 but  
the beautiful has to elevate and modify 
it into the mystical proportions fit for
 a man of taste4 ,one other quality1    
however1 which is intimately connected  
with the useful1 has to be noticed4 ,the
 substance should not be hard and       
unyielding4 ,witness1 ye                
reminiscences--ye painful images of     
bygone headachs1 even yet flitting      

through our brain like ,titanic         
thunderbolts6--accursed be the memory of
 that fellow ,tightfit in ,old ,bond    
,street1 who used to screw his hats on  
our cranium when we were young1 and ere 
,london had awakened us6 ,as you value  
your comfort1 dear reader1 never        
purchase a hard hat4 ,a hard heart may  
be borne with1 but a hard hat--never6   
,and last of all1 a hat should be       
light--yes1 the lighter the             
better--light as a gossamer web1 though 
'tis a simile that will not bear        
stretching4 ,you may have the misfortune
 to be a heavy-headed man1 but do not   
add to it that of being heavy-hatted4   
,avoid the extremity of suffering2 and  
observe the climax of ill from which we 
would shield your head--a               
narrow-brimmed1 hard1 heavy1            
high-crowned hat--    tode gar brotois  
megiston lthet' ek then kakon4   ,the   
covering of the head1 then1 must have   
its usefulness made ornamental1 if not  
beautiful2 and the due ornamentation of 

it will depend principally upon its     
form1 but also upon its colour and      
material4 ,now1 form is the principal   
thing2 every one that has half an eye   
for art will tell you this--'tis an     
admitted axiom4 ,either1 then1 the shape
 of the covering should conform to that 
of the head1 or it should not1 and we   
take our ground in support of the latter
 position4 ,the natural form of the head
 is determined by the rotundity of the  
cranium1 beautifully modified by the    
waving curls of the hair--we speak of   
the abstract well-formed head2 and      
nothing that approaches to the same     
shape will ever do more than give a bad 
substitute for the outline of the head  
as nature framed it4 ,any covering      
conceals the hair2 and if you remove    
from sight this intrinsically beautiful 
integument1 it is a principle of bad    
taste to put in its place only a poor   
copy of the same contour4 ,if you cover 
the head1 cover it with something that  
forms lines not curving like the skull1 

nor yet so angular as to create too     
striking an opposition of ideas in the  
mind of the beholder4 ,a close-fitting  
untasseled skull-cap does not improve   
the form of the head1 for it is not half
 so graceful as the hair2 but a square  
hat or pyramidal cap is truly           
detestable4 ,this is the reason why the 
common nightcap is ugly2 it fits the    
head too closely1 and its upper end     
conveys the ludicrous idea of something 
made to be pulled at4 ,on the other     
hand1 the double nightcap1 pulled out   
and allowed to hang down on one         
shoulder1 ,spanish fashion1 is less     
ugly--though far removed from our own   
ideas of beauty--because it introduces a
 new system of curves1 and acts as a    
kind of dependent drapery to compensate 
for the concealment of the hair4 ,here  
is also the reason why the common hat is
 so frightful2 it gives us straight or  
nearly straight lines1 going upwards    
like tangents from the oval of the face1
 and cut off above by another straight  

line 7the section of the crown7 at right
 angles3 all such lines and angles are  
foreign to the face and head4 ,the      
common nightcap is too familiar1 the    
common hat too stiff4 ,observe the lines
 of the face and head2 the projection of
 the nose1 the rounded angularity of the
 chin2 the vertical section of the head 
affording curves with decided yet       
harmonious irregularities2 the          
horizontal section producing a nearly   
regular contour4 ,well1 it is upon      
principles of this kind that the        
covering of the head should be          
beautified4 ,now1 we profess ourselves  
unable to make any better reconciliation
 of the useful with the beautiful for   
this purpose1 than in the small1        
flexible1 light1 and broad-brimmed hat1 
which is still to be found in some      
,spanish and ,italian pictures2 a hat   
not quite so large as that worn in the  
reign of ,charles ,i41 yet with all its 
freedom and capability of assuming a    
variety of graceful forms2 not so stiff 

as the beaux of the ,spanish court1 and 
the rakes of our own merry monarch's    
palace made it2 not so formal as we know
 ,james ,i4 and ,lord ,bacon used to    
wear2 but something between all these   
three types4 ,the prevalence of straight
 lines in it should be avoided without  
its appearing slovenly1 and its         
dimensions should be such as to consult 
convenience without relapsing into a    
homely vulgarity4 ,such a kind of hat   
admits of any further ornament which the
 fancy of the wearer may induce him to  
add2 a feather1 a band1 a buckle1 or    
even a plain button for occasionally    
looping up the brim on one side or      
other1 7not two sides1 for it would     
return to the old cocked hat17--any of  
these extraneous additions would        
harmonize1 and would be in due character
 with its shape4 ,such a hat would      
certainly be useful2 and that it would  
be ornamental we have only to decide by 
consulting our eyes1 and by looking at  
our ancestors' portraits of the         

seventeenth century4  ,but there is     
another kind of covering for the head1  
which1 for its peculiar purposes1 seems 
to us more useful and more ornamental   
even than this hat2 we allude to the    
common round travelling cap1 the        
officers' undress cap in the ,british   
army4 ,are you going a journey8 have you
 any rough work to do8 have you got a   
headach and want something light8 would 
you put on something that will not spoil
 by being pulled about1 sat on1 slept   
on1 and stood on8 something handy1      
useful1 comfortable1 and withal         
good-looking8--,what do you do8 you get 
a foraging cap4 ,every man looks well in
 a foraging cap2 it harmonizes with     
every body's face3 it makes the old look
 young1 and the young look smart3 it is1
 without pretence1 plain in detail1 and 
yet elegant in outline3 it has no       
straight lines in it1 and yet its curves
 are in contrast with those of the head2
 they run in opposite directions3 and   
the shade of the cap1 if it has one1    

emulates the decisiveness of the nose1  
and gives character to the profile of   
the head1 just as the nose gives point  
and force to the face4 ,nothing so      
easily admits of suitable ornament3 a   
plain band--a golden one--or even a     
coloured one--makes it suitable to the  
various ranks and occupations of men3   
while its material1 admitting of        
infinite variety1 according to the taste
 of the wearer1 never injures the source
 of its beauty its form4 ,the cap fails 
in only one thing2 it is unfit for rainy
 weather2 it will only do for dry days4 
,do not attempt to put a flap behind it1
 and tie it under your chin--you at once
 convert it into an ugly nightcap2 its  
curves then imitate those of the head1  
and the ridiculous takes the place of   
the becoming4 ,for three hundred days1  
however1 out of the three hundred and   
sixty-five1 such a cap may be worn with 
the greatest comfort and advantage3     
while1 for simplicity and elegance1 it  
has no rival4 ,we exclude most          

vigorously all other kinds of caps2 we  
admit nothing but the common round      
foraging cap1 with a small shade over   
the eyes2 we especially set our faces   
against the little quirked ,highland    
cap1 now revived1 and becoming popular  
among the southrons4 ,this cap has part 
of its curves--those behind the head    
approximating too closely to the curve  
of the skull3 in fact1 at the hinder    
part it is a skull-cap2 whereas1 the    
other part of the curves in front are   
too much in opposition to the outline of
 the face3 they bend over and form an   
unpleasant contrast with the nose and   
chin3 they are deficient in the shade or
 visor1 and there is not one man in a   
thousand whose face they suit4 ,all     
fancy-caps with whalebone1 falling tops1
 angular projections1 c41 are utterly   
abominate2 we pin our faith to the      
quiet1 unsophisticated1 gentlemanlike   
cap worn by our officers3 it beats      
almost any other head-dress in the      
world4  ,the prevailing tendency of the 

age is to avoid distinctions of dress   
except in the value of the material1 and
 then only between the two great        
divisions of society--the affluent and  
the poor4 ,hence all ornament seems to  
be a superfluity1 except upon occasions 
of public display or military service2  
and men will not now listen to any one  
who advises them to put feathers and    
gold lace on their hats and caps3 they  
would as soon think of returning to the 
embroidered coats of their grandfathers4
 ,the principle is a good one3 in the   
palmy days of ,rome1 the differences of 
dress bore no proportion to the         
differences of station2 distinction in  
dress was the failing of the middle     
ages1 a consequence of some lurking     
seeds of northern barbarism1 which are  
only now ceasing to be propagated4 ,we  
seem1 like the great men of the ,eternal
 ,city eighteen hundred years ago1 to be
 looking more at the inward worth and   
influence of a man1 than at his outward 
state and dress2 and it is a good sign  

of the times2 it is a reasonable        
inclination of the mind2 but it confines
 the exercise of taste in dress4 ,men of
 the present day are determined to be   
plain about the head as well as about   
the body2 all ornament of head-dress    
they have left to soldiers and to the   
fairer half of the creation3--sed hc    
hactenus--we reserve our remarks on the 
coiffures of these two classes for      
another occasion4                       
,h4 ,l4 ,j4     ,,the ,,three           
,,guardsmen4   ,guardsmen have at all   
periods been a racketing1 rollicking set
 of fellows4 ,whether ancients or       
moderns1 infidels or ,christians1       
prtorians or janissaries1 the           
mousquetaires and ,scottish archers of  
the ,french ,louises1 or the lifeguards 
of bonnie ,dundee's own regiment1 they  
have always claimed1 and usually        
enjoyed1 a greater degree of license    
than is accorded to the more            
unpretending soldiery of the line4 ,the 
first in the field1 and the last out of 

it1 they have sometimes seemed to think 
that1 by thrashing the king's enemies1  
they acquired a right to baton his      
subjects1 that captured cities atoned   
for the wrongs of deluded damsels1 and  
that each extra blow struck in the      
fight1 entitled them to an extra bottle 
in the barrack-room4 ,on duty1          
discipline--off duty1 dissipation--seems
 to have been the motto of these        
gentlemen2 and if it be the case1 that  
they occasionally forgot the former part
 of their device1 it1 on the other hand1
 is no where upon record1 that they were
 oblivious of its latter portion4       
,fighting hard and drinking hard1 living
 hard and dying hard1 the bravest men   
and most desperate debauchees of all    
countries1 have worn the uniform of     
guardsmen4  ,our old friend1 ,m4        
,alexandre ,dumas1 who1 if we may       
believe one of his biographers1 passes  
twelve hours a-day in driving a         
goosequill for the entertainment and    
particular edification of his           

countrymen1 found himself1 one fine     
morning1 desperately at a loss for      
something to write about4 ,he is1       
perhaps1 not the first writer of fiction
 who has been in a like predicament2 and
 even if he were1 it would be neither   
wonderful nor unpardonable1 seeing that 
his average rate of production is about 
three volumes per month4 ,there is a    
limit to all things1 even to the        
imagination of a ,french romance writer2
 and ,m4 ,dumas1 without exception the  
most prolific of modern scribblers1 was 
for once hard up for a subject4         
,l'hpital n'est pas pour les chiens1    
says the ,french proverb4 ,it occurred  
to ,m4 ,dumas1 that the league or two of
 books in the ,bibliothque ,royale were 
not placed there for the mere purpose of
 astonishing provincials1 or causing    
,english tourists to stare and lift up  
their hands in admiration2 but that one 
of the objects of their preservation    
might well be1 that they should afford  
suggestions to any distinguished        

littrateur who happened to be1 like     
himself1 in want of an idea4 ,emerging1 
therefore1 from his comfortable abode in
 the ,chausse d',antin1 he turned his   
steps in the direction of the royal     
library1 and was soon up to his ears in 
dusty tomes and jaundiced parchments4   
,after much research1 he discovered a   
folio manuscript1 numbered1 as he tells 
us in his preface1 #dggb or #dggc1 and  
purporting to be a memoir1 by a certain 
,count de la ,fre1 of events that       
occurred in ,france towards the latter  
part of the reign of ,louis the         
,thirteenth4 ,upon perusal1 he found    
this ,,ms4 so interesting1 that he      
applied for1 and obtained permission to 
publish it2 and the memoir in question  
saw the light under the title of ,les   
,trois ,mousquetaires4  ,the piquant and
 interesting matter contained in this   
book1 caused it to be much read1 and    
numerous persons were curious to see the
 original manuscript4 ,to their infinite
 surprise1 however1 they could obtain no

 account whatever of such a document2   
and what was still more provoking1 the  
librarians seemed to look upon them as  
insane when they asked for it4 ,there   
was much running up and down the library
 stairs1 much mounting upon             
step-ladders1 and tumbling of paper and 
parchment1 much grumbling of puzzled    
librarians and disappointed applicants1 
until at last1 the most obstinate became
 convinced that the aforesaid ,,ms4 had 
no existence save in the imagination of 
,m4 ,dumas1 who had1 as it is vulgarly  
styled1 taken a rise out of the public4 
,in the spring of the year #afbe1 a     
young ,gascon gentleman named           
,d',artagnan1 left his home to seek     
fortune at ,paris4 ,he was mounted on an
 ill-looking cob1 some fourteen years of
 age--that is to say1 within four years 
as old as its rider2 the sword which his
 father buckled on him at parting1 was  
more remarkable for its length than its 
elegance2 his purse contained fifteen   
crowns1 and his valise a couple of      

shirts4 ,to compensate for this meagre  
equipment1 he rode like a ,tartar1 and  
fenced like a ,st ,george2 and was      
moreover possessed of three             
qualifications invaluable to a man who  
has his way to make in the world--a     
clear head1 a light heart1 and a courage
 that nothing could daunt4 ,one thing   
more he had2 a letter of recommendation 
from his father to ,monsieur de         
,treville1 captain of the mousquetaires1
 or body-guards1 of his ,majesty ,louis 
the ,thirteenth4  ,nearly the last words
 of the worthy old ,gascon1 who was     
compelled by his poverty to send his son
 forth into the world thus slenderly    
provided1 were an injunction to honour  
the ,king and ,cardinal ,richelieu1 then
 in the zenith of his power1 and to     
fight as often as he could get an       
opportunity4 ,with such counsels yet    
ringing in his ears1 it is not          
surprising1 that before reaching ,paris 
young ,d',artagnan gets into a very     
pretty quarrel against overpowering     

odds1 is somewhat maltreated1 and1 while
 senseless from the blows he has        
received1 has his letter stolen from him
 by an emissary of the ,cardinal1 among 
whose political enemies ,m4 de ,treville
 stands in the foremost rank4 ,the young
 adventurer1 however1 consoles himself  
for his loss1 shakes his feathers1 and  
arrives at ,paris without further       
accident4 ,before entering the capital  
he disposes of his horse1 of whose      
uncouth appearance he is heartily       
ashamed2 and after improving his toilet 
as well as his scanty wardrobe will     
allow1 he proceeds to the hotel of      
,monsieur de ,treville1 where he falls  
in with the three mousquetaires who give
 a title to the book1 in which1 however1
 ,d',artagnan plays the most conspicuous
 and important part4 ,he finds the hotel
 ,treville throned with applicants for  
an audience1 petitioners1 mousquetaires1
 and lackeys bearing letters from       
persons of the first importance4 ,he    
sends in his name1 and after some delay1

 is admitted4 ,here is ,m4 ,dumas'      
account of the interview4      ,monsieur
 de ,treville was that day in a         
particularly bad humour2                
nevertheless he returned ,d',artagnan's 
profound bow with a polite              
inclination of the head1 and smiled at  
the strong ,gascon accent in     which  
the young man uttered his compliments4  
,the sound recalled to     his mind his 
own youth and his native country1 two   
things of which     the recollection is 
apt to make most men smile4 ,he then    
waved his     hand to ,d',artagnan1 as  
if requesting him to have a moment's    
patience1 and approaching the door      
leading to the anteroom1 he     called  
out in an imperious and angry tone--    
',athos6 ,porthos6 ,aramis6'      ,two  
mousquetaires1 who had already attracted
 ,d',artagnan's     attention1 left the 
groups of which they formed a part1 and 
entered the audience chamber1 of which  
the door was immediately     closed     
behind them4      ,there was a          

remarkable contrast in the appearance of
 these two     guardsmen4 ,one was a man
 of gigantic stature1 loud-voiced1 and  
of     stern and haughty countenance2   
the other1 on the contrary1 was of      
gentle and nave physiognomy1 with smooth
 rosy cheeks1 a soft     expression in  
his black eye1 a delicate mustache on   
his upper lip1     white hands1 and a   
voice and smile remarkable for their    
mildness4     ,the bearing of these two 
gentlemen upon entering the presence of 
their captain1 showed a happy mixture of
 submission and dignity1     which      
excited the admiration of ,d',artagnan1 
who was already     disposed to look    
upon the mousquetaires as demigods1 and 
upon     their chief as an ,olympic     
,jupiter1 armed with all his thunders4  
,monsieur de ,treville took two or three
 turns up and down the     apartment1   
silent1 and with a contracted brow1     
passing each time     before ,porthos   
and ,aramis1 who remained mute and      
immoveable as if     upon the parade    

ground4 ,suddenly he stopped1 and       
measured them     from head to foot with
 an angry glance4      ',do you know    
what the ,king told me1 gentlemen1 and  
that no longer     ago than yesternight8
 ,do you know1 ,i say1 what his ,majesty
 told     me8'      ',no1' replied the  
two guardsmen after a moment's silence4 
',no1     sir1 we do not know it4'      
',but ,i hope you will do us the honour 
to inform us1' said ,aramis     in his  
most polite tone1 and with his most     
graceful bow4      ',he told me that    
henceforward he would recruit his       
mousquetaires     from among the guards 
of ,monsieur le ,cardinal4'      ',among
 the guards of ,monsieur le ,cardinal6  
,and why so8' demanded     ,porthos     
abruptly4      ',because he finds that  
his own sour wine requires to be        
improved     by the admixture of some   
more generous liquor4'      ,the two    
guardsmen coloured up to the eyes4      
,d',artagnan felt     uncertain whether 
he was standing on his head or his      

heels4      ',yes1' continued ,monsieur 
de ,treville with increased vivacity1   
'and his ,majesty is right2 for1 by my  
honour1 the mousquetaires     cut a     
sorry figure at the court6 ,monsieur le 
,cardinal was relating     yesterday at 
the ,king's card-table1 in a tone of    
condolence that     displeased me no    
little1 how those infernal              
mousquetaires1 those     sabreurs as he 
ironically called them1 had forgotten   
themselves     over their bottle at a   
tavern in the ,rue ,ferou1 and how a    
patrol     of his guards had found it   
necessary to arrest them4 ,i thought he 
was going to laugh in my face as he said
 the words1 looking at me     all the   
time with his tiger-cat eyes4 ,morbleu6 
you ought to know     something about   
it4 ,you were amongst them2 the cardinal
 named you4     ,mousquetaires1 indeed1 
who allow themselves to be arrested6    
,but it     is my fault for not choosing
 my men better4 ,what the devil         
possessed you1 ,aramis1 to ask me for a 

guardsman's uniform1 when a     priest's
 surplice would have fitted you better8 
,and you1 ,porthos1     what is the use 
of your wearing that magnificent        
embroidered     sword-belt1 if the      
weapon it supports is of such small     
service to     you8 ,and ,athos1 ,i do  
not see ,athos4 ,where is he8'          
',sir1' replied ,aramis gravely1 'he is 
ill--very ill4'      ',ill1 say you8    
,and of what disease8'      ',it is     
feared that it is the small-pox1 sir1'  
replied ,porthos1     who was desirous  
of putting in a word4 ',it would be a   
great pity1     for it would assuredly  
spoil his appearance4'      ',the       
small-pox6 ,a fine story indeed6 ,the   
small-pox at his age6     ,not so6 ,but 
wounded1 ,i suppose--killed perhaps4    
,sangdieu6     ,messieurs les           
,mousquetaires1 ,i insist upon your     
ceasing to     frequent taverns and     
places of bad repute4 ,i will have no   
more     brawling and sword-playing in  
the public streets4 ,i will not have    

my regiment made a laughing-stock to the
 ,cardinal's guards1 who     are brave  
fellows1 prudent and quiet--who do not  
get themselves     into trouble1 and if 
they did1 would not allow themselves to 
be     arrested4 ,not they6 ,they would 
sooner die upon the spot than     recede
 an inch4 ,it is only the ,king's       
mousquetaires who run away     or are   
taken prisoners4'      ,porthos and     
,aramis trembled with rage4 ,they would 
willingly have     strangled their      
chief1 if they had not felt that it was 
the great     affection he bore them    
that induced him to speak thus harshly4 
,they bit their lips till the blood     
came1 and clutched the hilts of         
their swords in silent fury4 ,several of
 the guardsmen in the     anteroom1 who 
had heard ,monsieur de ,treville's      
summons to ,athos1     ,porthos1 and    
,aramis1 and suspected what was going   
on1 had applied     their ears to the   
tapestry1 and lost not a word of their  
captain's     reproaches1 which they    

repeated to those around them1 who in   
their     turn repeated them to their   
comrades on the staircase and in the    
courtyard4 ,in an instant1 from the     
anteroom to the street1 all was         
commotion4      ',ha6 his ,majesty's    
mousquetaires allow themselves to be    
arrested     by the ,cardinal's guards6'
 continued ,monsieur de ,treville1 who  
was     as furious as his soldiers4     
',aha6 sirs1 six of his ,eminence's     
guards arrest six of the ,king's6       
,morbleu6 ,i have made up my mind       
what to do4 ,i will go at once to the   
,louvre1 resign my post as     captain  
of mousquetaires1 and solicit a         
lieutenancy in the     ,cardinal's      
guards2 and if ,i am refused1 morbleu6  
,i will turn     priest6'      ,at these
 words the murmur outside the audience  
chamber became an     explosion4 ,on all
 sides oaths and blasphemies were       
resounding4     ,d',artagnan looked     
about for a place to hide himself4 ,he  
felt a     strong inclination to get    

under the table4      ',well1 captain1' 
said ,porthos1 who was completely beside
 himself     with rage and vexation1    
'the truth is that we were six against  
six2 but they attacked us treacherously2
 and before we could draw     a sword1  
two of us were dead men1 and ,athos     
desperately wounded     and equally     
useless4 ,you know ,athos1 captain2     
well1 twice he tried     to get up1 and 
twice he fell down again4 ,nevertheless1
 we did not     yield ourselves         
prisoners2 we were taken off by main    
force1 and on     the way to the        
guard-house we managed to break away    
from them4 ,as     to ,athos1 they      
thought him dead1 and left him on the   
ground4 ,that     is the real truth of  
the matter4 ,and what then1 captain6    
,one     cannot win every battle4 ,the  
great ,pompey lost that of ,pharsalia1  
and ,francis ,i41 who1 from what ,i have
 heard1 was no fool in the     fighting 
way1 got roughly handled at ,pavia4'    
',and ,i have the honour to assure you1 

sir1' said ,aramis1 'that ,i     killed 
one of the guards with his own sword1   
for mine was broken     at the first    
onset4'      ',i did not know that1'    
said ,treville in a more gentle tone4   
',i     see that the ,cardinal          
exaggerated matters4'      ',but for    
heaven's sake1 sir1' continued ,aramis1 
encouraged by the     softened manner of
 his commander1 'for heaven's sake1 do  
not     mention that ,athos is wounded3 
he would be in despair if the ,king     
heard of it2 and as the wound is very   
serious1 having passed     through the  
shoulder and entered the breast1 it is  
to be     feared4444'      ,at this     
moment the tapestry that covered the    
door was raised1 and     the head of a  
man of noble aspect and handsome        
features1 but     fearfully pale1       
appeared below the fringe4              
',athos6' exclaimed the two guardsmen4  
',athos6' repeated ,monsieur de         
,treville himself4      ,you asked for  
me1 sir1' said ,athos to ,monsieur de   

,treville1 in a     calm but enfeebled  
voice--'my comrades told me that you    
asked for     me1 and ,i hastened to    
obey your summons4'      ,and so saying1
 the mousquetaire entered the room with 
a tolerably     firm step1 in full      
uniform and belted as usual4 ,monsieur  
de     ,treville1 touched to the soul by
 this proof of courage1 sprang to       
meet him4      ',i was telling these    
gentlemen1' said he1 'that ,i forbid my 
mousquetaires to expose their lives     
without necessity2 that brave     men   
are very dear to the ,king1 and his     
,majesty knows that his                 
mousquetaires are the bravest men upon  
the face of the earth4 ,your     hand1  
,athos6'      ,and without waiting for  
the new comer to hold out his right     
hand1     ,monsieur de ,treville seized 
and pressed it energetically1 not       
observing that ,athos1 in spite of his  
command over himself1     writhed with  
pain1 and grew each moment paler than   
before4 ,the     room-door had remained 

half open1 and a loud murmur of         
satisfaction from without replied to the
 words addressed to ,athos     by       
,monsieur de ,treville4 ,the heads of   
two or three mousquetaires1     who     
forgot themselves in the enthusiasm of  
the moment1 appeared at     the opening 
of the tapestry4 ,doubtless ,monsieur de
 ,treville was     about to check       
sharply this infraction of the laws of  
etiquette1     when he suddenly felt the
 hand of ,athos contract in his1 and    
looking at the guardsman1 he saw that he
 was going to faint4 ,at     the same   
moment ,athos1 who had summoned all his 
energies to     struggle against the    
sufferings he endured1 was overcome by  
the     torture of his wound1 and fell  
senseless to the ground4      ',a       
surgeon6' cried ,monsieur de ,treville4 
',my surgeon--the     ,king's--the best6
 ,a surgeon6 or1 sangdieu6 my brave     
,athos will     die6'   ,the swoon of   
,athos had merely been occasioned by    
loss of blood4 ,the surgeon declares    

there is no danger1 and ,d',artagnan1   
who has stood his ground with true      
,gascon tenacity1 at length obtains an  
audience4 ,the loss of his letter of    
recommendation now proves a great       
disadvantage to him4 ,in those days of  
court intrigue and espionage1 men were  
naturally suspicious of each other1 and 
the mingled navet and shrewdness of the 
young ,barnais1 are causes for ,monsieur
 de ,treville at first suspecting him of
 being a spy of the ,cardinal's4 ,his   
suspicions1 however1 are wearing off1   
and he is disposed to be useful to      
,d',artagnan1 although he cannot admit  
him into the mousquetaires--a noviciate 
of two years in some other regiment     
being the indispensable condition of    
admission into that favoured corps--when
 ,d',artagnan1 happening to look out of 
the window1 starts1 reddens with anger1 
and rushes to the door4 ,he has         
recognised1 in a passer-by1 the person  
who had stolen his letter2 and leaves   
,monsieur de ,treville in doubt whether 

he has to do with a madman or with an   
emissary of the ,cardinal's1 who1       
fearing himself suspected1 takes this   
pretext for effecting a retreat4  ,in   
his hurry to leave the hotel and pursue 
his robber1 ,d',artagnan gets into all  
sorts of scrapes4 ,on the landing-place 
he runs against ,athos1 who is returning
 home after having his wound dressed4   
,some hasty words pass1 a challenge is  
the result1 and rendezvous is taken for 
noon in a field near the ,carmelite     
convent1 then a favourite duelling      
ground4 ,in the gateway of the          
courtyard1 ,porthos is talking with one 
of his comrades1 and ,d',artagnan1 in   
trying to pass between them1 gets       
entangled in the velvet cloak of the    
former1 and discovers1 what the         
guardsman had been most anxious to      
conceal1 that the front only of his     
embroidered shoulder-belt was gold1 and 
the back mere leather4 ,porthos1 not    
having sufficient pistoles to purchase a
 whole belt1 had gratified his vanity   

with half a one1 and wore his cloak to  
conceal the deficiency4 ,the young      
,gascon finds himself with a second duel
 on his hands1 and sets himself down as 
a dead man4 ,meantime his robber has    
disappeared1 and as ,d',artagnan is     
proceeding in the direction of his      
lodging1 he encounters ,aramis1 standing
 in the middle of the street with some  
other gentlemen4 ,furious with himself  
for the follies he has been committing1 
,d',artagnan has made a resolution to be
 all things to all men1 at least for the
 hour or two that he still has to live2 
and observing that ,aramis has dropped a
 handkerchief1 and placed his foot upon 
it1 he hastens to drag it from under his
 boot1 and present it to him with a most
 gracious bow and smile4 ,a coronet and 
cipher on the embroidered cambric       
attract notice1 and draw down a shower  
of raillery upon the head of the        
mousquetaire1 who1 in order to shield   
the honour of a lady1 is compelled to   
deny that the handkerchief is his4 ,his 

companions walk away1 and ,aramis       
reproaches ,d',artagnan with his        
officiousness4 ,the ,gascon blood gets  
up1 good resolutions are forgotten1 and 
a third rendezvous is the result4  ,m4  
,dumas is never more at home than in the
 description of duels4 ,himself an      
excellent swordsman1 he luxuriates and  
excels in the description of points and 
parries1 cartes and tierces1 and of the 
vigorous estocades which his heroes     
administer to each other4 ,one of the   
good chapters of the book--and there are
 many such--is the one in which         
,d',artagnan encounters the three       
redoubtable champions whom he has so    
heedlessly provoked4 ,we will endeavour1
 by abridgement1 to lay it before our   
readers4       ,d',artagnan knew nobody 
at ,paris1 and betook himself1          
therefore1      to his first rendezvous 
without seconds1 intending to content   
himself with those whom his adversary   
should bring4 ,moreover1 his      firm  
intention was to make all reasonable    

apologies to ,athos1      fearing that  
there would result from this duel the   
usual      consequence of an encounter  
between a young and vigorous man and    
a wounded and feeble one--if the former 
is conquered1 his      antagonist's     
triumph is doubled2 and if he conquers1 
he is      accused of taking an         
advantage1 or of being brave at small   
risk4      ,besides this1 either we have
 been unsuccessful in the exposition    
of our young adventurer's character1 or 
the reader will have      already       
perceived that ,d',artagnan was no      
ordinary man4 ,thus1      although he   
repeated to himself that his death was  
inevitable1 he      by no means made up 
his mind to fall an easy sacrifice1 as  
one      less cool and courageous than  
himself might perhaps have done4 ,he    
reflected on the different characters of
 the three men with whom      he had to 
fight1 and began to think that his case 
was not so      desperate as it might   
have been4 ,he hoped1 by the candid and 

loyal apology which he intended to      
offer1 to make himself a      friend of 
,athos1 whose austere mien and noble air
 pleased him      greatly4 ,he flattered
 himself that he should be able to      
intimidate ,porthos by the affair of the
 shoulder-belt1 which he      could1 if 
not killed upon the spot1 relate to     
every body1 and      which would cover  
the giant with ridicule4 ,finally1 he   
did not      feel much afraid of        
,aramis1 and he resolved1 if he lived   
long      enough1 either to kill him1 or
 at least to administer to him a        
wound in the face1 that would           
considerably impair the beauty of       
which he was evidently so proud4        
,when ,d',artagnan arrived in sight of  
the waste land adjoining the            
convent of barefooted ,carmelites1 noon 
was striking1 and ,athos      was       
already on the ground4 ,the guardsman1  
who still suffered      cruelly from his
 wound1 was seated on a post1 and       
awaiting his      adversary with the    

calm countenance and dignified air that 
never      abandoned him4 ,upon         
,d',artagnan's appearance1 he rose      
courteously1      and advanced a few    
steps to meet him4 ,our ,gascon1 on his 
side1      made his approach hat in     
hand1 the plume trailing on the earth4  
',sir1' said ,athos1 ',i have given     
notice to two gentlemen to act      as  
my seconds1 but they are not come4 ,i am
 surprised at it1 for      they are     
usually punctual4'       ',for my part1 
sir1' returned ,d',artagnan1 ',i have no
 seconds4 ,i      arrived in ,paris     
yesterday1 and know no one but ,monsieur
 de      ,treville1 to whom ,i was      
recommended by my father1 who has the   
honour to be a friend of his4'          
,athos glanced at the beardless chin and
 youthful mien of his      adversary1   
and seemed to reflect for a moment4     
',ah a6' said he at last1 speaking half 
to himself and half to                  
,d',artagnan2 'ah a6 but if ,i kill you1
 it will be something      very like    

child-murder4'       ',not exactly1     
sir1' replied ,d',artagnan1 with a bow  
that was not      without its dignity2  
'not exactly1 sir1 since you do me the  
honour to meet me with a wound by which 
you must be greatly                     
inconvenienced4'       ,inconvenienced  
certainly1 and you hurt me terribly1 ,i 
must      acknowledge1 when you ran     
against me just now2 but ,i will use my 
left hand1 according to my custom in    
such circumstances4 ,do not      suppose
 on that account that ,i am sparing you2
 ,i fight decently      with both hands1
 and a left-handed swordsman is an      
awkward      antagonist when one is not 
prepared for him4 ,i am sorry ,i did not
      tell you of it sooner1 that you   
might have got your hand in             
accordingly4'       ',truly1 sir1' said 
,d',artagnan1 with another bow1 ',i know
 not how      to express my gratitude   
for such courtesy4'       ',you are too 
obliging to say so1' returned ,athos1   
with his      princely air2 'let us talk

 of something else1 if not disagreeable 
to you4 ,ah1 sangbleu6 you hurt me      
terribly6 ,my shoulder burns4'          
',if you would permit me1' said         
,d',artagnan1 timidly4       ',what     
then1 sir8'       ',i have a balm that  
is wonderfully efficacious in the cure  
of      wounds4 ,i hold the recipe from 
my mother1 and have myself              
experienced its good effects4'          
',well8'       ',well1 ,i am sure that  
in less than three days it would heal   
your      wound2 and at the end of that 
time1 sir1 it would still be a          
great honour for me to meet you4'       
,d',artagnan said these words with a    
simplicity that did credit to      his  
natural courtesy of feeling1 at the same
 time that it could      not give rise  
to the slightest doubt of his courage4  
',pardieu1 sir6' said ,athos1 'your     
proposition pleases me1 not      that ,i
 can accept it1 but because it is that  
of a chivalrous      gentleman4 ,it is  
thus that spoke and acted those heroes  

of      ,charlemagne's days1 on whom    
every cavalier should strive to model   
himself4 ,unfortunately we do not live  
in the times of the great      emperor1 
but in those of ,cardinal ,richelieu2   
and however well we      might keep our 
secret1 it would be known before three  
days had      elapsed that we intended  
to fight1 and our duel would be         
prevented4 ,ah a6 where can those idlers
 be8'       ',if you are in haste1 sir1'
 resumed ,d',artagnan with the same     
simplicity with which he had a moment   
before proposed to put off      the duel
 for three days--'if you are pressed for
 time1 and that      it pleases you to  
finish with me at once1 let me beg of   
you to do      so4'       ',another     
proposal that ,i like1' said ,athos with
 an approving nod      of the head2 'it 
is that of a man lacking neither wit nor
 valour4      ,sir1 ,i like men of your 
stamp2 and ,i see that if we do not kill
      one another1 ,i shall hereafter   
have much pleasure in your      society4

 ,but let us wait for these gentlemen1  
,i beg of you4 ,i      have plenty of   
time1 and it will be more according to  
rule4 ,ha6      here comes one of them4'
       ,at that moment the gigantic form
 of ,porthos appeared at the            
extremity of the ,rue ,vaugirard4       
',what6' cried ,d',artagnan1 ',monsieur 
,porthos is one of your      seconds8'  
',yes2 is it disagreeable to you8'      
',by no means4'       ',and here is the 
other4'       ,d',artagnan turned his   
head and recognised ,aramis4            
',what6' he exclaimed in still greater  
astonishment1 ',monsieur      ,aramis is
 the other8'       ',certainly2 do you  
not know that we are never seen asunder1
 and      are known in court1 camp1 and 
city1 as ,athos1 ,porthos1 and          
,aramis1 or the three inseparables8 ,but
 you are just arrived from              
,gascony1 which accounts for your being 
unacquainted with these                 
circumstances4'       ,meanwhile        
,porthos1 who had abandoned his cloak   

and changed his      shoulder-belt1     
approached1 nodded to ,athos1 but on    
beholding      ,d',artagnan1 remained   
struck with astonishment4       ',this  
is the gentleman ,i am to fight with1'  
said ,athos      indicating ,d',artagnan
 with his hand1 at the same time bowing 
to      him4       ',it is with him that
 ,i am to fight1' said ,porthos4        
',not till one o'clock1' said           
,d',artagnan4       ',and ,i also1' said
 ,aramis1 who just then came up4        
',our appointment was for two o'clock1' 
said ,d',artagnan with      perfect     
composure4       ',what are you going to
 fight about1 ,athos8' asked ,aramis4   
',faith1 ,i can hardly tell you4 ,he    
hurt my shoulder4 ,and you1             
,porthos8'       ',i fight because ,i am
 so minded1' replied ,porthos colouring4
       ,athos1 whom nothing escaped1 saw
 a slight smile curling                 
,d',artagnan's lip4       ',we had a    
dispute about dress1' said the young    
,gascon4       ',and you1 ,aramis8'     

asked ,athos4       ',a theological     
difference1' replied ,aramis1 making a  
sign to      ,d',artagnan that he wished
 the cause of their duel to remain a    
secret4       ',indeed6' said ,athos    
looking at ,d',artagnan4       ',yes1 a 
point of ,st ,augustin on which we are  
not agreed1' said      the latter4      
',decidedly he is a man of wit and      
sense1' muttered ,athos to      himself4
       ',and now that you are all       
assembled1 gentlemen1' said             
,d',artagnan1 'allow me to apologise to 
you4'       ,at the word apologise1 a   
cloud passed across the features of     
,athos1 ,porthos smiled contemptuously1 
,aramis made a negative      sign4      
',you do not understand me1 gentlemen1' 
said ,d',artagnan raising      his head 
proudly4 ',i only apologise in case ,i  
should not be able      to pay my debt  
to all of you2 for ,monsieur ,athos has 
the right to      kill me the first1    
which greatly diminishes the value of my
 debt      to you1 ,monsieur ,porthos1  

and renders that to ,monsieur ,aramis   
nearly worthless4 ,and now1 gentlemen1  
,i say again1 accept my      apologies1 
but on that account only--and to work6' 
,and so saying1 he drew his sword with  
the most fearless and      gallant mien 
possible to be seen4 ,his blood was up1 
and at that      moment he would have   
fought not only ,athos1 ,porthos1 and   
,aramis1      but the whole regiment of 
mousquetaires4       ',when you please1 
sir1' said ,athos1 putting himself on   
guard4       ',i was waiting your       
orders1' returned ,d',artagnan4         
,but the two rapiers had scarcely       
clashed together1 when five of      the 
,cardinal's guards1 commanded by        
,monsieur de ,jussac1 appeared      from
 behind a corner of the convent4        
',the ,cardinal's guards6' exclaimed    
,porthos and ,aramis4 ',sheath      your
 swords1 gentlemen6'       ,but it was  
too late4 ,the combatants had been seen 
in an attitude      that left no doubt  
as to their pugnacious intentions4      

',hola6' cried ,jussac advancing towards
 them1 followed by his      men4 ',hola1
 mousquetaires6 fighting here8 ,and the 
edicts4 ,we have      forgotten them1   
eh8'       ',your generosity is really  
remarkable1 gentlemen of the            
guards1' said ,athos bitterly1 for      
,jussac had been one of the             
aggressors in the recent affray4 ',i    
promise you that if we saw      you     
fighting we would not interrupt you4    
,leave us alone1 then1      and you will
 have your amusement for nothing4'      
',gentlemen1' said ,jussac1 ',i am      
grieved to tell you that the      thing 
is impossible4 ,duty before every thing4
 ,be pleased to      sheath your swords1
 and follow us4'       ',sir1' replied  
,aramis1 parodying ,jussac's manner1 'we
 should      have the greatest pleasure 
in accepting your polite invitation1    
if it depended upon us so to do1 but    
unfortunately the thing is              
impossible2 ,monsieur de ,treville has  
forbidden it4 ,move on1      therefore2 

it is the best thing you can do4'       
,this bantering exasperated ,jussac4    
',we will charge you1' said      he1 'if
 you disobey4'       ',they are five1'  
said ,athos in a low voice1 'and we are 
but      three2 we shall be beaten      
again1 and we must die here2 for ,i     
swear not to reappear before the captain
 if conquered4'       ,athos1 ,porthos1 
and ,aramis drew closer to each other4  
,jussac was      arranging his men in   
line4 ,this single moment of delay was  
sufficient for ,d',artagnan to make up  
his mind2 it was one of      those      
moments that decide a man's whole life4 
,the choice was to      be made between 
,king and ,cardinal1 and1 once made1 it 
must be      persevered in4 ,if he      
fought1 he disobeyed the law1 risked his
      head1 and made an enemy of a      
minister more powerful than the king    
himself4 ,all these considerations      
passed like lightning through      the  
mind of the young ,gascon2 but1 be it   
said to his honour1 he      did not     

hesitate an instant4 ,turning towards   
,athos and his      friends4            
',gentlemen1' said he1 'allow me to     
amend the words last spoken4      ,you  
said you were only three1 but to my     
thinking we are four4'       ',but you  
are not one of us1' said ,porthos4      
',true1' replied ,d',artagnan1 ',i have 
not the coat2 but ,i have the           
spirit4 ,in my heart ,i am a            
mousquetaire--,i feel it1 and that      
leads me on4'       ',you may retire1   
young man1' cried ,jussac1 who doubtless
 guessed      ,d',artagnan's intentions 
by his gestures and the expression of   
his      face4 ',you may retire1 we     
permit it4 ,be-gone1 then1 and quickly4'
       ,d',artagnan did not stir4       
',decidedly you are a fine fellow1' said
 ,athos1 pressing the      young man's  
hand4       ,but the three mousquetaires
 thought of ,d',artagnan's youth1 and   
distrusted his inexperience4       ',we 
should only be three1 of whom one       
wounded1 and a child1'      said ,athos2

 'but they will say all the same1 that  
there were four      of us4'            
',gentlemen1' said ,d',artagnan1 'only  
try me1 and ,i swear by my      honour  
that if we are conquered ,i will not    
leave the ground      alive4'           
',what is your name1 my brave fellow8'  
said ,athos4       ',d',artagnan1 sir4' 
',well1 then1 ,athos1 ,porthos1 ,aramis1
 and ,d',artagnan1 forwards6'      cried
 ,athos4       ',what do you decide to  
do8' cried ,jussac4       ',we are going
 to have the honour of charging you1'   
said ,aramis1      raising his hat with 
one hand and drawing his sword with the 
other4       ,and the nine combatants   
precipitated themselves on each other   
with a fury that did not exclude a      
certain degree of method4      ,athos   
took one ,cahusac1 a favourite of the   
,cardinal's2 ,porthos      had ,bicarat2
 and ,aramis found himself opposed to   
two adversaries4      ,as to            
,d',artagnan1 he encountered ,jussac    
himself4       ,the heart of the young  

,gascon beat high1 not with fear1 there 
was no shadow of it1 but with emulation2
 he fought like an      enraged tiger1  
turning about his enemy1 changing each  
moment his      ground and his guard4   
,jussac was one of the good blades of   
the      day1 and had had much practice2
 but he had1 nevertheless1 all the      
difficulty in the world to defend       
himself against a supple and      active
 antagonist1 who was constantly         
deviating from the received      rules  
of fencing1 attacking him on all sides  
at once1 and      parrying1 at the same 
time1 like a man who had the greatest   
regard for his epidermis4 ,at last      
,jussac lost patience4 ,furious      at 
being thus kept at bay by one whom he   
looked upon as a child1      his        
sang-froid abandoned him1 and he began  
to commit blunders4      ,d',artagnan1  
who1 although lacking practice1 was     
perfect in      theory1 redoubled his   
agility4 ,jussac1 with the design of    
finishing him at once1 delivered a      

terrible thrust1 which      ,d',artagnan
 parried adroitly1 and1 before his      
opponent could raise      himself1 he   
glided like a serpent under his guard1  
and passed his      sword through his   
body4 ,jussac fell heavily to the earth4
       ,d',artagnan now cast an uneasy  
and rapid glance over the field of      
battle4 ,aramis had already killed one  
of his adversaries4 ,the      other gave
 him plenty to do1 but ,aramis was able 
to take care of      himself4 ,bicarat  
and ,porthos were wounded2 ,porthos in  
the arm1      and ,bicarat in the thigh4
 ,but neither wound was serious1 and the
      sight of their blood made them    
fight all the better4 ,there was no     
need to interfere there4 ,athos1 wounded
 again by ,cahusac1 was      growing    
each moment paler1 but he did not give  
way an inch4 ,he      had changed his   
sword to his left hand4 ,d',artagnan    
caught his eye      as he was looking to
 see who most required his aid4 ,the    
look of      the wounded mousquetaire   

was most eloquent2 he would have died   
sooner than call for assistance1 but his
 glance said how much he      stood in  
need of it4 ,with a single bound1       
,d',artagnan was upon      ,cahusac's   
flank4       ',have a care1 sir         
guardsman1' cried he1 'or ,i slay you on
 the      spot4'       ,cahusac turned  
to face his new opponent4 ,it was high  
time1 for      ,athos1 who had only been
 sustained by his extreme courage1 sank 
upon one knee4       ',sangdieu6' cried 
he to ,d',artagnan1 'do not kill him1   
young      man1 ,i beg of you2 ,i have  
an old quarrel to terminate with him    
when my wound is healed4 ,disarm him    
only--,so--,well done6'       ,this last
 exclamation was caused by ,cahusac's   
sword1 which flew      from his hand to 
a distance of twenty paces4 ,d',artagnan
 and      ,cahusac rushed to pick it up1
 but ,d',artagnan reached it first1     
and put his foot upon it4 ,cahusac ran  
to the guardsman whom      ,aramis had  
killed1 took his rapier1 and was        

returning to      ,d',artagnan2 but on  
his road he met ,athos1 who had taken   
breath      during the moment's respite 
which the latter had procured him1      
and now recommenced the fight1 fearing  
that the ,gascon would kill      his    
enemy4 ,d',artagnan saw that he should  
disoblige him by again      interfering4
 ,a few seconds later1 ,cahusac fell    
with a wound      through the throat4   
,at the same moment ,aramis placed his  
sword's      point on the breast of his 
prostrate adversary1 and forced him to  
sue for mercy4       ,porthos and       
,bicarat alone remained4 ,porthos1 while
 fighting1      indulged in all sorts of
 fanfarronades1 asking ,bicarat what    
time      of day it was1 and            
complimenting him on the company which  
his      brother had just attained in   
the regiment of ,navarre4 ,in spite of  
his jests1 however1 he did not gain     
ground4 ,bicarat was a      stubborn and
 skilful opponent4 ,it was time to bring
 matters to a      conclusion before    

some patrol should arrive1 and take both
      royalists and cardinalists into   
custody4 ,athos1 ,aramis1 and           
,d',artagnan1 surrounded ,bicarat1 and  
summoned him to surrender4              
,although alone against four1 and with a
 wound through the thigh1      he would 
not give in1 though ,jussac1 who had    
raised himself on      his elbow1 called
 out to him to yield4 ,bicarat was a    
,gascon1 like      ,d',artagnan2 he only
 laughed1 and pretended not to hear1 at 
the      same time pointing to the      
ground at his feet4 ',here will die     
,bicarat1' said he1 'the last of those  
who are with him4'       ',but they are 
four against you1' cried ,jussac2 ',i   
order you to      desist4'       ',ah1  
if you order me1 it is another affair6' 
said ,bicarat2 'you      are my         
superior1 and ,i must obey4'       ,and 
giving a spring backwards1 he broke his 
sword across his      knee1 in order not
 to yield it up1 threw the pieces over  
the      convent wall1 and1 crossing his

 arms1 whistled a ,cardinalist air4     
,courage is always respected even in an 
enemy4 ,the mousquetaires      saluted  
,bicarat with their swords1 and returned
 them to their      scabbards4          
,d',artagnan did the same1 and1 assisted
 by ,bicarat1 he      carried under the 
convent porch ,jussac1 ,cahusac1 and    
that one of      ,aramis's adversaries  
who was only wounded4 ,the other1 as    
already      observed1 was dead4 ,they  
then rang the bell1 and left the ground2
      the mousquetaires and             
,d',artagnan1 intoxicated with joy1     
carrying      away four swords out of   
five1 and taking the direction of       
,monsieur de ,treville's hotel4 ,every  
mousquetaire whom they met1      and    
informed of what had happened1 turned   
back and accompanied      them2 so that 
at last their march was like a triumphal
      procession4 ,d',artagnan was      
beside himself with delight2 he walked  
between ,athos and ,porthos1 holding an 
arm of each4       ',if ,i am not yet a 

mousquetaire1' said he to his new       
friends1 as      they crossed the       
threshold of the ,hotel ,treville1 ',i  
may at least      say that ,i am        
received apprentice4'   ,the result of  
this affair is to procure ,d',artagnan  
the favour of ,monsieur de ,treville and
 the ,king--the latter of whom dislikes 
the ,cardinal in secret nearly as much  
as he fears him4 ,the young ,gascon has 
an audience of ,louis the ,just1 who    
recruits his finances by the present of 
a handful of pistoles2 and a few days   
later he is appointed to a cadetship in 
the company of guards of the ,chevalier 
des ,essarts1 a brother-in-law of       
,treville4 ,according to the singular   
ideas of those days1 there was nothing  
degrading to a gentleman in receiving   
money from the king's hand4             
,d',artagnan1 therefore1 pockets the    
pistoles with many thanks1 and takes an 
early opportunity of dividing them with 
his friends with the mythological names1
 ,messieurs ,athos1 ,porthos1 and       

,aramis1 who1 according to the custom of
 mousquetaires1 have more gold upon     
their coats than in their purses4 ,the  
courage and good qualities of the       
,gascon have won the hearts of the three
 guardsmen1 and he is admitted to make a
 fourth in their brotherhood1 of which  
the motto is1 ,un pour tous1 et tous    
pour un4 ,all is in common amongst      
them--pleasures1 perils1 pistoles4  ,the
 characters of the three mousquetaires  
are well sketched and sustained1 and    
illustrate admirably the vices1 virtues1
 and propensities of their time and     
station4 ,aramis1 who was originally    
intended for the church1 has            
relinquished the black coat of an abb in
 order to fight a nobleman who had      
insulted him4 ,he still1 however1       
persists in considering himself as a    
guardsman only pro tempore2 and whenever
 fortune or his mistress frowns upon    
him1 he declares his intention of       
abandoning his sinful mode of life1 and 
throwing himself into the arms of mother

 church4 ,vanity is the failing of      
,porthos1 who shines more by his        
imposing appearance1 brilliant attire1  
and bull-dog courage1 than by any       
qualities of the head4 ,to ,athos1 who  
is the most interesting of the three1 a 
certain mystery is attached1 which1     
however1 is seen through early in the   
book4 ,he is a man of high birth1       
princely manners1 and chivalrous        
feeling1 but whose stormy life has cast 
a strong tinge of melancholy over his   
character1 and who now finds his sole   
consolation in the wine-cup4 ,it must   
not be therefore supposed that ,athos is
 a sot1 a wallower in wine1 or a haunter
 of tavern orgies4 ,he drinks1 it is    
true1 enough to prostrate any three     
ordinary men2 but he takes his liquor1  
as he does every thing else1 so much    
like a gentleman1 and1 moreover1 there  
is so much self-devotion and generosity 
in his character1 such dignity of manner
 and rectitude of feeling--his temper so
 even and kindly--his courage so        

heroic--that he is unquestionably the   
most amiable and interesting of the     
dramatis person1 preferable to          
,d',artagnan1 to whom premature worldly 
wisdom gives a hardness bordering upon  
egotism4 ,while ,aramis is sighing      
sonnets to his mistress1 and ,porthos   
parading on the crown of the causeway in
 all the glory of gold lace and         
embroidery1 ,athos sits tranquilly at   
home1 and says1 like ,gregory in the    
,deserter--    ,j'aime mieux boire4     
,his real name--for ,athos1 ,porthos1   
and ,aramis are merely assumed ones--is 
known only to the ,king and to ,monsieur
 de ,treville4  ,it would be difficult  
within the limits of this paper to give 
an idea of the entire plot of the ,three
 ,mousquetaires1 which is1 in fact1 less
 a tale with a regular intrigue and     
dnouement1 than a narrative of          
adventures and incidents1 extending over
 a period of nearly three years4        
,d',artagnan1 whose enterprising        
character and ,gascon acuteness qualify 

him admirably to take a part in the     
court intrigues of the time1 soon finds 
himself almost at open war with the     
,cardinal1 and engaged in serving the   
interests of ,louis the ,thirteenth's   
unhappy queen1 ,anne of ,austria1 who1  
by rejecting the suit of the scarlet    
duke--as the mousquetaires irreverently 
style the ,cardinal ,duke of            
,richelieu--has drawn upon herself the  
deadly hatred of that omnipotent        
personage4 ,the ,duke of ,buckingham1   
who is madly in love with the queen1    
visits ,paris in disguise1 and obtains  
an interview with her4 ,at parting1 he  
implores her to give him some trifle1   
which he may preserve as a souvenir of  
their attachment2 and ,anne of ,austria 
gives him the first thing that comes to 
hand1 which happens to be a jewel-case1 
containing twelve diamond clasps or     
ferrets that she has lately received    
from the ,king4 ,the ,cardinal1         
omnipresent by his spies1 learns this2  
manages adroitly to rouse the king's    

jealousy2 and prevails on him to give a 
ball1 at which the queen is desired to  
appear1 wearing the ferrets in question4
 ,anne of ,austria is in despair4 ,to   
obtain the restitution of the jewels    
within the eight days that have to      
elapse before the one fixed for the     
ball1 appears impossible4 ,buckingham is
 in ,england2 if she writes1 her letter 
will be intercepted by the ,cardinal2 if
 she sends1 her messenger will be       
stopped4 ,nothing could at that time be 
done in ,france without coming to the   
knowledge of ,richelieu4 ,in her        
extremity she is induced to confide in  
one of her attendants1 with whom        
,d',artagnan is in love2 and a few hours
 later1 the intrepid ,gascon and his    
three inseparable friends set out for   
,england1 provided with a leave of      
absence from ,monsieur de ,treville1 and
 attended by their four lackeys4        
,d',artagnan alone knows the object of  
their journey2 but the others1 confiding
 implicitly in his judgment1 and bound1 

moreover1 by the rules of their         
association1 ask no questions1 and      
willingly brave the dangers that the    
,cardinal strews in their path4 ,it is  
agreed that1 in case of rencontres by   
the way1 the dead or wounded are to be  
left to their fate1 and the others are  
to push on without an instant's delay4  
,should ,d',artagnan fall1 the survivors
 are to take from his pocket the queen's
 letter to ,buckingham1 and continue    
their route4  ,the adventurers are not  
allowed to proceed far without          
molestation4 ,they stop to breakfast1   
and a stranger picks a quarrel with     
,porthos1 who stays behind to fight him1
 and does not rejoin them4 ,near        
,beauvais they receive a volley from    
some pretended labourers2 ,d',artagnan's
 hat is knocked off by a ball2 a lackey 
is left in the road1 and ,aramis is     
badly wounded1 and obliged to remain at 
the next town4 ,d',artagnan1 ,athos1 and
 their two attendants1 reach ,amiens at 
midnight1 and stop to sleep at the sign 

of the ,golden ,lily4 ,here various     
suspicious incidents occur1 and in the  
morning their horses are found to be    
dead-lame1 and unable to proceed4 ,one  
that might still have gone on has been  
bled by mistake4       ,all these       
accidents succeeding each other began to
 alarm our      travellers2 they might  
be the result of chance1 but they were  
more probably that of an organized plot4
 ,athos and ,d',artagnan      left their
 room1 while ,planchet 7,d',artagnan's  
groom7 went to      enquire whether     
there were any horses to be bought in   
the      neighbourhood4 ,at the door    
were standing two vigorous animals1     
saddled and bridled1 and which would    
have suited the guardsmen      well4    
,planchet asked to whom they belonged1  
and was told that      their masters had
 passed the night at the inn1 and were  
then      paying their score previous to
 departure4 ,athos went to do the       
same1 while ,d',artagnan and ,planchet  
remained at the street door4       ,the 

host was in a small back room1 which    
,athos was requested to      enter4 ,he 
did so without suspicion1 and took out  
some pistoles to      pay4 ,the         
innkeeper1 who was seated at a desk1 of 
which one of the      drawers was       
half-open1 took the money1 turned it    
about1 and      examined it on all      
sides1 and suddenly exclaiming that it  
was      false1 declared that he would  
have ,athos and his companion           
arrested as coiners4       ',scoundrel6'
 cried ,athos1 advancing towards him2   
',i will cut      your ears off for your
 insolence4'       ,but the man stooped 
down1 took a brace of pistols out of the
      open drawer1 and pointing them at 
,athos1 called loudly for help4      ,on
 the instant four armed men entered by a
 side-door1 and      attacked ,athos4   
',i am taken6' cried the mousquetaire1  
with all the power of his      lungs4   
',to horse1 ,d',artagnan6 ,spur6 spur6' 
,and he fired both his pistols4         
,d',artagnan and ,planchet untied       

the two horses that were waiting at the 
door1 sprang upon their      backs1 and 
set off full gallop4       ,by dint of  
spurring and precaution1 ,d',artagnan   
and his follower      reach ,calais     
without further accident2 the horse of  
the former      falling dead within a   
hundred yards of the town4 ,they hasten 
to      the port1 and find themselves   
close to a gentleman and his            
servant1 dusty and travel-stained1 who  
are enquiring for a vessel      to take 
them to ,england4 ,the master of a sloop
 that is ready to      sail informs     
them1 that an order had arrived that    
very morning to      prevent any ship   
from leaving the harbour without an     
express      permission from the        
,cardinal4       ',i have that          
permission1' said the gentleman1 taking 
a paper      from his pocket4           
',very good6' said the sailor4 ',get it 
countersigned by the      governor of   
the port1 and give me the preference4'  
',where shall ,i find the governor8'    

',at his country-house1 a quarter of a  
league from the town4 ,you      see it  
yonder4 ,a slated roof at the foot of a 
little hill4'   ,the gentleman and his  
attendant take the direction of the     
governor's house4 ,d',artagnan follows  
them2 picks a quarrel with the stranger1
 who is a certain ,count de ,wardes1 an 
adherent of the ,cardinal's1 wounds him 
desperately1 himself receiving a        
scratch1 takes the pass1 gets it        
countersigned1 and proceeds to ,england4
 ,the ,duke of ,buckingham is hunting at
 ,windsor with the king2 but the        
indefatigable ,gascon follows him       
thither1 and delivers his letter4 ,the  
duke hurries with him to ,london to give
 him the ferrets2 but1 to his           
unspeakable consternation1 finds that   
two out of the twelve are missing4 ,they
 had been cut from his dress by an      
emissary of the ,cardinal's at a ball at
 ,windsor ,castle1 at which he had worn 
the queen's present4 ,the ferrets are of
 immense value1 and difficult           

workmanship4 ,buckingham sends for his  
jeweller1 who demands eight days and    
three thousand pistoles to replace the  
missing ornaments4 ,the duke locks him  
up in a room1 with his tools and a      
workman1 and allows him six thousand    
pistoles1 and thirty-six hours to       
complete then4 ,the ferrets are ready   
within the prescribed period4 ,furnished
 with a password from the duke1 who has 
trusty agents in ,france1 ,d',artagnan  
reaches ,paris by a different road and  
without impediment1 arriving in time to 
save the queen1 who appears at the ball 
with her twelve ferrets1 to the vast    
discomfiture of the ,cardinal4          
,meanwhile ,d',artagnan's mistress had  
been spirited away by ,richelieu1 and   
the young ,gascon is in despair4 ,he    
confides his misfortunes to ,monsieur de
 ,treville1 who promises to do what he  
can to find the lady1 and advises       
,d',artagnan to leave ,paris till the   
,cardinal's wrath is a little blown     
over4 ,d',artagnan takes his advice2    

bethinks him of the three mousquetaires1
 and sets out to look for them4 ,he     
finds ,porthos and ,aramis where he left
 them1 nearly recovered from their      
wounds2 and proceeding to ,amiens1      
enters the hotel of the ,golden ,lily1  
and confronts the host--his whip in his 
right hand1 his left on his sword-hilt1 
and evidently meaning mischief4  ,the   
innkeeper1 however1 turns out to be more
 an object of pity than blame4          
,previously to the arrival of           
,d',artagnan and ,athos on their way to 
,england1 he had received information   
from the authorities1 that a party of   
coiners1 disguised as guardsmen1 would  
arrive at his inn1 and that he was to   
take measures to arrest them4 ,the six  
men who brought him these orders        
disguised themselves as servants and    
stable-boys1 and remained to assist in  
the capture4 ,in the skirmish1 ,athos   
shot two of them1 wounded a third1 cut  
the host across the face with the flat  
of his sword1 and retreated fighting to 

the cellar stairs4 ,entering the cellar1
 he pulled the door to and barricaded   
it4 ,his assailants left the house1     
carrying off their killed and wounded2  
and when the innkeeper1 recovering a    
little from his alarm1 went to inform   
the governor of what had occurred1 the  
latter declared himself totally ignorant
 of the whole business1 denied that he  
had given orders to arrest any coiners1 
and threatened to hang the unlucky host 
if he mixed up his name in the affair4  
',but1 ,athos6' cried ,d',artagnan1     
losing all patience at the              
innkeeper's prolixity1--',athos1 what is
 become of him8'       ',i was eager to 
repair my wrongs towards the gentleman1'
 replied      the innkeeper1 'and       
hurried to the cellar to set him at     
liberty4      ,but on my declaring what 
,i came for1 he swore it was only a     
snare      laid for him1 and insisted   
upon making his conditions before he    
came out4 ,i told him very humbly--for  
,i was aware of the scrape      into    

which ,i had got myself by my violence  
towards one of the      ,king's         
mousquetaires--that ,i was ready to     
submit to them4'       ',in the first   
place1' said he1 ',i must have my       
servant delivered      to me1 fully     
armed4'       ,his order was obeyed1 and
 ,monsieur ,grimaud was taken down to   
the      cellar1 wounded as he was4 ,his
 master received him1 barricaded        
the door again1 and bid us go to the    
devil4       ',but where is he8' cried  
,d',artagnan4 ',where is ,athos8'       
',in the cellar1 sir4'                  
',scoundrel6 you have kept him all this 
time in the cellar8'       ',good       
heavens1 sir6 ,i keep him in the cellar6
 ,you do not know      what he is doing 
there1 or you would not suppose it4 ,if 
you can      prevail upon him to come   
out1 ,i shall be grateful to you to the 
last day of my life2 ,i will adore you  
as my guardian angel4'       ',i shall  
find him there1 then8'       ',certainly
 you will1 sir--he won't come out4      

,every day we are      obliged to hand  
him down bread at the end of a hay-fork1
 and meat      too1 when he asks for it4
 ,but1 alas6 it is not of bread and meat
      that he makes the largest         
consumption4 ,i tried once to enter the 
cellar with two of my servants1 and he  
put himself in a most      terrible     
passion4 ,i heard him and his lackey    
cocking their      pistols and carbine2 
and when we asked what their intentions 
were1 your friend said that they had    
forty shots to fire1 and      that they 
would fire every one before allowing us 
to enter the      cellar4 ,i then went  
to complain to the governor1 and he told
 me      that ,i had only got what ,i   
deserved1 and that it would teach me    
to maltreat honourable gentlemen who    
used my house4'       ',so that1 since  
that time4444' said ,d',artagnan1 who   
could not      help laughing at the     
pitiable countenance of the host4       
',since that time1 sir1' continued the  
latter1 'we lead the most      wretched 

life imaginable2 for you must know that 
all our      provisions are in the      
cellar1 our wine in bottle and our wine 
in      cask1 beer1 oil1 and spices1    
hams and sausages2 and as we cannot     
get at them1 we are unable to give food 
or drink to the      travellers who     
alight here1 and our inn is losing all  
its custom4      ,if your friend stops  
one week longer in my cellar1 ,i am a   
ruined      man4'       ',and quite     
right that you should be1 scoundrel6 ,it
 was easy to      see by our appearance1
 that we were men of quality and not    
coiners4'       ',yes1 sir1 you are     
right1' replied poor ,boniface4 ',but   
only      listen to him1 he is getting  
into a passion4'       ',doubtless      
somebody has disturbed him1' said       
,d',artagnan4       ',we are obliged to 
disturb him1' cried the host2 'two      
,english      gentlemen have just       
arrived4 ,the ,english1 as you know1    
love good      wine1 and these have     
asked for the best4 ,my wife is gone to 

beg      ,monsieur ,athos to let her in1
 and he has no doubt refused as         
usual4 ,holy ,virgin6 ,what a racket he 
is making4'       ,d',artagnan rose from
 his seat1 and followed by the host and 
by      ,planchet with his cocked       
carbine1 took the direction of the      
cellar1 whence a tremendous noise was   
proceeding4 ,the ,englishmen      were  
exasperated2 they had just come off a   
long journey1 and were      dying of    
hunger and thirst4       ',it is perfect
 tyranny1' cried they in very good      
,french1 'that      this madman will not
 allow these good people the use of     
their      wine4 ,but we will break open
 the door1 and if he is too furious1    
we will kill him4'       ',not so fast1 
gentlemen1' said ,d',artagnan1 drawing  
his pistols      from his belt4 ',you   
will kill nobody1 if you please4'       
',let them come1' said ,athos1 in his   
usual calm voice1 from the      other   
side of the door1 'let them come in1 and
 we shall see4'       ,brave as they    

appeared to be1 the two ,englishmen     
hesitated and      looked at one        
another4 ,one might almost have supposed
 that the      cellar was garrisoned by 
one of those hungry ogres of the fairy  
tale1 whose cavern no one could enter   
with impunity4 ,there was a             
moment's silence2 but the ,englishmen   
were ashamed to retreat1 and      one of
 them1 descending the five or six steps 
leading to the      cellar1 gave the    
door a kick that made it rattle on its  
hinges4       ',planchet1' said         
,d',artagnan1 cocking his pistols1 'you 
take the      one at the bottom of the  
stairs2 ,i will take the other4 ,since  
you      are for a fight1 gentlemen1 you
 shall have a bellyfull4'       ',is    
that ,d',artagnan's voice8' cried       
,athos4       ',it is1' replied the     
,gascon4       ',very good1' said       
,athos1 'we will work them a little1    
these      door-breakers4'       ',a    
moment's patience1 ,athos1' said        
,d',artagnan4 ',gentlemen1' he          

continued1 turning to the ,englishmen1  
'you are between two fires4      ,my    
servant and myself have three shots to  
fire1 you will receive      as many from
 the cellar1 besides which we have got  
our swords1      with the use of which1 
,i can assure you1 my friend and myself 
are      tolerably well acquainted4     
,allow me to arrange matters4 ,i give   
you my word that you shall have some    
wine just now4'       ',if there is any 
left1' growled ,athos in a tone of      
raillery4       ',what does he mean--if 
there is any left8' cried the host1 who 
felt a cold perspiration break out all  
over him4       ',nonsense1 there will  
be some left1' replied ,d',artagnan2    
'two      men cannot have drunk the     
whole cellar out4'       ,the           
,englishmen sheathed their swords1 and  
,d',artagnan related to      them the   
history of the imprisonment of ,athos1  
upon hearing which      they greatly    
blamed the innkeeper4       ',now1      
gentlemen1' said ,d',artagnan1 'if you  

will be pleased to      return to your  
apartment1 in ten minutes you shall have
 what you      require4'       ,the     
,englishmen bowed and retired4       ',i
 am alone1 my dear ,athos1' said        
,d',artagnan4--',open the door4'        
,there was a great noise of fagots and  
beams falling down2 the      besieged   
was demolishing his counter-scarps and  
bastions4 ,the      next moment the door
 opened1 and the pale face of the       
mousquetaire appeared4 ,d',artagnan     
sprang forward and embraced      him1   
but when he tried to lead him out of the
 cellar1 he      perceived that ,athos  
staggered4       ',you are wounded8'    
cried he4       ',i6 not the least1' was
 the reply4 ',i am dead drunk1 that is  
all1 and never did any man better       
deserve to be so4 ,fore ,god6      mine 
host1 ,i have drunk for my share1 at    
least one hundred and      fifty        
bottles4'       ',heaven have mercy on  
me6' cried the host4 ',if the servant   
has      drunk half as much as the      

master1 ,i am a ruined man4'            
',grimaud knows his place too well to   
drink the same wine as his      master2 
he has drunk from the cask4 ,by-the-by1 
,i think he must      have forgotten to 
put in the spigot--,i hear a running4'  
,d',artagnan burst into a fit of        
laughter4 ,the innkeeper was in a       
high fever4 ,just then ,grimaud showed  
himself behind his master1      his     
carbine on his shoulder1 and his head   
shaking like that of      the drunken   
satyr in some of ,rubens' pictures4 ,his
 clothes were      smeared with an      
unctuous liquid1 which the host         
immediately      recognized as his best 
olive oil4       ,d',artagnan and ,athos
 now crossed the common room1 and       
installed      themselves in the best   
apartment of the hotel2 while the       
innkeeper and his wife lighted lamps1   
and rushed into the cellar1      where a
 frightful spectacle awaited them4 ,in  
rear of the      fortifications1 in     
which ,athos had made a breach for his  

exit1      and which were composed of   
fagots1 planks1 and empty casks1        
arranged according to all the rules of  
strategy1 were numerous      pools of   
oil and wine1 in which the bones of the 
hams that had      been eaten were      
lying4 ,in one corner was a pile of     
broken      bottles1 and in another a   
huge cask of wine was just yielding up  
the last drops of its blood4 ,out of    
fifty large sausages that had      been 
suspended to the beams of the roof1 ten 
only were remaining4      ,the image of 
devastation and death1 as the ancient   
poet said1      reigned there as upon a 
field of battle4   ,with characteristic 
generosity and insouciance1 ,athos      
forgives the host1 and compensates him  
for the damage done to his property4    
,the two guardsmen then sit down to     
drink1 and ,d',artagnan tells his friend
 of the misfortune he has had in the    
loss of his mistress4       ',your      
misfortune makes me laugh1' said ,athos1
 shrugging his      shoulders4 ',i      

wonder what you would say to a love     
story that ,i      could tell you4'     
',something that happened to yourself8' 
',or to one of my friends2 no matter4'  
',tell it me4'       ',i would rather   
drink4'       ',you can do both4'       
',true1' said ,athos1 filling his glass2
 'the two things go well      together4'
       ,the mousquetaire paused1 and    
seemed to be collecting his             
thoughts2 and as he did so1 ,d',artagnan
 observed that he grew each      moment 
paler4 ,he had reached that stage of    
intoxication at which      ordinary     
drinkers fall under the table and sleep4
 ,athos1 however1      did not do that2 
he dreamed aloud without sleeping4      
,there was      something frightful in  
this somnambulism of drunkenness4       
',one of my friends1' he began--'one of 
my friends1 mind you1 not      myself1' 
interrupted he with a gloomy smile2 'a  
count of my      province1 that is to   
say of ,berri1 noble as a ,dandolo or a 
,montmorency1 fell in love when         

twenty-five years of age1 with a        
young girl of seventeen1 beautiful as   
painters have depicted      ,venus4     
,joined to the navet of her age1 she    
possessed the soul      and feeling of a
 poet2 she could not be said to         
please--she      intoxicated all who    
approached her4 ,she lived in a little  
village      with her brother1 who was a
 priest4 ,none knew who they were1 nor  
whence they came2 but she was so        
beautiful1 and her brother so           
pious1 that none thought of asking4 ,it 
was rumoured and believed      that they
 were of good family4 ,my friend1 who   
was lord of that      country1 might    
have seduced the young girl or taken her
 by force1      as he chose2 he was the 
master2 who would have come to the      
assistance of two friendless strangers8 
,unfortunately he was an      honest    
man1 and he married her4 ,the fool-the  
idiot6'       ',why a fool1 since he    
loved her8' asked ,d',artagnan4         
',patience1' said ,athos4 ',he conducted

 her to his castle1 and      made her   
the first lady of the province2 and1 to 
do her justice1      she knew perfectly 
how to support her rank4'       ',well8'
 said ,d',artagnan4       ',well6 one   
day she was out hunting with her        
husband1' continued      ,athos1        
speaking in a low tone and very fast1   
'she was overcome by      the heat1 and 
fell from her horse in a swoon2 the     
count sprang to      her assistance1 and
 as her clothes seemed to prevent her   
breathing1 he cut them open with his    
dagger1 and her shoulder was            
uncovered4 ,guess what she had upon her 
shoulder1 ,d',artagnan8'      said      
,athos with a strange wild laugh4       
',how can ,i tell8' said ,d',artagnan4  
',a fleur-de-lis4 ,she was branded6'    
,and ,athos emptied at a draught the cup
 that stood before him4       ',horror6'
 exclaimed ,d',artagnan4 ',what do you  
tell me8'       ',the truth--the angel  
was a devil--the innocent young girl was
 a      convict4'       ',and what did  

the count do8'       ',the count was a  
powerful nobleman2 he had right of pit  
and      halter upon his lands2 he bared
 the shoulder of the countess1      tied
 her hands behind her back1 and hung her
 to a tree4'       ',heavens6 ,athos6 a 
murder6' cried ,d',artagnan4            
',yes1 a murder1 nothing more1' said    
,athos1 pale as death4 ',but      there 
is no wine--we are drinking nothing4'   
,and ,athos seized the last bottle by   
the neck1 put it to his      mouth1 and 
emptied it as though it had been an     
ordinary glass4   ,this strange story1  
that could hardly have proceeded from   
any but a ,french imagination1 is       
nevertheless very effective1 far more so
 in ,monsieur ,dumas' terse and pointed 
diction than in our imperfect           
translation4 ,the dame with the         
fleur-de-lis on her shoulder is not     
dead1 but on the contrary married again1
 and proves to be no other than an      
emissary of the ,cardinal1 a certain    
,lady de ,winter1 or ,milady1 as ,m4    

,dumas persists in calling her4 ,she it 
was who cut the diamonds off            
,buckingham's dress1 and informed the   
,cardinal of the same4 ,throughout the  
whole book she plays the part of a sort 
of ,mephistopheles in petticoats1 doing 
evil for evil's sake2 and finally1 when 
in prison in ,england1 gains over a     
fanatical young officer named ,felton1  
who is set to guard her1 and working on 
him by the power of her charms and an   
artfully devised story1 instigates him  
to the murder of ,buckingham1 who is at 
,portsmouth fitting out an armament for 
the relief of ,la ,rochelle1 then       
besieged by ,richelieu4 ,she escapes to 
,france1 but there falls into the hands 
of her deadly enemy1 ,d',artagnan1 and  
of her first husband1 ,athos1 otherwise 
,count de la ,fre4 ,her punishment is   
one of the last and most striking scenes
 in the book1 which concludes with the  
capture of ,la ,rochelle1 leaving       
,d',artagnan a lieutenant of            
mousquetaires1 and1 to all appearance1  

on the high-road to further preferment4 
,some account of his future fortune is  
promised us by ,monsieur ,dumas2 and1   
however alarming a continuation to a    
book in eight volumes may sound1 we     
cannot help wishing he may keep his     
promise4 ,there is less occasion to be  
alarmed at the length of a six or eight 
volume book from his hands1 than at that
 of a three volume one from those of    
many other writers2 and moreover one    
must take into account the ingenuity of 
,french publishers1 who manage to have  
the type spread out over the largest    
possible amount of white paper4 ,the    
system of putting little in a page1 and 
diminishing that little by the          
interpolation of huge and apparently    
objectless blank spaces1 has reached its
 height in ,paris2 and1 although an     
imposition on the public1 it perhaps    
renders a book lighter and pleasanter to
 read4 ,light reading and pleasant      
reading ,monsieur ,dumas' romance       
assuredly is2 and we can wish our       

readers no better pastime1 during the   
long evenings of this wintry season1    
than the perusal of the feats and       
fortunes of the ,trois ,mousquetaires4  
,,marston2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,memoirs ,,of ,a
 ,,statesman4  ,,part ,,xv4    ,have ,i 
not in my time heard lions roar8   ,have
 ,i not heard the sea1 puft up with     
wind1   ,rage like an angry boar chafed 
with sweat8   ,have ,i not heard great  
ordnance in the field1   ,and ,heaven's 
artillery thunder in the skies8   ,have 
,i not in the pitched battle heard      
,loud 'larums1 neighing steeds1 and     
trumpets clang8                         
,,shakspeare4   ,valenciennes was now   
captured4 ,the sagacity of my friend1   
the ,french engineer1 had not been      
deceived4 ,the explosion of the three   
great mines1 an operation from its      
magnitude almost new to war1 and in its 
effects irresistible1 had thrown open   
the fortress4 ,the garrison had done    
their work gallantly1 and the result was
 a capitulation1 hastened by the outcry 

of the famishing inhabitants4 ,i        
hastened to the quarters of my regiment1
 was received with all cordiality1 had  
the honour of an interview with the     
royal duke1 who1 at all times affable1  
was now in peculiar good-humour1 and who
 led me into a long detail of such      
public opinions as might be gathered    
from my intercourse with the garrison4  
,at the close of our interview he gave  
me a note1 which was to be forwarded to 
the adjutant-general4 ,i made my bow1   
and retired4  ,all in the camp was      
festivity4 ,a great achievement had been
 accomplished1 and the barriers of      
,france were broken down4 ,but in the   
midst of national triumph1 ,i felt a    
depression which rendered me wholly     
incapable of sharing it4 ,the wounds of 
the spirit are not to be healed like    
those of the frame2 and with the        
recollection of the noble creature whom 
,i had lost1 bitterness mingled in every
 sound1 and sight1 and exultation4 ,my  
first request would have been for leave 

of absence1 that ,i might follow her1 if
 she were still in ,france1 or in the   
world4 ,but the bustle at headquarters  
told me that some movement was about to 
take place2 and1 under those            
circumstances1 to ask for leave was     
impossible4 ,still ,i continued making  
every imaginable enquiry1 dispatching   
letters1 and seeing postmasters1 to     
obtain intelligence of the route which  
,clotilde had taken4 ,after tracing her 
for the first few leagues1 all tidings  
were lost2 and ,i had only to trust to  
that hope which was a part of my        
sanguine nature1 and which was sustained
 by a kind of consciousness that a being
 so superior could not be flung away in 
the chances which visit the multitude4  
,while ,i was thus pondering and        
perplexed1 ,i was summoned to attend one
 of the principal officers of his royal 
highness's staff4 ,we are sending       
despatches of some importance to        
,london1 said he1 and it is the wish of 
the commander-in-chief that you should  

take them4 ,i have the pleasure to tell 
you1 that he feels an interest in you   
from the opportunities which you have   
had of distinguishing yourself in the   
campaign1 and that he has appointed you 
an extra aide-de-camp4 ,your service    
begins soon1 added my informant with a  
smile1 for you must set off to-night4   
,the despatch mentioning the            
capitulation of the fortress was1 of    
course1 sent off at once2 but as the    
commission1 in those cases1 is given by 
routine1 it is desirable to have some   
one in ,london capable of explaining the
 'explanation1' or perhaps taking the   
place of the 'honourable1' or 'right    
honourable' personage who has been made 
the official bearer of the despatch4    
,his royal highness is satisfied1 from  
his conversation with you1 that you will
 be perfectly fit for this purpose2 and 
here is the despatch1 with which you are
 to make all expedition to the          
,horse-,guards4  ,after giving my orders
 for the journey1 ,i hastened to take   

leave of the man whom ,i most honoured  
and esteemed1 my unfailing friend       
,guiscard4 ,to my surprise1 he received 
the intelligence of my appointment with 
scarcely a word of congratulation4      
,little as ,i myself was now excitable  
by any thing in the shape of human      
fortune1 ,i was chagrined by his        
obstinate gravity4 ,he observed it1 and 
started from his seat4 ,come1 said he1  
let us take a walk1 and get out of the  
sight of mankind1 if we can4 ,he took my
 arm1 and we strayed along the banks of 
the ,scheldt1 where1 however1 his       
purpose was unobtainable1 for the whole 
breadth of the river was covered with   
the provision barges of the troops4 ,the
 bargemen were enjoying the fine ,july  
evening in the national style--swilling 
the worst beer that ever punished the   
taste for that barbarian beverage1 and  
filling the fresh breeze with the fumes 
of tobacco1 worthy of the beer4         
,guiscard stopped to gaze at them4  ,i  
envy those fellows1 said he4 ,not merely

 for their escaping all care1 and being 
able to extract enjoyment out of their  
execrable drink and pipes1 but from     
their being exempt from all contact with
 portfolios4  ,but such enjoyment is    
only that of the swine4  ,well1 and is  
not that of the swine perfect8--and what
 would you have more than perfection8   
,a huge herd of those creatures1 basking
 along the miry edge of the river1      
helped his illustration4 ,mr ,marston1  
you have not been for the last month on 
the staff of the commander-in-chief of  
the allied armies1 or you would not look
 so incredulous4 ,sir1 man's senses may 
be as suitable for his purposes1 as     
those of the animals which we see       
wallowing there4 ,i stared1 waiting for 
the conclusion4 ,he proceeded4 ,but man 
has drawbacks on his natural faculties1 
which they have not4 ,possibly nature   
intended that we should be as happy as  
they4 ,but make nine-tenths of them     
hewers of wood and drawers of           
water--send some of them to             

dungeons--enforce a conscription among  
the rest1 and send them to use their    
tusks upon each other1 and the most     
complacent of them would rebel3 or1 as  
the last trial of temper1 put the       
meekest of the race into a cabinet of   
princes and general-officers1 themselves
 controlled by a cabinet five hundred   
miles off2 and if they do not growl as  
,i do now1 ,i shall give up all my      
knowledge of quadruped nature4  ,why1   
,guiscard1 what is the matter with you  
to-night8 ,have we not gained our point8
 ,you are like the ,thracians1 who      
always mourned at the birth of a child4 
,and the ,thracians were perfectly      
right1 if the child were to be reared a 
diplomatist4 ,you talk of success6 ,our 
path had led to where a view of         
,valenciennes opened on us through the  
trees2 and its shattered ramparts and   
curtains1 the trees felled along its    
glacis1 and its bastions stripped and   
broken by our cannon-balls1 certainly   
presented a rueful spectacle4 ,the      

,austrian flag was flying on the        
citadel4  ,there1 said he1 is our prize4
 ,it is not worth the loading of a      
single gun2 but it has cost us more     
millions to ruin than it took francs to 
build it--it has cost us the conquest of
 ,france2 and will cost ,europe the war1
 which we might have extinguished three 
months ago if we had but left it behind4
 ,i acknowledge that ,i speak in the    
bitterness of my heart2 delay has ruined
 every thing4 ,our march to ,paris1 and 
our march to ,georgium ,sidus1 will now 
be finished on the same day4  ,i        
attempted to laugh off his predictions1 
but he was intractable4 ,the business1  
said he1 is all over4 ,that flag is the 
signal of ,european jealousy--the apple 
of discord4 ,yon are going to ,england2 
and1 if you have any regard for my      
opinion1 tell your friends there to     
withdraw their troops as soon as they   
can4 ,that flag1 which pretends to      
partition ,france1 will unite it as one 
man4 ,our sages here are actually about 

to play its game4 ,orders have come to  
divide the army4 ,what folly6 ,what     
inconceivable infatuation6 ,in the very 
face of the most fantastic and furious  
population of mankind1 whom the most    
trivial success inflames into           
enthusiasts2 they are going to break up 
their force1 and seek adventures by     
brigades and battalions4  ,he stamped   
the ground with indignation2 but1       
suddenly recovering his calmness1 he    
turned to me with his grave smile4 ,i am
 ashamed1 ,marston1 of thus betraying a 
temper which time ought to have cooled4 
,but1 after all1 what is public life but
 a burlesque2 a thing of ludicrous      
disappointment2 a tragedy1 with a farce 
always at hand to relieve the tedium and
 the tinsel2 the fall of kingdoms made  
laughable by the copper lace of the     
stage wardrobe8  ,do you object to our  
duke8  ,not in the least4 ,he is        
personally a gallant fellow2 and if he  
wants experience1 so must every man at  
one time or other4 ,his only error1     

hitherto1 has been his condescending to 
come at all with so small a force under 
his command4 ,no ,english army should   
ever plant its foot upon the ,continent 
with less than fifty thousand men on its
 muster-roll4 ,the duke's being put at  
the head of your troops--only a division
 after all--seems to me the only wise   
thing that has been done4 ,it was a     
declaration of the heartiness of your   
alliance2 and ,i honour your country for
 the distinctness of the avowal4 ,your  
king gives his son1 as your country     
gives her soldiers1 and your people give
 their money4 ,the whole was manly1     
magnanimous1 or1 as the highest         
panegyric1 it was ,english all over4    
,this language at once put an end to all
 my reserve4 ,i shook his hand in the   
spirit of old friendship2 and1 on our   
parting1 extracted a promise of keeping 
up our communication on all possible    
opportunities4 ,we had already          
separated1 when ,i heard my name called 
again1 and ,guiscard returned4 ,i had   

forgotten1 said he1 to tell you what ,i 
was most anxious to say4 ,if ,i had seen
 no other prospect for you1 ,i should be
 the last man to make you discontented  
with your profession4 ,my only request  
is1 that when you once more tread on    
,english ground1 you will seriously     
consider whether you will continue in   
the army4 ,if know you at all1 ,i think 
that you would not be altogether        
satisfied with wearing your epaulettes  
at reviews and parades4 ,and1 if ,i am  
not entirely mistaken1 you will have    
nothing else for the next dozen years4  
,your army are moving homewards already4
 ,you are now in the secret4  ,but is   
the campaign absolutely coming to an    
end8 ,are the hopes of attacking the    
,french so suddenly given up8 ,is       
,france always to baffle us8 was my     
vexed question4  ,as to the fate of     
,france1 you should consult a prophet1  
not a ,prussian engineer--and one       
terribly tired of his trade besides1 was
 the reply4 ,we parted2 but the         

conversation was not lost upon me4  ,by 
midnight ,i was on my journey4 ,my route
 lay through the ,flemish provinces1    
which had now recovered all their       
luxuriance1 if not derived additional   
animation from the activity which every 
where follows the movements of a        
successful army4 ,troops marching to    
join the general advance frequently and 
strikingly diversified the scene4 ,huge 
trains of the commissariat were         
continually on the road4 ,the little    
civic authorities were doubly conscious 
of the dignity of functions which       
brought them into contact with          
soldiership1 from the quartermaster up  
to the general4 ,but the contrast of the
 tumult which ,i left behind with the   
quietness of the scenes around me--the  
haste1 the anxiety1 and the restlessness
 of a huge camp1 with the calm of the   
fields1 with the regularity which seemed
 to govern all the operations of farming
 life1 and with the grave opulence of   
the old mansions1 which seemed to be    

formed for the natural receptacles of   
the wealth of ,flemish fields--at once  
refreshed me after the mental fever in  
which ,i had tossed so long1 and perhaps
 impressed on me more deeply the parting
 advice of my friend the philosopher4   
,but1 from the moment when ,i touched   
,british ground1 the whole sleepy       
tranquillity which gathers over every   
man in the quietude of ,flanders1 where 
man seems to have followed the same     
plough from the deluge1 had utterly     
vanished4 ,i was in the midst of a      
nation in a ferment4 ,the war was the   
universal topic2 party was in full life4
 ,from the inn at ,dover up to the      
waiting-room at the ,horse-,guards1 ,i  
heard nothing but politics4 ,the conduct
 of our army--the absurdity of every    
thing that had been done1 or left       
undone--the failures of the ,allies--the
 fanaticism of the ,french--the hopes of
 popular liberty on one side1 and the   
indignation of established power on the 
other--came rushing round me in a chaos 

of discordant conceptions1 that for the 
time bewildered me4 ,how simple was the 
gossip of the camp to this heterogeneous
 mass of struggling topics6 ,how        
straightforward was even the wild       
haranguing of the ,palais ,royal to the 
thousand reports and protests1          
remonstrances and replications1 of the  
whole ringing and raging1 public mind of
 ,england6 ,this was the age of         
pamphleteering4 ,every sage who could1  
or could not1 write1 flung his pamphlet 
in the teeth of the party whose         
existence he conceived to be ruinous to 
his country1 or perhaps prejudicial to  
his own prospect of a sinecure4 ,the    
journals printed their columns in gall2 
the satirists dipped their pens in      
concentrated acid2 the popular          
haranguers dashed the oil of vitriol of 
contempt in each other's faces4 ,the    
confusion1 the collision1 the uproar1   
was indescribable4  ,but my whole       
experience of public life has told me1  
that however the popular opinion may be 

wrong1 the public opinion is right2 and 
,i felt that the nation was already     
adverse to the conduct of the campaign4 
,the utmost skill of the cabinet was    
required to prevent a dangerous         
reaction4 ,the member of administration 
with whom my chief intercourse          
officially existed1 was the same manly  
and kind-natured individual to whom ,i  
had formerly been indebted for so much  
civility2 and1 as if proud of his own   
work1 his civility now took the form of 
friendship4 ,ill news came from abroad2 
and ,i expressed my impatience of       
remaining with the pen in my hand1 when 
,i should have worn my sword4 ,to all my
 suggestions on the subject1 the        
good-humoured answer was1 that my       
services were still necessary at home4  
,at length1 on my making a decided      
request that ,i should be permitted to  
return to my regiment1 he told me in    
confidence that the campaign was        
probably at an end2 that the ,british   
commander-in-chief was about to return2 

and that1 in fact1 the strength of      
,england would be turned to the naval   
war4 ,at the close of one of those      
conversations1 fixing his keen grey eye 
upon me1 he said1 ,pray1 what think you 
of ,parliament8 ,my answer was1 ,that   
mediocrity was more contemptible there  
than any where else2 while success was  
more difficult4  ,you mean such success 
as ,pitt's3 you mean victory4 ,but you  
must get these ,greek and ,roman notions
 out of your head4 ,an ,english ,house  
does not want orators4 ,one on a side is
 quite enough4 ,they are like the gold  
plate on a sideboard2 it is well to show
 that we have such things1 for the      
honour of our establishment2 but no one 
thinks of making use of them at table4  
,pitt is an exception2 he is equal to   
every thing2 an incomparable man of     
business4 ,burke1 or some other man of  
metaphor1 compared him to the falcon2   
which1 however high it may soar1 always 
follows the prey with its eye along the 
ground4 ,but two ,pitts1 if nature could

 be prolific of such magnificent        
monsters1 would absolutely perplex us4  
,what could be more confusing than to   
have two suns shining at the same time8 
,but is ,fox nothing8 ,i asked4  ,a     
great deal1 was the answer4 ,he is the  
finest talker1 ,i suppose1 in the world4
 ,the first of babblers4  ,of babblers6 
,i involuntarily repeated4  ,yes2 for   
what is babbling but speaking in vain1  
pouring out endless speculations without
 a purpose or the hope of a purpose1    
indulging a remarkably powerful and     
productive mind with the waste of its   
own conceptions1 pouring out a whole    
coinage of splendid thoughts with no    
more expectancy of practical result than
 if he poured the mint into the ,thames8
 ,you may rely upon it that such is the 
opinion of the ,house1 as it will be    
yours when you get there2 and such will 
be that of posterity1 if they shall ever
 take the trouble to think about any of 
us4  ,this conversation was evidently   
more than accidental2 and ,i gave to it 

some of my most perplexing hours4 ,i had
 an original fondness for the life of   
arms4 ,i was of the age to feel its     
variety1 animation1 and ardour4 ,my     
experience had been fortunate2 ,i had   
seen nothing but victory1 and had been  
flattered by personal distinction4 ,but 
then came the reverse of the medal4 ,i  
remembered the opinion of the most      
sagacious and penetrating spirit which  
it had been my lot ever to know2 and ,i 
felt that the ,continent was to be our  
field of battle no longer4 ,the languor 
of home service1 to one who had seen war
 in its stateliest shape1 and in its    
most powerful activity1 rose before my  
mind with an inexpressible sense of     
weariness4 ,on the other hand1 supposing
 that ,i possessed the faculties for    
political life1 was ,i possessed of the 
temper1 the endurance of toil1 the      
measureless patience1 the inexhaustible 
equanimity1 which every night of my     
public existence would henceforth       
demand8 ,why was this heart-wearying    

struggle to be preferred to the simple  
and straightforward pursuit of an       
honourable profession1 in which the only
 weight was the carrying of my sword1   
and the only secret of distinction      
possessing an untarnished name8  ,but ,i
 soon made up my mind4 ,the question    
narrowed itself to this3 which was the  
more active life8 ,the point of honour  
was no longer the adherence to a        
profession whose purposes were          
necessarily changed4 ,every hour gave   
additional evidence that the gates of   
the ,continent were closing upon the    
,english soldier4 ,influence1           
impression1 publicity1 were the prizes  
of a political career4 ,i saw all other 
names fade before the great senatorial  
names of ,england4 ,i saw men of humble 
extraction filling the world with their 
fame4 ,i saw a succession of            
individuals1 who1 if their profession   
had been arms1 or if their birth-place  
had been the ,continent1 would have     
lived and died in the routine of obscure

 service1 here rising to the height of  
national homage1 lustres of their       
generation1 and guiding by their        
opinions the courts of ,europe4 ,whether
 ,i should ever take my place among     
those illustrious names1 scarcely       
entered into my thoughts4 ,but ,i was   
determined never to waste my life in    
conscious indolence4 ,scarcely knowing  
what faculties ,i might possess1 ,i had 
fully resolved on trying their utmost   
strength2 and grown almost indifferent  
to the ordinary pursuits of human       
indulgence1 ,i looked with something of 
a melancholy yet proud hope1 to the     
enjoyment which was to be found in      
giving myself up to the solitary and    
stern toil of living for a great cause1 
and leaving a name behind me that should
 not be forgotten4  ,on that very day   
the intelligence arrived that the       
,british troops had marched towards the 
north of ,germany2 that the royal duke  
had returned to ,england2 and that the  
,allies had1 by common consent1         

abandoned the invasion of ,france4 ,my  
habits were always prompt4 ,before the  
hour was over in which the gazette      
appeared1 ,i waited on my ministerial   
friend1 and expressed my full           
acquiescence in his proposal4  ,i pass  
by the process of getting into          
,parliament4 ,it was then a simpler     
matter than it has since become4 ,a     
treasury borough was then the gate      
through which all the leading names of  
the country had entered the legislature1
 and ,i merely followed the path of all 
but the lords of acres4  ,every man who 
will make himself master of an          
occupation must serve an apprenticeship4
 ,parliament1 too1 has its seven years' 
indentures1 and the few who have refused
 the training have seldom been the wiser
 for their precipitancy4 ,i bided my    
time1 taking a slight occasional share  
in debates with whose topics ,i happened
 to be well acquainted2 and expecting   
the chances1 which1 to every one who    
employs himself vigorously1 are all but 

certainties4 ,still ,i felt that this   
mere hovering on the outskirts of debate
 must not last too long1 and that       
nothing was more hazardous to final     
reputation than to be too slow in       
attempting to lay its first stone4 ,yet 
,i felt some difficulty in every great  
question2 and1 after bracing my nerves  
for the onset1 ,i always found my       
courage fail at the sight of the actual 
encounter4 ,i felt as a young knight    
might have felt in some of the          
tilting-matches of old--master of his   
charger in the open field1 and          
delighting in the pressure of his armour
 and the weight of his lance2 but when  
he once rode within the barrier1 saw the
 galleries filled1 and the heralds      
lifting the trumpets to their lips1     
feeling his blood grow chill1 and the   
light depart from his eyes4  ,i         
mentioned my embarrassment to my        
,scottish friend1 and almost expected a 
remonstrance4 ,to my great surprise and 
infinite pleasure1 he congratulated me4 

,you cannot give a better sign1 said he4
 ,my only fear of you was1 that you     
would dash into debate at once1 like a  
tumbler jumping from a precipice2 and   
that1 like him1 all that you would have 
gained by it would be broken limbs for  
life4 ,if the fellow had kept to his    
slack-rope and his stage1 he would have 
been safe enough1 and gained some       
applause besides4  ,but what is to be   
done in the ,house1 without some hazard 
of the kind8  ,wrong--quite wrong4 ,a   
great deal is to be done4 ,take myself  
for the example4 ,you see where ,i am1  
and yet ,i never made a speech in my    
life4 ,from the beginning of my career1 
,i never allowed any one to look for any
 thing of the kind from me2 and the     
consequence was1 that by some ,i was    
regarded as a much shrewder personage   
than ,i ever believed myself to be2 and 
by others was thought to know a great   
deal more than ,i ever acquired4  ,but  
will this account for the rapid         
distinctions of your public life8       

,perfectly1 so far as they have gone4 ,i
 obtained ministerial confidence on the 
essential merits of being a safe        
man--one who made no ambitious attempts 
to lower the crests of those above me4  
,i escaped the jealousy of those below  
me by adopting the style which          
mediocrity assumes by nature4 ,i was    
thus like the senior subaltern in a     
marching regiment--,i wore the same     
uniform with the colonel1 and went      
through the same exercise with the      
ensign4 ,the field-officers knew that ,i
 would not tread upon their heels1 and  
every subaltern wished to see my        
promotion1 as a step to his own4  ,my   
official duties1 the mere entrance into 
office1 occupied me laboriously for a   
while1 and ,i felt all the habitual     
difficulties of my noviciate4 ,it had   
been fully my intention to follow the   
advice of my experienced friend1 and    
leave the hour which was to call for my 
exertions in the ,house to the chances  
of the time4 ,but that time came more   

rapidly than ,i had expected4 ,the      
public mind was fevered1 hour by hour2  
the news from the ,continent was more   
and more startling2 the successes of the
 ,republican armies had assumed a shape 
which our desponding politicians        
regarded as invincibility1 and which our
 factious ones pronounced to be the ruin
 of ,europe4 ,the cabinet offered only  
the prospect of a melancholy struggle4  
,but six months before1 it had stood1   
strong as a citadel erected by the      
national hands1 and garrisoned by the   
spirit of the empire4 ,it still stood1  
but it stood dismantled2 there were     
evident breaches in its walls1 and the  
fugitives of ,opposition1 rallying with 
the hope of success1 advanced again to  
the storm1 headed by their great leader1
 and sustained by the capricious and    
fluctuating multitude4 ,the premier was 
harassed by the incessant toil of       
defence--a toil in which he had scarcely
 a sharer1 and which exposed him to the 
most remorseless hostility4 ,yet1 if the

 historian were to choose the moment for
 his true fame1 this was the moment     
which ought to be chosen4 ,he rose with 
the severity of the struggle2 assault   
seemed to give him new vigour2 the      
attempt to tear the robe of office from 
his shoulders only gave the nobler      
display of his intellectual proportions4
 ,when ,i saw him1 night after night1   
standing almost alone1 with nothing but 
disaster in front and timidity in the   
rear1 combating a force such as had     
never before been arrayed under the     
banners of ,opposition2 the whole scene 
of magnificent conflict and still       
grander fortitude1 reminded me of the   
,homeric war and its warriors4--,the    
champion of the kingdom1 standing forth 
in despite of evil omens thickening     
round him1 of the deepening cloud1 and  
the sinister thunders4  ,i speak of     
those times1 and of the great men of    
those times1 in no invidious contrast   
with later days4 ,i have so strong a    
faith in the infinite ability which     

freedom gives to a great empire1 that ,i
 am convinced of our being able1 in all 
its eras1 to find the species of public 
talent essential to its services4 ,i    
regard the national mind1 as the        
philosopher does the natural soil1      
always capable of the essential produce1
 where we give it the due tillage4 ,the 
great men of the past century have      
passed away along with it2 they were    
summoned for a day of conflict1 and were
 formed for the conflict2 their muscular
 vigour1 the power with which they      
wielded their weapons1 the giant step   
and the giant hand1 were all necessary1 
and were all shaped and sustained by    
that necessity4 ,but this day had its   
close2 the leaders of man--like the     
mighty hunters of an ,age1 when the land
 was still overshadowed with the forest1
 and the harvest was overrun with the   
lion and the panther1 would naturally   
give place to a less daring and lofty   
generation1 when the forest had given   
way to the field1 and the lair of the   

wild beast had become the highway and   
the bower4 ,but if the evil day should  
again return1 the guardian power of     
intellect and virtue will again come    
forth in the human shape1 and vindicate 
the providence that watches over the    
progress of mankind4 ,i utterly deny the
 exhaustion of national genius2 ,i even 
deny its exhaustibility4 ,if the moral  
vegetation languishes1 and the soil is  
parched for a while1 the great source of
 refreshing and fertility still lies    
before us--the public mind1 in its      
boundless expansion1 and in its         
unfathomable depth2 the intellectual    
ocean which no plummet has ever sounded1
 and which no shore has ever            
circumscribed1 lies ready to restore the
 balance of nature4  ,but the sense of  
power itself in the national mind       
forbids the exhibition of its strength  
in tranquil times4 ,it is lofty and     
fastidious2 it will not stoop to a      
contest in which nothing is to be       
contended for4 ,it is not an actor2 and 

it cannot adopt the figured passion of  
the actor1 rend its robe1 and flourish1 
and obtest heaven against the traitor   
and the oppressor1 to the sound of an   
orchestra1 or in the glitter of stage   
lamps4 ,the true ability of the empire  
must scorn all mimic encounter2 and what
 else can be the little struggles of    
party shut up in the legislature1 whose 
sound scarcely transpires through the   
walls1 whose triumphs are a tax1 and    
whose oracles are an intrigue8 ,but1    
when the true day of trial shall        
come--when an enemy shall be seen       
hovering on the coasts of the           
,constitution--when trumpet answers     
trumpet1 and the country is proclaimed  
in danger--then1 and not till then1     
shall we know the superb resources of   
our intellectual strength3 whatever may 
have been the prowess of the past1 we   
may see it not merely rivaled but thrown
 into eclipse by the future2 the        
burnished armour1 and massive swords and
 maces of our old intellectual chivalry1

 superseded by more manageable and more 
destructive implements of success2 and  
the sterner conflict followed by the    
more consummate triumph4 ,yet1 when we  
undervalue the living ability of a      
nation from its quietude at the moment1 
we but adopt the example of every past  
age in succession4 ,the last ten years  
of the last century were preceded by a  
period of despair2 ,chatham's career was
 run1 and the national regrets over his 
tomb were mingled with sorrows for the  
extinction of all parliamentary         
renown6--,the day had gone down1 and    
darkness was to cover the sky for ever4 
,but while the prediction was scarcely  
uttered1 the horizon as in a blaze1     
mighty meteors rushed across it in a    
thousand courses of eccentric speed and 
splendour2 and a period of intellectual 
display began1 which at once dazzled and
 delighted mankind4 ,anne's ,augustan   
age of war1 negotiation1 and eloquence1 
was once pronounced to be1 like the     
,augustan age of ,rome1 incapable of    

rivalship by posterity2 but our own     
times have seen a bolder war1 a broader 
peace1 and a richer development of      
science1 invention1 and eloquence4 ,for 
fifty years1 ,england was pronounced to 
have worn herself out by the prolific   
brilliancy of the half century before2  
like a precocious infant1 to have       
anticipated her powers1 and ensured     
their premature decay2 like the         
,boeotians1 to have had her ,pindaric   
period1 and thenceforward to have paid  
for its raptures and renown by perpetual
 darkness2 or like the ,israelites in   
,egypt1 to be condemned to drudgery for 
life1 sunk into an intellectual         
slave-caste2--when in the midst of the  
scoffing1 or the sorrow1 suddenly       
arrived a new epoch1 a new summons to   
the national genius1 a time of lofty    
interpositions1 thunderings in the air1 
and lightning running along the ground1 
an era of the marvellous things of mind2
 the chains fell off the hands1 and the 
generation went forth1 with a new sense 

of superiority1 into new scenes of      
knowledge1 discovery1 and empire4       
,whether it was my good or ill fortune  
to make my first effort in the midst of 
the men whose names have immortalized   
their day1 ,i shall not venture to      
decide4 ,but my resolve had been firmly 
taken--not to remain in ,parliament     
unless ,i discovered in myself faculties
 fit for its service4 ,i was determined 
not to play the mute if ,i had the means
 of uttering a voice4 ,but now the whole
 force of administration was demanded2  
and ,i made up my mind to ascertain by  
trial1 what no man can be sure of       
without that trial1 whether ,i possessed
 any capacity for public life4  ,the    
subject on which ,i first spoke was an  
address to the throne1 in answer to the 
,king's message on the war4 ,on this    
night ,pitt1 but lately recovered from a
 fit of his hereditary gout1 spoke      
briefly1 and with evident feebleness of 
frame4 ,fox1 whose energy seemed always 
to depend on his rival's power1 and     

whose eloquence always rose or fell with
 the vigour or languor of the           
minister--,fox1 never so great as when  
,pitt put forth all his strength1 on    
this night idled away his hour1 through 
the mere want of an antagonist2 but     
,sheridan made ample compensation for   
his leader4 ,the ,house had fallen into 
lassitude1 and the benches were already 
thin when he arose4 ,i had heard him as 
the humorist on some trivial occasions  
of debate4 ,i had enjoyed the social    
pleasantry which placed him at the head 
of the wits2 but ,i was still but       
imperfectly acquainted with the strong  
sarcasm1 the deep disdain1 and the grave
 sophistry1 which this extraordinary man
 could exhibit with such redundant ease1
 and wield with such vigorous dexterity4
 ,i must give but an outline3--         
,you have made war1 said he1 and you    
have made the arms of your     country  
contemptible by failures1 which you     
rendered inevitable by     your         
rashness4 ,you1 sir1 and he fixed his   

flashing eye on the     premier1 have   
commenced that war by a series of       
declarations1     which made our        
diplomacy as contemptible as our        
campaigns4 ,the     national sword had  
been wrested from our hands4 ,but you   
were not     content with that          
humiliation1 and you added to it the    
disgrace of     the national            
understanding4 ,you laid down a         
succession of     principles1 and then  
trampled them in the dust on the first  
opportunity4 ,you encumbered yourself   
for action with pledges which     you   
could never have intended to sustain1 or
 which in the first     collision your  
pusillanimity threw away4 ,yet ,i       
deprecate your     perfidy even more    
than ,i despise your weakness4 ,i can   
comprehend     the effrontery of a fair 
aggression2 but ,i scorn the meanness of
     intrigue4 ,i may face the          
man-at-arms1 but ,i shudder at the      
assassin4 ,i may determine to hunt down 
and destroy the lion1 but ,i     disdain

 the trap and the pitfall4 ,and what has
 been the pretext of     his majesty's  
ministers8 ,moderation4 ,in this spirit 
of moderation     they invaded ,france2 
in this spirit of moderation they       
captured     her fortresses1 and then   
handed them over to the ,emperor2 in    
this     spirit of moderation they      
denounced the men who had given ,france 
a     constitution2 and in this spirit  
of moderation you now prepare to        
rebuild her ,bastile1 to restore her    
scaffolds1 to reforge her     chains1   
and summon all the kings of ,europe1    
instead of taking a     salutary lesson 
from the tomb of the monarchy1 to see   
its skeleton     exhumed1 and placed1   
robed and crowned1 upon the throne1 with
 the     nation forced to offer homage1 
at once in mockery and terror1 to       
the grinning emblem2 in which1 with all 
your philtres1 you can     never put    
life again4   ,the orator then gave a   
general and singularly imposing view of 
the state of our ,european connexions2  

which he described as utterly frail1 the
 result of interested motives1 and sure 
to be broken up at the first temptation4
 ,but the first lord of the treasury and
 chancellor of his majesty's exchequer1 
said he1 smiles at my alarm2 he has his 
security at his side--he has the purse1 
which commands all the baser portion of 
our nature with such irresistible       
control6 ,on one point ,i fully agree   
with the right honourable               
gentleman--that nothing but the purse   
could ever keep them faithful4 ,yet1 is 
there nothing but gold that can bribe8  
is there no bribe in territory8 will he 
not find1 when he hurries to the        
purchase of allies with the millions of 
the treasury in his hand1 that more     
powerful purchasers have been there     
before him8 ,when he offers the loan1   
will he not find them offering the      
province8 when he bids with the subsidy1
 will he not be outbid with the kingdom8
 ,or1 if the anticipated conquerors of  
,europe1 raising their sense of dignity 

to the level of their power1 should     
disdain the traffic of corruption2 will 
not the roaring of the ,french cannon in
 the ears of kings make them feel1 that1
 to persist in your ill-omened alliance1
 is to devote themselves to ruin8 will  
they bargain1 in sight of the axe8 will 
they dare to traffic in the blood of    
their people1 with the grave dug at     
their feet8 will they be dazzled by your
 gold1 while the ,french bayonet is     
startling their eyes8 ,within ten years1
 if ,england exists1 she will be without
 an ally2 or1 if she continues to fight1
 it will be in loneliness1 in terror1   
and in despair4  ,in this strain he     
poured out his daring conceptions for   
more than two hours1 during which he    
kept the whole audience in the deepest  
attention4 ,he concluded in an uproar of
 plaudits from both sides of the ,house4
  ,my time now came4 ,and the rising of 
a new member1 always regarded with a    
generous spirit of courtesy1 produced   
some additional interest1 from the      

knowledge of my services on the         
,continent1 and my immediate connexion  
with the ministry4 ,the ,house1 which   
had filled to overflowing in the course 
of ,sheridan's incomparable speech1 was 
now hushed to the most total silence1   
and every eye was turned on me4 ,i shall
 say nothing of my perturbation1 further
 than that ,i had stood before an       
enemy's line of ten thousand men1 with  
their muskets levelled within half a    
hundred yards of me2 and that ,i thought
 the benches of the ,house of ,commons  
on that night looked much the more      
formidable of the two4 ,my head swam1 my
 throat burned1 my eyes grew dim4 ,i    
thought that the ground was shaking     
under my feet1 and ,i could have almost 
rejoiced to have sunk into it1 from the 
gaze and the silence1 which equally     
appalled me4 ,while ,i attempted to     
mutter a few sentences1 of which ,i felt
 the sound die within my lips1 my eye   
was caught by the quick turn of ,pitt's 
head1 who fixed his impatient glance    

upon me4 ,fox1 with that kindliness of  
heart which always forgot party when a  
good-natured act was to be done1 gave   
his sonorous cheer4 ,from that instant  
,i was another man2 ,i breathed freely1 
and1 recovering my voice and mind       
together1 ,i plunged boldly into the    
boundless subject before me4  ,after    
scattering a few of the showy sophisms  
which the orator of the opposition had  
constructed into his specious argument1 
,i placed the war on the ground of      
necessity4 ,nations cannot act like     
individuals--they cannot submit to      
self-sacrifice--they cannot give up     
their rights--they cannot affect an     
indolent disdain or an idle generosity4 
,the reason of the distinction is1 that 
in every instance the nation is a       
trustee--,it has the rights of posterity
 in its keeping2 it has nothing of its  
own to throw away2 it is responsible to 
every generation to come4 ,if war be    
essential to the integrity of the       
empire1 war is as much a duty--a        

terrible duty1 ,i allow--as the         
protection of our children's property   
from the grasp of rapine1 or the defence
 of their lives against the midnight    
robber4 ,but we are advised to peace4   
,no man on earth would do more willing  
homage than myself to that beneficent   
genius of nations4 ,but where am ,i to  
offer my homage8 ,am ,i to kneel on the 
high-road where the enemy's armies1     
fierce with the hope of plunder1 are    
rushing along8 ,am ,i to build my altar 
in the midst of contending thousands1 or
 on the ground covered with corpses--in 
the battle1 or on the grave8 ,or am ,i  
to carry my offering to the capital1 and
 there talk the language of national    
cordiality in the ear of the multitude  
dragging their king to the scaffold8 ,am
 ,i to appeal to the feelings of human  
brotherhood in streets smoking with     
civil massacre2 to adjure the nation by 
the national honour1 where revolt is an 
avowed principle2 to press upon them the
 opinion of ,europe1 where they have    

proclaimed war with the world2 to invoke
 them by the faith which they have      
renounced1 the allegiance which they    
have disdained1 the ,god whom they have 
blasphemed8 ,those things are           
impossible4 ,if we are to have a treaty 
with this new order of thinking and     
action1 it must be a compact of crime1 a
 solemn agreement of treachery1 a formal
 bond of plunder2 it must be a treaty   
fitter for the cavern of conspiracy than
 for the chamber of council2 its pledge 
must be like that of ,catiline1 the cup 
of human blood6 ,no2 the most powerful  
reprobation which ever shot from the    
indignant lip of the moralist1 would not
 be too strong for the baseness which   
stooped to such a treaty1 or the folly  
which entangled itself in its toils4 ,no
 burning language of prophecy would be  
too solemn and too stinging for the     
premeditated wretchedness1 and incurable
 calamity1 of such a bond4 ,no2 if we   
must violate the simplicity of our      
national interests by such degrading1   

and such desperate involvements--if we  
should not shrink from this conspiracy  
against mankind1 let it1 at least1 not  
be consummated in the face of day2 let  
us at once abandon the hollow pretences 
of human honesty2 let us pledge         
ourselves to a perpetual league of      
rapine and revolution2 let it be        
transacted in some lower region of      
existence1 where it shall not disgrace  
the light of the sun2 and let its       
ceremonial be worthy of the spirit of   
evil which it embodies1 whose power it  
proclaims1 and to whose supremacy it    
commands all nations to bow down4  ,in  
alluding to the menace that our allies  
would soon desert us1 ,i asked1 ,is this
 the magnanimity of party8 ,is ,england 
to be pronounced so poor1 or so         
pusillanimous1 that she must give up all
 hope unless she can be suffered to lurk
 in the rear of the battle8 ,what says  
her prince of poets8--    ',england     
shall never rue1   ,if ,england to      
herself shall be but true4'  ,is this   

'little body with a mighty heart1' to   
depend for existence on the decaying    
strength or the decrepit courage of the 
,continent8 ,is she only to borrow the  
shattered armour which has hung up for  
ages in the halls of continental        
royalty1 and encumber herself with its  
broken and rusty panoply for the        
ridicule of the world8 ,the ,european   
governments have undergone the          
vicissitudes of fortune4 ,instead of    
scoffing at the facility of their       
overthrow1 let us raise them on their   
feet again2 or1 if that be beyond human 
means1 ,i shall not join the party-cry  
which insults their fall--,i certainly  
shall not exult in that melancholy      
pageant of mixed mirth and scorn1 in    
which1 like the old ,roman triumph1 the 
soldier with his ruthless jest and song 
goes before the chariot1 and the captive
 monarch follows behind2 wearing the    
royal robe and the diadem only till he  
has gratified a barbarous curiosity or a
 cruel pride1 and then exchanging them  

for the manacle and the dungeon4 ,i     
deprecate the loss of these alliances2  
and yet ,i doubt whether the country    
will ever be conscious of her true      
strength until the war of the ,continent
 is at an end4 ,i more than doubt the   
wisdom of suffering others to take the  
lead1 which belongs to us by the right  
of superior rank1 superior prowess1 and 
superior fame4 ,i shall have but slight 
regret for the fall of those outworks   
which--massive1 nay1 majestic1 as they  
are--waste the power of ,england by the 
division of her force1 and make us      
decline the gallant enterprize of the   
field--ramparts and fosses which reduce 
us to defence1 and which1 while they    
offer a thousand points of entrance to  
an active assault1 shut us in1 and      
disqualify us from victory4  ,i now     
repeat this language of the moment1     
merely from later and long experience of
 its truth4 ,i fully believe1 that if   
,england had come forward to the front  
of the battle in the early years of the 

war1 she would have crushed all         
resistance2 or if she had found1 by the 
chance of things1 the ,continent        
impenetrable to her arms1 she would have
 surrounded it with a wall of fire1     
until its factions had left nothing of  
themselves but their ashes4  ,i was now 
fully engaged in public life4 ,the      
effort which ,i had made in ,parliament 
had received the approval of ,pitt1 who1
 without stooping to notice things so   
trivial as style and manner on questions
 of national life and death1 highly     
applauded the courage which had dared to
 face so distinguished a ,parliamentary 
favourite as ,sheridan1 and had taken a 
view of affairs so accordant with his   
own4 ,from this period1 ,i was          
constantly occupied in debate2 and1     
taking the premier for my model1 ,i made
 rapid proficiency in the difficult art 
of addressing a ,british ,house of      
,commons4 ,of course1 ,i have no idea of
 giving myself the praise on this       
subject1 which no man can give to       

himself on any1 without offence4 ,but ,i
 felt that this was an art which might  
escape1 and which had often escaped1 men
 of distinguished ability1 and which    
might be possessed by men of powers     
altogether inferior4 ,i must            
acknowledge1 that a portion of my       
success was owing to the advice of that 
shrewdest1 and at the same time most    
friendly1 of human beings1 the          
secretary4 ,you must be a man of        
business1 said he1 or you will be       
nothing2 for praise is                  
nothing--popularity is nothing--even the
 applause of the ,house is nothing4     
,these matters pass away1 and the       
orators pass away with them4 ,john ,bull
 is a solid animal1 and likes reality4  
,this is the true secret of the         
successes of hundreds of men of         
mediocrity1 and of the failures of      
almost every man of brilliant faculties4
 ,the latter fly too high1 and thus make
 no way along the ground4 ,they always  
alight on the same spot2 while the      

weaker1 but wiser1 have put one foot    
before another1 and have pushed on4     
,sheridan1 at this moment1 has no more  
weight in the ,house than he had within 
a twelvemonth after taking his seat4    
,fox1 with the most powerful abilities1 
is looked on simply as a magnificent    
speechmaker4 ,his only weight is in his 
following4 ,if his party fell from him  
to-morrow1 all his eloquence would find 
its only echo in bare walls1 and its    
only panegyric in street-placards4 ,pitt
 is a man of business1 complete1        
profound1 indefatigable4 ,if you have   
his talents1 copy his prudence2 if you  
have not1 still copy his prudence--make 
it the interest of men to consult you1  
and you must be ultimately successful4  
,i laughingly observed1 that the ,nullum
 numen abest had been honoured with an  
unexpected illustration4  ,sir1 said the
 minister1 fixing his keen grey eye upon
 me1 if ,eton had never taught any other
 maxim1 it would have been well worth   
all the tail of its longs and shorts4   

,it is the concentration of wisdom1     
personal1 private1 and public2 the polar
 star of politics1 as probably you would
 say2 or1 as in my matter-of-fact style 
should express it1 the fingerpost of the
 road to fortune4  ,but there never was 
a time when all the maxims of political 
wisdom were more required4 ,a long      
succession of disasters had already     
broken down the outworks of the         
continental thrones4 ,the renown of the 
great armies of ,germany was lost2 the  
discipline of the ,prussian1 and the    
steady intrepidity of the ,austrian1 had
 been swept before the wild disorder of 
the ,french4 ,men began to believe that 
the art of war had been hitherto        
unknown1 and that the enemy had at      
length mastered the exclusive secret4   
,monarchy came to be regarded as only   
another name for weakness2 and civilized
 order for national decrepitude4 ,a kind
 of superstition stole over the minds of
 men2 the signs of ,european overthrow  
were discovered in every change2        

calculations were calmly raised on the  
chances of existence to the most        
powerful dynasties2 the age of crowns   
was in the move1 the age of republics   
was in the ascendant2 and while the     
feebler minds looked with quiescent awe 
on what they regarded as the inevitable 
tide of events1 the more daring regarded
 the prospect as a summons to prepare   
for their part of the spoil4 ,the       
struggles of ,opposition grew more      
resolute as the hope of success came    
nearer1 and the ,government began to    
feel the effects of this perpetual      
assault1 in the sudden neutrality of    
some of its most ostentatious champions1
 and in the general reserve of its      
supporters in the ,house4 ,even the     
superb perseverance of ,pitt was        
beginning to be weary of a contest1 in  
which victory lost its fruits on the one
 side1 while defeat seemed only to give 
fresh vigour on the other4 ,but a new   
triumph was to cheer the face of things4
  ,i was returning one morning from the 

,house after a night spent in a fierce  
debate on the war1 which ,fox denounced 
with an asperity unusual to his generous
 temperament4 ,the premier had made a   
powerful speech1 vindicating the        
government from all share in the        
continental misfortunes2 pronouncing    
loftily1 that1 in a war not made for    
conquest1 it was sophistry to speak of  
our failure of possession as a crime2   
and declaring in a tone of singular     
boldness and energy--that if the        
,continent were untrod by a ,british    
soldier1 there was a still broader field
 for the arms and the triumphs of       
,england4 ,but his eloquence had more   
effect in exposing the errors1 than in  
reducing the numbers of his opponents1  
and the smallness of his majority would 
have made a feebler mind resign on the  
spot4 ,the announcement of the numbers  
was received with an insulting cheer by 
the minority1 and the cabinet was       
already by anticipation in their hands4 
,i left the ,house wearied and dejected1

 and was returning to ,downing ,street1 
to throw myself on a couch1 and get a   
few hours of rest before my morning     
toil2 when ,i found a messenger at the  
door of my office1 bearing a request    
from the secretary of state1 that ,i    
should attend him as soon as possible4  
,i found my friend before a table       
covered with despatches1 his brow       
furrowed with weariness like my own4    
,you see me here1 ,marston1 more tired  
than any ploughman or watchman1 or any  
other son of labour from this to ,john  
,o',groat's ,house4 ,i was sent for1    
from the ,house1 six hours ago1 and     
every hour since have ,i been poring    
over those puzzled papers4 ,how long ,i 
can stand this wear and tear the        
physicians must tell1 but it would      
require the constitution of ,hercules or
 ,samson1 or both together1 to go       
through the work that is beginning to   
fall on the members of the cabinet4  ,i 
offered to give him such assistance as  
was in my power4  ,no1 no1 ,marston2 ,i 

am chained to the oar for this night at 
least1 and must pull till ,i fall       
asleep4 ,my purpose in keeping you from 
your pillow at this time of night1 is   
not to relieve myself from trouble2 but 
to ask whether you are disposed to      
relieve the government from serious     
difficulty1 and in a way which ,i hope  
will be not disagreeable to yourself4 ,i
 concluded that my mission was to be    
continental1 and my heart danced at the 
suggestion4 ,in ,england it was         
impossible to continue my search for the
 being in whom all my thoughts were     
fixed2 but once beyond the sea ,i should
 have the world before me4 ,i asked     
whether there was any intention of      
trying the chances of attack again on   
the ,french frontier4  ,none whatever4  
,the greater probability is1 that the   
,french will make some experiment on the
 strength of ours4  ,i looked all       
astonishment4 ,he interpreted my look1  
and said--,to solve the enigma at once1 
,it is our wish to send you to ,ireland4

  ,i listened in silence while he went  
into a long detail of the hazard of the 
island1 arising from the interests of a 
powerful republican party1 who1 inflamed
 by the successes of ,france1 were      
preparing to receive troops and arms    
from the republic4 ,he finished by      
saying1 in a tone of compliment1 which1 
from him1 was as unusual as ,i believe  
it was sincere1 that my exertions in    
debate had attracted high consideration 
in the highest quarter1 and that ,i had 
been proposed by the monarch himself for
 the chief-secretaryship of ,ireland4   
,the premier had assented to the        
appointment at once2 and here1 said he1 
is the warrant1 which ,i have prepared  
in anticipation of its acceptance4 ,you 
are1 from this moment1 virtual viceroy  
of ,ireland4  ,this was elevation       
indeed6 ,i had at once surmounted all   
the slow gradations of office4 ,the     
broadest prospect of official ambition  
had suddenly opened before me2          
popularity1 founded on the most solid   

grounds1 was now waiting only my        
acceptance2 the sense of power1 always  
dear to the heart of man1 glowed in     
every vein2 and it is only justice to   
myself to say1 that the strongest       
impulse of all was the desire to leave  
my name as a benefactor to a people1 who
 seemed to me as much gifted by nature  
as they were unhappy by circumstances4  
,how long will it take you to prepare   
for the journey8 asked the minister4    
,half an hour1 was my reply4  ,bravo6   
,marston4 ,i see your campaigning has   
not been thrown away upon you4 ,you have
 the soldier's promptitude4 ,we were    
prepared to allow you a week4 ,but the  
sooner you set off the better4 ,the     
truth is1 said he rising1 we are in     
great difficulties in that quarter4 ,the
 most thoroughly ,english portion of the
 island is at this moment the most      
disturbed4 ,there are drillings1        
purchases of arms1 midnight musterings1 
and even something not far from prepared
 attacks upon the king's troops4 ,the   

papers among which you found me1 contain
 a regular and a very complete          
organization of an insurrectionary      
government4 ,you will require all the   
energy of the soldier and all the       
prudence of the statesman4  ,let me add 
to them1 said ,i1 what is essential to  
the success of both in a country of     
generous hearts and quick conceptions1  
the sincerity of a patriot4  ,the       
experiment is worth trying1 said he with
 a smile1 if it were only for the sake  
of its novelty4 ,but ,ireland has       
qualities which1 like those of her soil1
 require only to be turned up to the    
light to reward all the labours of      
wealth or wisdom4 ,before that evening  
closed in1 ,i was a hundred miles on my 
way to the ,irish capital4  ,a rapid    
journey1 and a tranquil passage over the
 sixty miles that lie between ,wales and
 ,ireland1 gave me what an old ,roman   
would regard as an omen of the          
peacefulness of my mission4 ,on the dawn
 of one of the finest mornings of the   

year1 ,i came within sight of the ,irish
 coast1 and was struck1 as all          
travellers have been1 by the beauty of  
the bold and picturesque coast which    
rose from the waters before me4 ,in     
front was a province of mountains1      
touched by all the variety of colours1  
which are painted in such richness by   
the summer sun1 on groups of pinnacles  
and cones1 forest hills1 and the fine   
diversities of woodland and mountain    
scenery4 ,on one side the eye glanced   
over a vast sheet of water1 shut in by  
headlands1 and as blue and bright as a  
lake under a serene sky4 ,at the        
extremity of this noble estuary1 a      
cloud1 unchanging and unmoving1 showed  
where a city sent up the smoke of its   
ten thousand fires2 beyond this1 all was
 purple confusion4 ,my official rank    
threw open all the lite of ,irish       
society to me at my first step2 and ,i  
found it1 as it has been found by every 
one else1 animated1 graceful1 and       
hospitable4 ,the nature of its          

government tended to those              
qualifications4 ,while the grave        
business of the state was done in       
,london1 the lighter business of show   
was sedulously sustained in the ,irish  
capital4 ,the lord-lieutenant was       
generally a nobleman1 selected more for 
his rank and his wealth than for his    
statesmanship4 ,a rich1 showy1 and      
good-humoured peer was the true man for 
the head of affairs in ,ireland4 ,it was
 of more importance that he should give 
balls and suppers1 say lively things to 
the ladies1 and be jocular with the     
gentleman1 than that he should have the 
brains of ,bolingbroke or the tongue of 
,chatham4 ,but the position of the      
secretary was the absolute antipode of  
this tranquil and festive sinecure4 ,he 
was in ,ireland what the premier was in 
,england1 but with ten times more of the
 difficulty1 and ten times less of the  
power4 ,the whole conduct of public     
affairs lay on his shoulders2 he was    
responsible for every thing1 while he   

was free in nothing2 perpetually        
assailed by opposition for measures     
which he was not at liberty to explain1 
and standing between the ,english       
cabinet and the ,irish party as a       
scapegoat for the mistakes of the one1  
and a target for the shot of the other4 
,but the chief trial of temper was in   
the ,house of ,commons4 ,opposition in  
,ireland never had a list of more       
brilliant names4 ,government had the    
majority behind its bench1 and that     
majority recruited from the ranks of    
,opposition2 but the more distinguished 
were fixed to party by their own        
celebrity2 and the recruits1 however    
able1 were so liable to be attacked for 
their change of side1 that they were    
paralyzed2 in some instances1 they were 
so much galled by the merciless         
sharpshooting of their former           
associates1 that they ran back1 and left
 the minister to fight the field alone4 
,i was fortunately free from the        
entanglements of that question1 which   

has since formed so large a portion of  
the political disquietudes of ,irish    
debate4 ,the religion of the south was  
not yet among parliamentary topics4 ,the
 religion of the north1 active ardent1  
and indefatigable1 was our most restless
 theme2 and the political theories which
 seemed to grow out of its bold         
abstractions1 kept the government in    
perpetual anxiety4 ,the whole northern  
portion of the island was ripe for      
revolt4 ,america had blown the hot-blast
 of the revolutionary furnace across the
 ,atlantic1 and a spark from ,france    
would have now ignited the whole hot    
surface of the soil4  ,one of my first  
acts after arranging the preliminary    
business of office1 was to make a flying
 tour through ,ulster4 ,i was astonished
 at its beauty4 ,even after being       
familiar with the loveliness of the     
,english landscape1 ,i was in a state of
 continued surprise at the variety1     
richness1 and singularity of nature in  
the northern counties4 ,mountain1 lake1 

magnificent bay1 and broad river1       
followed each other in noble and        
unceasing succession4 ,i was still more 
struck with the skill and good fortune1 
by which the people had contrived to    
combine the industry of manufactures    
with the life of the fields2 a problem  
which ,england herself had failed to    
solve4 ,but1 most of all1 ,i was        
attracted by the independent air1 and   
handsome and vigorous appearance of the 
people2 almost every man was proprietor1
 and had the look which proprietorship  
alone can give4 ,i found books in almost
 every cottage1 decency of dress every  
where1 and among the higher orders      
frequent elegance and accomplishment4   
,the women were cultivated and          
intelligent2 the men1 spirited and      
enquiring4 ,but the politics of ,france 
had made their way through a large      
portion of the province1 and the glories
 of a republic loomed large before the  
popular eye4 ,as it was my purpose to   
see all that ,i could with my own eyes1 

,i mingled largely in society1 made no  
distinction between honourable men of   
different political creeds1 enjoyed     
to-day the stag-hunt and claret of the  
noble ,whig1 and to-morrow the stag-hunt
 and claret of the noble ,tory1 listened
 to all1 laughed with all1 and learned  
something from all4 ,the ,english       
aristocrat1 especially if he holds high 
official place1 once haunted the        
imaginations of the ,irish of all       
conditions1 like an incarnation of an   
,indian deity--all fierceness and       
frigidity2 and it must be acknowledged  
that the general order of viceroys and  
secretaries had not tended much to      
remove the conception4 ,they were       
chiefly men of advanced life1 with their
 habits formed by intercourse with the  
most exclusive class in existence1 the  
,english peerage1 or rendered rigid by  
the dry formalities of official life4   
,but ,i was young1 had seen a good deal 
of that rough work of the world which   
gives pliancy1 if not polish1 to all    

characters2 and ,i was1 besides1 really 
delighted with the animation1           
pleasantry1 and winning kindness which  
exhibited themselves every where round  
me4 ,i was half a son of ,ireland       
already1 and ,i regarded the recognition
 as the pledge of my success4  ,do you  
know1 said one of the most influential  
and accomplished noblemen of the country
 to me1 one day at his sumptuous        
table--how many of the lords-lieutenant 
do you think have left a popular        
recollection behind them8  ,i professed 
my ignorance1 but enumerated some names 
remarkable for intelligence and vigour  
of administration4  ,oh1 said my        
entertainer1 that was not the question6 
,great statesmen and showy governors1   
capital rulers of the country and bold  
managers of our factions1 we have had in
 sufficient succession1 but ,i speak of 
the faculty of being remembered2 the    
talent of making a public impression2   
the power of escaping that national     
oblivion into which mere official       

services1 let them be of what magnitude 
they may1 inevitably drop when their    
performer has disappeared4 ,well1 then1 
,i shall tell you4 ,two1 and no more4   
,i begged to know the names of those    
discoverers of the grand secret1 the    
philosopher's stone of popularity1 the  
alchemists who had power to fix the     
floating essence of the ,irish mind6    
,chesterfield and ,townshend4           
,chesterfield1 regarded as a fop in     
,england1 was a daring1 steady1 and     
subtle governor of the unruly spirits of
 ,ireland1 in one of the most hazardous 
periods4 ,that the throne of the        
,brunswicks did not see an ,irish revolt
 at the moment when it saw a ,scottish  
invasion1 was the service of            
,chesterfield4 ,but he ruled not by his 
wisdom1 but by his wit4 ,he broke down  
faction by bon-mots2 he extinguished    
conspiracy by passing compliments2 he   
administered the sternest law with the  
most polished smile2 and cut down       
rebellion by quotations from ,la        

,fontaine1 and calembourgs from         
,scarron4 ,but with these fortunate     
pleasantries he combined public and     
solid services4 ,he threw a large       
portion of the crown lands in the       
neighbourhood of the capital into a park
 for the recreation of the citizens1 and
 thus gave one of the earliest and most 
munificent examples of regard for the   
health and enjoyment of the people2 a   
more enduring monument of his           
statesmanship could not have been       
offered to the gratitude of the country4
  ,of the ,marquis ,townshend ,i had    
heard as a gallant soldier1 and a       
stirring viceroy1 but ,i still had to   
learn the source of his popularity4     
,townshend was one of those singular men
 who possess faculties of which they    
have no knowledge1 until the moment when
 they become necessary4 ,he began life  
as a soldier1 and finished his          
soldiership in the most brilliant       
victory of his day--the battle of       
,quebec4 ,on his appointment to the     

viceroyalty1 he found his government a  
nothing2 a government faction           
superseding the governor1 and an        
opposition faction engrossing the       
people4 ,he now1 for the first time1    
became a politician4 ,he resolved to    
crush both1 and he succeeded4 ,he       
treated the government faction in       
,ireland with contumely1 and he treated 
the opposition with contempt4 ,both were
 indignant2 he laughed at both1 and     
treated them with still more scorn4     
,both were astonished--the government   
faction intrigued against him in        
,england1 the opposition threatened     
impeachment4 ,he defied them still more 
haughtily4 ,they now found that he was  
not to be shaken1 and both submitted4   
,the nation joined him1 was pacified1   
grew in vigour1 as it required          
tranquillity2 and here you have the     
secret of all the privileges which      
,ireland has obtained4 ,townshend       
performed1 only on a smaller scale1 the 
same national service which ,pitt       

performed on a larger one4 ,he took the 
people out of the hands of aristocracy1 
broke up the league of opulence and     
power1 and gave the island that popular 
freedom which the great minister of     
,england gave to the empire4 ,for this  
the name of ,townshend lives among us   
still4 ,his bold satires are recorded1  
his gallant bearing is remembered1 his  
passing pleasantries have become a      
portion of the national wit1 and his    
rough but effectual services are among  
the memorials of our independence as a  
people4  ,the evening of this hospitable
 day concluded with a ball to the       
neighbouring families1 and all was      
graceful and animated enjoyment4 ,my    
host had travelled much in early life1  
and had brought home some fine pictures 
and valuable sculptures4 ,he was an     
accomplished classical scholar--a       
quality which ,i found in some degree   
fashionable among the leading personages
 of the time1 and which unquestionably  
added much to the high tone of          

conversation among the parliamentary    
circles4 ,in his magnificent mansion an 
artist might have found studies1 a      
scholar learning1 a philosopher wisdom1 
and a man of the world all the charms of
 polished life4 ,how soon1 and how      
fearfully1 were they all to be          
extinguished6 ,how bitterly were all who
 honoured and esteemed that generous and
 highly-gifted nobleman1 to feel what   
shadows we are1 and what shadows we     
pursue6  ,our mornings were chiefly     
spent in hunting over the fine landscape
 which spread1 in all the various beauty
 of vegetation1 within view of the      
mansion4 ,on one of those days the      
attention of the field was caught by the
 fierce riding of a singular-looking    
man1 scarcely above the peasant in his  
general appearance1 and yet mounted on  
one of the finest ,english horses that  
,i had ever seen4 ,he rode at every     
thing1 managed his horse with practised 
skill1 and soon became an object of     
general emulation4 ,to ride up to the   

wild horseman1 was found to be a task   
not easily accomplished1 and at length  
all was a trial of speed with this      
dashing exhibitor4 ,a glance which1 when
 on the point of one of his most        
desperate leaps1 he threw back at me1   
seemed to be a kind of challenge1 and ,i
 rushed on at speed4 ,the ,irish hunter 
matchless at topping stone walls1 but   
his practice has not lain much among    
rivers2 and the ,english horse is       
sometimes his master at the deep and    
rapid streams which1 running between    
crumbling banks1 are perhaps the        
severest trials to both horse and rider4
 ,the majority of the hunt pulled up at 
the edge of one of those formidable     
chasms1 and ,i was by no means unwilling
 to follow their example2 but the look  
of the strange rider had a sneer along  
with it1 which put me on my mettle1 and 
,i dashed after him4 ,the hounds had    
scrambled through1 and we rode nearly   
abreast through a broken country1 that  
mixture of bog and firm ground which    

occurs frequently in newly cleared land1
 and over which nothing but the most    
powerful sinews can make way4 ,we had   
now left every one behind us1 were      
struggling on through the dimness of a  
hazy day1 sinking into twilight4        
,suddenly my mysterious rival turned his
 horse full upon me1 and to my utter    
amazement discharged a pistol at my     
head4 ,the discharge was so close that  
,i escaped only by the swerving of my   
horse at the flash4 ,i felt my face     
burn1 and in the impulse of the pain    
made a blind blow at him with my whip4  
,he had drawn out another pistol in an  
instant1 which the blow luckily dashed  
out of his hand4 ,no words passed       
between us1 but ,i bounded on him to    
seize him4 ,he slipped away from my     
grasp1 and1 striking in the spur1       
galloped madly forward1 ,i in pursuit4  
,the twilight had now deepened1 and he  
plunged into a lane bounded on both     
sides by steep hedges1 and which1 from  
some former hunting in this quarter1 ,i 

knew to be a cul-de-sac4 ,this doubled  
my determination to make myself master  
of the assassin2 and even in the hurry  
of the moment ,i formed some conception 
of my having seen his face before1 and  
that the attempt to put me out of the   
way was connected1 in some way or other1
 with public affairs4 ,this question was
 soon decided4 ,he reached the end of   
the lane1 which was shut in with a wall 
of about the height of a man4 ,his horse
 shied at the obstacle4 ,the rider1 with
 an oath and a desperate exertion1      
pushed him to it again4 ,i was now      
within a few yards of him1 and arrived  
just in time to see the animal make a   
convulsive spring1 touch with his hind  
feet on the top of the wall1 and roll   
over4 ,my ,irish horse cleared it in the
 native style1 and ,i found my enemy    
crushed under his hunter1 and evidently 
in the pangs of death4 ,he had been     
flung on a heap of stones1 and the      
weight of the falling horse had broken  
his spine4 ,i poured some brandy down   

his throat1 relieved him from the       
incumbrance of the hunter--attempted to 
give him hope--but he told me that it   
was useless2 that he felt death coming  
on1 and that ,i was the last man who    
should wish him to live1 as he had      
pledged himself to my extinction4 ,for a
 while1 his recollections were wild1 and
 he talked of events in ,france and     
,spain1 where he seemed to have done    
some deeds which affected him with      
peculiar horror in the prospect of      
dissolution4 ,but1 after a brief period 
of those terrible disclosures1 his pains
 totally ceased1 his mind grew clear2   
and he acknowledged that he was one of  
the leading agents of a ,national       
,conspiracy to republicanize ,ireland4  
,you are too kind1 said he to me1 to one
 who now sees the madness of the design1
 and is sensible of the guilt of taking 
away the lives of honourable men4 ,a    
lapse of weakness here tied his tongue2 
and ,i brought him a draught of water   
from a spring which gurgled beside the  

wall4 ,he thanked me1 and proceeded to  
say1 that my character for vigilance and
 activity had alarmed the principal     
conspirators1 and that he1 thinking all 
crimes meritorious in a popular cause1  
had resolved to signalize the           
commencement of his services1 by putting
 the ,english secretary to death on the 
first occasion4 ,for this purpose1 he   
had followed my steps for some time in  
the metropolis1 but without finding a   
fit opportunity4 ,the intelligence of my
 hunting days in the north gave him     
renewed expectations1 and he had        
followed me in various disguises2 had   
been present at dinners and balls1 where
 ,i was the principal guest2 had even   
frequently conversed with me on public  
and foreign topics2 in fact1 had haunted
 me with a case of pistols constantly in
 his bosom2 yet had never been able to  
find the true opportunity of despatching
 me without eclat4 ,he had1 at last1    
determined to give up the object as     
altogether hopeless2 and had already    

prepared to act on a bolder scale by    
heading open rebellion1 when he heard of
 my intending to hunt on this day4 ,it  
was to be his last experiment2 and how  
rejoiced ,i am1 said he1 that it has    
failed6 ,he now remained for a while in 
apparent meditation1 and then suddenly  
raising himself on his hand1 said1 in a 
full and manly tone--,one thing ,i still
 can do in this world1 if it may not be 
too late4 ,leave me here2 ,i must die2  
go back in all haste to your friends1   
and tell them to prepare either to fly  
or defend their lives4 ,this is the     
night appointed for the breaking out of 
the insurrection4 ,fifty thousand men   
are already armed in the mountains1 and 
ready for the signal to march on the    
principal towns4 ,the few troops in the 
country are to be made prisoners in     
their barracks4 ,the government stores  
are to be divided among the people4     
,before twelve hours are over we shall  
have a force of a hundred thousand men  
on foot2 and a republic will be         

proclaimed4  ,the intelligence was      
startling1 but not wholly unexpected4 ,i
 demanded the names of the leaders2 but 
on this head he refused to make any     
answer4 ,i next enquired1 whether the   
rebel directory had any hope of         
assistance from the ,continent4 ,that ,i
 can fully answer1 said he1 now almost  
at his last gasp4 ,i myself was the     
negotiator4 ,it is but a month since ,i 
was in ,paris4 ,the government agreed to
 send seven sail of the line1 with ten  
thousand troops1 and ,hoche1 the        
favourite general of the republic1 to   
the north2 or1 in case of unexpected    
obstacles1 to the south of ,ireland4 ,i 
have been looking out for their flag    
from hour to hour4 ,the man sank back on
 the ground4 ,i prepared to run for     
help1 if there were any to be found in  
that desolate place4 ,he grasped my     
hand2 his was icy4 ,no1 said he1 ,i must
 now be left alone2 ,i am dying1 and ,i 
am not sorry to die4 ,i am free from    
your blood1 and ,i shall not share in   

the horrors which ,i see at hand4 ,men  
in health1 and men dying think          
differently of those things4 ,farewell6 
,he gave my hand a convulsive clasp1 and
 expired4  ,my situation was an anxious 
one4 ,night had fallen1 and the hour was
 full of peril to those whom ,i had left
 behind2 it was even possible that the  
insurrection might have already broken  
out4 ,sounds1 which seemed to me1 in the
 stillness of the hour1 to be the       
signals of the peasantry--the echoes of 
horns1 and trampling of bodies of       
horse--began to rise upon the gust1 and 
yet ,i was unwilling to leave my        
unfortunate victim on the ground4 ,a    
length a loud shout1 and the firing of  
musketry on the skirts of the wood1     
awoke me to a sense of the real danger  
of my situation4 ,i forced my way       
through the thickets1 and saw a skirmish
 between a large mass of armed men1 and 
a picket of troops in a village on the  
borders of the wood4 ,there was now no  
time to be lost4 ,i returned to the spot

 where the body lay1 placed my hand on  
its forehead1 to ascertain whether any  
remnant of life lingered there2 found   
all cold2 and1 remounting my horse1     
wound my dreary and difficult way back  
to the mansion4  ,to my surprise1 ,i    
found the windows blazing with lights1  
carriages arriving1 and all the signs of
 a night of gala4 ,i had forgotten that 
this was my noble entertainer's         
birthday1 and that the whole circle of  
the neighbouring nobles and gentlemen   
had been for the last month invited4    
,there were to be private theatricals1  
followed by a ball and supper4 ,the     
whole country continued to pour in4     
,full of my disastrous intelligence1 my 
first enquiry was for the noble host2 he
 was not to be seen4 ,i was at length   
informed under the seal of secrecy by   
his secretary1 that some information of 
popular movements within a few miles1   
having been conveyed to him late in the 
day1 he had put himself at the head of a
 squadron of his yeomanry to ascertain  

the nature of the disturbance1 and as it
 was then too late to countermand the   
invitations to the ball1 had given      
strict orders that the cause of his     
absence should be concealed1 and that   
the entertainments should go on as if he
 were present4  ,agreeing that this was 
the wisest thing which could be done1 to
 avoid unnecessary alarm1 which         
paralyses action beforehand1 and renders
 all ridiculous after1 ,i seldom felt it
 more difficult to play my part than on 
this occasion4 ,as a minister1 any thing
 in the shape of solicitude on my part1 
was sure to be magnified into actual    
disaster1 and ,i was forced to keep an  
unembarrassed countenance4 ,i           
immediately sent out servants in every  
direction to bring intelligence of the  
actual state of affairs1 and above all1 
to ascertain what had detained their    
master4 ,though all this was done with  
the utmost secrecy1 it was impossible to
 suppress the growing impression that   
something extraordinary must have       

occurred1 to withdraw from his own      
hospitable roof1 and so long detain1 the
 lord of the mansion1 distinguished as  
he was for the most polished courtesy4  
,as the hour waned1 the enquiries became
 more urgent1 the dance languished1 and 
the showy crowd forming into groups1 and
 wandering through the saloons1 or      
gathered to the windows1 had evidently  
lost all the spirit of festivity4 ,to my
 astonishment1 strong opinions began to 
find utterance1 and ,i discovered that  
his lordship1 in his general and lofty  
disregard of the shades of popular      
sentiment1 had among his guests some    
individuals whose rank and wealth had   
not preserved them from the taint of    
republicanism4 ,as it was not my purpose
 to make a ball-room the scene of a     
political squabble1 and as ,i felt it   
due to my official position to avoid any
 unnecessary entanglement in the obscure
 follies of provincial partizanship1 ,i 
first tried to laugh down the topic4    
,but a young orator1 a handsome and     

fluent enthusiast1 recently returned    
from a continental excursion1 gave so   
stirring a picture of the glories of    
,french independence1 and the glittering
 advantages which must accrue to all    
countries following the example1 that ,i
 was forced to stand on my defence4 ,the
 gallant republican was not to be       
repelled2 he poured out upon me1 as he  
warmed with the theme1 so vast a        
catalogue of public injuries1 in        
language so menacing1 yet so eloquent1  
that ,i was forced to ask whether ,i was
 standing in the midst of a ,jacobin    
club--whether his object was actually to
 establish a democracy1 to govern by the
 guillotine1 to close up the churches1  
and inscribe the tombs with--death is an
 eternal sleep2 to swear to the         
extinction of monarchy1 and proclaim    
universal war4 ,our dispute had now     
attracted general notice4 ,he answered  
with still more vehement and elaborate  
detail4 ,i had evidently the majority on
 my side1 but some few adhered to him1  

and those1 too1 men of consequence1 and 
obvious determination4  ,the ladies     
shrank affrighted1 as the contest grew  
more angry2 and the usual and unhappy   
result of political discussion in       
,ireland1 an exchange of cards1 was     
about to take place1 when one of the    
servants brought me a small packet of   
papers which had been found on the body 
of the assassin4 ,glancing over them1 ,i
 saw a list of the leaders of the       
insurrection1 and the first name in the 
paper that of my antagonist4 ,i crushed 
the document in my hand1 and beckoned   
him to a window4 ,there1 alone1 and out 
of hearing of the guests1 who1 however1 
followed us anxiously with their eyes1  
,i charged him with his guilt4 ,he      
denied it fiercely4 ,i gave him five    
minutes to consider whether he would    
confess or abide the consequences4 ,his 
countenance visibly exhibited the       
perturbations of his mind2 he turned    
pale and red alternately1 shuddered1    
then braced himself up with desperate   

resolution1 and finally ended by denying
 and defying every thing4 ,it was not in
 my nature to press upon this moment of 
agony2 but telling him1 that nothing but
 compassion prevented my ordering his   
arrest on the spot1 ,i again warned him 
to make his peace in time with the      
government1 by a solemn abjuration of   
his design4  ,i have the whole scene    
before me still4 ,this man was destined 
to a memorable and melancholy fate4 ,i  
never remember a countenance more       
expressive of intellectual refinement2  
but there was a look of strange and     
feverish restlessness in his large grey 
eye1 almost ominous of his future       
career4 ,he was still young1 though he  
had already gone through vicissitudes   
enough to darken the longest life4 ,he  
had been1 a few years before1 called to 
the bar1 the favourite profession of the
 ,irish gentry1 where he had exhibited  
talents of a remarkable order2 but an   
impatience of the slow success of this  
profession drove him to the hazards of  

political change4 ,he had married1 and  
this increased his difficulties1 until  
party came athwart him with its promises
 of boundless honour and rapid fortune4 
,his sanguine nature embraced the       
temptation at once2 but the             
parliamentary opposition was too        
deliberate and too frigid for his       
boiling blood2 he plunged into the      
deeper and wilder region of conspiracy1 
took the lead1 which is so soon assigned
 to the brilliant and the bold1 and     
became the soul of the tremendous       
faction which was ready to proclaim the 
separation of the empire4  ,he had but  
now returned from ,france1 with a       
commission in the army of the ,republic1
 and a plan agreed on with the          
,directory for the invasion of ,ireland2
 but these were discoveries to be made  
hereafter4 ,on this night ,i saw nothing
 but a gallant enthusiast1 filled with  
classic recollections1 inflamed with the
 ardour of early life1 and deluded by   
the dreams of political perfection4 ,my 

sense of the utter ruin which he was    
preparing for himself was so strong1    
that ,i pressed him from point to point1
 until he was forced to take refuge in  
flight1 and1 rushing from me1 burst open
 a door which led to the demesne4 ,while
 ,i paused1 not unwilling to give him   
the opportunity to escape1 ,i heard a   
wild burst of wailing1 and a confusion  
of voices outside4 ,in the next moment1 
,i saw the fugitive return1 with a      
tottering step1 a bloodless countenance1
 and a look of horror4 ,without a word1 
he pointed to the door2 ,i followed the 
direction1 and saw what might well      
justify his feelings4 ,the troop of     
yeomanry had been attacked on their     
return from patrolling the country2 an  
ambuscade had been laid for them by a   
large force of the insurgents1 in one of
 the narrow roads which bordered the    
demesne1 and where1 from its vicinity1  
they had imagined themselves secure4 ,as
 they moved down this defile with their 
noble commandant at their head1 a heavy 

fire of musketry assailed them from both
 sides2 and as the assailants were      
unapproachable1 they had no resource but
 to gallop on4 ,but they had no sooner  
reached the wider part of the road1 than
 they found themselves fired on again   
from behind a barricade of carts and    
waggons drawn across the road4 ,the     
affair now seemed desperate2 the muzzles
 of the muskets almost touched their    
breasts1 and every shot told4 ,their    
pistols could only keep up a random     
fire1 and their sabres were wholly      
useless4 ,they were now falling         
helplessly and fast1 when the earl      
ordered them to charge the insurgents in
 front1 and force their way over the    
barricade at all risks4 ,he bravely led 
the way1 and they burst through under a 
volley from the rebels4 ,a ball fatally 
struck him as he was in the act of      
cheering on his men1 and he dropped dead
 from his horse without a groan4 ,the   
troop1 furious at their loss1 had taken 
a desperate revenge1 cleared the road1  

and had now brought the dead body of    
their lord to that mansion1 where he had
 so long presided as the example of     
every high-toned quality1 and which his 
fate was now to turn into a scene of    
terror and woe4  ,the melancholy tidings
 could not now be suppressed1 and the   
ball-room was filled with screams and   
faintings4 ,the corpse was brought in1  
borne on the arms of the yeomanry1 most 
of them wounded1 and looking ghastly    
from loss of blood and the agitation of 
the encounter4 ,the guests crowded round
 the sofa on which the body was laid1   
with all the varieties of sorrow and    
strong emotion conceivable1 under the   
loss of a common and honoured friend4   
,tears fell down many a manly cheek2    
sobs were heard on every side1 mingled  
with outcries of indignation against the
 rebellious spirit by which so deep a   
calamity had been produced4 ,but all    
other considerations were quickly       
absorbed in the sense of general danger4
 ,a tremendous shout was heard round the

 mansion1 followed by the discharge of  
musketry and the clashing of pikes4 ,all
 rushed to the windows1 and we saw the  
hills in a blaze with fires1 and the    
demesne crowded with the armed thousands
 of the insurrection4     ,,janus2      
,,the ,,god ,,of ,,new-,,year',s ,,day1 
,,from ,,the ,,fasti ,,of ,,ovid4       
,behold with omens blithe and bright1 on
 festive ,new-,year's ,day1   ,first in 
the year old ,janus comes1 and foremost 
in my lay6   ,twin-headed god1 source of
 the year that silent glides away1      
,who only of the ,olympian throng canst 
thine own back survey2   ,bless thou our
 noble chiefs1 whose arms have purchased
 gentle peace   ,to fruitful ,earth1 and
 lent the wave from pirate-chase        
release2   ,on senators and people      
smile1 who call ,quirinus god1   ,all   
temples bright1 in shining white1 fly   
open at thy nod6   ,a lucky sun doth    
shine2 nor voice1 nor thought of ill1 be
 stirr'd   ,to tempt the time2 the happy
 day demands the happy word4   ,no      

brawls assail the ear2 cease now the    
harsh-vex'd forum's hum1   ,and calumny 
with eager tongue1 for once thy spite be
 dumb6   ,lo6 where the pure and        
fragrant flame from every altar round   
,upwreathes1 while ears devout receive  
the saffron's crackling sound6   ,the   
wandering flame1 far darting1 strikes   
the golden-fretted roof1   ,and with the
 tremulous ray aloft1 it weaves a       
shining woof4   ,in stately pomp1 the   
people wend up the ,tarpeian slope1     
,all brightly1 on a bright day clad1 the
 pure white robes of hope2   ,new axes  
shine1 and in the sun new purple bravely
 sports1   ,and greeted-far the curule  
chair new weight of worth supports2#ab  
,new oxen come that lately cropp'd the  
sweet ,faliscan grass1   ,and yield to  
,jove their willing necks on which no   
yoke did pass4   ,he1 from his starry   
throne sublime1 looks ,east and ,west2  
and lo6   ,he sees but ,rome1 and       
,rome's domain1 in all he sways below4  
,hail happy day1 and still return to    

bless with happier face   ,the sons of  
,romulus1 lords of ,earth1 not thankless
 for thy grace6   ,but who art thou1    
strange biform god1 and what thy power8 
for ,greece   ,with all her gods of thee
 and thine hath bade her ,muses cease2  
,this say2 and say why thou alone of all
 celestial kind1   ,dost forwards still 
look steadfastly and also gaze behind8  
,thus with myself ,i mused1 and held my 
tablets to indite1   ,when sudden       
through the room there shone an         
unaccustom'd light1   ,and in the light 
the double shape of ,janus hoar         
appear'd1   ,and 'fore my view with     
fix'd regard his double face he rear'd4 
,i stood aghast1 each rigid hair erect  
rose on my head1   ,and through my frame
 with freezing touch the creeping terror
 sped4   ,he in his right hand held a   
staff1 and in his left a key1   ,and    
with the mouth to-me-ward turn'd these  
words he spake to me--   ,fear not1     
pains-taking bard1 whose pen doth       
chronicle the days1   ,receive my word  

with faithful ear1 and sound it in thy  
lays4   ,when earth was young1 primeval 
speech first call'd me ,chaos2 ,i   ,am 
no birth of to-day--a name of hoar      
antiquity4   ,this lucid air1 and the   
other three1 which elements ye class1   
,fire1 water1 earth1 were then one rude 
and undigested mass2   ,but soon within 
the mingled heap a secret strife did    
brew1   ,and to self-chosen homes anon  
the hostile atoms flew4   ,first rose   
the flame sublime1 the air assumed the  
middle berth1   ,and to the central base
 were bound strong ocean1 and firm      
earth4   ,then ,i1 till then a mass     
confused1 a huge and shapeless round1   
,new features worthy of a god1 and      
worthy members found2   ,still of my    
primal shapeless bulk remain'd the      
little trace1   ,that ,i alone have no  
true back1 but show both ways a face4   
,one cause thou hast2 another hear1 and 
with my figure know1   ,my virtue and my
 power above1 my office here below4     
,whate'er thou see'st1 the earth1 the   

sea1 the air1 the fiery cope1   ,at my  
command they shut their gates1 at my    
command they ope4   ,i of the vasty     
universe do hold the secret key1   ,the 
hinge of every thing that turns is      
turn'd alone by me4   ,peace1 when ,i   
please to send her forth from her secure
 retreats1   ,walks freely o'er the     
unfenced fields1 and treads free-gated  
streets2   ,the mighty globe would quake
 convulsed by blood and murderous din1  
,did not my brazen bolt confine the     
store of strife within4   ,the gates of 
,heaven are mine2 ,i watch there with   
the gentle ,hours1   ,that ,jove supreme
 must wait my time in the ,olympian     
bowers4   ,thence my name ,janus2#ac    
thence the priest who on my altar places
   ,the salted cake1 the sacred meal1   
with strange-mouth'd titles graces   ,my
 hoary deity2 thence you hear ,patulcius
 now1 and now   ,clusius1 crown the     
votive gift1 and seal the mystic vow4#ad
   ,thus rude antiquity at first its    
simple creed confess'd1   ,and with twin

 words the functions twain of one same  
god express'd4   ,my power you know--the
 god of gates--now for my figure1 why8  
,the cause is plain1 and may be read by 
half a poet's eye4   ,there is no door  
but looks two ways2 into the busy street
   ,this way1 and that way back towards 
the quiet ,lar's retreat2#ae   ,and as  
the porter whom you place to keep watch 
at your gate1   ,sees who goes out and  
who comes in at early hour and late1    
,thus ,i1 the warden of the sky1 from   
heaven's wide-tented blue1   ,look      
forth1 and scan both east and west with 
comprehensive view4   ,the triform image
 you have seen1 and any where may see1  
,of ,hecate standing at the point where 
one road parts in three2   ,thus ,i1    
lest turning of my neck my function     
might delay1   ,the motive world on     
either side without a move survey4      
,thus spake the god with friendly mien  
and eye1 that seem'd to say--   ,if wish
 be yours to question more1 command me2 
,i obey4   ,due thanks ,i gave2 strong  

fear no more my eager tongue possess'd1 
,and with a look that sought the ground1
 the immortal ,i address'd4   ,this     
would ,i know1 why frosty days and      
storms begin the year1   ,which flowery 
spring had usher'd in with more         
auspicious cheer2   ,then all things    
flourish--all things then of youth and  
freshness tell1   ,the juicy vine begins
 to flow1 the bud begins to swell2      
,with fresh green leaves the tree is    
clad1 a virgin sheen appears1   ,the    
bursting seed above the ground the fresh
 green blade uprears4   ,with fresh     
full-throated warblings then the blithe 
birds stir the air1   ,and lamb and     
lambkin in the mead their frisking      
sports prepare4   ,then suns are mild2  
its south retreat the stranger swallow  
leaves1   ,and skilful builds the       
well-known clay beneath the lofty eaves4
   ,then walks the ploughman forth2 the 
clod yields to the sturdy steer2        
,soothly the fittest time was this to   
omen in the year4   ,my words were many1

 but in words few and well-chosen1 ,he1 
,within the compass of two lines1 thus  
made reply to me4   ,what time the sun  
that sunk before mounts loftier to the  
view1   ,this fitliest closed the       
parting year1 and usher'd in the new4   
,i ask'd again1 ,why on this day the    
forum's strife should end   ,only in    
part4--,the cause1 said he1 ,i will     
explain2 attend4   ,the young year's    
starting day ,i made but partial        
holiday1   ,lest labourless begun1 the  
year might run to the end in play2      
,each cunning hand on ,janus' feast     
makes prelude to his trade1   ,of all   
the rest a timely test on ,new-,year's  
day is made4   ,then ,i1 this           
further--,tell me why1 when ,i bring    
frankincense   ,to ,jove or any other   
god1 with thee ,i still commence8       
,because of things in heaven and earth  
,i hold the sacred key1   ,the first    
approach to all the gods is made alone  
through me4   ,but on thy kalends1 why  
are men1 so harsh on other days1   ,keen

 to return the kindly look1 and change  
the friendly phrase8   ,to this the god1
 his strong right hand upon his good    
staff leaning1   ,all ominous things    
when first observed speak out their     
fateful meaning4   ,to the first voice  
of things that cry1 ye lend a trembling 
ear1   ,and the first flight of bodeful 
wings fills pious hearts with fear4     
,the ears are open of the gods1 to catch
 on ,new-,year's day   ,what random     
words1 or thoughtless prayer1 a hasty   
fool may say4   ,thus ceased the god2   
nor slow was ,i the broken thread to    
join1   ,but of the last words that he  
spake1 thus trode the heels with mine4  
,but what have dates to do with thee1   
and wrinkled figs1 this tell1   ,and    
what the honey dew that drops pure from 
its snowy cell8#af   ,here1 too1 an omen
 lies1 he said2 the cause is passing    
clear1   ,that from sweet things a      
savour sweet may relish the whole year4 
,thus taught1 the cause ,i understood of
 dates1 and figs1 and honey2   ,but tell

 me now1 wise god6 ,i said1 what means  
the piece of money8   ,he smiled4 ,alas6
 how much thy age deceives thy wit1 he  
said2   ,as if sweet honey by the touch 
of gold were sweeter made4   ,even in   
good ,saturn's day1 'twas hard to find a
 heart all pure1   ,from the infection  
of base gain1 and gainful lust secure4  
,small at the birth1 it grew apace the  
thirst of yellow ore1   ,till heap on   
heap ye pile so high1 that ye can pile  
no more4   ,not so the measure was of   
wealth in ,rome's primeval time1   ,when
 all was poor that now is rich1 and low 
that's now sublime2   ,when a small hut 
was all that held the son of ,mars      
divine1   ,and gather'd reeds were all  
the couch on which he drain'd the wine2 
,when ,jove within his narrow cell erect
 could scarcely stand1   ,an earthen    
,jove1 and of base clay the bolt that   
arm'd his hand4   ,when with            
wild-flowers the fane was deck'd that   
now with jewels gleams1   ,and his own  
sheep the senator fed near the rural    

streams2   ,when gently woo'd by healthy
 sleep the rustic warrior lay   ,on     
straw1 and praised above all down a     
truss of bristling hay2   ,when to give 
laws to ,rome the peasant consul left   
the plough1   ,and gold was then as     
great a crime as 'tis a virtue now4     
,but when our fates were lifted high1   
and to the stars sublime1   ,perch'd on 
her base of seven-hill'd state proud    
,rome had learn'd to     climb2         
,wealth grew with power1 and lust of    
wealth1 a madness of the brain1   ,and  
still the more that they possess'd1 the 
more they sought to gain4   ,eager to   
make that they might spend1 spending to 
make anew1   ,change nursed by change of
 fell extremes to monstrous nature grew2
   ,thus he whose sickly body swells    
with water in the veins1   ,the more he 
drinks1 the more within the thirsty     
fever reigns4   ,all things are prized  
by price2 to wealth all honours now are 
sure2   ,wealth buys the rich man       
friends2 forlorn and friendless pines   

the poor4   ,if now you ask why copper  
coins are chiefly my delight1   ,the    
ancient brass of ,rome should ,i1 the   
ancient ,janus1 slight8   ,brass was    
their wealth of old2 though now the     
better omen's gold1   ,and the new metal
 from the field has fairly beat the old4
   ,myself1 though simple and severe1   
approve a golden shrine--   ,this metal 
hath a majesty that suits a power       
divine4   ,we praise the ancients1 and  
'tis well2 but use our modern ways--    
,all fashions in due time and place are 
worthy of our praise4   ,thus ceased the
 god2 but ,i1 to set all rising doubts  
at rest1   ,the hoar key-bearer of the  
sky thus with meek words address'd3--   
,much ,i have learn'd2 but tell me      
this--why of our copper coin   ,does one
 side bear a ship1 and one a double head
 like thine8#ag   ,that head is mine2   
you might have known the likeness of the
 face   ,but that hoar age and wear have
 dull'd the sharpness of the trace4     
,as for the ship1 attend3 the god that  

bears the scythe whilcome               
,far-wandering in the ,tuscan flood at  
length had ceased to roam4#ah   ,well ,i
 remember when he came1 and hold the    
memory dear--   ,saturn1 by ,jove       
expell'd from heaven1 and kindly        
welcom'd here4   ,thence was the land   
,saturnia call'd2 and ,latium still we  
name   ,the part where ancient ,saturn  
lurk'd in safety when he came4#ai   ,our
 pious sires upon the brass the sacred  
ship impress'd1   ,whose keel to blest  
,ausonian shores had borne the ,olympian
 guest4   ,then on that spot ,i made my 
home where ,tiber's waters glide1   ,and
 eat the yielding banks away with       
sandy-rolling tide4   ,here1 where ,rome
 stands1 wild copse green grew2 the busy
 forum now   ,was then a peaceful glen1 
disturb'd by wandering oxen's low4   ,my
 fortress then was that same hill which 
pious ,rome reveres   ,even now1 and    
thinks on ,janus when ,janiculum she    
hears4   ,here ,i was king1 when holy   
earth of heavenly guests could tell1    

,and in the haunts of men the gods were 
not ashamed to dwell2   ,ere ,justice1  
shrinking from the sight of human guilt 
and crime1   ,last of immortals left the
 earth1 and sought the starry clime2    
,when hearts were sway'd by love1 and   
held by bonds of holy awe1   ,and light 
the labour was to shape for willing     
hearts the law4   ,stern war ,i knew    
not1 and the gates ,i held were gates of
 peace2   ,while in my hand the key     
declared--,let garner'd stores increase6
   ,here closed the god his lips2 but   
,i1 not bashful1 open'd mine1   ,and    
with the mortal voice again unseal'd the
 voice divine4   ,since many gates are  
thine in ,rome1 say why dost thou appear
   ,in perfect shape and size nowhere   
but at the forums here8#bj   ,whereto   
the god1 with gentle hand stroking his  
long beard hoary1   ,forthwith recounted
 in my ear ,o,ebalian ,tatius' story2   
,and how1 by ,sabine gauds ensnared1 the
 fair and faithless maid   ,the path    
that to the ,capitol leads to the       

,sabine lord betray'd4   ,as there is   
now1 so then there was1 a slope by which
 you go   ,steep from the citadel to the
 plain1 and forum stretch'd below2      
,and now the twain had reach'd the gate 
where ,juno's partial ward   ,the only  
bolts that closed their way propitiously
 unbarr'd1   ,when ,i1 too wise with    
,saturn's seed in open fight to join1   
,contrived a scheme that baffled hers1 a
 plan entirely mine2   ,i oped 7in      
opening lies my strength7 a gate where  
waters slept1   ,and from the solid rock
 straightway a stream impetuous leapt2  
,to the hot spring such sulphurous      
steams my timely aid supplied   ,that   
eager ,tatius quail'd and shrunk back   
from the rolling tide4   ,the ,sabines  
fled2 the gushing fount miraculous      
ceased to flow2   ,nor pious ,rome to   
own the power that sent such aid was    
slow2   ,a little altar on a shrine not 
large to ,janus' name   ,was raised2    
there sprinkled meal and cake smokes    
mingled with the flame4   ,but this say 

further1--why thy gates in war are open1
 why   ,in peace are closed8 whereto the
 god thus gave the prompt reply2   ,that
 till her sons fierce war have quench'd1
 and crush'd the crude     revolt1      
,rome to receive the homeward host may  
keep unbarr'd the bolt2   ,in peace my  
locks are closed1 that none may         
causeless leave his home1   ,nor few the
 years ,i shall be closed while ,csar   
reigns in ,rome4   ,thus spake the god2 
and lifting high his head of diverse    
view1   ,scann'd east and west1 and all 
that's spread beneath the ethereal blue2
   ,and peace rein'd o'er wide earth2   
ev'n where i' the north1 with surly     
wave1   ,the rebel ,rhine to ,csar's    
arms their latest triumph gave2         
,peace1 hoary ,janus1 make thou sure for
 ever2 and may they   ,who purchased    
peace embrace the globe with everlasting
 sway4     ,,to ,a ,,blind ,,girl4      
,i do not sigh as some may sigh1     ,to
 see thee in thy darkness led   ,along  
the path where sunbeams lie1       ,and 

bloom is shed4    ,i do not weep as some
 may weep1     ,upon thy rayless brow to
 look2   ,a boon more rare 'twas thine  
to keep1         ,when light forsook4   
,a glorious boon6 ,thou shalt not view  
,one treasure from the earth depart--   
,its starry buds1 its pearls of dew1    
,lie in thy heart4    ,no need to heed  
the frosty air1     ,no need to heed the
 blasts that chafe1   ,the scatter'd    
sheaf1 the vintage spare--         ,thy 
hoard is safe4    ,thou shalt not mark  
the silent change     ,that falls upon  
the heart like blight1   ,the smile that
 grows all cold and strange4--          
,bless'd is thy night6    ,thou shalt   
not watch the slow decay1     ,nor see  
the ivy clasp the fane1   ,nor trace    
upon the column gray         ,the mildew
 stain4    ,ours is the darkness--thine 
the light4     ,within thy brow a glory 
plays2   ,shrine1 blossom1 dewdrop1 all 
are bright         ,with quenchless     
rays4    ,j4 ,d4     ,,the ,,forced     
,,sale4   ,a large red brick house1 with

 a multitude of gable-ends1 and rows of 
small1 dingy-looking windows1 had hidden
 itself for many generations in a clump 
of fine old trees in a large green      
field--almost qualified to take rank as 
a park--at a distance of six or seven   
miles from ,st ,paul's4 ,in the days of 
the good ,queen ,anne1 the city lay     
comfortably huddled up round the        
cathedral church1 and looked upon her   
sister of ,westminster as too far       
removed1 and of too lofty a rank1 to be 
visited except on rare occasions4       
,london was then contained within       
reasonable limits1 and it was easy to   
walk round her boundaries2 you could    
even point out the precise spot at which
 the town ended and the country began4  
,the inhabitants of the large brick     
house1 known by the name of ,surbridge  
,hall1 at rare intervals1 and then only 
to visit the shops1 undertook the       
journey into the city2 and1 unless in   
the stillest of autumn evenings1 when   
the enormous tongue of the metropolitan 

clock made itself audible on the        
,surbridge lawn1 they might have        
forgotten that such a place as the      
capital was within fifty miles4 ,that   
generation died off2 and ,london had    
begun to put out feelers in all         
directions1 and had outgrown the ancient
 limits4 ,streets began to move out a   
little way into the country for change  
of air2 and1 in making their usual      
shopping-visits to the great city1 the  
inhabitants of ,surbridge ,hall had now 
to drive through a short row of houses1 
where the elders of the party remembered
 nothing but a hedge4 ,that generation  
also died out2 and the city1 like an old
 dowager who has once been a beauty1 and
 boasted of a waist1 grew out of all    
shape4 ,there were squares and crescents
 rising in every quarter and the white  
tops of chimneys1 and the blue dinginess
 of roofs1 became visible from the upper
 windows of ,surbridge ,hall4 ,the      
proprietor1 terrified perhaps by the    
approach of such neighbours1 advertised 

the ,hall for sale1 speedily found a    
purchaser1 and1 somewhere about the     
beginning of this century1 the old      
family name of the ,walronds disappeared
 from the country1 and ,surbridge ,hall 
became the property of ,william         
,wilkins1 ,esq4 ,we may observe that1   
much about the same time1 the name of   
the senior partner disappeared from the 
door of a dingy-looking house in ,riches
 ,court1 and the firm of ,wilkins  ,roe 
was deprived of its larger half4 ,the   
old lion-rampant1 that had stood on its 
hind-legs for so many years on the top  
of one of the piers of the entrance     
gates1 as if in act to spring upon the  
deer that lay ruminating on the top of  
the other1 was now displaced2 and1 in a 
few days1 his position was taken by a   
plaster-of-,paris cast of ,hebe1        
benevolently holding forth an empty     
goblet towards the thirsty statue of    
,apollo which did duty on the other     
side4 ,the floors in the old hall were  
new laid1 the windows fitted with plate 

glass1 the painting and decoration put  
into the hands of a ,bond-street        
finisher1 who covered the walls with    
acres of gilding1 and hung chandeliers  
from the ceilings1 and placed mirrors   
upon the walls1 till the rooms looked   
like the show galleries of an           
upholsterer1 and very different from the
 fine solid habitable apartments they   
used to be in the time of the late      
proprietor4 ,and a change nearly as     
remarkable took place on ,mr ,wilkins   
himself as in his house4 ,he attended   
county meetings1 and became learned in  
rents and agriculture4 ,he built new    
houses for his tenants1 and only        
regretted he had never learned to ride1 
or he would have followed the hounds4   
,but though he was no ,nimrod1 he       
dressed like one of his sons1 and       
encased his thick legs in top-boots1 and
 generally carried a whip4 ,at last1 by 
dint of good dinners1 and voting on the 
right side at the elections1 he became a
 magistrate2 and if ,mrs ,wilkins had   

had the politeness to die1 he would have
 married ,lady ,diana ,o',huggomy1 the  
daughter of an ,irish earl2 but ,mrs    
,wilkins did not die1 and ,lady ,diana  
ran away with a dancing-master4 ,his son
 had been eighteen years at the bar1 and
 never had had a brief2 his daughters   
had been twenty years on the world1 and 
never had had an offer2 but he still    
expected to see ,richard lord           
chancellor1 and his three girls         
peeresses4 ,a country gentleman1 a      
county magistrate1 perfectly healthy and
 tolerably rich1 was there any thing    
wanting to ,mr ,wilkins's felicity8     
,yes4 ,alexander the ,great was wretched
 when he had conquered the world1 and   
was ten times happier when he was       
breaking-in ,bucephalus2 and ,mr        
,wilkins1 if the truth must be told1 was
 very like ,alexander the ,great1 at    
least in his discontent1 and was never  
so gay as he used to be in the dingy    
mansion in ,riches ,court4 ,the dinners 
he gave were formal1 cold affairs1 where

 he never felt at his ease3 he could not
 help thinking that the neighbours      
quizzed and looked down on him2 and1 in 
short1 he felt out of his element1 and  
longed sometimes for the free-and-easy  
dinners he had relished so much in the  
city4 ,his farm-houses were at last all 
built1 his improvements all completed1  
and there was no further occupation for 
either himself or his money4 ,he        
sometimes drove into ,harley ,street to 
see his son1 but he found that gentleman
 also on the rack of idleness1 and went 
home again1 wondering how ,roe was      
getting on in the old premises1 though  
never venturing to go near him--for his 
family had insisted on a dead cut       
between the partners1 and could not     
endure the thoughts of ,mr ,roe coming  
between the wind and their newly        
acquired nobility4 ,time wore on4 ,old  
,wilkins grew older4 ,he used to sit at 
the window of his drawing-room and look 
towards ,london1 fancying to himself the
 bustle and stir that were going on1 the

 crowding in ,fleet ,street1 the crush  
at the ,bank2 and occasionally          
imagination conjured up to him the image
 of an active citizen bustling down     
towards the ,exchange1 radiant with     
success1 and filled with activity and   
hope2 and he could scarcely recognise   
his own identity with that joyous       
citizen1 the ,william ,wilkins of that  
happier time4 ,the flood of building1   
which had only reached to within three  
miles of ,surbridge when the ,walronds  
retired to the ark of some estate they  
retained in ,yorkshire1 had now         
increased to such a degree1 as to have  
submerged many of the fields and        
orchards that lay at very short distance
 from the ,hall4 ,willars1 with ,italian
 fronts and little greenhouses at the   
side1 took post all along the road1 and1
 from the open windows1 sounded in      
summer evenings the ,battle of ,prague1 
or ,god save the ,king1 so that you     
walked amidst perpetual music1 for no   
house was so ungenteel as to be without 

a piano4 ,surbridge ,hall itself ran a  
great risk of becoming a suburban villa 
at no distant time2 and ,mr ,wilkins was
 in some hopes that his family would    
allow him to consider himself an        
inhabitant of ,london once more1 and no 
longer doom him to the cold nothingness 
of squireship and gentility4 ,but       
whether they might have relented in this
 respect can never be known2 for while  
he was meditating a renewal of his      
acquaintance with his late partner1 and 
an occasional dive into ,riches ,court1 
he changed his bed at the ,hall for the 
family vault 7newly built7 in ,surbridge
 church1 and his great-coat and         
riding-whip for a ,roman toga and a long
 gilt baton1 with which he pointed to   
heaven from the top of a splendid       
monument near the south wall4 ,richard  
now succeeded to the family honours2 and
 as he had married a ,miss              
,gillingham--a name which he preferred  
to his ancestral appellation--he did her
 the honour to take it to himself1 and  

was duly enrolled in the list of        
justices as ,wilkins ,gillingham1 ,esq4 
,his son was sent to ,christchurch1 and 
his three daughters to a fashionable    
boarding-school4 ,his mother and sisters
 retired to ,tunbridge ,wells1 and they 
all began to persuade themselves that   
,surbridge had been in the family from  
the time of the ,conquest4 ,by way of   
strengthening their claims to county    
consideration1 it was wisely determined 
to oppose the building invasion as      
powerfully as they could4 ,several farms
 and fields were bought1 plantations    
were skilfully placed1 two or three feet
 were added to the height of the walls  
all round the property2 and it was hoped
 that some impression was made on the   
advancing architectural enemy2 for in   
the speculative year of #ahai1 a dozen  
or two of builders were removed to the  
,queen's ,bench1 and whole rows of      
houses were left looking up to heaven1  
in vain expectation of a roof4 ,wilkins 
,gillingham served the office of ,high  

,sheriff1 caught a surfeit in           
entertaining the judges1 and in a few   
weeks gave place to his heir4 ,augustus 
had passed two years at ,oxford--had    
then married a beauty--the daughter of a
 country surgeon of the name of ,howard2
 and as he inherited his father's       
tastes1 along with his property1 he     
changed his family name2 and poor old   
,widow ,wilkins1 who still survived1    
enlivened the tea-tables of the ,wells  
with anecdotes and descriptions of her  
grandson1 ,gillingham ,howard4 ,death   
seemed entirely to have forgotten the   
relict of the original ,william4 ,she   
stood like an ancient pillar1 to point  
out where the building it once belonged 
to was placed2 and was looked upon by   
her descendants pretty much as a native 
,american looks upon a venerable squaw  
of some ,indian nation--the connecting  
link between ,new ,york and the woods4  
,the widow was the sole point of union  
left between ,surbridge ,hall and       
,riches ,court4 ,whether her grandson   

did not relish the reminiscence1 or from
 what cause no one can hazard more than 
a guess1 certain it is that on the death
 of his wife1 who left him with two     
daughters1 four or five years old1 he   
did not summon his venerable ancestor   
from the ,wells1 but installed one of   
her daughters--,aunt ,susannah--in the  
temporary charge of his house4 ,by some 
secret arrangement1 into the causes of  
which we have no time to enquire1 such a
 change took place in ,aunt ,susannah1  
that though she left ,tunbridge1 having 
secured her place in the inside of the  
coach in the name of ,miss ,s4 ,wilkins1
 she was brought out from ,london in ,mr
 ,howard's carriage in the name of ,miss
 ,s4 ,gillingham2 and there was no      
person of the name of ,wilkins in the   
whole of the establishment4 ,aunt       
,susannah was not a person to hesitate  
long as to a change of name4 ,it had    
been the whole object of her life1 till 
five-and-thirty years of disappointment 
had almost made her despair of          

succeeding in her object1 by the help of
 special license or even vulgar banns2  
and she accordingly made no scruple in  
adopting the more euphonious            
,gillingham1 and sinking all mention of 
the other4 ,mr ,gillingham ,howard      
followed the example of his             
predecessors4 ,he was a bona fide       
country gentleman1 with the one drawback
 to his otherwise stupendous            
respectability1 of being the greatest   
drawer of the long-bow since the days of
 ,mendez ,pinto4 ,he added two feet more
 to the height of his boundary walls1   
and bought all the disposable land round
 his estate2 but if he had transplanted 
a couple of miles of the ,chinese wall  
to ,surbridge1 he could no more have    
kept off the intrusion of the barbarian 
villa-builders than the ,celestials have
 been able to shut out the same pushing1
 bustling1 active1 energetic1           
unabashable individuals from the        
,flowery land4 ,architecture went on1   
and now the gigantic city had stuck her 

arms so majestically on either hip1 that
 one of her elbows actually came into   
contact with the park of ,surbridge     
,hall4 ,there was a gentle elevation--in
 those flat regions honoured with the   
name of a hill--which lay at one side of
 the ,surbridge lands4 ,it was a        
beautifully wooded little property of   
thirty or forty acres1 which it had     
always been the ambition of the         
,surbridge owners to buy2 but it was so 
involved with lawsuits or doubtful      
titles1 that it had hitherto been       
impossible to get possession of it for  
love or money4 ,the upper part of it    
rose high above the glades of ,surbridge
 park1 and the clump of trees on the    
summit formed a very fine object in the 
view from the drawing-room windows4 ,it 
was all laid down in the richest        
pasture1 and would have formed the most 
valuable addition to the property1 both 
in making it compact and keeping it     
secluded4 ,the owner of it died at last 
in the ,fleet1 and it was advertised for

 sale1 with a perfect title and         
immediate possession4 ,the sale was by  
auction1 and the day drew rapidly near4 
,mr ,gillingham ,howard went carefully  
over the ground1 examined the condition 
of his credit--for his surplus cash was 
gone--had the property valued2 and      
determined to give a thousand more than 
its worth1 to prevent it falling into   
any one else's hands4 ,when the day of  
sale arrived1 he placed himself in front
 of the auctioneer1 and determined1 by  
the fierceness of his bids1 to frighten 
any competitor from the field4 ,the room
 was crowded1 and the sale began4 ,all  
the eloquence of the celebrated ,puff   
was displayed on this occasion2 and when
 he paused after his glowing            
description1 and asked any gentleman to 
be kind enough to name a sum to begin   
with--suggesting1 at the same time1 four
 thousand pounds4 ,gentlemen1 shall we  
say four thousand guineas8 ,mr          
,gillingham ,howard1 in a voice that was
 calculated to show that he was in      

earnest1 and did not stand upon trifles1
 nodded his head1 and said seven6 ,the  
auctioneer himself was overcome with the
 success of his oratory1 and there was a
 dead silence among the spectators4     
,thank you1 sir--seven thousand guineas1
 he said1 ,will any gentleman make an   
advance8 looking round1 at the same     
time1 as if he considered it useless to 
waste any breath in endeavouring to     
enhance the price4 ,his hammer          
mechanically went up1 and was on the    
point of falling1 when a weak voice near
 the orator's pulpit whispered eight4   
,the voice proceeded from an old man    
wrapped up in a thick great-coat1 though
 it was a warm day in ,june--a          
clear-eyed1 small-featured1 diminutive  
old man1 who had sat the whole time1    
taking no apparent interest in the      
proceedings4 ,all eyes were turned upon 
him in a moment1 and he quietly repeated
 the awful monosyllable--eight6 ,mr     
,gillingham ,howard looked at the old   
gentleman with detestation in every     

feature1 for he felt that the person1   
whoever he was1 was actually robbing him
 of a thousand pounds2 and he would have
 had very few scruples in sending the   
culprit to ,botany ,bay for so          
tremendous an outrage4 ,a sort of smile 
ran round the assemblage at seeing the  
sudden alteration produced on his       
countenance2 and though he had          
determined not to give more than the    
original seven1 he was ashamed to be    
cowed by an unknown individual at once2 
and after a few minutes' pause1 and a   
glance of ineffable hatred at the little
 old man1 who had relapsed into his     
state of contented unconcern1 he looked 
at the auctioneer1 and said1 ,five      
hundred more6 ,saying this1 he put his  
hands into his pockets1 and kept his eye
 fixed on his competitor4 ,without a    
moment's hesitation1 the old gentleman  
nodded his head once more1 and said1 ,mr
 ,puff1 ,i'm in a hurry4 ,will this     
gentleman give ten thousand guineas8 ,i 
will6  ,the auctioneer gave one look to 

,mr ,gillingham ,howard1 and saw1 from  
the blank expression of that gentleman's
 countenance1 that competition was at an
 end4 ,the hammer fell1 and seemed like 
a great rock on ,mr ,gillingham         
,howard's heart4  ,your name1 if you    
please1 sir1 said ,mr ,puff4  ,the      
little old gentleman rose up and said1  
,give me a pen and ink4 ,i'll write an  
order for the money4 ,my name is ,thomas
 ,roe1 ,no4 #bj1 ,riches ,court4        
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,a week had passed1 and
 ,mr ,gillingham ,howard nursed his     
wrath1 like ,tam ,o',shanter's wife1 to 
keep it warm4 ,the name of the          
successful purchaser had struck him with
 a feeling of horror2 for as silence had
 brooded for fifty years over the       
history of his grandfather--and as the  
misty period preceding the purchase of  
,surbridge had given rise to a whole    
mythology of ancestry like to the       
anti-historic periods of ,greece1 and   
other imaginative nations--he looked    
upon the appearance of the veritable    

contemporary of that fabulous age in the
 same way as ,romulus would have        
regarded any surviving friend and       
companion of the real bona fide robber  
or pig-driver to whom he probably owed  
his birth4 ,it is needless1 therefore1  
to say1 that over all other feelings    
fear and disgust predominated4 ,he      
determined to withdraw himself into     
still more aristocratic seclusion than  
before1 and on no account to recognise  
the existence of his new neighbour4 ,a  
month or two passed on1 and no steps    
seemed taken on the part of the         
purchaser to avail himself of his new   
acquisition4 ,day after day ,mr         
,gillingham ,howard looked up to the    
tuft of trees that crowned the beautiful
 field beyond his park1 and on seeing no
 symptoms of cutting down1 nor other    
preparations for house-building1 began  
to indulge in the pleasing anticipation 
that the old gentleman had no intention 
of the kind2 and by cherishing this idea
 for some time1 he succeeded at last in 

believing1 that if he did in reality    
turn his ground to any such a purpose1  
he would be guilty of a fresh injustice4
 ,three months had elapsed1 and the     
beautiful colours of ,autumn just       
unfurled themselves in order to be      
struck at the first broadside of a      
,november frost--the sun was shining so 
warmly1 that the leaves had every reason
 to be ashamed of their yellow          
complexions2 and a young lady--like a   
butterfly awakened by the brightness of 
the day--fluttered forward from the     
porch of ,surbridge ,hall1 dressed in   
all the hues of the rainbow4 ,a green   
bonnet1 a pink pelisse1 a red shawl1 and
 lilac parasol1 were scarcely in keeping
 with the sylvan scene on which she     
hurriedly entered4 ,she was very tall   
and very thin1 and had been taught to   
walk by a ,parisian promeneuse at a     
guinea a lesson2 so that the tail of her
 gown described a half circle every time
 she stept1 and her progress was        
apparently on the principle of the      

propeller screw4 ,a small sketch-book   
was under her arm1 and across her wrist 
she bore a supernumerary shawl4 ,if he  
should be there again1 she thought1 he  
will surely speak4 ,he looked as if he  
wished to do it last time4 ,but he's    
bashful1 perhaps1 to a person of my     
rank4 ,poor fellow--how handsome he     
looked as he turned away6 ,the thought  
seemed to be a pleasant one1 for a sort 
of smile rose to her thin lips as she   
dwelt on it1 and she increased her pace4
 ,she opened a little gate1 and moved   
rapidly on towards an ornamental        
poultry-house near the boundary of the  
estate4 ,the extra shawl was soon spread
 upon the stump of a tree1 the          
sketch-book opened1 and with her eye    
intently fixed on the fantastic chimney 
of the hen-house1 she listened for every
 sound4 ,she moved the pencil as if     
busily engaged in sketching2 but1       
strange to say1 the figure produced by  
her touch1 took 7involuntarily as it    
were7 the appearance of a very handsome 

young man1 for whose bright eyes and    
smiling countenance there was no warrant
 in the twisted bricks and oddly shaped 
cans of the original4 ,as if her drawing
 had been the mystic configurations of a
 conjurer1 the spirit came when she did 
call for it2 and with a side glance of  
her eye1 she perceived at no great      
distance from her a young man1 who      
seemed to be gazing at her with great   
earnestness1 and was only prevented from
 addressing her by the awe1 that formed 
of course the body-guard of a daughter  
of ,mr ,gillingham ,howard4 ,there are  
many ways in which it is possible to    
show that the said body-guard may be    
broken through1 without subjecting the  
culprit to the penalties of             
high-treason4 ,a short cough1 as if     
preparatory to a conversation--a hurried
 look1 and then a scarcely perceptible  
smile--a sort of fidgety uneasiness1 as 
if the stump of the tree was something  
rather different from an                
air-cushion--such were the methods      

pursued by ,miss ,arabel ,howard on the 
present occasion with complete success4 
,the stranger combated with his respect1
 and going near to where the            
sketcher--again utterly unconscious of  
his presence1 was putting in a tuft of  
ivy--he took off his hat and bowed--    
,ha6 exclaimed ,miss ,arabel1 in a state
 of most becoming surprise4  ,i hope ,i 
do not alarm you1 madam1 said the       
stranger2 though my sudden presence here
 requires an apology4  ,oh6--,i beg--,i 
feel sure--any gentleman--my father will
 be most happy to----  ,you are very    
kind4 ,i perceive you appreciate the    
beauty of this situation as much as ,i  
do4 ,you are sketching the gable and    
chimney----  ,yes--but pray don't look4 
,but before she had time to close the   
page and clasp the book1 he had caught a
 view of a well drawn hat1 and very     
tastefully touched whiskers4  ,the      
stranger smiled4  ,it is indeed a       
beautiful little work1 he continued4    
,and the building so very picturesque4  

,grandpapa pulled down a row of cottages
 that the poor people lived in1 and     
built this romantic little hermitage4   
,so ,i have heard4  ,oh1 have you8      
,grandpapa improved this place very     
much4 ,think how the view must have been
 spoilt by a row of nasty cottages1 and 
a crowd of horrid poor people4  ,it was 
very near the church for the cottagers4 
,oh6 but papa is going to get the horrid
 old church removed to the other end of 
the parish1 and have a beautiful        
building instead of the present         
tumble-down old ruin4  ,taste seems     
hereditary in your family4  ,it is      
indeed3 ages ago great improvements were
 made by papa's grandfather4 ,he got    
quit of all the cottages except the row 
that stood here--for what can be more   
horrid than the sight of a set of dirty 
ignorant people in such beautiful       
scenery8 ,they should all live in a     
common1 or hide themselves in some dark 
streets in ,london4 ,don't you think so8
  ,a great many of them do2 but1 if ,i  

were a sketcher1 ,i think ,i could make 
a very interesting subject out of a poor
 man's cottage1 with his little children
 playing about the garden4  ,not real   
poor children6 exclaimed ,miss ,arabel1 
nor a real poor man--no4 ,i have made   
sketches myself of papa and the ,misses 
,warrible--,sir ,stephen ,warrible's    
daughters--dressing them in fancy rags1 
and filling the garden they played in   
with flowers from our conservatory1 and 
giving the cottage ,french windows and a
 trellis-work veranda4 ,he stands       
leaning on a spade1 with silver buckles 
in his shoes1 and the children are      
playing ,la ,grace with the hoops1      
covered with pink ribands4 ,i called it 
',the ,poor ,man's ,joy2' and ,lord     
,moon has begged me to give it to an    
engraver4  ,i hope you will comply with 
his lordship's request4  ,i would if ,i 
could escape the publicity of the thing4
 ,papa would be so angry if he thought  
,i was so nearly professional as to be  
the author of a published sketch4  ,i am

 afraid your father is too particular4  
,no scruple of the kind fettered the    
genius of one of the princesses of      
,france4  ,ah1 but she was one of the   
new people6 ,there was no artist in the 
elder branch4 ,papa can't endure ,louis 
,philippe1 and says they are all very   
low4  ,the gentleman was attacked with a
 slight cough1 and after a pause renewed
 the conversation4  ,i think ,i have    
seen you engaged on this subject for    
some time4  ,it takes a long time to get
 in all these twists and corners1       
replied ,miss ,arabel with a smile of   
satisfaction1 to find that the recontre 
was not more one of chance on his side  
than her own4  ,do you devote yourself  
entirely to sketching8  ,oh no6 ,i paint
 as well4 ,we have a large gallery at   
home1 and it is an excellent school4    
,the family portraits are1 many of them1
 very fine4  ,does it go far back in the
 ,english school8  ,oh1 you should see  
the great wigs of the ,charleses and    
jack-boots of the cavaliers6 ,we were   

all cavaliers1 ,i suppose1 for ,i don't 
see a single roundhead among them4  ,and
 the ladies8  ,oh1 such hoops and       
farthingales6 such pyramids of muslin on
 their heads1 and pillars of red leather
 upon their heels6  ,and is the painting
 good of that ancient date8 ,how do you 
like it compared to the modern8  ,we    
have very few modern portraits2 and none
 of any ladies later than ,george ,,ii4 
,no8 enquired the young man anxiously4  
,no lady later than that8 ,ah1 then ,i  
have been misinformed6 he added in a    
disappointed tone4  ,had you heard of   
our collection1 then8  ,yes--no--that   
is--,i believe1 in most old family      
houses1 there is a regular series of    
portraits that may enable the student to
 trace the alterations of the ,english  
school from its very commencement4      
,oh--a student--are you8--that is--have 
,i the pleasure of speaking to a        
painter8 enquired ,miss ,arabel with    
great dignity4  ,oh no1 madam2 only an  
admirer of the art4  ,and you are       

disappointed at the want of recent      
female portraits1 said ,arabel more     
graciously1 the faintest possible hope  
springing to her heart that he was      
disappointed at the absence of her own4 
,i should like to have heard the opinion
 of a competent judge on so interesting 
a subject4 ,a comparison between        
,kneller for instance and ,sir ,joshua  
would be worthy of your taste4  ,oh1    
,kneller by all means1 and ,lely better 
than both6 ,i believe1 now that you put 
me in mind of it1 there is a pale       
colourless ,sir ,joshua in the          
nursery--the school-room ,i mean4  ,a   
lady8 enquired the stranger4  ,a person1
 replied ,miss ,arabel1 who never       
allowed lady's rank to any one whose    
status she did not know--with long hair 
falling about her face1 and a little boy
 lying asleep in her lap4 ,whether she  
was a lady or not1 ,i don't know1 but ,i
 rather think not1 for ,i never heard of
 her being connected with our family4   
,perhaps she was a nurse4  ,and are you 

sure it is a ,sir ,joshua8  ,oh1        
yes6--,his name is written on the back2 
and ,mr ,ochre1 my drawing-master1 says 
it is all out of proportion1 and of no  
merit at all4 ,but why are you so       
anxious about the daub8 ,mr ,ochre      
wishes to be allowed to retouch it4  ,if
 he lays a brush on it--the stranger    
began in a furious tone1 but checked    
himself--if he lays a brush on it1 he   
will spoil an old master4  ,a master6   
said ,miss ,arabel with a contemptuous  
giggle4 ,i only wish you could see it4  
,i wish ,i could1 replied the young     
gentleman2 but ,i am afraid ,i shall    
never be so happy4  ,oh6--,the young    
lady did not say any thing more1 but    
looked at the stranger1 as if taking    
measure of his respectability to see if 
an entre to ,surbridge ,hall was really 
above his hopes4 ,he was tall1 well     
made1 with an air such as she had not   
seen in any of the visitors at that     
aristocratic mansion4  ,i'm sure1 she   
repeated1 looking down and speaking with

 interesting hesitation1 my papa would  
be happy to show his gallery to any     
gentleman in the neighbourhood4 ,perhaps
 you know papa8  ,i have not the honour1
 but since ,i know what a treasure he   
possesses1 ,i should think it a great   
happiness to make his acquaintance4     
,the lady said nothing1 but thought it  
the most neatly turned compliment she   
ever heard in her life4  ,i am on a     
visit to a family near this1 he         
continued1 and may perhaps have the     
opportunity of meeting ,mr ,howard4     
,oh1 where is it8 exclaimed ,miss       
,arabel4 ,what is their name8 ,we know  
every body in the neighbourhood--that   
is1 of course1 you know----  ,every body
 that's worth knowing1 said the stranger
 with a smile4  ,exactly4 ,is it the    
,rayleighs of ,borley ,castle1 we know  
them very well2 or the ,manbys of       
,flixley ,abbey1 delightful people1 we  
are quite intimate with them2 or the    
,sundridges of ,fairley ,manor1 there   
are no pleasanter people in the         

world--so good1 so ladylike1 and yet    
they say ,mrs ,sundridge's father was   
something very low1 a ,calcutta         
merchant1 or ,india director1 or        
something of that sort4 ,is it any of   
these8  ,no6 ,it is with a gentleman who
 has lately taken a small villa in the  
neighbourhood1 and ,i am afraid he will 
think ,i have been absent from him too  
long4 ,do you sketch here every day8    
,till ,i have finished this tiresome    
building1 replied ,miss ,arabel4 ,i must
 avail myself of the fine weather1 and  
not miss a single morning4  ,the        
gentleman smiled1 and so did the lady4  
,with another apology for having        
intruded1 he bowed and withdrew4  ,miss 
,arabel continued where she was1 till   
she lost his graceful figure among the  
windings of the shrubbery4  ,he is a    
charming man1 she thought1 and might    
easily manage to get acquainted with    
papa if he chose4 ,who can he be8--he's 
very clever and very accomplished--and  
walks so nobly4 ,i wonder if he is in   

the ,guards4  ,she opened her           
sketch-book once more1 and was busy with
 her pencil1 and her thoughts at the    
same time4 ,she had not seen what       
necessity there was for taking his leave
 so hurriedly1 and perhaps a faint idea 
came to her1 that it was not impossible 
he might return4 ,while she was         
new-pointing her pencil1 and recalling  
all that the stranger had said1 she     
heard a footstep coming through the     
plantation4  ,hush6 ,he is coming again4
 ,he can't stay away4  ,servant1 young  
mum--servant1 and all that1 said a voice
 close behind her2--,scratch6 scratch6  
there you go1 painting bricks as if they
 was ,christians1 and all that4  ,sir6  
,are you aware this is private property4
 ,papa would be very angry if----  ,he  
heard ,i was here4 ,i dassay he would1  
and all that--but ,i don't intend to    
wait for him here4 ,i'll beat up his    
quarters at the hall--,i will--and all  
that4  ,miss ,arabel had a profound     
contempt for old people and little      

people2 and the person who at present   
addressed her was both little and old4  
,he wore a short flaxen wig1 and a      
spenser over a long-tailed blue coat2   
grey nether habiliments1 with four or   
five inches of a white worsted stocking 
visible between his knee and his gaiter4
 ,it was a very well-shaped leg1 and the
 owner thereof seemed to know it4  ,you 
will not find papa at home1 said ,miss  
,arabel4 ,he has gone out to a          
magistrate's meeting4  ,i didn't say ,i 
was going there to-day1 did ,i8--and he 
don't go justicing every day in the     
week1 ,i hope4 ,i'll see him soon1      
depend on't1 and make acquaintance with 
his young 'uns1 and all that4 ,how many 
is there of you8  ,my sister and        
myself--if you enquire as to the number 
of ,mr ,gillingham ,howard's family1    
replied ,miss ,arabel4  ,what6 ha'n't ye
 picked up ne'er a man yet8 ne'er a one 
on you8 ,is your sister any thing like  
yourself8  ,miss ,arabel cast a look of 
haughty indignation on her questioner2  

but disdained a reply4  ,pr'aps you're  
looking out for a juke or a bernet1 or  
some regular nobleman1 and all that--for
 ,i hear you carries all your heads     
uncommon high--whereby it wouldn't be   
unagreeable to pull 'em down a bit1 and 
all that4 ,come1 come1 don't pout nor be
 sulky4 ,be friendly1 young 'oman1 now  
that we're going to be neighbours1 and  
all that4  ,friendly1 indeed6 said ,miss
 ,arabel1 with a toss of her head that  
would have snapped a martingale in fifty
 pieces4 ,pray walk on1 sir4 ,i am a    
lady1 and papa would be very indignant  
at your impertinence4  ,i dassay he     
would2 but not a bit more than ,i have  
been at his'n this many a long day4     
,why1 ,i've dandled him on my knee a    
hundred times4  ,have you8 ,perhaps you 
were his nurse's husband1 or the butler4
 ,if you come to the servants' hall---- 
,indeed6 ,what to do8 ,to see fine      
ladies' maids give themselves airs1 and 
disgust people with their insolence and 
affectation4 ,much obliged to you all   

the same2 but when ,i wants to see      
sights like that1 ,i'll come into the   
drawing-room4  ,i don't know what you   
mean1 and beg you'll retire4 ,papa put  
an ,irish beggar into prison for three  
weeks for insulting my aunt4  ,what6 old
 ,susie--old ,two-to-the-,pound1 and all
 that4 ,he must have been very much of  
an ,irishman to insult the old ,roman4  
,what do you mean1 sir8 ,do you know my 
aunt ,susannah8  ,ay1 to be sure4 ,ain't
 ,i one of her elders8 ,lord love ye1   
,i've known old ,susie since she was    
just up to my knee--and a reg'lar       
speciment she was4 ,we always called her
 ,two-to-the-,pound4 ,many's the laugh  
her father and ,i has had about her     
dumpiness1 and all that4  ,papa's       
grandfather8 ,did you know him1 sir8    
enquired ,miss ,arabel1 examining her   
companion at the same time to see if he 
was not the ,wandering-,jew or ,st      
,leon2 for she considered her papa's    
grandfather as the principal personage  
of a very remote historical era2 and    

would have been little more surprised to
 hear that the old gentleman before her 
had smoked cigars with ,sir ,walter     
,raleigh4 ,did you know my              
great-grandfather1 sir8  ,didn't ,i8    
,there wasn't a bigger snob1 though ,i  
says it1 in all ,england2 and just about
 two-and-forty years ago1 him and me was
 as thick as two thieves1 though only   
one of us was a thief4 ,he was a old man
 then1 and ,i was a young 'un1 and all  
that4 ,your father was summut about     
eight years old1 and my daughter was    
born the very month afore he bought this
 here estate4 ,so you see it ain't no   
great time to talk about1 seeing my     
daughter aint a old 'oman yet1 though   
she has a girl twenty year old4  ,i     
don't understand what you say1 repeated 
,miss ,arabel4  ,old ,susie will        
understand me better1 and so will little
 ,gus4  ,who is ,gus8  ,gus is your     
father--,augustus he was christened2 but
 we always called him ,gus4 ,well1 it's 
quite pleasant1 ,i declare1 to be among 

old friends2 and ,i'm glad ,i've took a 
willa so close4  ,the sound of the word 
willa1 even with the initial w1         
attracted ,miss ,arabel's attention4    
,could it be possible that this was the 
old gentleman with whom the handsome    
stranger was on a visit8  ,if you live  
so near1 you can1 of course1 have an    
opportunity of seeing papa4  ,seeing    
him8 yes1 and telling him a bit of my   
mind4 ,i'll see every thing in the      
house--from old ,susie                  
,two-to-the-,pound1 down to the last    
born kitten4 ,you keeps cats of course1 
and all that8 ,susie must be pleased to 
see me4 ,sich laughs1 to be sure1 we had
 about her and a young man of the       
,excise4 ,he was about seven feet high1 
and she wa'n't above four and a half1 so
 we always called him her young man of  
the extra size4 ,wasn't it funny8 ,but  
he died of a decline2 and ,i hear she's 
a broad as she's long4 ,well1 we must   
all die6  ,i must wish you good-day1    
sir4 ,i'm going home1 said ,miss        

,arabel1 rising to go away1 and assuming
 as much dignity as she could4  ,well1  
good-day1 and good-luck to you1 said the
 old man4 ,why1 how tall you are6 and   
the wick not half covered4 ,you wouldn't
 do credit to old ,bill ,wilkins's      
manufacture1 though ,i says it as       
shouldn't4 ,you ain't much better than  
one of the single dips4 ,i'll call on   
your father one of these fine days2 for 
now that ,i've come to the              
neighbourhood1 ,i've little better to do
 than pay off old scores--and interest's
 been running on for two-and-forty      
years4 ,tell him he had better set a    
price on ,surbridge1 and prepare to     
move1 for ,i want to buy the estate for 
a friend of mine4  ,i beg1 sir--,i      
insist--,i don't know you1 sir1 said the
 agitated and angry ,arabel4  ,he does  
though4 ,he knows me precious well2 and1
 what's more1 you may tell him my name  
if you like4  ,i will tell him1 sir1    
that he may send you to prison for your 
impertinence4 ,he's a magistrate4  ,i   

know all about him4 ,he's a boastful    
blockhead4 ,tell him ,i told you so4 ,my
 name is ,mr ,thomas ,roe1 #bj1 ,riches 
,court4   ,,chapter ,,iii4  ,the account
 given by ,miss ,arabel of her interview
 with the hateful purchaser of the      
coveted meadows1 was so confused1 that  
to persons less interested in the matter
 than ,mr ,gillingham ,howard and ,miss 
,susannah ,wilkins1 7or ,gillingham by  
brevet17 it would have been altogether  
unintelligible4 ,but before these two   
terror-struck individuals rose a vision 
of their detected boasts and overthrown 
pretensions1 that filled them with      
dismay4 ,what6 ,mr ,gillingham ,howard  
exposed in all quarters as the          
descendant of a tallow-chandler1 and the
 censorious ,miss ,susan as having been 
known from her childhood by the name of 
,two-to-the-,pound8 ,could they silence 
the accuser by making him their         
friend8--or could they repel his        
revelations by dint of unhesitating1    
unqualified lying8--or finally1 would it

 be necessary to quit the neighbourhood8
 ,mr ,gillingham ,howard was a tall     
portly man1 with his hair slightly      
grizzled1 and an air of quiet assurance 
reposing on his somewhat coarse         
features1 which his partial aunt        
considered the solemn dignity of virtue 
and high birth4 ,to a less blinded      
observed his narrow brow and heavy chin 
showed strong indications of the animal 
preponderating over the intellectual in 
his organization1 and his slow1 solemn  
talk--always about himself--showed the  
importance he attached to the slightest 
incident that had occurred to so        
distinguished an individual4 ,not that  
,mr ,gillingham ,howard1 as we remarked 
before1 limited his narratives merely to
 what had actually occurred--they       
diffused themselves over every          
circumstance that had happened to any   
one else1 and might by any possibility  
have happened to him4 ,by this means he 
had an extraordinary fund of            
conversational anecdote2 for whatever   

story he heard1 or adventure he read1 he
 immediately appropriated to himself2   
and thought nothing of killing his eight
 hundred ducks at one shot with         
,munchausen1 or finding out false       
concords in a ,greek play with the      
,bishop of ,london4 ,his aunt was so    
used to hear his marvellous tales1 that 
we must in charity suppose she believed 
some of them to be true2 and in that    
persuasion she was called upon on all   
occasions to bear witness to the facts4 
,she testified accordingly1 with the    
most perfect readiness1 to all his      
achievements in the rows at ,oxford2 his
 suggestions to the other magistrates1  
that were always approved2 his courage  
in every danger2 his mastery in every   
game1 and his skill in every science4   
,she was a little1 vulgar-looking woman1
 with small cunning eyes1 and a very    
round face1 glistening and shining with 
its absurd obesity2 and in shape and    
complexion bearing a close resemblance  
to a sun-flower stuck into a ,dutch     

cheese4 ,the awe with which she regarded
 her nephew arose partly from his size1 
but principally from the aristocratic   
loftiness of his birth--being the third 
in descent from the original founder of 
the family1 while nothing stood between 
her and the tallow vat except the six   
years during which her father had       
enacted the country squire4 ,what could 
be more appalling to these unhappy      
beings than the threatened visit1 and   
long-delayed vengeance of the implacable
 ,thomas ,roe8 ,in the mean time1 ,miss 
,arabel had only a confused notion of   
the meaning of all the threats and      
messages1 the mere report of which      
wrought such anguish in the paternal    
breast4 ,her thoughts dwelt more        
constantly on the interview she had had 
with the mysterious stranger2 and the   
speech he had made about the treasure he
 had heard of in ,surbridge ,hall1 came 
every moment to her mind4 ,it was so    
pretty a speech2 and he looked so full  
of admiration when he said it6 ,was     

there no way of getting him introduced  
to papa8 ,not a word of the meeting     
could she mention to her sister2 for    
,miss ,arabel was one of those amiable  
beings not uncommon in ball-rooms1 who  
will not risk the peace of mind of a    
friend by making her acquainted with a  
rich or fascinating partner on any      
account4 ,and if this holds good with a 
friend1 much more in the case of ,miss  
,arabel did it hold good with a sister4 
,so she sat in her own room and devised 
fifty expedients for legitimating her   
acquaintance with the interesting       
unknown4  ,but while ,surbridge ,hall is
 frightened from its propriety1 let us  
pass over for a moment to the hostile   
camp1 and see what is going on there4 ,a
 beautiful young girl is sitting at a   
table1 on which a number of maps and    
plans are laid out2 and1 while her eyes 
are busily running over the various     
lines and measurements1 her small white 
hand is resting we are sorry to say1    
without making the smallest effort for  

liberty1 within that of the very same   
young gentleman whose appearance we have
 already commemorated4 ,beautiful blue  
eyes they are1 and fitter for other     
employment than to pore over            
architectural or horticultural designs2 
and so she seems to think1 for she      
occasionally lifts them to those of her 
companion1 and a sweet smile brightens  
over all her face4 ,that is ,fanny      
,smith1 the granddaughter of ,thomas    
,roe--the child of a ,yorkshire parson1 
who had been lucky enough to win the    
heart of ,mary ,roe--and wise enough not
 to despise her father1 though he lived 
in ,riches ,court4  ,but grandpapa says 
it is of no use1 ,charles1 to look at   
all these plans for houses4 ,he'll never
 build on the new ground1 for he says he
 is determined to establish us at       
,surbridge ,hall4  ,the old gentleman is
 too sanguine1 replied ,charles4 ,he    
will never persuade the present         
proprietor to leave it4  ,oh1 he will1  
though6 ,you don't know what a          

determined man grandpapa is4 ,he'll     
weary them out--or shame them away4     
,shame6 enquired the other--,how do you 
think shame can have any effect in      
people so lost to truth1 and so encased 
in ignorance and conceit8  ,but         
grandpapa will expose them--and1        
besides1 he'll pay them handsomely to   
go4 ,i don't the least despair of       
getting quit of them4  ,why1 if people  
would only take the trouble to enquire  
into the actual facts of any part of    
their behaviour1 and not take their own 
account of it--the boastful falsehoods  
of the nephew1 the malicious            
insinuations of the aunt1 their         
disregard of truth in serious affairs as
 well as in trifles1 their selfishness1 
narrow-mindedness1 and want of          
charity--they would hesitate before they
 countenanced such characters1 in spite 
of the dinners they occasionally give1  
and the position they hold4 ,but society
 winks on vices which it is the duty of 
society to punish1 since the law takes  

no cognizance of them1 though more      
hurtful and disgraceful than theft or   
swindling4 ,and1 ,i am afraid1 even if  
your grandfather unmasks the solemn     
pretender1 he will still carry his head 
as high as if he had a right from any   
quality but his wealth to mix with      
honest men4  ,oh1 never fear6 said      
,fanny1 laughing2 those boastful people 
are always easiest frightened1 and a    
very short time will see us in          
,surbridge ,hall4  ,ah1 ,fanny1 that    
would be too much happiness6 ,i've heard
 of nothing but ,surbridge since ,i was 
a child2 and if my father could but see 
me in it1 living there1 my own property1
 or yours1 ,fanny1 which is the same    
thing1 he would almost die with joy2 but
 no1 no1 it is impossible4  ,impossible6
 deuce a bit of it6 exclaimed the old   
gentleman himself2 bustling into the    
room4 ,i tell you that ,surbridge is the
 house you will take ,fanny home to4    
,i've a great mind to say you sha'n't   
marry her at all unless she gives you   

,surbridge as part of her fortune4  ,oh1
 don't say that1 sir6  ,no1 don't say   
that1 grandpapa1 for you know those     
horrid people may be obstinate1 said    
,fanny4  ,i should like to see them1    
said the old man knitting his brow4 ,no1
 no1 they must go4 ,the bully is soon   
bullied4 ,see1 he has sent me a flag of 
truce already2 a note asking if ,i will 
allow him to call on me at three o'clock
 to renew his old acquaintance4  ,and   
will you let him8 enquired ,fanny4  ,to 
be sure ,i will2 and ,i'll return his   
visit too2 but he'll be here in a few   
minutes now4 ,i think you had better    
take a walk1 ,charles1 and leave ,fanny 
and me to entertain them4 ,you can go   
and take some more lessons in sketching1
 eh8 ,don't keep your teacher waiting4  
,charles looked at his watch1 and then  
at ,fanny1 and finally hurried away as  
he was ordered4 ,the young lady also    
left the room4  ,the old man sat down1  
and sank in thought4 ,he had his eye on 
the conduct of his partner's grandson   

for forty years1 though little did that 
ostentatious individual suspect that any
 person saw within his pharisaical      
exterior1 and knew him for the mass of  
selfishness1 falsehood1 and meanness1 he
 actually was4 ,moreover the old        
gentleman knew that his victim was not  
so rich as he appeared1 and had         
struggled in vain to better his fortunes
 by speculations of various kinds1 and  
even 7the last refuge of the sinking    
respectables7 by thrusting himself into 
trusteeships4 ,he felt an assurance1    
therefore1 that his threatened          
exposures--united to an offer of the    
full value of the estate--would secure  
him the possession of ,surbridge ,hall2 
if it had not been for the enjoyment he 
anticipated in uncloaking the hypocrite1
 he might perhaps have contented himself
 with the acquisition of the land4  ,a  
knock was heard at the door1 and ,mr    
,gillingham ,howard and his aunt walked 
into the room4 ,mr ,gillingham ,howard  
was very pale1 and his eye evidently    

quailed as it met the glance of ,mr     
,thomas ,roe4 ,the little fat ,susannah 
was immensely red in the face1 but      
whether from agitation of mind1 or the  
exertion of climbing the hall steps1 it 
is impossible to decide4  ,i've called1 
my dear old friend1 to take you by the  
hand1 said ,mr ,gillingham ,howard4     
,i've long wished1 ,i assure you1 to    
renew our acquaintance4  ,that's a      
thumper6 replied the old man2 you have  
wished nothing of the kind4 ,oh1 ,gus1  
haven't you conquered the horrid habit  
of story-telling that used to make you  
the laughing-stock of all the young men 
in the shop4 ,and you1 my little        
,two-to-the-,pound1 what a time it is   
since we've met1 never since the        
exciseman died1 ,i do believe4 ,well1   
you've not grown thin on't4 ,do you     
study the ninth commandment as much as  
you used to do8  ,the ninth commandment1
 sir1 said the lady tossing her head4 ,i
 don't know what you mean4  ,yes1 you   
do1 ,susan2 the ninth commandment is the

 one about false witness1 you know4 ,and
 sich a gal as you used to be for       
slashing a character1 or trying to make 
your kindest friends ridiculous1 there  
wasn't in all the city4 ,you were always
 so tremendously witty1 you never had a 
good word for any body2 for witty gals1 
as you used to be1 thinks nothing funny 
that isn't what they calls severe4 ,but 
you're a old woman now1 and ,i hope     
you're improved4  ,miss ,susannah had   
never been called an old woman before4  
,if she had seen ,mr ,gillingham ,howard
 looking with his usual brazen          
assurance1 she would have broken out in 
a torrent of invective against her      
merciless tormentor--but the fight was  
entirely out of that illustrious        
character1 and he stood in trembling    
silence before his opponent4  ,my dear  
sir1 he said at last1 you are too severe
 on my aunt--but you were always a wag4 
,i've heard my father say he never knew 
any one so full of humour4  ,indeed8    
,and ,i myself remember how good-natured

 you used to be when you visited my     
father in ,harley ,street4  ,ay1        
indeed--let me see4 ,had your father    
risen to be at the top of the profession
 by that time1 with a promise of the    
chancellorship in his pocket when his   
father died8  ,my dear sir1 ,i don't    
know what you mean--why--what--         
,haven't you been in the habit of       
telling your friends so after dinner8   
enquired ,mr ,roe2 now1 remember4       
,well6 ,i may perhaps have said that he 
hoped to be chancellor4  ,no1 no--you   
have uniformly stated as a fact that he 
had the written promise of the          
office--and you have constantly appealed
 to your aunt for the truth of your     
statement4  ,la6 ,mr ,roe--how should ,i
 know about law and chancellorships8 ,it
 isn't a lady's business4  ,it is a     
lady's business not to corroborate a    
falsehood4  ,really1 my good sir1 said  
,mr ,gillingham ,howard1 you are too    
hard on a little after-dinner talk4     
,not a bit1 not a bit--that after-dinner

 talk1 as you call it1 for forty years1 
day after day retailing falsehoods1 and 
asseverating them so constantly1 that   
you at last almost succeed in deceiving 
yourself1 does away all the distinctions
 in your mind between truth and         
falsehood--and when once the boundary is
 broke down1 there is no farther pause4 
,a man may go on1 and boast about his   
cricket and shooting till he would not  
stick at a false oath4  ,sir6 ,i bear   
many things from an old friend of our   
family1 but an imputation on my veracity
 is intolerable4 ,do ,i ever deviate    
from the truth1 ,aunt ,susan8  ,you6    
,oh1 no6 if there's any quality you     
excel in more than another1 it is your  
truth4 ,low people may tell lies1 and of
 course do2 but you6 ,mr ,gillingham    
,howard6--you are a perfect gentleman1  
from the crown of your head to the sole 
of your foot4  ,omitting all the        
intermediate parts1 replied ,mr ,roe4   
,you know very well what ,i mean1 sir2  
and1 moreover1 you know that what ,i say

 is true--but ,i will spare you at      
present4 ,i wish to purchase ,surbridge 
,hall4 ,i will give you the full price4 
,will you sell it or not8  ,why1 sir1 a 
place that has been long in one's       
family----  ,i was nearly forty years   
old when it was bought--and hope to live
 few years yet1 interposed ,mr ,roe4    
,and ,i don't see what pleasure you     
could take in acquiring a place to which
 you have no hereditary ties--my poor   
father--and my dear                     
grandfather----continued ,mr ,gillingham
 ,howard4  ,should have stuck to the    
melting tub1 both of them--but it isn't 
for myself ,i want the property4 ,i have
 a grandchild1 sir2 a grandson--but that
 has nothing to do with it4 ,will you   
let me have your answer soon8 ,i will   
call on you1 to hear your decision1     
to-morrow4  ,always happy to see an old 
friend4  ,provided he come with a new   
face1 interposed ,mr ,roe2 but you don't
 much like the sight of my rough old    
phiz4 ,at any rate1 there's no deceit in

 it1 and now we understand each other4  
,,chapter ,,iv4  ,it was on the day     
succeeding this visit of reconciliation1
 that ,miss ,arabel and the stumpy      
,susannah pursued their way to the      
shrubbery walk1 in a rapid and          
mysterious manner1 as if they hoped to  
escape observation4  ,papa is so        
unreasonable1 aunt1 said the young lady4
 ,why should he wish to leave           
,surbridge1 just when----  ,you think   
you have caught a lover1 interposed the 
aunt2 don't be too sure4 ,you've been   
deceived in that way before now4  ,oh1  
if you only saw him6 ,he met me         
yesterday1 and said he would see me     
again to-day2 and paid such compliments1
 and looked so handsome4  ,but who is   
he8 ,is he a gentleman8  ,of course he  
is1 replied ,miss ,arabel2 or do you    
think he would venture to speak to me8  
,did he tell you his name8  ,no4 ,all he
 has told me is--he is living with an   
old gentleman in one of the villas in   
the neighbourhood4  ,an old gentleman1  

mused ,miss ,susannah1 in a villa--it   
must be the same--it must be old ,roe's 
,grandson4 ,if it is1 and he takes a    
fancy to this girl1 it will be all well 
yet4 ,what has he ever called you8 ,did 
he ever say you were an angel8  ,no4 ,he
 thought me one1 though2 and said he had
 heard of what a treasure ,surbridge    
contained2 and yesterday he repeated it1
 and said he would give the world to be 
able to call it his4  ,that's something4
 ,you must get him to say something of  
the kind before a witness4  ,but how8   
,what witness can there be1 when ,i can 
never bring him to the house8  ,why not8
 ,ah1 how ,i recollect1 in the back     
parlour1 said ,miss ,susannah1 her      
memory unconsciously wandering back to  
the love incidents of her youth4  ,the  
back parlour8 enquired ,miss ,arabel4   
,the back--,i didn't say back parlour4  
,i said black parlour--the oaken        
dining-room in my father's house4  ,and 
what of it1 aunt8 ,what made you think  
of the black parlour now8  ,oh1 it was a

 picture1 stammered ,miss ,susan1       
inventing an excuse for her mistake2 a  
beautiful old portrait--a sort of--,i   
don't recollect what it was4  ,ah6 that 
puts me in mind of what he speaks of    
often--the pictures in our house4 ,i    
say1 aunt1 she continued1 as if a       
thought had struck her4  ,well8         
,suppose ,i were to invite him to come  
into the ,hall and see the portraits8   
,well1 so you might4 ,your father would 
think he was as fond of drawing as you  
are2 and if he be the person ,i think he
 is1 your father will be delighted that 
you have made a friend of him4  ,indeed8
 ,oh1 ,i'm so happy6 ,i'll ask him to   
the house this very day2 and perhaps if 
he says anything1 aunt1 about the       
treasure1 you can be in the way to hear 
it4  ,that ,i will1 and ,i'll bring your
 father1 too4 ,there's nothing like a   
father or brother in cases of the kind4 
,if ,i had had a brother that would     
fight1 ,i might have been married       
myself4 ,dear me1 what an uncommon      

handsome young man in the avenue6 ,i    
know him to be a lord by his walk4      
,miss ,arabel stretched her neck1 and   
nearly strained her eyeballs in the     
effort to follow the direction of       
,susannah's eyes4  ,that's he1 she said2
 go now1 and leave me to get him into   
the house4  ,he can't be any relation of
 ,thomas ,roe3 he's too handsome for    
that1 thought ,miss ,susannah2 but      
whoever he is1 she'll be a lucky girl to
 catch him4 ,my ,sam was a foot or two  
taller1 but very like him in every other
 respect--except the limp in the left   
leg4  ,as she turned back before        
entering the house1 she saw the young   
people in full conversation in the      
shrubbery walk4  ,well1 if he is old    
,thomas ,roe's grandson1 and ,arabel can
 hook him into a marriage1 there will be
 no occasion to leave ,surbridge ,hall4 
,does the monster wish us to be         
tallow-chandlers again8  ,on hurrying to
 the drawing-room to communicate to her 
nephew the fact that ,mr ,roe's heir was

 desperately in love with ,arabel1 she  
found ,mr ,gillingham ,howard           
endeavouring to carry on a conversation 
with the very individual she most       
dreaded to see4 ,mr ,roe had walked up1 
accompanied by ,fanny ,smith1 to return 
the visit of the day before4  ,this is  
so kind1 said ,miss ,susannah1 and so   
friendly to bring your pretty           
grandchild4 ,our girls will be delighted
 to be her friends4  ,fanny's a good    
girl1 replied the old man2 and you      
mustn't spoil her4 ,gus was just going  
to tell me if he had made up his mind1  
when you came in4 ,you've thought of my 
offer1 ,gus8  ,certainly2 any thing you 
say shall always have my best           
consideration4 ,as far as ,i am         
concerned1 ,i could settle in ,bucks1   
where ,i have a small estate1 with      
satisfaction2 but my girls are          
enthusiastically attached to this place4
 ,arabel would break her heart if we    
took her away from ,surbridge4  ,i      
warrant her heart against all breakage  

and other damages1 save and except the  
ordinary wear and tear--as ,puff says in
 letting a furnished house2 and1 if it  
only depends on the young lady1 ,i think
 ,i'll answer for her being more anxious
 for the arrangement than ,i am4 ,but   
here's company coming1 and ,i must have 
your answer before ,i go4  ,mr          
,gillingham ,howard heard the carriage  
stop at the door4 ,he felt it was       
impossible to present so rough-mannered 
a man as ,mr ,roe to any of his friends 
without a certainty of exposure1 and he 
was strongly tempted to agree to his    
demand at once1 if he would immediately 
leave the house2 but before he had time 
to arrange his thoughts1 the door       
opened1 and the ,rayleighs of ,borley   
,castle were announced4  ,mr ,gillingham
 ,howard1 by a great effort1 received   
them with his usual courtesy4  ,i have  
brought ,mr ,tinter with me1 said ,mrs  
,rayleigh1 and ,i hope you will let him 
see your family portraits4 ,we have told
 him so much of them1 that he is anxious

 to see them himself4 ,he is writing a  
description of the private collections  
in the county4  ,mr ,tinter bowed2 and  
,mr ,gillingham ,howard1 with an        
imploring look to ,mr ,roe1 who sat     
resting his chin upon his walking-stick1
 professed himself highly honoured by   
,mrs ,rayleigh's request4  ,i believe   
you have portraits of the ,sidney       
family1 sir1 said ,mr ,tinter1 as ,i    
hear from ,mrs ,rayleigh--you are nearly
 related to them2 ,i should like very   
much to compare them with the pictures  
at ,penshurst4  ,oh6 ,mr ,howard says   
the ,penshurst pictures are only copies 
of his1 said ,mrs ,rayleigh4  ,did ,i1  
madam8 ,did ,i say all8  ,if not all1   
you said most of them2 and also1 that   
you had some originals of those in your 
distant relation1 the ,duke of          
,norfolk's gallery4  ,mr ,gillingham    
,howard felt that ,mr ,roe's appalling  
eye was fixed upon him1 though he did   
not venture to look in the direction of 
where he sat4  ,mr ,tinter will tell you

 at once which are the copies4 ,you can 
do that1 ,mr ,tinter8  ,i can guess at  
the age of the picture1 and the name of 
the painter1 if he is a master1 replied 
,mr ,tinter4  ,oh6 but ,mr ,howard has  
some pictures that ,sir ,thomas         
,lawrence said were the finest in       
,europe4 ,didn't he say so1 ,mr ,howard8
  ,why1 ma'am--,i think--at least1 so ,i
 understood him4 ,didn't ,sir ,thomas   
,lawrence praise some of my pictures1   
aunt8  ,i really don't remember1 said   
,miss ,susannah1 looking more at ,mr    
,roe than at her nephew4  ,oh1 ,i       
thought you told us last time we dined  
here1 that ,sir ,thomas stayed with you 
weeks at a time1 and copied five or six 
of them himself4  ,p'r'aps ,i knows more
 of them family portraits1 said ,mr ,roe
 with a wilful exaggeration of accent   
and magnanimous contempt of             
grammar--than e'er a one on ye4  ,all   
eyes were immediately directed to the   
old man4 ,mrs ,rayleigh1 who was a fine 
lady1 and had never seen so queer a     

specimen of a critic as ,mr ,roe1 was a 
little alarmed at his uncouth           
pronunciation4 ,and ,mr ,gillingham     
,howard made a feeble and unsuccessful  
effort to deaden the effect of his      
remarks4  ,my friend is a remarkably    
good judge of the fine arts1 but quite a
 character4 ,an amazing humourist1 and  
very much given to quizzing4 ,you'll    
hear what fun he'll make of us all4     
,who is he8 enquired ,mrs ,rayleigh1 in 
the same confidential whisper4  ,a      
person who has grown very rich in some  
sort of trade4 ,he was a proteg of a    
relation of mine4  ,and you bear with   
his eccentricities in hopes of his      
succession8  ,exactly4  ,i minds the    
getting of the whole lot on 'em4 ,i can 
give you the birth1 parentage1 and      
edication1 of every one on 'em4  ,of the
 pictures1 sir8 enquired ,mr ,tinter1   
taking out his note-book4 ,i shall be   
delighted with any information4  ,but   
where is the gallery1 ,mr ,howard8      
enquired ,mrs ,rayleigh4  ,why1 madam1  

many of the pictures--in fact1 all the  
best of them are in ,london at the      
cleaner's2 but in the passage to the    
,conservatory there are some remaining1 
but the place is dark4 ,i hope you'll   
rather look at them some other time4    
,now's the best1 said ,mr ,roe1 starting
 up4 ,let's see the family picters1     
,gus4  ,mr ,howard was forced by the    
entreaties of all the party1 and led the
 way to the passage where his pictures  
were hung1 followed by ,mrs ,rayleigh   
and her two daughters1 and ,mr ,tinter1 
,mr ,roe1 and ,fanny1 and ,aunt         
,susannah4  ,that seems a portrait of   
,queen ,anne's time1 said ,mr ,tinter1  
pointing to a much bewigged old         
gentleman in an antique frame4 ,pray1   
what is its history8  ,isn't that your  
grandfather's uncle1 the general who won
 the battle of ,ramillies against       
,marlborough's orders8 enquired ,mrs    
,rayleigh4 ,do tell ,mr ,tinter all     
about it4  ,i reminds all about it1 said
 ,mr ,roe1 before the agonized ,mr      

,howard could make any reply4 ,one of   
our agents failed1 and we seized on his 
furniture1 and old ,bill ,wilkins took  
this'n 'cause of the oak frame4 ,he was 
a grocer in the ,boro'1 and his name    
was--was--but ,i forgets his name4  ,who
 took the furniture8 asked ,mr ,tinter1 
and who was a grocer in the ,boro'8     
,the man as had that picter1 and a sight
 more besides4 ,there's one on 'em2 the 
young 'oman a holding an orange in her  
hand1 and a parrot on her shoulder4  ,i 
thought that was the ,saccharissa1 ,mr  
,howard1 that had been in your family   
ever since the time of ,waller4  ,i told
 you he was a wag1 said ,mr ,howard1 in 
the last desperate struggle to avoid    
detection4  ,but who is he8 ,he is a    
very impudent old man to be so free4    
,he is rich2 the succession1 you know1  
replied the gentleman with a forced     
laugh2 but before he could mumble any   
thing more1 the party turned round one  
of the corners of the passage1 and heard
 voices in earnest talk4  ,how can ,i   

refuse1 when you tell me your happiness 
depends on it8 came distinctly to the   
ears of all1 in the sharp clear tones of
 ,miss ,arabel4  ,you are too good1     
replied a voice1 which ,fanny ,smith    
immediately recognized as that of       
,charles4 ,you will make my whole family
 proud and happy when they hear you have
 consented4  ,but won't you think ,i    
yield too soon2 and without having asked
 papa's consent8  ,ah--yes--,i don't    
know how he will bear the loss of such a
 treasure4 ,but he will reconcile       
himself to the want of it when he knows 
how happy it makes another in the       
possession4 ,say1 when may ,i call it   
mine8  ,oh1 now--this moment--any       
time--said ,arabel1 who had heard a     
noise in the passage1 and concluded it  
was aunt ,susannah enacting the part of 
a witness4  ,again ,i thank             
you6--exclaimed ,charles4 ,i will take  
it in my arms this instant1 and carry it
 down the shrubbery walk to ,mr ,roe's4 
,as you please--and wherever you like1  

said ,arabel1 throwing herself upon his 
shoulder4 ,i'm your's4  ,why1 what in   
the name of wonder is all this here8    
cried ,mr ,roe1 hurrying on1 and        
pouncing on the pair4 ,are you making   
love to this here gal in the very       
presence of ,fanny ,smith8  ,i1         
sir8--said ,charles1 astonished at his  
situation1 and still supporting ,miss   
,arabel1 who pretended to be in a faint4
 ,i asked this young lady to show me the
 picture of my father's mother2 and1 to 
my great delight1 she said she would    
give it me2 and1 when ,i expressed my   
gratitude1 she flung herself upon my    
shoulder1 and said she would give me    
herself4  ,and was it not me you meant  
by the treasure you talked of8 said     
,miss ,arabel1 starting up4  ,no1 madam4
 ',twas my grandmother's portrait1 by   
,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4  ,now1 that's   
all right1 said ,mr ,roe4 ,this young   
gentleman is the one ,i talked of1      
,gus--that ,i wants to buy this house   
for4 ,i don't think your daughter will  

care to give it up to poor ,charles that
 she took such a fancy to----  ,they    
seem attached1 sir1 replied ,mr ,howard4
 ,and if they like to marry----         
,bah6--he's to be married next week to  
my little grandchild1 ,fanny ,smith1 and
 we'll include the pictures in the      
purchase-money1 for one of them is a    
portrait that was left by mistake when  
,bill ,wilkins bought the hall1 and he  
would never give it back to the real    
owners4 ,but1 now that ,charles ,walrond
 is to be my grandson1 ,i'll take good  
care he recovers his grandmother's      
likeness4 ,come--shall ,i go on and give
 these ladies the facts of some of your 
other stories1 or will you close with my
 terms at once8  ,mr ,gillingham ,howard
 did not take long to decide1 and a very
 short time saw ,surbridge ,hall once   
more in the ancient line2 and old ,mr   
,roe1 in relating the means he used to  
expel the vainglorious descendant of his
 partner1 generally concluded with the  
moral1 if not the words of              

,shakspeare--,men's pleasant vices make 
whips to scourge them4     ,,vanities   
,,in ,,verse4  ,,by ,b4 ,,simmons4      
,,letters ,,of ,,the ,,dead4    ,,to    
,,livia4    ,i4    ,how few the moons   
since last1 immersed     ,in thoughts of
 fev'rish1 worldly care1   ,my casket's 
heap'd contents reversed1     ,i sought 
some scroll ,i wanted there2   ,how died
 at once abstraction's air--     ,how   
fix'd my frame1 as by a spell1   ,when  
on ,,thy lines1 so slight1 so fair1     
,my hurrying glance arrested fell6      
,,ii4    ,my soul that instant saw thee 
far     ,sit in thy crown of bridal     
flowers1   ,and with ,another watch the 
star     ,we watch'd in vanish'd vesper 
hours4   ,and as ,i paced the lonely    
room1     ,i wonder'd how that holy ray 
,could with its light a world illume    
,so fill'd with falsehood and decay4    
,,iii4    ,once more--above those       
slender lines     ,i bend me with       
suspended breath--   ,the hand that     
traced them now reclines     ,clasp'd in

 th' unclosing hand of ,death4   ,the   
worm hath made that brow its own        
,where ,love his wreath so lately set2  
,and in this heart survive alone        
,forgiveness--pity--and regret4         
,,iv4    ',twas 'mid the theatre's gay  
throng--     ,life's loveliest colours  
round me spread--   ,that mid the pauses
 of a song1     ,i caught the careless  
,she is dead6   ,the gaudy crowd--thy   
sudden grave--     ,i shrank in that    
contrasting shock1   ,like midnight     
,listener by the wave1     ,when splits 
some bark upon the rock4     ,v4        
,this ,,early ,,death--within its pale  
,sad air each angry feeling fades--     
,an evening haze1 whose tender veil     
,the landscape's harsher features       
shades4   ,ah1 ,scornful ,one--thy      
bier's white hue     ,stole every       
earth-stain from thy cheek1   ,and left 
thee all to ,,memory',s view     ,that  
,,hope once dared in thee to seek4      
#ahcf4    ,,parting ,,precepts4    ,i4  
,how graceful was that ,grecian creed   

,which taught that tongues1 of old1     
,dwelt in the mountain and the mead1    
,and where the torrent roll'd1   ,and   
that in times of sacred fear1     ,with 
sweet mysterious moans1   ,they spoke   
aloud1 while some pale ,seer            
,interpreted their tones4#ba     ,,ii4  
,and1 ,,lady1 why should we not deem    
,that in each echoing hill1   ,and      
sounding wood1 and dancing stream1      
,a language lingers still8   ,no        
lovelier scenes round ,,delphi spread   
,than round thee stretch divine2   ,nor 
,grecian maid bent brighter head     ,by
 haunted stream than thine4     ,,iii4  
,then fancy thus that to thine ear1     
,while dies the autumn day1   ,the      
,,voices of ,,the ,,woodlands bear      
,this tributary lay4   ,soft winds that 
steal from where the moon     ,brightens
 the mountain spring1   ,shall blend    
with ,mulla's#bb distant tune1     ,and 
these the words they sing3--     #a4    
,thou'st shared our thousand harmonies2 
,at morn thy sleep we stirr'd   ,with   

sounds from many a balmy breeze1        
,and many a jocund bird2   ,and far from
 ,us1 when pleasure's lure     ,around  
thy steps shall be1   ,ah1 keep thy soul
 as freshly pure     ,as ,we came pure  
to thee6     #b4    ,at noon1 beneath   
,september's heat1     ,was it not sweet
 to feel1   ,through shadowy grasses at 
thy feet1     ,our silver waters steal8 
,sparklingly clear1 as now the truth    
,seems in thy glance to glow2   ,so may1
 through worldly crowds1 thy youth      
,a stainless current flow4     #c4      
,at eve1 our hills for thee detain'd    
,the sun's departure bright4   ,he      
sank--how long our woods were stain'd   
,for thee with rosy light6   ,the worth1
 the warmth1 the peace serene1          
,thou'st known our vales among1   ,say1 
shall they be reflected seen     ,upon  
thy heart as long8     #d4    ,morn1    
noon1 and eve--bird1 beam1 and breeze1  
,here blent to bless thy day2   ,may    
portion of their memories     ,be ever  
round thy way6   ,sweet waters for the  

weary ,bark1     ,through parching seas 
that sails2   ,friends may grow false   
and fortune dark1     ,but ,,nature     
never fails4     ,,coleridge ,,and      
,,opium-,,eating4#bc   ,what is the     
deadest of things earthly8 ,it is1 says 
the world1 ever forward and rash--a     
door-nail6 ,but the world is wrong4     
,there is a thing deader than a         
door-nail1 viz41 ,gillman's ,coleridge1 
,vol4 ,i4 ,dead1 more dead1 most dead1  
is ,gillman's ,coleridge1 ,vol4 ,i42 and
 this upon more arguments than one4 ,the
 book has clearly not completed its     
elementary act of respiration2 the      
systole of ,vol4 ,i4 is absolutely      
useless and lost without the diastole of
 that ,vol4 ,,ii41 which is never to    
exist4 ,that is one argument1 and       
perhaps this second argument is         
stronger4 ,gillman's ,coleridge1 ,vol4  
,i41 deals rashly1 unjustly1 and almost 
maliciously1 with some of our own       
particular friends2 and yet1 until late 
in this summer1 ,anno ,domini #ahdd1    

we--that is1 neither ourselves nor our  
friends--ever heard of its existence4   
,now a sloth1 even without the benefit  
of ,mr ,waterton's evidence to his      
character1 will travel faster than that4
 ,but malice1 which travels fastest of  
all things1 must be dead and cold at    
starting1 when it can thus have lingered
 in the rear for six years2 and         
therefore1 though the world was so far  
right1 that people do say1 ,dead as a   
door-nail1 yet1 henceforwards1 the      
weakest of these people will see the    
propriety of saying--,dead as ,gillman's
 ,coleridge4  ,the reader of experience1
 on sliding over the surface of this    
opening paragraph1 begins to think      
there's mischief singing in the upper   
air4 ,no1 reader--not at all4 ,we never 
were cooler in our days4 ,and this we   
protest1 that1 were it not for the      
excellence of the subject1 ,coleridge   
and ,opium-,eating1 ,mr ,gillman would  
have been dismissed by us unnoticed4    
,indeed1 we not only forgive ,mr        

,gillman1 but we have a kindness for    
him2 and on this account1 that he was   
good1 he was generous1 he was most      
forbearing1 through twenty years1 to    
poor ,coleridge1 when thrown upon his   
hospitality4 ,an excellent thing that1  
,mr ,gillman1 and one sufficient to blot
 out a world of libels on ourselves6    
,but still1 noticing the theme suggested
 by this unhappy ,vol4 ,i41 we are      
forced at times to notice its author4   
,nor is this to be regretted4 ,we       
remember a line of ,horace never yet    
properly translated1 viz3--    ,nec     
scutic dignum horribili sectre flagello4
  ,the true translation of which1 as we 
assure the unlearned reader1 is--,nor   
must you pursue with the horrid knout of
 ,christopher that man who merits only a
 switching4 ,very true4 ,we protest     
against all attempts to invoke the      
exterminating knout2 for that sends a   
man to the hospital for two months2 but 
you see that the same judicious poet1   
who dissuades an appeal to the knout1   

indirectly recommends the switch1 which1
 indeed1 is rather pleasant than        
otherwise1 amiably playful in some of   
its little caprices1 and in its worst1  
suggesting only a pennyworth of         
diachylon4  ,we begin by professing1    
with hearty sincerity1 our fervent      
admiration of the extraordinary man who 
furnishes the theme for ,mr ,gillman's  
coup-d'essai in biography4 ,he was1 in a
 literary sense1 our brother--for he    
also was amongst the contributors to    
,blackwood--and will1 we presume1 take  
his station in that ,blackwood gallery  
of portraits1 which1 in a century hence1
 will possess more interest for         
intellectual ,europe than any merely    
martial series of portraits1 or any     
gallery of statesmen assembled in       
congress1 except as regards one or two  
leaders2 for defunct major-generals1 and
 secondary diplomatists1 when their date
 is past1 awake no more emotion than    
last year's advertisements1 or obsolete 
directories2 whereas those who1 in a    

stormy age1 have swept the harps of     
passion1 of genial wit1 or of the       
wrestling and gladiatorial reason1      
become more interesting to men when they
 can no longer be seen as bodily agents1
 than even in the middle chorus of that 
intellectual music over which1 living1  
they presided4  ,of this great camp     
,coleridge was a leader1 and fought     
amongst the primipili2 yet1             
comparatively1 he is still unknown4     
,heavy1 indeed1 are the arrears still   
due to philosophic curiosity on the real
 merits1 and on the separate merits1 of 
,samuel ,taylor ,coleridge4 ,coleridge  
as a poet--,coleridge as a philosopher6 
,how extensive are those questions1 if  
those were all6 and upon neither        
question have we yet any                
investigation--such as1 by compass of   
views1 by research1 or even by          
earnestness of sympathy with the        
subject1 can1 or ought to satisfy1 a    
philosophic demand4 ,blind is that man  
who can persuade himself that the       

interest in ,coleridge1 taken as a total
 object1 is becoming an obsolete        
interest4 ,we are of opinion that even  
,milton1 now viewed from a distance of  
two centuries1 is still inadequately    
judged or appreciated in his character  
of poet1 of patriot and partisan1 or1   
finally1 in his character of            
accomplished scholar4 ,but1 if so1 how  
much less can it be pretended that      
satisfaction has been rendered to the   
claims of ,coleridge8 for1 upon ,milton1
 libraries have been written4 ,there has
 been time for the malice of men1 for   
the jealousy of men1 for the enthusiasm1
 the scepticism1 the adoring admiration 
of men1 to expand themselves6 ,there has
 been room for a ,bentley1 for an       
,addison1 for a ,johnson1 for a wicked  
,lauder1 for an avenging ,douglas1 for  
an idolizing ,chateaubriand2 and yet1   
after all1 little enough has been done  
towards any comprehensive estimate of   
the mighty being concerned4 ,piles of   
materials have been gathered to the     

ground2 but1 for the monument which     
should have risen from these materials1 
neither the first stone has been laid1  
nor has a qualified architect yet       
presented his credentials4 ,on the other
 hand1 upon ,coleridge little1          
comparatively1 has yet been written1    
whilst the separate characters on which 
the judgment is awaited1 are more by one
 than those which ,milton sustained4    
,coleridge1 also1 is a poet2 ,coleridge1
 also1 was mixed up with the fervent    
politics of his age--an age how         
memorably reflecting the revolutionary  
agitations of ,milton's age ridge1 also1
 was an extensive and brilliant scholar4
 ,whatever might be the separate        
proportions of the two men in each      
particular department of the three here 
noticed1 think as the reader will upon  
that point1 sure we are that either     
subject is ample enough to make a strain
 upon the amplest faculties4 ,how       
alarming1 therefore1 for any honest     
critic1 who should undertake this later 

subject of ,coleridge1 to recollect     
that1 after pursuing him through a      
zodiac of splendours corresponding to   
those of ,milton in kind1 however       
different in degree--after weighing him 
as a poet1 as a philosophic politician1 
as a scholar1 he will have to wheel     
after him into another orbit1 into the  
unfathomable nimbus of transcendental   
metaphysics4 ,weigh him the critic must 
in the golden balance of philosophy the 
most abstruse--a balance which even     
itself requires weighing previously1 or 
he will have done nothing that can be   
received for an estimate of the         
composite ,coleridge4 ,this astonishing 
man1 be it again remembered1 besides    
being an exquisite poet1 a profound     
political speculator1 a philosophic     
student of literature through all its   
chambers and recesses1 was also a       
circumnavigator on the most pathless    
waters of scholasticism and metaphysics4
 ,he had sounded1 without guiding       
charts1 the secret deeps of ,proclus and

 ,plotinus2 he had laid down buoys on   
the twilight1 or moonlight1 ocean of    
,jacob ,boehmen2#bd he had cruised over 
the broad ,atlantic of ,kant and        
,schelling1 of ,fichte and ,oken4 ,where
 is the man who shall be equal to these 
things8  ,we at least make no such      
adventurous effort2 or1 if ever we      
should presume to do so1 not at present4
 ,here we design only to make a coasting
 voyage of survey round the headlands   
and most conspicuous sea-marks of our   
subject1 as they are brought forward by 
,mr ,gillman1 or collaterally suggested 
by our own reflections2 and especially  
we wish to say a word or two on         
,coleridge as an opium-eater4           
,naturally the first point to which we  
direct our attention1 is the history and
 personal relations of ,coleridge4      
,living with ,mr ,gillman for nineteen  
years as a domesticated friend1         
,coleridge ought to have been known     
intimately4 ,and it is reasonable to    
expect1 from so much intercourse1 some  

additions to our slender knowledge of   
,coleridge's adventures1 7if we may use 
so coarse a word17 and of the secret    
springs at work in those early struggles
 of ,coleridge at ,cambridge1 ,london1  
,bristol1 which have been rudely told to
 the world1 and repeatedly told1 as     
showy romances1 but never rationally    
explained4  ,the anecdotes1 however1    
which ,mr ,gillman has added to the     
personal history of ,coleridge1 are as  
little advantageous to the effect of his
 own book as they are to the interest of
 the memorable character which he seeks 
to illustrate4 ,always they are told    
without grace1 and generally are        
suspicious in their details4 ,mr        
,gillman we believe to be too upright a 
man for countenancing any untruth4 ,he  
has been deceived4 ,for example1 will   
any man believe this8 ,a certain        
excellent equestrian falling in with    
,coleridge on horseback1 thus accosted  
him--,pray1 sir1 did you meet a tailor  
along the road8 ,a tailor6 answered     

,coleridge2 ,i did meet a person        
answering such a description1 who told  
me he had dropped his goose2 that if ,i 
rode a little further ,i should find it2
 and ,i guess he must have meant you4   
,in ,joe ,miller this story would read1 
perhaps1 sufferably4 ,joe has a         
privilege2 and we do not look too       
narrowly into the mouth of a            
,joe-,millerism4 ,but ,mr ,gillman1     
writing the life of a philosopher1 and  
no jest-book1 is under a different law  
of decorum4 ,that retort1 however1 which
 silences the jester1 it may seem1 must 
be a good one4 ,and we are desired to   
believe that1 in this case1 the baffled 
assailant rode off in a spirit of benign
 candour1 saying aloud to himself1 like 
the excellent philosopher the he        
evidently was1 ,caught a ,tartar6  ,but 
another story of a sporting baronet1 who
 was besides a ,member of ,parliament1  
is much worse1 and altogether degrading 
to ,coleridge4 ,this gentleman1 by way  
of showing off before a party of ladies1

 is represented as insulting ,coleridge 
by putting questions to him on the      
qualities of his horse1 so as to draw   
the animal's miserable defects into     
public notice1 and then closing his     
display by demanding what he would take 
for the horse including the rider4 ,the 
supposed reply of ,coleridge might seem 
good to those who understand nothing of 
true dignity2 for1 as an impromptu1 it  
was smart and even caustic4 ,the        
baronet1 it seems1 was reputed to have  
been bought by the minister2 and the    
reader will at once divine that the     
retort took advantage of that current   
belief1 so as to throw back the sarcasm1
 by proclaiming that neither horse nor  
rider had a price placarded in the      
market at which any man could become    
their purchaser4 ,but this was not the  
temper in which ,coleridge either did   
reply1 or could have replied4 ,coleridge
 showed1 in the spirit of his manner a  
profound sensibility to the nature of   
gentleman2 and he felt too justly what  

it became a self-respecting person to   
say1 ever to have aped the sort of      
flashy fencing which might seem fine to 
a theatrical blood4  ,another story is  
self-refuted3 a hired partisan had come 
to one of ,coleridge's political        
lectures with the express purpose of    
bringing the lecturer into trouble2 and 
most preposterously he laid himself open
 to his own snare by refusing to pay for
 admission4 ,spies must be poor artists 
who proceed thus4 ,upon which ,coleridge
 remarked--,that1 before the gentleman  
kicked up a dust1 surely he would down  
with the dust4 ,so far the story will   
not do4 ,but what follows is possible   
enough4 ,the same hired gentleman1 by   
way of giving unity to the tale1 is     
described as having hissed4 ,upon this a
 cry arose of turn him out6 ,but        
,coleridge interfered to protect him2 he
 insisted on the man's right to hiss if 
he thought fit2 it was legal to hiss2 it
 was natural to hiss2 for what is to be 
expected1 gentlemen1 when the cool      

waters of reason come in contact with   
red-hot aristocracy1 but a hiss8 ,euge6 
,amongst all the anecdotes1 however1 of 
this splendid man1 often trivial1 often 
incoherent1 often unauthenticated1 there
 is one which strikes us as both true   
and interesting2 and we are grateful to 
,mr ,gillman for preserving it4 ,we find
 it introduced1 and partially           
authenticated1 by the following sentence
 from ,coleridge himself3--,from eight  
to fourteen ,i was a playless           
day-dreamer1 a helluo librorum2 my      
appetite for which was indulged by a    
singular incident4 ,a stranger1 who was 
struck by my conversation1 made me free 
of a circulating library in ,king's     
,street1 ,cheapside4 ,the more          
circumstantial explanation of ,mr       
,gillman is this3 ,the incident indeed  
was singular4 ,going down the ,strand1  
in one of his day-dreams1 fancying      
himself swimming across the ,hellespont1
 thrusting his hands before him as in   
the act of swimming1 his hand came in   

contact with a gentleman's pocket4 ,the 
gentleman seized his hand1 turning      
round1 and looking at him with some     
anger--',what6 so young1 and yet so     
wicked8' at the same time accused him of
 an attempt to pick his pocket4 ,the    
frightened boy sobbed out his denial of 
the intention1 and explained to him how 
he thought himself ,leander swimming    
across the ,hellespont4 ,the gentleman  
was so struck and delighted with the    
novelty of the thing1 and with the      
simplicity and intelligence of the boy1 
that he subscribed1 as before stated1 to
 the library2 in consequence of which   
,coleridge was further enabled to       
indulge his love of reading4  ,we fear  
that this slovenly narrative is the very
 perfection of bad story-telling4 ,but  
the story itself is striking1 and1 by   
the very oddness of the incidents1 not  
likely to have been invented4 ,the      
effect1 from the position of the two    
parties--on the one side1 a simple child
 from ,devonshire1 dreaming in the      

,strand that he was swimming over from  
,sestos to ,abydos1 and1 on the other1  
the experienced man1 dreaming only of   
this world1 its knaves and its thieves1 
but still kind and generous--is         
beautiful and picturesque4 ,oh6 si sic  
omnia6  ,but the most interesting to us 
of the personalities connected with     
,coleridge are his feuds and his        
personal dislikes4 ,incomprehensible to 
us is the war of extermination which    
,coleridge made upon the political      
economists4 ,did ,sir ,james ,steuart1  
in speaking of vine-dressers1 7not as   
vine-dressers1 but generally as         
cultivators17 tell his readers1 that1 if
 such a man simply replaced his own     
consumption1 having no surplus whatever 
or increment for the public capital1 he 
could not be considered a useful        
citizen8 ,not the beast in the          
,revelation is held up by ,coleridge as 
more hateful to the spirit of truth than
 the ,jacobite baronet4 ,and yet we know
 of an author--viz4 one ,s4,t4          

,coleridge--who repeated that same      
doctrine without finding any evil in it4
 ,look at the first part of the         
,wallenstein1 where ,count ,isolani     
having said1 ,pooh6 we are all his      
subjects1 i4 e4 soldiers1 7though       
unproductive labourers17 not less than  
productive peasants1 the emperor's envoy
 replies--,yet with a difference1       
general2 and the difference implies ,sir
 ,james's scale1 his vine-dresser being 
the equatorial case between the two     
extremes of the envoy4--,malthus again1 
in his population-book1 contends for a  
mathematic difference between animal and
 vegetable life1 in respect to the law  
of increase1 as though the first        
increased by geometrical ratios1 the    
last by arithmetical6 ,no proposition   
more worthy of laughter2 since both1    
when permitted to expand1 increase by   
geometrical ratios1 and the latter by   
much higher ratios4 ,whereas1 ,malthus  
persuaded himself of his crotchet simply
 by refusing the requisite condition in 

the vegetable case1 and granting it in  
the other4 ,if you take a few grains of 
wheat1 and are required to plant all    
successive generations of their produce 
in the same flower-pot for ever1 of     
course you neutralise its expansion by  
your own act of arbitrary limitation4#be
 ,but so you would do1 if you tried the 
case of animal increase by still        
exterminating all but one replacing     
couple of parents4 ,this is not to try1 
but merely a pretence of trying1 one    
order of powers against another4 ,that  
was folly4 ,but ,coleridge combated this
 idea in a manner so obscure1 that      
nobody understood it4 ,and leaving these
 speculative conundrums1 in coming to   
the great practical interests afloat in 
the ,poor ,laws1 ,coleridge did so      
little real work1 that he left1 as a res
 integra1 to ,dr ,alison1 the capital   
argument that legal and adequate        
provision for the poor1 whether impotent
 poor or poor accidentally out of work1 
does not extend pauperism--no1 but is   

the one great resource for putting it   
down4 ,dr ,alison's overwhelming and    
experimental manifestations of that     
truth have prostrated ,malthus and his  
generation for ever4 ,this comes of not 
attending to the ,latin maxim--,hoc     
age--mind the object before you4 ,dr    
,alison1 a wise man1 hoc egit3          
,coleridge aliud egit4 ,and we see the  
result4 ,in a case which suited him1 by 
interesting his peculiar feeling1       
,coleridge could command    ,attention  
full ten times as much as there needs4  
,but search documents1 value evidence1  
or thresh out bushels of statistical    
tables1 ,coleridge could not1 any more  
than he could ride with ,elliot's       
dragoons4  ,another instance of         
,coleridge's inaptitude for such studies
 as political economy is found in his   
fancy1 by no means rich and rare1 but   
meagre and trite1 that taxes can never  
injure public prosperity by mere excess 
of quantity2 if they injure1 we are to  
conclude that it must be by their       

quality and mode of operation1 or by    
their false appropriation1 7as1 for     
instance1 if they are sent out of the   
country and spent abroad47 ,because1    
says ,coleridge1 if the taxes are       
exhaled from the country as vapors1 back
 they come in drenching showers4 ,twenty
 pounds ascend in a ,scotch mist to the 
,chancellor of the ,exchequer from      
,leeds2 but does it evaporate8 ,not at  
all3 ,by return of post down comes an   
order for twenty pounds' worth of ,leeds
 cloth1 on account of ,government1      
seeing that the poor men of the ----th  
regiment want new gaiters4 ,true2 but of
 this return twenty pounds1 not more    
than four will be profit1 i4 e41 surplus
 accruing to the public capital2        
whereas1 of the original twenty pounds1 
every shilling was surplus4 ,the same   
unsound fancy has been many times       
brought forward2 often in ,england1     
often in ,france4 ,but it is curious1   
that its first appearance upon any stage
 was precisely two centuries ago1 when  

as yet political economy slept with the 
pre-,adamites1 viz4 in the ,long        
,parliament4 ,in a quarto volume of the 
debates during #afdd-e1 printed as an   
independent work1 will be found the same
 identical doctrine1 supported very     
sonorously by the same little love of an
 illustration from the see-saw of mist  
and rain4  ,political economy was not   
,coleridge's forte4 ,in politics he was 
happier4 ,in mere personal politics1 he 
7like every man when reviewed from a    
station distant by forty years7 will    
often appear to have erred2 nay1 he will
 be detected and nailed in error4 ,but  
this is the necessity of us all4 ,keen  
are the refutations of time4 ,and       
absolute results to posterity are the   
fatal touchstone of opinions in the     
past4 ,it is undeniable1 besides1 that  
,coleridge had strong personal          
antipathies1 for instance1 to ,messrs   
,pitt and ,dundas4 ,yet why1 we never   
could understand4 ,we once heard him    
tell a story upon ,windermere1 to the   

late ,mr ,curwen1 then ,m4,p4 for       
,workington1 which was meant1           
apparently1 to account for this feeling4
 ,the story amounted to this3 that1 when
 a freshman at ,cambridge1 ,mr ,pitt had
 wantonly amused himself at a dinner    
party in ,trinity1 in smashing with     
filberts 7discharged in showers like    
grape-shot7 a most costly dessert set of
 cut glass1 from which ,samuel ,taylor  
,coleridge argued a principle of        
destructiveness in his cerebellum4 ,now1
 if this dessert set belonged to some   
poor suffering ,trinitarian1 and not to 
himself1 we are of opinion that he was  
faulty1 and ought1 upon his own great   
subsequent maxim1 to have been coerced  
into indemnity for the past1 and        
security for the future4 ,but1 besides  
that this glassy mythus belongs to an ra
 fifteen years earlier than             
,coleridge's1 so as to justify a shadow 
of scepticism1 we really cannot find1 in
 such an escapade under the boiling     
blood of youth1 any sufficient          

justification of that withering         
malignity towards the name of ,pitt1    
which runs through ,coleridge's famous  
,fire1 ,famine1 and ,slaughter4 ,as this
 little viperous jeu-d'esprit 7published
 anonymously7 subsequently became the   
subject of a celebrated after-dinner    
discussion in ,london1 at which         
,coleridge 7comme de raison7 was the    
chief speaker1 the reader of this       
generation may wish to know the question
 at issue2 and in order to judge of     
that1 he must know the outline of this  
devil's squib4 ,the writer brings upon  
the scene three pleasant young ladies1  
viz4 ,miss ,fire1 ,miss ,famine1 and    
,miss ,slaughter4 ,what are you up to8  
,what's the row8--we may suppose to be  
the introductory question of the poet4  
,and the answer of the ladies makes us  
aware that they are fresh from larking  
in ,ireland1 and in ,france4 ,a glorious
 spree they had2 lots of fun2 and       
laughter  discretion4 ,at all times     
gratus puell risus ab angulo2 so that we

 listen to their little gossip with     
interest4 ,they had been setting men1 it
 seems1 by the ears2 and the drollest   
little atrocities they do certainly     
report4 ,not but we have seen better in 
the ,nenagh paper1 so far as ,ireland is
 concerned4 ,but the pet little joke was
 in ,la ,vende4 ,miss ,famine1 who is   
the girl for our money1 raises the      
question--whether any of them can tell  
the name of the leader and prompter to  
these high jinks of hell--if so1 let her
 whisper it4    ,whisper it1 sister1 so 
and so1   ,in a dark hint--distinct and 
low4  ,upon which the playful ,miss     
,slaughter replies3--    ,letters four  
do form his name4       99       99     
99       99   ,he came by stealth and   
unlock'd my den2   ,and ,i have drunk   
the blood since then   ,of thrice three 
hundred thousand men4  ,good3 ,but the  
sting of the hornet lies in the         
conclusion4 ,if this quadriliteral man  
had done so much for them1 7though      
really1 we think1 #fs4 #h;d4 might have 

settled his claim17 what1 says ,fire1   
setting her arms a-kimbo1 would they do 
for him8 ,slaughter replies1 rather     
crustily1 that1 as far as a good kicking
 would go--or 7says ,famine7 a little   
matter of tearing to pieces by the      
mob--they would be glad to take tickets 
at his benefit4 ,how1 you bitches6 says 
,fire1 is that all8    ,i alone am      
faithful2 ,i   ,cling to him            
everlastingly4  ,the sentiment is       
diabolical4 ,and the question argued at 
the ,london dinner-table was--,could the
 writer have been other than a devil8   
,the dinner was at the late excellent   
,mr ,sotheby's1 known advantageously in 
those days as the translator of         
,wieland's ,oberon4 ,several of the     
great guns amongst the literary body    
were present2 in particular1 ,sir       
,walter ,scott2 and he1 we believe1 with
 his usual good-nature1 took the        
apologetic side of the dispute4 ,in     
fact1 he was in the secret4 ,nobody     
else1 barring the author1 knew at first 

whose good name was at stake4 ,the scene
 must have been high4 ,the company      
kicked about the poor diabolic writer's 
head as if it had been a tennis-ball4   
,coleridge1 the yet unknown criminal1   
absolutely perspired and fumed in       
pleading for the defendant2 the company 
demurred2 the orator grew urgent2 wits  
began to smoke the case1 as active      
verbs2 the advocate to smoke1 as a      
neuter verb2 the fun grew fast and      
furious2 until at length delinquent     
arose1 burning tears in his eyes1 and   
confessed to an audience1 7now bursting 
with stifled laughter1 but whom he      
supposed to be bursting with fiery      
indignation17 ,lo6 ,i am he that wrote  
it4  ,for our own parts1 we side with   
,coleridge4 ,malice is not always of the
 heart4 ,there is a malice of the       
understanding and the fancy4 ,neither do
 we think the worse of a man for having 
invented the most horrible and          
old-woman-troubling curse that demons   
ever listened to4 ,we are too apt to    

swear horribly ourselves2 and often have
 we frightened the cat1 to say nothing  
of the kettle1 by our shocking far too  
shocking6 oaths4  ,there were other     
celebrated men whom ,coleridge detested1
 or seemed to detest--,paley1 ,sir      
,sidney ,smith1 ,lord ,hutchinson1 7the 
last ,lord ,donoughmore17 and ,cuvier4  
,to ,paley it might seem as if his      
antipathy had been purely philosophic2  
but we believe that partly it was       
personal2 and it tallies with this      
belief1 that1 in his earliest political 
tracts1 ,coleridge charged the          
archdeacon repeatedly with his own joke1
 as if it had been a serious saying1    
viz4--that he could not afford to keep a
 conscience2 such luxuries1 like a      
carriage1 for instance1 being obviously 
beyond the finances of poor men4  ,with 
respect to the philosophic question     
between the parties1 as to the grounds  
of moral election1 we hope it is no     
treason to suggest that both were       
perhaps in error4 ,against ,paley1 it   

occurs at once that he himself would not
 have made consequences the practical   
test in valuing the morality of an act1 
since these can very seldom be traced at
 all up to the final stages1 and in the 
earliest stages are exceedingly         
different under different circumstances2
 so that the same act1 tried by its     
consequences1 would bear a fluctuating  
appreciation4 ,this could not have been 
,paley's revised meaning4 ,consequently1
 had he been pressed by opposition1 it  
would have come out1 that by test he    
meant only speculative test3 a very     
harmless doctrine certainly1 but useless
 and impertinent to any purpose of his  
system4 ,the reader may catch our       
meaning in the following illustration4  
,it is a matter of general belief1 that 
happiness1 upon the whole1 follows in a 
higher degree from constant integrity1  
than from the closest attention to      
self-interest4 ,now happiness is one of 
those consequences which ,paley meant by
 final or remotest4 ,but we could never 

use this idea as an exponent of         
integrity1 or interchangeable criterion1
 because happiness cannot be ascertained
 or appreciated except upon long tracts 
of time1 whereas the particular act of  
integrity depends continually upon the  
election of the moment4 ,no man1        
therefore1 could venture to lay down as 
a rule1 ,do what makes you happy2 use   
this as your test of actions1 satisfied 
that in that case always you will do the
 thing which is right4 ,for he cannot   
discern independently what will make him
 happy2 and he must decide on the spot4 
,the use of the nexus between morality  
and happiness must therefore be         
inverted2 it is not practical or        
prospective1 but simply retrospective2  
and in that form it says no more than   
the good old rules hallowed in every    
cottage4 ,but this furnishes no         
practical guide for moral election which
 a man had not1 before he ever thought  
of this nexus4 ,in the sense in which it
 is true1 we need not go to the         

professor's chair for this maxim2 in the
 sense in which it would serve ,paley1  
it is absolutely false4  ,on the other  
hand1 as against ,coleridge1 it is      
certain that many acts could be         
mentioned which are judged to be good or
 bad only because their consequences are
 known to be so1 whilst the great       
catholic acts of life are entirely 7and1
 if we may so phrase it1 haughtily7     
independent of consequences4 ,for       
instance1 fidelity to a trust is a law  
of immutable morality subject to no     
casuistry whatever4 ,you have been left 
executor to a friend--you are to pay    
over his last legacy to ,x1 though a    
dissolute scoundrel2 and you are to give
 no shilling of it to the poor brother  
of ,x1 though a good man1 and a wise    
man1 struggling with adversity4 ,you are
 absolutely excluded from all           
contemplation of results4 ,it was your  
deceased friend's right to make the     
will2 it is yours simply to see it      
executed4 ,now1 in opposition to this   

primary class of actions stands another1
 such as the habit of intoxication1     
which are known to be wrong only by     
observing the consequences4 ,if         
drunkenness did not terminate1 after    
some years1 in producing bodily         
weakness1 irritability in the temper1   
and so forth1 it would not be a vicious 
act4 ,and accordingly1 if a transcendent
 motive should arise in favour of       
drunkenness1 as that it would enable you
 to face a degree of cold1 or contagion1
 else menacing to life1 a duty would    
arise1 pro hc vice1 of getting drunk4   
,we had an amiable friend who suffered  
under the infirmity of cowardice2 an    
awful coward he was when sober2 but1    
when very drunk1 he had courage enough  
for the ,seven ,champions of            
,christendom4 ,therefore1 in an         
emergency1 where he knew himself        
suddenly loaded with the responsibility 
of defending a family1 we approved      
highly of his getting drunk4 ,but to    
violate a trust could never become right

 under any change of circumstances4     
,coleridge1 however1 altogether         
overlooked this distinction2 which1 on  
the other hand1 stirring in ,paley's    
mind1 but never brought out to distinct 
consciousness1 nor ever investigated1   
nor limited1 has undermined his system4 
,perhaps it is not very important how a 
man theorizes upon morality2 happily for
 us all1 ,god has left no man in such   
questions practically to the guidance of
 his understanding2 but still1          
considering that academic bodies are    
partly instituted for the support of    
speculative truth as well as truth      
practical1 we must think it a blot upon 
the splendour of ,oxford and ,cambridge 
that both of them1 in a ,christian land1
 make ,paley the foundation of their    
ethics2 the alternative being           
,aristotle4 ,and1 in our mind1 though   
far inferior as a moralist to the       
,stoics1 ,aristotle is often less a     
pagan than ,paley4  ,coleridge's dislike
 to ,sir ,sidney ,smith and the         

,egyptian ,lord ,hutchinson fell under  
the category of ,martial's case4    ,non
 amo te1 ,sabidi1 nec possum dicere     
quare1   ,hoc solum novi--non amo te1   
,sabidi4  ,against ,lord ,hutchinson1 we
 never heard him plead any thing of     
moment1 except that he was finically    
,frenchified in his diction2 of which he
 gave this instance--that having        
occasion to notice a brick wall1 7which 
was literally that1 not more and not    
less17 when reconnoitring the ,french   
defences1 he called it a revtement4 ,and
 we ourselves remember his using the    
,french word gloriole rather            
ostentatiously2 that is1 when no        
particular emphasis attached to the     
case4 ,but every man has his foibles2   
and few1 perhaps1 are less conspicuously
 annoying than this of ,lord            
,hutchinson's4 ,sir ,sidney's crimes    
were less distinctly revealed to our    
mind4 ,as to ,cuvier1 ,coleridge's      
hatred of him was more to our taste2 for
 7though quite unreasonable1 we fear7 it

 took the shape of patriotism4 ,he      
insisted on it1 that our ,british ,john 
,hunter was the genuine article1 and    
that ,cuvier was a humbug4 ,now1        
speaking privately to the public1 we    
cannot go quite so far as that4 ,but1   
when publicly we address that most      
respectable character1 en grand costume1
 we always mean to back ,coleridge4 ,for
 we are a horrible ,john ,bull          
ourselves4 ,as ,joseph ,hume observes1  
it makes no difference to us--right or  
wrong1 black or white--when our         
countrymen are concerned4 ,and ,john    
,hunter1 notwithstanding he had a bee in
 his bonnet1#bf was really a great man2 
though it will not follow that ,cuvier  
must1 therefore1 have been a little one4
 ,we do not pretend to be acquainted    
with the tenth part of ,cuvier's        
performances2 but we suspect that       
,coleridge's range in that respect was  
not much greater than our own4  ,other  
cases of monomaniac antipathy we might  
revive from our recollections of        

,coleridge1 had we a sufficient motive4 
,but in compensation1 and by way of     
redressing the balance1 he had many     
strange likings--equally                
monomaniac--and1 unaccountably1 he chose
 to exhibit his whimsical partialities  
by dressing up1 as it were1 in his own  
clothes1 such a set of scarecrows as eye
 has not beheld4 ,heavens6 what an ark  
of unclean beasts would have been       
,coleridge's private menagerie of       
departed philosophers1 could they all   
have been trotted out in succession6    
,but did the reader feel them to be the 
awful bores which1 in fact1 they were8  
,no2 because ,coleridge had blown upon  
these withered anatomies1 through the   
blowpipe of his own creative genius1 a  
stream of gas that swelled the tissue of
 their antediluvian wrinkles1 forced    
colour upon their cheeks1 and splendour 
upon their sodden eyes4 ,such a process 
of ventriloquism never has existed4 ,he 
spoke by their organs4 ,they were the   
tubes2 and he forced through their      

wooden machinery his own ,beethoven     
harmonies4  ,first came ,dr ,andrew     
,bell4 ,we knew him4 ,was he dull8 ,is a
 wooden spoon dull8 ,fishy were his     
eyes2 torpedinous was his manner2 and   
his main idea1 out of two which he      
really had1 related to the moon--from   
which you infer1 perhaps1 that he was   
lunatic4 ,by no means4 ,it was no craze1
 under the influence of the moon1 which 
possessed him2 it was an idea of mere   
hostility to the moon4 ,the ,madras     
people1 like many others1 had an idea   
that she influenced the weather4        
,subsequently the ,herschels1 senior and
 junior1 systematized this idea2 and    
then the wrath of ,andrew1 previously in
 a crescent state1 actually dilated to a
 plenilunar orb4 ,the ,westmoreland     
people 7for at the lakes it was we knew 
him7 expounded his condition to us by   
saying that he was maffled2 which word  
means perplexed in the extreme4 ,his    
wrath did not pass into lunacy2 it      
produced simple distraction2 an uneasy  

fumbling with the idea2 like that of an 
old superannuated dog who longs to      
worry1 but cannot for want of teeth4 ,in
 this condition you will judge that he  
was rather tedious4 ,and in this        
condition ,coleridge took him up4       
,andrew's other idea1 because he had    
two1 related to education4 ,perhaps     
six-sevenths of that also came from     
,madras4 ,no matter1 ,coleridge took    
that up2 ,southey also2 but ,southey    
with his usual temperate fervour4       
,coleridge1 on the other hand1 found    
celestial marvels both in the scheme and
 in the man4 ,then commenced the        
apotheosis of ,andrew ,bell2 and because
 it happened that his opponent1         
,lancaster1 between ourselves1 really   
had stolen his ideas from ,bell1 what   
between the sad wickedness of ,lancaster
 and the celestial transfiguration of   
,bell1 gradually ,coleridge heated      
himself to such an extent1 that people1 
when referring to that subject1 asked   
each other3 ,have you heard ,coleridge  

lecture on ,bel and the ,dragon8  ,the  
next man glorified by ,coleridge was    
,john ,woolman1 the ,quaker4 ,him1      
though we once possessed his works1 it  
cannot be truly affirmed that we ever   
read4 ,try to read ,john1 we often did2 
but read ,john we did not4 ,this        
however1 you say1 might be our fault1   
and not ,john's4 ,very likely4 ,and we  
have a notion that now1 with our wiser  
thoughts1 we should read ,john1 if he   
were here on this table4 ,it is certain 
that he was a good man1 and one of the  
earliest in ,america1 if not in         
,christendom1 who lifted up his hand to 
protest against the slave-trade4 ,but   
still1 we suspect1 that had ,john been  
all that ,coleridge represented1 he     
would not have repelled us from reading 
his travels in the fearful way that he  
did4 ,but1 again1 we beg pardon1 and    
entreat the earth of ,virginia to lie   
light upon the remains of ,john         
,woolman2 for he was an ,israelite1     
indeed1 in whom there was no guile4     

,the third person raised to divine      
honours by ,coleridge was ,bowyer1 the  
master of ,christ's ,hospital1          
,london--a man whose name rises into the
 nostrils of all who knew him with the  
gracious odour of a tallow-chandler's   
melting-house upon melting day1 and     
whose memory is embalmed in the hearty  
detestation of all his pupils4          
,coleridge describes this man as a      
profound critic4 ,our idea of him is    
different4 ,we are of opinion that      
,bowyer was the greatest villain of the 
eighteenth century4 ,we may be wrong2   
but we cannot be far wrong4 ,talk of    
knouting indeed6 which we did at the    
beginning of this paper in the mere     
playfulness of our hearts--and which the
 great master of the knout1             
,christopher1 who visited men's         
trespasses like the ,eumenides1 never   
resorted to but in love for some great  
idea which had been outraged2 why1 this 
man knouted his way through life1 from  
bloody youth up to truculent old age4   

,grim idol6 whose altars reeked with    
children's blood1 and whose dreadful    
eyes never smiled except as the stern   
goddess of the ,thugs smiles1 when the  
sound of human lamentations inhabits her
 ears4 ,so much had the monster fed upon
 this great idea of flogging1 and       
transmuted it into the very nutriment of
 his heart1 that he seems to have       
conceived the gigantic project of       
flogging all mankind2 nay worse1 for ,mr
 ,gillman1 on ,coleridge's authority1   
tells us 7p4 #bd7 the following         
anecdote3--       ',sirrah1 ,i'll flog  
you1' were words so familiar to him1    
that      on one occasion some female   
friend of one of the boys1 7who      had
 come on an errand of intercession17    
still lingering at the      door1 after 
having been abruptly told to go1 ,bowyer
      exclaimed--',bring that woman     
here1 and ,i'll flog her4'   ,to this   
horrid incarnation of whips and         
scourges1 ,coleridge1 in his ,biographia
 ,literaria1 ascribes ideas upon        

criticism and taste1 which every man    
will recognise as the intense           
peculiarities of ,coleridge4 ,could     
these notions really have belonged to   
,bowyer1 then how do we know but he     
wrote ,the ,ancient ,mariner8 ,yet1 on  
consideration1 no4 ,for even ,coleridge 
admitted that1 spite of his fine        
theorizing upon composition1 ,mr ,bowyer
 did not prosper in the practice4 ,of   
which he gave us this illustration2 and 
as it is supposed to be the only        
specimen of the ,bowyeriana which now   
survives in this sublunary world1 we are
 glad to extend its glory4 ,it is the   
most curious example extant of the      
melodious in sound3--    ',twas thou    
that smooth'd'st the rough-rugg'd bed of
 pain4   ,smooth'd'st6 ,would the teeth 
of a crocodile not splinter under that  
word8 ,it seems to us as if ,mr         
,bowyer's verses ought to be boiled     
before they can be read4 ,and when he   
says1 ',twas thou1 what is the wretch   
talking to8 ,can he be apostrophising   

the knout8 ,we very much fear it4 ,if so
 then1 you see 7reader67 that1 even when
 incapacitated by illness from          
operating1 he still adores the image of 
his holy scourge1 and invokes it as     
alone able to smooth his rough-rugg'd   
bed4 ,oh1 thou infernal ,bowyer6 upon   
whom even ,trollope 7,history of        
,christ's ,hospital7 charges a          
discipline tinctured with more than due 
severity2--can there be any partners    
found for thee in a quadrille1 except   
,draco1 the bloody lawgiver1 ,bishop    
,bonner1 and ,mrs ,brownrigg8  ,the next
 pet was ,sir ,alexander ,ball4         
,concerning ,bowyer1 ,coleridge did not 
talk much1 but chiefly wrote2 concerning
 ,bell1 he did not write much1 but      
chiefly talked4 ,concerning ,ball1      
however1 he both wrote and talked4 ,it  
was in vain to muse upon any plan for   
having ,ball blackballed1 or for        
rebelling against ,bell4 ,think of a    
man1 who had fallen into one pit called 
,bell1 secondly falling into another pit

 called ,ball4 ,this was too much4 ,we  
were obliged to quote poetry against    
them3--    ,letters four do form his    
name2   ,he came by stealth and unlock'd
 my den2   ,and the nightmare ,i have   
felt since then   ,of thrice three      
hundred thousand men4  ,not that we     
insinuate any disrespect to ,sir        
,alexander ,ball4 ,he was about the     
foremost1 we believe1 in all good       
qualities1 amongst ,nelson's admirable  
captains at the ,nile4 ,he commanded a  
seventy-four most effectually in that   
battle2 he governed ,malta as well as   
,sancho governed ,barataria2 and he was 
a true practical philosopher--as1       
indeed1 was ,sancho4 ,but still1 by all 
that we could ever learn1 ,sir          
,alexander had no taste for the abstract
 upon any subject2 and would have read1 
as mere delirious wanderings1 those     
philosophic opinions which ,coleridge   
fastened like wings upon his            
respectable1 but astounded1 shoulders4  
,we really beg pardon for having laughed

 a little at these crazes of ,coleridge4
 ,but laugh we did1 of mere necessity1  
in those days1 at ,bell and ,ball1      
whenever we did not groan4 ,and1 as the 
same precise alternative offered itself 
now1 viz41 that1 in recalling the case1 
we must reverberate either the groaning 
or the laughter1 we presumed the reader 
would vote for the last4 ,coleridge1 we 
are well convinced1 owed all these      
wandering and exaggerated estimates of  
men--these diseased impulses1 that1 like
 the mirage1 showed lakes and fountains 
where in reality there were only arid   
deserts1 to the derangements worked by  
opium4 ,but now1 for the sake of change1
 let us pass to another topic4 ,suppose 
we say a word or two on ,coleridge's    
accomplishments as a scholar4 ,we are   
not going to enter on so large a field  
as that of his scholarship in connexion 
with his philosophic labours1           
scholarship in the result2 not this1 but
 scholarship in the means and machinery1
 range of verbal scholarship1 is what we

 propose for a moment's review4  ,for   
instance1 what sort of a ,german scholar
 was ,coleridge8 ,we dare say that1     
because in his version of the           
,wallenstein there are some             
inaccuracies1 those who may have noticed
 them will hold him cheap in this       
particular pretension4 ,but1 to a       
certain degree1 they will be wrong4     
,coleridge was not very accurate in any 
thing but in the use of logic4 ,all his 
philological attainments were imperfect4
 ,he did not talk ,german2 or so        
obscurely--and1 if he attempted to speak
 fast1 so erroneously--that in his      
second sentence1 when conversing with a 
,german lady of rank1 he contrived to   
assure her that in his humble opinion   
she was a ----4 ,hard it is to fill up  
the hiatus decorously2 but1 in fact1 the
 word very coarsely expressed that she  
was no better than she should be4 ,which
 reminds us of a parallel misadventure  
to a ,german1 whose colloquial ,english 
had been equally neglected4 ,having     

obtained an interview with an ,english  
lady1 he opened his business 7whatever  
it might be7 thus--,high-born madam1    
since your husband have kicked de       
bucket---- ,sir6 interrupted the lady1  
astonished and displeased4 ,oh1         
pardon6--nine1 ten tousand pardon6 ,now1
 ,i make new beginning--quite oder      
beginning4 ,madam1 since your husband   
have cut his stick---- ,it may be       
supposed that this did not mend matters2
 and1 reading that in the lady's        
countenance1 the ,german drew out an    
octavo dictionary1 and said1 perspiring 
with shame at having a second time      
missed fire1--,madam1 since your husband
 have gone to kingdom come---- ,this he 
said beseechingly2 but the lady was past
 propitiation by this time1 and rapidly 
moved towards the door4 ,things had now 
reached a crisis2 and1 if something were
 not done quickly1 the game was up4     
,now1 therefore1 taking a last hurried  
look at his dictionary1 the ,german flew
 after the lady1 crying out in a voice  

of despair--,madam1 since your husband1 
your most respected husband1 have hopped
 de twig---- ,this was his sheet-anchor2
 and1 as this also came home1 of course 
the poor man was totally wrecked4 ,it   
turned out that the dictionary he had   
used 7,arnold's1 we think17--a work of a
 hundred years back1 and1 from mere     
ignorance1 giving slang translations    
from ,tom ,brown1 ,l',estrange1 and     
other jocular writers--had put down the 
verb sterben 7to die7 with the following
 worshipful series of equivalents--#a4  
,to kick the bucket2 #b4 ,to cut one's  
stick2 #c4 ,to go to kingdom come2 #d4  
,to hop the twig4  ,but1 though         
,coleridge did not pretend to any fluent
 command of conversational ,german1 he  
read it with great ease4 ,his knowledge 
of ,german literature was1 indeed1 too  
much limited by his rare opportunities  
for commanding any thing like a         
well-mounted library4 ,and particularly 
it surprised us that ,coleridge knew    
little or nothing of ,john ,paul        

7,richter47 ,but his acquaintance with  
the ,german philosophic masters was     
extensive4 ,and his valuation of many   
individual ,german words or phrases was 
delicate and sometimes profound4  ,as a 
,grecian1 ,coleridge must be estimated  
with a reference to the state and       
standard of ,greek literature at that   
time and in this country4 ,porson had   
not yet raised our ideal4 ,the earliest 
laurels of ,coleridge were gathered1    
however1 in that field4 ,yet no man     
will1 at this day1 pretend that the     
,greek of his prize ode is sufferable4  
,neither did ,coleridge ever become an  
accurate ,grecian in later times1 when  
better models of scholarship1 and better
 aids to scholarship1 had begun to      
multiply4 ,but still we must assert this
 point of superiority for ,coleridge1   
that1 whilst he never was what may be   
called a well-mounted scholar in any    
department of verbal scholarship1 he yet
 displayed sometimes a brilliancy of    
conjectural sagacity1 and a felicity of 

philosophic investigation1 even in this 
path1 such as better scholars do not    
often attain1 and of a kind which cannot
 be learned from books4 ,but1 as        
respects his accuracy1 again we must    
recall to the reader the state of ,greek
 literature in ,england during          
,coleridge's youth2 and1 in all equity1 
as a means of placing ,coleridge in the 
balances1 specifically we must recall   
the state of ,greek metrical composition
 at that period4  ,to measure the       
condition of ,greek literature even in  
,cambridge1 about the initial period of 
,coleridge1 we need only look back to   
the several translations of ,gray's     
,elegy by three 7if not four7 of the    
reverend gentlemen at that time attached
 to ,eton ,college4 ,mathias1 no very   
great scholar himself in this particular
 field1 made himself merry1 in his      
,pursuits of ,literature1 with these    
,eton translations4 ,in that he was     
right4 ,but he was not right in praising
 a contemporary translation by ,cook1   

who 7we believe7 was the immediate      
predecessor of ,porson in the ,greek    
chair4 ,as a specimen of this           
translation1#bg we cite one stanza2 and 
we cannot be supposed to select         
unfairly1 because it is the stanza which
 ,mathias praises in extravagant terms4 
,here1 says he1 ,gray1 ,cook1 and       
nature1 do seem to contend for the      
mastery4 ,the ,english quatrain must be 
familiar to every body3--    ,the boast 
of heraldry1 the pomp of pow'r1     ,and
 all that beauty1 all that wealth e'er  
gave1   ,await alike the inevitable     
hour2     ,the paths of glory lead but  
to the grave4   ,and the following1 we  
believe1 though quoting from a          
thirty-three years' recollection of it1 
is the exact ,greek version of ,cook3-- 
,ha charis eugenen1 charis ha basilidos 
archas1     ,dra tuchs chruses1         
,aphrodits kala ta dra1     ,panth' hama
 tauta tethnke1 kai eiden morsimon      
hamar2     ,hrn kle' olle1 kai cheto    
xunon es ,adn4   ,now really these      

verses1 by force of a little mosaic     
tesselation from genuine ,greek sources1
 pass fluently over the tongue2 but can 
they be considered other than a cento8  
,swarms of ,english schoolboys1 at this 
day1 would not feel very proud to adopt 
them4 ,in fact1 we remember 7at a period
 say twelve years later than this7 some 
iambic verses1 which were really        
composed by a boy1 viz4 son of ,dr      
,prettyman1 7afterwards ,tomline17      
bishop of ,winchester1 and1 in earlier  
times1 private tutor to ,mr ,pitt2 they 
were published by ,middleton1 first     
bishop of ,calcutta1 in the preface to  
his work on the ,greek article2 and for 
racy idiomatic ,greek1 self-originated1 
and not a mere mocking-bird's iteration 
of alien notes1 are so much superior to 
all the attempts of these sexagenarian  
doctors1 as distinctly to mark the      
growth of a new era and a new generation
 in this difficult accomplishment1      
within the first decennium of this      
century4 ,it is singular that only one  

blemish is suggested by any of the      
contemporary critics in ,dr ,cook's     
verses1 viz4 in the word xunon1 for     
which this critic proposes to substitute
 oinon1 to prevent1 as he observes1 the 
last syllable of cheto from being       
lengthened by the x4 ,such              
considerations as these are necessary to
 the trutin castigatio1 before we can   
value ,coleridge's place on the scale of
 his own day2 which day1 quoad hoc1 be  
it remembered1 was #agij4  ,as to       
,french1 ,coleridge read it with too    
little freedom to find pleasure in      
,french literature4 ,accordingly1 we    
never recollect his referring for any   
purpose1 either of argument or          
illustration1 to a ,french classic4     
,latin1 from his regular scholastic     
training1 naturally he read with a      
scholar's fluency2 and indeed1 he read  
constantly in authors1 such as          
,petrarch1 ,erasmus1 ,calvin1 c41 whom  
he could not then have found in         
translations4 ,but ,coleridge had not   

cultivated an acquaintance with the     
delicacies of classic ,latinity4 ,and it
 is remarkable that ,wordsworth1        
educated most negligently at ,hawkshead 
school1 subsequently by reading the     
lyric poetry of ,horace1 simply for his 
own delight as a student of composition1
 made himself a master of ,latinity in  
its most difficult form2 whilst         
,coleridge1 trained regularly in a great
 ,southern school1 never carried his    
,latin to any classical polish4  ,there 
is another accomplishment of            
,coleridge's1 less broadly open to the  
judgment of this generation1 and not at 
all of the next--viz4 his splendid art  
of conversation1 on which it will be    
interesting to say a word4 ,ten years   
ago1 when the music of this rare        
performance had not yet ceased to       
vibrate in men's ears1 what a sensation 
was gathering amongst the educated      
classes on this particular subject6     
,what a tumult of anxiety prevailed to  
hear ,mr ,coleridge--or even to talk    

with a man who had heard him6 ,had he   
lived till this day1 not ,paganini would
 have been so much sought after4 ,that  
sensation is now decaying2 because a new
 generation has emerged during the ten  
years since his death4 ,but many still  
remain whose sympathy 7whether of       
curiosity in those who did not know him1
 or of admiration in those who did7     
still reflects as in a mirror the great 
stir upon this subject which then was   
moving in the world4 ,to these1 if they 
should enquire for the great            
distinguishing principle of ,coleridge's
 conversation1 we might say that it was 
the power of vast combination in linked 
sweetness long drawn out4 ,he gathered  
into focal concentration the largest    
body of objects1 apparently             
disconnected1 that any man ever yet1 by 
any magic1 could assemble1 or1 having   
assembled1 could manage4 ,his great     
fault was1 that1 by not opening         
sufficient spaces for reply or          
suggestion1 or collateral notice1 he not

 only narrowed his own field1 but he    
grievously injured the final impression4
 ,for when men's minds are purely       
passive1 when they are not allowed to   
re-act1 then it is that they collapse   
most1 and that their sense of what is   
said must ever be feeblest4 ,doubtless  
there must have been great              
conversational masters elsewhere1 and at
 many periods2 but in this lay          
,coleridge's characteristic advantage1  
that he was a great natural power1 and  
also a great artist4 ,he was a power in 
the art1 and he carried a new art into  
the power4  ,but now1 finally--having   
left ourselves little room for more--one
 or two words on ,coleridge as an       
opium-eater4  ,we have not often read a 
sentence falling from a wise man with   
astonishment so profound1 as that       
particular one in a letter of           
,coleridge's to ,mr ,gillman1 which     
speaks of the effort to wean one's-self 
from opium as a trivial task4 ,there    
are1 we believe1 several such passages4 

,but we refer to that one in particular 
which assumes that a single week will   
suffice for the whole process of so     
mighty a revolution4 ,is indeed         
leviathan so tamed8 ,in that case the   
quarantine of the opium-eater might be  
finished within ,coleridge's time1 and  
with ,coleridge's romantic ease4 ,but   
mark the contradictions of this         
extraordinary man4 ,not long ago we were
 domesticated with a venerable rustic1  
strongheaded1 but incurably obstinate in
 his prejudices1 who treated the whole  
body of medical men as ignorant         
pretenders1 knowing absolutely nothing  
of the system which they professed to   
superintend4 ,this1 you will remark1 is 
no very singular case4 ,no2 nor1 as we  
believe1 is the antagonist case of      
ascribing to such men magical powers4   
,nor1 what is worse still1 the          
co-existence of both cases in the same  
mind1 as in fact happened here4 ,for    
this same obstinate friend of ours1 who 
treated all medical pretensions as the  

mere jest of the universe1 every third  
day was exacting from his own medical   
attendants some exquisite tour-de-force1
 as that they should know or should do  
something1 which1 if they had known or  
done1 all men would have suspected them 
reasonably of magic4 ,he rated the whole
 medical body as infants2 and yet what  
he exacted from them every third day as 
a matter of course1 virtually presumed  
them to be the only giants within the   
whole range of science4 ,parallel and   
equal is the contradiction of           
,coleridge4 ,he speaks of opium excess1 
his own excess1 we mean--the excess of  
twenty-five years--as a thing to be laid
 aside easily and for ever within seven 
days2 and yet1 on the other hand1 he    
describes it pathetically1 sometimes    
with a frantic pathos1 as the scourge1  
the curse1 the one almighty blight which
 had desolated his life4  ,this shocking
 contradiction we need not press4 ,all  
readers will see that4 ,but some will   
ask--was ,mr ,coleridge right in either 

view8 ,being so atrociously wrong in the
 first notion1 7viz4 that the opium of  
twenty-five years was a thing easily to 
be forsworn17 where a child could know  
that he was wrong1 was he even          
altogether right1 secondly1 in believing
 that his own life1 root and branch1 had
 been withered by opium8 ,for it will   
not follow1 because1 with a relation to 
happiness and tranquillity1 a man may   
have found opium his curse1 that        
therefore1 as a creature of energies and
 great purposes1 he must have been the  
wreck which he seems to suppose4 ,opium 
gives and takes away4 ,it defeats the   
steady habit of exertion1 but it creates
 spasms of irregular exertion2 it ruins 
the natural power of life1 but it       
developes preternatural paroxysms of    
intermitting power4  ,let us ask of any 
man who holds that not ,coleridge       
himself but the world1 as interested in 
,coleridge's usefulness1 has suffered by
 his addiction to opium2 whether he is  
aware of the way in which opium affected

 ,coleridge2 and secondly1 whether he is
 aware of the actual contributions to   
literature--how large they were--which  
,coleridge made in spite of opium4 ,all 
who were intimate with ,coleridge must  
remember the fits of genial animation   
which were created continually in his   
manner and in his buoyancy of thought by
 a recent or by an extra dose of the    
omnipotent drug4 ,a lady1 who knew      
nothing experimentally of opium1 once   
told us1 that she could tell when ,mr   
,coleridge had taken too much opium by  
his shining countenance4 ,she was right2
 we know that mark of opium excesses    
well1 and the cause of it2 or at least  
we believe the cause to lie in the      
quickening of the insensible            
perspiration which accumulates and      
glistens on the face4 ,be that as it    
may1 a criterion it was that could not  
deceive us as to the condition of       
,coleridge4 ,and uniformly in that      
condition he made his most effective    
intellectual displays4 ,it is true that 

he might not be happy under this fiery  
animation1 and we fully believe that he 
was not4 ,nobody is happy under laudanum
 except for a very short term of years4 
,but in what way did that operate upon  
his exertions as a writer8 ,we are of   
opinion that it killed ,coleridge as a  
poet4 ,the harp of ,quantock was        
silenced for ever by the torment of     
opium4 ,but proportionably it roused and
 stung by misery his metaphysical       
instincts into more spasmodic life4     
,poetry can flourish only in the        
atmosphere of happiness4 ,but subtle and
 perplexed investigations of difficult  
problems are amongst the commonest      
resources for beguiling the sense of    
misery4 ,and for this we have the direct
 authority of ,coleridge himself        
speculating on his own case4 ,in the    
beautiful though unequal ode entitled   
,dejection1 stanza six1 occurs the      
following passage3      ,for not to     
think of what ,i needs must feel1       
,but to be still and patient all ,i can2

     ,and haply by abstruse research to 
steal     ,from my own nature all the   
natural man--     ,this was my sole     
resource1 my only plan2   ,till that1   
which suits a part1 infects the whole1  
,and now is almost grown the habit of my
 soul4   ,considering the exquisite     
quality of some poems which ,coleridge  
has composed1 nobody can grieve 7or has 
grieved7 more than ourselves1 at seeing 
so beautiful a fountain choked up with  
weeds4 ,but had ,coleridge been a       
happier man1 it is our fixed belief that
 we should have had far less of his     
philosophy1 and perhaps1 but not        
certainly1 might have had more of his   
general literature4 ,in the estimate of 
the public1 doubtless1 that will seem a 
bad exchange4 ,every man to his taste4  
,meantime1 what we wish to show is1 that
 the loss was not absolute1 but merely  
relative4  ,it is urged1 however1 that1 
even on his philosophic speculations1   
opium operated unfavourably in one      
respect1 by often causing him to leave  

them unfinished4 ,this is true4         
,whenever ,coleridge 7being highly      
charged1 or saturated1 with opium7 had  
written with distempered vigour upon any
 question1 there occurred soon after a  
recoil of intense disgust1 not from his 
own paper only1 but even from the       
subject4 ,all opium-eaters are tainted  
with the infirmity of leaving works     
unfinished1 and suffering reactions of  
disgust4 ,but ,coleridge taxed himself  
with that infirmity in verse before he  
could at all have commenced             
opium-eating4 ,besides1 it is too much  
assumed by ,coleridge and by his        
biographer1 that to leave off opium was 
of course to regain juvenile health4    
,but all opium-eaters make the mistake  
of supposing every pain or irritation   
which they suffer to be the product of  
opium4 ,whereas a wise man will say1    
suppose you do leave off opium1 that    
will not deliver you from the load of   
years 7say sixty-three7 which you carry 
on your back4 ,charles ,lamb1 another   

man of true genius1 and another head    
belonging to the ,blackwood ,gallery1   
made that mistake in his ,confessions of
 a ,drunkard4 ,i looked back1 says he1  
to the time when always1 on waking in   
the morning1 ,i had a song rising to my 
lips4 ,at present1 it seems1 being a    
drunkard1 he has no such song4 ,ay1 dear
 ,lamb1 but note this1 that the drunkard
 was fifty-six years old1 the songster  
was twenty-three4 ,take twenty-three    
from fifty-six1 and we have some reason 
to believe that thirty-three will       
remain2 which period of thirty-three    
years is a pretty good reason for not   
singing in the morning1 even if brandy  
has been out of the question4  ,it is   
singular1 as respects ,coleridge1 that  
,mr ,gillman never says one word upon   
the event of the great ,highgate        
experiment for leaving off laudanum1    
though ,coleridge came to ,mr ,gillman's
 for no other purpose2 and in a week1   
this vast creation of new earth1 sea1   
and all that in them is1 was to have    

been accomplished4 ,we rayther think1 as
 ,bayley junior observes1 that the      
explosion must have hung fire4 ,but that
 is a trifle4 ,we have another pleasing 
hypothesis on the subject4 ,mr          
,wordsworth1 in his exquisite lines     
written on a fly-leaf of his own ,castle
 of ,indolence1 having described        
,coleridge as a noticeable man with     
large grey eyes1 goes on to say1 ,he    
7viz4 ,coleridge7 did that other man    
entice to view his imagery4 ,now we are 
sadly afraid that the noticeable man    
with large grey eyes did entice that    
other man1 viz4 ,gillman1 to commence   
opium-eating4 ,this is droll2 and it    
makes us laugh horribly4 ,gillman should
 have reformed him2 and lo6 he corrupts 
,gillman4 ,s4 ,t4 ,coleridge visited    
,highgate by way of being converted from
 the heresy of opium2 and the issue     
is--that1 in two months' time1 various  
grave men1 amongst whom our friend      
,gillman marches first in great pomp1   
are found to have faces shining and     

glorious as that of sculapius2 a fact of
 which we have already explained the    
secret meaning4 ,and scandal says 7but  
then what will not scandal say87 that a 
hogshead of opium goes up daily through 
,highgate tunnel4 ,surely one           
corroboration of our hypothesis may be  
found in the fact1 that ,vol4 ,i4 of    
,gillman's ,coleridge is forever to     
stand unpropped by ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,for we  
have already observed--that             
opium-eaters1 though good fellows upon  
the whole1 never finish any thing4      
,what then8 ,a man has a right never to 
finish any thing4 ,certainly he has2 and
 by ,magna ,charta4 ,but he has no      
right1 by ,magna ,charta or by ,parva   
,charta1 to slander decent men1 like    
ourselves and our friend the author of  
the ,opium ,confessions4 ,here it is    
that our complaint arises against ,mr   
,gillman4 ,if he has taken to           
opium-eating1 can we help that8 ,if his 
face shines1 must our faces be          
blackened8 ,he has very improperly      

published some intemperate passages from
 ,coleridge's letters1 which ought to   
have been considered confidential1      
unless ,coleridge had left them for     
publication1 charging upon the author of
 the ,opium ,confessions a reckless     
disregard of the temptations which1 in  
that work1 he was scattering abroad     
amongst men4 ,now this author is        
connected with ourselves1 and we cannot 
neglect his defence1 unless in the case 
that he undertakes it himself4  ,we     
complain1 also1 that ,coleridge raises  
7and is backed by ,mr ,gillman in       
raising7 a distinction perfectly        
perplexing to us1 between himself and   
the author of the ,opium ,confessions   
upon the question--,why they severally  
began the practice of opium-eating8 ,in 
himself1 it seems1 this motive was to   
relieve pain1 whereas the ,confessor was
 surreptitiously seeking for pleasure4  
,ay1 indeed--where did he learn that8   
,we have no copy of the ,confessions    
here1 so we cannot quote chapter and    

verse2 but we distinctly remember1 that 
toothach is recorded in that book as the
 particular occasion which first        
introduced the author to the knowledge  
of opium4 ,whether afterwards1 having   
been thus initiated by the demon of     
pain1 the opium confessor did not apply 
powers thus discovered to purposes of   
mere pleasure1 is a question for        
himself2 and the same question applies  
with the same cogency to ,coleridge4    
,coleridge began in rheumatic pains4    
,what then8 ,that is no proof that he   
did not end in voluptuousness4 ,for our 
parts1 we are slow to believe that ever 
any man did1 or could1 learn the        
somewhat awful truth1 that in a certain 
ruby-coloured elixir1 there lurked a    
divine power to chase away the genius of
 ennui1 without subsequently abusing    
this power4 ,to taste but once from the 
tree of knowledge1 is fatal to the      
subsequent power of abstinence4 ,true it
 is1 that generations have used laudanum
 as an anodyne1 7for instance1 hospital 

patients17 who have not afterwards      
courted its powers as a voluptuous      
stimulant2 but that1 be sure1 has arisen
 from no abstinence in them4 ,there are1
 in fact1 two classes of temperaments as
 to this terrific drug--those which are1
 and those which are not1 preconformed  
to its power2 those which genially      
expand to its temptations1 and those    
which frostily exclude them4 ,not in the
 energies of the will1 but in the       
qualities of the nervous organization1  
lies the dread arbitration of--,fall or 
stand3 doomed thou art to yield2 or1    
strengthened constitutionally1 to       
resist4 ,most of those who have but a   
low sense of the spells lying couchant  
in opium1 have practically none at all4 
,for the initial fascination is for them
 effectually defeated by the sickness   
which nature has associated with the    
first stages of opium-eating4 ,but to   
that other class1 whose nervous         
sensibilities vibrate to their          
profoundest depths under the first touch

 of the angelic poison1 even as a       
lover's ear thrills on hearing          
unexpectedly the voice of her whom he   
loves1 opium is the ,amreeta cup of     
beatitude4 ,you know the ,paradise      
,lost8 and you remember1 from the       
eleventh book1 in its earlier part1 that
 laudanum already existed in ,eden--nay1
 that it was used medicinally by an     
archangel2 for1 after ,michael had      
purged with euphrasy and rue the eyes of
 ,adam1 lest he should be unequal to the
 mere sight of the great visions about  
to unfold their draperies before him1   
next he fortifies his fleshly spirits   
against the affliction of these visions1
 of which visions the first was death4  
,and how8    ,he from the well of life  
three drops instill'd4  ,what was their 
operation8    ,so deep the power of     
these ingredients pierced1   ,even to   
the inmost seat of mental sight1   ,that
 ,adam1 now enforced to close his eyes  
,sank down1 and all his spirits became  
entranced4   ,but him the gentle angel  

by the hand   ,soon raised----  ,the    
second of these lines it is which       
betrays the presence of laudanum4 ,it is
 in the faculty of mental vision1 it is 
in the increased power of dealing with  
the shadowy and the dark1 that the      
characteristic virtue of opium lies4    
,now1 in the original higher sensibility
 is found some palliation for the       
practice of opium-eating2 in the greater
 temptation is a greater excuse4 ,and in
 this faculty of self-revelation is     
found some palliation for reporting the 
case to the world1 which both ,coleridge
 and his biographer have overlooked4    
,on all this1 however1 we need say no   
more2 for we have just received a note  
from the writer of the ,opium           
,confessions1 more learned than         
ourselves in such mysteries1 which      
promises us a sequel or finale to those 
,confessions4 ,and this1 which we have  
reason to think a record of profound    
experiences1 we shall probably publish  
next month4    ,edinburgh3 ,printed by  

,ballantyne and ,hughes1 ,paul's ,work4 
,footnotes3   #a ,reynolds' ,discourses1
 ,no4 #af1 ad finem4  #b ,macaulay4  #c 
,the finest design ever conceived by    
,michael ,angelo was a cartoon          
representing warriors bathing1 and some 
buckling on their armour at the sound of
 the trumpet1 which summoned them to    
their standards in the war between ,pisa
 and ,florence4 ,it perished1 however1  
in the troubles of the latter city1 but 
an engraved copy remains of part1 which 
justifies the eulogiums bestowed upon   
it4  #d ,the state of ,missouri as      
almost entirely peopled by emigration   
from ,kentucky4  #e ,the ,mississippi   
water1 although slimy1 becomes clear    
after it has stood few hours1 and is    
then excellent to drink4  #f ,an        
excellent map of ,montenegro has been   
made by an ,austrian officer of         
engineers1 who resided there for the    
purpose--but ,i have not now the        
advantage of referring to it4 ,this     
country is divided into twelve military 

departments2 the natives reckon its     
extent about three days' journey in the 
longest1 by two in the widest part4     
,those1 of course1 are foot or mule     
journeys4  #g ,it was this man's father 
who1 shortly before our arrival1 having 
been entrusted to receive from ,lloyd's 
,company a packet containing a large sum
 of money1 converted the contents into  
two cannon-balls1 and forwarded them to 
the ,vladika4  #h ,the late ,vladika    
received the honours of sanctity after  
his death4  #i ,meaning dressed in the  
,european or ,frank costume4  #aj ,the  
,vladika bears the ,russian eagle rising
 from a crown4  #aa ,he passed but one  
night in ,montenegro1 at ,cettigna1 and 
returned the following day to ,cattaro4 
#ab ,on the kalends of ,january the     
consuls-elect were formally installed2  
and on this occasion a procession was   
made to the ,capitol1 and sacrifice     
performed to ,jupiter4 ,the principal   
part of the procession1 of course1 was  
the consuls in their curule chair1      

preceded by the lictors bearing the     
fasces1 or bundles of rods and axes4    
#ac ,from ,janua1 a gate4  #ad ,the     
etymology of these old epithets1 from   
pateo 7to open7 and claudo 7to shut17 is
 obvious enough4  #ae ,the lar          
familiaris1 or domestic god of the      
family1 who had an altar in the inner   
part of the ,roman house4  #af ,the     
allusion here1 and in the following     
lines1 is to the different stren or     
,new-,year's gifts1 which used to be    
given by the ,romans4  #ag ,the old     
,roman as1 with the double head on one  
side and a ship on the reverse1 is well 
known among numismatists4  #ah ,the     
,tuscan flood is a common appellation   
for the ,tiber1 as rising in ,etruria1  
and forming the ancient boundary between
 that country and ,latium1 opposite     
,rome4  #ai ,a silly etymology--from    
lateo1 to lurk2 mentioned also by       
,virgil4--n4 viii4 #cbc4  #bj ,the      
,romans gave the name of ,jani to arches
 like that of ,temple-,bar in ,london1  

under which people passed from one      
street into another4 ,they were always  
double2 people entering by one and going
 out by the other1 every one keeping to 
the right4 ,the temple or gateway       
mentioned in this place1 adjacent to the
 ox and the fish markets1 was built by  
,duilius4--,,keightly4  #ba ,although   
the allusion refers1 in the verses1 to  
,delphi1 it was1 ,i think1 at ,dodona1  
in the earliest period of oracular      
influence1 that this belief prevailed4  
#bb ,and ,mullah mine1 whose waves      
whilome ,i taught to weep4--,,spenser4  
#bc ,the ,life of ,samuel ,taylor       
,coleridge4 ,by ,,james ,,gillman4 ,vol4
 ,i1 ,london2 #ahch4  #bd ,jacob        
,boehmen4 ,we ourselves had the honour  
of presenting to ,mr ,coleridge ,law's  
,english version of ,jacob--a set of    
huge quartos4 ,some months afterwards we
 saw this work lying open1 and one      
volume at least overflowing1 in parts1  
with the commentaries and the           
corollaries of ,coleridge4 ,whither has 

this work1 and so many others swathed   
about with ,coleridge's ,,ms4 notes1    
vanished from the world8  #be ,malthus  
would have rejoined by saying--that the 
flower-pot limitation was the actual    
limitation of nature in our present     
circumstances4 ,in ,america it is       
otherwise1 he would say2 but ,england is
 the very flower-pot you suppose3 she is
 a flower-pot which cannot be           
multiplied1 and cannot even be enlarged4
 ,very well2 so be it3 7,which we say in
 order to waive irrelevant disputes47   
,but then the true inference will       
be--not that vegetable increase proceeds
 under a different law from that which  
governs animal increase1 but that1      
through an accident of position1 the    
experiment cannot be tried in ,england4 
,surely the levers of ,archimedes1 with 
submission to ,sir ,edward ,b4 ,lytton1 
were not the less levers because he     
wanted the locum standi4 ,it is proper1 
by the way1 that we should inform the   
reader of this generation where to look 

for ,coleridge's skirmishings with      
,malthus4 ,they are to be found chiefly 
in the late ,mr ,william ,hazlitt's work
 on that subject3 a work which          
,coleridge so far claimed as to assert  
that it had been substantially made up  
from his own conversation4  #bf ,vide1  
in particular1 for the most exquisite   
specimen of pig-headedness that the     
world can furnish1 his perverse evidence
 on the once famous case at the ,warwick
 assizes1 of ,captain ,donelan for      
poisoning his brother-in-law1 ,sir      
,theodosius ,boughton4  #bg ,it was     
printed at the end of ,aristotle's      
,poetics1 which ,dr ,cook edited4       
,transcriber's ,notes3    ,passages in  
italics indicated by underscore italics4
    ,the original text includes ,greek  
characters4 ,for this text version these
   letters have been replaced with      
transliterations4    ,the original text 
includes missing printing represented by
    in this text version4    ,additional
 spacing after some of the quotes is    

intentional to indicate   both the end  
of a quotation and the beginning of a   
new paragraph as   presented in the     
original text4    ,misprints corrected3 
noice corrected to noise 7page #bd7     
opportunites corrected to opportunities 
7page #cc7     susspected corrected to  
suspected 7page #fa7     d',artagnan    
standardized to ,d',artagnan 7page #fi7 
henceforch corrected to henceforth 7page
 #gi7     ,chapter ,,iv corrected to    
,chapter ,,ii 7page #ajb7     drunkark  
corrected to drunkard 7page #aca7