,,blackwood',s ,,edinburgh ,,magazine4 ,,no4 ,,ccclix4 ,,september1 #ahde4 ,,vol4 ,,lviii4 ,,contents4 ,,english ,,landscape--,,constable1 #beg ,,mahmood ,,the ,,ghaznavide4 ,by ,b4 ,,simmons1 #bff ,,marston2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,memoirs ,,of ,a ,,statesman4 ,,part ,,xix41 #bgb ,,waterton',s ,,second ,,series ,,of ,,essays1 #bhi ,,warren',s ,,law ,,studies1 #cjj ,,margaret ,,of ,,valois1 #cab ,,the ,,baron ,,von ,,stein1 #cbh ,,the ,,historical ,,romance1 #cda ,a ,,few ,,words ,,for ,,bettina1 #ceg ,,north',s ,,specimens ,,of ,,the ,,british ,,critics4 ,,no4 ,,viii4--,,supplement ,,to ,,mac-,,flecnoe ,,and ,,the ,,dunciad1 #cff ,,edinburgh3 ,,william ,,blackwood ,,and ,,sons1 #de1 ,,george ,,street2 ,,and #cg1 ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london4 ,to whom all ,communications 7post paid7 must be addressed4 ,,sold ,,by ,,all ,,the ,,booksellers ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,kingdom4 ,,printed ,,by ,,ballantyne ,,and ,,hughes1 ,,edinburgh4 ,,blackwood',s ,,edinburgh ,,magazine4 ,no4 ,,ccclix4 ,,september1 #ahde4 ,vol4 ,,lviii4 ,,english ,,landscape--,,constable4#a ,the appearance of the second edition of ,leslie's ,life of ,constable invites attention to this truly ,english and original artist4 ,we have read this volume with much interest4 ,it is a graceful homage paid by a great living painter to the memory of one who is no more3 a kindly1 and1 as we believe1 an honest testimony to the moral and professional worth of one whose works stand out with a striking and distinct character in the ,english school of landscape-painting1 and which1 we are confident1 will retain the place which they have slowly gained in public estimation1 as long as a feeling of pictorial truth1 in its more elevated sense1 and as distinct from a mere literal imitation of details1 shall continue to endure4 ,mr ,leslie has accomplished his task with skill as well as good sense2 for1 keeping the labours of the editor entirely in the background1 he has made ,constable his own biographer--the work consisting almost entirely of extracts from his notes1 journals1 and correspondence1 linked together by the slenderest thread of narrative4 ,story indeed1 it may be said1 there was none to tell2 for1 among the proverbially uneventful lives of artists1 that of ,constable was perhaps the least eventful4 ,his birth--his adoption of painting as a profession 7for he was originally destined pulverem collegisse in the drier duties of a miller7--his marriage1 after a long attachment1 on which parents had looked frowningly1 but which the lovers1 by patient endurance and confidence in each other1 brought to a successful issue--his death1 just when he had begun to feel that the truth and originality of his style were becoming better appreciated both abroad and at home2 these1 with the hopes1 and fears1 and anxieties for a rising family1 which diversify the married life with alternate joys and sorrows1 form1 in truth1 the only incidents in his history4 ,the incidents of a painter's life1 in fact1 are the foundation of his character1 the gradual development to his own mind of the principles of his art2 and with ,constable's thoughts and opinions1 his habits of study1 the growth of his style--if that term can be applied to the manner of one whose great anxiety it was to have no distinguishable style whatever--with his manly1 frank1 affectionate1 and somewhat hasty disposition1 with his strong self-reliance1 and1 as we may sometimes think1 his overweening self-esteem--his strength of mind and his weaknesses--this volume makes us familiarly acquainted4 ,constable was born in #aggf1 at ,east ,bergholt in ,sussex4 ,his father was in comfortable circumstances1 as may be gathered from the fact1 that the artist 7one of six children7 ultimately inherited #djjj as his share of the succession4 ,he was thus entirely exempted from the res angusta with which artists have so often to labour2 although1 with the characteristic improvidence of his profession1 we still find that he had enough to do to make both ends meet4 ,born delicate1 he grew up a strong and healthy boy1 and was intended by his father1 who had succeeded by purchase or inheritance to sundry wind and water mills1 for a miller4 ,nay1 for about a year1 ,constable actually performed that duty at one of his father's mills1 and1 it is said1 faithfully and assiduously4 ,yet he contrived to turn even this episode in his life to some advantage4 ,he treasured up a multitude of mental studies of clouds and skies1 which1 to the wind-miller1 are always objects of peculiar interest1 and acquired that familiarity with mills and their adjuncts which justified his brother's observation--,when ,i look at a mill painted by ,john1 ,i see that it will go round1 which is not always the case with those by other artists4 ,even before his short trial of a miller's life1 his love of drawing and painting had shown itself2 but1 receiving little countenance from his father1 he had established a little sanctuary of his own in a workshop of a neighbouring plumber and glazier1 ,john ,dunthorne1 a man of some intelligence1 and himself an indefatigable artist on an humble scale4 ,his mother1 who seems from the first to have had something like a prophetic anticipation of his future eminence1 procured him an introduction to ,sir ,george ,beaumont1 who frequently visited his mother1 the dowager ,lady ,beaumont1 then residing at ,dedham4 ,the sight of a beautiful ,claude--,the ,hagar--which ,sir ,george generally carried with him when he travelled1 and of some water-colour drawings by ,girtin1 which ,sir ,george advised him to study as examples of truth and breadth1 seem to have determined his wavering resolution to become a painter2 and the combined influence of ,claude and ,girtin may1 indeed1 be traced more or less during the whole course of his practice4 ,his father appeared at last to have given a reluctant consent1 and the mill was abandoned for the painting-room1 or rather for the study of nature in the open air1 among the forest glades and by the still streams of ,suffolk4 ,suffolk1 certainly1 might not appear at first sight to be the place which one would choose for the education of a great painter4 ,mountains it has none2 to the sublimity arising from lake or precipice1 or the desolate expanse of moor and fell1 it has no pretension2 from the spots where ,constable chiefly studied1 even the prospect of old ocean was shut out2 the country presented1 as he himself describes it1 only gentle declivities1 luxuriant meadow flats1 sprinkled with flocks and herds1 quiet but clear streams1 villages1 farms1 woodlands-- ,the slow canal1 the yellow-blossom'd vale1 ,the willow-tufted bank and gliding sail4 ,what influence scenery of a higher class might have had on ,constable's mind1 it is not easy to decide2 as it was1 the narrow circuit of a few miles round ,bergholt1 within which the materials of his pictures are chiefly found1 became for him the epitome of ,english nature2 and he associated the very ideal of beauty with those quiet nooks and scenes of tranquillity and amenity1 where he had first exercised his pencil1 and amidst which in after life he loved to linger4 ,and in truth1 to a creative mind--for it is the soul that sees1 and renders back its vision--how much of beauty1 picturesque variety1 nay1 under certain aspects and conditions of the atmosphere1 how much of grandeur existed within this narrow circle6 ,a friend of ours has maintained an ingenious thesis1 that there is no such thing as a bad day in nature2 though whether1 after the aspect of the present summer1 he retains his opinion1 we think may be questioned4 ,constable certainly held a similar theory with regard to beauty in landscape4 ,madam1 said he to a lady who had denounced some object as ugly--there is nothing ugly4 ,i never saw an ugly thing in my life2 for let the form of an object be what it may1 light1 shade1 and perspective will always make it beautiful4 ,this1 indeed1 was the talisman with which he worked2 light and shade--the magic of chiaro-scuro applied to the simple elements of form which the rich pastures and woods of ,suffolk afforded1 and a power of exhibiting the varied influences and character of the skies1 which1 if it has been equalled by ,turner1 ,calcott1 and ,fielding1 has certainly never been surpassed by any ,british landscape-painter4 ,let us glance at some of those pictures of tranquil ,english nature which ,constable's landscapes afford2--not professing to follow the details of any particular picture1 but embodying from recollection a few of their leading features1 as exhibited under those lights or atmospheric effects1 which he generally selected as in harmony with the sentiment of his scenes4 ,we are standing1 for instance1 on a broken foreground1 across which the brier1 the dog-rose1 and the white bindweed have clasped themselves in fantastic tendrils4 ,the white hemlock shoots up rankly by the hedge1 and the tall bulrush and water-lily mark the course of the little stream which is sliding noiselessly past among the grass4 ,it is early morning1 as we see by the long oblique shadows4 ,yet industry is already at work4 ,the wheel of that weather-stained and lichen-covered mill--call it ,flatford if you will--is in motion1 and the dripping water1 glancing in the morning sun1 descends from the cogs in a shower of diamonds4 ,the stream that supplies the mill is crossed further down by a rustic bridge1 as picturesque as it is inconvenient4 ,beyond1 and towards the centre1 a long wooded lane stretches out towards the horizon1 close and overarching at top1 but with the sunbeams straggling in between the trunks1 and checkering the cool road with a network of light and shadow4 ,about midway1 a small spring1 trickling from a bank1 has been collected in a rude stone trough1 for the refreshment of panting horse and wayworn traveller2 beside which two market wains--the one on its way to the neighbouring town1 the other returning from it--have stopped4 ,the horses are watering2 the waggoners gossiping over the news1 or smoking together the calumet of peace2 while a group of urchins1 in whom the embryo ostler or future strapper are easily detected1 are looking on with that interest in all that concerns horseflesh which distinguishes the rising members of an agricultural population4 ,beyond the lane are gentle hills1 rounded about by the low wavering sky--some smoke indicating the market-town1 and the spire of the village church leading the eye out of the picture1 and crowning the cheerful serenity of the landscape4 ,the day advances1 and the scene is changed4 ,in the foreground we have a building-yard by the river4 ,boats and barges are seen in their rise1 progress1 decline1 and fall2--some completed1 some exhibiting merely their skeletons upon the stocks2 some blistering in the sun beside the broken pier2 some1 which have seen better days1 now entirely out of commission1 and falling to pieces among the mud2--placed in all attitudes1 and projecting broad and picturesque shadows along the ground4 ,but these shadows are soft and transparent1 not dark and cutting2 for the sultry haze which rises steaming from all around1 makes the summer sunshine veiled and dim4 ,all nature is in a state of indolence4 ,the lazy ,stour sleeps beneath his fringes of elm and willow3 a deep-laden barge comes leisurely along1 as if anxious not to disturb his slumbers3 the horse has plainly enough to do to make out his four miles an hour2 and there is a dog on deck who seems nervous about hydrophobia4 ,the man at the bow1 depressing his head and elevating the lower part of his person to an ,american angle of elevation1 has thrown his sturdy limbs across yon well-stuffed sacks of wheat1 on their way to ,flatford mill4 ,mercy on us6 what can that fellow in the stern be about1 pretending to steer8 ,just as we suspected--fast asleep1 with his hand on the helm4 ,another change--from the building-yard to the corn-field4 ,the wind has risen as the day advanced1 and driven off to the west the veil of vapour which had concealed the sun4 ,the clouds ride high in heaven2 and we see by their roll and motion that there is a refreshing air astir2--and there is need of it in this field of golden grain1 framed1 as it were1 in the solid green of those groves1 and over which the gray tower of ,dedham church 7which somehow or other finds its way into all these combinations of scenery7 rises straight and motionless against the rounded forms of the ever-shifting sky4 ,all here speaks of bustle and cheerful activity1 peace and plenty4 ,it is impossible to look at the scene1 and think for a moment of the repeal of the corn-laws4 ,behind the stalwart band of reapers lie the heaps of sheaves that have already fallen beneath their sickle2 the tall grain1 swept by the wind1 waves firm before them like a hostile rank yet unbroken2 while the lord1 as he is called in ,suffolk1 or leading man among the reapers and mowers1 stands in advance of the rest1 as if urging a final charge4 ,in truth1 there has been rather a lull among the workmen2 for1 breezy as the day is1 still it is hot--the dinner-hour is nigh1 and there is a visible anxiety evinced for the arrival of the commissariat4 ,at last it is seen in the offing3 the reapers1 sagacious of their quarry from afar1 gather new vigour from the sight2 and yonder tall fellow--an ,irishman1 we are positive even at this distance--seizing his sickle like one inspired1 is actually working double tides4 ,but stay1 we have got into wilder quarters1 and here has been a storm4 ,ay1 we thought the clouds1 after such a sultry morning1 were not rolling themselves into those ominous grey volumes for nothing4 ,broken ground lies before us in front1 seemingly part of an old gravel-pit1 down which winds a break-neck path1 lost at yonder turning4 ,beneath us1 a level flat1 where the sullen verdure of the vegetation betrays the marshy1 reedy1 sterile character of the soil4 ,pools of water1 here and there set amidst the swampy green1 reflect the dark and watery clouds that are scudding above them4 ,the lavender1 the water-lily1 the mallow1 the fern1 the fox-glove1 luxuriate here2 abundant food for botany1 but not exactly in the place one would choose for botanizing--particularly1 as is the case this moment1 within an hour of sundown4 ,beyond the flat1 the traces of a range of low hills1 their outline at present lost in rain4 ,overhead1 a spongy sky1 darkening into a lurid gloom to the right2 for there the laden thunder-clouds are about to discharge their freight2 and right underneath1 in the middle distance1 an unhappy windmill1 which has shortened sail during the preparatory blast1 stands glimmering like a ghost through the gloom1 obviously on the eve of the deluge4 ,what may be the probable fate of the miller and his men in this conjuncture1 humanity1 of course1 declines to contemplate2 but1 turning towards the left1 sees the sun struggling through the opening eyelids of the clouds1 the leaden hue of the sky on the right breaking off into a lustrous haze1 and a rainbow growing into form and colour1 which1 as it spans the dripping landscape from east to west1 gives token of a goodly day to-morrow4 ,these are but a few of the combinations which even this limited range of scenery evidently presented to the eye and fancy of a man like ,constable2 nor is it wonderful1 after all1 that to such materials1 unpretending as they seem1 an artist embued with a genuine love of nature should have succeeded in imparting a peculiar charm1 and a never-ending freshness and variety4 ,amidst scenes of the sane tranquil cast did ,hobbima and ,waterlo find the subjects of those soothing pictures1 the spell of which is acknowledged equally by the profound student of art and the simple admirer of nature4 ,scenes not materially different in their character did ,ruysdael envelope in grandeur1 depicting1 as ,constable expresses it in one of his lectures1 those solemn days peculiar to his country1 and to ours1 when1 without storm1 large rolling clouds scarcely permit a ray of sunlight to break the shades of the forest4 ,and amidst the selfsame scenes--the same forest-lanes1 and brooks1 and woods1 and waters--with the same happy accompaniments of rustic incidents1 occupations1 or amusements--did ,constable's predecessor1 ,gainsborough1 find his academy4 ,very early in ,constable's career1 he adopted the principle which regulated through life the character of his painting4 ,there is room enough1 he writes1 after considering the ,exhibition of #ahjb--,there is room enough for a natural painter4 ,the great vice of the present day is bravura--an attempt to do something beyond the truth4 ,fashion always had1 and always will have1 its day2 but truth in all things only will last1 and can only have just claims on posterity4 ,here1 indeed1 he felt1 and justly1 that there was an opening for him in the school of ,english landscape4 ,gainsborough1 who had first communicated truth and life to the treatment of the genuine scenery of ,england1 was no more4 ,it is true1 the grosser absurdities of the ,smiths of ,chichester1 and the other compounders of landscapes secundum artem1 with which we are familiar in the engravings of ,woollet1 in whose performances a kind of pictorial millennium appears to be realized2 where the ,english cottage stands side by side with the ,italian villa1 and ,norfolk bumpkins are seen making love to ,arcadian shepherdesses knitting beneath the pillars of a ,doric temple--these noxious grafts of a conventional taste upon the healthy stem of our native landscape-painting had disappeared4 ,but still1 the influence of this conventional taste in a great measure remained--shown in the established belief that subject made the picture1 and necessitating1 as was supposed1 the exclusive adoption of certain established modes of composition1 colouring1 and treatment1 from which the hardy experimentalist who should first attempt to deviate was sure1 for a time at least1 to encounter opposition2 or1 what was more probable1 entire neglect4 ,in art1 says ,constable1 writing in #ahbi1 there are two modes by which men aim at distinction4 ,in the one1 by a careful application to what others have accomplished1 the artist imitates their works1 or selects and combines their various beauties2 in the other1 he seeks excellence at its primitive source1 nature4 ,in the first1 he forms a style upon the study of pictures1 and produces either imitation or eclectic art2 in the second1 by a close observation of nature1 he discovers qualities existing in her which have never been portrayed before1 and thus forms a style which is original4 ,the results of the one mode1 as they repeat that with which the eye is already familiar1 are soon recognised and estimated2 while the advances of the artist on a new path must necessarily be slow--for a few are able to judge of that which deviates from the usual course1 or are qualified to appreciate original studies4 ,in this passage is contained1 both the principle of ,constable's painting1 and the history of its results3 for1 strange as it may seem1 so little do general observers look at nature with an observing and pictorial eye--so much are their ideas of what it contains received at second-hand1 by reflection from pictures--that the forms under which artists have combined to represent her 7forms representing1 it may be1 a portion of the truth1 but certainly not the whole truth7 have1 in the great majority of cases1 superseded the stamp and authority of nature2 and truth itself1 where it did not steal in under a conventional garb1 has been refused admittance by more than one committee of taste4 ,what a sad thing1 ,constable writes to ,leslie1 that this lovely art is so wrested to its own destruction6 ,used only to blind our eyes1 and to prevent us from seeing the sun shine1 the fields bloom1 the trees blossom1 the foliage rustle2 while old black rubbed-out and dirty canvasses take the place of ,god's own works6 ,with his mind made up as to the course to be adopted1 ,constable betook himself to the study of nature on the spot4 ,careful drawing was his first object1 as the substance to which the embodiment of colour and chiaroscuro was to be applied1 and without which1 though there might be effect1 there could be no truth4 ,his studies of trees and foreground are said to have been eminently beautiful4 ,these1 however1 he loved to exhibit in their vernal1 rather than their autumnal character4 ,i never did admire the autumnal tints1 even in nature--so little of a painter am ,i in the eye of common connoisseurship4 ,i love the exhilarating freshness of spring4 ,buildings he did not court1 but rather avoided--though in later life he grappled successfully even with architectural detail1 as in his pictures of ,salisbury ,cathedral2#b but1 in general1 he dealt with it sparingly4 ,shipping and coast-scenes he considered more fit for execution than for sentiment4 ,what he luxuriated in was the study of atmospheric effects1 and the principles of light and shadow as applied to his sylvan and pastoral landscapes4 ,i hold the genuine pastoral feeling of landscapes1 said he1 writing in #ahbi to his friend ,archdeacon ,fisher1 to be very rare1 and difficult of attainment4 ,it is by far the most lovely department of painting1 as well as of poetry4 ,painting1 he says in another letter1 is with me but another word for feeling1 and ,i associate my careless boyhood with all that lies on the banks of the ,stour4 ,these scenes made me a painter1 and ,i am grateful4 ,whatever may be thought of my art1 it is my own2 and ,i would rather possess a freehold1 though but a cottage1 than live in a palace belonging to another4 ,thus feeling intensely the charm of nature--and confident that by the vivid representation of pastoral ,english landscape1 he could enable it to exercise upon other minds something of the same spell which it produced on his own--his whole efforts1 as he says himself1 were directed to forget pictures1 and to catch if possible the precise aspect which the scenery which he endeavours to portray presented at the moment of study4 ,and here particularly it is1 that the genius of ,constable is visible4 ,a man of less reach of mind1 beginning1 as he did1 with this minute attention to the vocabulary of detail1 would probably have ended there4 ,we should have had a set of pictures perfectly painted in parts1 but forming no consistent whole4 ,all general effect would have been sacrificed to the impression to be produced by particulars4 ,the very love of nature often leads to this error--as in the once-popular ,glover1 and many others4 ,but no one had a fuller sense than ,constable1 that by this means pictures never can be created2 that literal imitation of the details of nature is a delusion2 because not only is the medium we use entirely inadequate1 but paint as we may1 with the most microscopic minuteness of detail1 the thousand little touches and reflexes of light and shade1 which soften and harmonize all things in nature1 are essentially evanescent1 and incapable of being transferred to canvass4 ,he felt that a certain substitute for nature1 awakening a corresponding impression upon the mind1 was all that he could be afforded by painting--that the spirit and not the letter of her handwriting was to be imitated4 ,the object of painting1 as he himself expressed it1 was to realize1 but not to feign3 to remind1 but not to deceive4 ,hence1 while he perfectly succeeded in catching the spirit of the spot--so much so1 that ,mr ,leslie1 visiting the scenes of his pictures for the first time after his death1 declares1 that he was absolutely startled by the resemblance--he yet exercised over the whole that creative1 at least compounding art1 which arrayed the objects in the forms most harmonious to the eye1 and grouped the details into a whole1 telling in the most effective manner the story1 or conveying the impression it was intended to create4 ,the composition of a picture1 he used to say1 was like a sum in arithmetic--take away1 or add the smallest item1 and the whole was certain to be wrong4 ,as a consequence1 we think1 of this conviction1 that nature is not to be literally imitated in her colours or forms1 but that some compromise is to be found1 by which1 though on a lower key1 a similar impression is to be made on the eye1 and through that on the mind1 is the general abstinence from positive colour1 which distinguishes ,constable's paintings4 ,it was not that he adopted the conventional orange and brown of the continental school1 or shrank from endeavouring to carry the full impression of the dewy verdure of ,english landscape4 ,for these subterfuges in art he had an abundant contempt4 ,don't you find it very difficult to determine1 said ,sir ,george ,beaumont1 7who1 with all his fine feelings of art1 certainly looked at nature through a ,claude ,lorraine medium17 where to place your brown tree8 ,not in the least1 was ,constable's answer1 for ,i never put such a thing into a picture4 ,on another occasion1 when ,sir ,george was recommending the colour of an old ,cremona fiddle as a good prevailing tone for every thing1 ,constable answered the observation by depositing an old ,cremona on the green lawn in front of the house at ,cole-,orton4 ,but what we mean is this--that to produce the effect which green or red produces in nature1 it does not follow that green or red are to be used in art1 and that the impression of these colours will often be better brought out by tints in which but a very small portion of either is to be found4 ,mr ,leslie has remarked this peculiarity in several of ,constable's pictures4 ,speaking of ,constable's ,boat-building1 he observes--,in the midst of a meadow at ,flatford1 a barge is seen on the stocks1 while1 just beyond it1 the river ,stour glitters in the still sunshine of a hot summer's day4 ,this picture is a proof1 that in landscape1 what painters call warm colours are not necessary to produce a warm effect4 ,it has1 indeed1 no positive colour1 and there is much of gray and green in it2 but such is its atmospheric truth1 that the tremulous vibration of the heated air near the ground seems visible4 ,again1 with regard to a small view from ,hampstead heath4 ,the sky is of the blue of an ,english summer day1 with large but not threatening clouds of a silvery whiteness4 ,the distance is of a deep blue1 and the near trees and grass of the freshest green2 for ,constable could never consent to patch up the verdure of nature to obtain warmth4 ,these tints are balanced by a very little warm colour on a road and gravel-pit in the foreground1 a single house in the middle distance1 and the scarlet jacket of a labourer4 ,yet ,i know no picture in which the mid-day heat of summer is so admirably expressed2 and were not the eye refreshed by the shade thrown over a great part of the foreground by some young trees that border the road1 and the cool blue of water near it1 one would wish in looking at it for a parasol1 as ,fuseli wished for an umbrella when standing before one of ,constable's showers4 ,it was probably the manner of ,constable's execution1 as much as any thing else1 which for a time interposed a serious obstacle to his success2 particularly with artists or persons accustomed to attend to the executive detail of painting4 ,my pictures will never be popular1 he said1 for they have no handling2 but ,i do not see handling in nature4 ,his aim1 in fact1 though we must admit it was not always successful1 was to exhibit art1 but not artifice--to efface all traces of the mere mode of execution--to conceal the handwriting of the painter1 and to imitate those mysterious processes by which nature produces her effects1 where all is shadowy1 glimmering1 indefinable1 yet pregnant with suggestion4 ,in ,turner more than any other modern artist--for in this respect we think he far excelled ,constable--is this alchymy of art carried to perfection4 ,look closely at his pictures1 and a few patches1 dashes1 and streaks only are visible1 which seem a mere chaos of colour2 but retire to the proper distance1 what magnificent visions grow into shape2 how the long avenue lengthens out for miles2 how the sun-clad city brightens on the mountain--the stream descends from the eye--the distance spreads out into infinity6--all these apparently unmeaning spots or accidents of colour1 in which it is difficult to detect the work of the hand or pencil at all1 being1 in fact1 mysterious but speaking hieroglyphics1 based on profound combinations of colour and light and shadow1 and full of the finest harmonies to all who can look at nature with the eye of imagination4 ,constable1 a we have said1 was not always successful in this1 the most hazardous of all attempts in painting4 ,if the touches of pure white1 which he seemed to scatter on his trees as if from a half-dry brush1 sometimes assisted the dewy effect which he loved to produce1 they very often1 from the absence of that power of just calculation which ,turner seems so unerringly to possess1 produced a spotty effect1 as if the trees had been here and there powdered with snow4 ,very frequently he exchanged the pencil for the palette knife1 in the use of which he was very dexterous1 but which1 ,mr ,leslie admits1 he occasionally carried to a blamable excess1 loading his pictures with a relievo of colour1 and provoking the remark1 that if he had not attained breadth1 he had at least secured thickness4 ,on the whole1 ,constable1 though now and then missing his object--sometimes1 it would seem1 as in his skies1 from overlabouring his effect1 and trying too studiously to arrest and embody fleeting effects--was eminently successful in the result at which he aimed--that of conveying vividly1 and almost irresistibly1 the sentiment and delineative character of the scene4 ,we have already quoted ,fuseli's well-known remark1 when standing before one of his showery pictures4 ,i feel the wind blowing on my face1 was honest ,jack ,banister's remark1 7no bad judge by the by17 while contemplating another of his breezy scenes1 with the rolling clouds broken up by means of sunshine1 and the bending trees turning out their lighter lining to the gale4 ,come here1 was the remark of a ,french painter1 in the exhibition of the ,louvre in #ahbd2 look at this picture by an ,englishman--it is steeped in dew4 ,we never ask1 said ,mr ,purton1 whether his figures be well or ill placed2 there they are1 and unless they choose to move on1 there they must remain4 ,this truth and artlessness1 and natural action or repose of his figures1 only equalled in the ,english landscape by those of ,gainsborough and ,collins1 he probably owed1 in some measure1 to an observation of an early acquaintance-- ,antiquity ,smith1 as he was nicknamed by his brother artists1 who1 at the commencement of his studies1 had given him this judicious advice3--,do not set about inventing figures for a landscape taken from nature2 for you cannot remain an hour on any spot1 however solitary1 without the appearance of some living thing1 that will1 in all probability1 accord better with the scene and time of day than will any invention of your own4 ,with ,constable's strong natural tastes1 and his long-considered views of landscape--at least that landscape for which he felt a vocation--it may be doubted whether he would have gained any thing by an acquaintance with continental scenery1 leading1 as it generally does1 to the adoption of a certain fixed mode of treatment1 or even by a more familiar intercourse with the grander features of our own country4 ,he seems to have felt that his originality was1 in some degree1 connected with the intimacy of his acquaintance with that domestic nature1 the study of which he chiefly cultivated1 and which was matured by constant repetition and comparison of impressions4 ,a circuit of a few miles1 in fact1 bounds his bosky bourne from side to side2 a circuit of a few hundred yards embraces the subject of nearly half his favourite studies4 ,the ,dutch1 he says in one of his journals1 were stay-at-home people2 hence the source of their originality4 ,in the education of an artist1 says ,mr ,leslie with great good sense1 it is scarcely possible to foresee what circumstances will prove advantageous or the reverse2 it is on looking back only that we can judge of these things4 ,travelling is now the order of the day--and it may sometimes prove beneficial2 but to ,constable's art1 there can be little doubt that the confinement of his studies with the narrowest bounds in which1 perhaps1 the studies of an artist ever were confined1 was in the highest degree favourable2 for a knowledge of atmospheric effects will be best attained by a constant study of the same objects1 under every change of seasons and of the times of day4 ,his ambition1 it will be borne in mind1 was not to paint many things imperfectly1 but to paint a few well4 ,a motto1 in truth1 worthy of any of the seven sages--applicable to many things besides painting--and which can scarcely be applied in vain to any4 ,not many things imperfectly1 but a few well6 99 99 99 99 99 ,with these imperfect remarks on the general character of ,constable's pictures1 we pass at once to a few extracts from the correspondence1 which1 as we have already said1 makes up the substance of the present volume4 ,among the letters1 by much the most striking and amusing are those of ,constable's early and steady friend1 ,archdeacon ,fisher--an admirable judge of art1 and himself a very respectable artist4 ,his excellent sense--his kindness--his generosity--which laboured to make its object forget the boon1 or at least the benefactor2 his strong attachment to his order1 yet with a clear perception of the drawbacks inherent in the ,english hierarchical system2 the caustic and somewhat cynical turn of his remarks on contemporary art--communicate great spirit1 liveliness1 and interest to his letters4 ,in many things he resembles ,paley1 of whom he seems to have been a warm admirer4 ,he had a thorough appreciation of the excellences of ,constable1 both moral and professional2 but he had a keen eye also to the occasional weaknesses1 want of method1 and inattention to trifles1 which now and then disfigured them4 ,pray1 he enquires on one occasion1 how many dinners a-week does your wife get you to eat at a regular hour and like a ,christian8 ,where real business is to be done1 said he1 speaking of and to ,constable1 on another occasion1 you are the most energetic and punctual of men4 ,in smaller matters--such as putting on your breeches--you are apt to lose time in deciding which leg shall go in first4 ,such an adviser and critic was of the utmost use to ,constable2 for he never failed to convey to him his candid impressions and advice--and they were generally just1 though not always followed4 ,being of opinion that ,constable was repeating too often the same effects1 he writes3 ,i hope you will diversify your subject this year as to time of day4 ,thomson1 you know1 wrote not four summers1 but four seasons4 ,people get tired of mutton at top1 mutton at bottom1 and mutton at the side1 though of the best flavour and size4 ,this was touching a sore point1 and ,constable replies3 ,i am planning a large picture1 and ,i regard all you say2 but ,i do not enter into that notion of varying one's plans to keep the public in good-humour4 ,change of weather and effect will always afford variety4 ,what if ,vander ,velde had quitted his sea-pieces1 or ,ruysdael his waterfalls1 or ,hobbima his native woods8 ,the world would have lost so many features in art4 ,i know that you wish for no material alteration2 but ,i have to combat from high quarters--even from ,lawrence--the plausible argument1 that subject makes the picture4 ,perhaps you think an evening effect might do2 perhaps it might start me some new admirers1 but ,i should lose many old ones4 ,i imagine myself driving a nail3 ,i have driven it some way1 and1 by persevering1 ,i may drive it home2 by quitting it to attack others1 though ,i may amuse myself1 ,i do not advance beyond the first1 while that particular nail stands still4 ,no one who can do any one thing well1 will be able to do any other different thing equally well2 and this is true even of ,shakspeare1 the greatest master of variety4 ,constable was in a condition1 in fact1 to quote the ,archdeacon against himself2 for in #ahbg ,fisher had written3 ,i must repeat to you an opinion ,i have long held1 that no man had ever more than one conception4 ,milton emptied his mind in the first part of ,paradise ,lost4 ,all the rest is transcript of self4 ,the ,odyssey is a repetition of the ,iliad4 ,when you have seen one ,claude1 you have seen all4 ,i can think of no exception but ,shakspeare2 he is always varied1 never mannered4 ,here is a graphic sketch by ,constable of one who had known better days1 and whom it is probable those conversant with art about that time may recognise4 ,we shall not fill up the asterisks4 ,a poor wretched man called to see me this morning4 ,he had a petition to the ,royal ,academy for charitable assistance--it was 99 99 994 ,his appearance was distress itself1 and it was awful to behold to what ill conduct may bring us2 yet calamity has impressed even on this man an air of dignity3 he looked like ,leslie's ,don ,quixote4 ,when ,i knew him at the ,bishop's he wore powder1 had a soft subdued voice1 and always a smile1 which caused him to show some decayed teeth2 and he carried a gold-headed cane with tassels4 ,now1 how changed6 ,his neck long1 with a large head1 thin face1 nose long1 mouth wide1 eyes dark and sunken1 eyebrows lifted1 hair abundant1 straight1 erect1 and very greasy1 his body much emaciated and shrunk away from his dismal black clothes1 and his left arm in a sling from a fall1 by which he broke the left clavicle4 ,i shall try the ,artists' ,fund for him4 ,i cannot efface the image of this ghostly man from my mind4 ,here are two clerical sketches as a pendant1 by ,fisher3--,i write this sitting in commission upon a dispute between a clergyman and his parishioners1 and compose while the parties argue4 ,there is a brother parson arguing his own case1 with powder1 white forehead1 and a very red face1 like a copper vessel newly tinned4 ,he is mixing up in a tremulous note1 with an eager bloodshot eye1 accusations1 apologies1 statements1 reservations1 and appeals1 till his voice sounds on my ear as ,i write like a distant waterfall4 99 99 99 and 99 99 99 have been together on the visitation for three weeks4 ,they have neither broken bread nor spoken together1 nor1 ,i believe1 seen one another4 ,what a mistake our ,oxford and ,cambridge apostolic missionaries fell into when they made ,christianity a stern haughty thing6 ,think of ,st ,paul with a full-blown wig1 deep shovel-hat1 apron1 round belly1 double chin1 deep cough1 stern eye1 rough voice1 and imperious manner1 drinking port-wine1 and laying down the law as to the best way of escaping the observation of the ,curates' ,residence ,act6 ,the ,archdeacon himself was not without a little vanity1 however1 on the subject of his sermons1 and once received a quiet hit from ,constable on the subject4 ,having preached an old sermon once1 7which he was not aware that ,constable had heard before17 he asked him how he liked it4 ,very much indeed1 ,fisher1 replied ,constable2 ,i always did like that sermon4 ,like most men of original mind1 ,constable had a very just and manly taste in other matters besides painting4 ,he read but few poets1 but he read these with understanding and hearty enjoyment4 ,to arouse his attention1 it was necessary that they should be original and vigorous4 ,for the mere artistic skill or cultivated taste displayed by some of the popular poets of the day1 he had no sympathy4 ,of ,milman1 for instance1 he writes3 ,it is singular that ,i happened to speak of ,milman4 ,no doubt he is learned1 but it as not fair to encumber literature4 ,the world is full enough of what has been already done2 and as in the art there is plenty of fine painting1 but very few good pictures1 so in poetry there is plenty of fine writing1 and ,i am told his is such1 and1 as you say1 gorgeous1 but it can be compared4 ,shakspeare cannot1 nor ,burns1 nor ,claude1 nor ,ruysdael2 and it has taken me twenty years to find this out4 ,it was on this principle that he classed together ,dutch and ,italian art--,claude and ,ostade1 ,titian and ,ruysdael4 ,for1 different as their modes of execution were1 they fulfilled his prime condition of having furnished the world with something self-consistent1 independent1 and original4 ,every truly original picture1 he would say1 is a separate study1 and governed by laws of its own2 so that what is right in one would be often literally wrong if transferred to another4 ,it may be anticipated that ,constable1 who had no half opinions on any subject1 would know his own worth1 and rate himself at his due value4 ,to his friend ,fisher he does not hesitate to praise his own pictures with a navet that is amusing1 but which was in harmony with his general severity and dislike of affectation4 ,he would not even affect a false modesty1 but spoke of his own performances as he would have done of those of others4 ,my ,lock1 he says in one of his letters1 is now on the easel3 it is silvery1 windy1 and delicious--all health1 and the absence of any thing stagnant1 and is wonderfully got together4 ,the print will be very fine4 ,my new picture of ,salisbury1 he writes in another1 is very beautiful2 but when ,i thus speak of my pictures1 remember it is to you1 and only in comparison with myself4 ,mr ,leslie mentions that he had retained these and similar effusions contrary to the advice of one with whose opinion on other points he generally coincided4 ,he has guessed rightly2 for1 without such revelations1 we should be but imperfectly acquainted with the man4 ,he adds with truth1 ,the utterance of a man's real feelings is more interesting1 though it may have less of dignity than belongs to a uniform silence on the subject of self2 while the vanity is often no greater in the one case than in the other4 ,of his tender1 domestic1 affectionate disposition1 almost every letter in this volume exhibits proofs4 ,we cannot better illustrate this than by quoting some passages from his letters to his wife while on a visit to ,sir ,george ,beaumont at ,cole-,orton3 while these letters exhibit one of the most delightful pictures of the country life of an accomplished gentleman1 an excellent artist1 and a kind patron4 ,it is true1 that between ,sir ,george and ,constable not a few differences in point of taste existed2 the baronet was rather an ingenious eclectic than an original painter2 his natural belief was1 that beyond the pale of ,claude and ,wilson1 an artist's salvation was at least doubtful2 but he was too accomplished1 too keen-sighted an observer not to be shaken in his theories by the sight of high and original art1 and too liberal not to admit at last--as ,toby did in the case of the fly--that the world was wide enough for both4 ,to ,,mrs ,,constable4 ,november #b;d4--,the weather has been bad2 but ,i do not at all regret being confined to this house4 ,the mail did not arrive yesterday till many hours after the time1 owing to some trees being blown down1 and the waters out4 99 99 99 ,i am now going to breakfast before the ,narcissus of ,claude4 ,how enchanting and lovely it is6 far1 very far1 surpassing any other landscape ,i ever beheld4 ,write to me4 ,kiss and love my darlings4 ,i hope my stay will not exceed this week4 ,in one of his letters from ,cole-,orton to his wife1 ,constables says3-- ,sir ,george rises at seven1 walks in the garden before breakfast1 and rides out about two--fair or foul4 ,we have had breakfast at half-past eight2 but to-day we began at the winter hour--nine4 ,we do not quit the breakfast-table directly1 but chat a little about the pictures in the room4 ,we then go to the painting-room1 and ,sir ,george most manfully sets to work1 and ,i by his side4 ,at two1 the horses are brought to the door4 ,i have had an opportunity of seeing the ruins of ,ashby1 the mountain stream and rocks 7such ,everdingens67 at ,grace-,dieu1 and an old convent there--,lord ,ferrers'--a grand but melancholy spot4 ,at dinner we do not sit long2 ,lady ,beaumont reads the newspaper 7the ,herald7 to us2 and then to the drawing-room to tea2 and after that comes a great treat4 ,i am furnished with some portfolios1 full of beautiful drawings or prints1 and ,sir ,george reads a play in a manner the most delightful4 ,on ,saturday evening it was1 ',as ,you ,like ,it2' and ,i never heard the 'seven ages' so admirably read before4 ,last evening1 ,sunday1 he read a sermon1 and a good deal of ,wordsworth's ',excursion4' ,some of the landscape descriptions in it are very beautiful4 ,about nine1 the servant comes in with a little fruit and a decanter of water2 and at eleven we go to bed4 ,i always find a fire in my room1 and make out about an hour longer1 as ,i have every thing there--writing-desk1 c4--and ,i grudge a moment's unnecessary sleep in this place4 ,you would laugh to see my bed-room1 ,i have dragged so many things into it--books1 portfolios1 prints1 canvasses1 pictures1 c4 ,november #i4--;,how glad ,i was1 my dear love1 to receive your last kind letter1 giving a good account of yourself and our dear babies4 99 99 99 ,nothing shall1 ,i hope1 prevent my seeing you this week2 indeed ,i am quite nervous about my absence1 and shall soon begin to feel alarmed about the ,exhibition4 99 99 99 ,i do not wonder at your being jealous of ,claude4 ,if any thing could come between our love1 it is him4 ,i am fast advancing a beautiful little copy of his study from nature of a little grove scene4 ,if you1 my dearest love1 will be so good as to make yourself happy without me for this week1 it will1 ,i hope1 be long before we part again4 ,but1 believe me1 ,i shall be the better for this visit as long as ,i live4 ,sir ,george is never angry1 or pettish1 or peevish1 and though he loves painting so much1 it does not harass him4 ,you will like me a great deal better than you did4 ,to-morrow ,southey is coming with his wife and daughter4 ,i know you would be sorry if ,i were not to stay and meet him1 he is such a friend of ,gooch's2 but the ,claudes1 the ,claudes1 are all1 all1 ,i can think of here4 99 99 99 ,the weather is so bad that ,i can scarcely see out of the window1 but ,friday was lovely4 ,i shall hardly be able to make you a sketch of the house1 but ,i shall bring you much1 though in little compass1 to show you4 99 99 99 ,thursday was ,sir ,george's birth-day4 ,sixty-nine1 and married almost half a century4 ,the servants had a ball1 and ,i was lulled to sleep by a fiddle4 ,november #ah4--,my dearest love1 99 99 99 ,i was very glad to hear a very nice account of you and my dear babies4 99 99 99 ,i shall finish my little ,claude on ,thursday2 and then ,i shall have something to do to some of ,sir ,george's pictures1 that will take a day or two more1 and then home4 99 99 99 ,i sent you a hasty shabby line by ,southey1 but all that morning ,i had been engaged on a little sketch in ,miss ,southey's album of this house1 which pleased all parties here very much4 ,sir ,george is loath to part with me4 ,he would have me pass ,christmas with him1 and has named a small commission which he wished me to execute here2 but ,i have declined it1 as ,i am desirous to return4 ,sir ,george is very kind1 and ,i have no doubt meant this little picture to pay my expenses4 ,i have worked so hard in the house1 that ,i never went out of the door last week1 so that ,i am getting quite nervous4 ,but ,i am sure my visit here will be ultimately of the greatest advantage to me1 and ,i could not be better employed to the advantage of all of us1 by its making me so much more of an artist4 99 99 99 ,the breakfast bell rings4 ,i now hasten to finish1 as the boy waits4 ,i really think seeing the habits of this house will be of service to me as long as ,i live4 ,every thing so punctual4 ,sir ,george never looks into his painting-room on a ,sunday1 nor trusts himself with a portfolio4 ,never is impatient4 ,always rides or walks for an hour or two1 at two o'clock2 so will ,i with you1 if it is only into the square4 ,i amuse myself1 every evening1 making sketches from ,sir ,george's drawings about ,dedham1 c4 ,i could not carry all his sketch-books4 99 99 99 ,i wish ,i had not cut myself out so much to do here2 but ,i was greedy with the ,claudes4 ,in his next letter to his wife1 ,constable deplores the facility with which he allowed his time to be consumed by loungers in his painting-room--an evil his good-nature to the last entailed on him4 ,mrs ,constable in one of her letters had said3--,mr 99999999 was here nearly an hour on ,saturday1 reading the paper and talking to himself4 ,i hope you will not admit him so often4 ,mr 999999991 another lounger1 has been here once or twice4 ,cole-,orton ,hall1 ,november4 #bast4--,my dearest love1 ,i am as heartsick as ever you can be at my long absence from you1 and all our dear darlings1 but which is now fast drawing to a close4 ,in fact1 my greediness for pictures made me cut out for myself much more work than ,i ought to have undertaken at this time4 ,one of the ,claudes would have been all that ,i wanted1 but ,i could not get at that first1 and ,i had been here a fortnight before ,i began it4 ,to-day it will be done1 with perhaps a little touch on ,saturday morning4 ,i have then an old picture to fill up some holes in4 ,but ,i fear ,i shall not be able to get away on ,saturday1 though ,i hope nothing shall prevent me on ,monday4 ,i can hardly believe ,i have not seen you1 or my ,isabel1 or my ,charley1 for five weeks4 ,yesterday there was another very high wind and such a splendid evening as ,i never before beheld at this time of the year ,was it so with you8 ,but in ,london nothing is to be seen1 worth seeing1 in the ,,natural way4 ,i certainly will not allow of such serious interruptions as ,i used to do from people who devour my time1 brains and every thing else4 ,sir ,george says it is quite serious and alarming4 ,let me have a letter on ,sunday1 my last day here1 as ,i want to be made comfortable on my journey1 which will be long and tiresome1 and ,i shall be very nervous as ,i get near home2 therefore1 pray let me have a good account of you all4 ,i believe some great folks are coming here in ,december1 which ,sir ,george dreads1 as they so much interfere with his painting habits2 for no artist can be fonder of the art4 ,november #beth4--,my very dearest love1 ,i hope nothing will prevent my leaving this place to-morrow afternoon and that ,i shall have you in my arms on ,thursday morning1 and my babies2 ,oh1 dear6 how glad ,i shall be4 ,i feel that ,i have been ,,at ,,school1 and can only hope that my long absence from you may ultimately be to my great and lasting improvement as an artist1 and indeed in every thing4 ,if you have any friends staying with you1 ,i beg you will dismiss them before my arrival4 ,we have already said we have no intention of going through the meagre incidents in the life of ,constable4 ,he was elected an ,academician in #ahbi after the death of his wife1 which took place the year before4 ,much as he was pleased at the attainment of the honour1 he could not help saying1 ,it has been delayed till ,i am solitary and cannot impart it4 ,he could not add with ,johnson1 until ,i am known and do not want it2 for probably no painter of equal genius was at that time less generally known in his own country4 ,two days before1 he writes1 ,i have just received a commission to paint a mermaid for a sign to an inn in ,warwickshire6 ,this is encouraging1 and affords no small solace after my previous labours on landscape for twenty years4 ,his death took place in #ahcg4 ,on ,thursday the #cjth of ,march1 ,i met him at a general assembly of the ,academy2 the night1 though very cold1 was fine1 he walked a great part of the way home with me4 ,the most trifling occurrences of that evening remain on my memory4 ,as we proceeded along ,oxford ,street1 he heard a child cry on the opposite side of the way3 the griefs of childhood never failed to arrest his attention1 and he crossed over to a little beggar girl who had hurt her knee2 he gave her a shilling and some kind words1 which1 by stopping her tears1 showed that the hurt was not very serious1 and we continued our walk4 ,some pecuniary losses he had lately met with had disturbed him1 but more because they involved him with persons disposed to take advantage of his good feelings1 than from their amount4 ,he spoke of these with some degree of irritation1 but turned to more agreeable subjects1 and we parted at the west end of ,oxford ,street1 laughing4 ,i never saw him again alive4 ,the whole of the next day he was busily engaged finishing his picture of ,arundel ,mill and ,castle4 ,one or two of his friends who called on him saw that he was not well1 but they attributed this to confinement and anxiety with his picture1 which was to go in a few days to the ,exhibition4 ,in the evening he walked out for a short time on a charitable errand connected with the ,artists' ,benevolent ,fund4 ,he returned about nine o'clock1 ate a hearty supper1 and1 feeling chilly1 had his bed warmed--a luxury he rarely indulged in4 ,it was his custom to read in bed2 between ten and eleven he had read himself to sleep1 and his candle1 as usual1 was removed by a servant4 ,soon after this1 his eldest son1 who had been at the theatre1 returned home1 and1 while preparing for bed in the next room1 his father awoke in great pain1 and called to him4 ,so little was ,constable alarmed1 however1 that he at first refused to send for medical assistance4 ,he took some rhubarb and magnesia1 which produced sickness1 and he drank copiously of warm water1 which occasioned vomiting1 but the pain increasing1 he desired that ,mr ,michele1 his near neighbour1 should be sent for1 who very soon attended4 ,in the mean time ,constable had fainted1 his son supposing he had fallen asleep4 ,mr ,michele instantly ordered some brandy to be brought2 the bed-room of the patient was at the top of the house1 the servant had to run down-stairs for it1 and before it could be procured life was extinct2 and within half an hour of the first attack of pain4 ,a post-mortem investigation was made by ,professor ,partridge1 in the presence of ,mr ,george ,young and ,mr ,michele1 but1 strange to say1 the extreme pain ,constable had suffered could only be traced to indigestion1 no indications of disease were any where discovered1 sufficient1 in the opinion of those gentlemen1 to have produced at that time a fatal result4 ,mr ,michele1 in a letter to me1 describing all he had witnessed1 says1 ',it is barely possible that the prompt application of a stimulant might have sustained the vital principle1 and induced reaction in the functions necessary to the maintenance of life4' ,constable's eldest son was prevented from attending the funeral by an illness brought on by the painful excitement he had suffered2 but the two brothers of the deceased1 and a few of his most intimate friends1 followed the body to ,hampstead1#c where some of the gentlemen residing there1 who had known ,constable1 voluntarily joined the procession in the churchyard4 ,the vault which contained the remains of his wife was opened1 he was laid by her side1 and the inscription which he had placed on the tablet over it1 ',eheu6 quam tenui e filo pendet ,quidquid in vit maxime arridet6' might will be applied to the loss his family and friends had now sustained4 ,the funeral service was read by one of those friends1 the ,rev4 ,t4 ,j4 ,judkin1 whose tears fell fast on the book as he stood by the tomb4 ,,mahmood ,,the ,,ghazavide4#d ,,by ,b4 ,,simmons4 ,i4 ,hail to the morn that reigneth ,where ,,kaff1#e since time began ,allah's eternal sentinel1 ,keeps watch upon the ,sun2 ,and through the realms of heaven1 ,from his cold dwelling-place1 ,beholds the bright ,archangel ,for ever face to face6 ,,kaff smiles--the loosen'd morning ,on ,asia is unfurl'd6 ,sind#f flashes free1 and rolls a sea ,of amber down the world6 ,lo6 how the purple thickets ,and arbours of ,cashmere ,beneath the kindling lustre ,a rosier radiance wear6 ,hail to the mighty ,morning ,that1 odorously cool1 ,comes down the nutmeg-gardens ,and plum-groves of ,cabool6 ,cold 'mid the dawn1 o'er ,,ghazna1 ,the rivall'd moon retires2 ,as on the city spread below1 ,far through the sky's transparent glow1 ,a hundred gold-roof'd temples throw ,their crescents' sparkling fires4 ,,ii4 ,the ,imam's cry in ,ghazna ,has died upon the air1 ,and day's great life begins to throng ,each stately street and square4 ,the loose-robed turban'd merchants-- ,the fur-clad mountaineers-- ,the chiefs' brocaded elephants-- ,the ,kurdmans' group of spears-- ,grave men beneath the awning ,of every gay bazar ,ranging their costly merchandise1 ,shawl1 gem1 and glittering jar-- ,the outworn files arriving ,of some vast ,caravan1 ,with dusky men and camels tall1 ,before the crowded khan2-- ,all that fills kingly cities ,with traffic1 wealth1 and din1 ,resounds1 imperial ,ghazna1 ,this morn thy walls within4 ,,iii4 ,all praise to the ,first ,sultan1 ,,mahmood ,,the ,,ghaznavide6 ,his fame be like the firmament1 ,as moveless and as wide6 ,,mahmood1 who saw before him ,pagoda'd ,bramah fall-- ,twelve times he swept the orient earth ,from ,bagdad to ,bengal2 ,twelve times amid their ,steppes of ice ,he smote each ,golden ,horde#g-- ,round the ,south's sultry isles twelve times ,his ships resistless pour'd2 ,,mahmood--his tomb in ,ghazna ,for many an age shall show ,the mighty mace with which he laid ,,du',s hideous idol low4 ,true soldier of the ,prophet6 ,from ,somnauth's gorgeous shrine ,he tore the gates of sandal-wood1 ,the carven gates divine2 ,he hung them vow'd1 in ,ghazna1 ,to ,allah's blest renown-- ,trophies of endless sway they tower1 ,for unto earth's remotest hour ,what boastful man may hope the power ,again to take them down8 ,,iv4 ,all praise to the ,first ,sultan1 ,mahmood the ,ghaznavide6 ,his wars are o'er1 but not the more ,his sovereign cares subside3 ,from morn to noontide daily ,in his superb ,divan ,he sits dispensing justice ,alike to man and man4 ,what though earth heaves beneath him ,with ingot1 gem1 and urn1 ,though in his halls a thousand thrones ,of vanquish'd monarchs burn2 ,though at his footstool ever ,four hundred princes stay2 ,though in his jasper vestibules ,four hundred bloodhounds bay-- ,each prince's sabre hafted ,with the carbuncle's gem1 ,each bloodhound's collar fashion'd ,from a rajah's diadem8-- ,though none may live beholding ,the anger of his brow1 ,yet his justice ever shineth ,to the lofty and the low2 ,o'er his many-nation'd empire ,shines his justice far and wide-- ,all praise to the ,first ,sultan1 ,mahmood the ,ghaznavide6 ,v4 ,the morn to noon is melting ,on ,ghazna's golden domes2 ,from the ,divan the suppliant crowd1 ,the poor1 the potent1 and the proud1 ,who sought its grace with faces bow'd1 ,have parted for their homes4 ,already ,sultan ,mahmood ,has risen from his throne1 ,when at the ,hall's far portal ,stands a ,stranger all alone1-- ,a man in humble vesture1 ,but with a haughty eye2 ,and he calls aloud1 with the steadfast voice ,of one prepared to die-- ,sultan6 the ,wrong'd and ,trampled ,lacks time to worship thee1 ,stand forth1 and answer to my charge1 ,son of ,sebactagi6 ,stand forth6---- ,the brief amazement ,which shook that hall has fled-- ,next moment fifty falchions ,flash round the madman's head1 ,and fifty slaves are waiting ,their sovereign's glance to slay2 ,but dread ,mahmood1 with hand upraised1 ,has waved their swords away4 ,once more stands free the ,stranger1 ,once more resounds his call-- ,ho6 forth1 ,mahmood6 and hear me1 ,then slay me in thy hall4 ,from ,oxus to the ,ocean ,thy standards are unfurl'd ,thy treasury-bolts are bursting ,with the plunder of the world-- ,the maids of soft ,hindostan1 ,the vines by ,yemen's ,sea1 ,but bloom to nurse the passions ,of thy savage soldiery4 ,yet not for them sufficeth ,the ,captive or the ,vine1 ,if in thy peaceful subjects' homes ,they cannot play the swine4 ,since on my native ,ghazna ,thy smile of favour fell1 ,how its blood1 and toil1 and treasure ,have been thine1 thou knowest well6 ,its ,fiercest swell thine armies1 ,its ,fairest serve thy throne1 ,but in return hast thou not sworn ,our hearths should be our own8 ,that each man's private dwelling1 ,and each man's spouse and child1 ,should from thy mightiest ,satrap ,be safe and undefiled8 ,just ,allah6--hear how ,mahmood ,his kingly oath maintains6-- ,amid the suburbs far away ,i deemed secure my dwelling lay1 ,yet now two nights my lone ,serai ,a villain's step profanes4 ,my bride is cursed with beauty1 ,he comes at midnight hour1 ,a giant form for rapine made1 ,in harness of thy guards array'd1 ,and1 with main dint of blow and blade1 ,he drives me from her bow'r1 ,and bars and holds my dwelling ,until the dawning gray-- ,then1 ere the light his face can smite1 ,the felon slinks away4 ,such is the household safety ,we owe to thine and thee3-- ,thou'st heard me first1 do now thy worst1 ,son of ,sebactagi6 ,,vi4 ,what tongue may tell the terror ,that thrill'd that chamber wide1 ,while thus the ,dust beneath his feet ,reviled the ,ghaznavide6 ,the listeners' breath suspended1 ,they wait but for a word1 ,to sweep away the worm that frets ,the pathway of their ,lord4 ,but ,mahmood makes no signal2 ,surprise at first subdued1 ,then shame and anger seem'd by turns ,to root him where he stood4 ,but as the tale proceeded1 ,some deadlier passion's hue1 ,now flushing dark1 now fading wan1 ,across his forehead flew4 ,and when those daring accents ,had died upon his ear1 ,he sat him down in reverie ,upon the musnud near1 ,and in his robe he shrouded ,for a space his dreadful brow2 ,then strongly1 sternly1 rose and spoke ,to the ,stranger far below-- ,at once1 depart6--in silence3-- ,and at the moment when ,the ,spoiler seeks thy dwelling next1 ,be with ,us here again4 ,,vii4 ,three days the domes of ,ghazna ,have gilded ,autumn's sky-- ,three moonless nights of ,autumn ,have slowly glided by4 ,and now the fourth deep midnight ,is black upon the town1 ,when from the palace-portals1 led ,by that grim ,stranger at their head1 ,a troop1 all silent as the dead1 ,with spears1 and torches flashing red1 ,wind towards the suburbs down4 ,on foot they march1 and midmost ,mahmood the ,ghaznavide ,is marching there1 his kingly air ,alone not laid aside4 ,in his fez no ruby blazeth1 ,no diamonds clasp his vest2 ,but a light as red is in his eye1 ,as restless in his breast4 ,and none who last beheld him ,in his superb ,divan ,would deem three days could cause his cheek ,to look so sunk and wan4 ,the gates are pass'd in silence1 ,they march with noiseless stride1 ',till before a lampless dwelling ,stopp'd their grim and sullen guide4 ,in a little grove of cypress1 ,from the city-walls remote1 ,it darkling stood3--,he faced ,mahmood1 ,and pointed to the spot4 ,the ,sultan paused one moment ,to ease his kaftan's band1 ,that on his breast too tightly prest1 ,then motion'd with his hand3-- ,my mace6--put out the torches-- ,watch well that none may flee3 ,now1 force the door1 and shut me in1 ,and leave the rest to me4 ,he spoke1 'twas done2 the wicket ,swung wide--then closed again3 ,within stand ,mahmood1 night1 and ,lust-- ,without1 his watching men4 ,their watch was short--a struggle-- ,a sullen sound--a groan-- ,a breathless interval--and forth ,the ,sultan comes alone4 ,none through the pitchy darkness ,might look upon his face1 ,but they felt the storm that shook him ,as he lean'd upon that mace4 ,back from his brow the turboosh ,he push'd--then calmly said1 ,re-light the torches1 enter there1 ,and bring me forth the dead4 ,they light the torches1 enter1 ,and bring him forth the dead-- ,a man of stalwart breadth and bone1 ,a war-cloak round him spread4 ,full on the face the torches ,flash out----a sudden cry 7,and those who heard it ne'er will lose ,its echo till they die17 ,a sudden cry escapeth ,mahmood's unguarded lips1 ,a cry as of a suffering soul ,redeemed from ,hell's eclipse4 ,oh1 ,allah6 gracious ,allah6 ,thy servant badly won ,this blessing to a father's heart1 ',tis not--'tis ,,not my son6 ,fly6--tell my joy in ,ghazna2-- ,before the night is done ,let lighted shrine and blazing street ,proclaim 'tis not my son6 ',tis not ,massoud1 the wayward1 ,who thus the ,law defied1 ,yet ,i deem'd that none but my only son ,dared set my oath aside3 ,though my frame grew faint from fasting1 ,though my soul with grief grew wild1 ,upon this spot ,i would have wrought stern justice on my child4 ,i wrought the deed in darkness1 ,for fear a single ray ,should light his face1 and from this heart ,plead the ,poor ,man's cause away4 ,great ,allah sees uprightly ,i strive my course to run1 ,and thus rewards his servant---- ,this dead is not my son6 ,,viii ,thus1 through his reign of glory1 ,shone his ,,justice far and wide2 ,all praise to the ,first ,sultan1 ,,mahmood ,,the ,,ghaznavide ,,marston2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,memoirs ,,of ,a ,,statesman4 ,,part ,,xix4 ,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 ,change is the master-spirit of ,europe1 as permanency is of ,asia4 ,the contrast is in the nature of things4 ,however the caprice1 the genius1 or the necessities1 of the sitter on the throne may attempt to impress permanency on the habits of the ,west1 or mutability on those of the ,east1 his success must be but partial4 ,in ,europe we have a perpetual movement of minds1 a moral ocean1 to which tides and currents are an operation of nature4 ,but the ,caspian or the ,euxine is not more defined by its limits of rock and mountain1 or more inexorably separated from the general influx of the waters which roll round the world1 than the ,asiatic mind is from following the free course1 and sharing the bold and stormy innovations1 of ,europe4 ,but the most rapid and total change within human memory1 was the one which was now before my eye4 ,i felt as some of the old alchymists might feel in their laboratories1 with all their crucibles heating1 all their alembics boiling1 all their strange materials in full effervescence2 and their eyes fixed in doubt1 and perhaps in awe1 on the powerful and hazardous products about to result from combinations untried before1 and amalgams which might shatter the roof above their heads1 or extinguish their existence by a blast of poison4 ,i had left ,paris ,democracy4 ,i found it a ,despotism4 ,i had left it a melancholy prey to the multitude2 a startling scene of alternate fury and dejection2 of cries for revenge1 and supplications for bread2 of the tyranny of the mob1 and the misery of the nation4 ,i now found it the most striking contrast to that scene of despair2--,paris the headquarters of a military government2 the ,tuileries the palace of a conqueror2 every sound martial2 the eye dazzled every where by the spoils of the ,german and ,italian sovereignties2 the nation flushed with victory4 ,still1 the public aspect exhibited peculiarities which interested me the more1 that they could never have appeared in older times1 and probably will never return4 ,in the midst of military splendour there was a wild1 haggard1 and unhappy character stamped on all things4 ,the streets of the capital had not yet felt the influence of that imperial taste which was to render it an imperial city4 ,i saw the same shattered suburbs1 the same deep1 narrow1 and winding streets1 the same dismal lanes2 in which ,i had witnessed so often the gatherings of the armed multitude1 and which seemed made for popular commotion4 ,mingled with those wild wrecks and gloomy places of refuge1 rather than dwellings1 ,i saw1 with their ancient ornaments1 and even with their armorial bearings and gilded shields and spears not yet entirely defaced1 the palaces of the noblesse and blood-royal of ,france1 the remnants of those ten centuries of monarchy which had been powerful enough to reduce the bold tribes of the ,franks to a civilized slavery1 and glittering enough to make them in love with their chains4 ,if ,i could have imagined1 in the nineteenth century1 a camp of banditti on its most showy scale--a government of ,condottieri with its most famous captain at its head--every where a compilation of arms and spoils1 the rude habits of the robber combined with the pomp of military triumph--,i should have said that the realization was before me4 ,the ,palais ,royal was still the chief scene of all ,parisian vitality4 ,but the mob orators were to be found there no more4 ,the walks and cafs were now crowed with bold figures1 epauleted and embroidered1 laughing and talking with the easy air of men who felt themselves masters1 and who evidently regarded every thing round them as the furnishing of a camp4 ,the land had now undergone its third stage of that great spell by which nations are urged and roused at the will of a few4 ,the crosier was the first wand of the magician1 then came the sceptre--we were now under the spell of the sword4 ,i was delighted at this transformation of ,france1 from the horrid form of popular domination to the showy supremacy of soldiership4 ,it still had its evils4 ,but the guillotine had disappeared4 ,savage hearts and sanguinary hands no longer made the laws1 and executed them4 ,instead of the groans and execrations1 the cries of rage and clamours of despair1 which once echoed through all the streets1 ,i now heard only popular songs and dances1 and saw all the genuine evidences of that rejoicing with which the multitude had thrown off the most deadly of all tyrannies--its own4 ,the foreigner shapes every thing into the picturesque1 and all his picturesque now was military4 ,every regiment which passed through ,paris on its way from the frontier was reviewed1 in front of the palace1 by the ,first ,consul2 and those reviews formed the finest of all military spectacles1 for each had a character and a history of its own4--,the regiment which had stormed the bridge of ,lodi2 the regiment which had headed the assault on the tte-du-pont at ,mantua2 the regiment which had led the march at the passage of the ,st ,bernard2 the regiment which had formed the advance of ,dessaix at ,marengo--all had their separate distinctions1 and were received with glowing speeches and appropriate honours by the chief of the state4 ,the popular vanity was flattered by a perpetual pageant1 and that pageant wholly different from the tinsel displays of the monarchy3 no representation of legends1 trivial in their origin1 and ridiculous in their memory2 but the revival of transactions in which every man of ,france felt almost a personal interest1 which were the true sources of the new system of nations1 and whose living actors were seen passing1 hour after hour1 before the national eye4 ,all was vivid reality1 where all had been false glitter in the days of the ,bourbons1 and all sullenness and fear in the days of the ,democracy4 ,the reality might still be rough and stern1 but it was substantial1 and not without its share of the superb2 it had the sharpness and weight1 and it had also the shining1 of the sabre4 ,but this was not all2 nothing could be more subtly consecutive than the whole progress of the head of the government4 ,in a more superstitious age1 it might have been almost believed that some wizard had stood by his cradle1 and sung his destiny2 or that1 like the greatest creation of the greatest of dramatists1 he had been met in some mountain pass1 or on some lonely heath1 and had heard the weird sisters predicting his charmed supremacy4 ,at this period he was palpably training the republic to the sight of a dictatorship4 ,the return of the troops through ,paris had already accustomed the populace to the sight of military power4 ,the movement of vast masses of men by a word1 the simplicity of the great military machine1 its direct obedience to the master-hand1 and its tremendous strength--all were a continued lesson to the popular mind4 ,i looked on the progress of this lesson with infinite interest2 for ,i thought that ,i as about to see a new principle of government disclosed on the broadest scale--,republicanism in its most majestic aspect1 giving a new development of the art of ruling men1 and exhibiting a shape of domination loftier and more energetic than the world had ever yet seen4 ,still1 ,i was aware of the national weaknesses4 ,i was not without a strong suspicion of the hazard of human advance when entrusted to the caprice of any being in the form of man1 and1 above all1 to a man who had won his way to power by arms4 ,yet1 ,i thought that society had here reached a point of division2 a ridge1 from which the streams of power naturally took different directions2 that the struggles of the democracy were but like the bursting of those monsoons which mark the distinction of seasons in the ,east2 or the ruggedness of those regions of rock and precipice1 of roaring torrent and sunless valley1 through which the ,alpine traveller must toil1 before he can bask in the luxuriance of the ,italian plain4 ,attached as ,i am in the highest degree to the principle of monarchy1 and regarding it as the safest anchorage of the state1 still1 how was ,i to know that moral nature might not have her reserves of power1 as well as physical2 that the science of government itself might not have its undetected secrets1 as well as the caverns of the earth2 that the quiverings and convulsions of society at this moment1 obviously alike beyond calculation and control1 might not be only evidences of the same vast agencies at work1 whose counterparts1 in depths below the human eye1 shake and rend the soil8 ,those were the days of speculation1 and ,i indulged in them like the rest of the world4 ,every man stood1 as the islander of the ,south ,sea may stand on his shore1 contemplating the conflict of fire and water1 while the furnaces of the centre are forcing up the island in clouds of vapour and gusts of whirlwind4 ,all was strange1 undefined1 and startling4 ,one thing alone seemed certain2 that the past rgime was gone1 never to return2 that a great barrier had suddenly been dropped between the two sovereignties2 that the living generation stood on the dividing pinnacle between the languid vices of the past system and the daring1 perhaps guilty1 energies of the system to come4 ,behind man lay the long level of wasted national faculties1 emasculating superstitions1 the graceful feebleness of a sensual nobility1 and the superb follies of a haughty and yet helpless throne4 ,before him rose a realm of boundless extent1 but requiring frames of vigour1 and feelings undismayed by difficulty1 to traverse and subdue2--a horizon of hills and clouds1 where the gale blew fresh and the tempest rolled2 where novel difficulties must be met at every step1 but still where1 if we trod at all1 we must ascend at every step1 where every clearing of the horizon must give us a new and more comprehensive prospect1 and where every struggle with the rudeness of the soil1 or the roughness of the elements1 must enhance the vigour of the nerve that encountered them4 ,those were dreams2 yet ,i had not then made due allowance for the nature of the foreign mind4 ,i was yet to learn its absence of all sober thought2 its ready temptation by every trivially of the hour2 its demand of extravagant excitement to rouse it into action1 and its utter apathy where its passions were not bribed4 ,i had imagined a national sovereignty1 righteous1 calm1 and resolute1 trained by the precepts of a ,milton and a ,locke2 ,i found only an ,italian despotism1 trained by the romance of ,rousseau and the scepticism of ,voltaire4 ,every day in the capital now had its celebration1 and all exhibited the taste and talent of the ,first ,consul2 but one characteristic fte at length woke me to the true design of this extraordinary man--the inauguration of the ,legion of ,honour4 ,it was the first step to the throne1 and a step of incompatible daring and dexterity2 it was the virtual restoration of an aristocracy1 in the presence of a people who had raved with the rage of frenzy against all titles1 who had torn down the coats-of-arms from the gates of the noblesse1 and shattered and dug up even the marbles of their sepulchres4 ,a new military caste--a noblesse of the sword--was now to be established4 ,republicanism had been already pushed from its stool1 but this was the chain which was to keep it fixed to the ground4 ,the ceremonial was held in the ,hotel des ,invalides2 and all the civil pomp of the consulate was combined with all the military display4 ,the giving of the crosses of honour called forth in succession the names of all those gallant soldiers whose exploits had rung through ,europe1 in the campaigns of the ,alps and the ,rhine4 ,nothing could be more in the spirit of a fine historic picture1 or in the semblance of a fine drama4 ,the first men of the ,french councils and armies stood1 surrounded by the monuments of their ancestors in the national glory--the statues of the ,conds and ,turennes1 whose memory formed so large a portion of the popular pride1 and whose achievements so solid a record in the history of ,french triumph4 ,to those high sources of sentiment1 all that could be added by stately decoration and religious solemnity was given2 and in the chorus of sweet voices1 the sounds of martial harmony1 the acclamations of the countless multitudes within and without1 and the thunder of cannon1 was completed the most magnificent1 and yet the most ominous1 of all ceremonials4 ,it was not difficult to see1 that this day was the consecration of ,france to absolute power1 and of all her faculties to conquest4 ,like the ,roman herald1 she had put on1 in the temple1 the robe of defiance to all nations4 ,she was to be from this day of devotement the nation of war4 ,it was less visible1 but not less true1 that upon the field of ,marengo perished the ,democracy1 but in that temple was sacrificed the ,republic4 ,the throne was still only in vision2 but its outline was clear1 and that outline was colossal4 ,in my intercourse with the men of the new rgime ,i had associated chiefly with the military4 ,their ideas were less narrowed by the circle of ,paris1 their language was frank and free1 and their knowledge was more direct and extensive on the topic which ,i most desired to comprehend1 the state of their foreign conquests4 ,i soon had reason to congratulate myself on my choice4 ,one of these1 a colonel of dragoons1 who had served with ,moreau1 and whose partialities at least did not lean to the rival hero1 came hurriedly to me at an early hour one morning1 to take his leave4 ,but why1 and where8 ,he was ordered to join his regiment immediately1 and march for the coast of the ,channel4 ,to invade us8 ,i asked laughingly4 ,not exactly yet1 perhaps2 but it may come to that in good time4 ,i grieve to tell you1 added my gallant friend1 with more of gravity than ,i thought he could possibly have thrown into his good-humoured features1 that we are to have war4 ,the matter is perfectly determined in the ,tuileries2 and at the levee to-day there will probably be a scene4 ,in the mean time1 take my information as certain1 and be prepared for your return to ,england without twenty-four hours' delay4 ,he took his departure4 ,i attended the levee on that memorable day1 and saw the scene4 ,the ,place du ,carrousel was unusually crowded with troops1 which the ,first ,consul was passing in review4 ,the whole population seemed to have conjectured the event of the day2 for ,i had never seen them in such numbers1 or with such an evident look of general anxiety4 ,the ,tuileries were filled with officers of state1 with leading military men1 and members of the ,senate and ,tribunat2 the whole body of the foreign ambassadors were present2 and yet the entire assemblage was kept waiting until the ,first ,consul had inspected even the firelocks of his guard1 and the shoes in their knapsacks4 ,the diplomatists1 as they saw from the high casements of the palace this tardy operation going on1 exchanged glaces with each other at its contemptuous trifling4 ,some of the militaires exhibited the impatience of men accustomed to prompt measures2 the civilians smiled and shrugged their shoulders2 but all felt that there was a purpose in the delay4 ,at length1 the drums beat for the close of the review2 the ,first ,consul galloped up to the porch of the palace1 flung himself from his charger1 sprang up the staircase1 and without stopping for etiquette1 rushed into the salle1 followed by cloud of aides-de-camp and chamberlains4 ,the ,circle of ,presentations was formed1 and he walked hastily round it1 saying few rapid words to each4 ,i observed for the first time an aide-de-camp moving on the outside of the circle1 step for step1 and with his eye steadily marking the gesture of each individual to whom the ,first ,consul spoke in his circuit4 ,this was a new precaution1 and indicative of the time4 ,till then he had run all risks1 and might have been the victim of any daring hand4 ,the very countenance of the ,first ,consul was historic2 it was as characteristic as his career4 ,it exhibited the most unusual contrast of severity and softness2 nothing sterner than the gathering of his brow1 nothing more flattering than his smile4 ,on this occasion we had them both in perfection4 ,to the general diplomatic circle his lip wore the smile4 ,but when he reached the spot where the ,british ambassador stood1 we had the storm at once4 ,with his darkest frown1 and with every feature in agitation1 he suddenly burst out into a tirade against ,england--reproaching her with contempt of treaties2 with an absolute desire for war2 with a perpetual passion for embroiling ,europe2 with forming armaments in the midst of peace2 and with challenging ,france to an encounter which must provoke universal hostilities4 ,the ,english ambassador listened in silence1 but with the air of a high-spirited man1 who would concede nothing to menace2 and with the countenance of an intelligent one1 who could have easily answered declamation by argument4 ,but for this answer there was no time4 ,the ,first ,consul1 having delivered his diatribe1 suddenly sprang round1 darted through the crowd1 rushed through a portal1 and was lost to the view4 ,that scene was decisive4 ,i saw that war was inevitable4 ,i took my friend's advice1 ordered post-horses1 and within the twenty-four hours ,i saw with infinite delight the cliffs of ,dover shining in the dawn4 ,i am not writing a history4 ,i am merely throwing together events separated by great chasms1 in the course of a life4 ,my life was all incident2 sometimes connected with public transactions of the first magnitude1 sometimes wholly personal2 and thus ,i hasten on to the close of a public career which has ended1 and of an existence diversified by cloud and sunshine1 but on the whole happy4 ,the war began2 it was unavoidable4 ,the objects of our great adversary have been since stripped of their disguise4 ,his system1 at the time1 was to lull ,england by peace1 until he had amassed a force which would crush her at the outbreak of a war4 ,a few years would have concentrated his strength1 and brought the battle to our own shores4 ,but there are higher impulses acting on the world than human ambition2 the great machine is not altogether guided by man4 ,england had the cause of nations in her charge2 her principles were truth1 honour1 and justice4 ,she had retained the reverence of her forefathers for the ,sanctuary2 and the same guidance which had in the beginning taught her wisdom1 ultimately crowned her with victory4 ,i lived through a period of the most overwhelming vicissitudes of nations1 and of the great disturber himself1 who had caused those vicissitudes4 ,i saw ,napoleon at the head of #ejj1jjj men on the ,niemen2 ,i saw him reduced to #ej1jjj on the plains of ,champagne2 ,i saw him reduced to a brigade at ,fontainebleau2 ,i saw him a burlesque of empire at ,elba2 and ,i saw him an exile on board a ,british ship1 departing from ,europe to obscurity and his grave4 ,these things may well reconcile inferior talents to the changes of fortune4 ,but they should also teach nations1 that the love of conquest is national ruin2 and that there is a power which avenges the innocent blood4 ,no country on earth requires that high moral more than ,france2 and no country on earth has more bitterly suffered for its perversion4 ,napoleon was embodied ,france2 the concentrated spirit of her wild ambition1 of her furious love of conquest1 of her reckless scorn of the sufferings and rights of mankind4 ,nobler principles have followed1 under a wiser rule4 ,but if ,france draws the sword again in the ambition of ,napoleon1 she will exhibit to the world only the fate of ,napoleon4 ,it will be her last war4 ,on my arrival in ,england1 ,i found the public mind clouded with almost universal dejection4 ,pitt was visibly dying4 ,he still held the nominal reins of government for some period2 but the blow had been struck1 and his sole honour now was to be1 that1 like the ,spartan of old1 he died on the field1 and with his buckler on his arm4 ,there are secrets in the distribution of human destinies1 which have always perplexed mankind2 and one of those is1 why so many of the most powerful minds have been cut off in the midst of their career1 extinguished at the moment when their fine faculties were hourly more essential to the welfare of science1 of government1 and of the general progress of society4 ,i may well comprehend that feeling1 for it was my own4 ,i saw ,pitt laid in the grave2 ,i looked down into the narrow bed where slept all that was mortal of the man who virtually wielded the whole supremacy of ,europe4 ,yet how little can man estimate the future6 ,napoleon was in his glory1 when ,pitt was in his shroud4 ,yet how infinitely more honoured1 and thus more happy1 was the fate of him by whose sepulchre all that was noble and memorable in the living generation stood in reverence and sorrow1 than the last hour of the prisoner of ,st ,helena6 ,both were emblems of their nations4 ,the ,englishman1 manly1 pure1 and bold1 of unshaken firmness1 of proud reliance on the resources of his own nature1 and of lofty perseverence through good and through evil fortune4 ,the foreigner1 dazzling and daring1 of singular intellectual vividness1 and of a thirst of power which disdained to be slaked but at sources above the ambition of all the past warriors and statesmen of ,europe4 ,he was the first who dreamed of fabricating anew the old ,roman sceptre1 and establishing an empire of the world4 ,his game was for a prodigious stake1 and for a while he played it with prodigious fortune4 ,he found the moral atmosphere filled with the floating elements of revolution2 he collected the republican electricity1 and discharged it on the cusps and pinnacles of the ,european thrones with terrible effect4 ,but1 from the moment when he had dissipated that charm1 he lost the secret of his irresistible strength4 ,as the head of the great republic1 making opinion his precursor1 calling on the old wrongs of nations to level his way1 and marshaling the new-born hopes1 the ancient injuries1 and the ardent imaginations of the continental kingdoms to fight his battles2 the world lay before him1 with all its barriers ready to fall at the first tread of his horse's hoof4 ,as an ,emperor1 he forged his own chain4 ,napoleon1 the chieftain of republicanism1 might have revolutionized ,europe2 ,napoleon1 the monarch1 narrowed his supremacy to the sweep of his sword4 ,like a necromancer weary of his art1 he scattered the whole treasury of his magnificent illusions into thin air2 flung away his creative wand for a sceptre2 and buried the book of his magic ten thousand fathom deep1 to replace it only by the obsolete statutes of courts1 and the weak etiquette of governments in decay4 ,fortunate for mankind that he committed this irrecoverable error1 and was content to be the lord of ,france1 instead of being the sovereign of opinion2 for his nature was despotic1 and his power must have finally shaped and massed itself into a stupendous tyranny4 ,still1 he might have long influenced the fates1 and long excited the awe and wonder1 of ,europe4 ,we1 too1 might have worshipped his ,star1 and have forgotten the danger of the flaming phenomenon1 in the rapidity and eccentricity of its course1 as we saw it eclipsing the old luminaries in succession2 until it touched our orbit1 and visited us in conflagration4 ,it was said that ,pitt died of a broken heart1 in despair of the prospects of ,england4 ,the defeat of ,austerlitz was pronounced his death-blow4 ,what thoughts may cluster round the sleepless pillow1 who shall tell8 ,but no man knew ,england better2 none had a bolder faith in her perseverance and principle2 none had more broadly laid the foundations of victory in national honour4 ,i shall never be driven into the belief that ,william ,pitt despaired of his country4 ,he died in the vigour of his genius1 in the proudest struggle of the empire1 in the midst of the deepest trial which for a thousand years had demanded all the faculties of ,england4 ,yet1 what man within human recollection had lived so long1 if we are to reckon life not by the calendar but by triumphs8 ,what minister of ,england1 what minister of ,europe1 but himself1 was the head of his government for three-and-twenty years8 ,what man had attained so high an ,european rank8 ,what mind had influenced so large an extent of ,european interests8 ,what name was so instinctively pronounced by every nation1 as the first among mankind8 ,to have earned distinctions like these1 was to have obtained all that time could give4 ,not half a century in years1 ,pitt's true age was patriarchal4 ,i was now but a spectator4 ,my connexion with public life was broken off4 ,every name with which ,i had been associated was swept away2 and ,i stood like a man flung from ship-wreck upon a shore1 where every face which he met was that of a stranger4 ,i was still in ,parliament1 but ,i felt a loathing for public exertions4 ,from habit1 ,i had almost identified office with the memorable men whom ,i had seen governing so long2 and the new faces1 the new declamation1 and the new principles1 which the ministerial change brought before me nightly1 startled my feelings even less as new than as incongruous4 ,i admitted the ability1 the occasional intelligence1 and perhaps even the patriotism of the cabinet2 but in those reveries1 7the natural refuge from a long debate17 memory so often peopled the ,treasury ,bench with the forms of ,pitt and his distinguished coadjutors1 and so completely filled my ear with his sonorous periods and high-toned principles1 that when ,i was roused to the reality1 ,i felt as those who have seen some great performer in one of ,shakspeare's characters1 until no excellence of his successor can embody the conception once more4 ,i retired from the tumult of ,london1 and returned to tastes which ,i had never wholly forgotten2 taking a small residence within a few miles of this centre of the living world1 and devoting my leisure to the enjoyments of that life1 which1 in the purest days of man1 was given to him as the happiest1 to dress the garden1 and keep it4 ,clotilde in all her tastes joined with mine1 or rather led them1 with the instinctive elegance of a female mind1 accomplished in every grace of education4 ,we read1 wrote1 walked1 talked1 and pruned our rose-trees and gathered our carnations and violets1 together4 ,she had already given me those pledges1 which1 while they increase the anxiety1 also increase the affection1 of wedded life4 ,the education of our children was a new source of interest4 ,they were handsome and healthy4 ,their little sports1 the growth of their young perceptions1 and the freshness of their ideas1 renewed to us both all the delights of society without their exhaustion2 and when1 after returning from a day spent in the noise and bustle of ,london1 ,i reached my rustic gate1 heard the cheerful voices of the little population which rushed down the flowery avenue to cling upon my neck2 and stood at the door of my cottage1 with my arm round the waist of my beautiful and fond wife1 breathing the evening fragrance of a thousand blooms1 and enjoying the cool air1 and the purple glories of the sky--,i often wondered why men should seek for happiness in any other scene2 and felt gratitude1 not the less sincere for its being calm and solemn1 to the ,giver of a lot so nearly approaching to human fulness of joy4 ,but the world rolls on1 let who will slumber among its roses4 ,the political world was awoke by a thunder-clap4 ,fox died4 ,he was just six months a minister6 ,such is ambition1 such is the world4 ,he died1 like ,pitt1 in the zenith of his powers1 with his judgment improved and his passions mitigated1 with the noblest prospects of public utility before his eyes1 and the majestic responsibilities of a ,british minister assuming their natural rank in his capacious mind4 ,the times1 too1 were darkening2 and another lodestar was thus stricken from the national hemisphere1 at the moment when the nation most wanted guidance4 ,the lights which remained were many2 but they were vague1 feeble1 and scattered4 ,the leader of the starry host was gone4 ,i cannot trust myself to speak of this distinguished man2 for ,i was no ,foxite4 ,i regarded his policy in opposition as the pleadings of a powerful advocate1 with a vast retaining fee1 a most comprehensive cause1 and a most generous and confiding client4 ,popularity1 popular claims1 and the people1 were all three made for him beyond all other men2 and no advocate ever pleaded with more indefatigable zeal1 or more resolute determination4 ,but1 raised to a higher position1 higher qualities were demanded4 ,whether they might not have existed in his nature1 waiting for the development of time1 is the question4 ,but time was not given4 ,his task had hitherto been easy4 ,it was simply to stand as a spectator on the shore1 criticising the manoeuvres of a stately vessel struggling with the gale4 ,the helm was at last put into his hand2 and it was then that he felt the difference between terra firma and the wild and restless element which he was now to control4 ,but he had scarcely set his foot on the deck1 when he1 too1 was swept away4 ,on such brevity of trial1 it is impossible to judge4 ,time might have matured his vigour1 while it expanded his views3 matchless as the leader of a party1 he might then have been elevated into the acknowledged leader of a people4 ,the singular daring1 ardent sensitiveness1 and popular ambition1 which made him dangerous in a private station1 might then have found their nobler employment1 and been purified in the broad and lofty region of ministerial duty4 ,he might have enlarged the partizan into the patriot1 and1 instead of being the great leader of a populace1 have been ennobled into the great guide of an empire4 ,but the world never stands still4 ,on the day when ,i returned from moralising on the vanity of life over the grave of ,fox1 ,i received a letter1 a trumpet-call to the mle1 from ,mordecai4 ,it was enthusiastic1 but its enthusiasm had now taken a bolder direction4 ,in abandoning ,england1 he told me1 he had abandoned all minor and personal speculations1 and was now dealing with the affairs of kingdoms4 ,this letter gave only fragments of his views2 but it was easy to see that he contemplated larger results than he ventured to trust to paper4 ,you must come and see me here1 said he1 for it is only here that you can see me as ,i ever desired to be seen2 or in fact1 as nature made me4 ,in your busy metropolis1 ,i was only one of the millions who were content to make a sort of a reptile existence1 creeping on the ground1 and living on the chances of the day4 ,here ,i have thrown off my caterpillar life and am on the wing--a human dragon-fly1 if you will1 darting at a thousand different objects1 enjoying the broad sunshine1 and speeding through the wide air4 ,my invincible attachment to my nation here finds its natural object2 for the sons of ,abraham are here a people4 ,i am a patriarch1 with my flocks and herds1 my shepherds and clansmen1 the sons of my tribe coming to do me honour1 and my heart swelling and glowing with the prospects of national regeneration4 ,i have around me a province to which one of your ,english counties would be but a sheepfold2 a multitude of bold spirits1 to whom your populace would be triflers2 a new nation1 elated by their approaching deliverance1 solemnly indignant at their past oppression1 and determined to shake the land to its centre1 or to recover their freedom4 ,you will speak of this as the vision of an old man--come to us1 and you will see it a splendid reality4 ,but observe1 that ,i expect no miracle4 ,i leave visions to fanatics2 and while ,i acknowledge the ,power of ,powers1 which rides in clouds1 and moves the world by means unknown to human weakness1 ,i look also to the human means which have their place in pushing on the wheels of the great system4 ,the army which has broken down the strength of the ,continent--the force which1 like a whirlwind1 has torn such tremendous chasms through the old domains of ,european power1 and has torn up so many of the forest monarchs by the root--the ,french legions1 the greatest instrument of human change since the ,gothic invasions1 are now marching direct on ,poland4 ,i have seen the man who is at the head of that army--the most extraordinary being whom ,europe has seen for a thousand years--the crowned basilisk of ,france4 ,i own1 that we must beware of his fangs1 of the blast of his nostrils1 and the flash of his eye4 ,he is a terrible production of nature3 but he is on our side1 and1 even if he should be finally trampled1 he will have first done our work4 ,i have had an interview with ,napoleon6 it was long and animated4 ,he spoke to me as to the chief man of my nation1 and ,i answered him in the spirit of the chief man4 ,he pronounced1 that the general change1 essential to the true government of ,europe1 was incapable of being effected without the aid of our people4 ,he spoke contemptuously of the impolicy by which we had been deprived of our privileges1 and declared his determination to place us on a height from which we might move the world4 ,but it was obvious to me1 that under those lofty declarations there was a burning ambition2 that if we were to move the world1 it was for him2 and that1 even then1 we were not to move it for the monarch of ,france1 but for the individual4 ,i saw1 that he was then the dreamer4 ,yet his dream was the extravagance of genius4 ,in those hopeless graspings and wild aspirations1 ,i saw ultimate defeat2 but ,i saw also the nerve and muscle of a gigantic mind4 ,in his pantings after immeasurable power and imperishable dominion1 he utterly forgot the barrier which time throws before the proudest step of human genius2 and that within a few years his head must grow grey1 his blood cold1 the sword be returned to its sheath1 and even the sceptre fall from his withering hand4 ,still1 in our conference1 we both spoke the same language of scorn for human obstacles1 of contempt for the narrowness of human views1 and of our resolution to effect objects which1 in many an after age1 should fix the eye of the world4 ,but he spoke of immortal things2 relying on mortal conjecture and mortal power4 ,i spoke of them on surer grounds4 ,i felt them to be the consummation of promises which nothing can abolish2 to be the offspring of power which nothing can resist4 ,the foundation of his structures was policy1 the foundation of mine was prophecy4 ,and when his shall be scattered as the chaff of the threshing-floor1 and be light as the dust of the balance2 mine shall be deep as the centre1 high as the heavens1 and dazzling as the sun in his glory4 ,in another portion of his letter1 he adverted to the means by which this great operation was to be effected4 ,i have been for three days on the ,vistula1 gazing at the march of the ',grand ,army4' ,it well deserves the name4 ,it is the mightiest mass of power ever combined under one head2 half a million of men4 ,the armies of ,persia were gatherings of clowns compared to this incomparable display of soldiership2 the armies of ,alaric and ,attila were hordes of savages in comparison2 the armies of ancient ,rome alone approached it in point of discipline1 but the most powerful ,roman army never reached a fifth of its number4 ,i see at this moment before me the conquerors of the ,continent1 the brigades which have swept ,italy1 the bayonets and cannon which have broken down ,austria1 and extinguished ,prussia4--,the eagles are now on the wing for a mightier prey4 ,this prediction was like the prayers of the ,homeric heroes-- ,one half the gods dispersed in empty air4 ,poland was not to be liberated2 the crisis was superb1 but the weapon was not equal to the blow4 ,it was the first instance in which the ,french ,emperor was found inferior to his fortune4 ,with incomparable force of intellect1 ,napoleon wanted grandeur of mind4 ,it has become the custom of later years to deny him even superiority of intellect2 but the man who1 in a contest open to all1 goes before all--who converts a republic1 with all its ardour1 haughtiness1 and passion1 into a monarchy at once as rigid and as magnificent as an ,oriental despotism--who1 in a country of warriors1 makes himself the leading warrior--who1 among the circle within circle of the subtlest political intrigues1 baffles all intrigues1 converts them into the material of his own ascendency1 and makes the subtlest and the boldest spirits his instruments and slaves--has given sufficient evidence of the superiority of his talents4 ,the conqueror who beat down in succession all the great military names of ,europe1 must have been a soldier2 the negotiator who vanquished all existing diplomacy1 and the statesman who remodelled the laws1 curbed the fiery temper1 and reduced to discipline the fierce insubordination of a people1 whose first victory had crushed the state1 and heaped the ruins of the throne on the sepulchre of their king--must have been a negotiator and a statesman of the first rank4 ,or1 if those were not the achievements of intellect1 by what were they done8 ,if they were done without it1 of what value is intellect8 ,napoleon had then only found the still superior secret of success2 and we deny his intellect1 simply to give him attributes higher than belong to human nature4--,no man before him dreamed of such success1 no man in his day rivalled it1 no man since his day has attempted its renewal4 ,but he was fortunate6 ,what can be more childish than to attempt the solution of the problem by fortune8 ,fortune is a phantom4 ,circumstances may arise beyond the conception of man2 but where the feebler mind yields to circumstances1 the stronger one shapes1 controls1 and guides them4 ,this man was sent for a great purpose of justice1 and he was gifted with the faculties for its execution4 ,an act of imperial guilt had been committed1 of which ,europe was to be purged by penalty alone4 ,the fall of ,poland was to be made a moral to the governments of the earth2 and ,napoleon was to be the fiery brand that was to imprint the sentence upon the foreheads of the great criminals4 ,it is in contemplations like these1 that the ,spirit of history ministers to the wisdom of mankind4 ,whatever may be the retribution for individuals beyond the grave1 justice on nations must be done in this world2 and here it will be done4 ,the partition of ,poland was the most comprehensive and audacious crime of the modern world4 ,it was a deliberate insult1 at once to the laws of nations and to the majesty of the great ,disposer of nations4 ,and never fell vengeance more immediate1 more distinct1 or more characteristic4 ,the capital of ,austria twice entered over the bodies of its gallant soldiery2 ,russia ravaged and ,moscow burnt2 the ,prussian army extinguished by the massacre of ,jena1 and ,prussia in a day fettered for years--were the summary and solemn retribution of ,heaven4 ,but1 when the penalty was paid1 the fate of the executioner instantly followed4 ,guilt had punished guilt1 and justice was to be alike done upon all4 ,napoleon and his empire vanished1 as the powder vanishes that explodes the mine4 ,the ground was broken up2 the structures of royalty on its surface were deeply fractured2 the havoc was complete2 but the fiery deposit which had effected the havoc was itself scattered into air4 ,his re-establishment of ,poland would have been an act of grandeur4 ,it would have established a new character for the whole ,revolution4 ,it would have shown that the new spirit which had gone forth summoning the world to regeneration1 was itself regeneration2 that it was not a tempter1 but a restorer2 that all conquest was not selfish1 and all protestation not meant to deceive4 ,if ,napoleon had given ,poland a diadem1 and placed it on the brow of ,kosciusko1 he would1 in that act1 have placed on his own brow a diadem which no chance of the field could have plucked away2 an imperishable and dazzling answer to all the calumnies of his age1 and all the doubts of posterity4 ,he might even have built1 in the restoration of the fallen kingdom1 a citadel for his own security in all the casualties of empire2 but1 in all events1 he would have fixed in the political heaven a star which1 to the last recollection of mankind1 would have thrown light on his sepulchre1 and borne his name4 ,the fall of the ,foxite ministry opened the way to a new cabinet1 and ,i resumed my office4 ,but we marched in over ruins4 ,in the short period of their power1 ,europe had been shattered4 ,england had stood aloof and escaped the shock2 but to stand aloof then was her crime--her sympathy might have saved the tottering system4 ,now1 all was gone4 ,when we looked over the whole level of the ,continent1 we saw but two thrones--,france and ,russia2 all the rest were crushed4 ,they stood1 but their structure was shattered1 stripped of its adornments1 and ready to crumble down at the first blow4 ,england was without an ally4 ,we had begun the war with ,europe in our line of battle2 we now stood alone4 ,yet1 the spirit of the nation was never bolder than in this hour1 when a storm of hostility seemed to be gathering round us from every quarter of the world4 ,still1 there were voices of ill omen among our leading men4 ,it was said1 that ,france and ,russia had resolved to divide the world between them--to monopolize the ,east and the ,west2 to extinguish all the minor sovereignties2 to abolish all the constitutions2 to turn the world into two vast menageries1 in which the lesser monarchies should be shown1 as caged lions1 for the pomp of the two lords-paramount of the globe4 ,i heard this language from philosophers1 from orators1 even from statesmen2 but ,i turned to the people1 and ,i found the spirit of their forefathers unshaken in them still--the bold defiance of the foreigner1 the lofty national scorn of his gasconading1 the desire to grapple more closely with his utmost strength1 and the willingness1 nay1 the passionate desire1 to rest the cause of ,europe on their championship alone4 ,i never heard among the multitude a sound of that despair which had become the habitual language of ,opposition4 ,they had answered the call to arms with national ardour4 ,the land was filled with voluntary levies1 and the constant cry of the people was--conflict with the enemy1 any where1 at any time1 or upon any terms4 ,more fully versed in their national history than any other ,european people1 they remembered1 that in every war with ,france1 for a thousand years1 ,england had finished with victory2 that she had never suffered any one decisive defeat in the war1 that where the forces of the two nations could come fairly into contact1 their troops had always been successful2 and that from the moment when ,france ventured to contest the empire of the seas1 all the battles of ,england were triumphs1 until the enemy was swept from the ocean4 ,the new cabinet formed its plans on the national confidence1 and executed them with statesmanlike decision4 ,the struggle on the ,continent was at an end2 but they resolved to gird it with a chain of fire4 ,every port was shut up by ,english guns2 every shore was watched by ,english eyes4 ,outside this chain1 the world was our own4 ,the ocean was free2 every sea was traversed by our commerce with as much security as in the most profound peace4 ,the contrast with the ,continent was of the most striking order4 ,there all was the dungeon--one vast scene of suffering and outcry2 of coercion and sorrow2 the conscription1 the confiscation1 the licensed plunder1 the bitter and perpetual insult4 ,the hearts of men died within them1 and they crept silently to their obscure graves4 ,wounds1 poverty1 and ferocious tyranny1 the heart-gnawing pangs of shame1 and the thousand thorns which national and conscious degradation strews on the pillow of men crushed by the insolence of a soldiery1 wore away the human race2 provinces were unpeopled1 and a generation were laid prematurely in the grave4 ,the recollections of the living world will long point to this period as the most menacing portion of all history4 ,the ancient tyrannies were bold1 presumptuous1 and remorseless monopolies of power2 but their pressure scarcely descended to the multitude4 ,it crushed the senator1 the patrician1 and the man of opulence2 as the tempest smites the turrets of the palace1 or shatters the pinnacles of the mountain range4 ,but the despotism of ,france searched the humblest condition of man4 ,it tyrannized over the cottage1 as fiercely as it had swept over the thrones4 ,the ,german or ,italian peasant saw his son torn away1 to perish in some distant region1 of which he knew no more than that it was the grave of the thousands and tens of thousands of his fellow shepherds and vintagers4 ,the despotism of ,france less resembled the domination of man1 from which1 with all its vigilance1 there is some hope of escape1 than the subtlety of a demon1 which has an evil and a sting for every heart1 and by which nothing can be forgotten1 and nothing will be spared4 ,in the whole immense circle of ,french dominion1 no man could lay his head down to rest1 with a security that he might not be roused at midnight1 to be flung into a captivity from which he was never to return4 ,no man could look upon his property1 the earnings of his manhood1 the resource for his age1 or the provision for his children1 without the knowledge that it was at the mercy of the plunderer2 no man could look upon the birth of his child1 without the bitter consciousness that another victim was preparing for the general sacrifice2 nor could see the ripening form or intellect of those who were given to him by ,providence for the comfort and companionship of his advancing years1 without a conviction that they would be swept away from him4 ,he felt that he would be left unsheltered and alone2 and that those in whom his life was wrapt1 and whom he would have gladly given his life to save1 were destined to perish by some ,german or ,russian bayonet1 and make their last bed among the swamps of the ,danube or the snows of ,poland4 ,i am not now speaking from the natural abhorrence of the ,briton for tyranny alone4 ,the proofs are before the eye of mankind4 ,within little more than half the first year of the ,polish campaign1 three conscriptions1 of eighty thousand youths each1 were demanded from ,france alone4 ,two hundred and forty thousand living beings were torn from their parents1 and sent to perish in the field1 the hospital1 and on the march through deserts where winter reigns in boundless supremacy6 ,let the man of ,england rejoice that those terrible inflictions cannot be laid on him1 and be grateful to the freedom which protects the most favoured nation of mankind4 ,arbitrary arrest and the conscription are the two heads of the serpent--either would embitter the existence of the most prosperous state of society2 they both at this hour gnaw the vitals of the continental states2 they alienate the allegiance1 and chill the affections2 even where they are mitigated by the character of the sovereigns1 they still remain the especial evils which the noblest patriotism should apply all its efforts to extinguish1 and the removal of which it would be the most illustrious boon of princes to confer upon their people4 ,but the ramparts of that empire of slavery and suffering were to be shaken at last4 ,the breach was to be made and stormed by ,england2 ,europe was to be summoned to achieve its own deliverance2 and ,england was to move at the head of the proudest armament that ever marched to conquest for the liberties of mankind4 ,she began by a thunder-clap4 ,the peace with ,russia had laid the ,czar at the mercy of ,france4 ,napoleon had intrigued to make him a confederate in the league against mankind4 ,but the generous nature of the ,russian monarch shrank from the conspiracy1 and the secret articles of the treaty of ,tilsit were divulged to the ,british cabinet4 ,i shall not now say from what authority they came2 but the confidence was spontaneous1 and the effect decisive4 ,those ,articles contained the outline of a plan for combining all the fleets of subject ,europe1 and pouring the final vengeance of war on our shores4 ,the right wing of that tremendous armament was to be formed of the ,danish and ,russian fleets4 ,this confederacy must be broken up1 or we must see a hundred and eighty ships of the line1 freighted with a ,french and ,russian army1 at the mouth of the ,thames4 ,there was not a moment to be lost1 if we were to act at all2 for a ,french force was already within a march of the ,great ,belt1 to garrison ,denmark4 ,the question was debated in council1 in all its bearings4 ,all were fully aware of the hypocritical clamour which would be raised by the men who were lending themselves to every atrocity of ,france4 ,we were not less prepared for the furious declamation of that professor of universal justice and protector of the rights of neutral nations--the ,french ,emperor4 ,but the necessity was irresistible2 the act was one of self-defence2 and it was executed accordingly1 and with instant and incomparable vigour4 ,a fleet and army were dispatched to the ,baltic4 ,an assault of three days gave the ,danish fleet into our hands4 ,the confederacy was broken up by the ,british batteries2 and the armament returned1 with twenty sail of the enemy's line1 as trophies of the best planned and boldest expedition of the war4 ,napoleon raged2 but it was at finding that ,england could show a promptitude like his own1 sanctioned by a better cause4 ,denmark complained pathetically of the infringement of peace1 before she had completed her preparations for war2 but every man of political understanding1 even in ,denmark1 rejoiced at her being disburdened of a fleet1 whose subsistence impoverished her revenues1 and whose employment could only have involved her in fatal hostilities with ,britain4 ,russia was loudest in her indignation1 but a smile was mingled with her frown4 ,her statesmen were secretly rejoiced to be relieved from all share in the fearful enterprise of an encounter with the fleets of ,england1 and her ,emperor was not less rejoiced to find1 that she had still the sagacity and the courage which could as little be baffled as subdued1 and to which the powers of the ,north themselves might look for refuge in the next struggle of diadems4 ,this was but the dawning of the day2 the sun was soon to rise4 ,yet1 public life has its difficulties in proportion to its height4 ,as ,walpole said1 that no man knows the human heart but a minister2 so no man knows the real difficulties of office1 but the man of office4 ,lures to his passions1 temptations to his integrity1 and alarms to his fears1 are perpetually acting on his sense of honour4 ,to make a false step is the most natural thing in the world under all those impulses2 and one false step ruins him4 ,the rumour reached me that there were dissensions in the cabinet2 and1 though all was smooth to the eye1 ,i had soon sufficient proof that the intelligence was true4 ,a prominent member of the administration was the object of the intrigue4 ,he was an intelligent1 high-spirited1 and straightforward man1 open in language1 if the language was not of the most classic order2 and bold in his conceptions1 if those conceptions were not formed on the most accomplished knowledge4 ,he had attained his high position1 partly by public services1 but still more by connexion4 ,it was impossible to refuse respect to his general powers1 but it was equally impossible to deny the intellectual superiority of his competitor4 ,the contrast which they presented in the ,house was decisive of their talents for debate4 ,while the one spoke his mind with the uncultured expressions of the moment2 the other never addressed the ,house but with the polished and pointed diction of the orator4 ,he was the most accomplished of debaters4--,always prepared1 always pungent1 often powerful4 ,distinguished in early life by scholarship1 he had brought all the finer spirit of his studies into the business of public life4 ,he was the delight of the ,house2 and the boundless applause which followed his eloquence1 and paid an involuntary tribute to his mastery of public affairs1 not unnaturally stimulated his ambition to possess that leading official rank to which he seemed called by the right of nature4 ,the rivalry at length became open and declared2 it had been felt too deeply to die away among the casual impressions of public life2 it had been suppressed too long to be forgiven on either side2 and the crisis was evidently approaching in which it was necessary to take a part with either of those gifted men4 ,i seldom spent more anxious hours in the course of an anxious life1 than during the period of this deliberation4 ,i felt all the fascinations of the man of genius4 ,on the other hand1 ,i respected all the solid and manly qualities of his opponent4 ,in a personal view1 the issue of the contest was likely to produce evil to my own views4 ,i was still a dependent upon fortune4 ,i had new ties and interests1 which made official income more important to me day by day4 ,in the fall of the administration ,i must follow the general fate4--,in making my decision with the unsuccessful candidate for power1 ,i must go down along with him2 and the claims of the competitors were so equally balanced1 and both were so distinguished1 that it was beyond all conjecture to calculate the result4 ,i1 too1 was not without many a temptation to perplex my judgment4 ,the rivalry had at length become public1 and the friends of each were active in securing opinions among the holders of office4 ,the whole was a lottery1 but with my political existence dependent on my escaping a blank4 ,in this dilemma ,i consulted my oracle1 ,clotilde4 ,her quick intelligence decided for me at once4 ,you must resign1 said she4 ,you value both2 you cannot side with either without offending their feelings1 or1 what ,i more regard1 distressing your own4 ,both are men of intelligence and honour1 and they will understand your motives and respect them4 ,to retain office is impossible4 ,but1 ,clotilde1 how can ,i bear the thought of reducing you and my infants to the discomforts of a narrow income1 and the obscurity of a life of retirement8 ,a thousand times better1 than you could endure the thought of retaining office against your judgment1 or taking a part against a friend4 ,follow the impressions of your own generous nature1 and you will be dearer than ever to ,clotilde--even though it condemned us all to the deepest obscurity4 ,tears gushed into her eyes as she spoke the words2 and in her heart she was evidently less of the heroine than in her language3 the children had come playing round her feet at the moment2 and the family picture of the reverse in our fortunes1 filled with this cluster of young faces1 unconscious of the chance which lay before them1 was too severe a trial for a mother's feelings4 ,her tears flowed abundantly1 and the beating of her heart showed the anguish of her sacrifice4 ,but she still persisted in her determination4 ,as ,i took leave of her to go down to the ,house1 her last words1 as she pressed my hand1 were--,resign1 and leave the rest to fortune4 ,a motion on the subject of the rival claims had been appointed for the evening2 and the premier was to open the debate4 ,the ,house was crowded at an early hour2 and as my services were required in the discussion1 ,i postponed the communication of my resolve1 until the division should announce that my labours were at an end4 ,but the hour passed away in routine business4 ,still1 the premier did not appear4 ,the anxiety grew excessive4 ,at length whispers ran round the benches1 of a rencounter between the two distinguished individuals2 and1 like all rumours of this nature1 the results were pronounced to be of the most alarming kind4 ,the consternation was gradually mitigated by the announcement that one of the combatants remained unhurt1 but that the other had received a mortal wound4 ,the ,house was speedily deserted2 and all rushed out to ascertain the truth of this melancholy intelligence4 ,yet1 nothing was to be gathered among the numberless reports of the night1 and ,i returned home harassed almost into fever4 ,the morning quieted the general alarm4 ,the wound was dangerous1 but not mortal2 and both combatants had sent in their resignation4 ,it was accepted by royalty1 and before another night fell2 ,i was sent for by the premier1 and offered one of the vacant offices4 ,such are the chances of public life4 ,the lottery had been drawn1 and mine was a prize4 ,with what feelings ,i returned on that night to my fireside2 with what welcome ,i was received by my gentle1 yet heroic1 wife2 or with what eyes ,i glanced upon my infants1 as they came to ask the paternal kiss and blessing before they parted for their pillows1 ,i leave to those who know the rejoicing of the heart1 to conceive4 ,those events had shaken the ministry1 as dissensions always have done2 and it still cost us many a severe struggle to resist the force of ,opposition combined with the clamours of the country4 ,england and ,france now presented a spectacle unexampled in the annals of hostilities1 engaged in a war which seemed interminable--both determined to conquer or perish2 both impelled by the most daring courage2 yet neither able to inflict the slightest blow upon the other1 with but fifteen miles between4 ,france was nearer to ,russia1 nay1 was nearer to the remotest extremity of ,asia1 than to ,england4 ,in the midst of the fiercest war1 both preserved the attitude of the most profound peace4 ,the lion and the tiger1 couching on the opposite sides of some impassable ravine1 each watching the fiery eyes and naked fangs of the other1 would have been the natural emblems of this hopeless thirst of encounter between the two most powerful and exasperated nations of the earth4 ,it is no superstition to trace those events to a higher source than man4 ,the conclusion of this vast conflict was already written1 in a record above the short-sighted vision and infirm memory of our nature4 ,in all the earlier guilt of ,europe1 ,france has been the allotted punisher of the ,continent2 and ,england the allotted punisher of ,france4 ,i make no presumptuous attempt to explain the reason2 but the process is incontestable4 ,when private profligacy combines with some atrocious act of public vice to make the crimes of the ,continent intolerable1 ,france is sent forth to carry fire and sword to its boundaries1 to crush its armies in the field1 to sack its cities1 and to decimate its population4 ,then comes the penalty of the punisher4 ,the crimes of ,france demand purgation4 ,the strength of ,england is summoned to this stern duty1 and ,france is scourged2 her military pride is broken2 her power is paralysed1 peace follows1 and ,europe rests for a generation4 ,the process has been so often renewed1 and has been completed with such irresistible regularity1 that the principle is a law4 ,the period for this consummation was now come once more4 ,i was sitting in my library one evening1 when a stranger was introduced1 who had brought a letter from the officer commanding our squadron on the ,spanish coast4 ,he was a man of noble presence1 of stately stature1 and with a countenance exhibiting all the vivid expression of the ,south4 ,he was a ,spanish nobleman from the ,asturias1 and deputed by the authorities to demand succours in the national rising against the common enemy1 ,napoleon4 ,i was instinctively struck by the measureless value of resistance in a country which opened to us the whole flank of ,france2 but the intelligence was so wholly unexpected1 so entirely beyond calculation1 and at the same time so pregnant with the highest results to ,england1 that ,i was long incredulous4 ,i was prepared to doubt the involuntary exaggeration of men who had every thing at stake2 the feverish tone of minds embarked in the most formidable of all struggles2 and even the passion of the southern in every event and object1 of force sufficient to arouse him into action4 ,but the ,asturian was firm in his assurances1 clear and consistent in his views1 and there was even a candour in his confession of the unprepared state of his country1 which added largely to my confidence4 ,our dialogue was1 ,i believe1 unprecedented for the plainness of its enquiries and replies4 ,it was perfectly ,lacedmonian4 ,what regular force can ,spain bring into the field8 ,none4 ,what force has ,napoleon in ,spain at this moment8 ,at least two hundred and fifty thousand men1 and those in the highest state of equipment and discipline4 ,and yet you venture to resist8 ,we have resisted1 we shall resist1 and we shall beat them4 ,in what state are your fortresses8 ,one half of them in the hands of the ,french1 and the other half1 without garrisons1 provisions1 or even guns2 still1 we shall beat them4 ,are not the ,french troops in possession of all the provinces8 ,yes4 ,are they not in fact masters of the country8 ,no4 ,how am ,i to reconcile those statements8 ,the ,french are masters by day2 the ,spaniards are masters by night4 ,but you have none of the elements of national government4 ,you have lost your king4 ,so much the better4 ,your princes1 nobles1 and court4 ,so much the better4 ,even your prime minister and whole administration are in the hands of the enemy4 ,best of all6 said the respondent1 with a frown like a thunder-cloud4 ,what resource1 then1 have you8 ,the people6 exclaimed the ,spaniard1 in a tone of superb defiance4 ,still--powerful as a united people are--before you can call upon a ,british government to embark in such a contest1 it must be shown that the people are capable of acting together2 that they are not separated by the jealousies which proverbially divide your country4 ,seor ,inglese1 said the ,don1 with a ,cervantic curl of the lip1 ,i see1 that ,spain has not been neglected among the studies of your high station4 ,but ,spain is not to be studied in books4 ,she is not to be sketched1 like a fragment of a ,moorish castle1 and carried off in a portfolio4 ,europe knows nothing of her4 ,you must pass the ,pyrenees to conceive her existence4 ,she lives on principles totally distinct from those of all other nations2 and ,france will shortly find1 that she never made a greater mistake than when she thought1 that even the southern slope of the ,pyrenees was like the northern4 ,but1 said ,i1 the disunion of your provinces1 the extinction of your army1 and the capture of your executive government1 must leave the country naked to invasion4 ,the contest may be gallant1 but the hazard must be formidable4 ,to sustain a war against the disciplined troops of ,france1 and the daring determination of its ruler1 would require a new age of miracle4 ,the ,spaniard bit his lip1 and was silent4 ,at all events1 your proposals do honour to the spirit of your country1 and ,i shall not be the man to throw obstacles in your way4 ,draw up a memoir2 state your means1 your objects and your intentions1 distinctly2 and ,i shall lay it before the government without delay4 ,seor ,inglese1 it shall be done4 ,in that memoir1 ,i shall simply say that ,spain has six ranges of mountains1 all impregnable1 and that the ,spanish people are resolved to defend them2 that the country is one vast natural fortress2 that the ,spanish soldier can sleep on the sand1 can live on the simplest food1 and the smallest quantity of that food2 that he can march fifty miles a-day2 that he is of the same blood as the conquerors of the ,moors1 and with the soldiers of ,charles ,v42 and that he requires only discipline and leaders to equal the glory of his forefathers4 ,his fine features glanced with manly exultation4 ,still1 before ,i can bring your case before the country1 we must be enabled to have an answer for the objections of the legislature4 ,your provinces are scarcely less hostile to each other than they are to the enemy4 ,what plan can unite them in one system of defence8 and1 without that union1 how can resistance be effectual8 ,spain stands alone1 was the reply4 ,her manners1 her feelings1 and her people1 have no examples in ,europe4 ,her war will have as little similarity to the wars of its governments4 ,it will be a war1 not of armies1 but of the shepherd1 of the artificer1 the muleteer1 the contrabandist--a war of all classes the peasant1 the priest1 the noble1 nay1 the beggar on the highway4 ,but this was the war of her ancestors1 the war of the ,asturias1 which cleared the country of the ,moors1 and will clear it of the ,french4 ,all ,spain a mass of hostility1 a living tide of unquenchable hatred and consuming fire--the ,french battalions1 pouring over the ,pyrenees1 will be like battalions poured into the ocean4 ,they will be engulfed2 they will never return4 ,our provinces are divided1 but they have one invincible bond--abhorrence of the ,french4 ,even their division is not infirmity1 but strength4 ,they know so little of each other that even the conquest of one half of ,spain would be scarcely felt by the rest4 ,this will be a supreme advantage in the species of war which we contemplate--a war of desultory but perpetual assaults1 of hostilities that cease neither night nor day1 of campaigns that know no distinction between summer and winter--a war in which no pitched battles will be fought1 but in which every wall will be a rampart1 every hollow of the hills a camp1 every mountain a citadel1 every roadside1 and swamp1 and rivulet1 the place of an ambuscade4 ,we shall have no battalions and brigades1 we require no tactics2 our sole science will be1 to kill the enemy wherever he can be reached by bullet or knife1 until we make ,spain the tomb of invasion1 and her very name an omen1 and a ruin to the tyrant on the ,french throne4 ,the councils of ,england in the crisis were worthy of her ancient name4 ,it was resolved to forget the long injuries of which ,spain had been the instrument1 during her passive submission to the arrogance of her ally and master4 ,the ,bourbons were now gone2 the nation was disencumbered of that government of chamberlains1 maids of honour1 and duennas4 ,it was to be no longer stifled in the perfumed atmosphere of court boudoirs1 or to be chilled in the damps of the cloister4 ,its natural and noble proportions were to be left unfettered and undisguised by the formal fashions of past centuries of grave frivolity and decorous degradation4 ,the giant was to rise refreshed4 ,the ,samson was to resume his primal purpose2 he was no longer to sleep in the lap of his ,delilah2 the national fame was before him1 and1 breaking his manacles at one bold effort1 he was thenceforth to stand1 as nature had moulded him1 powerful and prominent among mankind4 ,these were dreams1 but they were high-toned and healthy dreams--the anticipations of a great country accustomed to the possession of freedom1 and expecting to plant national regeneration wherever it set foot upon the soil4 ,the cause of ,spain was universally adopted by the people and was welcomed by ,parliament with acclamation2 the appointment of a minister to represent the cabinet in ,spain was decided on1 and this distinguished commission was pressed upon my personal sense of duty by the sovereign4 ,my official rank placed me above ambassadorships1 but a service of this order had a superior purpose4 ,it was a mission of the country1 not of the minister4 ,i was to be the instrument of an imperial declaration of good-will1 interest1 and alliance to a whole people4 ,in another week1 the frigate which conveyed me was flying before the breeze1 along the iron-bound shore of ,galicia2 the brightest and most burning of skies was over my head1 the most billowy of seas was dashing and foaming round me1 and my eye was in continual admiration of the noble mountain barriers which1 in a thousand shapes1 guard the western coast of ,spain from the ocean4 ,at length the bay of ,corunna opened before us2 our anchor dropped1 and ,i made my first step on the most picturesque shore1 and among the most original people1 of ,europe4 ,my destination was ,madrid2 but it was essential that ,i should ascertain all the facts in my power from the various provincial governments as ,i passed along2 and ,i thus obtained a more ample knowledge of the people than could have fallen to the lot of the ordinary traveller4 ,i consulted with their juntas1 ,i was present at their festivals1 ,i rode with their hidalgos1 and ,i marched with their troops4 ,one of the peculiarities which1 as an ,englishman1 has always interested me in foreign travel is1 that it brings us back to a period different from the existing age at home4 ,all descending from a common stock1 every nation of ,europe has made a certain advance2 but the advance has been of different degrees4 ,five hundred years ago1 they were all nearly alike4 ,in the ,netherlands1 ,i continually felt myself carried back to the days of the ,protectorate2 ,i saw nearly the same costume1 the same formality of address1 and the same habits of domestic life4 ,in ,germany1 ,i went back a century further1 and saw the ,english primitive style of existence1 the same stiff architecture1 the same mingling of stateliness and simplicity1 not forgetting the same homage to the divine right of kings4 ,in ,spain1 ,i found myself in the thirteenth century1 and but for the language1 the heat1 and the brown visages around me1 could have imagined myself in ,england1 in the days when barons bold still exercised the rights of feudalism1 when gallant archers killed the king's deer without the king's permission1 and when the priest was the lawgiver of the land4 ,day by day1 ,i saw the pilgrim making his weary way from shrine to shrine2 the landowner caracoling his handsome horse over wild heaths and half-made highways--that horse caparisoned with as many fantastic trappings as the charger of chivalry1 and both horse and rider forming no feeble representation of the knight bound on adventure4 ,i saw the monastery of our old times1 exhibiting all its ancient solidity1 sternness1 and pomp2 with its hundred brethren2 its crowd of sallow1 silent domestics2 its solemn service2 and even with its beggars crowding and quarreling for their daily dole at its gate4 ,the face of the country seemed to have been unchanged since the first invasion of the ,visigoths3--immense commons1 grown barren from the absence of all cultivation2 vast1 dreary sheep-walks2 villages1 few1 rude1 and thinly peopled2 the absence of all enclosures1 and a general look of loneliness1 which1 however1 ,i could have scarcely imagined in ,england at any period since the ,heptarchy4 ,yet1 those wild wastes were often interspersed with delicious spots2 where1 after toiling half the day over a desert wild as ,arabia1 the traveller suddenly stood on the brink of some sweet and secluded valley1 where the eye rested on almost tropical luxuriance--all the shrubs and blossoms which require so much shelter in our rougher climate1 flourishing in the open air2 hedges of myrtle and jessamine2 huge olives1 and primeval vines1 spreading1 in all the prodigality of nature1 over the rocks2 parasite plants clothing the oaks and elms with drapery of all colours1 floating in every breath of wind2 and1 most delicious of all1 in the fiery centre of ,spain1 streams1 cool as ice and clear as crystal1 gushing and glancing away through the depths of the valley2 sometimes glittering in the sun1 then plunging into shade1 then winding along1 seen by starts1 like silver snakes1 until they were lost under sheets of copse and foliage1 unpruned by the hand of man1 and which seemed penetrable only by the bird or the hare4 ,,waterton',s ,,second ,,series ,,of ,,essays4#h ,at the conclusion of the autobiography prefixed to his former series of ,essays1 published some years since1 ,mr ,waterton announced that he then put away the pen not to be used again except in self-defence4 ,that this resolution has been departed from1 from whatever motive1 will be matter for congratulation to most1 if not all1 of the readers of the ,wanderings and ,essays2 and the volume before us derives an additional interest from its being an unsolicited donation to the widow of his deceased friend1 ,mr ,loudon1 the well-known naturalist4 ,methinks the author would not have done amiss in continuing1 both to this and the former series of essays1 the peculiarly appropriate title under which his first lucubrations were given to the world3 since veritable ,wanderings they are over every imaginable variety of subject and climate1 from caymans in the ,essequibo to the blood of ,st ,januarius at ,naples2 schemes for the banishment of ,hanoverian rats 7,mr ,w4 never allows this voracious intruder a ,british denizenship7 in ,yorkshire1 and for averting the projected banishment of the rooks in ,scotland4 ,among the amusing omniun gatherum intermingled with the valuable ornithological information in the present volume1 we find dissertations on the gigantic raspberries1 now1 alas6 no more produced in the ruined garden of ,walton ,hall--on the evils of tight shoes1 tight lacing1 and stiff cravats--on the natural history of that extinct-by-law variety of the human species called the chimney sweeper--and last1 not least1 on that of the author himself1 in the continuation of his unique autobiography2 and we rejoice to find him1 though now close upon his grand climacteric1 still able to climb a tree by the aid of toes which have never been cramped by tight shoes1 with all the vigour1 if not all the agility1 of his lusty youth1 breathing hostility against no living creature except ,mr ,swainson and ,sir ,robert ,peel--the little love he already bore to the latter for framing the oath of abjuration for ,catholics#i not being greatly augmented by the imposition of the income-tax--and still maintaining in ,walton ,park an inviolable asylum for crows1 hawks1 owls1 and all the generally proscribed tribes of the feathered race4 ,the continuation of the autobiography is taken up from the publication of the first volume of essays in #ahcg1 and consists chiefly of the narrative of adventures by land and perils by sea1 in an expedition with his family1 by the route of ,holland and the ,rhine1 to the sunny shores of ,italy4 ,but the intervening period was not without incidents worthy of record4 ,by a judicious system of pavement joined with ,roman cement1 and drains secured at the mouths by iron grates1 ,charles ,waterton1 in the year of grace #ahci1 effectually cleared the premises at ,walton ,hall of every ,hanoverian rat1 young and old 444 and if ,i were to offer ,l4#bj sterling money for the capture of a single individual1 in or about any part of the premises1 not one could be procured4 ,not long after this memorable achievement1 a case of hydrophobia in ,nottingham promised to afford him an opportunity of trying the virtues of the famous ,wourali poison1 as a cure for this dreadful and hitherto unconquerable malady4 ,the difficulties and dangers encountered in the search for this potent narcotic through the wilds of ,guiana1 and the subsequent experiments on the ass ,wouralia1 which1 after being apparently deprived of life by its influence1 was revived by the inflation of the lungs with a blowpipe1 and lived twenty-four years in clover at ,walton1 are familiar to the readers of the ,wanderings--but its presumed efficacy in cases of hydrophobia was not destined to be tested in the present instance1 as the patient had expired before ,mr ,w4's arrival4 ,its powers were1 however1 exhibited in the presence of a scientific assemblage3--one of two asses operated upon1 though restored at the time1 died on the third day1 the other was perfectly recovered by the process of artificial respiration1 and every person present seemed convinced that the virulence of the ,wourali poison was completely under the command of the operator 444 and that it can be safely applied to a human being labouring under hydrophobia6 ,now this inference1 with all due deference to ,mr ,waterton1 appears to partake not a little of the non sequitur2 and unless the modus operandi by which relief is to be obtained during the suspension of vitality thus produced is more clearly explained1 we doubt whether many applications will be made for the scientific assistance of ,mr ,gibson of the ,general ,hospital at ,nottingham1 to give the sufferer a chance of saving his life by the supposed1 though yet untried1 efficacy of the ,wourali poison1 which1 worst come to the worst1 would1 by its sedative qualities1 render death calm and composed1 and free from pain4 ,satisfied1 however1 with the somewhat equivocal result of this experiment1 ,mr ,waterton resumed his preparations for departure1 and having called up the gamekeeper1 and made him promise1 as he valued his place1 that he would protect all hawks1 crows1 herons1 jays1 and magpies1 sailed from ,hull for ,rotterdam with his two sisters-in-law and his only son1 a boy eleven years of age4 ,mr ,waterton's ,catholic sympathies for the ,belgian revolt1 for real liberty in religious matters1 and his lamentations over the magnificent churches in ,holland1 stripped of their pictures and ornaments on the change of religion1 do not prevent his feeling very favourably disposed towards the ,dutch and their country1 the uniformity of which1 and the even tenor of their tempers1 appear as if one had been made for the other4 ,the protection extended to the stork1 which builds without fear in the heart of their towns1 gives them an additional claim on his good-will2 and would but our country gentlemen put a stop to the indiscriminate slaughter of birds by their ruthless gamekeepers1 we should not have to visit ,holland to see the true habits of the stork1 nor roam through ,germany to enjoy the soaring of the kite--a bird once very common in this part of ,yorkshire1 but now a total stranger to it4 ,the progressive extinction of so many of the larger species of birds once indigenous to ,england before the progress of drainage and clearing2 has long been a subject of regret not only to the naturalist but the sportsman4 ,of the stately bustard1 once the ornament of all our downs1 scarce a solitary straggler now remains--the crane1 as well as the stork1 which once abounded in the fen districts1 has totally disappeared2 and though the success which has attended the attempts to re-introduce the capercailzie in ,scotland has restored to us one of our lost species1 it is much to be feared that unless ,mr ,waterton's example1 in converting his park into a sanctuary1 be followed by other country gentlemen of ornithological tastes1 the raven1 the crow1 and the larger species of hawks1 in whose preservation no one is interested1 and which are already becoming rar aves1 in the agricultural districts1 will eventually disappear from the ,british ,fauna4 ,the great influx of ,english into ,belgium1 while scarce any are to be found in ,holland1 is attributed1 probably with reason1 to the national love of sight-seeing1 which finds gratification in the ceremonies and decorations of the ,belgian churches--up and down which crowds of ,english are for ever sauntering4444 ',how have you got over your time to-day8' ,i said one afternoon to an acquaintance1 who1 like ,mr ,noddy's eldest son in ,sterne1 was travelling through ,europe at a prodigious speed1 and had very little spare time on his hands4 ,he said he had knocked off thirteen churches that morning6 ,the headquarters of the ,english residents appear to be at ,bruges1 and ,mr ,waterton highly approves of the selection3--,did my habits allow me to prefer streets to woods and green fields1 ,i could retire to ,bruges1 and there end my days4 ,but after visiting the convent of ,english nuns1 where some of the ladies of ,mr ,waterton's family had received their education1 and the portrait of that regal profligate1 ,charles ,,ii4 7,mr ,waterton's love of truth here gets the better of his ancestral predilections for the house of ,stuart7 in the hall of the ancient society of archers1 of which he was a member during his exile1 the travellers continued their route by ,ghent and along the valley of the ,meuse1 which1 on a fine warm day in ,july1 appears as rich and beautiful as any valley can well be on this side of ancient ,paradise1 to ,aix-la-,chapelle4 ,at this famous ,prussian watering-place ,mr ,waterton found much to move his bile1 not only in the sight of ladies risking their fortunes at the public gaming-tables authorised and protected by government1 but in the folly of the valetudinarians1 who perversely counteract the beneficial effects of the waters by resorting to the salle--manger1 and there partaking of all the luxuries from the cornucopia of ,epicurus1 ,bacchus1 and ,ceres4 ,he derived some consolation1 however1 from the contemplation of the magnificent and varied prospect from the wooded heights of the ,louisberg above the town2 and the sight1 on his last visit1 of a pair of ravens circling over his head in arial revolutions1 and then winging their way towards the forest of ,ardennes1 awakened recollections of home1 and of the rascally cobbler who desecrated the ,sunday morning by robbing the last raven's nest in this vicinity4 ,at ,freyburg they encountered a phenomenon1 in the shape of a poetical ,german waiter--and a poet1 too1 in the ,english language1 though he had never been in ,england1 nor much among ,english2 but the waiter's effusions1 the subject of which was the cathedral of ,freyburg1 were never destined to reach ,england1 but now lie1 with the rest of ,mr ,waterton's travelling goods and chattels1 in the wreck of the ,pollux1 at the bottom of the ,mediterranean sea4 ,the passage of the ,alps disappointed our traveller's hopes of finding among their heights some of the rarer ,european birds3--the earth appeared one huge barren waste1 and the heavens produced not a single inhabitant of air4 ,on descending the southern side of the mountains1 they at length received ocular demonstration of their being really in ,italy1 by observing matronly-looking woman engaged in certain offices touching the long black hair of her daughter1 which showed that combs were still as scarce as when ,horace stigmatized the incomptum caput of ,canidia2 and the necessity of lavender water1 to pass with any thing like comfort through the town and villages which looked so enchanting at a distance in the midst of their olive groves and cypresses1 is feelingly commented upon4 ,but before entering ,rome1 we must give ,mr ,waterton's own account of an exploit which made some noise at the time of its performance1 and the motives at least of which appear to have been mis-stated4 ,on a former visit1 he had gained great renown by climbing1 in company with ,captain ,alexander of the royal navy1 to the summit of the cross surmounting the ball of ,st ,peter's1 and leaving his gloves on the point of the conductor6 and as a pendant to this notable achievement1 it was announced about this time1 in most of the ,english papers1 that in a fervour of religious enthusiasm1 on approaching the ,eternal ,city1 he had walked barefoot as a pilgrim the last twenty miles1 and thus so severely lacerated his feet as to be incapable for some time of moving4 ,would that my motives had been as pure as represented6 ,the sanctity of the churches1 the remains of holy martyrs which enrich them1 the relics of canonized saints placed in such profusion throughout them1 might well induce a ,catholic traveller to adopt this easy and simple mode of showing his religious feeling4 ,but1 unfortunately1 the idea never entered my mind at the time2 ,i had no other motives than those of easy walking and self-enjoyment4 ,the enjoyment to be derived from walking without shoes or stockings over a rough pavement1 in sharp frost1 proved as problematical in practice as it would be to most persons in theory2 and ,mr ,waterton found to his cost1 that the fifteen years which had elapsed since he went barefoot with impunity in the forests of ,guiana1 had materially impaired his soles' power of endurance4 ,after sustaining a severe injury in his right foot1 of which the intensity of the cold prevented his being sensible at the instant1 he was glad to resume his chaussure1 and was laid up on the sofa for two months after his arrival4 ,it was this unfortunate adventure which gave rise to the story of my walking barefooted into ,rome1 and which gained me a reputation by no means merited on my part4 ,notwithstanding this mishap1 and the many things offensive to ,english feelings in the manifold impurities of ,roman streets and kitchens1 ,mr ,waterton speaks with much satisfaction of his sojourn for several months in ,rome1 immortal ,rome1 replete with every thing that can instruct and please4 ,though his former visits had in great degree satiated him with galleries and palaces1 he still found great attractions in the studio of the ,roman ,landseer1 ,vallati1#aj the famous painter of wild-boars2 but his great point of attraction seems to have been the bird-market near the ,pantheon--the extent of traffic in which may be judged from the statement1 that during the spring and autumn passage of the quails1 which are taken in nets of prodigious extent on the shores of the ,mediterranean1 #ag1jjj of these birds have passed the ,roman custom-house in one day4 ,the catalogue of birds exposed for sale as articles of food comprehends nearly all the species found in ,italy3 not even robin-redbreast is sacred from the omnivorous maw of the ,italian gourmand1 and a hundred at a time may be seen lying on a stall4 ,the birdmen outwardly had the appearance of banditti1 but it as all outside1 and nothing more3 they were good men notwithstanding their uncouth looks1 and good ,christians too1 for ,i could see them waiting at the door of the ,jesuits' church by half-past four on a winter's morning1 to be ready for the first mass4 ,by ingratiating himself with this rough-seeming fraternity1 ,mr ,waterton succeeded in obtaining specimens of many rare birds1 which fortunately escaped the wreck of the ,pollux1 by having been previously forwarded to ,leghorn4 ,among these scattered ornithological notices1 we find some interesting remarks on the true designation of the sparrow sitting alone upon the house-top1 to which the ,royal ,psalmist likened himself in his penitence and vigils4 ,it is obvious that the description could not apply to our common house sparrow1 the habits of which are certainly the reverse of solitary or pensive2 and ,mr ,waterton is undoubtedly correct in referring it to the ,blue or ,solitary ,thrush--a bird not found in this country1 but common in ,spain1 ,italy1 and the south of ,france1 and still more so in the ,levant--the ,petrocincla cyanea of scientific naturalists1 and the ,passera solitaria of the ,italians4 ,it is a real thrush in size1 in shape1 in habits1 and in song--and is indeed a solitary bird1 for it never associates with any other1 and only with its own mate in breeding time--and even then it is often seen quite alone upon the house-top1 where it warbles in sweet and plaintive strains1 and continues its song as it moves in easy flight from roof to roof4 ,the traveller may often see it on the remains of the ,temple of ,peace1 but much more frequently on the stupendous ruins of the ,baths of ,caracalla1 and always on the ,colosseum3 and1 in fine1 on the tops of most of the churches1 monasteries1 and convents1 within and without the walls of the ,eternal ,city4 ,it being an assiduous frequenter of the habitations of man1 ,i cannot have a doubt that it was the same bird which ,king ,david saw on the house-top before him1 and to which he listened as it poured forth its sweet and plaintive song4 ,the ceremonies of ,st ,anthony's ,day1 when the beasts of burden1 decked in many-coloured trappings1 are brought to receive the priestly benediction1 are described with much unction1 and defended with ,mr ,waterton's usual zeal for the ordinances of his church1 and with considerable tact1 against the ridicule often thrown upon them by thoughtless and censorious travellers4 ,i recalled to my mind the incessant and horrible curses which our village urchins vent against their horses on the ,barnsley canal1 which passes close by my porters' lodges--and truly the most rigid of ,protestants could scarcely deny1 in this case1 the advantage1 for the well-doing of both man and beast1 which the usages of ,rome have over those of ,yorkshire4 ,but the approach of the malaria season at length compelled them to leave ,rome for ,naples2 and on the journey ,mr ,waterton's ornithological tastes were gratified to the utmost4 ,i saw more birds than ,i had seen on the whole of the journey from ,england2 and after having seen the ram of ,apulia1 ,i no longer considered ,homer's story of ,ulysses with the sheep of ,polyphemus as so very much out of the way4 ,but a still more imposing spectacle than the festival of ,st ,anthony awaited them at ,naples3 this was the liquefaction of the blood of ,st ,januarius1 on ,september #ai1 to witness which was the principal object of their visit4 ,we shall leave ,mr ,waterton to speak for himself4 ,at the termination of high mass1 the phial containing the blood was carried by one of the canons into the body of the cathedral1 that every person might have an opportunity of inspecting the blood1 and kissing the phial1 should he feel inclined4 ,there were two phials--a large one1 containing the blood as it had flowed from the wounds of the martyr at its execution2 and a smaller one1 containing his blood mixed with sand1 just as it had been taken from the ground on which it had fallen4 ,these two phials were enclosed in a very strong and beautifully ornamented case of silver and glass4 ,i kissed this case1 and had a most satisfactory opportunity of seeing the blood in its solid state1444 and the canon who held it turned it over and over many times to prove to us that the blood was not liquid4444 ,at one o'clock ,p4,m41 no symptoms whatever of a change had occurred4 ,a vast number of people had already left the cathedral1 so that ,i found the temperature considerably lowered4 ,precisely at a quarter before two1 the blood suddenly and entirely liquefied4 ,the canon who held the case passed close by me1 and afforded me a most favourable opportunity of accompanying him close up to the high altar1 where ,i kissed the phial1 and joined my humble prayers to those of the multitude4444 ,nothing in the whole course of my life has struck me so forcibly as this occurrence2444 and ,i here state1 in the most unqualified manner1 my firm conviction1 that the liquefaction of the blood of ,st ,januarius is miraculous1 beyond the shadow of a doubt4 ,were ,i to conceal this my conviction from the public eye1 ,i should question the soundness of both my head and my heart1 and charge my pen with arrant cowardice4 ,after a short excursion to ,sicily1 in which ,mr ,waterton had occasion to surmise that the ancient furies of ,scylla and ,charybdis had quitted their old quarters to take up their abode in the passport-offices1 and regretted his inability to avail himself of the opportunities which the island afforded1 for observing the spring and autumn passage of the migratory birds1 they paid a farewell visit to the tomb of ,virgil1 and left that laughing1 noisy1 merry city of ,naples on a fine and sunny morning1 to enjoy for eight or nine months more the soothing quiet of the ,roman capital4 ,at length1 on the #afth ,june #ahda1 the party left ,rome1 and sailed the next day from ,civita ,vecchia1 on board the ,pollux steamer1 for ,leghorn2 but their good fortune at length deserted them4 ,cervantes has told us that there is nothing certain in this life--'no hay cosa segura en esta vida4' ,it was soon evident to ,mr ,waterton1 as an old traveller1 that there was a great want of nautical discipline on board the ,pollux1 and of this they soon had fatal proof4 ,in the midst of the night the vessel came in collision with the ,mongibello1 a steamer of larger size1 steering on the opposite course1 which stove her in amidships1 and she sunk in a quarter of an hour4 ,the captains and mates of both vessels were asleep below1 but from the calmness of the sea1 and the exertions of the ,prince of ,canino 7,charles ,bonaparte17 who was fortunately a passenger on board the ,mongibello1 and took the helm from the steersman when he was on the point of sheering off from the wreck1 all the crew and passengers of the ,pollux1 except one man1 were got safe on board the former vessel4 ,all their property was lost1 and1 on their being landed the next day at ,leghorn1 an attempt was made by the authorities to detain the vessel1 and all on board1 for twenty days in quarantine1 on the ground of the ,pollux's bill of health having been lost in the foundered vessel6 ,but ,prince ,canino again came to the rescue1 and they eventually returned in the ,mongibello to ,civita ,vecchia1 and thence to ,rome1 where1 as a climax to their misfortunes1 ,mr ,waterton was for some time laid up by an attack of fever4 ,it was not till the #bjth of ,july that he finally set out with his party for ,england1 having in the mean time made a singular addition to his suite1 which is treated of at length in one of the ,essays4 ,among the various strange birds which find a place in the ,roman bill of fare1 is a pretty little owl yclept the ,civetta1 7called by ,british ornithologists1 from its diminutive size1 the passerina1 or sparrow owl17 which abounds throughout ,italy1 where it figures in more varied capacities than is consistent with the usually reserved habits of its race4 ,you may see it plucked and ready trussed for the spit1 on the same stall at which hawks1 crows1 jackdaws1 jays1 magpies1 hedgehogs1 frogs1 snails1 and buzzards1 are offered for sale to the passing conoscenti--a catalogue of dainties which bears but a small proportion to a more extended carte raisonne elsewhere given by ,mr ,waterton1 who verily believes that scarcely any thing which has had life in it comes amiss to the ,italians in the way of food1 except the ,hanoverian rat4 ,it is used by sportsmen 7as we find from ,savi's ,ornitologia ,toscana7 as a decoy for small birds1 which it attracts within gunshot by its singular gestures when placed on the top of a pole2 and it is much prized by the gardener1 for its uncommon ability in destroying insects1 snails1 slugs1 and reptiles4 ,there is scarcely an outhouse in the vineyards and gardens which is not tenanted by the ,civetta1 and it is often brought up tame from the nest4 ,it has hitherto been known in ,england only as a rare and accidental visitor2 and ,mr ,waterton1 actuated by a patriotic desire to secure for his countrymen the benefit of its services--not1 by the way1 in the kitchen1 but in the kitchen-garden--provided himself with a dozen as compagnons de voyage1 on quitting ,rome4 ,at ,genoa1 an inclination was manifested by the custom-house officers to claim duty on this novel article of export--and a precedent might have been drawn from the case of the eagles which were sent from ,killarney to ,colonel ,montagu1 before the duties between ,england and ,ireland were abolished1 and detained at ,bristol on the plea that there was a duty on all singing-birds6 ,the ,genoese doganieri1 however1 on ,mr ,waterton's assurance that the owls were not for the purposes of traffic1 and were1 moreover1 the native produce of la bellissima ,italia1 7with the sly addition1 that he had reason to believe they are common in ,genoa1 so that they can well be spared17 graciously allowed them to pass duty-free2 but at ,basle an unexpected obstacle arose4 ,mr ,waterton's letter of credit had been lost in the ,pollux2 and in spite of letters of recommendation from the ,prince of ,canino1 and the ,italian ,rothschild1 ,torlonia1 ,m4 ,passavant the banker1 a wormwood-looking money-monger1 refused to advance a single sous1 even on the deposit of a valuable watch2 and ,mr ,waterton1 with his owls and his family1 would have stuck fast at ,basle1 but for the arrival of ,mr ,w4 ,brougham1 7brother of ,lord ,brougham17 who furnished him with a supply2 and the whole party reached ,aix-la-,chapelle safe and sound4 ,but here ,mr ,waterton thought proper1 by way of cleansing his protegs from the soils of their long journey1 to give them1 as well as himself1 the benefit of a warm bath6--an act of rashness 7as he himself terms it7 which caused the death of five of the number from cold the same night4 ,two others perished afterwards from casualties1 and the remaining five arrived safe at ,walton ,hall4 ,on the #ajth of ,may #ahdb1 there being abundance of slugs1 snails1 and beetles on the ground1 at seven o'clock in the evening1 the weather being serene and warm1 ,i opened the door of the cage1 and the five owls stepped out to try their fortunes in this wicked world4 ,as they retired into the adjacent thicket1 ,i bade then be of good heart2 and although the whole world was now open to them1 ,i said if they would stop in my park ,i would be glad of their company1 and would always be a friend and benefactor to them4 ,how the little strangers have sped--whether they have increased and multiplied in the hospitable shades of ,walton ,hall1 to gratify their entomological tastes for the benefit of neighbouring kitchen-gardens1 or strayed from this asylum1 and fallen victims as rar aves to some ruthless bird-stuffer1 we hope to be informed in the more last words which we yet hope for on the pen of ,mr ,waterton4 ,of all the brave birds that e'er ,i did see1 ,the owl is the fairest in her degree1 quoth an old ditty2 and we must ourselves confess to a peculiar penchant for an owl in an ivy bush1 partly from personal sympathy for its shortsightedness1 and not less for the aspect of solemn wisdom which gained for it of yore a place on the crest of ,minerva's helmet1 and has made it1 in the regions of the ,east1 the counsellor of kings and princes4 ,who has not heard of the reproof thus conveyed1 through the medium of a vizier skilled in the mystic language of birds1 to the devastating ambition of ,sultan ,mahmood of ,ghazni8 ,the gates of whose tomb1 7it may be remarked par parenthse17 the savans have now decided never to have been at ,somnat at all--a piece of useful knowledge cheaply acquired1 no doubt1 at the expense of a war which has secured the owls of that country1 for some years to come1 against any scarcity of ruined villages wherewith to endow their daughters4 ,we regret1 therefore1 to find that ,mr ,waterton1 to whom we owe the introduction of the ,civetta in ,england1 and who1 in the first series of his ,essays1 has eloquently vindicated the character of the barn-owl against the aspersions alike of the poets of the ,augustan age and the old women of the present day1 still denies the accomplishment of hooting to the ,yorkshire barn-owls1 and persists in considering it restricted to the single individual shot by ,sir ,william ,jardine4 ,we know full well that most extraordinary examples of splendid talent do from time to time make their appearance on the world's wide stage--and may we not suppose that the barn-owl which ,sir ,william shot in the absolute act of hooting1 may have been a gifted bird of superior parts and knowledge1 endowed1 perhaps1 from its early days with the faculty of hooting1 or else taught it by its neighbour the tawny owl8 ,i beg to remark1 that though ,i unhesitatingly grant the faculty of hooting to this one particular individual owl1 still ,i flatly refuse to believe that hooting is common to barn-owls in general4 ,the same denial is repeated in the present volume2 but ,sir ,william's owl is no longer alone in his glory1 as the possession of a similar talent1 to at least a limited extent1 has been ascribed in the pages of the ,zoologist to the ,oxford owls4 ,as ,mr ,waterton's accuracy as an observer cannot be questioned1 we can only infer that the advantages of education enjoyed by the owls of ,alma ,mater and the ,modern ,athens1 enables them to attain a degree of vocal proficiency beyond the reach of their rustic brethren in ,yorkshire--and we hope ere long to hear of ,mr ,waterton's having added a feathered professor of languages1 from one or other of these seats of learning1 to the colony of barn-owls established in the ruin of the old gateway at ,walton4 ,mr ,waterton has never been famous for showing too much mercy to his opponents in controversy--and1 on the present occasion1 the vials of his wrath are poured forth without stint1 though certainly not without strong provocation1 on the head of ,mr ,swainson1 well known some years since as a writer on natural history1 and as one of the principal advocates of the ,quinary ,system#aa--;a sort of zoological transcendentalism 7to borrow a phrase from ,kant and his disciples7 then fashionable1 according to which all the genera and species of animals1 known or hereafter to be discovered1 were held bound spontaneously to arrange themselves in circular groups of five1 neither more nor less1 in obedience to some intuitive principle of nature1 of which the details were not yet very clearly made out4 ,it would appear that ,mr ,swainson1 who is characterised as a morbid and presumptuous man1 had been at variance--on personal as well as scientific grounds--with ,mr ,waterton1 from whom he received a castigation for his ornithological heresies1 in a letter published in #ahcg2 but his retaliation was delayed for two years1 when1 in an account of the cayman1 published in ,lardner's ,cabinet ,cyclopdia1 he describes it as on land a slow-paced1 and even timid animal2 so that an active boy1 armed with a small hatchet1 might easily dispatch one4 ,there is no great prowess1 therefore1 required to ride on the back of a poor cayman after it has been secured1 or perhaps wounded2 and a modern writer might well have spared the recital of his feats in this way upon the cayman of ,guiana1 had he not been influenced in this1 and numberless other instances1 by the greatest possible love of the marvellous1 and a constant propensity to dress truth in the garb of fiction2 and subsequently speaks of the cayman as so timid that1 had we been disposed to perform such ridiculous feats1 our compassion for the poor animals would have prevented us4 ,mr ,waterton had no opportunity of replying to these offensive imputations at the time they were published1 being then absent in ,italy1 while ,mr ,swainson was on the point of finally quitting ,england in order to become a settler in ,new ,zealand4 ,but though thus separated by the entire diameter of the globe1 steam will soon convey to him a copy of this1 says ,mr ,waterton--and verily he has demolished the unlucky ,swainson without ruth or mercy4 ,whether this wholesale dealer in unsound zoology1 as ,mr ,waterton calls him1 ever can have seen a cayman1 except at a safe distance1 appears somewhat dubious2 and his story of this reptile hiding its prey in a hole till semi-putrid1 though it would convey a high idea of the respect entertained by his brother caymans for the rights of property1 must be incredible to any one who has ever inspected the jaws of the animals which 7as ,mr ,waterton observes7 are completely formed for snatch and swallow4 ,we fear1 moreover1 that the character which general experience has assigned to these huge reptiles1 whether called crocodiles1 caymans1 or alligators1 is much more in accordance with the anecdote related by ,governor ,ynciarte of a man carried off into the river by one of these monsters from the alameda1 or public walk1 of ,angostura1 than with ,swainson's description of a timid creature1 liable to be knocked on the head by an idle boy with a hatchet1 the defenceless state of which excited his compassion4 ,if1 therefore1 ,mr ,swainson does not come forward1 either to substantiate these novel statements1 or to retract them1 the scientific world is likely to come to the conclusion drawn by ,mr ,waterton1 that1 when he wrote his account of this reptile1 he was either totally unacquainted with its habits and economy1 or that he wilfully perverted them1 in order to be revenged on me for the letter above mentioned4 ,from the circumstances under which the present volume was put forth1 one or two letters are included which do not appear to have been originally intended for publication--and these are not the least characteristic parts of the work--as that to ,mr ,hog of ,newliston in advocacy of the persecuted ,scotch rooks1 and one to ,mr ,loudon himself on the methods of clearing a garden from vermin1 in which there is much practical sense4 ,it is not good for weasels or hedgehogs1 any more than for man1 to be alone in this world4 ,you say 'you will send to a gardener in the country for a weasel4' ,you must send for two1 male and female4 ,a bachelor weasel1 or a spinster weasel1 would not tarry four-and-twenty hours in your garden4 ,either of them would go a sweet-hearting1 and not return4 ,you remark that your 'hedgehogs soon disappeared4' ,no doubt1 unless confined by a wall4444 ,a garden1 well fenced by a wall high enough to keep dogs out1 is a capital place for hedgehogs4 ,but there ought always to be two1 man and wife4444 ,the windhover 7or kestrel7 hawk is excellent for killing beetles1 and also for consuming slugs and snails2 cats dare not attack him1 wherefore he is very fit for a garden4 ,we have not heard whether any effect has been produced by ,mr ,waterton's remonstrances against the edict of extermination fulminated against his sable friends the rooks--but we fear that farmers in all countries are much on a par with those ,delaware colonists and ,isle of ,bourbon planters1 whose fate he adduces as a warning4 ,having destroyed their grakles1 on a similar charge to that on which sentence has now been passed on the rooks1 they lost their whole crops by insects1 and were compelled not only to re-introduce the grakles1 but to protect them by law4 ,we trust that the ,scotch farmers will not be obliged1 by a similar calamity1 to avail themselves of ,mr ,waterton's obliging offer to send them1 in case of such necessity1 a fresh supply of these useful and interesting birds4 ,mr ,waterton never loses an opportunity of showing his contempt for the modern systems of ornithology1 which1 by their complicated nomenclature1 eternally changed by every new sciolist1 have almost succeeded in converting that fascinating science into an unintelligible jargon of hard names4 ,as ,i am not a convert to the necessity or advantages of giving to many of our ,british birds these new and jaw-breaking names1 ,i will content myself with the old nomenclature1 so well-known to every village lad throughout the country4444 ,the ancients called the wren troglodytas2 but it is now honoured with the high-sounding name of ,anorthura1 alleging for a reason1 that the ancients were quite mistaken in their supposition that this bird was an inhabitant of caves1 as it is never to be seen within them4 ,methinks that the ancients were quite right1 and that our modern masters in ornithology are quite wrong4 ,if we only for a moment reflect that the nest of the wren is spherical1 and is of itself1 as it were1 a little cave1 we can easily imagine that the ancients1 on seeing the bird going in and out of this artificial cave1 considered the word troglodytas an appropriate appellation4 ,among the various feathered visitants attracted by the city of refuge provided for them at ,walton1 were a flock of twenty-four wild-geese1 of the large and beautiful species called the ,canada or ,cravat goose1 7from the conspicuous white patch on its black neck17 which unexpectedly appeared on the lake one winter1 and took up their permanent abode there1 occasionally making excursions to the other waters in the neighbourhood4 ,in the breeding season1 two or three pairs will remain here4 ,the rest take themselves off1 and are seen no more till the return of autumn1 when they reappear without any addition to the flock or diminution of it4 ,this is much to be wondered at2 and ,i would fain hazard a conjecture that the young may possibly be captured in the place where they have been hatched1 and the pinioned to prevent escape4 ,but1 after all1 this is mere speculation4 ,we know nothing of the habits of our birds of passage when they are absent from us2 and we cannot account how it comes to pass that the birds just mentioned invariably return to this country without any perceptible increase of numbers2 or1 if the original birds die or are destroyed1 why it is that the successors arrive here in the same numbers as their predecessors4 ,this remark has before been made in the case of swallows and other migratory birds1 the numbers of which returning each spring1 in localities where they can be accurately observed and counted1 has always been found to be he same as that which arrived the preceding year1 though the flock which departed southward in autumn had been swollen by the young broods accompanying their parents4 ,thus ,gilbert ,white ascertained that at ,selborne the number of swifts was invariably eleven pair2 and1 as in some instances when old birds have been caught and marked1 they have been found to return during several succeeding years1 this fact would seem to justify the inference that the young birds1 after quitting the country of their birth1 do not1 for at least a year or two1 join in the annual migration of their species4 ,by waylaying the stay-at-home geese at the time when the moult of the wing-quills disabled them for flight1 ,mr ,waterton succeeded in securing and pinioning six of them1 thus preventing their future departure4 ,they subsequently received an accession to their party in two ,bernacle ganders1 which ,mr ,waterton had brought over from ,rotterdam1 and the partners of which had died soon after their arrival1 perhaps from the act of pinioning them2 though ,mr ,waterton seems more inclined to attribute their untimely end to the stupidity of a ,hull custom-house officer1 who sent the hamper containing them jolting in a truck without springs over the rough pavement to the custom-house1 only to be peremptorily sent back1 as not liable to duty1 by another of the same genus4 ,the two ganders1 bereft of their connubial comforters1 seemed to take their misfortunes sorely to heart for some time1 till at last they began to make advances for permission to enter into the company of the ,canadian geese4 ,these good birds did not hesitate to receive them2 and from that time these two very distinct species of geese 7one being only half the size of the other7 have become inseparable companions4 ,the confederacy of these distant relations led1 however1 to some unexpected results1 which are related by ,mr ,waterton with inimitable quaintness4 ,on returning from ,italy in the autumn of #ahda1 he was informed by the keeper that a left-handed marriage had been struck up between one of the little ganders and a pinioned ,canadian goose1 the produce of which had been five addle eggs4 ,had he told me that the income-tax is a blessing1 and the national debt an honour to the country1 ,i could more readily have believed him1 than that a ,canada goose had been fool enough to unite herself to a ,bernacle gander4 ,nevertheless1 the man persisted in what he affirmed2 and ,i told the story to others1 and nobody believed me4 ,the breeding-season of #ahdb proved1 however1 the truth of the story2 but the oddly-matched couple were again disappointed in their hopes of a family--the eggs all proving addle4 ,the third year saw the persevering pair again engaged in incubation3 and nothing could exceed the assiduity with which the little ,bernacle stood guard1 often on one leg1 over his bulky partner4 ,if any body approached the place1 his cackling was incessant2 he would run at him with the fury of a turkey-cock2 he would jump up at his knees1 and not desist in his aggressions till the intruder had retired4 ,there was something so remarkably disproportionate betwixt this goose and gander1 that ,i gave to this the name of ,mopsus1 and to that the name of ,nisa3#ab 444 the whole affair appeared to me one of ridicule and bad taste2 and ,i was quite prepared for a termination similar to that of the two preceding years1 when behold6 to my utter astonishment1 out came two young ones1 the remainder of the five eggs being addle4 ,the vociferous gesticulations and strutting of little ,mopsus were beyond endurance when he first caught sight of his long-looked-for progeny4 ,he screamed aloud1 whilst ,nisa helped him to attack me with their united wings and hissings1 as ,i approached the nest in order to convey the little ones to the water 444 and this loving couple1 apparently so ill-assorted and disproportionate1 have brought up the progeny with great care and success4 ,the hybrids are elegantly shaped1 but are not so large as the mother nor so small as the father2 their plumage partaking in colour with that of both parents4444 ,i certainly acted rashly1 notwithstanding appearances1 in holding this faithful couple up to the ridicule of visitors who accompanied me to the spot4 ,i have had a salutary lesson1 and shall be more guarded for the future in giving an opinion4 ,my speculation that a progeny could not be produced from the union of a ,bernacle gander with a ,canada goose has utterly failed4 ,i stand convinced by a hybrid1 reprimanded by a gander1 and instructed by a goose4 ,the melody ascribed to the dying swan has long been well known to exist only in the graceful mythology of the ancients2 but as few opportunities occur of witnessing the bird's last moments1 some interest attaches to ,mr ,waterton's personal observations on this point1 which we can ourselves corroborate1 having not long since been present at the death of a pet swan1 which1 like ,mr ,waterton's favourite1 had been fed principally by hand2 and1 instead of seeking to conceal itself at the approach of death1 quitted the water1 and lay down to die on the lawn before its owner's door4 ,he then left the water for good and all1 and sat down on the margin of the pond4 ,he soon became too weak to support his long neck in an upright position4 ,he nodded1 and then tried to recover himself2 and then nodded again1 and again held up his head3 till at last1 quite enfeebled and worn out1 his head fell gently on the grass1 his wings became expanded a trifle or so1 and he died while ,i was looking on4444 ,although ,i gave no credence to the extravagant notion which antiquity had entertained of melody from the mouth of the dying swan1 still ,i felt anxious to hear some plaintive sound or other1 some soft inflection of the voice1 which might tend to justify that notion in a small degree4 ,but ,i was disappointed4444 ,he never even uttered his wonted cry1 nor so much as a sound1 to indicate what he felt within4 ,mr ,waterton repeats in the present volume the determination which he had expressed in his former ,essays1 not to appear again before the public as an author3--,it is time to say farewell1 and to bid adieu to natural history1 as far as the press is concerned4 ,but we still hope that he may again be induced1 on returning from ,italy1 whither we believe he has once more bent his steps1 by some other cause than the death of a valued friend1 to depart from this resolution4 ,as he himself remarks with truth1 in the preface to his first series of ,essays1 we can never expect to have a complete history of birds1 until he who undertakes the task of writing it shall have studied his subject in the field of nature1--and how little this has been attended to even in the ornithology of our own country1 is sufficiently shown by the errors which1 till of late1 disfigured all the received works on this subject1 and have been copied with implicit faith from one soi-disant naturalist by another4 ,since that kindred spirit ,gilbert ,white1 the first ,english naturalist who studied the habits of living birds in the open air1 instead of describing the colours of the plumage of stuffed specimens in cabinets1 we have had no one who has investigated the economy of animals1 and particularly of that most beautiful class of the animal kingdom1 the birds1 so thoroughly con amore as ,mr ,waterton1 in this and his preceding publications--identifying himself 7it may almost be said7 with their feelings and idiosyncrasies1 and vindicating them from the aspersions thrown upon them in the writings of closet-naturalists1 with the indignant zeal of a champion whose heart and soul is in the cause of injured innocence4 ,those who saw the sloth exhibited last summer in the ,regent's ,park ,zoological ,gardens1 when at large and suspended by its huge claws to the under side of a branch of a tree1 must have recognised the minute accuracy of ,mr ,waterton's account1 in the ,wanderings1 of the habits of this animal1 so much impugned at the time1 because diametrically opposed to the statements of zoologists who had either never seen it alive1 or seen it only when placed on a flat surface1 a position which it never assumes in its natural state1 and which its conformation renders one of extreme pain and constraint4 ,much animadversion has also been lavished by writers of the same class on ,mr ,waterton's sketches of ,british ornithology1 as the facilities for observation procured by the security afforded to his protegs1 and the unusual degree to which they have been consequently familiarised1 have enabled him to overthrow many long-established errors--a thankless task at best1 and which in some instances has not been rendered more palatable to those whose blunders were thus exposed1 by the unsparing shafts of his raillery4 ,but against all these antagonists ,mr ,waterton is very well able to defend himself1 as the unlucky ,mr ,swainson and some others of his assailants know to their cost2 and wishing him the full fruition for many long years of the bodily activity which enables him still to scale the highest tree in ,walton ,park to inspect a crow's nest1 and not less of that irresistible navet and bonhommie which give such enjoyable zest to all his writings1 we bid him for the present farewell--and if1 in sooth1 we are ne'er again to meet the ,lord of ,walton ,hall in print1 we scarce shall look upon his like again6 ,,warren',s ,,law ,,studies4#ac ,the readers of ,blackwood who1 month after month1 followed with increasing interest the adventures of ,titmouse1 and the adversity and restoration of the ,aubrey family1 will excuse us if we apparently diverge from our usual literary course to track the author of ,ten ,thousand a-,year in a work which he has given to the legal profession1 or rather to those who meditate entering upon that profession1 or who have just set their foot upon the threshold4 ,mr ,warren's ,introduction to ,law ,studies has already received the approbation of the public1 testified by the sale of an unusually large edition4 ,this has prompted the author to fresh endeavours to render it worthy of the peculiar place it fills1 and of his own name2 and he now1 after ten years of additional experience1 7eight of them at the bar17 publishes a second edition1 remodelled1 rewritten1 and greatly enlarged--indeed so considerably altered and amplified as to be1 in reality1 a new work under the old title4 ,in the present work1 says the preface1 is incorporated one which the author has for some years meditated offering to the public1 viz4 an elementary and popular outline of the leading doctrines and practice of each of the three great departments of the law1 civil1 criminal1 and ecclesiastical4 ,the work1 therefore1 now consists of three distinct parts4 #a4 ,a general survey of the legal profession--a description of the nature of its several departments1 of the various studies1 labours1 modes of life1 of the conveyancer1 the special pleader1 the common-law and equity barrister1 in order to guide the choice of a young man1 who probably has hitherto a very confused notion of what1 and how many different things1 may be implied in the vague expression of going to the bar4 #b4 ,a concise and elementary view of the several branches of the law which fall to the especial study of these several departments of the profession1 as equity1 the ecclesiastical and common law2 and1 #c4 the recommendation of a course of study1 pointing out the best books on each subject1 and adding many useful hints to the young student on the discipline of his mind1 and the acquirement of general knowledge4 ,to us it seems that such a work must be of very great utility1 and that ,mr ,warren has given the most complete beginning book that was ever put into the hands of a young person seeking1 or entering1 a profession4 ,it is not a publication which1 as far as we know1 replaces or competes with any other1 but fills up a vacancy1 and supplies a want which must have often been painfully felt4 ,how can a young man1 ambitious of entering the bar1 know the nature of that profession into which he is so anxious to enlist himself8 ,he goes into a court of justice1 and sees men in their grotesque but imposing costume haranguing the judge and the jury1 and without further thought he resolves that he too will be an orator and haranguer4 ,or what is more frequently the case1 he reads the published speeches of an ,erskine or a ,curran1 accompanied with memoirs of the men1 and accounts of their forensic triumphs1 and he burns to achieve the like actions1 and to wield the same resistless eloquence4 ,but who is to tell him the nature of that territory1 and by what manner of journey it is to be traversed1 which lies between him and the gowned orator he is desirous of emulating8 ,he sees the great actor on the stage1 or hears of the intoxicating applause which he wins2 but who is to conduct him behind the scenes1 show him the apprenticeship he has to pass through1 the hazards of failure1 the impatience and tedium of unemployed energies--the sad seclusion of unfrequented chambers1 or the sadder seclusion of crowded courts8#ad ,how invaluable1 at such a time1 would be some kind good-natured friend1 who had passed through the rough experience1 who had sufficient remembrance of his own early mistakes and difficulties to comprehend all his bewilderment1 and sufficient tolerance to endure being questioned on matters which to him have grown too trite and familiar to seem to need explanation4 ,in ,mr ,warren's book he will meet with exactly the information he wants2 he will find a chart of the profession unrolled before him2 he may quietly test his own abilities1 or his own courage1 to adopt any of the several departments as they are submitted to his inspection4 ,he will obtain all that he could gather from that kind good-natured friend at the bar1 whom he has been longing for1 and would so willingly seize by the button--nay1 far more than he could gather from any one man who had not made the subject one of especial attention1 and taken pains himself to collect information from various quarters4 ,besides1 how infinitely agreeable is it1 whilst yet a resolution is unripe1 whilst yet it is the secret of our bosom1 to be able to get our doubts solved1 and our questions answered1 from the silent pages of a book2 to be spared the penance of exposing half-formed designs to the jocular scrutiny of our friends--to be permitted to consult without necessarily making a confidant--to be able to dismiss our thought1 if it is destined to be dismissed1 without betraying how dear a guest it has been4 ,the more youthful and less instructed of its readers will find every portion of this work useful to them2 especially they will have reason to thank2 the author for that facile introduction he has offered them to the study of the law itself4 ,never has been such a gently inclined plane set up1 for weak and unsteady feet1 against the hill of legal knowledge4 ,the talent which ,mr ,warren has for familiar and elementary exposition is something quite peculiar4 ,nor will they fail to profit by his many practical hints for the discipline of the mind1 and his advice as to their general reading4 ,the student more advanced in years and in thought1 and who entertains the project of entering the profession at a time when his mind has approached towards maturity1 will perceive1 and will have the candour to reflect1 that much of the work was not written for him4 ,but1 on the other hand1 he is the very person who will especially value it for that description of practical1 familiar1 but most necessary information1 which it is rare to get from books at all--which to him it is peculiarly disagreeable to be compelled to extract piece-meal from chance conversation with men but half furnished with it1 and perhaps impatient of the interrogatories put to them4 ,what are the distinctions between the several species of the lawyer8 ,what sort of an animal is1 in reality1 the conveyancer1 or the special pleader1 or the equity draftsman--what are its habits1 where its haunts--how is it bred1 how nourished--what process is he himself to go through1 before he can be recognised as belonging to the class--how best may he set to work1 and with least loss of time8--these are matters which he is very curious to know1 and to him nothing is more welcome than to find them all explained in the printed page--to find them where he is accustomed to look for every thing1 amongst his old friends the books4 ,surprise has often been expressed at the fact1 that there is no publicly appointed method of legal tuition1 no lectures delivered on which it is compulsory to attend1 not even any examination to be finally undergone before admittance to the bar4 ,a little acquaintance1 however1 with the nature of legal studies1 will soon dissipate this astonishment4 ,there is but one way in which the law can be mastered2 severe1 steady1 solitary reading1 accompanied by the privilege of watching the real practice of the jurist in the chambers of the conveyancer or the special pleader4 ,to one bent on the professional study of the law2 lectures would be mere waste of time4 ,to the idler they may bear the appearance1 and bring some of the profit1 of study2 to the conscientious and resolved student1 they would be an idleness and a dissipation4 ,where a subject admits of being oratorically treated1 good lectures are extremely valuable2 for oratory has its office in tuition1 stimulates to reflection1 and stirs generous sentiments1 and we wish the oratory of the professor's chair were more cultivated amongst us than it is4 ,nor need we say that where the subject admits or requires the illustration of scientific experiments1 lectures are almost indispensable4 ,but in the tangled study of the law1 where one must go backwards and forwards1 as in a rope-walk1 and twist one's own cable out of many threads--of what use can the lecturer possibly be8 ,to teach us law in a fluent discourse1 what is it but to have us feed--as the humming-birds are said to do--upon the wing8 ,but even humming-birds feed in no such fashion2 they sit down to their supper of rose-water4 ,much more must a lawyer have his table--his desk--fast before him2 and spreading out his various fare1 which needs a deal of mastication1 feed alternately1 and slowly and solemnly1 on the several dishes which with ostrich stomach he has to digest4 ,as to the absence of all examination previous to an admission to the bar1 the fact1 that not only in our own inns of court1 but in all similar institutions1 such examinations have been allowed to dwindle into some empty and puerile form1 sufficiently demonstrates their inutility4 ,if an examination were appointed1 it would be no test of the efficiency of the advocate2 no sufficient guarantee to the ingenuous client who should wander into ,westminster ,hall in search of a lawyer4 ,not to add that the learned gentleman may have had ample time to forget all his legal knowledge in the interval between his call to the bar and the opening of his first brief4 ,a license1 indeed1 is given to practise as an advocate1 without any other qualification than that of respectability of character1 and the payment of certain fees2 but the case of no client is confided to the young orator1 unless those who have the greatest interest in his competency are satisfied that he can be safely relied on4 ,men suffer their health to be trifled with by ignorant quacks and ridiculous pretenders--not their money4 ,we need no ,sir ,james ,graham's bill in the profession of the law4 ,besides1 it is not the good opinion of an uninformed public which the barrister has to seek or to depend upon4 ,a lawyer1 he is judged by lawyers4 ,it is in the estimation of attorneys and solicitors that he must rise--not that of respectable ladies and nervous baronets4 ,they stand between him and that unlearned public to which the physician1 on the contrary1 at once appeals4 ,the very circumstance1 however1 that there is no such public course of instruction marked out1 and no prospective examination to be prepared for--that all is to be gained from that silent array of books which fill the long shelves of a legal library or from those chambers of the practitioner which1 to those who look at them from without1 seem as dark with mystery as they are with dust and smoke--this1 we repeat1 renders such a guide-book as that which ,mr ,warren has presented to the public1 almost indispensable4 ,in forming a critical estimation of his labours on this publication1 it would be extremely unfair to forget1 for a moment1 the peculiar nature of the work4 ,he is writing for the young4 ,it is an elementary treatise4 ,it is a book peculiarly practical2 the very opposite of whatever is theoretical or speculative4 ,if the style is somewhat more diffuse than we should on all occasions approve1 we are far from regarding this as a defect here4 ,the work1 amongst other advantages1 presents really a storehouse of that useful phraseology in which a public speaker should abound1 that phraseology which lies between the familiarity of business and the pomp of oratory4 ,and if1 as we may perhaps be tempted again to remark1 there is something too much of laudation of that profession and of that system of jurisprudence to which he is introducing the young aspirant1 this too is a bias to which1 in the present work1 it would be ungracious to raise an objection4 ,an elementary teacher should not chill and discourage his pupils by criticisms of a cold and censorious character2 he should rather exercise his penetration in drawing into light concealed excellences4 ,in this ,mr ,warren follows the example of the first of all commentators1 the most successful of all teachers--,blackstone2 who continues to be the most popular of all expounders of the law1 even though the system that he expounds has almost deserted him4 ,it seems that the law can be made obsolete1 but not the commentary4 ,with a pupil it is a thing understood and agreed upon that he is to learn the system as it now exists2 to engage him to do this it were bad policy to decry that system1 and expose its faults with a merciless analysis4 ,when the student has mastered it as a lesson1 he may then overlook and criticise it with what severity he thinks fit4 ,we will quote a passage which will illustrate at once the lively manner of our writer1 and also this happy ,blackstonian tendency--the habit of animadverting very gravely on those errors of the law which have been reformed1 and remaining still a little blind to those which are yet untouched4 ,down to the year #ahcb1 the system of common law pleading and practice supplied the student1 during the greater period of his pupilage1 with little else than the most degrading and unprofitable drudgery4 ,it presented to his despairing eyes a mass of vile verbiage--a tortuous complexity of detail1 which defied the efforts of any but the most creeping ingenuity and industry4 ,there was really every thing to discourage and disgust a liberal and enlightened mind1 however well inured to labour by the invigorating discipline of logic and mathematics4 ,the deep and clear waters--so to speak--of legal principle1 there always were1 and will be1 for they are immutable and eternal2 but you had to buffet your way to them through many a mile of foaming filth1 that harassed1 exhausted and choked the unhappy swimmer long before he could get sight of the offing4 ,few beside those who had had the equivocal advantage of being early familiarised with such gibberish as special general imparlance--special testatum capias--special original--testatum pone--protestando--colour--de bene esse1 c4 c4 c4 could obtain a glimmering of daily practice1 without a serious waste of time and depreciation of the mental faculties4 ,let the thousands who1 under the old system1 almost at once adopted and abandoned legal studies1 attest the truth of this remark4 ,there was1 in short1 every thing to discourage a gentleman from entering1 to obstruct him in prosecuting1 the legal profession4 ,recently1 however1 a great change has been effected4 ,there has been a real reform--a practical1 searching1 comprehensive reform of the common law2 a shaking down of innumerable dead leaves and rotten branches2 a cutting away of all the shoots of prurient vegetation1 which served but to disfigure the tree1 and to conceal and injure its fruit4 ,now you may see1 in the common law1 a tree noble in its height and figure1 sinewy in its branches1 green in its foliage1 and goodly in its fruit4 ,may it be permitted1 however1 to express an humble hope1 that the gardener will know when to lay aside his knife6--7,p4 #bj47 ,and yet ,warren has a knife1 too1 of his own which he would willingly employ upon some part of this noble tree--either its old or its new branches4 ,it is impossible for even the most indulgent commentator not to perceive that there are in our system of pleading many technicalities1 which1 so far from being necessary to the administration of justice1 have no other operation than to retard1 to complicate1 to defeat the administration of justice4 ,at p4 #gch--;a very prudent and respectful distance from the quotation we have just made--we find the following admission3-- ,such is a faint sketch of the existing system of special pleading1 upon the reform and remodelling of which has been bestowed1 during the last fifteen years1 the anxious and profound consideration of some of the ablest and most experienced legal intellects which were ever addressed to such an undertaking1 or concerned in the practice or administration of the law4 ,their alterations were bold and extensive1 and perhaps may be said to have been1 to the same extent1 successful4 ,the principal objects proposed to be effected by the late changes were enumerated in an early part of this work1 where also was given a general account of all the late changes effected in the department of ,common ,law pleading and practice4 ,to this we now refer the reader2 and also to the ,appendix 7,no4 ,,iv471 where will be found1 in extenso1 the ,rules of ,court by which these great alterations were effected4 ,while the principal objects of the framers of them have been accomplished1 by effecting a great saving of expense in the length of the pleadings1 and their incidents2 by securing an economical and satisfactory trial at ,nisi ,prius1 through the precise and specific nature of the issues required to be presented to the jury1 and the effectual expedients resorted to1 for the purpose of saving an unnecessary expenditure in obtaining evidence3 it cannot be denied that the excessive stringency of the rules which restrict a plaintiff to a single count in respect of a single cause of action1 and a defendant to a single plea in support of a single ground of defence1 too frequently operates most injuriously1 so as to secure the defeat of justice4 ,it is continually a matter of serious difficulty1 to refer a particular combination of facts to their appropriate legal category2 and if the wrong one should be selected1 substantial justice is sacrificed before arbitrary legal technicality4 ,it would be easy to illustrate the truth of these remarks by reference to cases of daily occurrence4 ,the rule in question must either be relaxed1 or its injurious effects neutralized by greatly enlarged powers of amendment conferred upon the judge at ,nisi ,prius4 ,with all these defects1 however1 it cannot be denied that the recent changes in the law of pleading1 evidence1 and practice1 with reference to the interests of suitors1 have justified the most sanguine anticipations of those who set in motion the machinery which effected those changes2 and with reference to students and practitioners1 have tended to exact a far greater amount of diligence1 learning1 and acuteness1 than for a long series of years has been deemed requisite4 ,mr ,warren's illustrations1 whether imaginary1 or drawn from experience and observation1 are always1 as might be expected1 graphic and amusing4 ,it is thus that he exemplifies a very useful precept1 which he gives to the young student for the bar3-- ,he must very early familiarise himself with the correct meaning of at least the leading technical terms of ,logic--which are of frequent use in the courts--not for petty pedantry or display1 but from their real advantage--from1 indeed1 the necessity of the case4 ,instances of the vexatious consequences of ignorance in these matters will not unfrequently fall under the notice of a watchful observer4 ,some two or three years ago1 a counsel1 manifestly not having enjoyed a very superior education1 was engaged in arguing a case1 in banco1 at ,westminster--before four very able judges1 one of them being a man remarkable for his logical acuteness and dexterity4 ',no1 no--that won't do1' said he1 suddenly interposing--'put the converse of the proposition1 ,mr ----3 try it that way4' ,the judge paused3 the counsel too paused1 while a slight expression of uneasiness flitted over his features4 ,he expected the judge to 'put the converse' for him2 but the judge did not4 ',put the converse of the proposition1 ,mr ----1 and see if that will hold'--repeated the judge with some surprise1 and a little peremptoriness in his tone4 ,but it was unpleasantly obvious that ,mr ---- could not 'put the converse' of the proposition--nor understand what as meant4 ,some better informed brother barrister whispered to him the converse of the proposition--but it was useless3 ,mr ---- faltered--repeated a word or two1 as if mechanically--',well6' said the judge1 kindly suspecting the true state of the case1 'go on with your argument1 ,mr ----6' ,it may appear strange that so glaring a case should occur at the bar--but1 nevertheless1 such a case did occur1 and such cases have occurred1 and are likely to occur again1 as long as persons of inferior education come1 intrepid in ignorance1 to the bar4 ,we think1 however1 that ,mr ,warren is a little too hard upon the unfortunate orator1 who was not aware of the meaning of the converse of the proposition1 and that the judge might as well have put it himself4 ,a man may be a very good reasoner who has not learned to name his tools1 which is all that is taught by the logic of ,aristotle4 ,how evidently is the following invested with all the vivid colouring of actual observation3-- ,it can hardly be necessary1 after all that has been said upon the subject of special pleading1 both in this chapter and in preceding parts of the work1 to warn the youth who rashly rushes to the bar without a competent knowledge of pleading1 of the folly of which he is guilty1 and the danger to which he is exposing himself4 ,to a young counsel ignorant of pleading1 a brief will be little else than a sort of ,chinese puzzle4 ,he must either give up in despair all attempts at mastering its contents1 or hurry in ridiculous agitation from friend to friend1 making vain efforts to 'cram' himself for some occasion of solitary display1 afforded him by the zealous indiscretion of a friendly solicitor4 ,feverish with anxiety1 wretched under the apprehension of public failure1 and the consciousness of incompetence1 after trembling in court lest he should be called upon to show himself1 he returns to chambers1 to curse his folly--to make1 when too late1 exertions to retrieve his false position1 or abandon it for ever1 with all the cloud-picturings of a vain and puerile ambition4 ,there is a general reluctance to believe in the union of literary talents and business-like qualities of mind4 ,they are thought incompatible4 ,a lover of literature is held to have little chance of success4 ,a prejudice so general must have some foundation2 but the incompatibility1 in whatever degree it exists1 lies1 we are persuaded1 not in the several mental qualities--not in the intellectual apparatus fitted for the two careers of literature and a profession--but in the different dispositions1 in the diversity of tastes1 which the two pursuits engender4 ,the literary man fails in no faculty that profession calls for1 but he may contract a strong repugnance for the species of activity it demands4 ,in literature thought is indulged and solicited for its own sake2 it excites or it amuses2 it may be invested with the deepest and most stirring interests of religion and philosophy1 or it may be the very rainbow of the mind1 having no life but only in and for its beauty4 ,in professional vocations the intellectual effort is subordinated to a definite and fixed purpose2 it is the purpose1 not the thought1 which must continually animate our exertions2 and the purpose binds down the current of thought rigidly to its own service4 ,literature is the luxury of the spirit1 the free aristocratic life of intellectual pleasure2 profession is the useful but fettered existence of the sons of toil4 ,in the one1 the spirit revels as a mountain stream that leaps in the face of heaven from crag to crag2 in the other1 it is the same stream1 lower down1 confined in narrow channel1 and half-buried by the ponderous wheel-work of that ever-clacking mill which it has to turn4 ,what wonder1 then1 that the literary man should have certain disgusts to overcome when he is called on to forsake his own free and variable life1 for a mode of existence where thought is no longer her own mistress1 but1 with constant repetition1 must take service in the mechanism of society8 ,and he does often recalcitrate4 ,but when1 owing to some overruling motive of ambition or necessity1 this distaste is overcome1 it is an immense advantage which the possessor of literary talents has over the ordinary practitioner of any profession4 ,in that of the law it has been especially remarked1 that those who have been most eminently successful have confessed to the repugnance they had1 in the first instance1 to conquer2 and such examples of eminent success have1 for the most part1 consisted of men who had betrayed a decided talent and aptitude for literature4 ,the writer whom we have before us is a striking instance of literary tastes being irresistibly borne down by the craving after active life1 and1 perhaps1 a strong impulse of ambition4 ,the present work is sufficient to testify that1 however vivid his imagination1 his patience is still greater4 ,we know him to be one of those who abhor rest1 who court fatigue1 to whom the utmost drudgery becomes welcome when invested with the interest of an immediate practical purpose4 ,to one of such a stamp1 literature could only prove a sort of apprenticeship to cultivate and develope his mind1 not to determine his career4 ,and so it has been4 ,it was in vain that nature placed the pencil in his hand2 she could not win him to the repose of the artist2 his spirit was already pledged to a life of action1 of toil1 of hope1 of enterprise4 ,all along he has chosen the path of forensic ambition1 nor1 when most exerting his fancy1 has he ever swerved from the goal4 ,may success await him in his laborious course6 ,may he be landed high and dry upon the envied eminences of social life6 ,but--by ,jupiter6--if nature had given us the pencil of the artist1 we would not have let go our hold1 though the seals of office were ten times as large and ten times as brilliant as they are1 and were dangled before us within arm's-reach4 ,you might have lifted us softly and gently1 and placed us as with a mother's arms1 even upon the broad woolsack1 we would not have dropped that pencil4 ,no2 we would have said to the boisterous prosperities of life--,here is that which will make station indifferent2 if to food and raiment men must needs add the charms of variety1 here is that which will gild even obscurity with an assured and tranquil pride6 ,as we have intimated1 we do not feel disposed to blame our author that he speaks often of his glorious1 his noble profession4 ,the golden hue of sunrise is rightly cast upon the pinnacles and towers of that city the traveller is toiling to reach4 ,what narrow and squalid streets1 what blind alleys1 what there is of filth and ruin in the great capital of intelligence1 he may find out afterwards for himself4 ,there was a time when we1 too1 were younger than we are1 and saw the proud city at the same advantageous distance1 when1 dazzled by the view of its more conspicuous ornaments1 we might have been tempted to make the same exclamations1 and to use the same flattering phraseology4 ,at that time1 if any one had thrown a shadow of moral blame on the very principle and universal practice of the profession of advocacy1 we should have indignantly repelled the accusation1 we should have rushed to its defence1 perhaps we even did attempt to throw our little shield before its huge and very vulnerable body4 ,but now--when some years have rolled over our heads1 and we have learned to think more calmly1 if not more wisely--when we have caught a glimpse of the men who fill high places1 and stood near enough to discover that they were of earth's common mould--when the actual din of forensic oratory1 deafening and monotonous1 has rung in our ears1 and we have sat and watched the solemn juggle1 and the stale hypocrisy with which that legal strife called a trial is conducted--now1 if any teacher of ethics should denounce the demoralizing principle of advocacy--the principle we mean of contending for any client1 or any cause1 that craves fee in hand--we should no longer be eager to thrust ourselves between him and the object of his indignation2 we should let his wrath take its course2 we should listen with patience1 with neutrality1 perhaps with secret satisfaction at his attack4 ,what1 after all1 is to be said in answer to the reproach which every simple-minded man must make--not against this or that member of the profession1 because an individual is always considered blameless who only adopts the customs of his country--but against the whole profession1 the principle and theory of its action1 this arguing for ,a or ,b1 for ,yes or ,no1 as they first come1 without the least regard for justice or for truth8 ,it is well known what ,paley has said in its defence4 ,there are falsehoods1 he writes in his chapter on ,lies1 which are not lies1 that is1 which are not criminal2 as1 #a4 when no one is deceived--which is the case in parables1 fables1 novels1 jests1 tales to create mirth1 ludicrous embellishments of a story1 where the declared design of the speaker is not to inform but to divert2 compliments in the subscription of a letter1 a servant's denying his master1 a prisoner pleading not guilty1 and an advocate asserting the justice1 or his belief of the justice1 of his client's cause4 ,in such instances no confidence is destroyed1 because none was reposed2 no promise to speak the truth is violated1 because none was given or understood to be given4 ,ay1 but the advocate does strive to be believed--does labour to deceive4 ,his very object is to gain credit for his assertion1 whether contrary or not to his sense of truth4 ,he stands there1 it is true1 in the character of advocate1 subject to whatever suspicion you may attach to that character2 but all his ability is employed to overcome that suspicion1 and compel you to credit him4 ,confidence is not reposed2 not readily it may be2 he labours1 therefore1 the more assiduously to win it4 ,how can he avail himself of the plea here offered for him8 ,how can he place himself in the sane category with the portly merchant who signs himself your humble servant1 and would indeed be strangely surprised if you took him at his word8 ,or with the obedient valet who denies his master with the customary1 not at home8 ,no man uses language with a more evident desire to obtain our conviction than the advocate4 ,there is another so-called theory of advocacy1 which we will state in the words of ,bishop ,warburton4 ,in his ,divine ,legation1 vol4 i4 p4 #cig1 he says1 speaking of ,cicero--,as an orator1 he was an advocate for his client1 or1 more properly1 personated him4 ,here1 then1 without question1 he was to feign and dissimulate his own opinions1 and speak those of his client4 ,and though some of those who call themselves casuists1 have held it unlawful for an advocate to defend what he thinks an ill cause1 yet ,i apprehend it to be the natural right of every member of society1 whether accusing or accused1 to speak freely and fully for himself4 ,and if1 either by a legal or natural incapacity1 this cannot be done in person1 to have a proxy provided or allowed by the state to do for him what he cannot or may not do for himself4 ,i apprehend that all states have done it1 and that every advocate is such a proxy4 ,this explanation goes far4 ,of a certainty1 every man has a right to approach a court of justice with such plea1 or such demand1 as the law gives him4 ,for his ultimate aims1 for his moral purposes in so doing1 he alone is responsible4 ,we do not desire the barrister so to prejudge the cause of the litigant as to decide whether or not he ought1 as a moral man1 to carry it into a court of justice4 ,let his plea1 or his demand1 be laid before the tribunal of his country1 and as he cannot1 in the complicated state of our jurisprudence1 do this for himself1 it is right and equitable that there should be professional men whose function it is to do this for him4 ,but it follows not that the professional man is to pledge his own personal convictions in every case he undertakes4 ,let him speak in the name of his client1 let him limit himself to the office of interpreter1 where his own convictions do not allow him to be the zealous advocate4 ,the state ought to give to every man free access to a court of justice1 and to all the armoury of the law2 how he uses the weapons he finds there1 he must account to ,god and his own conscience1 and the moral judgment of society2 but the state is not to give to every rogue the benefit of the apparent convictions in his favour1 of a learned and honorable gentleman4 ,if the barrister speaks1 and is understood to speak1 as from his client1 and not from his own conviction1 the indiscriminate advocacy of causes which the administration of justice requires1 is reconcilable with the manifest claims of morality4 ,but not otherwise4 ,to lend out the zeal of truth to varnish every cause1 is what no system of jurisprudence demands1 and what no system of ethics can tolerate4 ,yet this is what is done4 ,if a conveyancer is instructed to draw a will which appears to him unjust1 he must feel some pain in so doing2 but it is not a pain of conscience1 for it is not his office to compel people to make equitable wills4 ,it is an office which1 at the distance he stands from the parties1 and with his limited knowledge of their character and mutual relationships1 he could not possibly undertake2 he would be a mere disturber of the peace of society if he attempted to regulate the morality of all the conveyances and testaments that he drew4 ,it would indeed be a doctrine destructive of all order1 and of the very machinery of society1 that would1 as a general rule1 impose upon men of profession1 or of trade1 the responsibilities which lie1 in the first instance1 upon the consciences of their clients4 ,a man could not sell a piece of whipcord from his shop1 without having an assurance from the customer that he was not buying it to strangle his wife withal4 ,the conveyancer1 therefore1 quietly pursues his instructions1 and draws the will4 ,in the like manner1 if a barrister is instructed to plead the statute of limitations to a debt1 it is no concern of his if the client is not acting in a conscientious manner in taking advantage of the statute4 ,the law gives him this plea1 and it is not for the jurist to debar him the use of it4 ,he presents it1 therefore1 to the court4 ,but if1 not content with pleading the statute of limitations for a client who employs the law to escape from a moral obligation1 he labours to convince the jury that1 in availing himself of this plea1 his client is acting in a very honourable1 or at least in no blamable manner2 if1 by an artful colouring of the facts1 or by insinuations against other parties1 he contrives to lead the culprit in triumph through the court1 then we say that a baseness is committed by the advocate1 for which there is no excuse1 in the constitution of courts of justice1 nor in the subtleties of casuistry4 ,those who have expatiated on the duty of the barrister to do all for his client1 be that client whom he may1 have generally taken care to place before us the cases of political prosecution1 where the advocate appears to act a brave and generous part in opposing the government and the legal officers of the crown4 ,by dexterously keeping the small cases in view while they were enlarging on the broad principle of indiscriminate advocacy1 they have often contrived to give to this principle itself an air of generosity2 as if the barrister were performing a noble self-sacrifice1 were devoting himself in a quite heroic manner1 by giving himself1 head and heart1 voice and intelligence1 to the first distressed applicant for his aid4 ,it is only by referring to the political nature of the occasion on which it was delivered1 that we can account for the following splendid exaggeration of ,lord ,brougham's upon this subject3-- ,an advocate1 by the sacred duty which he owes his client1 knows1 in the discharge of that office1 but one person in the world1 that client and none other4 ,to save that client by all expedient means--to protect that client at all hazards and costs to all others1 and among others to himself--is the highest and most unquestioned of his duties2 and he must not regard the alarm1 the suffering1 the torment1 the destruction1 which he may bring upon any other4 ,nay1 separating even the duties of a patriot from those of an advocate1 and casting them1 if need be1 to the wind1 he must go on1 reckless of the consequences1 if his fate it should unhappily be to involve his country in confusion for his client's protection4 ,this piece of eloquent absurdity was delivered on the trial of ,queen ,caroline1 and the speaker was playing the advocate at the time he delivered it4 ,but ,lord ,brougham would not surely speak or write in the same strain upon other and more ordinary occasions--if1 for instance1 the client1 for whom the country was to be involved in confusion1 was a railway company6#ae ,every man has something to be said for him in the way of defence or palliation2 we have no objection to every man having his advocate in ,westminster ,hall2 but we are persuaded that public opinion is far too indulgent to this glorious and noble profession1 when it permits its members1 speaking as from their own conviction1 to sport with truth to any extent that may be serviceable to their clients4 ,a more temperate zeal1 which should not overstep what the interest of justice demands1 would indeed be less munificently rewarded2 but1 in every other respect1 it would be a clear gain both to the cause of public morality and the administration of the laws4 ,but that which1 perhaps1 more frequently calls up a feeling of pain and humiliation in the barrister1 is that for which he is not at all responsible2 namely1 the nature of those legal weapons the employment of which his client has a right to demand of him4 ,the rules of pleading and of evidence have been lately much simplified and improved1 and they will1 year after year1 be still further improved2 but they still furnish the willing or the unwilling advocate with abundant obstructions to the fair investigation of truth4 ,speaking of pleading1 ,mr ,warren has very truly said1 in a passage we have already quoted--,it is continually a matter of serious difficulty to refer a particular combination of facts to their appropriate legal category2 and1 if the wrong one should be selected1 substantial justice is sacrificed before arbitrary legal technicality4 ,a glance at these legal categories will fully bear out the statement which our author has here so temperately made4 ,let us open the justly lauded book of ,mr ,stephen1 ,on the ,principles of ,pleading--a work which every man1 lawyer or not1 who receives a gratification from clear and logical statements1 may take pleasure in perusing4 ,we extract the following account of personal actions3-- ,of personal actions1 the most common are the following--,debt1 covenant1 detinue1 trespass1 trespass on the case1 replevin4 ,the action of debt lies where a party claims the recovery of a debt1 i4 e4 a liquidated or certain sum of money alleged to be due to him4 ,the action of covenant lies where a party claims damages for a breach of covenant1 i4 e4 of a promise under seal4 ,the action of detinue lies where the party claims the specific recovery of goods and chattels1 or deeds and writings detained from him4 ,the action of trespass lies where a party claims damages for a trespass against him4 ,a trespass is an injury committed with violence4 ,having described these1 the author comes to one which requires to have its history told before it can be rendered intelligible4 ,this is still not unfrequently the case in our law2 instead of a definition founded on the nature of things1 and growing out of the science itself of jurisprudence1 we are presented with a narrative to tell us how the matter came about4 ,the action of trespass on the case lies where a party sues for damages for any wrong or cause of complaint to which covenant or trespass will not apply4 ,this action originated in the power given by the statute of ,westminster #b1 to the clerks of the chancery to frame new writs in consimili casu with writs already known4444 ,such being the nature of the action1 it comprises1 of course1 many different species4 ,there are two1 however1 of more frequent use than any other species of trespass on the case1 or1 perhaps than any other form of action whatever4 ,these are ,assumpsit and ,trover4 ,the action of assumpsit lies where a party claims damages for breach of simple contract1 i4 e4 a promise not under seal4 ,the action of trover differs from detinue inasmuch as the party claims damages1 not the recovery of the identical goods and chattels4 ,with the action of replevin we will not trouble our readers1 to whom we ought1 perhaps1 to apologise for entering thus far into legal technicalities4 ,but now1 reflect a moment on this classification4 ,a promise under seal must assuredly require a different proof from a promise not under seal2 but what end is answered by calling one an action of covenant and the other an action of assumpsit8 ,or what good result can arise from limiting the definition of debt to the claim of a sum certain8 ,who sees not what a snare may be here laid for the feet of unwary suitors8 ,the names of trover1 detinue1 trespass1 give no information to the defendant2 the substantial cause of action is stated in the declaration1 and these names are mere useless additions4 ,yet the right name must be chosen1 or it is fatal to the suit4 ,if trespass be adopted instead of trespass on the case1 the error is fatal2 and yet mark how lucid1 how intelligible1 how satisfactory is the classification designated by these terms of art4 ,trespass is the proper form of action when the injury has been committed with violence ,this looks sufficiently distinct4 ,but then the violence may be either actual or implied2 and the law will imply violence wherever the injury is direct1 and the property injured of a tangible nature4 ,in the most stealthy1 peaceable entrance upon another man's land1 the law implies violence4 ,what1 therefore1 may or may not be said1 in the usual phrase1 to be done vi et armis1 remains to be known1 by no means from the nature of the facts themselves1 but from arbitrary decisions of courts4 ,to make out a class of actions as those committed with violence1 and then to imply violence where in reality there is none1 is first to make and then unmake the distinction4 ,and yet1 as some distinction is1 for the embarrassment of suitors1 to be retained1 this implication of violence is restricted to cases where the injury is direct and not consequential2 and what shall be denominated a direct and what a consequential injury1 is again a matter of no small difficulty4 ,moreover1 in order to sustain trespass1 the property injured must be of a corporeal nature4 ,it would be a sad solecism in the eye of the law to allow a man to bring trespass on account of his tithes--this being1 according to definition1 an incorporeal property1 and from its nature1 therefore1 not subject to violence4 ,this barbarous nomenclature of actions might be swept away at once with considerable advantage4 ,if the plaintiff complaining of the defendant1 proceeded at once to a brief statement of his cause of action1 this would answer all the purposes of pleading4 ,it was said by the commissioners in the third report on the common law1 that an abolition of these distinctions would entail much uncertainty on the right of action4 ,with utmost deference to the commissioners1 this is a very strange assertion4 ,these categories are known only to the lawyers2 and surely a student of the law cannot be at a loss to distinguish the substantial ground of action from a mere formulary of pleading4 ,a layman may often imagine he has a right of action where he has none4 ,did the commissioners mean gravely to assert that these categories1 of which he knows nothing--or whether he knows them or not--could enlighten him as to the redress he is entitled to in a court of justice8 ,it is1 however1 in the inexhaustible armoury of quibble and objection which the law of evidence supplies him with that the generous advocate must feel the greatest amount of embarrassment and repugnance4 ,it is his office to stand at the door of testimony1 and thrust back every witness1 and reject every document1 he can1 upon pleas which1 whatever their original ground or design1 he very well knows do not impeach the real value of the evidence rejected4 ,but into this topic we must not enter4 ,it is not our present object to write upon the reform of the laws4 ,the subject would lead us much too far4 ,one general remark only we will venture to make4 ,neither in nor out of the profession must men yet be impatient with the frequent changes that our laws undergo4 ,though1 in common with our author1 we estimate highly a settled state of things1 and have to deprecate the rashness of some too hasty legislators1 we cannot yet lay aside the knife4 ,they are very inconvenient these partial changes1 but there is no other mode of proceeding4 ,whilst we are living in the very city which we have to improve1 and in great part to rebuild1 what else can we do but pull down here and there a street at a time1 and reconstruct it on a better plan8 ,it is miserable work this pulling down4 ,one is blinded by dust--one loses one's way2 all seems ruin and confusion4 ,but the new street rises--the rubbish is removed--the dust is laid2 one finds one's way again1 and finds it twice as short as before4 ,it is only by successive changes of this kind that the great city of our jurisprudence can be adapted to the wants of its multiplied and changed inhabitants4 ,we ought perhaps to mention1 that ,mr ,warren has been discreetly silent on some of the topics to which we have ventured to allude4 ,he has very wisely avoided all questions of casuistry2 and we trust that1 in our glances on the moral position of the bar1 we shall not be thought to have manifested any want of respect for a learned body1 the members of which1 in their individual character1 stand as high in our estimation as those of any body whatever1 and which1 as a whole1 presents a greater array of talent than in any other denomination of men could be met with4 ,we revert once more to ,mr ,warren's very useful1 able1 and praiseworthy publication to wish him success1 not only in this undertaking1 which may be already said to be crowned with success1 but in the still greater and more laborious enterprise which he has on foot1 and which this specimen of his legal authorship shows him fully competent to achieve4 ,,margaret ,,of ,,valois4 ,on the eighteenth day of ,august #aegb1 a great festival was held in the palace of the ,louvre4 ,it was to celebrate the nuptials of ,henry of ,navarre and ,margaret of ,valois4 ,this alliance between the chief of the ,protestant party in ,france1 and the sister of ,charles ,,ix4 and daughter of ,catharine of ,medicis1 perplexed1 and in some degree alarmed1 the ,catholics1 whilst it filled the ,huguenots with joy and exultation4 ,the king had declared that he knew and made no difference between ,romanist and ,calvinist--that all were alike his subjects1 and equally beloved by him4 ,he caressed the throng of ,huguenot nobles and gentlemen whom the marriage had attracted to the court1 was affectionate to his new brother-in-law1 friendly with the prince of ,cond1 almost respectful to the venerable ,admiral de ,coligny1 to whom he proposed to confide the command of an army in a projected war with ,spain4 ,the chiefs of the ,catholic party were not behind-hand in following the example set them by ,charles4 ,catharine of ,medicis was all smiles and affability2 the ,duke of ,anjou1 afterwards ,henry ,,iii41 received graciously the compliments paid him by the ,huguenots themselves on his successes at ,jarnac and ,moncontour1 battles which he had won before he was eighteen years old2 ,henry of ,guise1 whose reputation as a leader already1 at the age of two-and-twenty1 almost equalled that of his great father1 was courteous and friendly to those whose deadly foe he had so lately been4 ,the ,duke of ,mayenne and the ,admiral1 the ,guise and the ,cond1 were seen riding1 conversing1 and making parties of pleasure together4 ,it was the lion lying down with the lamb4 ,on the twenty-second of ,august1 four days after the marriage1 in which the ,huguenots saw a guarantee of the peaceful exercise of their religion1 the ,admiral de ,coligny was passing through the street of ,st ,germain l',auxerrois1 when he was shot at and wounded by a captain of petardiers1 one ,maurevel1 who went by the name of ,le ,tueur du ,roi1 literally1 the ,king's ,killer4 ,at midnight on the twenty-fourth of ,august1 the tocsin sounded1 and the massacre of ,st ,bartholomew began4 ,it is at this stirring period of ,french history1 abounding in horrors and bloodshed1 and in plots and intrigues1 both political and amorous1 that ,m4 ,alexandre ,dumas commences one of his most recently published romances4 ,beginning with the marriage of ,henry and ,margaret1 he narrates1 in his spirited and attractive style1 various episodes1 real and imaginary1 of the great massacre1 from the first fury of which1 ,henry himself1 doomed to death by the remorseless ,catherine of ,medicis1 was only saved by his own caution1 by the indecision of ,charles ,,ix41 and the energy of ,margaret of ,valois4 ,the marriage between the ,king of ,france's sister and the ,king of ,navarre1 was merely one of convenance1 agreed to by ,henry for the sake of his fellow ,protestants1 and used by ,catherine and ,charles as a lure to bring those of the religion1 as they were called1 to ,paris1 there to be slaughtered unsuspecting1 and defenceless4 ,margaret1 then scarcely twenty years of age1 had already made herself talked of by her intrigues2 ,henry1 who was a few months younger1 but who1 even at that early period of his life1 possessed a large share of the shrewdness and prudence for which his countrymen1 the ,barnese1 have at all times been noted1 was1 at the very time of his marriage1 deeply in love with the ,baroness de ,sauve1 one of ,catharine de ,medicis' ladies1 by whom he was in his turn beloved4 ,but although little affection existed between the royal pair1 the strong links of interest and ambition bound them together2 and no sooner were they married than they entered into a treaty of political alliance1 to which1 for some time1 both steadily and truly adhered4 ,on the night of the ,st ,bartholomew1 a ,huguenot gentleman1 the ,count ,lerac de la ,mole1 who has arrived that day at ,paris with important letters for the ,king of ,navarre1 seeks refuge in the apartments of the latter from the assassins who pursue and have already wounded him4 ,unacquainted1 however1 with the ,louvre1 he mistakes the door1 and enters the apartment of the ,queen of ,navarre1 who1 seized with pity1 and struck also by the youth and elegance of the fugitive1 gives him shelter1 and herself dresses his wounds1 employing in his behalf the surgical skill which she has acquired from the celebrated ,ambrose ,par1 whose pupil she had been4 ,one of the most furious of ,la ,mole's pursuers is a ,piedmontese gentleman1 ,count ,hannibal de ,coconnas1 who has also arrived that day in the capital1 and put up at the same hotel as ,la ,mole4 ,when the latter is rescued by ,margaret1 ,coconnas wanders through ,paris1 killing all the ,huguenots he can find--such1 at least1 as will defend themselves4 ,in a lonely part of the town he is overpowered by numbers1 and is rescued from imminent peril by the ,duke of ,guise's sister-in-law1 the ,duchess of ,nevers1 that golden-haired1 emerald-eyed dame1 of whom ,ronsard sang-- ,la ,duchesse de ,nevers ,aux yeux verts1 ,qui sous leur paupire blonde1 ,lancent sur nous plus d'clairs ,que ne font vingt ,jupiters ,dans les airs ,lorsque la tempte gronde4 ,to cut the story short1 ,la ,mole falls violently in love with ,margaret1 ,coconnas does the same with the duchess2 and these four personages play important parts in the ensuing narrative1 which extends over a space of nearly two years1 and into which the author1 according to his custom1 introduces a vast array of characters1 for the most part historical1 all spiritedly drawn and well sustained4 ,m4 ,dumas may1 in various respects1 be held up as an example to our history spoilers1 self-styled writers of historical romance1 on this side the ,channel4 ,one does not find him profaning public edifices by causing all sorts of absurdities to pass1 and of twaddle to be spoken1 within their precincts2 neither does he make his kings and beggars1 high-born dames and private soldiers1 use the very same language1 all equally tame1 colourless1 and devoid of character4 ,the spirited and varied dialogue in which his romances abound1 illustrates and brings out the qualities and characteristics of his actors1 and is not used for the sole purpose of making a chapter out of what would be better told in a page4 ,in many instances1 indeed1 it would be difficult for him to tell his story1 by the barest narrative1 in fewer words than he does by pithy and pointed dialogue4 ,as the sole means of placing his life in comparative safety1 ,henry abjures the ,protestant faith1 and remains in a sort of honourable captivity at the court of ,france1 suspected by ,charles and detested by ,catharine1 to whom ,rn the ,florentine1 her astrologer and poisoner1 has predicted that the now powerless prince of ,navarre shall one day reign over ,france4 ,some days have passed1 the massacres have nearly ceased1 and the body of ,admiral de ,coligny1 discovered amongst a heap of slain1 has been suspended to the gibbet at ,montfaucon4 ,charles ,,ix41 always greedy of spectacles of blood1 proposes to pay a visit to the corpse of his dead enemy1 whom had called his father1 and affectionately embraced1 upon their last meeting previous to the attempted assassination of the admiral by ,maurevel1 an attempt instigated by ,charles himself4 ,we will give the account of this visit in the words of ,m4 ,dumas4 ,it was two in the afternoon1 when a long train of cavaliers and ladies1 glittering with gold and jewels1 appeared in the ,rue ,st ,denis1 displaying itself in the sun between the sombre lines of houses1 like some huge reptile with sparkling scales4 ,nothing that exists at the present day can give an adequate idea of the splendour of this spectacle4 ,the rich silken costumes1 of the most brilliant colours1 which were in vogue during the reign of ,francis ,i41 had not yet been replaced by the dark and graceless attire that became the fashion in ,henry ,,iii4's time4 ,the costume of the reign of ,charles ,,ix4 was perhaps less rich1 but more elegant than that of the preceding epoch4 ,in the rear1 and on either side of this magnificent procession1 came the pages1 esquires1 gentlemen of low degree1 dogs and horses1 giving the royal train the appearance of a small army4 ,the cavalcade was followed by a vast number of the populace4 ,that morning1 in presence of ,catharine and the ,duke of ,guise1 and of ,henry of ,navarre1 ,charles the ,ninth had spoken1 as if it were quite a natural thing1 of going to visit the gibbet at ,montfaucon1 or1 in other words1 the mutilated body of the admiral1 which was suspended from it4 ,henry's first impulse had been to make an excuse for not joining the party4 ,catharine was looking out for this1 and at the very first word that he uttered expressive of his repugnance1 she exchanged a glance and a smile with the ,duke of ,guise4 ,henry1 whom nothing escaped1 caught both smile and glance1 underwent them1 and hastened to correct his blunder4 ,after all1 said he1 why should ,i not go8 ,i am a ,catholic1 and owe as much to my new religion4 ,then addressing himself to the king3--,your majesty may reckon upon me1 said he2 ,i shall always be happy to accompany you wherever you go4 ,in the whole procession1 no one attracted so much curiosity and attention as this king without a kingdom1 this ,huguenot who had become ,catholic4 ,his long and strongly marked features1 his somewhat common tournure1 his familiarity with his inferiors--a familiarity which was to be attributed to the habits of his youth1 and which he carried almost too far for a king--caused him to be at once recognised by the spectators1 some of whom called out to him--,to mass1 ,henriot1 to mass6 ,to which ,henry replied4 ,i was there yesterday1 ,i have been there to-day1 ,i shall go again to-morrow4 ,ventre-saint-gris6 ,i think that is enough4 ,as for ,margaret1 she was on horseback--so beautiful1 so fresh and elegant1 that there was a perfect chorus of admiration around her1 some few notes of which1 however1 were addressed to her companion and intimate friend1 the ,duchess of ,nevers1 who had just joined her1 and whose snow-white steed1 as if proud of its lovely burden1 tossed its head1 and neighed exultingly4 ,well1 duchess1 said the ,queen of ,navarre1 have you anything new to tell me8 ,nothing1 madam1 ,i believe1 replied ,henriette4 ,then1 in a lower tone1 she added--,and the ,huguenot1 what is become of him8 ,he is in safety1 replied ,margaret4 ,and your ,piedmontese hero8 ,where is he8 ,he insisted upon being one of the party1 and is riding ,m4 de ,nevers' charger1 a horse as big as an elephant4 ,he is a superb cavalier4 ,i allowed him to come1 because ,i thought that your ,huguenot protg would be still confined to his room1 and that consequently there could be no risk of their meeting4 ,ma foi6 replied ,margaret1 smiling1 if he were here1 ,i do not think there would be much danger of a single combat4 ,the ,huguenot is very handsome1 but nothing else--a dove1 and not an eagle2 he may coo1 but he will not bite4 ,after all1 added she1 with a slight elevation of her shoulders1 we perhaps take him for a ,huguenot1 whilst he is only a ,brahmin1 and his religion may forbid his shedding blood4 ,but see there1 duchess--there is one of your gentlemen1 who will assuredly be ridden over4 ,ah6 it is my hero1 cried the duchess2 look1 look6 ,it was ,coconnas1 who had left his place in the procession in order to get nearer to the ,duchess of ,nevers2 but1 at the very moment that he was crossing the sort of boulevard separating the street of ,st ,denis from the faubourg of the same name1 a cavalier belonging to the suite of the ,duke of ,alenon1 who had just come up1 was run away with by his horse2 and1 being unable immediately to check the animal1 came full tilt against ,coconnas4 ,the ,piedmontese reeled in his saddle1 and his hat fell off4 ,he caught it in his hand1 and turned furiously upon the person by whom he had been so rudely1 although accidentally1 assailed4 ,good heavens6 said ,margaret1 in a whisper to her friend1 it is ,monsieur de la ,mole6 ,that pale1 handsome young man8 cried the duchess4 ,yes2 he who so nearly upset your ,piedmontese4 ,oh6 exclaimed the duchess1 something terrible will happen6 ,they recognise each other4 ,they had done so4 ,coconnas dropped the bridle of his horse in surprise at meeting with his former acquaintance1 whom he fully believed he had killed1 or at any rate disabled for a long time to come4 ,as to ,la ,mole1 when he recognised ,coconnas1 a flush of anger overspread his pallid countenance4 ,for a few seconds1 the two men remained gazing at each other with looks which made ,margaret and the duchess tremble4 ,then ,la ,mole1 glancing around him1 and understanding1 doubtless1 that the place was not a fit one for an explanation1 spurred his horse1 and rejoined the ,duke of ,alenon4 ,coconnas remained for a moment stationary1 twisting his mustache till he brought the corner of it nearly into his eye1 and then moved onwards4 ,ha6 exclaimed ,margaret1 with mingled scorn and vexation2 ,i was not mistaken then4 ,oh1 this time it is too bad6 ,and she bit her lips in anger4 ,he is very handsome1 said the duchess1 in a tone of commiseration4 ,just at this moment the ,duke of ,alenon took his place behind the king and the queen-mother2 so that his gentlemen1 in order to follow him1 had to pass ,margaret and the ,duchess of ,nevers4 ,as ,la ,mole went by1 he removed his hat1 bowed low to the queen1 and remained bareheaded1 waiting till her majesty should honour him with a look4 ,but ,margaret turned her head proudly away4 ,la ,mole doubtless understood the scornful expression of her features2 his pale face became livid1 and he grasped his horse's mane as if to save himself from falling4 ,look at him1 cruel that you are1 said ,henriette to the ,queen2 he is going to faint4 ,good1 said ,margaret1 with a smile of immense contempt4 ,have you no salts to offer him8 ,madame de ,nevers was mistaken4 ,la ,mole recovered himself1 and took his place behind the ,duke of ,alenon4 ,the royal party continued to advance1 and presently came in sight of the gallows at ,montfaucon4 ,the ,king and ,catharine of ,medicis were followed by the ,dukes of ,anjou and ,alenon1 the ,king of ,navarre1 the ,duke of ,guise1 and their gentlemen2 then came ,margaret1 the ,duchess of ,nevers1 and the ladies1 composing what was called the ,queen's flying squadron2 finally1 the pages1 esquires1 lackeys1 and the people--in all1 ten thousand souls4 ,the guards1 who marched in front1 placed themselves in a large circle round the enclosure in which stood the gibbet2 and on their approach1 the ravens that had perched upon the instrument of death flew away with hoarse and dismal croakings4 ,to the principal gallows was hanging a shapeless mass1 a blackened corpse1 covered with mud and coagulated blood4 ,it was suspended by the feet1 for the head was wanting4 ,in place of the latter1 the ingenuity of the people had substituted a bundle of straw1 with a mask fixed upon it2 and in the mouth of the mask some scoffer1 acquainted with the admiral's habits1 had placed a toothpick4 ,it was a sad and strange sight to behold all these elegant cavaliers and beautiful women passing1 like one of the processions which ,goya has painted1 under the blackened skeletons and tall grim gibbets4 ,the greater the mirth of the visitors1 the more striking was the contrast with the mournful silence and cold insensibility of the corpses which were its object4 ,many of the party supported with difficulty this horrible spectacle2 and ,henry of ,navarre especially1 in spite of his powers of dissimulation and habitual command over himself1 was at last unable to bear it longer4 ,he took1 as a pretext1 the stench emitted by these human remains2 and approaching ,charles1 who1 with ,catharine of ,medicis1 had paused before the body of the admiral-- ,sire1 said he1 does not your ,majesty find that the smell of this poor corpse is too noxious to be longer endured8 ,ha6 think you so1 ,harry8 cried ,charles1 whose eyes were sparkling with a ferocious joy4 ,yes1 sire4 ,then ,i am not of your opinion4 ,the body of a dead enemy always smells well4 ,by my faith6 sire1 said ,monsieur de ,tavannes1 your ,majesty should have invited ,pierre ,ronsard to accompany us on this little visit to the admiral2 he would have made an impromptu epitaph on old ,gaspard4 ,that will ,i make1 said ,charles4 ,and after a moments reflection1 ,listen1 gentlemen1 said he-- ,ci-gt1 mais c'est mal entendu1 ,pour lui le mot est trop honnte1 ,ici l'amiral est pendu1 ,par les pieds1 faute de tte4 ,bravo6 bravo6 cried the ,catholic gentlemen with one voice1 whilst the converted ,huguenots there present maintained a gloomy silence4 ,as to ,henry1 he was talking to ,margaret and the ,duchess of ,nevers1 and pretended not to hear4 ,come1 sir1 said ,catharine1 who1 in spite of the perfumes with which she was covered1 began to have enough of this tainted atmosphere--,come1 sir1 said she to the king1 the best of friends must part4 ,let us bid adieu to the admiral1 and return to ,paris4 ,and bowing her head ironically to the corpse by way of a farewell1 she turned her horse and regained the road1 whilst her suite filed past the body of ,coligny4 ,the crowd followed the cavalcade1 and ten minutes after the king's departure1 no one remained near the mutilated body of the admiral4 ,when we say no one1 we make a mistake4 ,a gentleman1 mounted on a black horse1 and who1 probably1 during the stay of the king1 had been unable to contemplate the disfigured corpse sufficiently at his ease1 lingered behind1 and was amusing himself by examining1 in all their details1 the chains1 irons1 stone pillars1 in short1 the whole paraphernalia of the gibbet1 which1 no doubt1 appeared to him1 who had been but a few days at ,paris1 and was not aware of the perfection to which all things are brought in the metropolis1 a paragon of hideous ingenuity4 ,this person was our friend ,coconnas4 ,a woman's quick eye had in vain sought him through the ranks of the cavalcade4 ,monsieur de ,coconnas remained in admiration before the masterpiece of ,enguerrand de ,marigny4 ,but the woman in question was not the only person who sought ,coconnas4 ,a cavalier1 remarkable for his white satin doublet1 and the elegance of his plume1 after looking before him1 and on either side1 had at last looked back and perceived the tall form of the ,piedmontese1 and the gigantic profile of his horse1 sharply defined against the evening sky1 now reddened by the last rays of the setting sun4 ,then the gentleman in the white satin doublet left the road which the cavalcade was following1 struck into a side path1 and describing a curve1 returned towards the gibbet4 ,he had scarcely done this1 when the ,duchess of ,nevers approached the ,queen of ,navarre1 and said-- ,we were mistaken1 ,margaret1 for the ,piedmontese has remained behind1 and ,monsieur de la ,mole has followed him4 ,mordi6 cried ,margaret laughing1 is it so8 ,i confess that ,i shall not be sorry to have to alter my opinion4 ,she then looked round1 and saw ,la ,mole returning towards the gallows4 ,it was now the turn of the two princesses to quit the cavalcade4 ,the moment was favourable for so doing1 for they were just crossing a road bordered by high hedges1 by following which they would get to within thirty paces of the gibbet4 ,madame de ,nevers said a word to the captain of her guards1 ,margaret made a sign to ,gillonne1 her tirewoman and confidant2 and these four persons took the cross road1 and hastened to place themselves in ambuscade behind some bushes near the spot they were desirous of observing4 ,there they dismounted1 and the captain held the horses1 whilst the three ladies found a pleasant seat upon the close fresh turf1 with which the place was overgrown4 ,an opening in the bushes enabled them to observe the smallest details of what was passing4 ,la ,mole had completed his circuit1 and1 walking up behind ,coconnas1 he stretched out his hand and touched him on the shoulder4 ,the ,piedmontese turned his head4 ,oh6 said he1 it was no dream then4 ,you are still alive8 ,yes1 sir1 replied ,la ,mole1 ,i am still alive4 ,it is not your fault1 but such is the case4 ,mordieu6 ,i recognise you perfectly1 said ,coconnas1 in spite of your pale cheeks4 ,you were redder than that the last time ,i saw you4 ,and ,i recognise you also1 said ,la ,mole1 in spite of that yellow cut across your face4 ,you were paler than you are now when ,i gave it to you4 ,coconnas bit his lips1 but continued in the same ironical tone4 ,it is curious1 is it not1 ,monsieur de la ,mole1 particularly for a ,huguenot1 to see the admiral hung up to that iron hook8 ,count1 said ,la ,mole with a bow1 ,i am no longer a ,huguenot1 ,i have the honour to be a ,catholic4 ,bah6 cried ,coconnas1 bursting into a laugh1 ,you are converted8 ,how very sly of you6 ,sir1 replied ,la ,mole1 with the same serious politeness1 ,i made a vow to become a ,catholic if ,i escaped the massacre4 ,it was a very prudent vow1 returned the ,piedmontese1 and ,i congratulate you on it2 is it the only one you made8 ,no1 sir1 ,i made one other1 replied ,la ,mole1 patting his horse with his usual deliberate grace4 ,and it was---- enquired ,coconnas4 ,to hang you up yonder1 to that little hook which seems to be waiting for you1 just below ,monsieur de ,coligny4 ,what6 cried ,coconnas1 all alive1 just as ,i am8 ,no1 sir2 after passing my sword through your body4 ,coconnas became purple1 and his grey eye flashed fire4 ,really1 said he1 with a sneer2 to yonder rail8 ,you are not quite tall enough for that1 my little gentleman4 ,then ,i will get upon your horse1 replied ,la ,mole4 ,ah6 you think1 my dear ,m4 ,hannibal de ,coconnas1 that you may assassinate people with impunity under the loyal and honourable pretext of being a hundred to one4 ,not so4 ,a day comes when every man finds his man1 and for you that day is come now4 ,i am almost tempted to break your ugly head with a pistol shot2 but pshaw6 ,i should perhaps miss you1 for my hand still shakes with the wounds you so treacherously gave me4 ,my ugly head6 roared ,coconnas1 throwing himself off his horse4 ,on foot6 ,monsieur le ,compte--out with your blade6 ,and he drew his sword4 ,i think your ,huguenot called him ugly1 whispered the ,duchess of ,nevers to ,margaret4 ,do you find him so8 ,he is charming1 cried ,margaret laughing1 and ,monsieur de la ,mole's anger renders him unjust4 ,but hush6 let us observe them4 ,la ,mole got off his horse with as much deliberation as ,coconnas had shown haste1 drew his sword1 and put himself on guard4 ,ah6 cried he1 as he extended his arm4 ,oh6 exclaimed ,coconnas1 as he stretched out his4 ,both1 it will be remembered1 were wounded in the shoulder1 and a sudden movement still caused them acute suffering4 ,a stifled laugh was audible from behind the trees4 ,the princesses had been unable to restrain it when they saw the two champions rubbing their shoulders and grimacing with pain4 ,the laughed reached the ears of ,la ,mole and ,coconnas1 who had been hitherto unaware of the presence of witnesses1 but who now1 on looking round1 perceived the ladies4 ,la ,mole again put himself on guard1 steady as an automaton1 and ,coconnas1 as their swords crossed1 uttered an energetic ,mordieu6 ,ah a6 exclaimed ,margaret1 they are in earnest1 and will kill one another if we do not prevent it4 ,this is going too far4 ,stop1 gentlemen1 ,i entreat you4 ,let them go on1 said ,henriette1 who1 having already seen ,coconnas make head successfully against three antagonists at once1 trusted that he would have at least as easy a bargain of ,la ,mole4 ,at the first clash of the steel1 the combatants became silent4 ,they were neither of them confident in their strength1 and1 at each pass or parry1 their imperfectly healed wounds caused them sharp pain4 ,nevertheless1 with fixed and ardent eye1 his lips slightly parted1 his teeth firmly-set1 ,la ,mole advanced with short steady steps upon his adversary2 who1 perceiving that he had to do with a master of fence1 retreated--gradually1 it is true1 but still retreated4 ,in this manner they reached the edge of the moat1 or dry ditch1 on the other side of which the spectators had stationed themselves4 ,there1 as if he had only retired with the view of getting nearer to the duchess1 ,coconnas stopped1 and made a rapid thrust4 ,at the same instant a sanguine spot1 which grew each second larger1 appeared upon the white satin of ,la ,mole's doublet4 ,courage6 cried the ,duchess of ,nevers4 ,poor ,la ,mole6 exclaimed ,margaret1 with a cry of sorrow4 ,la ,mole heard the exclamation1 threw one expressive glance to the queen1 and making a skilful feint1 followed it up by a pass of lightning swiftness4 ,this time both the women shrieked4 ,the point of ,la ,mole's rapier had appeared1 crimson with blood1 behind the back of ,coconnas4 ,neither of the combatants fell2 they remained on their feet1 staring at each other1 each of them feeling that at the first movement he made he should lose his balance4 ,at last the ,piedmontese1 more dangerously wounded than his antagonist1 and feeling that his strength was ebbing away with his blood1 threw himself forward upon ,la ,mole1 and seized hill with one arm1 whilst with the other hand he felt for his dagger4 ,la ,mole mustered all his remaining strength1 raised his hand1 and struck ,coconnas on the forehead with his sword-hilt4 ,coconnas fell1 but in falling he dragged his adversary after him1 and both rolled into the ditch4 ,then ,margaret and the ,duchess of ,nevers1 seeing that although1 apparently dying1 they still sought to finish each other1 sprang forward1 preceded by the captain of the guards4 ,but before they reached the wounded men1 the eyes of the latter closed1 their grasp was loosened1 and1 letting fall their weapons1 they stretched themselves out stiff and convulsed4 ,a pool of blood had already formed itself around them4 ,oh6 brave1 brave ,la ,mole6 exclaimed ,margaret1 unable to repress her admiration4 ,how can ,i forgive myself for having suspected you8 ,and her eyes filled with tears4 ,alas6 alas6 cried the duchess1 sobbing violently4 ,say1 madam1 did you ever see such intrepid champions8 ,tudieu6--,what hard knocks6 exclaimed the captain1 trying to stanch the blood that flowed from the wounds4 ,hola6 you who are coming1 come more quickly4 ,a man1 seated on the front of a sort of cart painted of a red colour1 was seen slowly approaching4 ,hola6 repeated the captain1 will you come1 then1 when you are called8 ,do you not see that these gentlemen are in want of assistance8 ,the man in the cart1 whose appearance was in the highest degree coarse and repulsive1 stopped his horse1 got down1 and stepped over the two bodies4 ,these are pretty wounds1 said he1 but ,i make better ones4 ,who1 then1 are you8 said ,margaret1 experiencing1 in spite of herself1 a vague and unconquerable sensation of terror4 ,madam1 replied the man1 bowing to the ground1 ,i an ,matre ,caboche1 executioner of the city of ,paris2 and ,i am come to suspend to this gibbet some companions for the admiral4 ,and ,i am the ,queen of ,navarre2 throw out your dead bodies1 place our horses' clothes in your cart1 and bring these two gentlemen carefully to the ,louvre4 ,la ,mole recovers from his wounds before ,coconnas is out of danger4 ,the latter is1 in great measure1 restored to health through the care and attention which his late antagonist generously lavishes on him2 they become intimate friends1 and ,coconnas is appointed to the household of the ,duke of ,alenon1 to which ,la ,mole already belongs4 ,the duke1 out of opposition to his brothers1 the king and the ,duke of ,anjou1 has a leaning towards the ,huguenot party4 ,de ,mouy1 a ,protestant leader1 whose father has been assassinated by ,maurevel1 comes in disguise to the ,louvre1 to communicate with ,henry of ,navarre1 in the sincerity of whose conversion the ,huguenots do not believe4 ,henry1 however1 who knows that the walls of the ,louvre have ears1 refuses to listen to ,de ,mouy1 and declares himself ,catholic to the backbone2 and ,de ,mouy1 despairing and indignant1 leaves the king's apartment4 ,the ,duke of ,alenon1 who has overheard their conference1 as ,henry suspected1 stops the ,huguenot emissary1 and shows a disposition to put himself at the head of that party and become ,king of ,navarre4 ,there is a great deal of intrigue and manoeuvring1 very skilfully managed by ,henry1 who makes ,d',alenon believe that he has no wish to become any thing more than a simple country-gentleman1 and that he is willing to aid him in his ambitious designs4 ,he proposes that they should watch for an opportunity of leaving ,paris and repairing to ,navarre4 ,before the negotiations between the two princes are completed1 however1 the ,duke of ,anjou has been elected ,king of ,poland1 and has had his election ratified by the ,pope2 and ,d',alenon then begins to think that it would be advisable to remain at ,paris on the chance of himself becoming ,king of ,france4 ,charles ,,ix4 is delicate and sickly1 subject to tremendous outbursts of passion which leave him weak and exhausted2 his life is not likely to be a long one4 ,should he die1 and even if the ,poles should allow their new king to return to ,france1 ,d',alenon would have time1 he thinks1 before the arrival of the latter1 to seize upon the vacant throne4 ,even the reversion of the crown of ,poland would perhaps be preferable to the possession of that of ,navarre4 ,whilst ruminating these plans1 one of the king's frequent hunting parties takes place in the forest of ,bondy1 and is attended by all the royal family except the ,duke of ,anjou1 then absent at the siege of ,la ,rochelle4 ,at this hunting party the following striking incidents occur4 ,the piqueur who had told the king that the boar was still in the enclosure1 had spoken the truth4 ,hardly was the bloodhound put upon the scent1 when he plunged into a thicket1 and drove the animal1 an enormous one of its kind1 from its retreat in a cluster of thorn-bushes4 ,the boar made straight across the road1 at about fifty paces from the king4 ,the leashes of a score of dogs were immediately slipped1 and the eager hounds rushed headlong in pursuit4 ,the chase was ,charles's strongest passion4 ,scarcely had the boar crossed the road1 when he spurred after him1 sounding the view upon his horn1 and followed by the ,duke of ,alenon1 and by ,henry of ,navarre4 ,all the other chasseurs followed4 ,the royal forests1 at the period referred to1 were not1 as at present1 extensive parks intersected by carriage roads4 ,kings had not yet had the happy idea of becoming timber-merchants1 and of dividing their woods into tailles and futaies4 ,the trees1 planted1 not by scientific foresters but by the hand of ,god1 who let the seed fall where the wind chose to bear it1 were not arranged in quincunxes1 but sprang up without order1 and as they now do in the virgin forests of ,america4 ,consequently a forest at that period was a place in which boars and stags1 wolves and robbers1 were to be found in abundance4 ,the wood of ,bondy was surrounded by a circular road1 like the tire of a wheel and crossed by a dozen paths which might be called the spokes4 ,to complete the comparison1 the axle1 was represented by carrefour1 or open space1 in the centre of the wood1 whence all these paths diverged1 and whither any of the sportsmen who might be thrown out were in the habit of repairing1 till some sight or sound of the chase enabled them to rejoin it4 ,at the end of a quarter of an hour1 it happened1 as it usually did at these hunts1 that insurmountable obstacles had opposed themselves to the progress of the hunters1 the baying of the hounds had become inaudible in the distance1 and the king himself had returned to the carrefour1 swearing and cursing according to his custom4 ,well1 ,d',alenon6 ,well1 ,henriot6 cried he--here you are1 mordieu6 as calm and quiet as nuns following their abbess4 ,that is not hunting4 ,you1 ,d',alenon--you look as if you had just come out of a band-box2 and you are so perfumed1 that if you got between the boar and my dogs1 you would make them lose the scent4 ,and you1 ,henriot--where is your boar-spear8 ,where your arquebuss8 ,sire1 replied ,henry1 an arquebuss would be useless to me4 ,i know that your majesty likes to shoot the boar himself when it is brought to bay4 ,as to the spear1 ,i handle it very clumsily4 ,we are not used to it in our mountains1 where we hunt the bear with nothing but a dagger4 ,by the mordieu1 ,henry1 when you return to your ,pyrenees you shall send me a cart-load of bears4 ,it must be noble sport to contend with an animal that can stifle you with a hug4 ,but hark6 ,i hear the dogs6 ,no1 ,i was mistaken4 ,the king put his horn to his mouth and sounded fanfare4 ,several horns replied to him4 ,suddenly a piqueur appeared1 sounding a different call4 ,the view6 the view6 cried the king2 and he galloped off1 followed by the other sportsmen4 ,the piqueur was not mistaken4 ,as the king advanced he heard the baying of the pack1 which was now composed of more than sixty dogs1 fresh relays having been slipped at different places near which the boar had passed4 ,at last ,charles caught a second glimpse of the animal1 and1 profiting by the height of the adjacent trees1 which enabled him to ride beneath their branches1 he turned into the wood1 sounding his horn with all his strength4 ,the princes followed him for some time1 but the king had so vigorous a horse1 and1 carried away by his eagerness1 he dashed over such steep and broken ground1 and through such dense thickets1 that first the ladies1 then the ,duke of ,guise and his gentlemen1 and at last the two princes1 were forced to abandon him4 ,all the hunters therefore1 with the exception of ,charles and a few piqueurs1 found themselves reassembled at the carrefour4 ,d',alenon and ,henry were standing near each other in a long alley4 ,at about a hundred paces from them the ,duke of ,guise had halted1 with his retinue of twenty or thirty gentlemen1 who were armed1 it might have been thought1 rather for the battle-field than the hunting-ground4 ,the ladies were in the carrefour itself4 ,would it not seem1 said the ,duke of ,alenon to ,henry1 glancing at the ,duke of ,guise with the corner of his eye1 that yonder man with his steel-clad escort is the true king8 ,he does not even vouchsafe a glance to us poor princes4 ,why should he treat us better than our own relations do8 replied ,henry4 ,are we not1 you and ,i1 prisoners at the court of ,france1 hostages for our party8 ,the ,duke ,francis started1 and looked at ,henry as if to provoke a further explanation2 but ,henry had gone further than was his wont1 and he remained silent4 ,what do you mean1 ,henry8 enquired the duke1 evidently vexed that his brother-in-law1 by his taciturnity1 compelled him to put the question4 ,i mean1 brother1 answered ,henry1 that those armed men who seem so careful not to lose sight of us1 have quite the appearance of guards charged to prevent us from escaping4 ,escaping6 ,why8 ,how8 cried ,d',alenon1 with a well-feigned air of surprise and simplicity4 ,you have a magnificent jennet there1 ,francis1 said ,henry1 following up the subject1 whilst appearing to change the conversation4 ,i am sure he would get over seven leagues in an hour1 and twenty from now till noon4 ,it is a fine day for a ride4 ,look at that cross-road--how level and pleasant it is6 ,are you not tempted1 ,francis8 ,for my part1 my spurs are burning my heels4 ,francis made no answer4 ,he turned red and pale alternately1 and appeared to be straining his hearing to catch some sound of the chase4 ,the news from ,poland have produced their effect1 said ,henry to himself1 and my good brother-in-law has a plan of his own4 ,he would like to see me escape1 but ,i shall not go alone4 ,he had scarcely made the reflection1 when several of the recently converted ,huguenots1 who within the last two or three months had returned to the court and the ,romish church1 came up at a canter1 and saluted the two princes with a most engaging smile4 ,the ,duke of ,alenon1 already urged on by ,henry's overtures1 had but to utter a word or make a sign1 and it was evident that his flight would be favoured by the thirty or forty cavaliers who had collected around him1 as if to oppose themselves to the followers of the ,duke of ,guise4 ,but that word he did not utter4 ,he turned away his head1 and1 putting his horn to his mouth1 sounded the rally4 ,nevertheless the new-comers1 as if they thought that ,d',alenon's hesitation was occasioned by the vicinity of the ,guisards1 had gradually placed themselves between the latter and the two princes1 arraying themselves in chelon with a sort of strategic skill1 which implied a habit of military manoeuvres4 ,guise and his followers would have had to ride over them to get at the ,duke of ,alenon and the ,king of ,navarre2 whilst1 on the other side1 a long and unobstructed road lay open before the brothers-in-law4 ,suddenly1 between the trees1 at ten paces from the ,king of ,navarre1 there appeared another horseman1 whom the princes had not yet seen4 ,henry was trying to guess who this person was1 when the gentleman raised his hat and disclosed the features of the ,viscount of ,turenne1 one of the chiefs of the ,protestant party1 and who was supposed to be then in ,poitou4 ,the viscount even risked a sign1 which meant to say--,are you coming8 ,but ,henry1 after consulting the inexpressive countenance and dull eyes of the ,duke of ,alenon1 turned his head two or three times upon his shoulders1 as if something in the collar of his doublet inconvenienced him4 ,it as a reply in the negative4 ,the viscount understood it1 gave his horse the spur1 and disappeared amongst the trees4 ,at the same moment the pack was heard approaching2 then1 at the end of the alley1 the boar was seen to pass1 followed at a short distance by the dogs1 whilst after them came ,charles ,,ix41 like some demon-huntsman bareheaded1 his horn at his mouth1 sounding as though he would burst his lungs4 ,three or four piqueurs followed him4 ,the king6 cried ,d',alenon1 riding off to join in the chase4 ,henry1 encouraged by the presence of his partizans1 signed to them to remain1 and approached the ladies4 ,well1 said ,margaret1 advancing to meet him4 ,well madam1 said ,henry1 we are hunting the boar4 ,is that all8 ,yes1 the wind has changed since yesterday morning4 ,i think ,i predicted that such would be the case4 ,these changes of wind are bad for hunting--are they not1 sir8 enquired ,margaret4 ,yes1 replied her husband1 they sometimes overturn previous arrangements1 and the plan has to be remade4 ,at this moment the baying of the pack was again heard near the carrefour4 ,the noise and tumult rapidly approaching1 warned the hunters to be on the alert4 ,all heads were raised1 every ear as strained1 when suddenly the boar burst out of the wood1 and1 instead of plunging into the opposite thicket made straight for the carrefour4 ,close to the animal's heels were thirty or forty of the strongest amongst the dogs1 and at less than twenty paces behind these came ,charles himself1 without cap or cloak1 his clothes torn by the thorns1 his face and hands covered with blood4 ,only one or two piqueurs kept up with him4 ,alternately sounding his horn and shouting encouragement to the dogs1 the king pressed onwards1 every thing but the chase forgotten4 ,if his horse had failed him at that moment1 he would have exclaimed1 like ,richard ,,iii41 ,my kingdom for a horse6 ,but the horse appeared as eager as his rider4 ,his feet scarce touched the ground1 and he seemed to snort fire from his blood-red nostrils4 ,boar1 dogs1 and king dashed by like a whirlwind4 ,hallali6 hallali6 cried the king as he passed4 ,and again he applied his horn to his bleeding lips4 ,a short distance behind him came the ,duke of ,alenon and two more piqueurs4 ,the horses of the others were blown or distanced4 ,every body now joined in the pursuit1 for it was evident that the boar would soon turn to bay4 ,accordingly1 at the end of ten minutes1 the beast left the path and entered the wood2 but on reaching a neighbouring glade1 he turned his tail to a rock and made head against the dogs4 ,the most interesting moment of the hunt had arrived4 ,the animal was evidently prepared to make a desperate defence4 ,the dogs1 fierce and foaming after their three hours' chase1 precipitated themselves upon him with a fury which was redoubled by the shouts and oaths of the king4 ,the hunters arranged themselves in a circle1 ,charles a little in front1 having behind him the ,duke of ,alenon1 who carried an arquebuss1 and ,henry of ,navarre1 who was armed only with a couteau-de-chasse4 ,the duke unslung his arquebuss and lit the match2 ,henry loosened his hunting-knife in the scabbard4 ,as to the ,duke of ,guise1 who affected to despise field-sports1 he kept himself a little apart with his gentlemen2 and on the other side another little group was formed by the ladies4 ,all eyes were fixed in anxious expectation upon the boar4 ,a little apart stood a piqueur1 exerting all his strength to resist the efforts of two enormous dogs1 who awaited1 covered with their coats of mail1 howling savagely1 and struggling as though they would break their chains1 the moment when they should be let loose upon the boar4 ,the latter did wonders4 ,attacked at one time by forty dogs1 that covered him like a living wave or many-coloured carpet1 and strove on all sides to tear his wrinkled and bristling hide1 he1 at each blow of his formidable tusk1 tossed one of his assailants ten feet into the air4 ,the dogs fell to the ground ripped up1 and threw themselves1 with their bowels hanging out of their wounds1 once more into the mle2 whilst ,charles1 with hair on end1 inflamed eyes1 and distended nostrils1 bent forward over the neck of his foaming steed and sounded a furious hallali4 ,in less than ten minutes twenty dogs were disabled4 ,the mastiffs6 cried ,charles2 the mastiffs6 ,at the word1 the piqueur slipped the leashes1 and the two dogs dashed into the midst of the carnage1 upsetting the smaller hounds1 and with their iron-coated sides forcing their way to the boar1 whom they seized each by an ear4 ,the animal1 feeling himself coiff1 as it is termed1 gnashed his teeth with pain and fury4 ,bravo1 ,duredent6 ,bravo1 ,risquetout6 vociferated ,charles4 ,courage1 my dogs6 a spear6 a spear6 ,will you have my arquebuss8 said the ,duke of ,alenon4 ,no1 cried the king4 ,no--one does not feel the ball go in2 there is no pleasure in that4 ,one feels the spear4 ,a spear6 a spear6 ,a boar-spear made of wood hardened in the fire and tipped with iron1 was handed to the king4 ,be cautious1 brother6 exclaimed ,margaret4 ,sus1 sus1 sire6 cried the ,duchess of ,nevers4 ,do not miss him1 sire4 ,a good thrust to the brute6 ,you may depend on that1 duchess1 replied ,charles4 ,and levelling his spear1 he charged the boar1 who1 being held down by the two dogs1 could not avoid the blow4 ,nevertheless1 at the sight of the glittering point of the weapon1 the animal made a movement on one side1 and the spear1 instead of piercing his breast1 grazed his shoulder1 and struck against the rock in his rear4 ,mille noms d'un diable6 cried the king1 ,i have missed him4 ,a spear6 a spear6 ,and backing his horse1 like a knight in the lists1 he pitched away his weapon1 of which the point had turned against the rock4 ,a piqueur advanced to give him another4 ,but at the same moment1 as if he had foreseen the fate that awaited him1 and was determined to avoid it at any cost1 the boar1 by a violent effort1 wrenched his torn ears from the jaws of the dogs1 and with bloodshot eyes1 bristling and hideous1 his respiration sounding like the bellows of a forge1 and his teeth chattering and grinding against each other1 he lowered his head and made a rush at the king's horse4 ,charles was too experienced a sportsman not to have anticipated this attack1 and he turned his horse quickly aside4 ,but he had pressed too hard upon the bit2 the horse reared violently1 and1 either terrified at the boar or compelled by the pull on the bridle1 fell backwards4 ,the spectators uttered a terrible cry4 ,the king's thigh was under the horse4 ,slack your rein6 cried ,henry1 slack your rein6 ,the king relinquished his hold on the bridle1 seized the saddle with his left hand1 and with his right tried to draw his hunting-knife2 but the blade1 pressed upon by the weight of his body1 would not leave its sheath4 ,the boar6 the boar6 cried ,charles4 ,help1 ,d',alenon6 help6 ,nevertheless the horse1 left to himself1 and as if he had understood his rider's peril1 made an effort1 and had already got up on three legs1 when ,henry saw the ,duke ,francis grow deadly pale1 bring his arquebuss to his shoulder1 and fire4 ,the ball1 instead of striking the boar1 now but at two paces from the king1 broke the front leg of the horse1 who again fell with his nose upon the earth4 ,at the same moment ,charles's boot was torn by the tusk of the boar4 ,oh6 murmured ,d',alenon between his pallid lips1 ,i think that the ,duke of ,anjou is ,king of ,france1 and that ,i am ,king of ,poland6 ,it seemed indeed probable4 ,the snout of the boar was rummaging ,charles's thigh1 when the latter felt somebody seize and raise his arm--a keen bright blade flashed before his eyes1 and buried itself to the hilt in the shoulder of the brute2 whilst a gauntleted hand put aside the dangerous tusks which were already disappearing under the ,king's garments4 ,charles1 who had taken advantage of the horse's movement to disengage his leg1 rose slowly to his feet1 and1 seeing himself covered with blood1 became as pale as a corpse4 ,sire1 said ,henry1 who1 still on his knees1 held down the boar1 which he had stabbed to the heart--,sire1 there is no harm done4 ,i put aside the tusk1 and your ,majesty is unhurt4 ,then1 getting up1 he let go his hold of the hunting-knife1 and the boar fell1 the blood flowing from his mouth even more plentifully than from the wound4 ,charles1 surrounded by the alarmed throng1 and assailed by cries of terror that might well have bewildered the calmest courage1 was for a moment on the point of falling senseless near the dying animal4 ,but he recovered himself1 and turning towards the ,king of ,navarre1 pressed his hand with a look in which was visible the first gleam of kindly feeling that he had shown during his twenty-four years of existence4 ,thanks1 ,henriot1 said he4 ,my poor brother6 cried ,d',alenon1 approaching the king4 ,ah6 you are there1 ,d',alenon8 cried ,charles4 ,well1 you famous marksman1 what is become of your bullet8 ,it must have flattened upon the hide of the boar1 said the duke4 ,eh6 mon ,dieu6 cried ,henry with a surprise that was admirably acted2 see there1 ,francis--your ball has broken the leg of his ,majesty's horse6 ,what6 said the king2 is that true8 ,it is possible1 said the duke1 in great confusion2 my hand trembled so violently4 ,the fact is1 that for an expert marksman you have made a singular shot1 ,francis1 said ,charles frowning4 ,for the second time1 thanks1 ,henriot4 ,gentlemen1 continued the king1 we will return to ,paris2 ,i have had enough for to-day4 ,margaret came up to congratulate ,henry4 ,ma foi6 yes1 ,margot1 said ,charles1 you may congratulate him1 and very sincerely too1 for without him the ,king of ,france would now be ,henry the ,third4 ,alas6 madam1 said the ,barnais1 the ,duke of ,anjou1 already my enemy1 will hate me tenfold for this morning's work4 ,but it cannot be helped4 ,one does what one can1 as ,m4 d',alenon will tell you4 ,and stooping1 he drew his hunting-knife from the carcass of the boar1 and plunged it thrice into the ground1 to cleanse it from the blood4 ,before leaving the ,louvre1 on the morning of the boar-hunt1 ,charles has been prevailed upon by ,catharine of ,medicis1 who1 in consequence of the prediction already referred to1 has vowed ,henry's destruction1 to sign a warrant for the ,king of ,navarre's arrest and imprisonment in the ,bastile4 ,in this warrant she inserts the words1 dead or alive1 and entrusts its execution to the assassin ,maurevel1 intimating to him that ,henry's death will be more agreeable to her than his capture4 ,charles1 however1 learns that his mother has had an interview with ,maurevel1 guesses the fate reserved for ,henry1 and1 as the least troublesome way of rescuing the man who had that day saved his life1 he makes his brother-in-law accompany him to sup and pass the night out of the ,louvre4 ,henry does not dare to refuse1 although he is expecting a nocturnal visit from ,de ,mouy in his apartment1 and the two kings leave the palace together4 ,here is what passes after their departure4 ,it wanted two hours of midnight1 and the most profound silence reigned in the ,louvre4 ,margaret and the ,duchess of ,nevers had betaken themselves to their rendezvous in the ,rue ,tizon2 ,coconnas and ,la ,mole had followed them2 the ,duke of ,alenon remained in his apartment in vague and anxious expectation of the events which the queen-mother had predicted to him2 finally1 ,catharine herself had retired to rest1 and ,madame de ,sauve1 seated at her bedside1 was reading to her certain ,italian tales1 at which the good queen laughed heartily4 ,for a long time1 ,catharine had not been in so complacent a humour4 ,after making an excellent supper with her ladies1 after holding a consultation with her physician1 and making up the account of her day's expenditure1 she had ordered prayers for the success of an enterprise1 highly important1 she said1 to the happiness of her children4 ,it was one of ,catharine's ,florentine habits to have prayers and masses said for the success of projects1 the nature of which was known but to ,god and to herself4 ,whilst ,madame de ,sauve is reading1 a terrible cry and a pistol-shot are heard1 followed by the noise of a struggle from the direction of the ,king of ,navarre's apartment4 ,all are greatly alarmed1 except ,catharine1 who affects not to have heard the sounds1 and forbids enquiry as to their cause1 attributing them to some brawling guardsmen4 ,at last the disturbance appears to have ceased4 ,it is over1 said ,catharine4--,captain1 she continued1 addressing herself to ,monsieur de ,nancey1 if there has been scandal in the palace1 you will not fail to-morrow to have it severely punished4 ,go on reading1 ,carlotta4 ,and ,catharine fell back upon her pillows4 ,only those nearest to her observed that large drops of perspiration were trickling down her face4 ,madame de ,sauve obeyed the formal order she had received1 but with her eyes and voice only4 ,her imagination represented to her some terrible danger suspended over the head of him she loved4 ,after a short struggle between emotion and etiquette1 the former prevailed2 her voice died away1 the book fell from her hands1 and she fainted4 ,just then a violent noise was heard2 a heavy hurried step shook the corridor2 two pistol-shots caused the windows to rattle in their frames1 and ,catharine1 astonished at this prolonged struggle1 sprang from her couch1 pale1 and with dilated eyeballs4 ,the captain of the guard was hastening to the door1 when she seized his arm4 ,let no one leave the room1 she cried2 ,i will go myself to see what is occurring4 ,what was occurring1 or rather what had occurred1 was this3 ,de ,mouy had received1 that morning1 from ,henry's page1 ,orthon1 the key of the ,king of ,navarre's apartment4 ,in the hollow of the key was a small roll of paper1 which he drew out with a pin4 ,it contained the password to be used that night at the ,louvre4 ,orthon had1 moreover1 delivered a verbal invitation from ,henry to ,de ,mouy1 to visit him at the ,louvre that night at ten o'clock4 ,at half-past nine1 ,de ,mouy donned a cuirass1 of which the strength had been more than once tested2 over this he buttoned a silken doublet1 buckled on his sword1 stuck his pistols in his belt1 and covered the whole with the counterpart of ,la ,mole's famous crimson mantle4 ,thanks to this well-known garment1 and to the password with which he was provided1 he passed the guards undiscovered1 and went straight to ,henry's apartment1 imitating as usual1 and as well as he could1 ,la ,mole's manner of walking4 ,in the antechamber he found ,orthon waiting for him4 ,sire de ,mouy1 said the lad1 the king is out1 but he begs of you to wait1 and1 if agreeable1 to throw yourself upon his bed till his return4 ,de ,mouy entered without asking any further explanation1 and by way of passing the time1 took a pen and ink1 and began marking the different stages from ,paris to ,pau upon a map of ,france that hung against the wall4 ,this he had completed1 however1 in a quarter of an hour2 and after walking two or three times round the room1 and gaping twice as often1 he took advantage of ,henry's permission1 and stretched himself upon the large bed1 surrounded with dark hangings1 which stood at the further end of the apartment4 ,he placed his pistols and a lamp upon a table near at hand1 laid his naked sword beside him1 and certain not to be surprised1 since ,orthon was keeping watch in the antechamber1 he sank into a heavy slumber1 and was soon snoring in a manner worthy of the ,king of ,navarre himself4 ,it was then that six men1 with naked swords in their hands1 and daggers in their girdles1 stealthily entered the corridor upon which the door of ,henry's apartment opened4 ,a seventh man walked in front of the party1 having1 besides his sword1 and a dagger as broad and as strong as a hunting-knife1 a brace of pistols suspended to his belt by silver hooks4 ,this man was ,maurevel4 ,on reaching ,henry's door1 he paused1 introduced into the lock the key which he had received from the queen-mother1 and1 leaving two men at the outer door1 entered the antechamber with the four others4 ,ah1 ha6 said he1 as the loud breathing of the sleeper reached his ears from the inner room1 he is there4 ,just then ,orthon1 thinking it was his master who was coming in1 went to meet him1 and found himself face to face with five armed men4 ,at the sight of that sinister countenance1 of that ,maurevel1 whom men called ,tueur du ,roi1 the faithful lad stepped back1 and placed himself before the second door4 ,in the king's name1 said ,maurevel1 where is your master8 ,my master8 ,yes1 the ,king of ,navarre4 ,the ,king of ,navarre is not here1 replied ,orthon1 still in front of the door4 ',tis a lie1 replied ,maurevel4 ,come6 out of the way6 ,the ,barnese are a headstrong race2 ,orthon growled in reply to this summons1 like one of the dogs of his own mountains4 ,you shall not go in1 said he sturdily4 ,the king is absent4 ,and he held the door to4 ,maurevel made a sign2 the four men seized the lad1 pulled him away from the door-jambs to which he clung1 and as he opened his mouth to cry out1 ,maurevel placed his hand over it4 ,orthon bit him furiously2 the assassin snatched away his hand with a suppressed cry1 and struck the boy on the head with his sword-hilt4 ,orthon staggered4 ,alarm6 alarm6 alarm6 cried he1 as he fell senseless to the ground4 ,the assassins passed over his body2 two remained at the second door1 and the remaining two entered the bed-chamber1 led on by ,maurevel4 ,by the light of the lamp still burning upon the table1 they distinguished the bed1 of which the curtains were closed4 ,oh1 ho6 said the lieutenant of the little band1 he has left off snoring1 it seems4 ,allons1 sus6 cried ,maurevel4 ,at the sound of his voice1 a hoarse cry1 resembling rather the roar of a lion than any human accents1 issued from behind the curtains1 which the next instant were torn asunder4 ,a man armed with a cuirass1 and his head covered with one of those salades1 or head-pieces1 that come down to the eyes1 appeared seated upon the bed1 a pistol in either hand1 and his drawn sword upon his knees4 ,no sooner did ,maurevel perceive this figure1 and recognise the features of ,de ,mouy1 than he became frightfully pale1 his hair bristled up1 his mouth filled with foam1 and he made a step backwards1 as though terrified by some horrible and unexpected apparition4 ,at the same moment the armed figure rose from its seat and made a step forwards1 so that the assailed seemed to be pursuing1 and the assailant to fly4 ,ah6 villain1 exclaimed ,de ,mouy1 in the hollow tones of suppressed fury1 do on come to kill me as you killed my father8 ,the two men who had accompanied ,maurevel into the chamber alone heard these terrible words2 but as they were spoken1 ,de ,mouy's pistol had been brought to a level with ,maurevel's head4 ,maurevel threw himself on his knees at the very moment that ,de ,mouy pulled the trigger4 ,the bullet passed over him1 and one of the guards who stood behind1 and who had been uncovered by his movement1 received it in his heart4 ,at the same instant ,maurevel fired1 but the ball rebounded from ,de ,mouy's cuirass4 ,then ,de ,mouy1 with one blow of his heavy sword1 split the skull of the other soldier1 and1 turning upon ,maurevel1 attacked him furiously4 ,the combat was terrible but short4 ,at the fourth pass ,maurevel felt the cold steel in his throat2 he uttered a stifled cry1 fell backwards1 and1 in falling1 overturned the lamp4 ,immediately ,de ,mouy1 profiting by the darkness1 and vigorous and active as one of ,homer's heroes1 rushed into the outer room1 cut down one of the guards1 pushed aside the other1 and1 passing like a thunderbolt between the two men stationed at the door of the antechamber1 received their fire without injury4 ,he had still got a loaded pistol1 besides the sword which he so well knew how to handle4 ,for one second he hesitated whether he should take refuge in ,monsieur d',alenon's apartment1 the door of which1 he thought1 was just then opened1 or whether he should endeavour to leave the ,louvre4 ,deciding upon the latter course1 he sprang down the stairs1 ten steps at a time1 reached the wicket1 uttered the password1 and darted out4 ,go up-stairs1 he shouted as he passed the guardhouse2 they are slaying there for the king's account4 ,and before he could be pursued1 he had disappeared in the ,rue du ,coq1 without having received a scratch4 ,it was at this moment of time that ,catharine had said to ,de ,nancey--,remain here2 ,i will go myself to see what is occurring4 ,but1 madam1 replied the captain1 the danger to which your ,majesty might be exposed compels me to follow4 ,remain here1 sir1 said ,catharine1 in a more imperative tone than before4 ,a higher power than that of the sword watches over the safety of kings4 ,the captain obeyed4 ,catharine took a lamp1 thrust her naked feet into velvet slippers1 entered the corridor1 which was still full of smoke1 and advanced1 cold and unmoved1 towards the apartment of the ,king of ,navarre4 ,all was again dead silence4 ,catharine reached the outer door of ,henry's rooms1 and passed into the antechamber1 where ,orthon was lying1 still insensible4 ,ah1 ha6 said she1 here is the page to begin with2 a little further we shall doubtless find the master4 ,and she passed through the second room4 ,then her foot struck against a corpse3 it was that of the soldier whose skull had been split4 ,he was quite dead4 ,three paces further she found the lieutenant3 a ball in his breast1 and the death-rattle in his throat4 ,finally1 near the bed1 lay a man bleeding profusely from a double wound that had gone completely through his throat4 ,he was making violent but ineffectual efforts to raise himself from the ground4 ,this was ,maurevel4 ,catharine's blood ran cold2 she saw the bed empty2 she looked round the room1 and sought in vain amongst the three bodies that lay weltering upon the floor1 that of him whom she would fain have seen there4 ,maurevel recognised her2 his eyes became horribly dilated1 and he held out his arms with a gesture of despair4 ,well1 said she1 in a low voice where is he8 ,what has become of him8 ,wretch6 have you let him escape8 ,maurevel endeavored to articulate2 but an unintelligible hissing1 which issued from his wound1 was the only sound he could give forth2 a reddish froth fringed his lips1 and he shook his head in sign of impotence and suffering4 ,but speak1 then6 cried ,catharine2 speak1 if it be only to say one word4 ,maurevel pointed to his wound and again uttered some inarticulate sounds1 made an effort which ended in a hoarse rattle1 and swooned away4 ,catharine then looked around her3 she was surrounded by the dead and the dying2 blood was flowing in streams over the floor1 and a gloomy silence prevailed in the apartment4 ,she spoke once more to ,maurevel1 but he could not hear her voice2 this time he remained not only silent1 but motionless4 ,whilst stooping over him1 ,catharine perceived the corner of a paper protruding from the breast of his doublet3 it was the order to arrest ,henry4 ,the queen-mother seized it and hid it in her bosom4 ,then1 in despair at the failure of her murderous project1 she called the captain of her guard1 ordered the dead men to be removed1 and that ,maurevel1 who still lived1 should be conveyed to his house4 ,she moreover particularly commanded that the king should not be disturbed4 ,oh6 murmured she1 as she reentered her apartment1 her head bowed upon her breast1 he has again escaped me6 ,surely the hand of ,god protects this man4 ,he will reign6 he will reign6 ,then1 as she opened the door of her bedroom1 she passed her hand over her forehead1 and composed her features into a smile4 ,what was the matter1 madam8 enquired all her ladies1 with the exception of ,madame de ,sauve1 who was too anxious and agitated to ask questions4 ,nothing1 replied ,catharine2 a great deal of noise and nothing else4 ,oh6 suddenly exclaimed ,madame de ,sauve1 pointing to the ground with her finger1 each one of your ,majesty's footsteps leaves a trace of blood upon the carpet6 ,thrice foiled in her designs upon ,henry's life1 the queen-mother does not yet give in4 ,henry1 whom the king has reproached with his ignorance of falconry1 has asked the ,duke of ,alenon to procure him a book on that subject4 ,catharine hears of this request1 and gives ,d',alenon a book of the kind required--a rare and valuable work1 but of which the edges of the leaves are stuck together1 apparently from age1 in reality by poison4 ,the idea is old1 but its application is novel and very effective4 ,the queen-mother convinces ,d',alenon that ,henry is playing him false1 and the duke places the fatal book in the ,king of ,navarre's room during his absence1 being afraid to give it into his hands4 ,he then re-enters his apartment1 hears ,henry1 as he thinks1 return to his1 and passes half an hour in the agonies of suspense and terror4 ,to escape from himself and his reflections1 he goes to visit his brother ,charles4 ,we have only space for a very short extract1 showing the frightful and unexpected result of ,catharine's atrocious scheme4 ,charles was seated at a table in a large carved arm-chair3 his back was turned to the door by which ,francis had entered1 and he appeared absorbed in some very interesting occupation4 ,the duke approached on tiptoe2 ,charles was reading4 ,pardieu6 exclaimed the king on a sudden1 this is an admirable book4 ,i have heard speak of it1 but ,i knew not that a copy existed in ,france4 ,d',alenon made another step in advance4 ,curse the leaves6 cried the king1 putting his thumb to his lips1 and pressing it on the page he had just read1 in order to detach it from the one he was about to read2 one would think they had been stuck together on purpose1 in order to conceal from men's eyes the wonders they contain4 ,d',alenon made a bound forwards4 ,the book ,charles was reading was the one he had left in ,henry's room4 ,a cry of horror escaped him4 ,ha6 is it you1 ,d',alenon8 said ,charles2 come here and look2 at the most admirable treatise on falconry that was ever produced by the pen of man4 ,d',alenon's first impulse was to snatch the book from his brother's hands2 but an infernal thought paralysed the movement--a frightful smile passed over his pallid lips2 he drew his hand across his eyes as if something dazzled him4 ,then gradually recovering himself-- ,sire1 said he to the king1 how can this book have come into your ,majesty's hands8 ,in the most simple manner possible4 ,i went up just now to ,henriot's room1 to see if he was ready to go a-hawking4 ,he was not there1 but in his stead ,i found this treasure1 which ,i brought down with me to read at my ease4 ,and the king put his thumb to his lips and turned another page4 ,sire1 stammered ,d',alenon1 who felt a horrible anguish come over him1 ,sire1 ,i came to tell you---- ,let me finish this chapter1 ,francis1 interrupted ,charles4 ,you shall tell me whatever you like afterwards4 ,i have read fifty pages already1 or devoured them1 ,i should rather say4 ,he has tasted the poison twenty-five times6 thought ,francis4 ,my brother is a dead man4 ,he wiped1 with his trembling hand1 the chill dew that stood upon his brow1 and waited1 as the king had commanded1 till the chapter was finished4 ,the end of ,charles ,,ix4 is well known4 ,a dreadful complaint1 a sweat of blood1 which many historians attribute to poison1 and which the ,huguenots maintained to be a punishment inflicted on him by ,heaven for the massacre of their brethren1 rendered the latter months of his life a period of horrible torture4 ,at his death1 ,henry1 having every thing to dread from the animosity of ,catharine1 and from that of the ,duke of ,anjou1 ,charles's successor1 fled from ,paris1 and took refuge in his kingdom of ,navarre4 ,,the ,,baron ,,von ,,stein4#af ,it is to the great abilities1 enlightened patriotism1 and enduring constancy of the ,,baron ,,stein that ,prussia is indebted for the measures which laid the foundation for the resurrection of the monarchy4--,,alison4 ,baron ,stein1 says ,bourrienne1 has been too little known2--and unquestionably1 considering what he was to ,prussia1 and through ,prussia to ,europe1 at the most important crisis of recent history1 he is too little known still4 ,why is this8 ,plainly1 in the first place1 because he had the misfortune to be a ,german statesman1 and not a ,french one2--these ,french do make such a noise in the world1 partly with real cannons1 partly with artificial volcanoes and puerile pyrotechny of all kinds1 that a man cannot live and have ears without hearing about them4 ,celebrity is1 indeed1 a very cheap affair1 according to the ,french fashion2 restlessness and recklessness are the main elements of it4 ,only keep spurting and spitting about obstreperously1 and the most stiff ears must at length be converted4 ,as to real character and substantial worth1 that must not give you a moment's concern4 ,is not ,catiline to this day as famous a man as ,cicero8 and is not the celebrity of ,bonaparte1 who was 7pace tanti nominis7 nothing better than a bold and brilliant blackguard1 equal to that of the ,apostle ,paul1 who was a saint8 ,yes1 verily2 and ,m4 ,thiers1 and the hot war-spirits in ,france1 know it very well3 but as for your great1 meditative1 unobtrusive1 honest1 truthful1 and laborious ,german--your devoted ,scharnhorst1 for instance1 who fell at ,lutzen--the great world hears not of such a man1 unless by accident1 though his life be a living epitome of the gospel4 ,but there are other ,germans1 too1 as fiery1 and hot1 and volcanic as any ,frenchman1 of whom1 however1 ,europe hears but little in proportion to their worth2 their reputation suffers partly by the virtue1 partly by the vice1 of the people to whom they belong2 for the people in general are not a noise-making people--this is the virtue--and the ,german government--this is the vice--are timid and eschew publicity4 ,the ,baron von ,stein was one of these hot1 glowing1 impetuous1 volcanic ,germans--a political ,luther1 as he has most justly been called2 but he had the misfortune to belong to a people who never dreamed of conquering any thing except transcendental ideas in the region of the moon1 and beyond it2 and he served a good1 pious1 decent master1 the late ,frederick ,william ,,iii41 who1 when he was merry1 7like a good ,christian17 was more inclined to sing psalms than to crack cannons1 and prayed heaven every morning that he might die a good man1 rather than live a great king4 ,then1 in addition to this1 comes the great and authoritative extinguisher of all ,german political reputation1 the ,,censorship--a monstrum horrendum ingens1 and cui lumen ademptum truly2 for it will neither see itself1 nor allow others having eyes to see for it4 ,an honest and thorough life of ,baron ,stein is1 in fact1 in the present slavish state of the ,prussian political press1 an impossibility2 for the sturdy old ,freiherr was a declared enemy of the whole race of red-tapists1 and other officials of the quill1 who1 since the peace1 have maintained a practical monopoly of public business in ,prussia1 and who1 in fact1 keep the monarch's conscience1 and tie his hands1 much more effectually than chancellor or parliament does in ,great ,britain4 ,it is only therefore1 in the way of scattered notices1 drawn from various sources1 that a knowledge of such a ,german statesman as ,stein can be obtained2 and these sources also1 from the same evil influence of the censorship1 are necessarily very imperfect2 the men who knew ,stein1 and were in possession of correspondence and other papers that might illustrate his life1 are all marked men2 to the government of the bureaucracy suspected men--men who had1 many of them1 like the ,baron himself1 been1 immediately after the peace1 subjected to the most odious kinds of moral1 and sometimes corporeal1 persecution4 ,their publications1 of course1 were watched with peculiar jealousy by the ,argus-eyed censorship2 and we may always be sure that what they do tell us is only the half of what they might have told us1 had they dared to speak out4 ,under these circumstances1 the ,english reader will perhaps be obliged to us for taking the trouble to sketch out a short outline of the life and temper of ,baron ,stein from such scanty materials as time and chance have thrown in our way2 and he will1 at the same time1 pardon the great deficiencies that must necessarily exist in the execution of such a work4#ag ,henry ,frederick ,charles1 of and at ,stein1 7vom and zum ,stein67 was born in the year #ageg1 of an old and noble family at ,nassau on the ,lahn4 ,his father belonged to that higher class of nobility1 according to the old ,german constitution1 who held immediately of the ,empire1 7,reichs3 unmittelbare und ,landbarfreie17--a descent which had perhaps a not unimportant effect in influencing the position which ,stein afterwards assumed2 for while the ,baron always acted in the spirit rather of the middle classes than of the princes and their courts1 and indeed often indulged in the strongest expressions of contempt for the whole body of princes in ,germany1 he never forgot his own character as a free and independent baron of the ,german empire1 and was1 notwithstanding the popular character of his great measures1 in his tone of mind as much aristocratic as democratic4 ,intended by his father to take office under the ,imperial government1 he was sent first to ,gttingen to study public law and history1 and then to ,wetzlar1 the seat of the ,imperial chamber2 but the name of the ,empire in those days had already lost its power over the minds of ambitious youth4 ,frederick the ,great was the guiding star of the time2 and1 as if prophetic of the death-blow that awaited the crumbling old edifice from the hand of ,napoleon in #ahjf1 ,stein1 so early as #aghj1 entered the ,prussian service as director of the mines 7,bergrath7 at ,wetter1 in ,westphalia4 ,in #aghd we find him ambassador at ,aschaffenburg4 ,he was then made president of all the ,westphalian chambers1 and in active connexion with this province we find him remaining till #ahjd1 when1 on occasion of the death of ,struensee1 one of the ,prussian ministers1 he was called to ,berlin1 and made minister of finance and of trade and commerce by ,frederick ,william ,,iii4 ,in this capacity he remained till the opening of the year #ahjg1 when1 as the ,conversations ,lexikon asserts1 being at ,knigsberg with the king1 after the battle of ,jena1 on account of some differences with the cabinet he resigned his situation1 and retired to his estates in ,nassau4 ,we notice this retirement and the alleged cause of it particularly1 because1 as will appear in the sequel1 ,stein1 with all his talent1 seems to have been a man of a peculiar temper1 and not so easily to be managed on many occasions as he was both willing and able to manage others4 ,however1 whatever the cause of the resignation might be1 ,frederick ,william had sense enough to see that these were not times when ,prussia could want the services of any man of real talent and energy2 and accordingly1 7some say on the recommendation of ,napoleon17 so early as the harvest of that same year1 he called the baron back and made him prime-minister4 ,here was a situation worthy of a great man2 ,prussia1 after the battle of ,jena1 overthrown1 prostrate1 and bleeding beneath the iron tramp of insolent ,france4 ,how to convert this ,prussia into the ,prussia that in a few years afterwards was destined to be a chief instrument employed by ,providence in the overthrow of the general ,european tyrant--here was a problem6--one worthy of the worthiest man that the kingdom of the ,great ,frederick could find2 and most worthily did the ,baron von ,stein execute the mission4 ,the reforms which he boldly planned1 and no less boldly executed1 in that critical year #ahjh1 followed out as they were by his able successor1 ,count ,hardenberg1 are sufficient to place him in the very first rank of modern statesmen4 ,he actually changed a nation of serfs1 by a single bloodless blow1 into a free people2 he did that for ,prussia1 morally and socially1 which ,frederick the ,great had done only geographically2 he caused it to rank side by side with the more civilized and advanced1 as opposed to the semi-barbarous 7,russia7 and stationary or retrograde 7,austria and ,spain7 powers of ,europe4 ,to detail at large the important social changes thus effected in a single year by this most energetic man1 would lead us too far from our biographical purpose here1 and prevent us from making such a free use as we should desire of the correspondence published by ,von ,gagern and ,hormayr4 ,we shall therefore content ourselves with a short quotation from ,mr ,alison's sixth volume2 and may refer the reader1 at the same time1 to the more detailed and yet succinct statement of the same matter given by ,mr ,russell--,tour in ,germany1 vol4 ii4 p4 #aaf4 ,so clearly were his ideas formed1 and so decided his conviction as to the only means which remained of reinstating the public affairs1 that he commenced at once a vigorous1 but yet cautious system of amelioration2 and1 only four days after his appointment as ,minister of the ,interior1 a royal decree appeared1 which introduced a salutary reform into the constitution4 ,by this ordinance1 the peasants and burghers obtained the right1 hitherto confined to the nobles1 of acquiring and holding landed property1 while they in their turn were permitted1 without losing caste1 to engage in the pursuits of commerce and industry4 ,landholders were allowed1 under reservation of the rights of their creditors1 to separate their estates into distinct parcels1 and alienate them to different persons4 ,every species of slavery1 whether contracted by birth1 marriage1 or agreement1 was prohibited subsequent to the #aath ,november #ahaj2 and every servitude1 corve1 or obligation of service or rent1 other than those founded on the rights of property or express agreement1 was for ever abolished4 ,by a second ordinance1 published six weeks afterwards1 certain important franchises were conferred on municipalities4 ,by this wise decree1 which is in many respects the ,magna ,charta of the ,prussian burghs1 it was provided that the burghers should enjoy councillors of their own election1 for regulating all local and municipal concerns3 that a third of the number should go out by rotation1 and be renewed by an election every year2 that the council thus chosen should assemble twice a-year to deliberate on the public affairs2 that two burgomasters should be at the head of the magistracy1 one of whom should be chosen by the king from a list of three presented1 and the other by the councillors2 and that the police of the burgh should be administered by a syndic appointed for twelve years1 and who should also have a seat in the municipal council4 ,the administration of the ,haute ,police1 or that connected with the state1 was reserved to ,government4 ,by a third ordinance1 an equally important alteration was made in favour of the numerous class of debtors1 whom the public calamities had disabled from performing their engagements1 by prohibiting all demand for the capital sums till the #bdth ,june #ahaj1 providing at the same time for the punctual payment of the interest1 under pain of losing the benefit of the ordinance4 ,thus at the very moment that ,france1 during the intoxication consequent on the triumphs of ,jena and ,friedland1 was losing the last remnant of the free institutions which had been called into existence during the fervour and crimes of the ,revolution1 ,prussia1 amidst the humiliation of unprecedented disasters1 and when groaning under the weight of foreign chains1 was silently relaxing the fetters of the feudal system1 and laying the foundation1 in a cautious and guiltless reformation of experienced grievances1 for the future erection of those really free institutions which can never be established on any other bases than those of justice1 order1 and religion4 ,but ,stein was too fierce and fiery a spirit1 not merely too ardent1 but too open and reckless a ,french-hater1 to remain long as prime-minister of ,prussia under such a suspicious and jealous-eyed master-general of continental police as ,napoleon4 ,an intercepted letter revealed ,stein's sentiments to the ,french2 and by order of ,napoleon1 ,hardenberg1 a man of a more smooth and polite exterior1 7though as true a ,german at heart17 was nominated in his place4 ,the reforming baron1 after felling a few gigantic trees1 was obliged to surrender the work of perfect clearing of the social forest to a not unworthy successor1 himself retiring1 or 7to speak more properly7 being banished to ,prague4 ,there he lay in a convenient central position1 like a lion nursing his wrath1 ready to start off in any direction--back to ,prussia1 south to ,vienna1 north to ,petersburg1 or wherever any thing substantial1 by word or deed1 was likely to be done against the man whom his soul hated with an intensity of moral indignation truly grand1 even out-,bluchering ,blucher4 ,stein indeed hated ,napoleon1 not for one good reason only1 but for four3 first1 as he was a ,frenchman1 vainglorious and false2 second1 as he was a conqueror2 third1 as he was a tyrant and an oppressor2 fourth1 as he was a godless man and a heathen4 ,in ,prague1 therefore1 ,stein remained1 in company with ,justus ,eumer1 the banished ,elector of ,hesse-,cassel1 ,karl von ,nostez1 and many ,french emigrants1 as it were in a secret-burning focus1 and hidden metropolis of anti-,gallican spirit1#ah for a few years1 waiting not patiently1 but1 in his fashion1 with extreme impatience1 for the coming of the great day of political retribution1 in which he believed as firmly as in ,god1 and in the last judgment4 ,german writers speak with patriotic enthusiasm of the noctes cnque dem--diegttlichen ,abende1 which1 with ,pozzo di ,borgo and other choice spirits1 ,stein spent in this important period1 when events no less unexpected than great were knocking at the door4 ,it must have been a god-like treat1 indeed1 in these terrible times1 when a man in ,germany could hardly draw his breath for fear of ,davoust1 to have seen launched from the dark1 fiery1 ,saracenic eyes of ,deutschland's political ,luther1 those thundering fulgurations#ai of indignant ,german hate1 which were soon to be followed by a tempest of more indignant cannon-balls2 but few and feeble1 amid the barrenness of ,german political literature1 are the voices from those prophetic times that have been wafted to ,british ears4 ,the following short notices from ,varnhagen von ,ense are all that we have been able to recover4 ,stein lived at ,prague in a very retired manner2 for though on familiar terms with the most noble families1 by ancient family connexions1 and by social position1 he made great demands on those whom he admitted to his intimacy4 ,german truth and honour1 scientific culture1 decision and firmness of character1 and1 if possible1 talent and wit1 were qualities not easily found combined2 but such a combination he required to secure his friendship and respect4 ,he was often forced1 indeed1 to content himself with some one of these qualities separately2 and for myself1 my principal recommendation to his notice consisted1 ,i suppose1 in my having travelled a good deal in ,germany1 in my having been at ,paris and seen ,napoleon1 and1 more than all1 in my having fought against the tyrant4 ,when introduced to him first1 ,i was at once struck by something abrupt in his manner2 it seemed to me he was a person who in every thing he did or said1 asserted his own superiority to the mass of mankind1 and was accustomed to work in all things without respect for time1 place1 or person4 ,there was at the same time an unconstrained simplicity about him1 and an utter want of pride and pretence in his manner4 ,in conversation on public affairs1 and matters of social economy1 he was most animated and most instructive2 once started on a subject of this kind1 he was carried along irresistibly by his own enthusiasm2 and any ignorance displayed1 or doubt expressed1 by those with whom he agreed1 only served as a spur to set his ideas more on the gallop4 ,and he would go with the most admirable patience into long details of fact1 in order to bring round his adversary to his opinion4 ,i was struck particularly by the decidedly polemical character of his remarks3 ever and anon he drew this or the other ,prussian statesman into the argument1 and in criticising severely their conduct1 seemed not seldom to give as much ease to his own heart as instruction to me4 ,his whole manner was such as in the ,opposition side of a ,british ,parliament might have produced the most extraordinary effects4 ,in his extreme fits of eloquent indignation1 a sort of convulsive tremor would seize his whole voice and movements2 he would shut his eyes1 and could scarcely bring out his words with the due articulation4 ,but immediately thereafter he would become calm again2 and with what a breadth and penetration of glance did he then look through his adversary1 reading every secret objection on his countenance1 and preparing a new and more terrible onset to carry the citadel of his doubts by storm6 ,to converse with him was indeed to carry on a continued battle2 for it pleased him1 even when the person with whom he conversed for the moment agreed with him1 to consider him as an adversary1 and to argue with him as in all points a decided opponent of his views3 always1 however1 without any ill-will or the least personal feeling4 ,this sort of animated irritation gave a peculiar charm to ,stein's conversation2 the ,emperor ,alexander1 in particular1 was quite charmed with the roughness and bluntness of his manner2 for1 except by a slight admixture of humour1 ,stein never attempted to tame the rudeness of his address1 even in the presence of the most august personages4 ,in literature1 his taste was decidedly anti-speculative1 although rather practical4 ,scharnhorst and ,gneisenau were the men of his heart2 he had a high opinion of ,niebuhr1 both as a historian and as a practical statesman3 ,heeren he praised and recommended as the rough and practical3 ,fichte gained his good opinion by his patriotic addresses to the ,german people2 but for philosophy in general he had no taste3 ,schleiermacher's philosophical religion was too subtle for him1 and1 in respect of orthodoxy1 more than suspicious2 and the most famous recent ,german speculators he declared plainly ,,mad4 ,but of all the writers of the time1 his sympathies drew him most strongly towards ,arndt4 ,when the second part of this writer's ,spirit of the ,age appeared1 ,i found him continually 7on the eve of the ,russian expedition7 in a state of the most violent irritation and excitement4 ,he would seize the sheets as they were lying beside him1 and read out the most violent passages to me1 always with increasing vehemence4 ,but seldom could he finish a whole page continuously1 so strongly did the fit of mingled indignation and exultation seize him1 so necessary was it for him to give vent to his own boiling feelings by irregular interjections4 ',since ,burke1' said he 'no such genuine political eloquence has appeared1 no truth that so cuts its way to the heart6' ,he then recommended ,arndt's style to my imitation4' ,in this way you may attempt something--facts6--facts6--and not speculative phrases6 ,do you understand me1 ,herr ,metaphysics8' ,it is worthy of remark how intimately ,stein's impetuousness and violence of disposition were connected with his bodily organization4 ,he asked me once what was the number of my pulses2 and1 on hearing my answer1 held out his hand to me1 and with a smile requested that ,i would count his4 ,there were about a hundred in the minute4 ,this number1 he assured me1 was the common rate of his pulse when in perfect health3 and it seemed to me that he looked on this gallop of his blood as a sort of charter from nature1 entitling him to be more passionate and violent1 without offence1 than other men4 ,this is a most characteristic passage1 and introduces us into the inner nature of the man more than a whole chapter of dissertation4 ,verily1 a ,luther in every line6--a fitful1 impulsive1 and tempestuous--a glowing and a volcanic spirit--a most decided1 despotic1 and iron-willed ,german--a man altogether worthy to hate ,napoleon with a perfect hatred1 as ,luther did the ,pope1 and to march to ,paris as the true heart's brother of that hot old septuagenarian hussar1 ,marshal ,blcher4 ,one thing we have omitted in the above extract for the sake of brevity1 and yet we must allude to it with a passing word4 ,during the three ears of his residence at ,prague1 ,stein employed himself assiduously in the study of the ,french ,revolution1 following it minutely through all its phases1 through the columns of the ,moniteur4 ,his opinion1 therefore1 on this subject1 is well worth registering2 and we give the following two sentences on the subject1 not from ,varnhagen1 but from ,von ,gagern's correspondence1 7#hth ,june #ahbe47-- ,mounier wrote on ',des ,causes qui ont empch les ,franais d'tre ,libres4' ,to me they seem very simple4 ,inconsiderate minsters1 who called together an assembly of #gjj ,frenchmen1 without having arranged the form of their deliberations1 the organization of the persons who were to deliberate1 or their respective rights4 ,then shallow1 inexperienced1 vain talkers1 ,lameth1 ,lafayette1 and ,barrre1 c41 often abused for the worst purposes by persons of the most abandoned character1 formed the first ,assembly--murderers and robbers were dominant in the second4 ,but we must proceed in our history of ,stein's outward fates4 ,when ,napoleon1 in the culminating point of his vainglorious exultation1 had assembled the monarchs of ,germany around him at ,dresden in the summer of #ahab1 ,stein was still at ,prague1 and not without apprehensions for his personal safety4 ,napoleon had laid violent hands on1 and butchered many less dangerous enemies in ,germany--witness ,palm the bookseller1 and honest ,andrew ,hofer2 and a ,german like ,stein at the ear of ,alexander in the year of #ahab1 was equal to an army of #fj1jjj men4 ,however1 by a lucky negligence of the ,french spies1 the baron escaped to ,russia1 whither he had been invited by the emperor1 and was in ,petersburg during that eventful winter2 a much more dangerous enemy to the ,french invaders than the cautious ,kutusoff at ,moscow4 ,here he was immediately followed by a no less fiery ,french-hater--the man whom we have seen him compare with ,burke1 and who was henceforward to act as his secretary--,ernest ,maurice ,,arndt1 the author of the well-known national song ,marshal ,blcher1 and of some admirable historical sketches4 ,from his ,reminiscences we extract the following few but marked lines of portraiture3-- ,i arrive at ,petersburg on the #bfth of ,august1 and proceeded immediately to the minister4 ,on entering1 ,i was immediately struck by his likeness to my old philosophical friend ,fichte4 ,the same figure1 short1 broad1 and compact--the same forehead1 only broader1 and more sloping backward--the same small sparkling eyes1 the same powerful now--the words racy1 clear1 decided1 and going1 like arrows from the bow1 directly to the mark4 ,and ,i soon also found the same inexorable moral sternness of character1 only with the difference that always must exist in the whole manner of being between a practical statesman and a speculative philosopher4 ,in ,stein's face there were two distinct worlds1 different and contrary4 ,in the upper part dwelt the bright and serene gods1 with an almost uninterrupted sway4 ,his magnificent broad forehead1 his keen and yet kindly eyes1 his powerful nose1 proclaimed conjoined depth and command4 ,a strange contrast to this was offered in the lower part of the face3 ,the mouth was too small and delicate for the upper region2 the chin also was weak4 ,here common mortals had their haunts--here anger and passion sported terribly--here those sudden fits of impetuousness would rage1 which1 however1 7thank ,god17 only required to be firmly met1 that they might be soothed4 ,strange1 truly1 was it to behold the lower part of his face quivering with excitement--the little mobile mouth1 with fearful celerity1 brimming with indignant indignation--and yet1 at the same time1 the upper region remaining a sunny ,olympus1 and even his lightning eyes flashing no fear3 one part of his face freeing the beholder from the terror inspired by the other4 ,on other occasions1 when no violent excitement moved him1 every feature1 every gesture1 and every word of this noble man breathed honesty1 courage1 and piety4 ,he was a man that brought from his mother's womb the instinct and the necessity to command4 ,he was a born prince and king4 ,he was one of those who must be first1 or he could do nothing4 ,his whole character was so peculiar and so powerful1 that he could not adapt himself to other people1 much less subordinate4 ,many noble men have been able to do this1 but ,stein decidedly could not4 ,these notices from ,arndt and ,varnhagen will1 we hope1 serve to bring the reader into some personal familiarity with the man2 in what follows1 the patriot and the statesman will demand our exclusive attention4 ,the correspondence with ,count ,mnster1 published by ,baron ,hormayr it the second volume of the ,lebensbilder1 commences with a letter dated #fth ,october #ahaa1 when ,stein was still in ,prague4 ,from it we shall make a short extract1 putting in a strong light the state of public feeling in ,germany produced by the insulting despotism of ,napoleon1 and which was the main cause that ultimately led to his overthrow4 ,every thing here is based on mere force and oppression of every kind4 ,napoleon's endeavour is not1 like that of ,augustus ,csar1 to bewitch the world into the belief that a universal monarchy is the best thing for ,europe2 but1 on the contrary1 he seems anxious to seize every occasion1 by haughty demeanour1 rude despotic forms1 and needless irritation of every noble feeling1 to make the weight of the tyranny which he has superinduced as intolerable as possible4 ,this conduct has a most beneficial effect1 for it keeps alive in the breasts of men a constant indignation--a striving to break the bonds that confine them4 ,had his despotism been more mild1 ,germany might have slept the sleep of death4 ,but the spirit of indignation thus awakened1 acts not only against the foreign tyrant1 but against the native princes1 in whom the ,german people now see either dastardly poltroons1 who1 intent only on their own preservation1 and deaf to every feeling of honour and duty1 seek safety in their heels2 or titled slaves and bailiffs1 who1 with the substance and the life-blood of their subjects1 purchase a few years' lease of a beggarly existence4 ,from this arises a general wish for a constitution based on unity1 energy1 and nationality2 and any great man who should be able to give1 or rather to restore us such a nationality and such a constitution1 would be sure of a hearty welcome from the great mass of the people4 ,nor is there any thing in the character of those who now fill the petty thrones of ,germany1 calculated to react against this feeling of dissatisfaction2 on the contrary1 every sort of extra vileness1 weakness1 and low sneaking selfishness prevails4 ,the contempt here expressed for the ,german princes was 7as we have said7 very characteristic of ,stein--an old1 free baron of the ,empire2 and the important matter of ,german unity and nationality here touched on is more decidedly brought forward in the following extract from a letter to the same person1 dated ,petersburg1 ,december #a1 #ahab3-- ,i am sorry that your ,excellency should see only a ,prussian in me1 while1 at the same time1 you reveal yourself to me in the character of a ,hanoverian4 ,i have only one fatherland1 and that is ,germany2 and as1 according to the ancient constitution1 ,i belonged only to my whole country1 and not to any particular part of it1 so my heart is given still to the ,german fatherland1 and not to this or that province4 ,in this moment of important development1 the dynasties are in fact quite indifferent to me2 ,i view them only as instruments4 ,my wish is1 that ,germany should become great and strong1 and regain its ancient integrity1 independence1 and nationality2 and that it should attain and firmly maintain this position1 between ,france on the one hand and ,austria on the other1 is as much the interest of ,europe in general as of this particular part of it2 and it seems to me equally plain1 that this great ,european object cannot possibly be attained by means of the present rotten and crumbling old machinery4 ,this were to erect the system of an artificial military boundary on the ruins of the old baronial castles1 and the walls and towns of fortified cities1 and to throw aside altogether the ideas of ,vauban1 ,cohorn1 and ,montalembert4 ,my confession of faith in this matter is contained in one word--,,unity4 ,and if my plan does not please you1 take another3 ,put ,austria in the place of ,prussia1 and make it lord of ,germany--if this be practicable--only don't bring back the old ,montagues and ,capulets1 and the halls of the old barons4 ,if the bloody contest which ,germany has already stood for twenty years1 and is now called upon to undergo again1 be to end in a ,,farce1 7'mit einem possenspiel endigen1'7 ,i for one shall prefer to have nothing to do with the matter1 and will take myself back into private life with all possible speed and comfort4 ,in this letter we see applied to the political constitution of ,germany1 as it was to be arranged at the peace1 all that comprehensive grandeur of idea1 combined with decision and despotism 7it would be false to use a milder word7 of execution1 which had1 in the single year #ahjh1 done such wonders in reconstructing the social fabric in ,prussia4 ,but it was one thing to deal despotically with the internal government of one state--especially after a battle of ,jena6--and another thing to apply the same over-riding principle to the complex relations of many states4 ,it was one thing to say to the debased aristocracy of ,prussia1 ,thou shalt admit the poor into the participation of thy privileges2 the serf shall be a free man1 and the merchant shall shake hands with the noble3 quite a different thing to say to the ,king of ,bavaria1 in the spring of #ahac1 after the peace1 ,thou shalt be swallowed up in ,austria2 and to the ,elector of ,hesse-,cassel1 ,thou1 who didst in #ahjg flee from ,jerome1 shalt in #ahac flee to ,frederick ,william ,,iii41 who1 like mighty ,brahma1 7in the ,hindoo history17 shall absorb thee quite into his ,prussian godhead4 ,the eager and impetuous old ,freiherr1 with his racing pulse1 had manifestly been anticipating a few centuries1 and attempting to dictate to necessity here4 ,he wished a good thing1 perhaps1 and a great thing2 but a thing that1 in the circumstances1 could not possibly be4 ,hear how sensibly the calm1 cool1 and moderate ,hanoverian1 ,graf ,mnster1 argues the matter4 ',tis plain that our brave ,luther is getting too violent1 and will require a ,melancthon and an ,erasmus to keep him in order4 ,london1 #dth ,january #ahac4 ,with regard to the future arrangements of the ,german states1 you yourself say1 we should invite the expelled princes to join our cause2 and we cannot do this surely1 if we intend1 after the risk is over1 to throw them overboard3 or is it likely that they will resign of their own accord1 and offer their thrones to either of the two masters of whom we may give them the option8 ,the peace of ,westphalia you call an abortion4 ,be it so2 but it was better any how than a thirty years' war2 and ,i see nothing more likely than such war to arise from any project to conquer ,germany1 and to make a violent subjugation of ,bavaria1 ,saxony1 ,hessia1 ,baden1 ,brunswick1 c4 ,in the most of these lands1 the princes themselves will have the chief voice in determining what side their subjects shall take in the approaching struggle4 ,i do not speak particularly of the ,confederation of the ,rhine1 or of the state of things introduced in #ahjb2 but from the days of ,monbod and ,hernam until now1 ,germany has always been divided1 except1 indeed1 for one short period1 during which the country suffered much misery4 ,it is plain enough1 ,i grant1 that the constitution of ,germany was not the work of an enlightened national will--did not proceed from any clear consideration of the best interests of the country--but what constitution in the world is there that has not been the work1 in a great measure1 of accidental circumstances8 ,since ,solon and ,lycurgus1 only the ,constituent ,national ,assembly in ,france1 and the stupid ,cortes in ,spain1 have dreamed of such a thing as constitution-making1 and the work of both has been blown1 as we see1 to the four winds4 ',tis true ,england is trying something of the same kind just now in the ,sicilies2 but ,god preserve us from such a mistaken course6 ,your criticism on our constitution is1 indeed1 altogether too severe2 from the principles of the ,teutonic constitution1 all public liberty in ,europe originally sprang4 ,the contest in which we are engaged will certainly not end in a 'farce2' but why you should go back into private life1 preferring to be rather the grave-digger than the physician of our present political state1 ,i really cannot conceive4 ,let us rather endeavour after what is practically attainable1 than grasp at splendid theoretical possibilities4 ,you are fond of ,english authorities2 let me1 therefore1 remind you of him who said--the practice of a constitution is frequently very different from its theory4 ,there is much that ,i like in ,arndt's book1 and its author ,i highly esteem2 but the way of amelioration 7,verbesserung7 which ,i propose to follow1 seems to present some prospect of success1 where your revolutionary projects bring with them a risk of losing all4 ,you say that the dynasties are a matter of indifference to you4 ,to me they are not4 ,there lives in them a spirit which one can trace through ages4 ,read only what ,mller in his ,frstenbund says of the ,guelphs4 ',need ,i mention the fame of the ,guelphs1 whose spirit of unbending independence has made their name a watchword for liberty8' ,even ,england has never been so free as under the three ,georges1 and the fourth ,george brings the same sentiments with him to the throne4 ,compare with this your slavish ,prussian system6 ,i respect ,frederick the ,great1 but he caused the ruin of ,germany by his aggrandizement1 and the ruin1 let me add1 of his own state too1 by creating a body that only his great soul could animate1 and which1 after his death1 lay helpless4 ,when ,i showed the ,prince ,regent your remarks on the dynasties1 he exclaimed--,if ,stein is quite indifferent to them1 why does he not name us 7,hanover7 instead of ,,prussia8 ,i feel inclined to put the same question4 ,let us be content if we can do the best with the materials given us for our own age4 7',lassen sie uns doch auch fr unsere eigene ,lebenszeit sorgen4'7 ,why think particularly of the ,king of ,prussia1 a man whom1 with the same breath that you exalt him1 you put under three subjects1#bj and take at the same time his army into your own hands1 to keep him from doing harm8 ,i pray your ,excellency to observe1 that while my proposal leaves us free hands for any possible future improvement1 your two plans will offend all parties3 your first plan1 to make ,austria swallow up ,germany1 will offend all ,europe1 and ,germany to boot2 your second plan1 to divide ,germany between ,austria and ,prussia1 will excite the opposition not only of ,russia1 ,england1 and ,sweden1 but of all those ,north ,germans who are not prepared to receive as a boon1 the ,prussian system with cell its machinery of boards and councils1 of auscultants and assessors1 and its hereditary incapacity to understand that old maxim of political philosophy--,,governa ,,meglio ,,chi ,,men ,,governa--,he governs best who governs least4 ,neither am ,i at all prepared to agree with what you say on the subject of the ,german courts4 ,i have lived long in great courts1 and ,i know not a few small ones2 and ,i can honestly say1 that the state of morals among the peasants in country villages has always appeared to me more corrupt than in the highest circles of polite and cultivated society2 and ,i can find little difference in principle between the case of one man intriguing in high circles for grandes entres1 and that of another setting a similar machinery to work to obtain the presidency in any church meeting of a small parish1 or a union of parishes2 between one who1 to attain a selfish object1 flatters a prince1 and another who flatters the prefect of a department4 ,if a difference is to be made1 the higher object which excites the higher passions seems rather entitled to a preference4 ,again1 ,i do not see why we should put altogether out of view1 how much science1 civilization1 and wealth1 have gained by the multiplication of central points1 where all these things may be cherished1 and whence1 as from so many life-giving fountains1 they may be beneficently dispensed4 ,what country is there that can compete with ,germany in respect of scientific culture8--and have the courts of so many princes not contributed to this result8 ,and in ancient ,greece was it not a similar state of things1 that1 as one great element at least1 produced a similar result8 ,but ,i will not attempt to discuss this subject in all its bearings4 ,enough1 if you will believe me1 that in the arrangement of the future political state of ,germany1 ,i do not look for a mere ,,farce2 while1 at the same time1 ,i feel obliged to protest decidedly1 in present circumstances at least1 against your project of uniting ,germany under one or two masters4 ,there are many admirable points in the above letter2 and after pondering it well1 no intelligent reader will doubt for a moment that the schemes of ,stein with regard to ,german unity1 were not only impracticable in their main scope1 but1 in some respects1 of very questionable propriety4 ,it were necessary1 however1 to have had the experience of a ,prussian1 and the heart of a ,stein1 in the year #ahac1 if one would fully understand how imperatively these practical impossibilities must have presented themselves to the earliest and patriotic minds of those days4 ,convinced that the cool ,hanoverian is right1 we still feel inclined to sympathise with the hot ,prussian1 who is in the wrong4 ,malo cum ,plutone errare4 ,stein followed ,alexander into ,germany1 witnessed the battles of ,lutzen and ,bautzen1 disheartening as they were1 like all true ,germans1 undismayed3 and on the #bc;d ,august #ahac1 shortly after the resumption of hostilities1 we find him a second time in ,prague1 and writing most characteristically as follows3-- ,the spirit of the people here is by no means what it was in #ahji2 and for this plain reason1 that the government does nothing1 and will do nothing1 to rouse it4 ,at that time 7#ahji7 the ,,stadions held the helm1 and they used every means to waken the nobler feelings of human nature1 and they attained their object4 ,now1 at the head of affairs1 we have a cold1 scheming1 shallow1 calculating man1 who is afraid of nothing so much as an energetic measure--loves nothing more than a goal at the nearest possible distance from his nose--and is always ready to help himself out of a scrape with any miserable patchwork that may serve for the nonce4 ,hence the marriage introduced by a divorce1 the foolish hope of a partial peace1 the childish congress1 the wretched ultimatum1 and so forth4 ,and on the #adth ,september1 after the war was fairly broken out again1 we find the following remarks occasioned by the untoward battle of ,dresden3-- ,the latest events have taught us what to think of our new allies1 and their commander1 7,schwartzenberg47 ,we have gained an increase in mass1 not in insight1 nobility of sentiment1 or vigour2 we now understand what the fruits are of the new system pursued in ,austria since #ahaj4 ,from #ahjf to #ahji1 the two ,stadions gave all their energy to the great work of elevating the spirit of the nation1 and at the same time strengthening and fully equipping the army2 and they succeeded in both points2 the nation was animated by the most devoted enthusiasm1 the army fought with true valour4 ,since the peace of ,vienna1 on the other hand1 the new ministry has been concerned only to purchase a beggarly peace1 to disorganize the army1 to cripple the public spirit1 and to solve the great problem of ,european regeneration by the miserable arts of diplomacy4 ,this also has succeeded4 ,the nation has become lukewarm1 and the army fight with no very remarkable display of soldiership4 99 99 99 ,the man who calculates1 but without depth1 may be a very good book-keeper1 but is no mathematician4 ,the result1 as we have hitherto seen1 is1 that we have fought ,,every ,,where with distinguished success1 except where the grand army was present1 that between ,russia and ,austria no very friendly feelings prevail1 7'eine grosse ,abneigung herrscht1'7 made worse1 of course1 by the well-known lukewarmness of the latter power4 ,over and above all this1 ,metternich aims at a preponderant influence such as neither his talents1 his character1 nor the military position of the ,austrian empire entitles him to4 ,the ,emperor ,alexander sees all this clearly1 and will very probably undertake the command of his own and the ,prussian army in person2 and the movement of masses thus animated1 will then communicate itself to the inert ,austrians4 ,it is of the utmost importance that some conclusion should be come to about the settlement of ,germany4 ,from 99 99 99 expect no comprehensive views2 he seeks for nothing but the shortest and most comfortable road1 and will content himself with respectable vamping in any shape4 ,the history of the negotiations proves this2 and had it not been for the ,,madness ,,of ,,napoleon1 we should unquestionably have had for the third1 fourth1 and fifth time1 a ruinous and wretched peace4 ,the person so severely handled in two places of these letters where he is not named1 is plainly enough ,prince ,metternich2 a statesman who1 whatever may be his abilities1 and whatever may have been his merits--and merits in the management of ,german affairs--from the peace of ,vienna in #ahji1 to that of ,paris in #ahae1 7and it were out of place to attempt discussing these points here17 was plainly in every respect the antipodes of ,stein2 and a man whom the hot ,prussian baron could no more form a just judgment of1 than ,martin ,luther could of ,erasmus4 ,diplomatists and mere politicians1 even the best of them1 are seldom--to say the least of it--the most noble specimens of human nature3 there are bad and good amongst them of course2 but ,stein1 in his despotic sweeping style1 was fond of classing them all together1 as in one of his letters to ,gagern2 where1 after expressing his confident reliance on ,providence1 and the hand of a loving ,father who guides all1 he adds1 but from the sly crafty animals called politicians--7the original is ,english7--from these homunciones ,i expect nothing4 ,the official position which ,stein occupied during the eventful year #ahac1 was that of ,supreme ,director of the ,interim ,central ,board of ,administration 7,central ,verwaltung7 of the conquered provinces of ,germany1 till arrangements should be made for their final disposal in a general congress4 ,when that congress came to do its work1 of course he had nothing more to do2 and it will be pretty evident to the reader1 from the temper and opinions of the man1 as above exhibited1 that he was in nowise calculated to work efficiently with such men as ,metternich1 ,talleyrand1 and ,lord ,castlereagh1 at ,vienna4 ,the very composition of the congress1 made up of every possible complex and contending interest1 rendered from the beginning the realization of ,stein's patriotic views1 with regard to ,german unity1 impossible4 ,in such congregations of working and counter-working diplomatists1 not the triumph of any great principle1 but the compromise of a number of petty claims1 is generally the result2 but compromise and patchwork of every kind were1 to a man of ,stein's temper1 only another name for the ,,devil4 ,the congress of ,vienna1 so far as ,germany was concerned1 ended1 according to his views1 in a ,,farce2 for not only were the other ,german states1 great and small1 left entire1 but ,,saxony also--,napoleon's centre and base in the late war--was preserved1 only a half 7instead of the whole7 of it being cut off for the great ,german object of forming a strong ,prussia4 ,and with regard to this point1 we must confess we feel1 in some respects1 inclined to agree with the ,prussian baron4 ,if ,saxony was to be made an exception to the general rule1 it would have been better1 for many reasons1 to have handed it over undivided to the great ,northern power4 ,if neither one strong ,german empire1 nor an equally-poised federal system1 was any longer possible1 a strong ,prussia was certainly a thing imperatively called for4 ,but congresses are congresses2 and we must even content ourselves with the most convenient adjustment of contending claims that was found practicable at the time2 and if the result seems unsatisfactory1 we may turn away our eyes from it2 occupy ourselves with the best business that offers itself1 and let ,god work4 ,so at least ,stein did4 ,he kept his word to ,count ,mnster most faithfully2 and1 after the decisive thunders of ,leipsig and ,waterloo1 having done his part to bring the great ,european tragedy to a worthy catastrophe1 he retired from witnessing the farce1 with all convenient speed1 into private life1 and was heard of no more in court or cabinet in ,berlin1 from that day till his death4 ,in the spring of #ahaf1 we find him1 in his own ancestral castle in ,nassau1 addressing a fiend as follows3--,yes1 dear friend1 we have won much2 but much also should have been otherwise4 ,god governs the world1 and abandons no ,german2 and if we remain true and ,german1 7treu und ,deutsch17 we shall take up the matter some other day with the ,french again1 and settle the account more satisfactorily4 ,for myself1 ,i long to depart2 this world is1 once for all1 so constituted1 that a man cannot walk on the straight path1 and yet ought not to walk on the crooked4 ',tis even so2 circumstances and relations drive and force men4 ,they act1 and think they are the doers2 but it is ,god that decides4 ,this most characteristic passage expresses only ,stein's feeling1 that the ,french had been allowed to escape so cheaply1 by the generosity of the ,allies1 at the peace of ,paris2 but he had much more substantial grievances to vex him nearer home2 and1 next to the feeble machinery of the diet at ,frankfort1 that which hurt him most was the political reaction at ,berlin that commenced immediately after the peace1 and threatened to undo that great social work which he had so boldly begun in #ahjh4 ,however much a ,prussian in his political sympathies1 ,stein was essentially an ,englishman in his principles2 the tendency of all his measures1 as they were introduced by himself1 or followed out by ,hardenberg1 was to temper the military and bureaucratic despotism of ,frederick the ,great by a wise admixture of popular influence2 he wished a constitution after the ,english model1 as much as circumstances might permit1 not in form merely but in deed2 he was not afraid of free discussion among a well-educated people like the ,germans1 and was too noble-minded to imitate1 in ,berlin or ,maine1 the spy-system on which ,napoleon had based his immoral monarchy of physical force at ,paris4 ,it was not to be expected1 however1 that in a country hitherto governed solely by the ,court and by the ,bureau1 these ,english views of ,stein should not have met with sturdy opposition2 in fact it was mainly by help of the battle of ,jena1 that he was enabled to do what he did for creating a ,prussian ,,people in #ahjh4 ,now that terrible shock had passed2 and the host of defeated bureaucratists and court minions1 after the battle for the liberation of the fatherland had been fought by others1 now began to crown into their old places1 and to occupy the ears of a king more honest to promise what was right than strong to do it4 ,accordingly1 instead of freedom of the press and constitution in ,prussia1 we have heard no sound1 since the year #ahae1 but that of prohibited books1 imaginary conspiracies of beer-inspired ,burschen1 deposed professors1 and banished old ,luther2 and every thing1 in short1 except what the pious old ,frederick ,william ,,iii4 promised1 or was made to appear to promise1 with such gracious1 popular1 and constitutional phrases at ,vienna1 in the year #ahae4 ,whether the military and bureaucratic despotism of ,germany may not1 after all1 be a better system of government on the whole than our strange system of local and corporate influence of all sorts1 of fermenting acids and alkalis1 here is a question which some persons of a speculative disposition may consider open enough2 but that the supreme power having once pledged itself to give a people a free constitution and freedom of the press1 should act with honour1 and do what was promised1 seems1 7if there be any such thing as public morals at all17 under any form of government1 nothing more than what common policy as well as propriety would dictate4 ,those who bear the rule in ,germany1 however1 have1 for the last thirty years1 done every thing that they possibly could do to make the royal word a public mockery1 and a shame2 one cannot review the well-known despotic proceedings of the ,german diet1 first in #ahbi1 and afterwards in #ahcb1 without subscribing a most full assent to the sentence of the ,baron von ,stein1 when he says1 in reference to those very matters--the falsehood that prevails in our age is deserving of the most serious reprehension4 ,and again1 ,our ,german government sink more and more daily in public estimation by their timidity and perfidy4 ,with regard to the whole system1 indeed1 of ,prussian government1 the system of doing every thing by official men1 and nothing by voluntary movement of the people1 and apart from this special matter of the constitution1 ,stein was accustomed to use the strongest language of reprobation2 witness the following letter to ,von ,gagern1 dated #bdth ,august #ahba4 ,coppenberg was a favourite seat of the ,baron in ,westphalia4 ,in the lonely woody ,coppenberg1 ,i live so remote from the world and its doings1 that nothing can disturb me in the enjoyment of nature and a country life1 except bad weather1 which happily has left us a few days ago1 and is not likely soon to return4 ,in ,westphalia here1 my friends are more concerned about the new tax1 and the new edict about the peasants1 7which satisfies no party17 than about the schemes of ,metternich on the banks of the ,danube1 and the great events in ,greece4 ,for myself1 ,i can say nothing more about public affairs1 than that1 while ,i have little confidence in the present leaders1 ,i have an unbounded trust in ,providence2 and that1 necessary as a ,,constitution is to ,prussia1 and beneficial as it would be if fairly worked1 ,i expect nothing from any machinery which will necessarily be opposed by the persons who have possession of the king's ear1 and the court influence generally3 and ,i see plainly that we are still1 as we have hitherto been1 to be governed by salaried persons1 equipped with mere book-learning1 without any substantial interest in the country1 without property1 by mere bureaucratists--a system which will last so long as it can last--',das geht so lange es geht6' ,these four words contain the soul of our and suchlike spiritless 7geistlos7 government machines3--in the first place salaried--and this implies a tendency to maintain and to multiply the number of salaried officials2 then book-learned--that is1 living in the world of the dead letter1 and not in the actual world2 without interest--for these men stand in no connexion with any class of the citizens1 which are the mass of the state2 they are a peculiar caste1 these men of the quill1 7die ,schreiberkaste27 lastly1 without property--this implies that they stand unmoved by all changes that affect property1 in sunshine or in rain1 with taxes high or low1 with old chartered rights maintained or destroyed1 with independent peasants or a rabble of mere journeymen1 with a dependence of the peasants on the proprietors1 or of all on the ,jews and the bankers--'tis all one to the bureaucracy4 ,they draw their salary from the public purse1 and write--write--write on--secretly--silently--invisibly with shut doors--unknown--unnoticed--unnamed--and bring up their children after them1 to be what their fathers were--very serviceable writing-machines4 ,our machinery--the old military machinery--,i saw fall on the #adth ,october #ahjf2 possibly the machinery of the desk and the quill and the red tape has a #adth of ,october already doomed for it in ,heaven4 ,these are serious words2 and though ,stein was one of those intense and strongly accentuating minds that never could state a truth without overstating it1 7as ,martin ,luther also was continually doing17 they are not wise who would treat the hard blows from the cudgel of such a man as if they were puffs and whiffs of angry smoke from some wrathful ,heine1 or other furious poetical politician in ,paris4 ,stein was the most practical of men2 he had lived all his life amid the details of practice2 and1 like all practical men1 in the midst of his violence knew how to preserve certain sobriety and moderation1 without which no such thing as governing is possible4 ,there is nothing1 in our opinion1 that any ,king of ,prussia could do better than seriously to ponder the passage we have just quoted1 and also the few short sentences that follow3-- ,nassau1 ,sept4 #bi1 #ahai4 ,i expect nothing satisfactory and substantial from the assembling together1 and the deliberations1 of mediocre and superficial men4 ,the most important thing that could be done for the preservation of the public peace in ,germany1 were to put an end to the reign of arbitrary power1 and1 in the place of it1 to commence a system of constitutional law2 in the place of the bureaucratists and the democratic pamphleteers--of whom the former oppress the people by much and bad governing1 and the other excite and confound it--to place the influence and the activity of the proprietors of the soil4 ,with these memorable words we are willing that the character of ,stein1 as an ,english statesman in ,prussia1 should grave itself deep in the hearts both of ,englishmen and ,prussians4 ,we have only to add that1 in his latter years1 ,stein occupied himself in organizing a society at ,frankfort for publishing the original documents of ,german history1 which are best known to the ,english historical student in connexion with the name of ,perz2 and that he took an active share in the business of the provincial states of ,westphalia4 ,he was also 7since #ahbg7 member of the council of state in ,berlin2 but this dignity1 conferred at so late a period1 seems merely to have been intended as a sort of unavoidable compliment to a person of his rank and standing4 ,it certainly did not imply that his well-known ,english principles were intended to assume any greater prominency in the conduct of ,prussian and ,german affairs than they had enjoyed since the peace4 ,baron ,stein died on the #bith ,june #ahca1 in his castle of ,coppenberg in ,westphalia4 ,,the ,,historical ,,romance4 ,we are constantly told that invention is worn out2 that every thing is exhausted1 that all the intellectual treasures of modern ,europe have been dug up2 and that we must look to a new era of the world1 and a different quarter of the globe1 for new ideas or fresh views of thought4 ,it must be confessed1 that if we look to some parts of our literature1 there seems too good reason for supposing that this desponding opinion is well founded4 ,every thing1 in some departments1 does seem worked out4 ,poetry appears for the time wellnigh extinguished4 ,we have some charming ballads from ,tennyson2 some touching lines from ,miss ,barret2 but where are the successors of ,scott and ,byron1 of ,campbell and ,southey8 ,romance1 in some branches1 has evidently exhausted itself4 ,for ten years we had novels of fashionable life1 till the manners and sayings of lordlings and right honourables had become familiar to all the haberdashers' apprentices and milliners' girls in ,london4 ,that vein being worked out1 literature has run into the opposite channel4 ,action and reaction is the law1 not less of the intellectual than the physical world4 ,inventive genius has sought out1 in the lower walks of life1 those subjects of novel study and fresh description which could no longer be found in the higher4 ,so far has this propensity gone1 so violent has been the oscillation of the pendulum in this direction1 that novelists have descended to the very lowest stages of society in the search of the new or the exciting4 ,not only have the manners1 the selfishness1 and vulgarity of the middle ranks been painted with admirable fidelity1 and drawn with inimitable skill1 but the habits and slang of the very lowest portrayed with prurient minuteness1 and interest sought to be awakened in the votaries of fashion or the ,sybarites of pleasure by the delineation of the language and ideas of the most infamous wretches who ever disgraced society by their vices1 or endangered it by their crimes4 ,whatever1 says ,dr ,johnson1 makes the ,,past or the ,,future predominate over the present1 exalts us in the scale of thinking beings4 ,the words are familiar till they have become trite2 but words are often repeated when the sense is far off4 ,it is in the general oblivion of the thought of the philosopher1 while his words were in every mouth1 that the cause of the want of originality in modern works of imagination is to be found4 ,if to the ,past and the ,future1 enumerated by ,johnson1 we add the ,,distant1 we shall have an effectual antidote1 and the only one which is effectual against the sameness of present ideas1 or the limited circle of present observation4 ,the tendency to localize is the propensity which degrades literature1 as it is the chief bane and destroyer of individual character4 ,it is the opposite effect of engendering a tendency to expand1 which constitutes the chief value of travelling in the formation of character4 ,if the thought and conversation of individuals are limited to the little circle in which they live1 or the objects by which they are immediately surrounded1 we all know what they speedily become4 ,it is in the extension of the interest to a wider circle1 in the admission of objects of general concern and lasting importance into the sphere of habitual thought1 that the only preservative against this fatal tendency is to be found4 ,it is the power of doing this which forms the chief charm of the highest society in every country1 and renders it in truth every where the same4 ,a man of the world will find himself equally at home1 and conversation flow at once with equal ease1 in the higher saloons of ,london or ,paris1 of ,rome or ,vienna1 of ,warsaw or ,st ,petersburg4 ,but he will find it scarcely possible to keep up conversation for a quarter of an hour in the bourgeois circle of any of these capitals4 ,it is the same with literature2 and especially that wide and important branch of literature which1 aiming at the exciting of interest1 or delineating of manners1 should in an especial manner be guarded against the degradation consequent on a narrow restriction of its subjects to matters only of local concern4 ,the prodigious success and widespread popularity which have attended some of the most able novels of this new school of romance in late years1 as well as the great ability which their composition evinces1 must not blind our eyes to the degrading tendency of such compositions upon the national literature4 ,immediate circulation1 great profit to the bookseller1 a dazzling reputation to the author1 are by no means to be relied on as the heralds of lasting fame4 ,in cases innumerable1 they have proved the reverse4 ,still less are they to be considered as proofs that the writer1 be his abilities what they may1 has worthily performed his mission1 or elevated himself to the exalted level of which his art is susceptible4 ,the most pernicious romances and poems that ever appeared have often been ushered into the world by the most unbounded immediate applause2 witness the ,nouvelle ,helose of ,rousseau1 and ,pucelle of ,voltaire4 ,it was just their dangerous and seductive qualities which gave them their success4 ,rousseau knew this well4 ,he addressed himself with skill and perfect knowledge of the age to its passions and vices3--,j'ai vu les moeurs de mon temps1 et j'ai publi ces lettres1 were the first words of his ,nouvelle ,helose4 ,in the school we have mentioned1 there is nothing immoral or improper2 but is there any thing elevating or improving8 ,the true test of real excellence is not immediate success but durable fame2 it is to be found not in the popularity of circulating shops1 or reading clubs1 but in the shelves of the library1 or the delight of the fireside4 ,when a work suddenly attains great immediate celebrity in a particular circle or country1 it is generally1 though not always1 an indication that it is not destined to enjoy any lasting reputation4 ,the reason is1 that it is addressed to local feelings1 temporary passions1 and particular desires2 and it rises to eminence from interesting or gratifying them4 ,but that is not the way permanently to attract mankind4 ,nothing can do so but what is addressed to the universal feeling of our nature1 and has penetrated to the inmost chords1 which are common to all ages and countries4 ,the touching them alone can secure durable fame4 ,where now are all the novels portraying fashionable life with which the shops of publishers teemed1 and the shelves of circulating libraries groaned1 not ten years ago8 ,buried in the vault of all the ,capulets4 ,where will the novels portraying manners in the lowest walks of life be ten years hence8 ,he is a bold man who says they will be found in one well-selected library4 ,we do not dispute the vast ability of some of these productions4 ,we are well aware of the fidelity with which they have painted the manners of the middle class1 previously little touched on in novels2 we fully admit the pathos and power of occasional passages1 the wit and humour of many others1 the graphic delineation of ,english character which they all contain4 ,but1 admitting all this1 the question is--have these productions come up to the true standard of novel-writing8 ,are they fitted to elevate and purify the minds of their readers8 ,will the persons who peruse1 and are amused1 perhaps fascinated1 by them1 become more noble1 more exalted1 more spiritual beings1 than they were before8 ,do not these novels1 able and amusing as they are1 bear the same relation to the lofty romances of which our literature can boast1 that the ,boors of ,ostade1 or the ,village ,wakes of ,teniers1 do to the ,madonnas of ,guido1 or the ,holy ,families of ,raphael8 ,these pictures were and are exceedingly popular in ,flanders and ,holland1 where their graphic truth could be appreciated2 but are they ever regarded as models of the really beautiful in painting8 ,we leave it to the most ardent admirers of the ,jack ,sheppard school to answer these questions4 ,the doctrine now so prevalent is essentially erroneous1 that the manners of the middle or lowest class are the fit object of the novelist1 because they are natural4 ,many things are natural which yet are not fit to be exposed1 and by the customs of all civilized nations are studiously concealed from the view4 ,voltaire's well-known answer to a similar remark when made in regard to ,shakspeare1 indicates1 though in a coarse way1 the true reply to such observations4 ,if every thing that is natural1 and we see around us1 is the fit object of imitation1 and perpetuating in literature1 it can no longer be called one of the ,fine ,arts4 ,it is degraded to a mere copying of nature in her coarsest and most disgusting1 equally as her noblest and most elevating1 aspects4 ,we protest against the doctrine1 that the lofty art of romance is to be lowered to the delineating the manners of cheesemongers and grocers1 of crop-head charity boys1 and smart haberdashers' and milliners' apprentices of doubtful reputation4 ,if we wish to see the manners of such classes1 we have only to get into a railway or steamboat2 the sight of them at breakfast or dinner will probably be enough for any person accustomed to the habits of good society4 ,still more solemnly do we enter our protest against the slang of thieves or prostitutes1 the flash words of receivers of stolen goods and criminal officers1 the haunts of murderers and burglars1 being the proper subject for the amusement or edification of the other classes of society4 ,it might as well be said that the refuse of the common-sewers should be raked up and mixed with the garbage of the streets to form our daily food4 ,that such things exist is certain2 we have only to walk the streets at night1 and we shall soon have ample evidence of their reality4 ,but are they the proper object of the novel-writer's pencil8 ,that is the question2 and it is painful to think that in an age boasting its intelligence1 and glorying in the extent of its information1 such a question should be deemed susceptible of answer in any but one way4 ,these two extremes of novel-writing--the ,almack and ,jack ,sheppard schools--deviate equally from the standard of real excellence4 ,the one is too exclusively devoted to the description of high1 the other of low life4 ,the one portrays a style of manners as artificial and peculiar as that of the paladins and troubadours of chivalry2 the other exhibits to our view the lowest and most degraded stages of society1 and by the force of humour or the tenderness of pathos interests us too often in the haunts of vice or the pursuits of infamy4 ,it is easy to see that the one school was produced by the reaction of the human mind against the other2 genius1 tired of the eternal flirtations of guardsmen and right honourables1 sought for unsophisticated nature in the humour of low or the sorrows of humble life4 ,but low and humble life are sophisticated just as much as elevated and fashionable2 and1 if we are driven to a selection1 we would prefer the artificial manners of the great to the natural effusions of the vulgar4 ,we would rather1 as the child said to the ogress1 be eat up by the gentleman4 ,but true novel-writing should be devoted to neither the one nor the other4 ,it should aim at the representation of what ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds called general or common nature--that is1 nature by its general features1 which are common to all ages and countries1 not its peculiarities in a particular circle or society4 ,it is by success in delineating that1 and by it alone1 that lasting fame is to be acquired4 ,without doubt every age and race of men have their separate dress end costume1 and the mind has its externals as well as the body1 which the artist of genius will study with sedulous care1 and imitate with scrupulous fidelity4 ,but the soul is not in the dress2 and so it will be found in the delineation of mind as in the representation of the figure4 ,all these extravagances in the noble art of romance originate in one cause4 ,they come of not making the past and the distant predominate over the present4 ,it is like sketching every day from nature in the same scenery or country3 the artist1 if he has the pencil of ,claude ,lorraine or ,salvator ,rosa1 will1 in the end1 find that if the objects of his study are endless1 their character has a certain family resemblance2 and that1 if he is not repeating the same study1 he is reproducing1 under different forms1 the same ideas4 ,but let him extend his observation to a wider sphere3 let him study the sublimity of mountain or the sweetness of pastoral scenery1 let him traverse the ,alps and the ,apennines1 the ,pyrenees or the ,caucasus2 let him inhale the spirit of antiquity amidst the ruins of the ,capitol1 or the genius of ,greece on the rocks of the ,acropolis2 let him become embued with modern beauty on the shores of ,naples1 or the combined charms of ,europe and ,asia amidst the intricacies of the ,bosphorus--and what a world of true images1 objects1 and beauties is at once let into his mind6 ,it is the same with romance4 ,it is by generalizing ideas1 by means of extended observation1 that variety is to be communicated to conception1 and freshness to incident2 that the particular is to be taken from character1 and the general impressed upon mind4 ,but the novelist has this immense advantage over the painter--not only the present but the past lie open to his study4 ,the boundless events of history present themselves to his choice3 he can not only roam at will over the present surface of the globe1 with all its variety of character1 event1 and incident1 but penetrate backwards into the unsearchable depths of time4 ,when will fresh subjects for description be wanting with such a field to the hand of genius8 ,never to the end of the world3 for years as they revolve1 nations as they rise and fall1 events as they thicken around mankind1 but add to the riches of the vast storehouse from which it is to select its subjects1 or cull its materials4 ,look at ,shakspeare--with what felicity has he selected on this inexhaustible reserve1 to vary his incidents1 to invigorate his ideas1 to give raciness to his characters6 ,he has not even confined himself to ,english story1 rich as it is in moving or terrible events1 and strikingly as its moving phantasmagoria come forth from his magic hand4 ,the tragedies1 the comedies1 the events1 the ideas1 of the most distant ages of the world1 of the most opposite states of society1 of the most discordant characters of mankind1 seem depicted with equal felicity4 ,he is neither thoroughly chivalrous like ,tasso and ,ariosto1 nor thoroughly ,grecian like ,sophocles and ,euripides1 nor thoroughly ,french like ,corneille and ,racine4 ,he has neither portrayed exclusively the manners of ,arthur and the ,round ,table1 nor of the courts of the ,henrys or the ,plantagenets4 ,he is as varied as the boundless variety of nature4 ,profoundly embued at one time with the lofty spirit of ,roman patriotism1 he is not less deeply penetrated at another with the tenderness of ,italian love4 ,if ,julius ,cesar contains the finest picture that ever was drawn of the ideas of the citizens of the ancient world1 ,juliet is the most perfect delineation of the refined passions of the modern4 ,the bursting heart1 uncontrollable grief1 but yet generous spirit of the ,moor--the dark ambition and blood-stained career of the ,scot1 come as fresh from his pencil as the dreamy contemplation of the ,prince of ,denmark1 or the fascinating creation of the ,forest of ,ardennes4 ,it is hard to say whether he is greatest in painting the racked grief of ,lear1 the homely sense of ,falstaff1 or the arial vision of ,miranda4 ,here is the historical drama2 here is the varied picture of the human heart2 and if the world is not prolific of ,shakspeares1 he at least has afforded decisive evidence of the vastness of the field thus opened to its genius4 ,the ,,historical ,,romance should take its place beside the plays of ,shakspeare4 ,it does not aim at representation on the stage2 it has not the powers of the actor1 the deception of scenery1 the magic of theatrical effect1 nor the charms of music1 to heighten its impression4 ,but in exchange it has one incalculable advantage1 which in the end is adequate to overbalance them all3 it brings delight to the fireside4 ,seated in our arm-chairs1 with the wintry winds howling around us1 with our feet at a blazing fire1 we are transported by the wand of the novelist to the most remote ages and distant counties of the earth4 ,the lofty spirit and generous passions of chivalry2 the stern resolves and heroic resolution of ancient patriotism2 the graceful profligacy and studied gallantry of the court of ,louis ,,xiv42 the deep ,machiavelism of ,italian perfidy2 the blunt simplicity of ,german virtue2 the freeborn fearlessness of ,english valour2 the lofty soul and poetic imagery of the ,north ,american savage2 the dauntless intrepidity of his ,castilian conqueror2 the heart-stirring pathos of ,eastern story2 the savage ferocity of ,scythian conquest--may be alternately presented to our view4 ,we roam at will1 not only over space but time2 and if the writer is worthy of his high vocation1 he can so warm the imagination by the interest of event1 the delineation of character1 the force of passion1 or the charm of the pathetic1 that the strongest impression of reality is conveyed to the reader's mind4 ,add to this the material appliances which are at his disposal2 and which1 though far inferior to mental power in rousing interest or awakening sympathy1 have yet great effect in giving life to the picture1 and transporting the imagination to the scenes or the ages which are intended to be portrayed4 ,the scenery of all the different parts of the world1 under every possible variety of light1 colour1 and circumstance2 the manners1 habits1 and customs of all nations1 and all ages and all grades of society2 the dresses1 arms1 houses1 and strongholds of men in all stages of their progress1 from the huntsmen of ,nimrod to the ,old ,guard of ,napoleon2 the ideas of men in different classes and ranks of life in all ages--form so many additions to his pictures1 which1 if skilfully managed1 must give them infinite variety and interest4 ,there is no end1 there never can be any end1 to the combinations of genius with such materials at its disposal4 ,if men1 since this noble art has been created1 ever run into repetition1 it will be from want of originality in conception1 not variety in subject4 ,the prodigious addition which the happy idea of the historical romance has made to the stores of elevated literature1 and through it to the happiness and improvement of the human race1 will not be properly appreciated1 unless the novels most in vogue before the immortal creations of ,scott appeared are considered4 ,if we take up even the most celebrated of them1 and in which the most unequivocal marks of genius are to be discerned1 it seems hardly possible to conceive how their authors could have acquired the reputation which they so long enjoyed4 ,they are distinguished by a mawkish sensibility1 a perpetual sentimentality1 as different from the bursts of genuine passion as their laboured descriptions of imaginary scenes are from the graphic sketches which1 in later times1 have at once brought reality before the mind's eye4 ,the novels of ,charlotte ,smith1 ,miss ,radcliffe1 and ,miss ,burney belong to this school2 they are now wellnigh unreadable4 ,even works of higher reputation and unquestionable genius in that age1 the ,nouvelle ,helose of ,rousseau1 and ,sir ,charles ,grandison of ,richardson1 now form a heavy task even for the most ardent lover of romance4 ,why is it that works so popular in their day1 and abounding with so many traits of real genius1 should so soon have palled upon the world8 ,simply because they were not founded upon a broad and general view of human nature2 because they were drawn1 not from real life in the innumerable phases which it presents to the observer1 but imaginary life as it was conceived in the mind of the composer2 because they were confined to one circle and class of society1 and having exhausted all the natural ideas which it could present1 its authors were driven1 in the search of variety1 to the invention of artificial and often ridiculous ones4 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 as all the world knows1 was the inventor of the historical romance4 ,as if to demonstrate how ill founded was the opinion1 that all things were worked out1 and that originality no longer was accessible for the rest of time1 ,providence1 by the means of that great mind1 bestowed a new art1 as it were1 upon mankind--at the very time when literature to all appearance was effete1 and invention1 for above a century1 had run in the cramped and worn-out channels of imitation4 ,gibbon was lamenting that the subjects of history were exhausted1 and that modern story would never present the moving incidents of ancient story1 on the verge of the ,french ,revolution and the ,european war--of the ,reign of ,terror and the ,moscow retreat4 ,such was the reply of ,time to the complaint that political incident was worn out4 ,not less decisive was the answer which the genius of the ,scottish bard afforded to the opinion1 that the treasures of original thought were exhausted1 and that nothing now remained for the sons of men4 ,in the midst of that delusion he wrote ,waverley2 and the effect was like the sun bursting through the clouds4 ,after a space1 shorter than is usually required for a work of original conception to make its way in society1 the effect began to appear4 ,like the invention of gunpowder or steam1 it in the end worked a change in the moral world4 ,envy was silenced2 criticism was abashed2 detraction ceased to decry--malignity to deride4 ,the hearts of men were taken as it were by storm4 ,a new vein of boundless extent and surpassing richness was opened as it were under our feet4 ,men marvelled that it had been so long of being found out4 ,and the first discoverer worked it with such rapidity and success1 that for long no one attempted to disturb him in the turning forth of its wealth4 ,it is curious1 now that this great revolution in romance-writing has taken place1 and is felt and acknowledged by all the world1 to reflect on the causes1 apparently accidental1 by which it was brought about1 and the trivial circumstances which might have turned aside1 perhaps for ever1 the creative mind of ,scott from this its appropriate sphere of original action4 ,the first chapters of ,waverley1 as we learn from ,lockhart's ,life1 were written in #ahjh2 but the work was laid aside in an unfinished form1 and was almost forgotten by its author4 ,it would probably have remained there overlooked and incomplete to the day of his death1 had not the extraordinary popularity of ,lord ,byron's ,childe ,harold and subsequent pieces1 joined to some symptoms of waning public favour in the reception of his own later pieces1 particularly ,rokeby and the ,lord of the ,isles1 awakened in his mind1 as he himself has told us1 a latent suspicion that he had better retire from the field of poetry before his youthful competitor1 and betake himself to another career1 in which hitherto no rival had appeared4 ,under the influence of this feeling of distrust in his poetical powers1 the all but forgotten manuscript of ,waverley was drawn forth from its obscurity1 the novel was finished1 and given to the world in ,july #ahad4 ,from that moment the historical romance was born for mankind4 ,one of the most delightful and instructive species of composition was created2 which unites the learning of the historian with the fancy of the poet2 which discards from human annals their years of tedium1 and brings prominently forward their eras of interest2 which teaches morality by example1 and conveys information by giving pleasure2 and which1 combining the charms of imagination with the treasures of research1 founds the ideal upon its only solid and durable basis--the real4 ,the historical romance enjoys many advantages for the creation of interest1 and even the conveying of information1 over history4 ,it can combine1 in a short space1 the exciting incidents which are spread over numerous volumes2 and1 by throwing entirely into the background the uninteresting details of human events1 concentrate the light of imagination on such as are really calculated to produce an impression4 ,immense is the facility which this gives for the creation of interest1 and the addition of life1 to the picture4 ,what oppresses the historian is the prodigious number of details with which he is encumbered4 ,as his main object is to convey a trustworthy narrative of real events1 none of them can1 with due regard to the credit of the narrative1 be omitted4 ,if they are so1 it is ten to one that the author finds reason to repent his superficial survey before he has concluded his work2 and if he is fortunate enough to escape such stings of self-reproach1 he is quite certain that the blot will be marked by some kind friend1 or candid critic1 who will represent the thing omitted1 how trifling soever1 as the most important incident in the whole work1 and the neglect of which is wholly fatal to its credit as a book of authority4 ,every traveller knows how invariably this is the case with any object which may have been accidentally omitted to be seen in any province or city2 and that the only way to avoid the eternal self-reproaches consequent on having it constantly represented by others as the most interesting object to be seen1 is--at all hazards of time1 fatigue1 or expense--to see every thing4 ,but the historical novelist is fettered by no such necessity--he is constrained to encumber his pages with no inconsiderable details4 ,selecting for the objects of his piece the most striking characters and moving incidents of the period he has chosen1 he can throw full light upon them1 and paint the details with that minuteness of finishing which is essential to conjuring up a vivid image in the reader's mind4 ,he can give the truth of history without its monotony--the interest of romance without its unreality4 ,it was the power they enjoyed of abstracting in this manner from surrounding and uninteresting details1 which constituted the principal charm of ancient history4 ,the ,cyropdia and ,anabasis of ,xenophon are nothing but historical romances4 ,livy's pictured page--,sallust's inimitable sketches--,tacitus's finished paintings1 over their chief fascination to the simplicity of their subjects4 ,ancient history1 being confined to the exploits of a single hero or monarch1 or the rise of a particular city1 could afford to be graphic1 detailed1 and consequently interesting4 ,that was comparatively an easy task when the events of one1 or at most two1 states on the shores of the ,mediterranean alone required to be portrayed4 ,but such a limitation of subject is impossible in modern history1 when the transactions of ,europe1 ,asia1 ,africa and ,america require to be detailed to render the thread of events complete4 ,even biography is scarcely intelligible without such a narrative of the surrounding nations and incidents as makes it run into the complexity and consequent dulness of history4 ,but the author of historical romance is entirely relieved from this necessity1 and consequently he can present the principal events and characters of his world in far more brilliant colours to his readers than is possible for the historian4 ,certainly with some the results of his more attractive influence will be doubted2 but1 be that as it may1 it is the ,henry ,v4 or ,richard ,,iii4 of ,shakspeare that occur to every mind when these ,english monarchs are thought of1 not the picture of them presented1 able as it is1 by ,hume or ,turner4 ,if we hear of ,richard ,coeur-de-,lion1 we immediately conjure up the inimitable picture of the crusading hero in ,ivanhoe or the ,talisman4 ,elizabeth of ,england is admirably portrayed in the pages of ,hume1 but the ,elizabeth of ,kenilworth is the one which is engraven on every mind2 and when the romantic tale and heroic death of ,mary of ,scotland are thought of1 it is less the masterly picture of ,robertson1 or the touching narrative of ,tytler1 that recurs to the recollection1 than the imprisoned princess of the ,abbot1 or the immortal ,last ,sacrament of ,schiller4 ,considered in its highest aspect1 no art ever was attempted by man more elevated and ennobling than the historical romance4 ,it may be doubted whether it is inferior even to the lofty flights of the epic1 or the heart-rending pathos of the dramatic muse4 ,certain it is that it is more popular1 and embraces a much wider circle of readers1 than either the ,iliad or the ,paradise ,lost4 ,homer and ,tasso never1 in an equal time1 had nearly so many readers as ,scott4 ,the reason is1 that an interesting story told in prose1 can be more generally understood1 and is appreciated by a much wider circle1 than when couched in the lofty strains and comparative obscurity of verse4 ,it is impossible to over-estimate the influence1 for good or for evil1 which this fascinating art may exercise upon future ages4 ,it literally has the moulding of the human mind in its hands2--,give me1 said ,fletcher of ,saltoun1 the making of ballads1 and ,i will give you the making of laws4 ,historical romances are the ballads of a civilized and enlightened age4 ,more even than their rude predecessors of the mountains and the forest1 they form those feelings in youth by which the character of the future man is to be determined4 ,it is not going too far to say1 that the romances of ,sir ,walter ,scott have gone far to neutralise the dangers of the ,reform ,bill4 ,certain it is that they have materially assisted in extinguishing1 at least in the educated classes of society1 that prejudice against the feudal manners1 and those devout aspirations on the blessings of democratic institutions1 which were universal among the learned over ,europe in the close of the eighteenth century4 ,like all other great and original minds1 so far from being swept away by the errors of his age1 he rose up in direct opposition to them4 ,singly he set himself to breast the flood which was overflowing the world4 ,thence the reaction in favour of the institutions of the olden time in church and state1 which became general in the next generation1 and is now so strongly manifesting itself1 as well in the religious contests as the lighter literature of the present day4 ,some authors1 says ,madame de ,stal1 have lowered the romance in mingling with it the revolting pictures of vice2 and while the first advantage of fiction is to assemble around man all that can serve as a lesson or a model1 it has been thought that a temporary object might be gained by representing the obscure scenes of corrupted life1 as if they could ever leave the heart which repels them as pure as that to which they were unknown4 ,but a romance1 such as one can conceive1 such as we have some models of1 is one of the noblest productions of the human mind1 one of the most influential on the hearts of individuals1 and which is best fitted in the end to form the morals of nations4#ba ,it is in this spirit that romance should be written--it is in this spirit that it has been written by some of the masters of the art who have already appeared1 during the brief period which has elapsed since its creation4 ,and if1 in hands more impure1 it has sometimes been applied to less elevated purposes2 if the turbid waters of human corruption have mingled with the stream1 and the annals of the past have been searched1 not to display its magnanimity1 but to portray its seductions2 we must console ourselves by the reflection1 that such is the inevitable lot of humanity1 that genius cannot open a noble career which depravity will not enter1 nor invent an engine for the exaltation of the human mind1 which vice will not pervert to its degradation4 ,as the historical romance has been of such recent introduction in this country and the world1 it is not surprising that its principles should as yet be not finally understood4 ,it may be doubted whether its great master and his followers themselves have been fully aware of the causes to which their own success has been owing4 ,like travellers who have entered an unknown but varied and interesting country1 they have plunged fearlessly on1 threading forests1 dashing through streams1 traversing plains1 crossing mountains1 and in the breathless haste of the journey1 and the animation of spirit with which it was attended1 they have become1 in a great degree1 insensible to the causes which produced the charm which surrounded their footsteps4 ,yet1 like every other art1 the historical romance has its principles2 and it is by the right comprehending and skilful application of these principles1 that its highest triumphs are to be gained4 ,they are the same as those which have long been unfolded by the great masters of composition in relation to poetry and the drama2 they are to be found applied by ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds to the sister art of painting4 ,yet are they not attended to by the great mass of readers1 and even by authors themselves1 if we may judge by the frequent failures which are exhibited1 little understood or frequently neglected4 ,the first requisite of the historical romance is a subject which shall be elevated and yet interesting4 ,it must be elevated1 or the work will derogate from its noblest object1 that of rousing the sympathetic passions1 and awakening the generous feelings2 it must be interesting1 or these effects will be produced in a very limited degree4 ,readers of romance look for excitement2 they desire to be interested1 and unless they are so1 the author's productions will very soon be neglected4 ,this is universally known1 and felt alike by readers and writers2 but yet there is a strange misapprehension prevalent among many authors1 even of distinguished talent1 in regard to the methods by which this interest is to be awakened4 ,it is frequently said1 that the public are insatiable for novelty2 that all home subjects are worn out2 and thence it is concluded1 that whatever is new must possess the greatest chance of becoming popular4 ,in the desire to discover such novelty1 every part of the world has been ransacked4 ,stories from ,persia and the ,east have been plentifully brought forward2 the prairies and savages of ,north ,america have furnished the subjects of more than one interesting romance2 ,russia1 ,poland1 ,italy1 ,spain1 as well as ,france1 ,germany1 ,sweden1 and the ,united ,states1 have been eagerly ransacked to satisfy the craving of a generation seeking after something new4 ,the total failure of many of these novels1 the dubious success of many others1 though written with unquestionable talent1 may convince us1 that this principle of looking only for novelty may be carried too far1 and that it is within certain limits only that the appetite for variety can successfully be indulged4 ,and what these limits are1 may be readily learned by attending to what experience has taught in the sister arts4 ,it has been said1 and said truly1 that eloquence to be popular must be in advance of the audience1 and but a little in advance4 ,the experience of all ages has taught1 that the drama is never successful unless it appeals to feelings which find a responsive echo in the general mind1 and awakens associations of general interest in the breast of the audience4 ,it is the same with the historical romance4 ,it may and should deviate a little from the circle of interesting association generally felt2 but it should be but a little4 ,the heart of the readers of novels1 as well as the spectators of tragedies1 is at home4 ,the images1 the emotions1 the loves1 the hatreds1 the hopes1 the fears1 the names1 the places familiar to our youth1 are those which awaken the strongest emotions of sympathy in later years4 ,novelty is frequently felt as agreeable2 but it is so chiefly when it recalls again in other climes1 or in the events of other ages1 the feelings and passions of our own4 ,we like occasionally to leave home2 but when we do so1 there is nothing so delightful as to be recalled to it by the touching of any of those secret chords which bind man to the place of his nativity1 or the scene of his dearest associations4 ,the novels which are to be durably popular in any country must be founded1 not indeed necessarily on incidents of its own story1 but on the ideas with which it is familiar1 and on incidents cousin-german at least to those of its own national existence4 ,the institutions of chivalry1 the feudal system1 have created1 as it were1 in this respect one great family of the ,european nations1 which renders1 at least to the educated classes1 the manners1 emotions1 and passions of the higher ranks an object of universal interest4 ,we can sympathise as warmly with the paladins of ,ariosto1 or the knights of ,tasso1 as ever could the troubadours of ,provence or the nobles of ,italy4 ,but if this lofty circle which forms the manners of chivalry is once passed1 we descend to inferior grades of society4 ,the novelist of every country will find1 that what he portrays will not permanently or generally interest a wider circle than that of its own inhabitants4 ,we can take no interest in the boyards of ,russia or the boors of ,poland2 but little in the agas and kuzilbashes of ,eastern story4 ,novelty1 as in the ,arabian ,nights1 may attract in youth for a single publication2 but fairy or ,eastern tales will never form the intellectual bread of life4 ,the universal admiration with which ,don ,quixote and the ,waverley novels are regarded over the whole world1 must not blind us to the extreme difficulty of making the manners of the middle or lower ranks1 if brought forward as the main machinery of a romance1 durably interesting to any but those to whom they are familiar4 ,even ,scott and ,cervantes owe great part of their success to the skill with which they have combined the noble manners and exalted ideas1 engendered in the ,european heart by the institutions of chivalry1 and as widely spread as its spirit1 with the graphic picture of the manners in the different countries where the scene of their romances was laid4 ,and it is not every man who can draw the bow of ,ulysses4 ,ivanhoe1 the ,abbot1 and ,old ,mortality1 may be considered as the perfection of historical romances1 so far as subject goes4 ,they all relate to events of national history1 well known to all persons possessing any information in ,england and ,scotland1 and deeply connected with the most interesting associations to those of cultivated minds4 ,the undaunted courage and jovial manners of the ,lion-hearted hero2 the cruel oppression of ,norman rule2 the bold spirit of ,saxon independence2 the deep sorrows and ever-doubtful character of the heroic ,queen of ,scots2 the fearful collision of ,puritan zeal with ,cavalier loyalty1 from which issued the ,great ,rebellion--are engraven on every heart in the ,british islands4 ,they formed the most appropriate subjects1 therefore1 for the foundation or substratum of novels to be permanently interesting to the ,anglo-,saxon race1 with the addition of such imaginary characters or incidents as might illustrate still further the manners and ideas of the times4 ,nor are such subjects of universal and national interest by any means yet exhausted4 ,on the contrary1 many of the most admirable of these have never yet been touched on4 ,the cruel conquest of ,wales by ,edward ,i42 the heroic struggles of ,wallace against the same monarch2 the glorious establishment of ,scottish independence by ,robert ,bruce2 the savage ferocity and heart-rending tragedies of the wars of the ,roses2 the martyr-like death of ,charles ,i42 the heart-stirring conquests of ,edward ,,iii4 and the ,black ,prince2 the heartless gallantry of the age of ,charles ,,ii42 the noble efforts of the ,highlanders in #agae and #agde for their hereditary sovereign1 form a few of the periods of ,british history1 either not at all1 or as yet imperfectly1 illustrated by historical romance4 ,nor is the stock terminated2 on the contrary1 it is growing1 and hourly on the increase4 ,the time has already come when the heroism of ,la ,vende1 the tragedies of the ,revolution1 form the appropriate subject of ,french imaginative genius2 and the period is not far distant when ,wellington and the paladins of the late war1 transported from this earthly scene by the changes of mortality1 will take lasting and immortal place in the fields of romance4 ,the success of many of the novels of recent times1 in the conception of which most genius has been evinced1 and in the composition most labour bestowed1 has been endangered1 if not destroyed1 by inattention to this principle in the choice of a subject4 ,there is great talent1 much learning1 and vigorous conception1 in the ,last ,days of ,pompeii by ,bulwer2 and the catastrophe with which it concludes is drawn with his very highest powers2 but still it is felt by every class of readers to be uninteresting4 ,we have no acquaintance or association with ,roman manners2 we know little of their habits2 scarce any thing of their conversation in private3 they stand forth to us in history in a sort of shadowy grandeur1 totally distinct from the interest of novelist composition4 ,no amount of learning or talent can make the dialogues of ,titus and ,lucius1 of ,gallius and ,vespasia1 interesting to a modern reader4 ,on the other hand1 the ,last of the ,barons is an admirably chosen historical subject1 worked out with even more than the author's usual power and effect2 and but for a defect in composition1 to be hereafter noticed1 it would be one of the most popular of all his productions4 ,great talent and uncommon powers of description have been displayed in ,oriental novels2 but they have not attained any lasting reputation--not from any fault on the part of the writers1 but the want of sympathy in the great majority of readers with the subject of their compositions4 ,strange to say1 we feel nothing foreign in ,james's ,attila4 ,so deeply were we impregnated with barbarian blood--so strongly have ,scythian customs and ideas descended to our times--that the wooden palace of the chief of the ,huns1 surrounded with its streets of carts1 and myriads of flocks and herds1 in the centre of ,hungary1 is felt as nothing alien4 ,on the other hand1 some of ,sir ,walter's later productions have failed1 notwithstanding great ability in the execution1 from undue strangeness in the subject4 ,anne of ,geierstein1 and the ,indian story in the ,chronicles of the ,canongate1 belong to this class2 and even if ,robert of ,paris had not been written during the decay of the author's mental powers1 it would probably have failed1 from the impossibility of communicating any of the interest of a novel to a story of the ,lower ,empire4 ,in this respect there is an important distinction between the drama and the historical romance1 which writers in the latter style would do well to keep in view4 ,tragedy being limited in general to a very short period1 during which events of the most heart-rending kind are accumulated together1 in order as strongly as possible to awaken the sympathy1 or move the hearts of the spectators1 it is comparatively of little importance where the scene is laid4 ,where the bones and muscles of the mind are laid bare by deep affliction1 mankind in all ages and countries are the same4 ,the love of ,juliet1 the jealousy of ,othello1 are felt with equal force in all parts of the world4 ,we can sympathize as strongly with the protracted woes of ,andromache1 or the generous self-immolation of ,antigone1 as the ,athenian audience who wept at the eloquence of ,euripides or the power of ,sophocles3 we feel the death of ,wallenstein to be as sublime as the ,germans who are transported by the verses of ,schiller2 and they weep at the heroism of ,mary ,stuart1 with as heartfelt emotion as the people of ,scotland to whom her name is a household word4 ,but it is otherwise with romance4 ,it is occasionally1 and at considerable intervals only1 that these terrible or pathetic scenes are represented in its pages1 which sweep away all peculiarities of nation1 age1 or race1 and exhibit only the naked human heart3 nineteen-twentieths of its pages are taken up with ordinary occurrences1 one-half of its interest is derived from the delineation of manners1 or the developing of character in dialogue1 which exhibits none of the vehement passions2 and the interest of the reader is kept up chiefly by the fidelity of the drawing1 the spirit of the conversation1 or the accuracy and brilliancy of the descriptions4 ,if these prove uninteresting from their being too remote from ordinary observation or association1 the work will fail1 with whatever talent or power its principal and tragic scenes may be executed4 ,in proposing as the grand requisite to the historical romance1 that the subject should be of an elevating and ennobling kind1 we by no means intend to assert that the author is always to be on stilts1 that he is never to descend to the description of low or even vulgar life1 or that humour and characteristic description are to be excluded from his composition4 ,we are well aware of the value of contrast in bringing out effect2 we know that the mind of the reader requires repose1 even from the most exalted emotions2 we have felt the weariness of being satiated with beauty1 in the galleries of the ,vatican or the valleys of ,switzerland4 ,brilliants require setting1 and bright light can be brought out only by proportional depth or breadth of shadow4 ,if the novelist tries to keep up exalted sentiments or pathetic scenes too often1 he will fall into the mistake of the painter who throws an equal light on all parts of his picture4 ,probably the rule which ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds says he found by observation had been invariably observed by ,titian--viz41 to have one-fourth only of his picture in very bright light1 one-fourth in deep shadow1 and the remaining half in middle tint1 may be equally applicable to the compositions of the novelist4 ,but admitting all this--admitting further1 that novels which deviate from the elevated standard may often attain a great temporary popularity1 the greater1 probably1 owing to that very deviation--it is not the less true that the main object of the art is to awaken generous and elevated feelings2 and that in no other way than by attention to this object1 is durable fame to be obtained4 ,the celebrity arising from skill in the painting of low or vulgar manners1 from power in the description of desperate or abandoned characters1 how great soever it may be for a time1 never fails to pass away with the lapse of time4 ,voltaire's romances1 once so popular1 are now nearly as much dead stock in the bookseller's hands2 and the whole tribe of the licentious novelists of ,france1 prior to the ,revolution1 are now read only by the licentious youth of ,paris1 and a few prurient sensualists in other countries4 ,it will be the same with ,victor ,hugo1 ,janin1 and ,george ,sand1 in the next generation and in other countries4 ,all their genius1 learning1 and interest1 will not be able to save them from the withering effect of their accumulated horrors1 shocking indecencies1 and demoralizing tendency4 ,again1 in the composition of the historical romance1 the story should be sufficiently simple1 and a certain degree of unity preserved in the interest and emotion which are to be awakened4 ,it is not meant to be asserted by this1 that the novelist is to be confined strictly to unities like the ,greek drama1 or that the same variety1 within certain limits1 is not to be presented in the pages of romance1 which we see every day around us in real life4 ,all that is meant to be advanced is1 that this variety must be confined within certain limits1 if the interest of the piece is to be properly kept up2 and that it should be an especial object with the novelist to avoid that complication and intricacy of incidents which forms so formidable1 though unavoidable1 an addition to the difficulties of an historian4 ,it is the more singular that romance writers should have fallen into this mistake1 that it is the very difficulty which stands most in the way of the interest of history1 and which it is the peculiar advantage of their art to be able in a great measure to avoid4 ,yet it is the error which is most general in writers of the greatest ability in this department of literature1 and which has marred or ruined the effect of some of their happiest conceptions4 ,it has arisen1 doubtless1 from romance writers having observed the extreme multiplicity of incidents and events in real life1 and in the complicated maze of historical narrative2 and thence imagined that it was by portraying a similar combination that romance was to be assimilated to truthful annals1 and the ideal founded on the solid basis of the real4 ,they forget that it is this very complication which renders history in general so uninviting1 and acceptable 7compared with romance7 to so limited a circle of readers2 and that the annals of actual events then only approach to the interest of fiction1 when their surpassing magnitude1 or the importance of the characters involved in them1 justifies the historian in suspending for a time the thread of inconsiderable and uninteresting incidents1 and throwing a broad and bright light1 similar to that of imagination1 on the few which have been attended with great and lasting effects4 ,the great father of historical romance rarely falls into this mistake4 ,the story1 at least in most of his earlier and most popular pieces--,waverley1 the ,antiquary1 the ,bride of ,lammermoor1 ,old ,mortality1 the ,abbot1 ,ivanhoe1 ,kenilworth1 ,quentin ,durward1 and ,rob ,roy--is extremely simple2 the incidents few and well chosen2 the interest of an homogeneous kind1 and uniformly sustained2 the inferior characters and incidents kept in their due subordination to the principal ones4 ,the subordinate characters of these admirable works1 their still life1 descriptions1 and minor incidents1 are grouped as it were around the main events of the story1 and brought forward in such a way as to give variety while they do not detract from unity4 ,it is impossible to conceive more perfect models of the historical romance1 both in point of subject1 conception1 and execution1 than ,ivanhoe and the ,abbot4 ,in both1 the subject is national and generally interesting--in both1 the historical characters brought forward are popular1 and connected with early associations--in both1 the period chosen is one in which great national questions were at stake1 and the conversations and characters afforded the means of bringing them prominently before the mind of the reader--in both1 the incidents of the piece are few and simple2 and the lesser plots or characters which they contain1 serve only to amuse the mind and give variety to the composition1 without interfering with the unity of its general effect4 ,how few and simple are the events in the ,bride of ,lammermoor6 ,the tragedies of ,sophocles do not exhibit a more perfect example of the preservation of the unity of emotion4 ,yet how interesting is the whole story--how completely does it carry along every class of readers--how well does every incident of moment prepare the mind for the dreadful catastrophe in which it terminates6 ,how few are the incidents in the ,abbot--how scanty the materials on which the story is built6 ,a page riding from a castle in ,dumfries-shire to ,edinburgh1 his introduction to the ,regent ,murray1 and adventures during a few days in ,holyrood1 his attendance on the imprisoned ,queen in ,lochleven ,castle1 her escape from thence1 and final overthrow at ,langside--form the whole incidents out of which the web of that delightful romance has been woven4 ,its charm consists in a great degree in the simplicity itself1 in the small number of historic incidents it records1 the interest of those incidents in themselves1 and the room thereby afforded for working up all the details1 and the minor plot of the piece1 the loves of the page and ,catharine1 in perfect harmony with the main event1 and without disturbing their development4 ,it were to be wished that later writers had followed the example thus set by the father of historical romance in the selection of their subject1 and the construction of their plot4 ,but1 so far from doing so1 they have in general run into the opposite extreme1 and overlaid their story with such a mass of historical facts and details as has not only destroyed the unity of interest1 but has in many cases rendered the story itself scarcely intelligible4 ,take two of the most popular romances of two justly celebrated living novelists1 ,sir ,e4 ,l4 ,bulwer and ,mr ,james--,the ,last of the ,barons1 and ,philip ,augustus4 ,the period of history1 leading characters1 and subject of both1 are admirably chosen2 and the greatest talent has been displayed in both1 in the conception of the characters1 and the portrait of the ideas and manners of the times which both present4 ,but the grand defect of both1 and which chills to a great degree the interest they otherwise would excite1 is the crowding of historic incident1 and complication of the story4 ,bulwer's novel is so crowded with rebellions1 revolutions1 and dethronements1 that even the learned reader1 who has some previous acquaintance with that involved period of ,english history1 has great difficulty in following the story4 ,ample materials exist for two or three interesting historical novels in its crowded incidents4 ,philip ,augustus labours equally plainly under the same defect4 ,there is a triple plot going forward through nearly the whole piece2 the story of the ,king and ,queen1 with the ,papal interdict2 that of ,prince ,arthur ,plantagenet and his cruel uncle1 ,john of ,england2 and that of ,de ,coucy and ,isadore of the ,mount4 ,no human ability is adequate to carrying three separate stories abreast in this manner1 and awakening the interest of the reader in each4 ,the human mind is incapable of taking in1 at the same time1 deep emotion of more than one kind4 ,what should we say if ,shakspeare had presented us with a tragedy in which were brought forward scenes or acts about the ambition of ,macbeth1 the loves of ,romeo and ,juliet1 and the jealousy of ,othello8 ,assuredly1 they would have mutually strangled each other4 ,this is just what happens in these otherwise admirable novels2 the complication of the events1 and the variety of interests sought to be awakened1 prevent any one from taking a strong hold of the mind4 ,rely upon it1 there is more truth in the principle of the ,greek unities than we moderns are willing to admit4 ,the prodigious overpowering effect of their tragedies is mainly owing to the unity of emotion which is kept up4 ,it bears the same relation to the involved story of modern romance1 which the single interest of the ,jerusalem ,delivered or ,iliad does to the endless and complicated adventures of ,ariosto's knights1 or the sacred simplicity of the ,holy ,families of ,raphael to the crowded canvass of ,tintoretto or ,bassano4 ,perhaps the most perfect novel that exists in the world1 with reference to the invaluable quality of unity of emotion1 as well as the admirable disquisitions on subjects of taste and reflection which it contains1 is ,madame de ,stal's ,corinne4 ,considered as a story1 indeed1 it has many and glaring defects2 the journey of ,lord ,nevil and ,corinne to ,naples from ,rome1 is repugnant to all our ideas of female decorum2 and the miserable sufferings and prostration of the heroine in the third volume1 during her visit to ,scotland1 is carried to such a length as to leave a painful impression on every reader's mind4 ,but abstracting these glaring errors1 the conception and execution of the work are as perfect as possible4 ,the peculiar interest meant to be excited1 the particular passion sought to be portrayed1 is early brought forward1 and the whole story is the progress and final lamentable result of its indulgences4 ,it is not the sudden passion of ,juliet for ,romeo1 the peculiar growth of the ,italian clime1 which is portrayed1 but the refined attachment of northern ,europe1 which is taken in more by the ear than the eye1 and springs from the sympathy of minds who have many tastes and feelings in common4 ,nothing detracts from1 nothing disturbs1 this one and single emotion4 ,the numerous disquisitions on the fine arts1 the drama1 antiquities1 poetry1 history1 and manners1 which the novel contains--its profound reflections on the human heart1 the enchanting descriptions of nature1 and the monuments of ,italy which it presents--not only do not interfere with the main interest1 but they all conspire to promote it4 ,they are the means by which it is seen the mutual passion was developed in the breasts of the principal characters2 they furnish its natural history1 by exhibiting the many points of sympathy which existed between minds of such an elevated caste1 and which neither had previously found appreciated in an equal degree by any one in the other sex4 ,it is in the skill with which this is brought out1 and the numerous disquisitions on criticism1 taste1 and literature with which it abounds1 rendered subservient to the main interest of the whole1 that the principal charm of this beautiful work is to be found4 ,another principle which seems to regulate the historical romance1 as it does every other work which relates to man1 is1 that its principal interest must be sought in human passion and feeling4 ,it appears to be the more necessary to insist on this canon1 that the inferior appliances of the art--the description of manners1 scenery1 dresses1 buildings1 processions1 pomps1 ceremonies1 and customs--has opened so wide a field for digression1 that1 by many writers as well as readers1 they have come to be supposed to form its principal object4 ,this mistake is in an especial manner conspicuous in the writings of ,ainsworth1 whose talents for description1 and the drawing of the horrible1 have led him to make his novels often little more than pictorial phantasmagoria4 ,it is to be seen1 also1 in a great degree in ,james2 who although capable1 as many of his works1 especially ,mary of ,burgundy1 ,attila1 and the ,smugglers1 demonstrate1 of the most powerful delineation of passion1 and the finest traits of the pathetic--is yet so enamoured of description1 and so conscious of his powers in that respect1 that he in general overlays his writings with painting to the eye1 instead of using that more powerful language which speaks to the heart4 ,it is no doubt a curious thing1 and gives life to the piece1 to see a faithful and graphic description of a knight on horseback1 with his companion1 and their respective squires1 skirting a wood1 mounted on powerful steeds1 on a clear ,september morning4 ,the painting of his helm and hauberk1 his dancing plume and glancing mail1 his harnessed steed and powerful lance1 interests once or even twice2 but it is dangerous to try the experiment of such descriptions too often4 ,they rapidly pall by repetition1 and at length become tedious or ridiculous4 ,it is in the delineation of the human heart that the inexhaustible vein of the novelist is to be found2 it is in its emotion1 desires1 and passions1 ever-varying in externals1 ever the same in the interior1 that scope is afforded for the endless conceptions of human genius4 ,descriptions of still life--pictures of scenery1 manners1 buildings1 and dresses--are the body1 as it were1 of romance2 they are not its soul4 ,they are the material parts of the landscape2 its rocks1 mountains1 and trees2 they are not the divine ray of the sun which illuminates the brilliant parts of the picture1 and gives its peculiar character to the whole4 ,the skilful artist will never despise them2 on the contrary1 he will exert himself to the utmost in their skilful delineation1 and make frequent use of them1 taking care to introduce as much variety as possible in their representations4 ,but he will regard them as an inferior part only of his art2 as speaking to the eye1 not the heart2 as the body of romance1 not its soul2 and as valuable chiefly as giving character or life to the period described1 and repose to the mind in the intervals of the scenes of mental interest or pathos1 on which his principal efforts are to be concentrated4 ,descriptions of external things often strike us as extremely brilliant1 and give great pleasure in reading2 but with a few exceptions1 where a moral interest has been thrown into the picture of nature1 they do not leave any profound or lasting impression on the mind4 ,it is human grandeur or magnanimity1 the throb of grief1 the thrill of the pathetic1 which is imprinted in indelible characters on the memory4 ,many of the admirable descriptions of still life in ,waverley fade from the recollection1 and strike us as new every time we read them2 but no one ever forgot the last words of ,fergus1 when passing on the hurdle under the ,scotch gate at ,carlisle1 ,god save ,king ,james6 ,none of the splendid descriptions in the choruses of schylus produce the terrible impression on the mind which ,sophocles has done by that inimitable trait1 when1 in the close of ,antigone1 he makes ,eurydice1 upon hearing of the suicide of her son ,hmon on the body of his betrothed1 leave the stage in silence1 to follow him by a violent death to the shades below4 ,the last rule which it seems material for the historical novelist to observe1 is that characteristic or national manners1 especially in middle or low life1 should1 wherever it is possible1 be drawn from real life4 ,the manners of the highest class over all ,europe are the same4 ,if a novelist paints well-bred person in one capital1 his picture may1 with a few slight variations1 stand for the same sphere of society in any other4 ,but in middle1 and still more in low life1 the diversity in different countries is very great1 and such as never can be reached by mere reading1 or study of the works of others4 ,and yet1 amidst all this diversity1 so much is human nature at bottom every where the same1 that the most inexperienced reader can distinguish1 even in the delineation of manners to which he is an entire stranger1 those which are drawn from life1 from those which are taken from the sketches or ideas of others4 ,few in this country have visited the ,sierra ,morena1 and none certainly have seen it in the days of ,cervantes1 yet we have no difficulty in at once perceiving that ,sancho ,panza1 and the peasants and muleteers in ,don ,quixote1 are faithfully drawn from real life4 ,few of the innumerable readers of ,sir ,walter have had personal means of judging of the fidelity of his pictures of the manners and ideas of the ,scotch peasants in his earlier novels2 but yet there is no one in any country who does not at once see that they have been drawn from nature1 and contain the most faithful picture of it4 ,it is the fidelity of this picture which gives the ,scotch novels their great charm4 ,it is the same with ,fielding3 his leading characters in low life are evidently drawn from nature1 and thence his long-continued popularity4 ,when ,sir ,walter comes to paint the manners of the middle classes or peasants in ,england1 from plays1 farces1 and the descriptions of others1 as in ,kenilworth1 ,woodstock1 ,peveril of the ,peak1 and the ,fortunes of ,nigel1 he is infinitely inferior1 and1 in truth1 often insupportably dull4 ,his dialogue is a jargon mixed up of scraps and expressions from old plays or quaint tracts1 such as no man on earth ever did speak1 and which it is only surprising a man of his sagacity should have supposed they ever could4 ,the same defect is more signally conspicuous in the dialogue of several of the historical romances of ,james4 ,it is the accurate and faithful picture of national character from real life1 joined to the poetical interest of his ,indian warriors1 and his incomparable powers of natural description1 which has given ,cooper his great and well-deserved reputation4 ,in many of the essential qualities of a novelist1 he is singularly defective4 ,his story is often confused1 and awkwardly put together4 ,unity of interest is seldom thought of4 ,he has no conception of the refined manners and chivalrous feelings of ,european society3 though he has of late years seen much of it in many countries1 he has never been able to become familiar with its ideas1 or imbibe its spirit4 ,his heroes1 among the white men at least1 are never any thing above ,american skippers1 or ,english subalterns or post-captains3 his heroines have in general the insipidity which is1 we hope unjustly1 ascribed1 with great personal charms1 to the fair sex on the other side of the ,atlantic4 ,but in the forest or on the wave1 he is superb4 ,his ,last of the ,mohicans and ,prairie are noble productions1 to be matched with any in the world for the delineation of lofty and elevated character--the more interesting that they belong to a race1 like the heroic age1 now wellnigh extinct4 ,he paints the adventures1 the life1 the ideas1 the passions1 the combined pride and indolence1 valour and craft1 heroism and meanness of the red men1 with the hand of a master4 ,equally admirable is his delineation of the white man of the frontier of civilization--,hawkeye or ,leather-stocking1 with his various other denominations--who is the precursor1 as it were1 of ,european invasion1 who plunges into the forest far ahead of his more tardy followers1 and leads the roaming life of the ,indian1 but with the advantage of the arms1 the arts1 and the perseverance of the ,anglo-,saxon4 ,but he is strictly a national writer4 ,it is in the delineation of ,transatlantic character1 scenes of the forest1 or naval adventures1 that his great powers are shown2 when he comes to paint the manners1 or lay the seat of his conceptions in ,europe1 he at once falls to mediocrity1 and sometimes becomes ridiculous4 ,manzoni is an author of the highest excellence1 whose celebrity has been derived from the same faithful delineation from real life of national manners4 ,he has written but one novel1 the ,promessi ,sposi2 though various other works1 some religious1 some historical1 have proceeded from his pen4 ,but that one novel has given him a ,european reputation4 ,it is wholly different in composition and character from any other historical romance in existence3 it has no affinity either with ,scott or ,cooper1 ,bulwer or ,james4 ,the scene1 laid in #afbh1 at the foot of the mountains which shut in the ,lake of ,como1 transports us back two centuries in point of time1 and to the south of the ,alps in point of scene4 ,as might be expected1 the ideas1 characters1 and incidents of such a romance differ widely from those of northern climes and ,protestant realms4 ,that is one of its great charms4 ,we are transported1 as it were1 into a new world2 and yet a world so closely connected with our own1 by the manners and ideas of chivalry1 our once common ,catholic faith1 and the associations which every person of education has with ,italian scenes and images1 that we feel1 in traversing it1 the pleasure of novelty without the ennui of a strange land4 ,no translation could give an idea of the peculiar beauties and excellences of the original4 ,as might be expected1 the feudal baron and the ,catholic church enter largely into the composition of the story4 ,the lustful passions1 savage violence1 and unbridled license of the former1 strong in his men-at-arms1 castle battlements1 and retainers2 the disinterested benevolence1 charitable institutions1 and paternal beneficence of the latter1 resting on the affections and experienced benefits of mankind1 are admirably depicted4 ,his descriptions of the plague1 famine1 and popular revolt at ,milan1 are masterpieces which never were excelled4 ,the saintlike character of ,cardinal ,borromeo1 strong in the sway of religion1 justice1 and charity1 in the midst of the vehemence of worldly passion and violence with which he is surrounded1 is peculiarly striking4 ,it is fitted1 like ,guizot's ,lectures on ,history1 to illustrate the incalculable advantage which arose1 in an age of general rapine and unsettled government1 from the sway1 the disinterestedness1 and even the superstitions1 of religion4 ,but the greatest merit of the work is to be found in the admirable delineation of the manners1 ideas1 hopes and fears1 joys and sorrows1 of humble life with which it abounds4 ,the hero of the piece is a silk-weaver named ,renzo1 near ,lecco1 on the ,lake of ,como2 the heroine ,lucia1 his betrothed1 the daughter of a poor widow in the same village2 and the story is founded on the stratagems and wiles of an unbridled baron in the vicinity1 whose passions had been excited by ,lucia's beauty1 first to prevent her marriage1 then to obtain possession of her person4 ,in the conception of such a piece is to be seen decisive evidence of the vast change in human affairs1 since the days when ,tasso and ,ariosto poured forth to an admiring age1 in the same country1 the loves of high-born damsels1 the combats of knights1 the manners1 the pride1 and the exclusiveness of chivalry4 ,in its execution1 ,manzoni is singularly felicitous4 ,he is minute without being tedious1 graphic but not vulgar1 characteristic and yet never offensive4 ,his pictures of human life1 though placed two centuries back1 are evidently drawn from nature in these times3 the peasants whom he introduces are those of the plains of ,lombardy at this time2 but though he paints them with the fidelity of an artist1 it is yet with the feelings of a gentleman4 ,his details are innumerable--his finishing is minute2 but it is the minute finishing of ,albert ,durer or ,leonardo da ,vinci1 not of ,teniers or ,ostade4 ,in this respect he offers a striking contrast to the modern romance writers of ,france--,victor ,hugo1 ,janin1 ,madame ,dudevant1 and ,sue--by whom vice and licentiousness are exhibited with vast power1 but more than their native undisguised colours4--,but this wide and interesting subject must be reserved for a future occasion4 ,a ,,few ,,words ,,for ,,bettina4 ,there seems a very general belief among sensible people that we have had enough of the ,germans4 ,what with barons1 and princes1 and geheimraths1 and consistorialraths1 and poets1 and philosophers1 burying their profundity in tobacco smoke1 and other reek more impervious still1 we certainly have had enough in book and essay1 for the last few years1 of the ,german ,man4 ,and1 latterly1 the ,german women have come in for their share4 ,if the men have been puffed and praised till their very names are ridiculous and offensive1 it is not so with the gracious and high-born ladies4 ,all the old dowagers that flourish a goose-quill make a simultaneous assault on the unfortunate frau1 or fraulein2 pedantic old bachelors are horrified at the wildness of some of the female ,godwin's observations1 and fall to1 in the general mle1 tugging and tearing at the miserable damsel till not a shred is left to cover her2 and starched old maids1 who have been wondering for twenty years if ,woman can etherealize society1 rejoice to see the punishment of such a presuming minx1 and encourage the performers with all their might4 ,the attack may be very spirited1 and the culprit properly trounced in most cases--so we are contented to leave the fantastic and philosophic heroines--so bepraised by their countrymen--to the tender mercies of our ,amazons at home2 but we couch the lance1 in ,maga's lists1 on behalf of one whose name is known very widely1 but whose character is little understood1 and constitute ourselves champion l'outrance of ,bettina ,brentano4 ,yes1 we are in love--over head and ears--with ,bettina ,brentano4 ,but we must guard ourselves a little in making this confession4 ,it is towards the nice1 clever1 black-eyed1 light-figured little houri of that name1 in the pleasant years #ahjg-h-i1 and #aj1 that we own the soft impeachment1 or rather make proud profession of our feelings4 ,with regard to the present bearer of the denomination1 who has gone1 in despite of our affection1 and married a man of the name of ,arnini1 we confess we are utterly indifferent to her2 and shall maintain till our dying day1 that the authoress of the ,letters to ,goethe died in the early part of the year #ahaa1 universally lamented1 and giving promise of a mind1 when matured and steadied1 such as no petticoated genius--not ,de ,stal herself--has equalled4 ,such letters1 so full of wild fancies1 poetical descriptions1 and burning declarations1 were never written by man to woman1 or woman to man1 before or since4 ,they could not be written by woman to man--they were written by a child to ,goethe4 ,and this is the key to the wonders of the correspondence4 ,don't let people talk nonsense about the improprieties of her behaviour--and shake their foolish heads1 and lift their puritanic eyes up to heaven3 her conduct1 we grant them1 would have been very improper in them2 but in ,bettina ,brentano it was beautiful1 graceful1 and as free from impropriety as the morning and evening walks of ,paul and ,virginia4 ,perhaps we may condescend on some of the particulars dwelt on in the accusation--but perhaps we may not--for the people who see errors and grossnesses in the language or behaviour of ,bettina1 blush celestial rosy red at the ,apollo and the ,venus4 ,let them get trousers and petticoats for the god and goddess1 and leave poor ,bettina alone4 ,there lived in ,frankfort1 in the summer of #ahjg1 a little girl of fourteen or fifteen years of age1 very small in stature1 and so light and dancing in her movements that she might have passed for an attendant of ,queen ,titania2 but in her deep black eyes there was a sort of light that the fairies have not yet arrived at--and her voice was musical--and her lips were rosy2 and every where she was known as the cleverest little girl that ever was seen1 either in fairyland or ,frankfort1 or any where else4 ,she was of a sweet1 affectionate1 trusting nature1 and entered with a romantic tenderness into an alliance with a wild1 half-insane enthusiast1 several years older than herself--the sister ,gnderode1 a canoness of a convent on the ,rhine4 ,the lay-sister talked and reasoned herself into the persuasion that she would be happier out of the world than in it2 so1 instead of marrying the surgeon or other respectable inhabitant of the free city1 and having a large family to provide for1 which would have put more sensible thoughts into her head1 she stabbed herself one fine day on the bank of the river--and ,bettina had no longer a friend4 ,but there dwelt in the same town a majestic woman--strong-minded1 tender-hearted--and with talent enough to compensate for the stupidity of all the other old women 7male and female7 in ,frankfort2 and her name was ,madame ,goethe1 and she was seventy-five years old1 and lived in an old house by herself4 ,bettina went to her1 with her head sunk in grief1 and her heart yearning for somebody to make a friend of1 and sat down on a stool at the old lady's feet1 and said1 ,i have lost my ,gnderode1 will you be my friend in her stead8 ,and the old lady was delighted1 and kissed her2 and ,bettina sat at her feet1 day after day1 from that time forth2 and they were the two tenderest friends in ,germany4 ,and a pleasant thing it would be to have been a mouse in the wall to hear such conversation as was carried on by the two4 ,now1 in the year #agdi1 there was born a boy in ,frankfort1--a poet1 great in soul--the maker of his country's literature--no other than the illustrious ,goethe--a son worthy of such a mother as ,bettina's friend2 and while all ,germany and ,france--the whole civilized world in short--were almost worshipping his matured1 perhaps his decaying genius1 the noble mother was loud and eloquent in her description of him as a boy--as a youth--as a poet of twenty years old2 and the little girl of fifteen sat and listened1 till there arose in her heart--or rather in her brain1 for it was a stirring of the intellect more than the affections--a feeling of intense admiration1 softened under the mother's teaching into something that she herself fancied was love2 for which audacious fancy the sagacious old woman gave her some raps over the knuckles--7we are not sure that they were altogether figurative either1 but good substantial raps7--enough to make the fingers tingle in a very disagreeable manner indeed4 ,but in spite of raps1 whether figurative or not1 she went on feeding her fancy with all these glowing accounts2 and for a while we have no doubt that she never gave the almanac a thought--nor the baptismal register--nor the fact1 known to all arithmeticians1 that a person born in #agdi was fifty-eight years old in #ahjg4 ,fifty-eight years old1 with long white hair4 ,but ,bettina had never seen him4 ,she only knew him in his works as a poet1 and as a man--or rather as a boy--in the beautiful recollections of his mother4 ,you don't ask after ,wolfgang1 says that sensible old matron in one of her letters2 ,i've always said to you--wait a while till some one else comes1 you'll not trouble your head about him any more4 ,but in the mean time she did trouble her head about him to an intolerable extent2 and great was her rejoicing when her brother-in-law offered to take her as companion to his wife1 in a journey he was forced to make to ,berlin1 and afterwards to ,weimar4 ,the country was at that time the seat of war2 camps and positions of many different armies had to be passed through2 and as a protection to the ladies they were dressed in men's clothes4 ,bettina sat on the box the whole time--passed as a little tiger at the inns where they slept--making herself generally useful1 harnessing and unharnessing the horses--sleeping all night outside1 though the weather was piercingly cold2 and finally1 after a week of hard travelling1 arrived at the city of the sages--the literary capital of ,germany4 ,her first care here was to change her dress1 and find out her relation ,wieland--from him she got a note to ,goethe1 and1 armed with that1 presented herself at his house4 ,this is her account of the meeting in her letter to his mother3-- ,the door opened1 and there he stood1 solemn and still1 and looked steadily at me4 ,i stretched my hands to him1 ,i believe--but soon ,i was unconscious of every thing4 ,goethe catched me to his breast4--',poor child1 have ,i frightened you8' ,these were the first words that made their way to my heart4 ,he led me into his room1 and placed me on a sofa opposite him4 ,we were both silent--at last he said1 ',you have read in the newspapers that we have lately met with a severe loss1 in the death of the ,duchess ,amelie4' ',ah6 ,i said1 ',i never read the newspapers4' ',indeed6 ,i thought you took an interest in all that goes on at ,weimar4' ',no1 no1 ,i take no interest in any thing at ,weimar but you2 and ,i have not patience enough to toil through a newspaper4' ',you are an affectionate little girl4' ,a long pause--,i1 banished all the while to the horrid sofa1 and very fidgety of course4 ,you know how impossible it is for me to sit there and do the pretty behaved4 ,ah1 mother1 can a person change his nature all at once8 ,i said plump--',here1 on this sofa1 ,i can't stay1' and sprang up4 ',make yourself comfortable1 by all means1' said he4 ,so ,i flew to him1 and put my arms round his neck4 ,he took me on his knee1 and pressed me to his heart4 ,all was still4 ,i had not slept for such a time4 ,i had sighed to see him for years4 ,i fell asleep with my head on his breast2 and1 when ,i awoke1 it was to a new existence2--and that is all at this present writing4 ,bettina1 we repeat1 was fifteen--,goethe was fifty-eight2 and this narrative was sent to his mother4 ,we will only add1 that ,voltaire affected an interesting blush when he thought on the improprieties of the ,book of ,ruth4 ,so1 hold up your head1 our bright-eyed1 beautiful ,bettina1 and cheer the heart of the old man eloquent with your affection2 and tell him over and over1 in your own wild and captivating manner1 that you love him1 and worship him1 and think of him always1 and sing his ballads1 and read his books--and nobody in their senses will think a bit the worse of you for it--not even your worthy husband1 who was five or six and twenty years old when you married him2 and1 very likely1 was nearly as enthusiastic about ,wolfgang as yourself4 ,and as to kissing and jumping on people's knees1 and hugging close to the heart1 these seem equivalent1 among the ,germans of all ranks and ages1 to a good hearty shake of the hand among our more sedately behaved population2 and though we think that1 under ordinary circumstances1 our national customs in those respects are preferable1 we are not prepared to say that we should be sorry for the introduction of a little ,germanism in our own case1 if we were a great poet at the age of fifty-eight1 and were acquainted with a lively1 happy1 charming little genius like ,bettina1 of fifteen4 ,and that she was all that we have called her--and more--we will now proceed to show1 by giving a few translations from her letters2 and1 if we can find an opportunity of introducing a story or two by the mother1 we will not let it pass4--,and here let us make a remark1 savouring1 perhaps1 of national vanity--of which failing we have heard our countrymen not unfrequently accused4 ,our remark is this1 that the ,frau ,rath1 as ,goethe's mother is called1 has many characteristics about her which we have been in the habit of considering ,scotch4 ,if we reduced her reported conversations to our native ,doric1 they would read exactly like the best parts of ,scott and ,galt--a great deal of shrewdness1 mixed with a wild sort of humour1 sarcastic and descriptive2 but in her1 perhaps1 elevated by an occasional burst of poetry into something higher than is met with in the ,ayrshire ,legatees1 or even in ,cyril ,thornton4 ,in saying this1 we allude1 of course1 to none of the tedious havers contained in the book dedicated to the ,king of ,prussia1 or at least to the anti-biblical parts of them--the old ,frau ,rath being about the worst commentator it has ever been our fortune to meet4 ,but let us go back to ,bettina4 ,morris ,bethman tells me1 says the ,frau ,rath1 in a letter to her pet1 that the ,de ,stal is going to call on me4 ,she has been in ,weimar4 ,i wish you were here1 for ,i must get up my ,french as well as ,i can4 ,and the jealousy of the fiery ,bettina bursts out at the very thought of any one being at ,weimar and visiting ,goethe but herself4 ,i have not heard from your son since the #acth of ,august1 and here is the end of ,september4 ,de ,stal has made his time pass quickly1 and driven me out of his head4 ,a celebrated woman is a curiosity4 ,nobody else can compete with her4 ,she is like brandy1 which the poor grain it is made from can never be compared to4 ,for brandy smacks on the tongue and gets into the heard1 and so does a celebrated woman4 ,but the simple wheat is better far to me2--the sower sows it in the loosened soil1 and the bounteous sun and fruitful showers draw it from the earth again1 and it makes green the whole field1 and bears golden ears1 and at last gives rise to a happy harvest-home4 ,i would rather be a simple wheat-grain than a celebrated woman2 and rather1 far rather1 that he should break me for his daily bread than that ,i should get into his head like a dram4 ,and now ,i will tell you that ,i supped last night with ,de ,stal in ,maintz4 ,no woman would sit next her at table1 so ,i sat down beside her myself4 ,it was uncomfortable enough2 for the gentlemen stood round the table1 and crowded behind our chairs1 to speak to her and see her close4 ,they bent over me4 ,i said--',vos adorateurs me suffoquent4' ,she laughed4 ,she told me that ,goethe had spoken to her of me4 ,i would fain have sat and listened1 for ,i should like to hear what it was he said4 ,and yet ,i was wrong2 for ,i would rather he did not speak of me to any one--and ,i don't believe he did--she perhaps only said so4 ,at last so many came to speak to her1 and pressed upon me so much1 that ,i couldn't bear it any longer4 ,i said to her--',vos lauriers me psent trop sur les paules2' and ,i stood up1 and pushed my way through the crowd4 ,sismondi1 her companion1 came to me and kissed my hand1 and told me ,i was very clever1 and said it to the rest1 and they repeated it twenty times over1 as if ,i had been a prince whose sayings are always thought so wise though ever so commonplace4 ,after that ,i listened to what she said about ,goethe4 ,she said she expected to find him a second ,werther1 but she was disappointed--neither his manners nor appearance were like it1 and she was very sorry that he fell short of him so entirely4 ,frau ,rath1 ,i was in a rage at this1 7that was of no use you will say17 and ,i turned to ,schlegel1 and said to him in ,german1 ',madame de ,stal has made a double mistake--first in her expectation1 and then in her judgment4 ,we ,germans expect that ,goethe can shake twenty heroes from his sleeve to astonish the ,french--but in our judgment he himself is a hero of a very different sort4' ,schlegel is very wrong not to have informed her better on this4 ,she threw a laurel leaf that she had been playing with on the ground4 ,i stamped on it1 and pushed it out of the way with my foot1 and went off4 ,that was my interview with the celebrated woman4 ,but the ,de ,stal is made the heroine of another letter1 in which ,bettina give ,goethe an account of her presentation to his mother4 ,the ceremony took place in the apartments of ,morris ,bethman4 ,your mother--whether out of irony or pride--had decked herself wonderfully out--but with ,german fancy1 not in ,french taste2 and ,i must tell you that1 when ,i saw her with three feathers on her head1 swaying from side to side--red1 white1 and blue--the ,french national colours--which rose from a field of sun-flowers--my heart beat high with pleasure and expectation4 ,she was rouged with the greatest skill2 her great black eyes fired a thundering volley2 about her neck hung the well-known ornament of the ,queen of ,prussia2 lace of a fine ancestral look and great beauty--a real family treasure--covered her bosom4 ,and there she stood1 with white glace gloves2--in one hand an ornamented fan1 with which she set the air in motion2 with the other1 which was bare1 and all be-ringed with sparkling jewels1 she every now and then took a pinch from the snuff-box with your miniature on the lid--the one with long locks1 powdered1 and with the head leant down as if in thought4 ,a number of dignified old dowagers formed a semicircle in the bedroom of ,morris ,bethman2 and the assemblage1 on a deep-red carpet--a white field in the middle1 on which was worked a leopard--looked very grand and imposing4 ,along the walls were ranged tall ,indian plants1 and the room was dimly lighted with glass-lamps4 ,opposite the semicircle stood the bed1 on an estrade raised two steps1 also covered with a deep-red carpet1 with candelabra at each side4 ,at last came the long-expected visitor through a suite of illuminated rooms1 accompanied ,benjamin ,constant4 ,she was dressed like ,corinne2--a turban of aurora and orange-coloured silk--a gown of the same1 with an orange tunic1 very high in the waist1 so that her heart had very little room4 ,her black eyebrows and eyelashes shone1 and so did her lips also1 with a mystic red4 ,the gloves were turned down1 and only covered the hand1 in which she carried1 as usual1 the myrtle twig4 ,as the room where she was waited for was much lower than the others1 she had four steps to descend4 ,unluckily she lifted up her gown from the front instead of from behind1 which gave a severe blow to the solemnity of her reception2 for it appeared for a moment worse even than merely funny1 when this extraordinary figure1 dressed in strictly ,oriental fashion1 broke loose upon the staid and virtuous lite of ,frankfort society4 ,your mother gave me a courageous look when they were introduced4 ,i had taken my stand at a distance to watch the scene4 ,i observed ,de ,stal's surprise at the wonderful adornment of your mother1 and at her manner1 which was full of dignity4 ,she spread out her gown with her left hand1 giving the salute with her right which sported the fan2 and1 while she bowed her head repeatedly with great condescension1 she said in a loud voice1 that sounded distinctly through the room--',je suis la mre de ,goethe4'--',ah1 je suis charme6' said the authoress2 and then there was a solemn silence4 ,then followed the presentation of her distinguished companions1 who were all anxious also to be introduced to ,goethe's mother4 ,she answered all their polite speeches with a new-year's wish in ,french1 which she muttered between her teeth1 with a multitude of stately curtsies4 ,in short the audience was now begun1 and must have given them a fine idea of our ,german grandezza4 ,your mother beckoned me to her side to interpret between them2 the conversation was all about you--about your childhood4 ,the portrait on the snuff-box was examined4 ,it was painted in ,leipsic before the great illness you had2 but even then you were very thin4 ,it was easy to see all your present greatness in those childish features1 and particularly the author of ,werther4 ,de ,stal spoke of your letter1 and said she would like to see how you write to your mother1 and your mother promised to show her2 but1 thought ,i1 she shall never get any of your letters from me1 for ,i don't like her4 ,every time your name was mentioned by those ill-shaped lips1 a secret rage came upon me4 ,she told me you called her ',amie' in your letters4 ,ah6 she must have seen how surprised ,i was to hear it2 yes--and she told me more--but my patience failed4 ,how can you be friendly to such an ugly face8 ,ah6 there may be seen how vain you are6--or is it possible she can have been telling a story8 ,with this charitable resolution of her doubts1 ,bettina leaves off her description of the meeting between ,de ,stal and la mre de ,goethe4 ,we think the affected jealousy of the little creature very amusing2 and1 moreover1 we consider that all her words and actions in relation to ,goethe1 were in keeping with an imaginary character she had determined to assume4 ,i shall be in love with him1 and he shall be in love with me2 and as he is a poet1 ,i will be very poetical in my passion2 as he writes tragedies1 ,i will be dramatic2 as he is a student of the human mind1 ,i will puzzle him with the wisdom of sixty1 united to the playfulness of ten or twelve1--the flames of ,sappho to the childishness of my real age and disposition4 ,and so indeed she did4 ,the old philosopher of ,weimar did not know what to make of her4 ,he keeps writing to her that he cannot decide whether she is most wunderbar or wunderlich--wonderful or odd4 ,and round about his puzzled head she buzzes2 now a fire-fly1 nearly singeing his elevated eyebrows--now a hornet1 inserting a sharp little sting in his nose--now a butterfly1 lighting with beautiful wings on the nosegay in his breast2 but at all times bright1 brilliant1 and enchanting4 ,so1 no wonder the astonished and gratified egotist called out for more2 more--more letters1 dear ,bettina1 write to me as often as you can4 ,and to show her that her letters were useful to him1 he not unfrequently sent her back long passages of her own epistles1 turned into rhyme--and very good rhymes they are1 and make a very respectable appearance among his collected poems4 ,and a true philosopher old ,goethe was 7of the ,sir ,joseph ,banks' school of philosophy as illustrated by ,peter ,pindar47 ,instead of admiring the lovely wings and airy evolutions of the butterfly that rested so happily on his bouquet--he determined to examine it more minutely1 and put it into his dried collection4 ,so he laid coarse hands upon it--transfixed it with a brass pin1 and listened to its humming as long as it had strength to hum2 and finally transferred it to a book as an extraordinary specimen of a new species--for which astonishing discovery1 he was bespattered with undeserved praises by the whole press of ,germany4 ,at this time1 he was writing his ,wahlverwandtshafter1 or ,electric ,affinities2 and as it introduced a young girl filled with the same wild passion for another woman's husband that ,bettina affected to feel for him1 letter by letter was sedulously studied1 to give a new touch1 either of tenderness or originality1 to his contemptible ,miss ,ottilie4 ,but we have already in this ,magazine expressed our opinion of that performance1 and of the great ,goethe in general2 so that we shall not return to the subject on the present occasion4 ,pleasanter it is to follow the fairy-footed ,bettina in her scramblings over rock and fell1 her wadings through rivers1 and sleepings on the dizzy verge of old castle walls that look down a hundred fathoms of sheer descent into the ,rhine4 ,and pleasanter still1 to hear her give utterance to sentiments--unknown to the pusillanimous1 unpatriotic heart of the author of ,werther--of sympathy with the noble ,tyrolese in their struggles for freedom1 and her generous regard for them when they were subdued4 ,nothing1 perhaps1 is more astonishing in these letters--considering the date of them1 #ahji-aj--than the utter silence maintained on the state of public affairs4 ,the ,french are mentioned once or twice--but generally in praise--,napoleon as often2 but not a word to show that there was any stirring in the ,german mind on the subject of their country or independence4 ,there they went on1 smoking and drinking beer1 writing treatises on the ,greek article1 or poems on ,oriental subjects1 in the same prosy1 dull1 dreamy fashion as ever1 with the cannon of ,jena sounding in their ears1 and the blood of ,hofer fresh upon the ground4 ,well done1 then1 beautiful1 merry1 deep-souled1 tender-hearted ,bettina6 ,from her windows at ,munich1 she saw the smoke of the burning villages in the ,tyrol2 and her constant wish is for men's clothes and a sword1 to go and join the patriots1 and have a dash at the stupid1 dunderheaded ,bavarians4 ,but our clever little friend is not alone in her good feelings4 ,count ,stadion1 a dignitary of the church1 and ,austrian ambassador1 is her sworn ally2 and few things are more beautiful than the descriptions of the reverend diplomatist and the fiery-eyed little ,bettina being united by their sympathy in what was then a fallen and hopeless cause4 ,but there was still another sympathiser1 and the discovery of his feelings we will let ,bettina herself describe3-- ,next day was ,good-,friday4 ,stadion took me with him to read me mass4 ,i told him1 with many blushes1 the great longing ,i had to join the ,tyrolese4 ,stadion told me to depend on him2 he would take a knapsack on his back and go into the ,tyrol1 and do all ,i wanted to do instead of me4 ,this was the last mass that he could read to me1 for his departure in a few days was settled4 ,ah me6 it fell heavy on my heart that ,i was to lose so dear a friend4 ,after mass1 ,i went into the choir1 threw on a surplice1 and joined in ,winter's ,lament4 ,in the mean time1 the ,crown-prince and his brother came in--the crucifix lay on the ground--both the brothers kissed it1 and afterwards embraced4 ,they had had a quarrel till that day about a court tutor1 whom the ,crown-prince had thought ill of1 and dismissed from his brother's service4 ,they were reconciled in the way ,i have said1 in the old church1 and it was a delightful thing to see it4 ,bopp1 an old music-master of the ,crown-prince1 who also gave me some lessons1 accompanied me home4 ,he showed me a sonnet composed by the ,crown-prince that morning4 ,it speaks well for his 'inner soul1' that he feels this inclination to poetry in interesting circumstances4 ,nature assuredly asserts her rights in him1 and he will surely not let the ,tyrolese be hardly dealt with4 ,yes1 ,i have great trust in him4 ,old ,bopp told me many things that raised my opinion of him to the highest pitch4 ,on the third holiday1 he carried me to the ,english garden to hear the ,crown-prince's address to the assembled troops1 with whom he was going1 to serve his first campaign4 ,i could hear nothing distinctly1 but what ,i did hear1 ,i did not at all like2 he spoke of their bravery1 their perseverance1 and loyalty1 and that he1 with their assistance1 would bring back the ,tyrolese to obedience1 and that he considered his own honour conjoined to theirs1 c4 c4 ,as ,i went home1 this worried me very much4 ,i saw that the ,crown-prince1 in the hands of his generals1 would do all that his heart rebelled against4 ,i thought1 as ,i returned from the show1 that no man in the world ever speaks truth to one in power1 but rather that there are always flatterers to approve of all he does2 and the worse his conduct1 the greater their fear that he may doubt of their approbation4 ,they have never the good of mankind in their eye1 but only the favour of their master4 ,so ,i determined to take a bold step1 to satisfy my own feelings--and ,i hope you will excuse me if you think ,i did wrong4 ,after expressing to the ,crown-prince my love1 and respect for his genius1 ,i confessed to him my sentiments towards the ,tyrolese1 who were gaining such a heroic crown--my confidence that he would show mildness and forbearance1 where his people were now giving way only to cruelty and revenge--,i asked him if the title ',duke of the ,tyrol' had not a nobler sound than the names of the four kings who had united their power to exterminate those heroes8 ,and1 however it turned out1 ,i hoped he would acquire from his conduct even the title of ',the ,humane4' ,this was the contents of a letter that filled four pages4 ,after writing it in the most furious excitement1 ,i sealed it very calmly1 and gave it into the music-master's hands1 telling him--',this is something about the ,tyrolese that may be very useful to the ,crown-prince4' ,how glad a man is to make himself of importance6 ,old ,bopp nearly tumbled down-stairs it his hurry to give such an interesting letter to the ,prince2 and ,i1 with my usual light-headedness1 forgot all about it4 ,i went to ,winter to sing hymns--to ,tieck--to ,jacobi--nowhere could ,i find any body to agree with me2 every where there seemed nothing but fear2 and if they had known what ,i had done1 they would have forbidden me their houses4 ,i looked bitterly on them all1 and thought--,be you ,bavarian and ,french--,i and the ,crown-prince are ,german and ,tyrolese4 ,or he gets me put in prison--and then ,i am at once free and independent2 and if ,i ever get out again1 ,i will go over to the ,tyrolese1 and meet the ,crown-prince on the field1 and force from him what he now refuses to my entreaty4 ,the old music-master came back1 pale and trembling4 ',what was there in the paper you gave me for the ,crown-prince8' he said4 ',it may ruin me for life4 ,the ,crown-prince looked excited as he read it--ay1 angry2 and when he saw me there1 he ordered me off without one gracious word4' ,i could not help laughing4 ,the music-master grew more and more anxious1 and ,i more and more delighted4 ,i rejoiced already in my imprisonment2 and ,i thought how ,i could carry on my philosophic speculations in my solitude4 ,once only ,i saw the ,crown-prince at the theatre4 ,he gave me a friendly nod4 ,very good4 ,for eight days ,i had not seen ,stadion2 but1 on the #ajth of ,april1 ,i got certain information that he had gone off by night4 ,i was very sorry to think ,i had seen him for the last time2 and it struck me1 with strange significance1 that he read his last mass on ,good-,friday4 ,at last my long repressed and dissembled feelings burst forth in tears4 ,it is in solitude one knows his own wishes and his helplessness4 ,i found no place of repose for my struggling heart2 and1 tired with weeping1 ,i at length fell asleep4 ,have you ever fallen asleep worn out with weeping8 ,but men do not weep4 ,you have never wept so that the sobs shook your breast even in your sleep8 ,sobbing in my dreams1 ,i heard my name4 ,it was dark4 ,by the faint glimmer of the street lamps1 ,i perceive a man near me1 in a foreign military uniform1 sabre1 sabretash--dark hair4 ,i should have thought it was ,black ,fred1 7,stadion's name among his intimates47 ,no--it is no mistake2 it is indeed ,black ,fred1 come to take his leave4 ',my carriage is at the door--,i am going--as a soldier--to the ,austrian army2 and with regard to your ,tyrolese friends1 you shall have nothing to reproach me with1 or you never see me more2 for ,i give you my word of honour ,i will not consent to their being betrayed4 ,i have this moment been with the ,crown-prince4 ,he drank with me the health of the ,tyrolese1 and a 'pereat' to ,napoleon4 ,he took me by the hand1 and said--',remember that1 in the year nine1 in ,april1 during the ,tyrolese rebellion1 the ,crown-prince of ,bavaria opposes ,napoleon4' ,and so saying1 he clanged his glass on mine so1 that he broke the foot of it off4' ,i said to ,stadion--',now then ,i am all alone1 and have no friend left4' ,he smiled1 and said--',you write to ,goethe4 ,write him from me that the ,catholic priest will gather laurels on the ,tyrolese battle-field4' ,i said--',i shall not soon hear a mass again4' ',and ,i shall not soon read one1' he answered4 ,he then took up his weapons1 and reached me his hand to say good-by4 ,i am sure ,i shall never see him again4 ,scarcely was he gone1 when a knock came to the door1 and old ,bopp came in4 ,it was still dark in the room1 but ,i knew by his voice he was in good-humour4 ,he held out a broken glass to me2 with great solemnity1 and said--',the ,crown-prince sends you this1 and bids me tell you that he drank the health of those you take under your protection out of it2 and here he sends you his cockade1 as a pledge of honour that he will keep his word to you1 and prevent all cruelty and injustice4' ,the fate of ,hofer comes unfortunately to our memory to mar the pleasantness of this little dramatic incident2 but the whole story gives a favourable impression of the ,crown-prince1 who is now the poetical ,louis of ,bavaria--the dullest and stupidest of whose works 7we may observe in a parenthesis7 makes a poor figure in its ,greek dress1 and had better be retranslated as quickly as possible into its original ,teutsch4 ,it is curious to see the sort of society that ,bettina moves in--crown-princes1 and prince-bishops1 and ambassadors-extraordinary--and all treating her with the greatest regard4 ,there must have been something very taking in the bright black eyes and rosy lips of the correspondent of ,goethe1 and friend1 apparently1 of all the ,german magnificoes2 for she uses them with very little ceremony1 and holds her head as high among them as if she knew there was more in it than was contained under all their crowns and mitres4 ,but it was not with the magnates of the land alone that she was on such terms4 ,the literary potentates were equally pleased with her attention4 ,if a rising artist wants encouragement1 he applies to ,bettina4 ,sculptors1 painters1 musicians1 all lay their claims before her2 and we find her constantly using her influence on their behalf with the literary dictator of ,weimar4 ,if a scholar or philosopher is sick1 she sits at his bedside2 and in the midst of all the playfulness1 wildness1 eccentricity1 7and perhaps affectation17 we meet with in the letters1 we see enough of right spirit and good heart to counterbalance them all2 and such a malicious little minx6 and such a despiser of prudery1 and contemner of humbug in all its branches6 ,it is delightful to reflect on the torment she must have been to all the silly stiff-backed old maids within reach of tongue and eye4 ,and therefore--and for many reasons besides--we maintain that ,bettina1 from fifteen to seventeen1 is an exquisite creature1 fiery and impassioned as ,juliet1 and witty as ,beatrix4 ,we will also maintain till our dying day1 that neither her ,romeo nor ,benedict was near sixty years old4 ,the information given by the ,frau ,rath about her son has already been incorporated in the thousand and one memoirs and recollections supplied by the love and admiration of his friends2--we will therefore not follow ,bettina in her record of his boyish days1 as gathered from his mother and reported to himself1 further than to remark1 that vanity seems from the very first to have been his prevailing characteristic--even to so low a pitch as the sumptuousness of apparel4 ,think of a little snob in the ,lawnmarket--son of a baillie--dressing himself two or three times a-day--once plainly--once half-and-half--and finally in hat and feather--silks and satins--a caricature of a courtier of ,louis ,,xiv42 and all this at the age of eight or nine6 ,we have said that our love for ,bettina only extends to the three years of her life from #ahjg to #ahaj4 ,at that period it dies a natural death4 ,she assumed at fourteen the feelings of a love-inspired1 heart-devoted character--as fictitious1 we are persuaded1 as any created by dramatist or poet2 and it was pleasant to see with what art and eloquence she acted up to it4 ,it seemed a wonderful effort of histrionic skill1 and superior1 in an infinite degree1 to the mere representation on the stage of an ,ophelia or ,miranda4 ,but when years passed on1 and she still continued the same character1 she strikes us with the same feelings that would be excited by some actress who should grow so enamoured of her favourite part1 as to go on ,opheliaizing or ,desdemonaing off the stage--singing snatches of unchristian ballads1 with the hair dishevelled1 during prayers in church2 or perpetually smothering herself with pillows on the drawing-room sofa4 ,it is as if ,general ,tom ,thumb were to grow to a decent size1 and still go on imitating ,napoleon1 and insisting on people paying a shilling to see his smallness4 ,bettina should have stopped before she grew womanly2 for though we have not the least suspicion of her having had any meaning in what she did--further than to show her cleverness--still1 the attitudes that are graceful and becoming in a children's dance1 take a very different expression in an ,indian nautch4 ,and therefore we return to our belief at the commencement of this paper1 that the child of ,goethe's correspondence died1 and was buried in a garden of roses1 in the year #ahaj--;,de mortuis nil nisi bonum4 ,,north',s ,,specimens ,,of ,,the ,,british ,,critics4 ,no4 ,,viii4 ,,supplement ,,to ,,macflecnoe ,,and ,,the ,,dunciad4 ,well1 then1 we have once more--to wit a month ago--wheeled round and encountered face to face our two great masters1 with whom we at first set out--,john ,dryden and ,alexander ,pope4 ,we found them under a peculiar character1 that of ,avengers--to be imaged by the ,pythean quelling with his divine and igneous arrows the ,python1 foul mud-engendered monster1 burthening the earth and loathed by the light of heaven4 ,dryden and ,pope6 ,father and son--master and scholar--founder and improver4 ,who can make up his election1 which of the two he prefers8--the free composition of ,dryden that streams on and on1 full of vigour and splendour1 of reason and wit1 as if verse were a mother tongue to him1 or some special gift of the universal ,mother--or the perfected art of ,pope8 ,your choice changes as your own humour or the weathercock turns4 ,if jolly ,boreas1 the son of the clear sky1 as ,homer calls him1 career scattering the clouds1 and stirring up life over all the face of the waters1 grown riotous with exuberant power1 you are a ,drydenite4 ,but if brightness and stillness fall together upon wood and valley1 upon hill and lake1 then the spirit of beauty possesses you1 and you lean your ear towards ,pope4 ,for the spirit of beauty reigns in his musical style2 and if he sting and kill1 it is with an air and a grace that quite win and charm the lookers-on2 and a sweetness persuades them that he is more concerned about embalming his victims to a perennial pulchritude after death1 than intent upon ravishing from them the breath of a short-lived existence4 ,dryden is all power--and he knows it4 ,he soars at ease--he sails at ease--he swoops at ease--and he trusses at ease4 ,in his own verse1 not another approaches him for energy brought from familiar uses of expression4 ,witness the hazardous but inimitable-- ,to file and polish ,god ,almighty's fool1 and a hundred others4 ,shakespeare and ,milton are now and then 7in blanks1 as ,tweedie used to say7 all-surpassing by such a happiness4 ,but ,dryden alone moves unfettered in the fettering couplet--alone of those who have submitted to the fetters4 ,for those who write distichs1 running them into one another1 head over heels1 till you do not know where to look after the rhyme--these do not wear their fetters and with an all-mastering grace dance to the chime1 but they break them and caper about1 the fragments clanking dismally and strangely about their heels4 ,turn from the clumsy clowns to glorious ,john3--sinewy1 flexible1 well-knit1 agile1 stately-stepping1 gracefully-bending1 stern1 stalwarth--or sitting his horse1 erect and fair1 in career1 and carrying his steel-headed lance of true stuff1 level and steady to its aim1 and impetuous as a thunderbolt4 ,his strokes are like the shots of that tremendous ordnance-- chain'd thunderbolts and hail ,of iron globes---- ,that whom they hit none on their feet might stand1 ,though standing else as rocks4 ,but we are forgetting ourselves4 ,we must not run into elongated criticism1 however excellent1 in a ,,supplement--and therefore gladden you all with a specimen--without note or comment--from the second part of ,absalom and ,achitophel4 ,doeg1 though without knowing how or why1 ,made still a blundering kind of melody2 ,spurr'd boldly on1 and dash'd through thick and thin1 ,through sense and nonsense1 never out nor in2 ,free from all meaning1 whether good or bad1 ,and in one word1 heroically mad3 ,he was too warm on picking-work to dwell1 ,but fagoted his notions as they fell1 ,and if they rhymed and rattled1 all was well4 ,spiteful he is not1 though he wrote a satyr1 ,for still there goes some thinking to ill nature3 ,he needs no more than birds and beasts to think1 ,all his occasions are to eat and drink4 ,if he call rogue and rascal from a garret1 ,he means you no more mischief than a parrot3 ,the words for friend and foe alike were made1 ,to fetter them in verse is all his trade4 ,for almonds he'll cry whore to his own mother3 ,and call young ,absalom king ,david's brother4 ,let him be gallows-free by my consent1 ,and nothing suffer since he nothing meant2 ,hanging supposes human soul and reason1 ,this animal's below committing treason3 ,shall he be hang'd who never could rebel8 ,that's a preferment for ,achitophel4 ,railing in other men may be a crime1 ,but ought to pass for mere instinct in him3 ,instinct he follows and no further knows1 ,for to write verse with him is to transprose4 ',twere pity treason at his door to lay1 ,who makes heaven's gate a lock to its own key3 ,let him rail on1 let his invective ,muse ,have four and twenty letters to abuse1 ,which1 if he jumbles to one line of sense1 ,indict him of a capital offence1 ,in fire-works give him leave to vent his spight1 ,those are the only serpents he can write2 ,the height of his ambition is1 we know1 ,but to be master of a puppet-show1 ,on that one stage his works may yet appear1 ,and a month's harvest keeps him all the year4 ,now stop your noses1 readers1 all and some1 ,for here's a tun of midnight-work to come1 ,og from a treason-tavern rowling home1 ,round as a globe1 and liquor'd every chink1 ,goodly and great he sails behind his link2 ,with all this bulk there's nothing lost in ,og1 ,for every inch that is not fool is rogue3 ,a monstrous mass of foul corrupted matter1 ,as all the devils had spew'd to make the batter1 ,when wine has given him courage to blaspheme1 ,he curses ,god1 but ,god before curst him2 ,and1 if man could have reason1 none has more1 ,that made his paunch so rich1 and him so poor4 ,with wealth he was not trusted1 for heaven knew ,what 'twas of old to pamper up a ,jew2 ,to what would he on quail and pheasant swell1 ,that ev'n on tripe and carrion could rebel8 ,but though heaven made him poor1 with reverence speaking1 ,he never was a poet of ,god's making2 ,the midwife laid her hand on his thick skull1 ,with this prophetic blessing--,be thou dull3 ,drink1 swear1 and roar1 forbear no lewd delight ,fit for thy bulk1 do any thing but write3 ,thou art of lasting make1 like thoughtless men1 ,a strong nativity--but for the pen6 ,eat opium1 mimic arsenic in thy drink1 ,still thou mayst live1 avoiding pen and ink4 ,i see1 ,i see1 'tis counsel given in vain1 ,for treason botcht in rhyme will be thy bane3 ,rhyme is the rock on which thou art to wreck1 ',tis fatal to thy fame and to thy neck3 ,why should thy metre good ,king ,david blast8 ,a psalm of his will surely be thy last4 ,dar'st thou presume in verse to meet thy foes1 ,thou whom the penny pamphlet foil'd in prose8 ,doeg1 whom ,god for mankind's mirth has made1 ,o'er-tops thy talent in thy very trade2 ,doeg to thee1 thy paintings are so coarse1 ,a poet is1 though he's the poet's horse4 ,a double noose thou on thy neck dost pull ,for writing treason1 and for writing dull2 ,to die for faction is a common evil1 ,but to be hang'd for nonsense is the devil3 ,had thou the glories of thy king exprest1 ,thy praises had been satyr at the best2 ,but thou in clumsy verse1 unlickt1 unpointed1 ,hast shamefully defy'd the ,lord's anointed3 ,i will not rake the dunghill for thy crimes1 ,for who would read thy life that reads thy rhymes8 ,but of ,king ,david's foes be this the doom1 ,may all be like the young man ,absalom6 ,and for my foes1 may this their blessing be1 ,to talk like ,doeg1 and to write like thee6 ,this is the ne plus ultra of personal satire4 ,yet there are passages of comparable excellence in the ,dunciad4 ,aha6 what have we here8 ,a contemptuous attack on ,pope by--a ,yankee-,cockney6 ,what a cross6 ,,john ,,russell ,,lowell from ,massachusets thus magpie-like chattereth at the ,nightingale4 ,philip4--,you talk about the golden age of ,queen ,anne4 ,it was a ,french pinchbeck age4 ,john4--,stay1 not so fast4 ,i like the writers of that period1 for the transparency of their style1 and their freedom from affection4 ,if ,i may trust my understanding of your meaning1 our modern versifiers have only made the simple discovery1 that an appearance of antiquity is the cheapest passport to respect4 ,but the cheapest which we purchase with subservience is too dear4 ,you yourself have no such prejudice against the ,augustan age of ,english literature4 ,i have caught you more than once with the ,tatler in your hand1 and have heard you praising ,dryden's prefaces4 ,philip4--,you and ,i have very different notions of what poetry is1 and of what its object should be4 ,you may claim for ,pope the merit of an envious eye1 which could turn the least scratch upon the character of a friend into a fester1 of a nimble and adroit fancy1 and of an ear so niggardly that it could afford but one invariable csura to his verse2 but1 when you call him poet1 you insult the buried majesty of all earth's noblest and choicest spirits4 ,nature should lead the true poet by the hand1 and he has far better things to do than to busy himself in counting the warts upon it1 as ,pope did4 ,a cup of water from ,hippocrene1 tasting1 as it must1 of innocent pastoral sights and sounds1 of the bleat of lambs1 of the shadows of leaves and flowers that have leaned over it1 of the rosy hands of children whose privilege it ever is to paddle in it1 of the low words of lovers who have walked by its side in the moonlight1 of the tears of the poor ,hagars of the world who have drunk from it1 would choke a satirist4 ,his thoughts of the country must have a savour of ,jack ,ketch1 and see no beauty but in a hemp field4 ,poetry is something to make us wiser and better1 by continually revealing those types of beauty and truth which ,god has set in all men's souls2 not by picking out the petty faults of our neighbours to make a mock of4 ,shall that divine instinct1 which has in all ages concerned itself only with what is holiest and fairest in life and nature1 degrade itself to go about seeking for the scabs and ulcers of the putridest spirits1 to grin over with a derision more hideous even than the pitiful quarry it has moused at8 ,asmodeus's gift1 of unroofing the dwellings of his neighbours at will1 would be the rarest outfit for a satirist1 but it would be of no worth to a poet4 ,to the satirist the mere outward motives of life are enough4 ,vanity1 pride1 avarice--these1 and the other external vices1 are the strings of his unmusical lyre4 ,but the poet need only unroof his own heart4 ,all that makes happiness or misery under every roof of the wide world1 whether of palace or hovel1 is working also in that narrow yet boundless sphere4 ,on that little stage the great drama of life is acted daily4 ,there the creation1 the tempting1 and the fall1 may be seen anew4 ,in that withdrawing closet1 solitude whispers her secrets1 and death uncovers his face4 ,there sorrow takes up her abode1 to make ready a pillow and a resting-place for the weary head of love1 whom the world casts out4 ,to the poet nothing is mean1 but every thing on earth is a fitting altar to the supreme beauty4 ,but ,i am wandering4 ,as for the poets of ,queen ,anne's reign1 it is enough to prove what a kennel standard of poetry was then established1 that ,swift's smutchy verses are not even yet excluded from the collections4 ,what disgusting stuff1 too1 in ,prior and ,parnell6 ,yet ,swift1 perhaps1 as the best writer of ,english whom that period produced4 ,witness his prose4 ,pope treated the ,english language as the image-man has served the bust of ,shakspeare yonder4 ,to rid it of some external soils1 he has rubbed it down till there is no muscular expression left4 ,it looks very much as his own 'mockery king of snow' must have done after it had begun to melt4 ,pope is for ever mixing water with the good old mother's milk of our tongue4 ,you cannot get a straightforward speech out of him4 ,a great deal of his poetry is so incased in verbiage1 that it puts me in mind of those important-looking packages which boys are fond of sending to their friends4 ,we unfold envelope after envelope1 and at last find a couple of cherry-stones4 ,but in ,pope we miss the laugh which in the other case follows the culmination of the joke4 ,he makes ,homer lisp like the friar in ,chaucer and ,ajax and ,belinda talk exactly alike4 ,john4--,well1 we are not discussing the merits of ,pope1 but of the archaisms which have been introduced into modern poetry4 ,what you say of the ,bible has some force in it4 ,the forms of speech used in our version of it will always impress the mind1 even if applied to an entirely different subject4 ,what else can you bring forward8 ,philip4--,only the fact1 that1 by going back to the more natural style of the ,elizabethan writers1 our verse has gained in harmony as well as strength4 ,no matter whether ,pope is describing the cane of a fop1 or the speech of a demigod1 the pause must always fall on the same syllable1 and the sense be chopped off by the same rhyme4 ,achilles cannot gallop his horses round the walls of ,troy1 with ,hector dragging behind his chariot1 except he keep time to the immitigable seesaw of the couplet4 ,master ,lowell gives tongue with a plagiarism from ,southey4 ,in his ,life of ,cowper that great writer somewhat rashly says1 ,the age of ,pope was the golden age of poets--but it was the pinchbeck age of poetry4 ,what is pardonable in ,southey is knoutable in his ape4 ,think of one ,american ,cantab playfully rating and complimenting another on having caught him more than once with the ,tatler in his hand1 and with having heard him praising ,dryden's prefaces6 ,what liberality--nay1 what universality of taste6 ,absolutely able1 in the reaches of his transatlantic soul1 to relish ,dryden's prefaces6 ,but in his appeal from ,philip drunk to ,philip sober1 ,philip cannot1 crop-sick1 but nauseate the thought of ,pope being a poet4 ,the whole dialogue--somewhat of the longest--tedious exceedingly--is polluted with similar impudencies4 ,the strong point in ,pope's displays of sentiment1 is in the graceful management of a cambric handkerchief4 ,you do not believe a word that ,helose says1 and feel all the while that she is squeezing out her tears as if from a half-dry sponge4 ,such is the effect of too copious draughts from that ,hippocrene which alternately discharges cock-tail and mint-julep4 ,john1 however1 does not go the whole hog with ,philip4 ,he erects his ears to their full length1 and brays thus--,i do not think that you do ,pope justice6 and then does ,pope justice as follows3 ,his translation of ,homer is as bad as it can be1 ,i admit6 ,i ,,admit6 ,but surely you cannot deny the merit of lively and ingenious fancy to his ',rape of the ,lock2' nor of knowledge of life1 and a certain polished classicalness1 to his epistles and satires4 ,his portraits are like those of ,copley1 of fine gentlemen and ladies1 whose silks and satins are the best part of them4 ,but poor1 cautious1 timid1 trimming1 turn-about ,john cannot so conciliate bully ,philip1 who squabashes at once both poet and critic4 ,philip4--,i cannot allow the parallel4 ,in ,copley's best pictures1 the drapery1 though you may almost hear it rustle1 is wholly a subordinate matter4 ,witness some of those in our ,college-hall here at ,cambridge--that of ,madam ,boylston especially4 ,i remember being once much struck with the remark of a friend1 who convinced me of the fact1 that ,copley avoided the painting of wigs whenever he could1 thus getting a step nearer nature4 ,pope would have made them a prominent object4 ,i grant what you say about the ',rape of the ,lock1' but this does not prove that ,pope was a poet4 ,if you wish an instance of a poet's fancy1 look into the ',midsummer ,night's ,dream4' ,i can allow that ,pope has written what is entertaining1 but surely not poetical4 ,show me a line that makes you love ,god and your neighbour better1 that inclines you to meekness1 charity1 and forbearance1 and ,i will show you a hundred that make it easier for you to be the odious reverse of all these4 ,in many a ,pagan poet there is more ,christianity4 ,no poet could write a ',dunciad1' or even read it4 ,you have persuaded yourself into thinking ,pope a poet1 as1 in looking for a long time at a stick which we believe to be an animal of some kind1 we fancy that it is stirring4 ,his letters are amusing1 but do not increase one's respect for him4 ,when you speak of his being classical1 ,i am sure that you jest4 ,the waves of the ,atlantic have wafted acorns dropped from the ,british oak to the ,western shores1 and a wide and strong grove is growing up there4 ,we feel our kindred with the fellow-beings of our tongue1 and rejoice with a natural and keen interest in every thing true1 great1 and good that is produced within the ,states4 ,powers are moving there1 that may1 that do1 want much tempering2 but of which1 when tempered1 we augur high things4 ,one such tempering is reverence of the past1 and ,pope is one of the great names which ,england tenders to young ,america4 ,we augur ill1 and are uneasy for our cousins or nephews1 when we see them giving themselves airs1 and knowing better than their betters4 ,what are we to think1 when instead of the fresh vigour which should rise on the soil of the self-governed1 we find repetition1 for the worse1 of the feeblest criticisms which have disgraced some of our own weaklings8 ,this presumptuous youngling talks technically1 and does not know what he is talking about4 ,pope has not but one invariable csura to his verse4 ,he has an ordinary range of four places for his csura1 and the variety and music which he manages to give his verse under that scheme1 dictated by a sensitive ear1 is truly wonderful4 ,that ,pope is only a satirist1 and can find nothing in humanity but its faults1 infirmities1 and disgraces to feed upon with delight1 is a shameful falsehood4 ,he is as generous in praise as he is galling in sarcasm2 and the voice of ,christian ,europe has pronounced him a moral and religious poet4 ,it is rather strange to see the stickler for the beauty and exaltation of poetry1 diligent in purifying and ennobling the taste of his countrymen1 by raking in the dirt for disgusting and loathsome images1 to express his slanderous character of a writer1 eminent among the best for purity and refinement4 ,we take leave of ,mr ,lowell with remarking1 that his affected and hyperbolical praises heaped on the old ,english dramatists are as nauseous as any ignorant exaggeration can be1 bombastically protruded on us at second-hand1 from an article in an old number of the ,retrospective ,review1 from which most of the little he knows is taken1 and in the taking1 turned into most monstrous nonsense4 ,friends of our soul6 ,permit us1 now1 in this our ,supplement1 to suggest to your recollection1 that ,satire is public or private4 ,public satire is1 or would he1 authoritative1 robed1 magisterial censure4 ,private satire is private warfare--the worst plague of the state1 and the overthrow of all right law4 ,it is worse4 ,for when baron besieges baron1 there is high spirit roused1 and high deeds are achieved4 ,but private malice in verse is as if the gossiping dames of a tea-table were armed with daggers instead of words1 to kill reputations--the ,school for ,scandal turned into a tragedy4 ,we are groaning now over the inferior versifiers4 ,to the ,poets1 to the mighty ones1 we forgave every thing1 a month ago4 ,we say then1 again1 that although duly appointed to this ,chair of ,justice in which we sit1 and having our eyes bandaged like the ,goddess whose statue is in the corner of the hall1 yet our hands are open1 and we are willing--as in all well-governed kingdoms judges have been willing--to take bribes4 ,but we let it be known1 we must be bribed high4 ,juvenal1 ,persius1 ,horace1 ,dryden1 and ,pope have soothed the itching of our palms to our heart's content2 and each has gained his cause in or impartial court4 ,nay1 we are very much afraid1 that if that gall-fed1 parricidal ruffian1 ,archilochus1 who twisted his verses into a halter for noosing up his wife's father--a melancholy event to which the old gentleman1 it is said1 lent a helping-hand--were more to us than a tradition1 we should be in danger of finding in the poignancy of his iambics a sauce too much to our relish4 ,avec cette sauce--cried the ,french gastronome1 by the ecstasy of his palate bewitched out of his moral discretion--,avec cette sauce on mangerait son pre6 ,but leaving these imaginative heights1 and walking along the level ground of daily life1 common sense1 and sane criticism1 we go on to assert that private satire1 lower than the highest1 is intolerable4 ,the grandeur of moral indignation in ,juvenal1 never is altogether without a secret inkling of disquietude at the bottom of the breast4 ,it may be the ,muse's legitimate and imposed office to smite the offending city2 but it is never her joyous task4 ,the judge never gladly puts on the black cap4 ,the reality oppresses us--we are sore and sick in the very breath of the contagion1 even if we escape untainted by it4 ,the power of poetry possesses us for the time1 and we must submit4 ,perhaps it is right1 if the ,muse be a great magistra vit1 that she should present life under all its aspects1 and school us in all its disciplines2 and the direct1 real1 official censure of manners may be a necessary part of her calling4 ,but how differently does the indirect censure affect us6 ,shakspeare creating ,iago1 censures wily1 treacherous1 envious1 malignant1 cold-blooded villany1 where and whensoever to be found4 ,he does not fix the brand upon the forehead of a time1 or of a profession1 or of a man1 or of a woman2 but of a devil who is incarnate in every time1 who exercises every profession1 is an innate1 is the householder rather1 now in the steeled breast of a man1 and now in woman's softest bosom4 ,this ubiquitous possibility of the ,mark's occurring--the ignorance of the archer where his gifted arrow will strike--ennobles1 aggrandizes his person and his work4 ,it does not weaken the service which the poet is called upon to render to humanity1 by showing himself the foe of her foes4 ,and we1 the spectators of the drama--what is that strangely balanced and harmonized conflict of emotions1 by means of which we at once loathe and endure the poisonous confidant of the ,moor8 ,from the depths of the heart abhorring the odious1 execrable man1 whilst our fancy hovers1 fascinated1 about the marvellous creation6 ,yet we do not call ,shakspeare here a ,satirist4 ,the distinction is broad4 ,the ,satirist is1 in the most confined1 or in the most comprehensive sense--,,personal4 ,and now we doubt not1 readers beloved1 that while you have been enjoying these our reflections on ,satire1 you may likewise have been dimly foreseeing the purposed end towards which our drift is setting in1 as on a strong tide4 ,we have been dealing with first-raters4 ,in them the power of the poetry reconciles us to the matter--mitigates the repugnancy otherwise ready to wait1 in a well-constituted mind1 upon a series of thoughts and images which studiously persevere in venting the passions of hate and scorn4 ,the curse of the ,muse on all middling poets--and upon ,parnassus one is tempted to ascribe to the middle zone of the mountain1 all those who do not cluster about one of the summits--the common curse seems to fall with tenfold violence upon the middling ,satirist4 ,the great poet has authority1 magistery1 masterdom1 seated in his high spirit2 and when he chooses to put forth his power1 we bow before him1 or stoop our heads from the descending bolt4 ,but if one not thus privileged leap uncalled into the awful throne1 to hurl self-dictated judgments1 this arrogant usurpation of supremacy2 justly offends and revolts us4 ,for he who censures the age1 or any notable division of contemporary society1 in verse1 does in fact arrogate to himself an unappealable superiority4 ,he speaks1 or affects to speak1 muse-inspired1 as a prophet1 oracularly4 ,he does not enquire1 he thunders4 ,now1 the thunder of a scold is any thing but agreeable--and we exclaim-- ,demens6 qui nimbos et non imitabile fulmen re et cornipedum cursu simulrat equorum4 ,poets are the givers of renown4 ,their word is fame4 ,but fame is good and ill2 and therefore they speak ,eulogy and ,satire4 ,they are the tongues of the world4 ,the music of verse makes way for ,lear's words to all our hearts4 ,it makes way for the ,satirist's to the heart1 where they are to be mortal4 ,if mankind justly moved condemn1 the ,poet will find voice for that condemnation4 ,wo be to those who by goading provoke him1 who is the organ of the universal voice1 to visit his own wrong1 to wreak his own vengeance on their heads6 ,the wrong1 the wrath is private2 but the voice retains its universality1 and they are withered as if by the blast of the general hate or scorn-- ,he was not for an age1 but for all time1 said one poet of another4 ,there are two ways of belonging to one's age4 ,you are born of it--you die with it4 ,johnson disclaims for ,shakspeare the co-etaneousness by birth and by death4 ,he is the son of all time2 and the inheritor of all time4 ,his mind is the mind of ages deceased1 and of ages unborn2 and his writings remain to each succeeding generation1 as fresh as if it had witnessed their springing into existence4 ,they take no date4 ,something of this is common to all essential poetry-- ,vivuntque commissi calores oli fidibus puell4 ,the loves of ,sappho live4 ,they have not passed away4 ,they are immortally4 ,therefore the ,poet1 as we said1 is the giver of fame4 ,his praise--his scorn--lives for ever4 ,all who are worthy to read ,us know how well the rude primeval people comprehended the worth of the poet4 ,the song rang to the borders of the land or of the name1 and that was glory or ignominy alive in every heart4 ,honour given by the poet was then a substantial possession2 to be disgraced by his biting vituperation was like the infliction of a legal punishment4 ,the whole condition of things--men's minds and their outward relations--corresponded to that which seems now to us an extraordinary procedure--that of constituting the poet1 in virtue of that name1 a state functionary1 holding office1 rank1 and power4 ,now1 the poet is but a self-constituted ,censor4 ,he holds office from the ,muse only2 or upon occasion from the mighty mother1 ,dulness4 ,the ,laureateship is the only office in the ,state of ,poetry that is in the ,queen's gift2 and that1 thanks to her benignity and the good sense of the nineteenth century1 has become a sinecure conferred on an ,emeritus4 ,hollo6 my fancy1 whether dost thou roam8 ,nay1 she is not roaming at all--for we have been all along steering in the wind's eye right to a given point4 ,we come now to say a few words of ,,charles ,,churchill4 ,of him it was said by one greater far1 that he blazed the meteor of a season4 ,for four years--during life--his popularity--in ,london and the suburbs--was prodigious2 for forty--and that is a long time after death--he was a choice classic in the libraries of aging or aged men of wit upon town2 and now1 that nearly a century has elapsed since he from his horrid hair shook pestilence and war o'er slaves and ,scotsmen1 tools and tyrants1 peers1 poetasters1 priests1 pimps1 and players1 his name is still something more than a mere dissyllable1 and seems the shadow of the sound that ,mother ,dulness was wont to whisper in her children's ears when fretting wakefully on her neglected breasts4 ,the ,satirist1 of all poets1 calls the enquiry of the world upon himself4 ,the ,censor of manners should in his own be irreproachable4 ,the satirist of a nation should feel that in that respect in which he censures he is whole and sound2 that in assailing others he stands upon a rock2 that his arrows cannot by a light shifting of the wind return to his own bosom4 ,it was not so with ,churchill4 ,but he had his virtues--and he died young4 ,life to the last enjoy'd66 here ,churchill lies4 ,it is not of his life but his writings we purpose to speak4 ,it is not to be thought that his reputation at the time1 and among some high critics since1 could be groundless4 ,there is an air of power in his way of attacking any and every subject4 ,he goes to work without embarrassment1 with spirit and ease1 and is presently in his matter1 or in some matter1 rarely inane4 ,it is a part1 and a high part of genius1 to design2 but he was destitute of invention4 ,the self-dubbed champion of liberty and letters1 he labours ostentatiously and energetically in that vocation2 and in the midst of tumultuous applause1 ringing round a career of almost uninterrupted success1 he seldom or never seems aware that the duties he had engaged himself to perform--to his country and his kind--were far beyond his endowments--above his conception4 ,his knowledge either of books or men was narrow and superficial4 ,in no sense had he ever been a student4 ,his best thoughts are all essentially common-place2 but1 in uttering them1 there is almost always a determined plainness of words1 a free step in verse1 a certain boldness and skill in evading the trammel of the rhyme1 deserving high praise2 while often1 as if spurning the style which yet does not desert him1 he wears it clinging about him with a sort of disregarded grace4 ,the ,rosciad--,the ,apology--,night--,the ,prophecy of ,famine--,an ,epistle to ,william ,hogarth--,the ,duellist--,gotham--,the ,author--,the ,conference--,the ,ghost--,the ,candidate--,the ,farewell--,the ,times--,the ,journey--,fragment of a ,dedication--such is the list of ,works1 whereof all ,england rung from side to side--during the few noisy years he vapoured--as in the form of shilling or half-crown pamphlets they frighted the ,town from its propriety1 and gave monthly or quarterly assurance to a great people that they possessed a great living ,poet1 worthy of being numbered with their mightiest dead4 ,he began with the ,play-house4 ,the theatre6 ,satire belongs to the day1 and the theatre belongs to the day4 ,they seem well met4 ,the spirit of both is the same--intense popularity4 ,actors are human beings placed in an extraordinary relation to other human beings3 public characters2 but brought the nearer to us by being so--the good ones intimate with our bosoms1 dear as friends4 ,their persons1 features1 look1 gait1 gesture1 familiar to our thoughts1 vividly engraven4 ,they address themselves to every one of us personally1 in tones that thrill and chill1 or that convulse us with merriment--and all for pleasure6 ,they ask our sympathy1 but they task it not4 ,no burthen of distress that they may lay upon us do we desire to rid off our hearts4 ,we only call for more1 more6 ,they stir up the soul within us1 as nothing else in which1 personally1 we are quite unconcerned1 does4 ,therefore the praise or sarcasm that visits them1 comes home to the privacy of our own feelings4 ,besides1 they belong to the service of the ,muse2 and so the other servant of the ,muse1 the ,satirist1 as the superintendent of the household1 may reasonably reprehend or commend them4 ,further1 they offer themselves to favour and to disfavour1 to praise1 to dispraise2 to the applauding hands or to the exploding hisses of the public4 ,there is1 then an attraction of fame-bestowing verse towards the stage4 ,and yet does it not seem a pity that the unfortunate bad actors should bide the pelting of this pitiless storm1 over and above that of others they are liable to be assailed with8 ,what great-minded ,satirist could step down a play-bill from the first rank of performers to the second and the third--hunting out miserable mediocrities--dragging away the culprits of the stage to flagellation and the pillory8 ,say then1 at once1 that the ,satirist is not great-minded1 and his motives are not pure desires for the general benefit4 ,he is by the gift of nature witty1 and rather ill-natured4 ,he very much enjoys his own wit1 and he hopes that you have fun enough in you to enjoy his jests1 and so he breaks them4 ,,the ,,rosciad is1 we believe1 by far the best of ,churchill's performances2 very clever1 indeed1 and characteristic2 at the head of all theatrical criticism in verse2 yet an achievement1 in spite of the talent and ingenuity it displays1 not now perusable without an accompanying feeling akin to contempt4 ,,gotham is an irregular1 poetical whim1 of which it is easier to describe the procedure than to assign the reasonable purpose4 ,gotham itself is a country unknown to our geographers1 which ,churchill has discovered1 and of which1 in right of that discovery1 he assumes the sovereignty under his own undisguised name1 ,king ,churchill4 ,after spiritedly arraigning the exercise in the real world of that right by which he rules in his imaginary kingdom--a right which establishes the civilised in the lands of the enslaved or expatriated uncivilised1 he spends the rest of his first canto in summoning all creatures1 rational and irrational1 to join the happy ,gothamites in the universal choral celebration of his mounting the throne4 ,the second canto1 for some two hundred verses1 insists upon the necessity of marrying ,sense with ,art1 to produce good writing1 and ,learning with ,humanity1 to produce useful writing2 and then turns off bitterly to characterise the reigns in succession of the ,stuarts1 by way of warning to his ,gothamites against the temptation to admit a vagrant ,stuart for their king4 ,the third canto delivers the rules by which he1 ,king ,churchill1 who purposes being the father of his people1 designs to govern his own reign4 ,that is all4 ,what and where is ,gotham8 ,what is the meaning of this royalty with which the poet invests himself8 ,what is the drift1 scope1 and unity of the poem8 ,gotham is not1 and is1 ,england4 ,it is not ,england1 for he tells us in the poem that he is born in ,england1 and that he is not born in ,gotham2 besides which1 he expressly distinguishes the two countries by admonishing the ,gothamites to search ,england's fair records1 for the sake of imbibing a due hatred for the ,house of ,stuart4 ,it is ,england1 for it is an island which ,freedom's pile1 by ancient wisdom raised1 adorns1 making it great and glorious1 feared abroad and happy at home1 secure from force or fraud4 ,moreover1 her merchants are princes4 ,the conclusion is1 that ,gotham is ,england herself1 poetically disidentified by a very thin and transparent disguise4 ,the sovereignty of ,king ,churchill1 if it mean any thing capable of being said in prose1 may shadow the influence and authority which a single mind1 assuming to itself an inborn call to ascendancy1 wishes and hopes to possess over the intelligence of its own compatriot nation2 and this may be conjectured in a writer who principally dedicates himself to the championship of political principles4 ,the rules1 in the ,third ,book1 for the conduct of a prince1 afford the opportunity of describing the idea of a patriot king1 of censuring that which is actually done adversely to these rules2 and1 at the same time1 they acquire something of a peculiar meaning1 if they are to be construed as a scheme of right political thinking--the intelligence of the general welfare which is obligatory upon the political ruler being equally so upon the political teacher4 ,if this kind of deliberate1 allegorical design may be mercifully supposed1 the wild self-imagination1 and apparently downright nonsense of the ,first ,book1 may pretend a palliation of its glaring vanity and absurdity2 since the blissful reign of ,king ,churchill over ,gotham1 which is extolled very much like the ,jovis incrementum1 in ,virgil's ,fourth ,eclogue1 thus comes to mean1 when translated into the language of men1 the reign in ,england of the opinions for which ,churchill battles in rhyme4 ,or1 this may be too much attribution of plan to a caprice that meant little or nothing4 ,the first book was published by itself1 and may have aimed at something to which the author found that he could not give shape and consistency4 ,yet ,cowper declares ,gotham to be a noble and beautiful poem4 ,,the ,,author might almost seem intended for a sequel to ,mac,flecnoe and the ,dunciad4 ,not that it assumes1 like them1 a fanciful vehicle for the satire1 but it undertakes the lashing of peccant authors1 and recognises ,,dulness as an enthroned power to whose empire the writer is hostile2 and where he adverts to his own early life1 and clerical destination1 he mentions her as the patroness upon whom his friends had relied for his future church preferment4 ,but now1 when ,dulness rears aloft her throne1 ,when lordly vassals her wide empire own2 ,when ,wit1 seduced by ,envy1 starts aside1 ,and basely leagues with ,ignorance and ,pride1 c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bred to the church1 and for the gown decreed1 ,ere it was known that ,i should learn to read2 ,though that was nothing for my friends1 who knew ,what mighty ,dulness of itself could do1 ,never design'd me for a working priest1 ,but hoped ,i should have been a dean at least1 c4 ,the writers more formally and regularly attacked1 are ,smollett1 ,murphy1 ,shebbeare1 ,guthrie1 and one ,kidgell1 who contrived to earn shame1 in exposing to shame the printed but unpublished obscenity and blasphemy of ,wilkes4 ,johnson gets a good word as a state-pensioner1 ,francis1 the translator of ,horace1 for dulness apparently1 and ,mason1 and even ,gray1 are signalized1 en passant1 as artificial rhymesters6 ,the general tenor of the poem complains that in these days true learning1 genius1 and the honesty of authorship are of no account2 whilst the political profligacy of the pen ensures favour and pay4 ,the first hundred lines forcibly express the inspiring indignation proper to the subject1 and some of them are still occasionally quoted2 but how inferior all to corresponding strains in ,dryden and ,pope6 ,they were poets indeed--he was not a poet4 ,he has not fancy or imagination--they had both--they were consummate masters in their art3 he was but a bold bungler after all4 ,in proof1 take the best passage in ,,the ,,author4 ,is this--,o death to think6--is this the land ,where merit and reward went hand in hand8 ,where heroes1 parent-like1 the poet view'd1 ,by whom they saw their glorious deeds renew'd8 ,where poets1 true to honour1 tuned their lays1 ,and by their patrons sanctified their praise8 ,is this the land where1 on our ,spenser's tongue1 ,enamour'd of his voice1 ,description hung8 ,where ,jonson rigid ,gravity beguiled1 ,while ,reason through her critic fences smiled8 ,where ,nature listening stood whilst ,shakspeare play'd1 ,and wonder'd at the work herself had made8 ,is this the land where1 mindful of her charge1 ,and office high1 fair ,freedom walk'd at large8 ,where1 finding in our laws a sure defence1 ,she mock'd at all restraints1 but those of sense8 ,where1 ,health and ,honour trooping by her side1 ,she spreads her sacred empire far and wide2 ,pointed the way1 ,affliction to beguile1 ,and bade the face of ,sorrow wear a smile-- ,bade those who dare obey the generous call ,enjoy her blessings1 which ,god meant for all8 ,is this the land where1 in some tyrant's reign1 ,when a weak1 wicked1 ministerial train1 ,the tools of power1 the slaves of interest1 plann'd ,their country's ruin1 and with bribes unmann'd ,those wretches1 who ordain'd in ,freedom's cause1 ,gave up our liberties1 and sold our laws2 ,when ,power was taught by ,meanness where to go1 ,nor dared to love the virtue of a foe2 ,when1 like a lep'rous plague1 from the foul head ,to the foul heart her sores ,corruption spread1 ,her iron arm when stern ,oppression rear'd1 ,and ,virtue1 from her broad base shaken1 fear'd ,the scourge of ,vice2 when1 impotent and vain1 ,poor ,freedom bow'd the neck to ,slavery's chain8 ,is this the land1 where1 in those worst of times1 ,the hardy poet raised his honest rhymes ,to dread rebuke1 and bade ,controlment speak ,in guilty blushes on the villain's cheek2 ,bade ,power turn pale1 kept mighty rogues in awe1 ,and made hem fear the ,muse1 who fear'd not law8 ,how do ,i laugh1 when men of narrow souls1 ,whom folly guides1 and prejudice controls2 ,who1 one dull drowsy track of business trod1 ,worship their ,mammon1 and neglect their ,god2 ,who1 breathing by one musty set of rules1 ,dote from their birth1 and are by system fools2 ,who1 form'd to dulness from their very youth1 ,lies of the day prefer to ,gospel-truth2 ,pick up their little knowledge from ,reviews1 ,and lay out all their stock of faith in news2 ,how do ,i laugh1 when creatures form'd like these1 ,whom ,reason scorns1 and ,i should blush to please1 ,rail at all liberal arts1 deem verse a crime1 ,and hold not truth as truth1 if told in rhyme8 ,these are commendable verses1 but they are not the verses of a true poet4 ,for instance1 when he will praise the greatest poets-- ,is this the land1 where1 on our ,spenser's tongue1 ,enamour'd of his voice1 ,description hung-- the intention is good1 and there is some love in the singling out of the name2 but ,description is almost the lowest1 not the highest praise of ,spenser4 ,the language too is mean and trite1 not that of one who is inflammatus amore of the sacred poet whom he praises4 ,how differently does ,lucretius praise ,epicurus6 ,the words blaze as he names him4 ,how differently does ,pope or ,gray praise ,dryden6 ,even in ,churchill's few words there is the awkward and heavy tautology--tongue and voice4 ,it is more like the tribute of duty than sensibility4 ,the well-known distich on ,shakspeare is rather good--it utters with a vigorous turn the general sentiment1 the nation's wonder of its own idol4 ,but compare ,gray1 who also brings ,nature and ,shakspeare together2 or see him speaking of ,dryden or ,milton1 and you see how a poet speaks of a poet--thrilled with recollections--reflecting1 not merely commemorating1 the power4 ,indeed1 we design to have a few 7perhaps twenty7 articles entitled ,poets on ,poets--in which we shall collect chronologically the praises of the brotherhood by the brotherhood4 ,in the mean time we do believe that the one main thing which you miss in ,churchill is the true poetical touch and temper of the spirit4 ,he is1 as far as he succeeds1 a sort of inferior ,junius in verse--sinewy1 keen--with a good1 ready use of strong1 plain ,english2 but he has no rapture4 ,his fire is volcanic1 not solar4 ,yet no light praise it is1 that he rejects frivolous ornament1 and trusts to the strength of the thought1 and of the good or ill within4 ,but besides the disparity--which is great--of strength1 of intellectual rank--this draws an insuperable difference in kind between him and ,pope or ,dryden1 that they are essentially poets4 ,the gift of song is on their lips4 ,if they turn ,satirists1 they bring the power to another than its wonted and native vocation4 ,but ,churchill obtains the power only in satirizing4 ,as ,iago says-- ,for ,i am nothing if not critical4 ,is this merely a repetition of ,juvenal's facit indignatio versus1 rendered in prose1 ,indignation makes me a poet1 who am not a poet by nature8 ,in the first place1 ,juvenal prodigiously transcends ,churchill in intellectual strength2 and in the second1 ,juvenal has far more of essential poetry1 although hidden in just vituperation1 and in the imposed worldliness of his matter4 ,but we must pull up4 ,the so-called ,,epistle ,,to ,,hogarth is1 after the wont of ,churchill1 a shapeless1 undigested performance4 ,it is nothing in the likeness of an epistle2 but for three hundred lines a wandering1 lumbering rhapsody1 addressed to nobody1 which1 after abusing right and left1 suddenly turns to ,hogarth1 whom it introduces by summoning him to stand forth at the bar in the ,court of ,conscience1 an exemplar of iniquities worse than could have been believed of humanity1 were he not there to sustain the character1 and authenticate the rightful delineation4 ,thenceforwards obstreperously railing on1 overwhelming the great painter with exaggerated reproaches for envy that persecuted all worth1 for untired self-laudation1 for painting his unfortunate ,sigismunda2 and oh6 shame of song6 for the advancing infirmities of old age4 ,the merits of ,hogarth1 as master of comic painting1 are acknowledged in lines that have been often quoted1 and are of very moderate merit--not worth a rush4 ,the description of his age and infirmities1 as ,garrick said at the time1 is too shocking and barbarous4 ,it nauseates the soul2 and unmasks in the ,satirist the rancorous and malignant hostility which assumes the disguise of a righteous indignation4 ,hogarth6 stand forth4--,nay1 hang not thus aloof-- ,now1 ,candor6 now thou shalt receive such proof1 ,such damning proof1 that henceforth thou shalt fear ,to tax my wrath1 and own my conduct clear-- ,hogarth6 stand forth--,i dare thee to be try'd ,in that great court where ,conscience must preside2 ,at that most solemn bar hold up thy hand2 ,think before whom1 on what account1 you stand-- ,speak1 but consider well--from first to last ,review thy life1 weigh ev'ry action past-- ,nay1 you shall have no reason to complain-- ,take longer time1 and view them o'er again-- ,canst thou remember from thy earliest youth1 ,and1 as thy ,god must judge thee1 speak the truth2 ,a single instance where1 self laid aside1 ,and justice taking place of fear and pride1 ,thou with an equal eye did'st genius view1 ,and give to merit what was merit's due8 ,genius and merit are a sure offence1 ,and thy soul sickens at the name of sense4 ,is any one so foolish to succeed8 ,on ,envy's altar he is doom'd to bleed2 ,hogarth1 a guilty pleasure in his eyes1 ,the place of executioner supplies3 ,see how he glotes1 enjoys the sacred feast1 ,and proves himself by cruelty a priest4 ,whilst the weak artist1 to thy whims a slave1 ,would bury all those pow'rs which ,nature gave2 ,would suffer black concealment to obscure ,those rays thy jealousy could not endure2 ,to feed thy vanity would rust unknown1 ,and to secure thy credit blast his own1 ,in ,hogarth he was sure to find a friend ,he could not fear1 and therefore might commend3 ,but when his ,spirit1 rous'd by honest shame1 ,shook off that lethargy1 and soar'd to fame2 ,when1 with the pride of man1 resolv'd and strong1 ,he scorn'd those fears which did his honour wrong1 ,and1 on himself determin'd to rely1 ,brought forth his labours to the public eye1 ,no friend in thee could such a rebel know2 ,he had desert1 and ,hogarth was his foe4 ,souls of a tim'rous cast1 of petty name ,in ,envy's court1 not yet quite dead to shame1 ,may some remorse1 some qualms of conscience feel1 ,and suffer honour to abate their zeal2 ,but the man truly and completely great ,allows no rule of action but his hate2 ,thro' ev'ry bar he bravely breaks his way1 ,passion his principle1 and parts his prey4 ,mediums in vice and virtue speak a mind ,within the pale of temperance confin'd2 ,the daring spirit scorns her narrow schemes1 ,and1 good or bad1 is always in extremes4 ,man's practice duly weigh'd1 thro' ev'ry age ,on the same plan hath ,envy form'd her rage1 ',gainst those whom fortune hath our rivals made1 ,in way of science and in way of trade3 ,stung with mean jealousy she arms her spite1 ,first works1 then views their ruin with delight4 ,our ,hogarth here a grand improver shines1 ,and nobly on the gen'ral plan refines3 ,he like himself o'erleaps the servile bound2 ,worth is his mark1 wherever worth is found2 ,should painters only his vast wrath suffice8 ,genius in ev'ry walk is lawful prize3 ',tis a gross insult to his o'ergrown state2 ,his love to merit is to feel his hate4 ,when ,wilkes1 our countryman1 our common friend1 ,arose1 his king1 his country1 to defend2 ,when tools of pow'r he bar'd to public view1 ,and from their holes the sneaking cowards drew2 ,when ,rancour found it far beyond her reach ,to soil his honour and his truth impeach2 ,what could induce thee1 at a time and place ,where manly foes had blush'd to show their face1 ,to make that effort which must damn thy name1 ,and sink thee deep1 deep1 in thy grave with shame8 ,did virtue move thee8 ,no2 'twas pride1 rank pride1 ,and if thou had'st not done it thou had'st dy'd4 ,malice1 7who1 disappointed of her end1 ,whether to work the bane of foe or friend1 ,preys on herself1 and driven to the stake1 ,gives virtue that revenge she scorns to take17 ,had kill'd thee1 tott'ring on life's utmost verge1 ,had ,wilkes and ,liberty escap'd thy scourge4 ,when that ,great ,charter1 which our fathers brought2 ,with their best blood1 was into question bought1 ,when1 big with ruin1 o'er each ,english head ,vile slav'ry hung suspended by a thread2 ,when ,liberty1 all trembling and aghast1 ,fear'd for the future1 knowing what was past2 ,when ev'ry breast was chill'd with deep despair1 ,till reason pointed out that ,pratt was there2 ,lurking most ruffian-like behind a screen1 ,so plac'd all things to see1 himself unseen1 ,virtue1 with due contempt1 saw ,hogarth stand1 ,the murd'rous pencil in his palsied hand4 ,what was the cause of ,liberty to him1 ,or what was ,honour8 let them sink or swim1 ,so he may gratify without control ,the mean resentment of his selfish soul2 ,let freedom perish1 if1 to freedom true1 ,in the same ruin ,wilkes may perish too4 ,with all the symptoms of assur'd decay1 ,with age and sickness pinch'd and worn away1 ,pale qiuv'ring lips1 lank cheeks1 and falt'ring tongue1 ,the spirits out of tune1 the nerves unstrung1 ,the body shrivell'd up1 thy dim eyes sunk ,within their sockets deep1 thy weak hams shrunk1 ,the body's weight unable to sustain1 ,the stream of life scarce trembling1 thro' the vein1 ,more than half-kill'd by honest truths1 which fell ,thro' thy own fault from men who wish'd thee well1 ,canst thou1 ev'n thus1 thy thoughts to vengeance give1 ,and1 dead to all things else1 to malice live8 ,hence1 ,dotard6 to thy closet2 shut thee in2 ,by deep repentance wash away thy sin2 ,from haunts of men to shame and sorrow fly1 ,and1 on the verge of death1 learn how to die4 ,what was ,hogarth's unpardonable sin8 ,nature had lodged the unlovely soul of ,jack ,wilkes in an unlovely and ludicrous person1 which the wicked and inimitable pencil of ,hogarth had made a little unlovelier perhaps1 and a little more ludicrous4 ,horace ,walpole spoke in his usual clear-cutting style of ,mr ,charles ,pylades and ,mr ,john ,orestes4 ,they liked one another1 and ran the scent1 strong as a trail of rancid fish-guts1 of the same pleasures--but let not such hunting in couples profane the name of friendship4 ,for me1 who warm and zealous for my friend1 ,in spite of railing thousands1 will commend1 ,and1 no less warm and zealous 'gainst my foes1 ,spite of commending thousands1 will oppose-- ,i dare thy worst1 with scorn behold thy rage2 ,but with an eye of pity view thy age-- ,thy feeble age6 in which1 as in a glass1 ,we see how men to dissolution pass4 ,thou wretched being6 whom1 on reason's plan1 ,so chang'd1 so lost1 ,i cannot call a man-- ,what could persuade thee at this time of life1 ,to launch afresh into the sea of strife6 ,better for thee1 scarce crawling on the earth1 ,almost as much a child as at thy birth2 ,to have resign'd in peace thy parting breath1 ,and sunk unnotic'd in the arms of death4 ,why would thy gray1 gray hairs resentment brave1 ,thus to go down with sorrow to the grave8 ,now1 by my soul6 it makes me blush to know ,my spirit could descend to such a foe3 ,whatever cause the vengeance might provoke2 ,it seems rank cowardice to give the stroke4 ,sure 'tis a curse which angry ,fates impose ,to mortify man's arrogance1 that those ,who're fashion'd of some better sort of clay ,much sooner than the common herd decay4 ,what bitter pangs must humble ,genius feel ,in their last hours1 to view a ,swift and ,steele6 ,how must ill-boding horrors fill her breast1 ,when she beholds men mark'd above the rest ,for qualities most dear1 plung'd from that height1 ,and sunk1 deep sunk1 in second childhood's night6 ,are men1 indeed1 such things8 and are the best ,more subject to this evil than the rest2 ,to drivel out whole years of idiot breath1 ,and sit the monuments of living ,death6 ,o6 galling circumstance to human pride6 ,abasing thought6 but not to be deny'd4 ,with curious art the brain1 too finely wrought1 ,preys on herself1 and is destroy'd by thought4 ,constant attention wears the active mind1 ,blots out her pow'rs1 and leaves a blank behind1 ,but let not youth1 to insolence ally'd1 ,in heat of blood1 in full career of pride1 ,possess'd of genius1 with unhallow'd rage ,mock the infirmities of rev'rend age3 ,the greatest genius to this fate may bow2 ,reynolds in time may be like ,hogarth now4 ,one makes allowance1 in reading1 for the inflamed temper of the times1 for a judgment disturbed with personal anger1 and for the self-consciousness which1 hardly separable from talent1 stirs and sustains its energies4 ,but--,churchill demolishing ,hogarth6 ,it is startling--rather melancholy--and very amusing4 ,one compares fame with fame--the transitory and the imperishable4 ,the wave1 lashed into fury1 that comes on1 mountain-swollen1 all rage1 and froth1 and thunder1 to dash itself into spray against some ,atlas of the ,deep--some huge brother of ,time1 whose cheeks the wings of the centuries caress1 and of whose hand storms that distract heaven and earth are but toys4 ,of the ,,prophecy ,,of ,,famine1 ,wilkes1 before its publication1 said he was sure it would take1 as it was at once personal1 poetical1 and political4 ,and take it did--going off in thousands1 and tens of thousands4 ,the ,whig coteries1 of course1 cried it up to the skies2 and the established authorities declared that ,pope must now hide his diminished head4 ,such nonsense ,churchill swallowed2 for he had tried to take it into his head that ,pope was a fool to him1 and in his cups was wont to vent a wish that little ,alec were alive1 that he might break his heart4 ,that was the delusion of delirium4 ,inflated with vanity as he was1 he must1 when sober1 have known well he could not with his cudgel1 readily though he flourished it1 have lived for five minutes before that ,master of the rapier4 ,scotsmen as we are to the spine1 it is possible that we may be incapacitated by the strength of our backbone for perceiving the mighty merit of this astonishing satire4 ,steeped to the lips in national prejudices in favour of ,scotland1 7not against ,england--heaven forbid67 imbibed with the first gulp of ,glenlivet that more than three quarters of a century ago went gurgling down our filial throats--inured to hunger from our tenderest years--in life's morning march when our spirits were young1 ignorant of shoes1 though haply not inexpert of sulphur--to us1 thus born and thus bred1 it may not be given to behold with our outward eyes1 and feel with our inward hearts1 the full glory of ,the ,prophecy of ,famine4 ,boswell1 with an uneasy smirk1 rather than a ghastly grin1 said1 ,it is indeed falsely applied to ,scotland1 but may on that account be allowed a greater share of invention4 ,johnson in his heart loved ,scotland1 as all his jeers show2 and perhaps on that account was1 like ourselves1 no fair judge of ,churchill's genius4 ,i called the fellow a blockhead at first--and ,i call him a blockhead still1 comprehended all his performances in one general contempt4 ,in later times1 ,jeffrey has dismissed him with little ceremony to find his place at the ,third ,table4 ,campbell1 who1 though a ,whig1 cared nothing about ,churchill1 acknowledges having been amused by the laughable extravagance of the ,prophecy4 ,and ,lord ,mahon says1 that it may yet be read with all the admiration which the most vigorous powers of verse and the most lively touches of wit can earn in the cause of slander and falsehood4 ,suppose1 rough-and-ready ,readers1 that you judge for yourselves4 ,you have not a copy of ,churchill--so passing over the first part of the poem--about three hundred lines--as dull as ditchwater in the season of powheads--let us give you the cream1 or marrow1 or pith of the famous ,prophecy of ,famine1 before which ,scotia1 our auld respectit mither1 bowed down and fell1 and was thought by some to have given up the ghost1 or at least tined her dam4 ,two boys1 whose birth1 beyond all question1 springs ,from great and glorious tho' forgotten kings1 ,shepherds of ,scottish lineage1 born and bred ,on the same bleak and barren mountain's head2 ,by niggard ,nature doom'd on the same rocks ,to spin out life1 and starve themselves and flocks2 ,fresh as the morning which1 enrob'd in mist1 ,the mountain's top with usual dulness kiss'd1 ,jockey and ,sawney1 to their labours rose2 ,soon clad ,i ween where ,nature needs no clothes1 ,where1 from their youth inur'd to winter-skies1 ,dress and her vain refinements they despise4 ,jockey1 whose manly high-bon'd cheeks to crown1 ,with freckles spotted flam'd the golden down1 ,with meikle art could on the bagpipes play1 ,ev'n from the rising to the setting day3 ,sawney as long without remorse could bawl ,home's madrigals1 and ditties from ,fingal3 ,oft at his strains1 all natural tho' rude1 ,the ,highland lass forgot her want of food2 ,and1 whilst she scratch'd her lover into rest1 ,sunk pleas'd1 tho' hungry1 on her ,sawney's breast4 ,far as the eye could reach no tree was seen1 ,earth1 clad in russet1 scorn'd the lively green3 ,the plague of locusts they secure defy1 ,for in three hours a grasshopper must die3 ,no living thing1 whate'er its food1 feasts there1 ,but the chameleon1 who can feast on air4 ,no birds1 except as birds of passage1 flew2 ,no bee was known to hum1 no dove to coo3 ,no streams1 as amber smooth1 as amber clear1 ,were seen to glide1 or heard to warble here3 ,rebellion's spring1 which thro' the country ran1 ,furnish'd with bitter draughts the steady clan3 ,no flow'rs embalm'd the air but one ,white ,rose1 ,which on the tenth of ,june by instinct blows1 ,by instinct blows at morn1 and when the shades ,of drizzly eve prevail1 by instinct fades4 ,one1 and but one1 poor solitary cave1 ,too sparing of her favours1 ,nature gave2 ,that one alone 7hard tax on ,scottish pride67 ,shelter at once for man and beast supply'd4 ,their snares without entangling briers spread1 ,and thistles1 arm'd against the invader's head1 ,stood in close ranks1 all entrance to oppose1 ,thistles6 now held more precious than the ,rose4 ,all creatures which1 on ,nature's earliest plan1 ,were form'd to loathe and to be loath'd by man1 ,which ow'd their birth to nastiness and spite1 ,deadly to touch1 and hateful to the sight2 ,creatures1 which1 when admitted in the ark1 ,their saviour shunn'd1 and rankled in the dark1 ,found place within4 ,marking her noisome road ,with poison's trail1 here crawl'd the bloated toad2 ,there webs were spread of more than common size1 ,and half-starv'd spiders prey'd on half-starv'd flies2 ,in quest of food1 efts strove in vain to crawl2 ,slugs1 pinch'd with hunger1 smear'd the slimy wall3 ,the cave around with hissing serpents rung2 ,on the damp roof unhealthy vapour hung2 ,and ,famine1 by her children always known1 ,as proud as poor1 here fix'd her native throne4 ,here1 for the sullen sky as overcast1 ,and summer shrunk beneath a wintry blast1 ,a native blast1 which1 arm'd with hail and rain1 ,beat unrelenting on the naked swain1 ,the boys for shelter made3 behind the sheep1 ,of which those shepherds ev'ry day take keep1 ,sickly crept on1 and1 with complainings rude1 ,on ,nature seem'd to call and bleat for food4 ,jockey4 ,sith to this cave by tempest we're confin'd1 ,and within ken our flocks1 under the wind1 ,safe from the pelting of this per'lous storm1 ,are laid among yon' thistles1 dry and warm1 ,what1 ,sawney6 if by shepherds' art we try ,to mock the rigour of this cruel sky8 ,what if we tune some merry roundelay8 ,well dost thou sing1 nor ill doth ,jockey play4 ,sawney4 ,ah ,jockey1 ill advisest thou1 ,i wis1 ,to think of songs at such a time as this2 ,sooner shall herbage crown these barren rocks1 ,sooner shall fleeces clothe these ragged flocks1 ,sooner shall want seize shepherds of the south1 ,and we forget to live from hand to mouth1 ,than ,sawney1 out of season1 shall impart ,tho songs of gladness with an aching heart4 ,jockey4 ,still have ,i known thee for a silly swain2 ,of things past help what boots it to complain8 ,nothing but mirth can conquer ,fortune's spite2 ,no sky is heavy if the heart be light3 ,patience is sorrow's salve3 what can't be cur'd1 ,so ,donald right areeds1 must be endur'd4 ,sawney4 ,full silly swain1 ,i wot1 is ,jockey now2 ,how didst thou bear thy ,maggy's falsehood8 how1 ,when with a foreign loon she stole away1 ,didst thou forswear thy pipe and shepherd's lay8 ,where was thy boasted wisdom then1 when ,i ,apply'd those proverbs which you now apply8 ,jockey4 ,o she was bonny6 all the ,highlands round ,was there a rival to my ,maggy found8 ,more precious 7tho' that precious is to all7 ,than the rare med'cine which we ,brimstone call1 ,or that choice plant1 so grateful to the nose1 ,which in ,i-know-not-what-far country grows1 ,was ,maggy unto me3 dear do ,i rue ,a lass so fair should ever prove untrue4 ,sawney4 ,whether with pipe or song to charm the ear1 ,thro' all the land did ,jamie find a peer8 ,curs'd be that year by ev'ry honest ,scot1 ,and in the shepherds' kalendar forgot1 ,that fatal year1 when ,jamie1 hapless swain6 ,in evil hour forsook the peaceful plain3 ,jamie1 when our young laird discreetly fled1 ,was seiz'd1 and hang'd till he was dead1 dead1 dead4 ,jockey4 ,full sorely may we all lament that day1 ,for all were losers in the deadly fray2 ,five brothers had ,i on the ,scottish plains1 ,well dost thou know were none more hopeful swains2 ,five brothers there ,i lost1 in manhood's pride1 ,two in the field1 and three on gibbets dy'd3 ,ah6 silly swains6 to follow war's alarms2 ,ah6 what hath shepherd's life to do with arms8 ,sawney4 ,mention it not--,there saw ,i strangers clad ,in all the honours of our ravish'd ,plaid2 ,saw the ,ferrara1 too1 our nation's pride1 ,unwilling grace the awkward victor's side4 ,there fell our choicest youth1 and from that day ,mote never ,sawney tune the merry lay2 ,bless'd those which fell6 curs'd those which still survive6 ,to mourn ,fifteen renew'd in ,forty-five4 ,as our memory of our personal experiences about the period in ,scottish history at which the above scene is laid is extremely obscure1 we cannot take upon ourselves to speak authoritatively of the fidelity of the picture4 ,but ,churchill1 we grieve to say it1 was a regular--a thorough ,cockney4 ,the instant a ,cockney opens his mouth1 or puts pen to paper about ,scotland1 he stands confessed4 ,here ,charles's attempt at the ,scottish dialect betrays the taint4 ,not a single one of the words he chucklingly puts into the lips of ,jockey and ,sawney as characteristically ,scoto-,arcadian1 was ever heard or seen by the breechless swains of that pastoral realm4 ,never does an alien look so silly to the natives1 be they who they may1 as when instructing them in their own language1 or mimicking the niceties and delicacies of its dialects4 ,they pardonably think him little better than a fool2 nor does he mend the matter much by telling them that he is satirical and a wit4 ,considerable latitude in the article of language must be allowed to the poet1 who presents to us engaged in dialogue two natives of a country where clothes and victuals are nearly unknown4 ,rude must they be in speech--and little graced with the set phrase of peace4 ,churchill was bound to have conceived for them an utterance natural to their condition1 as ,shakspeare did for ,caliban4 ,but over and above the ,cockneyisms committed by him1 he makes them twaddle like middle-aged men in middle-sized towns1 who had passed all their nights in blankets1 and all their days in breeches1 with as liberal an allowance of food as parish paupers4 ,to mock the rigour of this cruel sky1 ,in all the honours of our ravish'd plaid-- ,unwilling grace the awkward victor's side1 have here no dramatic propriety we opine--and show the slobberer4 ,the ,satirist betrays the same poverty of invention in the sentiments as in the language of the ,swains4 ,they illustrate no concealed character--they reveal no latent truth4 ,rebellion's spring1 which through the country ran1 ,furnished with bitter draughts the steady clan2 and yet the swains are averse from war1 and exclaim-- ,ah6 silly swains6 to follow war's alarms2 ,ah6 what hath shepherd's life to do with arms8 ,and1 at the same time1 they talk of-- the ,ferrara1 too1 our nation's pride4 ,the dialogue is throughout absolutely stupid4 ,you are not made by it either to hate or despise the ,swains1 nor are you led to laugh at them2 but lay down the satire for minute or two1 peevishly suspecting that you have been reading arrant nonsense4 ,you take up the trash again2 and1 being a ,scotsman1 you are perhaps not altogether quite so well pleased to find that it suddenly waxes into something very like poetry4 ,the description of the cave had made you wince--why1 you knew not2 for nothing the least like it ever existed in ,scotland1 or out of it2 and your high cheekbones had tingled4 ,the reprobate can write1 you are forced to confess1 while ,christopher ,north holds up to your confusion the picture of ,famine4 ,thus plain'd the boys1 when from her throne of turf ,with boils emboss'd1 and overgrown with scurf1 ,vile humours1 which1 in life's corrupted well1 ,mix'd at the birth1 not abstinence could quell1 ,pale ,famine rear'd the head2 her eager eyes1 ,where hunger ev'n to madness seem'd to rise1 ,speaking aloud her throes and pangs of heart1 ,strain'd to get loose1 and from their orbs to start4 ,her hollow cheeks were each a deep sunk cell1 ,where wretchedness and horror lov'd to dwell3 ,with double rows of useless teeth supply'd1 ,her mouth from ear to ear extended wide1 ,which when for want of food her entrails pin'd ,she op'd1 and1 cursing1 swallow'd nought but wind3 ,all shrivell'd was her skin2 and here and there1 ,making their way by force1 her bones lay bare3 ,such filthy sight to hide from human view ,o'er her foul limbs a tatter'd plaid she threw4 ',cease1' cry'd the goddess1 'cease1 despairing swains6 ,and from a parent hear what ,jove ordains4 ',pent in this barren corner of the isle1 ,where partial ,fortune never deign'd to smile1 ,like ,nature's bastards1 reaping for our share ,what was rejected by the lawful heir2 ,unknown amongst the nations of the earth1 ,or only known to raise contempt and mirth2 ,long free1 because the race of ,roman braves ,thought it not worth their while to make us slaves1 ,then into bondage by that nation brought ,whose ruin we for ages vainly sought1 ,whom still with unslak'd hate we view1 and still1 ,the pow'r of mischief lost1 retain the will2 ,consider'd as the refuse of mankind1 ,a mass till the last moment left behind1 ,which frugal ,nature doubted1 as it lay1 ,whether to stamp with life or throw away2 ,which1 form'd in haste1 was planted in this nook1 ,but never enter'd in ,creation's book1 ,branded as traitors1 who1 for love of gold1 ,would sell their ,god1 as once their king they sold2 ,long have we borne this mighty weight of ill1 ,these vile injurious taunts1 and bear them still2 ,but times of happier note are now at hand1 ,and the full promise of a better land3 ,there1 like the sons of ,isr'el1 having trode ,for the fix'd term of years ordain'd by ,god1 ,a barren desert1 we shall seize rich plains1 ,where milk with honey flows1 and plenty reigns3 ,with some few natives join'd1 some pliant few1 ,who worship int'rest1 and our track pursue2 ,there shall we1 tho' the wretched people grieve1 ,ravage at large1 nor ask the owners' leave4 ',for us the earth shall bring forth her increase2 ,for us the flocks shall wear a golden fleece2 ,fat beeves shall yield us dainties not our own1 ,and the grape bleed a nectar yet unknown3 ,for our advantage shall their harvests grow1 ,and ,scotsmen reap what they disdain'd to sow3 ,for us the sun shall climb the eastern hill2 ,for us the rain shall fall1 the dew distil3 ,when to our wishes ,nature cannot rise1 ,art shall be task'd to grant us fresh supplies2 ,his brawny arm shall drudging ,labour strain1 ,and for our pleasure suffer daily pain3 ,trade shall for us exert her utmost pow'rs1 ,hers all the toil1 and all the profit ours3 ,for us the oak shall from his native steep ,descend1 and fearless travel thro' the deep2 ,the sail of commerce1 for our use unfurl'd1 ,shall waft the treasures of each distant world2 ,for us sublimer heights shall science reach2 ,for us their statesmen plot1 their churchmen preach3 ,their noblest limbs of counsel we'll disjoint1 ,and1 mocking1 new ones of our own appoint3 ,devouring ,war1 imprison'd in the north1 ,shall at our call in horrid pomp break forth2 ,and when1 his chariot wheels with thunder hung1 ,fell ,discord braying with her brazen tongue1 ,death in the van1 with ,anger1 ,hate1 and ,fear1 ,and ,desolation stalking in the rear1 ,revenge1 by ,justice guided1 in his train1 ,he drives inpet'ous o'er the trembling plain1 ,shall at our bidding quit his lawful prey1 ,and to meek1 gentle1 gen'rous ,peace give way4 ',think not1 my sons6 that this so bless'd estate ,stands at a distance on the roll of ,fate2 ,already big with hopes of future sway1 ,ev'n from this cave ,i scent my destin'd prey4 ,think not that this dominion o'er a race1 ,whose former deeds shall ,time's last annals grace1 ,in the rough face of peril must be sought1 ,and with the lives of thousands dearly bought3 ,no--fool'd by cunning1 by that happy art ,which laughs to scorn the blund'ring hero's heart1 ,into the snare shall our kind neighbours fall1 ,with open eyes1 and fondly give us all4 ,alongside of any one of the masterpieces of ,dryden or ,pope1 this1 perhaps the most vigorous thing of ,churchill's1 is seen to be a daub4 ,yet ,cockney connoisseurs still think it a fine picture4 ,when fresh from the easel1 it was thus praised by a metropolitan critic3-- ,you'll own the great ,churchill possesses1 ,i hope1 ,more fancy than ,cowley1 more numbers than ,pope2 ,more strength1 too1 than ,dryden--for1 think on what's past1 ,he has not only rivall'd1 but beat them at last4 ,a hearty national prejudice is no bad foundation for a ,poem4 ,it implies one great requisite of success--a secure large sympathy4 ,this trusted home animates the poet2 and a reception1 answering to the confidence1 awaits the work4 ,moreover1 ungrounded or exaggerated as these depreciations and antipathies are likely to be1 they usually spring out of some deep-laid element in the character of those who entertain them1 and have thus the vital warmth and strength that feed poetry1 and an original truth of nature mixed up amongst fallacies of opinion4 ,caricatured representation is the proper vehicle4 ,for ,censure is then half disarmed1 when to her exception1 ,this is not so1 the reply lies upon the face of the performance1 ,neither is it offered for true4 ,the hyperbole of the phrase covers the distortion of the thinking4 ,if we are to find fault with ,churchill's ,prophecy of ,famine1 it must be upon some other ground than the injustice or cruelty of the attack upon poor ,scotland1 or the hardness of the hits delivered1 it may be1 by a fist gloved in iron4 ,who grudges the attack8 ,not ,sawney himself1 if it is made in masterly style4 ,a magnanimous combatant1 who has the true enthusiasm of the fight1 admires the skill of the stroke that threatens him with defeat or death4 ,spite1 malice1 aversion1 enmity1 are not ingratiating demonstrations4 ,far from it4 ,ill-will is naturally met with ill-will4 ,but besides that which is unavoidably self-regarding in such a relation of parties1 room is open for views of a more general feature1 of a more generous complexion4 ,john ,bull scowls at ,sawney1 and makes mouths at his oatmeal diet1 with lips to which the memory of his own roast-beef cleaves4 ,the last-mentioned dish is not altogether unknown north of the ,tweed4 ,but ,john ,bull knows not the unimaginable fact1 or knew it not1 for the barrier is now widely broken down4 ,sawney has humour enough to be amused by the writhing apprehension of dry and lean fare which deforms the well-fed and jocund face of the bacon-bolter4 ,there is in the description and ,amaban lament of the two gaunt and shivering young ,arcadians1 and in the cave of the tutelary ,goddess1 ,famine1 the intention at least of the picturesque and poetical4 ,the fault is1 that the thing has no bringing out or completeness4 ,it is incomposite--as a plan1 unintelligible4 ,are the dramatis person1 ,sawney1 ,jockey1 and the ,goddess1 with ,sawney's love1 the whole population of ,scotland8 ,do the two lads1 and their sheep1 and ,famine1 occupy the same sole cave which is all the houses in ,scotland8 ,is it a comprehensive ,allegory under the guise of a pastoral ,idyl8 ,a ground is laid2 and it is easy to conceive that a ,hogarth in verse1 with his stored eye1 and that hand mimic and creative1 which1 by some unmistaken touch of nature1 sets upon capricious extravagance the known seal of truth1 might have finished a picture which experience itself would have half-believed in spite of its conviction1 that never had there been such an hungered race4 ,but such a ,hogarth in verse was not ,churchill4 ,upon the ground laid1 a ,satire might have been made out by such a genius1 exaggerated1 witty1 poetical--pleasing even to the posterity of the victims4 ,but instead of crowded ideas1 here are but three or four4 ,this writing does1 in fact1 not express the national prejudices of ,south ,britain against ,north ,britain4 ,it expresses the zeal of party and of a partizan4 ,one can hardly conceive such an ignorance of ,scotland in ,england1 as that a man of ability wishing to traduce and ridicule the country1 should sit down contented under such a paucity of mischievous information4 ,he writes under one simple rule--negation4 ,to deny food1 to deny clothes1 to deny houses1 to deny sunshine1 grass1 rivers even1 requires no mental effort of any kind1 and is the part of a dunce and an ignoramus4 ,for any thing positive1 the ,scotch are proud1 have high cheekbones1 and love brimstone and rebellion4 ,that is the amount of the picture4 ,famine consoles the two hungry lads who mourn over the ,fifteen and the ,forty-five1 with prophesying the invasion and conquest of ,england by the ,bute ,administration--a glorious hope1 a national redress1 and a private filling of empty purses and stomachs4 ,churchill was himself poverty-stricken in mind1 during the composition of this blunder1 to a degree that never befell any true poet4 ,an ,englishman of this day must be puzzled to bring back the time when ,scotland was so completely a terra incognita to her sister1 as that this rude and unlearned caricature could pass4 ,indeed1 he hardly understands the hate--he to whom prose and verse1 from one great hand1 and poetry profusedly scattered like flowers all over the soil from another1 have made hallowed the land of romance1 and of dreams more beautiful than romance1 and for whom the words1 ,caledonia1 stern and wild1 mean any thing but repulsion4 ,but one must remember1 that poetry was at the time at a low ebb1 almost stagnant in ,england1 and that any thing that looked like an image was aprodigy4 ,if ,gray and ,collins now and then struck the lyre1 they stood apart from the prevailing prosaic and common-place tone of the times4 ,an ,englishman of to-day knows the name of ,home by one of the most popular tragedies on his stage1 if not one of the most vigorous1 yet amongst modern dramas1 one of the most affecting2 and he wonders when that name is introduced by ,churchill for the purpose of aggravating the contempt of ,scotland1 represented as a region ,boeotian in wit1 quite as much as by its atmosphere4 ,he understands by what attraction ,collins addressed to ,home his ,ode on the ,superstitions of the ,highlands4 ,political hatred1 the dislike1 the indignation1 which may have been widely enough diffused through the nation1 at the interloping of ,scotchmen in the high places of power and emolument--this was the sentiment in the national bosom which gave a meaning to the poem1 and found it a reception4 ,such a sentiment is not scrupulous or critical--it is passionate merely--and asks not the happinesses of humour1 wit1 fancy1 of the graphical and the characteristic4 ,it asks bitter animosity1 and vile vituperation1 and is satisfied4 ,the individuality of a nation is curiously made up4 ,the country which they inhabit makes a part of it1 the most easily understood4 ,their manners1 customs1 and institutions make another part of it1 much of which is outward1 picturesque1 and easily seen4 ,their history1 that which they have done1 and that which they have endured1 makes a part4 ,and lastly1 that which runs through all1 rises out of all1 animates all1 their proper personality1 their intellectual and moral character1 makes a part--and now you have the whole4 ,we demand of the writer who will1 in earnest1 paint the people1 that he shall know all these things extensively1 variously1 profoundly4 ,and of the ,satirist1 who will hold up the nation to dislike and to laughter1 that he too shall show he knows them1 their defects and their deformities1 their crimes and their customs1 their sins and their sorrows1 their sufferings and their absurdities1 their monstrosities and their misfortunes1 ,god's curse or of their own consciences1 that may have stricken their country and their condition1 and starved the paupers in body and in soul4 ,such chastisement might be terrible1 and not undeserved4 ,but to inflict it1 was far beyond the power of poor ,charles ,churchill4 ,waft me1 some ,muse1 to ,tweed's enchanting stream1 ,where all the little ,loves and ,graces dream3 ,where1 slowly winding1 the dull waters creep1 ,and seem themselves to own the power of sleep2 ,where on the surface lead1 like feathers1 swims2 ,there let me bathe my yet unhallow'd limbs1 ,as once a ,syrian bathed in ,jordan's flood2 ,wash off my native stains1 correct that blood ,which mutinies at call of ,english pride1 ,and1 deaf to prudence1 rolls a patriot tide4 ,ay1 much the better would he have been of a dip in the ,tweed4 ,he was a big1 burly fellow2 but1 though no great swimmer1 he would have found it buoyant after a debauch4 ,his native stains1 washed off1 would1 alas6 have sadly discoloured the ,angler's ,delight4 ,worse than a hundred ,sheep-washings4 ,but at one gleam of the showery bow1 the waters would have resumed their lustre4 ,he was the last man in the world who ought to have abused brimstone2 for his soul had the ,itch4 ,a wallow in the sweet mould--the pure mire of ,cardronna ,mains--on a dropping day1 would have been of service to his body1 bloated with foul blood4 ,smeared with that sanative soil1 he might have been born again--no more a leper4 ,i remember well1 says ,dr ,kippis1 that he dressed his younger son the son of his wife--not of the mistress for whom he abandoned her in a ,scottish plaid1 like a little ,highlander1 and carried him every where in that garb4 ,the boy being asked by a gentleman with whom ,i was in company1 why he was clothed in such a manner1 answered with great vivacity1--',sir1 my father hates the ,scotch1 and does it to plague them4' ,for a father to dress up his son in the garb of a people1 despised and detested with perpetual scunner1 seems an odd demonstration either of party spite or of paternal fondness--about as sensible as1 on the anniversary of his birth-day1 in compliment to his mother1 to have dressed him up like a monkey4 ,the ,patriot ,satirist6 ,the question inevitably obtrudes itself--what is the pointing of destiny1 which singles out ,churchill for the indignant protector1 in verse1 of ,england's freedom and welfare8 ,what calls his hand into the van of battle1 with the strong lance of justice laid in rest1 to tilt against the ill-defended breast of poor1 proud1 hungry1 jacobinical1 place-loving1 coin-attached and coin-attaching1 muse-left1 gibbet-favoured1 tartan-clad1 sulphur-scented1 and thistle-growing ,scotland8 ,the hero of liberty1 the self-offered martyr for the rights and the wrongs of a great people1 should carry on his front1 one might suppose1 some evidence of the over-mastering spirit which1 like a necessity1 finds him out1 and throws him1 as if a lot-drawn champion1 alone into the jaws and jeopardy of the war4 ,it should be one1 of whom1 if you knew him yet obscure1 you might divine and say1 ,this is his hour--his is the mind that consecrates its possessor to a consecrated cause1 that discriminates1 essentially as the spirits of light as divided from the spirits of darkness1 the lover of his country from the factious partizan1 and from the seditious demagogue4 ,there should be a private life and character that but repeat themselves in the public ones1 on a bolder and gigantic scale4 ,else how ready does the apprehension rise1 that the professed hostility to unjust men in power is no more than the reluctance of an ill-disciplined spirit1 under the offence and constraint of institutions which set superiors over his head1 and gall him by bridling an unruly will2--whilst the clamorous zeal for the general good is purely the choice of the staking gamester between red and black1 and the preference of the million-headed patron to the cheapener with a few heads or with one4 ,the two known traits1 which largely comprehend the private life of ,churchill1 do not prepossess one in his favour4 ,he left his profession1 the church2 and he exchanged his wife1 after many years' cohabitation1 for a mistress2 two paramount desecrations unhappily met4 ,and the trumpet-call to the war-field of patriotism sings but uncheeringly1 when the blast is winded by the breath of ,wilkes4 ,when the shame of ,england burns in the heart of ,cowper1 you must believe him2 for through that heart rolled the best of ,england's blood4 ,but ,churchill6 ,faugh6 ,edinburgh3 ,printed ,ballantyne and ,hughes1 ,paul's ,work4 ,footnotes3 #a ,memoirs of the ,life of ,john ,constable1 ,esq41 ,r4,a4 ,composed chiefly of his ,letters4 ,by ,c4 ,r4 ,,leslie1 ,r4,a4 ,second ,edition4 ,longmans4 #b ,even there we see that he viewed the matter as a task1 and piqued himself only on having succeeded in a tour-de-force4 ,writing to ,archdeacon ,fisher1 he says--,it was the most difficult subject in landscape ,i ever had on my easel4 ,i have not flinched at the windows1 buttresses1 c42 but ,i have still kept to my grand organ1 colour1 and have as usual made my escape in the evanescence of chiaroscuro4--7,p4 #aji47 #c ,i cannot but recall here a passage in a letter to ,mr ,fisher1 written by ,constable nearly ten years before his death1 in which1 after speaking of having removed his family to ,hampstead1 he says1 ',i could gladly exclaim1 here let me take my everlasting rest6' #d ,one of the greatest and most memorable of the ,turkish princes was ,mahmood the ,ghaznavide1 who reigned in the eastern provinces of ,persia1 ,a4,d4 #iig-ajbh4 ,his father1 ,sebactagi1 arose from the condition of a slave to the command of the city and province of ,ghazna4 ,in the fall of the dynasty of the ,sammanides1 the fortune of ,mahmood was confirmed4 ,for him the title of sultan 7signifying lord and master7 was first invented1 and his kingdom was enlarged from ,transoxiana to the neighbourhood of ,ispahan1 from the shores of the ,caspian to the mouth of the ,indus4 ,the prowess and magnificence of ,mahmood1 his twelve expeditions into ,hindostan1 and the holy wars he waged against the idol-worship of that country1 in one of which he destroyed an image of peculiar sanctity at ,diu or ,du in ,guzerat1 and carried off the gates of ,somnauth1 7so recently1 once more1 become a trophy of triumph and defeat17 the vast treasures amassed in his campaigns1 and the extent and greatness of the ,ghaznavide empire1 have always been favourite subjects with ,eastern historians4 ,the instance of his justice recorded in the verses1 is given by ,gibbon1 from whose history this note is chiefly taken4 ,ghazna1 from being the emporium of ,india1 and the metropolis of a vast dominion1 had almost shrunk from the eye of the geographer1 until1 under the modified appellation of ,ghizni1 it again emerged into importance in our ,affghan war4 ,a curious crowd of associations is suggested by the fact1 that the town which gave its name to a dynasty that shook the successors of ,mahomet on their thrones1 now confers the dignity of ,baron on a native of one of the obscurest villages in ,ireland--,lord ,keane of ,ghizni1 and of ,cappoquin in the county of ,waterford4 #e ,kaff of late years is considered to have been more a creation of ,eastern mythology1 than a genuine incontestable mountain4 ,its position is supposed to be at the highest point of the great ,hindoo-,kosh range4 ,such was its astonishing altitude1 that1 says ,d',herbelot1 vous trouvez souvent dans leurs anciens livres1 pour exprimer le lever du soleil1 cette faon de parler1 aussitt que cet astre part sur la cime du ,mont ,cf1 le monde fut clair de sa lumire3 de mme pour comprendre toute l'etendue de la terre et de l'eau1 ils disent ,depuis ,cf ,cf--c'est dire1 d'une de ses extremits l'autre4 #f ,the name of ,sind1 ,attok1 or ,indus1 is applied indifferently to the mighty stream that forms the western boundary of ,hindostan4 #g ,the tribes of savage warriors inhabiting the ,kipchak1 or table-land of ,tartary1 have been distinguished by the name of the ,golden ,hordes4 ,there is a magnificent lyric on their ,battle-charge1 by ,dr ,croly1 in the ,friendship's ,offering for #ahcd4 #h ,essays on ,natural ,history1 chiefly ,ornithology4 ,by ,,charles ,,waterton1 ,esq41 author of ,wanderings in ,south ,america4 ,second ,series2 with a continuation of the ,autobiography of the ,author4 #i ',i do hereby disclaim1 disavow1 and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present ,church ,establishment within this realm1' c4 ,in framing that abominable oath1 ,i don't believe that ,sir ,robert ,peel cared one fig's-end whether the soul of a ,catholic went up1 after death1 to the ,king of ,brightness or descended to the ,king of ,brimstone4 ,his only aim seems to have been to secure to the ,church by law established the full possession of the loaves and fishes4--,essays1 #ast series1 p4 #ai4 #aj ,a long-protracted lawsuit between this artist and ,prince ,giustiniani has since attracted much public notice4 ,on cleaning a painting apparently of little value1 which he had purchased at a sale of the refuse of the prince's gallery1 ,signor ,vallati detected traces of a superior production beneath that painted over it1 on removing which1 the long-lost duplicate of ,correggio's ,reading ,magdalen was brought to light4 ,a claim was now set up by ,prince ,giustiniani for the restitution of the picture1 or payment of its full value3--but the cause1 after being carried from one tribunal to another1 was at last decided in favour of the right of ,vallati to his prize4 #aa ,a close analogy1 according to this system1 existed between pigs and humming-birds--each representing the gliriform type in their respective circles1 and resembling each other in their small eyes and suctorial propensities6--,see ,,swainson',s ,classification of ,birds in ,,lardner',s ,cabinet ,cyclopdia1 i4 #dc4 #ab ,mopso ,nisa datur4 ,quid non speremus amantes8 ,jungentur jam gryphes equis4 ,,virgil1 ,eclog4 viii4 #bf4 #ac ,a ,popular and ,practical ,introduction to ,law ,studies1 c4 c4 ,by ,,samuel ,,warren1 ,esq41 ,f4,r4,s41 of the ,inner ,temple1 ,barrister-at-,law4 #ad ,p4 #ga4 #ae ,the following extract from a memoir of ,lord ,wynford1 written evidently by a lawyer1 manifests1 in rather an amusing manner1 the esprit de corps of the profession1 and shows how the excitement of the contest between the advocates effaces the dull interest of what are called the merits of the case4 ,note how combative1 how military1 is the style3--,he 7,lord ,wynford7 was a dangerous1 because he was a most watchful and enterprising adversary4 ,you could not any more sleep in his neighbourhood than could the ,duke while ,massena was near1 though he might1 in the neighbourhood of others1 enjoy some repose4 ,but if you never could be sure of his not making some venturous move himself1 and were thus kept on the watch1 so also you could not venture upon moves in the hope of his eyes being closed4 ,it may almost safely be pronounced that he never failed to see or to profit by the slip of his adversary2 to say that he never1 seldom1 made slips himself1 would be very wide of the truth4 ,in fact1 he was not always a safe leader4 ,circumspect enough to see when his antagonist failed1 he took a very narrow1 or very one-sided1 view of his own risks4 ,bold to rashness1 hasty in his resolutions1 quick in all his thoughts and all his movements1 he was often in dangers wholly needless to be encountered2 and though he would occasionally1 by desperate courses1 escape beyond all calculation from risks1 both inevitable and of his own seeking1 he could not be called a successful advocate4--,article on ,,lord ,,wynford1 ,no4 ,,iii41 ,law ,review4 #af ,correspondence between ,count ,m,,nster and the ,baron ,,von ,,stein1 in vol4 ii4 of the ,lebensbilder aus dem ,befreiungskriege1 ,jena3 #ahda4 ,letters of ,baron ,,stein to ,baron ,,gagern1 in ,von ,gagern's ,antheil an der ,politik1 vol4 iv4 ,stuttgart and ,tbingen3 #ahcc4 #ag ,besides the correspondence of ,mnster and ,gagern1 which refer only to the latter part of ,stein's life1 from #ahaa to his death1 we have only a notice in the ,conversations ,lexikon1 and a short biographical sketch by ,arndt1 7the ,baron's secretary17 appended to his ,erinnerungen1 7,leipsig1 #ahdj17 to guide us in the early part of ,stein's career4 ,there are some notices in the body of ,arndt's ,reminiscences1 in ,varnhagen's ,memoirs1 and in some others1 none of which1 however1 go further back than the year #ahaa4 #ah ,in ,prag halten sich die strksten ,mchte und ,autriche zum ,hassen gegen ,napoleon ,zugammengehuft4--,,varnhagen ,,von ,,ense1 iii4 #aie1 first edition4 #ai ,donnerschwangere ,fulgurationer4--,,hormayr1 in the ,lebensbilder1 i4 #fc4 #bj ,,scharnhorst1 ,count ,,dohna1 and ,president ,,von ,,schoen1 mentioned by ,stein in a previous letter not translated4 #ba ,essai sur les ,fictions4