صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

consisting of eleven hundred pages of royal octavo. They who are acquainted with Mr Murray's "Historical Account of Discoveries and Travels in Africa and Asia," will more easily understand the nature of the present work, which is of a similar kind. In few words, we may describe it as a book which presents a distinct, impartial, and highly interesting narrative of the gradual progress made by the European occupants of North America, from the date of its first discovery, down to the present day. And in this narrative is comprehended a detailed account of the numerous voyages which have been made in search of a north-west passage; together with a full view of the physical geography, political system, moral and social condition, industry and commerce of the United States, Canada, and British America. There are few subjects more worthy of engrossing the attention, and of calling forth the talents of a writer. "The series of bold adventure by which the coasts of North America were discovered and its colonies founded; the daring attempts to find a Northern Passage by its Arctic shores; the unparalleled growth and extending power of the United States; with the openings which America affords to our emigrant population,-all these circumstances conspire to render that continent an object of peculiar interest." Our author has spared neither research nor labour in his anxiety to execute faithfully the task he has undertaken. The number of works he has consulted is immense; and the store of reading he has brought to his aid would have been enough for many men's lifetimes. Neither does he ever get confused or dull. His style is full of animation, and he has the art of selecting those details which are at once the most important and the most interesting.

Mr Murray commences with two introductory chapters, the first on supposed early discoveries of America, all of which he clearly shows to have been imaginary, and the second on the origin of the inhabitants of America, in which he takes the same view of the question as Robertson, making it at all events highly probable that the barbarous tribes, who gradually extended themselves to the north-eastern extremity of Asia, passed by means of the Fox and Aleutian chain of islands from one continent to the other. Mr Murray next proceeds to treat of the discovery and colonization of North America. He arranges his chapters under the following heads:-Early Voyages to the American coast-Spanish Expeditions into Florida -French Expeditions into Florida-Discovery and Settlement of Virginia-Discovery and Settlement of New England-Settlement of the other Colonies-Settlement of the French in Canada and Louisiana-The American Indians-America before and after the Revolution -Settlement of the Western Territory-Discoveries in the Regions beyond the Mississippi. All these chapters are full of diversified adventure by flood and field, and present more instances of the romance of real life than are to be met with in any other page of the world's history. From Ponce de Leon and the two Cabots, down to Captains Ross, Parry, and Franklin, America has exercised the most powerful influence in calling forth the energies, and modifying the destinies, of Europeans. No man can be considered a philosophical student of human nature who does not make himself thoroughly acquainted with this most memorable portion of the annals of his species.

In his second volume, Mr Murray presents us with a minute and graphic account of the various voyages for the discovery of a north-west passage to India; and he concludes his labours with a full analysis and summary of the contents of all the most valuable and recent Travels in North America, thus affording a complete and satisfactory view of its present state. In one word, this is a work which teems with important information, and from which more real profit may be derived than from a whole cart-load of the ephemeral productions of the day.

We have but little space left for extracts, nor could

That the

any series of extracts do justice to the work. reader, however, may not go without one specimen of Mr Murray's lively and vigorous style of narrative, we shall quote a passage almost at random. We have opened the book at the adventures of Captain Smith, an early voyager to Virginia, and among these we find the following narrative:

NARROW ESCAPE FROM THE INDIANS.

to a close. In fact, he had been tied to a tree, and a circle "Smith had now reason to consider his career as drawing formed for the purpose of shooting him, when, calling for their chief, Opechankanough, he exhibited to him an ivory compass-dial, and explaining to him its application to the movement of the heavenly bodies, entranced him and his attendants with astonishment and admiration. On a signal made by the Chief with the compass, all the bows and arrows were laid down, and Smith was led, carefully guarded, to their capital. He was then led from town to town, and exhibited to the women and children, who crowded to see him, and received him with strange yells and dances. Every day there was set down to him as much bread and venison as would have dined twenty men; but as no one sat down with him, and there was no corresponding mark ing for the purpose of eating him. This was not exactly of kindness, Smith began to dread that they were fattenhe case; yet it is true that such festal entertainment was often the prelude to the most fatal purpose. At length, when he had been sufficiently led about, three days were employed in making a most dire conjuration over him. The chief performer was a grim figure, having his face painted black with coal and oil, and numerous stuffed skins of snakes and weasels fastened by the tail to the crown of the shoulders. He was seconded by others, whom white eyes, head, and hanging down frightfully over the face and and red stripes mingled with the black, rendered still more hideous. They intermingled circles of meal and corn with bundles of sticks, interpreting that the meal was the Indian country, the corn the sea, and the sticks England; and this was all to discover whether he intended them well or ill. but he was soon led before Powhatan, the greatest lord of The result does not appear to have been stated to Smith; all this part of Virginia-the English even call him Emperor. Powhatan arrayed himself in his utmost pomp on this solemn occasion. He had invested himself in a large robe of racoon skins, from which all the tails were hanging. Behind him stood two long rows of men, and behind them two of women, all with their faces and shoulders painted red, their heads bedecked with white down, and a

chain of white beads round their necks. One of the queens presented Smith with a towel to wash his hands, another with a bundle of feathers to dry them. The fatal moment was now approaching. Two large stones were placed before Powhatan, to which Smith, by the united efforts of the attendants, was forcibly dragged, his head laid on one of them, and the mighty club raised, a few blows But a very unexfrom which was to terminate his life. pected interposition now took place. Pocahontas, the favourite daughter of Powhatan, forgetful of her barbarous birth and name, was seized with those emotions of tender pity which make the ornament of her sex. She ran up to her father, and pathetically pleaded for the life of the stranger. When all entreaties were lost on that stern and savage potentate, she hastened to Smith, snatched his head in her arms, and laid her own on his, declaring that the first blow must fall upon her. The heart even of a savage father was daughter the life of Smith. at last melted, and Powhatan granted to his favourite At first it was arranged that he should amuse the father and daughter by making bells, beads, and other curious European fabrics. A different course, however, was soon resolved upon. Smith was placed alone in a large house beside a fire, when presently he heard from without a most frightful and doleful noise, and Powhatan rushed in, with two hundred attendants, having their faces blacked, and disguised in every frightful form that their fury could devise. Smith thought his last hour was again at hand, but Powhatan told him that these were the signs of peace and friendship, and that he should be sent back to James's Town, on the sole condition of transmitting two culverines and a millstone."-Vol. I. p. 213-5.

We have only further to add, that the work is elegantly printed, and is illustrated by an excellent map of North America.

[blocks in formation]

Stirling and Kenney. November, 1829. WE announced the appearance of the first Number of this publication, stating, at the same time, our opinion, that such a work was a desideratum in Scotland, and might, if properly conducted, be rendered an important engine. The seventh Number, just published, concludes the first volume; and, on looking over the whole of the contents, we are inclined to think that it has succeeded to a considerable extent. The principles of the gentlemen who conduct the work are diametrically opposite to those which we entertain in matters of jurisprudence; and on this account, and because we see no use in entering upon a discussion, which could neither be amusing to the greater part of our readers, nor exhausted in such space as we could afford it, we leave them untouched. At the same time, free discussion is always useful, and the range of subjects embraced by the Scots Law Chronicle is wide and important. It contains papers, in some of which will be found really valuable information, on matters not very generally known. We may instance an article in the present Number on the customs of York; and the articles on the laws of Scotland and England-both on their present condition and their antiquities, embracing either wide and comprehensive views, or descending to a useful minuteness of detail. The papers are, in general, characterised by vigour of diction, although in some of them we meet with a coarseness of expression we could wish to see avoided. Wherever matters of practice are treated, we commonly discover the hand of the old practician;—where matters of theory, and subjects which require more extensive learning are discussed, we more frequently perceive a deficiency. To one very praiseworthy feature of the work we would, in particular, direct attention, the monthly reports of proceedings in the Supreme Courts of Scotland. They are condensed, and they are published at short and regular intervals. They have thus the advantage over the Decisions, as published by the Collectors of the Faculty of Advocates, who are not particularly famed for punctuality; and they have the advantage over those published under the auspices of two learned advocates, who have allowed their work to expand into a fearful minuteness of detail, forming an equally oppressive tax on the time of the reader and the pocket of the purchaser. We observe, also, that the Scots Law Chronicle Reports have a paging of their own, and may be had separately.

For the more correct information of some outrageous reformer, who, in the last Number, vilifies the practice of wearing a wig, and lauds the present Dean of Faculty for abandoning it, we beg to state the important fact, that Mr Jeffrey does wear a wig. We think it is bad taste

for the author of the article to which we allude to attack

this prescriptive ornament of the legal head, seeing that both of the Law Chronicle's learned reporters wear wigs and very good wigs too.

1829.

The Ant. A Periodical Paper, published in Glasgow during the Years 1826 and 1827. In two series, original and select. New Edition. 2 vols. 8vo. Glasgow. Robertson and Atkinson. THIS is a lively, pleasant little work, full of variety and good-humour. The selections from the fugitive literature of the day are tasteful and judicious; and its original matter, which is for the most part from the pen of its editor, Mr Atkinson, is sprightly and amusing, including some interesting topographical papers, and a pleasant chronicle of the chit-chat of St Mungo's capital during the period of publication. We shall find room for

one extract, which is entitled

[blocks in formation]

Linnæus of wretchedness, the world had no idea of the extent of its sufferings:-It had not entered into the mind of man to conceive the number and variety of his pains and complication of his annoyances; and until Timothy Testy had held up his glass to show the age and body of the time their form and pressure, was Human Life, in any of its septrillion varieties, aware of the full extent or gross amount of its miseries. Perhaps we ought rather to say of the nature and variety-for, alas! of the full extent it is only Campbell's Last Man, in the time of Byron's Darkness, who will be able to say that he may write Finis to their mighty catalogue. How any, so very obvious as those described, or hinted at, in the following addendum to Testy's enumeration, escaped the acuteness of his suffering perceptions, or were not nosed by his admirable scent after the wretched, is just one of those accountable things that you may specu late for ever upon, and yet never be able to explain, unless, like us, you

"Groan 1st. In endeavouring to discern one of the five spots at present on the sun's disc, which The Herald tells us are each three times bigger than the earth, plant the days of polishing on a burning pavement has worn to the thinnest outer edge of your thinnest dress shoe, which a few tenuity of a Medallion wafer, on one of the Macadam crys tal-shaped knobs, which gem the carriage walk round our green.-P. S. The foot, of course, to be in the shoe, and nothing but superannuated silk hose between you and the penetration of the whinstone.

"Groan 2d. Having a rusty iron hoop trundled against your nankeen trowsers. by an urchin too young to admonish, much less to thrash.

"Groan 3d. Continuing an important conversation with a perfect stranger, instead of your friend, who has accidentally stopped to look at a print-shop window.

"Groan 4th. The unpleasant sensation you feel on driving your nose against a blind man's forehead, having exclaimed, Damme, can't you see?' and receiving his answer in the negative.

article which you cannot find, but in its stead find a tre"Groan 5th. Searching your pocket some time for an mendous hole.

"Groan 6th. Skating in summer on the pavement, instead of ice, on a piece of orange-peel, instead of skates.

"Groan 7th. Having been deluged with rain during a short pleasure excursion into the country, to perceive every symptom of settled weather exhibit itself, from the rise of dow-on the morning of your return to business. the glass,' to the blowing of dust in at your bedroom win

"Groan 8th. Having sent a letter, by a private hand, to a friend, from a remote watering-place, stating that you have drawn upon him for £25, which on putting itself into a coat pocket, fifteen days after, discovers your letter very safely deposited there. Your draft is, in the meantime, embellished in a fearful scrawl with what, you are informed,

[ocr errors]

means no effects.'

"Groan 9th. Being told that there is an article in a paper which it nearly concerns you to see before departing with the mail, and waiting till the last blast of its horn upon a person in a coffee-room, who has said,⚫ In one moment, sir,' for a quarter of an hour.

"Groan 10th. Receiving a favour from a stranger gentleman, such as the loan of a top-coat, as you are about to you relied on an inside place, and forgetting to ask his adstart on the roof of a stage-coach on a cold morning, when dress that you may return it and your thanks together.

6

"Groan 11th. Discovering that you have carried in your pocket for thirteen miles, the wrong volume of the Traveller's Guide,' and stumbling upon a description of Tweedside, when you want to know in what direction you ought to travel to Tyndrum-and your dinner.

"Groan 12th. Having reserved no second copy of a sonnet to your mistress, which cost you as many hours' hard work as there are lines in that species of composition-discovering that you have lighted your cigar, instead of your mistress's heart, with the thoughts that burn in it.

"Groan 13th. Needing another misery to fill up a page half so bad as that very necessity." of your catalogue of them, and not being able to find one

Lothian's Pocket Bible Atlas, of a size admitting of being bound up with the Bible. Edinburgh. John,

Lothian. 1829.

THIS little work consists of eight Maps, exhibiting, 1st, the settlement of Noah's descendants throughout the

|

In his sixteenth year, he was sent to a school near Zelle, where he remained three years. In 1769, he went to the University of Halle; afterwards to Gottingen, in order to study theology. Here he read day and night,— seldom was seen out of his study or the libraries,—and sacrificed sleep, social intercourse, youthful recreations, and eventually health itself, to his avidity for study. By this indefatigable application, he, in his twenty-first year, equalled, if he did not surpass, his most learned fellowstudents and brother-bards in extensive and multifarious

world ;-2d, the route of the Children of Israel through | scratched out his verses on the wall or seat, leaving bethe Wilderness ;-3d, the Land of Canaan as divided hind him memorials of his craft, where men little examong the Tribes,the north portion ;-4th, the south pected to find them. portion;-5th, the Holy Land in the time of Christ, with the principal travels of our Lord;-6th, a map of the journeys of the Apostles, distinguishing the seven apocalyptic churches of Asia, and the cities and provinces to which the Apostolical epistles were addressed; -7th, a map of places east of the Holy Land, exhibiting the different supposed situations of the Garden of Eden and Mount Ararat;—and, 8th, a map of Jerusalem, with the sites of Mount Calvary, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Bethany, &c. The maps are on a scale adapted for pocket Bibles. They are distinctly exe-reading. He became a proficient in the literature, not cuted, and well engraved. They have already been introduced with good effect into several congregational schools, and will be found to afford a useful illustration of the Old and New Testament History.

nate.

MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE.

HOELTY AND HIS POEMS.

By the Author of " Anster Fair."

only of the ancient, but of all the most valued languages of modern Europe. And the soundness of his poetical taste may be judged from the well-founded preference he gave to the Greek, Italian, and English, in which three languages is contained Europe's sublimest and purest poetry. He soon became the associate of the first wits and scholars in Gottingen-Burger, Voss, Count Stollberg, and others, who at once prized his excellent heart, and admired his talent for poetry.

Though naturally of a large and luxuriant growth, the person of Hoelty was unwieldy, and of a bending, unhealthy, and dissoluble frame. Undoubtedly, the intensity of his nightly application, and his inattention to all those little, and frequently overlooked, means which minister, even in the strongest, to health, sapped the foundation of a constitution naturally robust and stable. In his 26th year, he was seized with a violent cough, which at length terminated in consumption, and put an end to his existence in September 1776.

The manners of Hoelty were, like his mind, placid, agreeable, and unassuming. His heavy, tardy gait,—his melancholy paleness, the simplicity of his address,—his negligence of garb,-made him, to those who for the first time saw him, an object of little interest; but his bright blue eye, soon disclosing its beauty, told, by its waggish and true-hearted glance, the energies of the mind that lay deep and occult within. He was artless, gentle, and unaffected, generally silent in company; but, when he opened his mouth, it was to good purpose, and a laugh of acclamation from his friends frequently followed and crowned his good-humoured remarks.

HOELTY was born on the 21st December, 1748, at Mariensee, in the Electorate of Hanover, of which place his father was pastor. In the early years of his life, Hoelty, to great personal beauty, joined the utmost liveliness and vivacity. His childhood very soon began to exhibit that eager desire for knowledge which accompanied him through life. So soon as he could write, he scribbled, as well as he could, every thing that appeared to him remarkable, either in his readings or in the appearances of nature. His amiable behaviour, his humorous conceits, and simple but shrewd remarks, together with his beauty, made him everywhere a favourite. In his ninth year, he was attacked with small-pox to such a degree as to endanger his eye-sight. By this misfortune, he lost somewhat of his natural liveliness, but nothing of his ardour and perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge. He received the rudiments of education under his paternal roof. In this respect, Hoelty was peculiarly fortuHis father, who, to an acquaintance with general literature, had superadded an extensive perusal of the poets, carefully instructed him, not only in his native language, but also in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and French, Of his poetry, the character is delicate, simple, and enbesides Geography, History, and other branches generallygaging in the highest degree. As his sensibility to all the taught at school. Hoelty's diligence was ardent and un- charms of nature, and his delight in the peaceful secluded remitting; the day was not sufficient for him, he added scenes of rural life, preserved his spirit tranquil, religious, the night, too, to his toilsome studies. His nocturnal and happy, so the same sweetness and placidity of mind dedication of himself to the Muses, though sanctioned by is reflected from every page of his volume. He has the the practice of some of the highest names of ancient and pastoral sweetness of Gessner, with more strength and modern times, his parents, tenderly fearful of his health, pointed thought than the prose-poetry of that amiable endeavoured, very prudently, to prohibit; but, unknown writer. Without the profound passion and involved eloto them, he had provided himself with oil, and a lamp quence of Schiller, without the ghostly energy of Burger, hewn out of a turnip, by the light of which he prolonged his verses possess a charm of interest which renders them in his chamber his secret and interdicted lucubrations. as agreeable reading as either the one or the other. His Already, too, his propensity for the solitary and the ter- descriptions of churchyard-horrors, like his personal perrible began to show itself. On evenings, after school ambulations among the graves, is not such as to make the hours, he, with a book in his pocket, slipt away unper- hair stand on end like those of Burger's; amid their ceived into some obscure bush or thicket, where he read charnelhouse-gloom, they contain such luminous streaks aloud to himself; and often, during the darkness of the of waggish humour as show that the poet dallied, in pernight, he, alone and unterrified, made visits to the church- son, with these fantastical horrors for his own diversion, yard; clad in a white sheet, personified a walking ghost; as well as, in description, for the amusement of his readand, without any design to frighten others, stalked about ers. His chief fault is, his sameness; the recurrence, in this disguise amid the graves-thus calling up, as ere his book be half-read, of similar imagery in nearly much as he could, in living reality to his imagination, the same language. Had he lived longer, he would prothose churchyard terrors which he was thereby so well bably have lopped a little from his exuberance, and his capacitated afterwards to describe. mind would have acquired a more ample and diversified range. Yet his volume will, even as it is, be read with

It was in his eleventh year that he began to write verses. His first production was an epitaph on a favour-pleasure; and, to those beginning the study of German ite dog. From this time, poetry became, not his pastime, but his business. Even in church, and under the sound of his father's homilies, his Apollo sometimes descended upon him with inspiration; and, if he had not paper, he

poetry, we would recommend it, as being purer and plainer
in its phraseology, and easier and less intricate in its con-
struction, than most of the German poets.
We subjoin two translated specimens:

THE NUN.

THERE Wonn'd, in Italie somewhere,
A young and goodlie knight,
Who loved, in spite of bolt and bar,

A cloister'd sister bright;

Much spake he of his love's sharp care,
And, on his knees, he swore
From holy prison to rescue her,
And love her evermore.

O, by the virgin once that bare!
And by the babe divine

That fills her mother-arms! so, fair
Belinda, I am thine!

Thine is my heart, its love, its care,
So long as I have breath;
By my soul's blessedness I swear,
I'll love thee to the death.

A poor dear maid-what trusts she not,
And, most, shut up in cell?
Ah! her nun's duties she forgot,

Nor heeded heaven or hell;
She, at whom emulous angels had
Been pointing from the skies,
God's bride, in holy beauty clad,
Became the spoiler's prize!

Thereafter-such are men-his heart
Wox fainter in its glow;
He gave the victim of his art
For ever o'er to woe,-
Forgot his whilom tenderness,
His vows of former day,
And flew about in gala-dress,
In search of other prey:

Began with other maids to dance
In taper-sparkling hall;

Entangled them with ogling glance,

And flattery withal :

And boasted how that poor Nun's bliss

He caught with his decoy,

Of every look, of every kiss,

And every other joy.

That Nun, whom Italie's heat did fire, Wox fiery-wroth of mood;

She thought of nought but schemes of ire, And dream'd of sword and blood;

A band she suddenlie did hire

Of murderers wild and wode,

To summon to death's shadows dire
That spoiler false and rude.

Into his soul, that writhed and toss'd,

Their swords with murder fell; Out flew his writhing ugly ghost, Like sulphur-smoke of hell; Through sky he wheels and whines, till him

In fangs a devil took ;

And then his bleeding carcass grim
Was cramm'd in grave's cold nook.

The Nun flew, as the night began,
To churchyard drear and dread,
And tore the bleeding, buried man

Up from his coffin's bed;
Out from his breast, her rage to glut,
His felon heart she wrung;
And stampt it with her sounding foot,
That all God's chapel rung.

Her ghost, as village gossip goes,
That spot still lingers by ;

And till the cock's clear clarion crows,

Is seen to howl and cry:

When twelve is struck, with grave-clothes on,
Up from her grave she peers;

And in her hands, with howl and moan,
A bleeding heart she bears.

Her deep and hollow eyen out-throw
Red sparks of ghostly light,
And glow as sulphur-flames do glow,
Beneath her veil of white :

O'er that false heart, so gash'd and riven,
She gazes in her mirth;

And heaves it upward thrice to heaven,
Then dashes it to earth:

And rolls her livid eyen about,
Whence hell-gleams seem to start;
And from her veil shakes blood-drops out,
And stamps piecemeal that heart:
Meantime the chapel-windows flare
All round with lurid light;

The village-watchman, rounding there,
Has often seen the sight!

THE TWO SISTERS.

Two sisters, with their killing charms,
Are merciless in doing harms;
No heart of man, or fool or wise,
Escapes the kill-craft of their eyes:
Ev'n I, who am to love but slack,--
My poor heart is not yet come back.

Whate'er they do, where'er they be,
(I see it, though you cannot see,)
Young Cupid, by a chain of flowers,
Is knit to these sweet plagues of ours:
Of being safe, my only chance
Is seeing both the dears at once.

For, if I gaze on them together,
Each is so dear, I fix on neither;
But should I hap (alas, my heart!)

To light on either sweet, apart,
Young Cupid hastes my breath to strangle
With that flow'r-chain, where myrtles tangle.

Then, if you wish, sweet sisters twain,
That I should live, and not be slain,
Ah, never be your blessed blaze
Of beauty sunder'd to my gaze ;
But shine together, that I may
Bask and live on beneath your ray!
Devon Grove, Banks of the Devon,
16th Oct. 1829.

LETTERS FROM THE WEST.
No. VII.

ELECTION OF A LORD RECTOR IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLAS-
GOW JAMES SHERIDAN KNOWLES MACREADY, &c. &c.

A DEGREE of excitement of rare occurrence here has prevailed for the last few weeks, occasioned by the annual election of a Lord Rector for our University. Thomas Campbell, you are aware, was the successor of Jeffrey, Mackintosh, and Brougham, in this office. He was devotedly loved by a great majority of the students, who are the electors, the more that he was zealous in defending their franchise, which, there is reason to believe, is in some jeopardy from the grave and sober majority of the members of the Royal Commission on Scottish Universities. The young men accordingly re-elected Campbell for another year, after he had served the office twice. The official tediousness of the Commission, however, prevented their friend and protector from being more than

a sentinel.

and it was their cue, therefore, to look towards some highly-talented and influential man, who was not in any degree either lukewarm or pledged against popular rights, and whose moral influence would weigh heavily in the scale of any cause he sanctioned. To such a man they wished to proffer the gown which Burke and Adam Smith had been proud to wear.

The battle has yet to be fought for them; | Mr Larkin favoured us with a partial view of his shirt
collar on the left side of his neck, but whether the corre-
sponding portion on the right was only buried among the
folds of his cravat, or was torn away altogether, remains
to this moment a profound mystery Besides, he pre-
sented us with a knot à la sentimentale, which would
have made even a grocer's apprentice blush, it was so
monstrous and inexcusable. The cut of his coat, too,
would have killed Jones upon the spot, had he seen it.
Operatic gentlemen, we are aware, are never quite so
good as gentlemen who are not operatic; but really Mr
Larkin looks almost as ill as Mr Collier in his blue sur-
tout and white inexpressibles, and, had it not been for
the tinsel star upon his breast, we should never have
been able to comprehend how he represented a nobleman.
Neither does his singing improve upon us.
He mur-
dered the fine duet, "When thy bosom heaves a sigh,”
which he sang with Miss Paton. It was altered-to
suit his voice, we presume-but even with all the altera-
tions he failed. We were no very enthusiastic admirers of
Thorne; but we should a thousand times rather have
Thorne than Larkin.-Quoad Mr Hart, we requested that
he should be tried in one or two good parts, but we never
meant that he should be put into characters which had
been previously supported by Mr Murray himself. Mur-

The Marquess of Lansdown appeared in every respect to be such a man. When he was proposed, it seemed for a while as if his great merits and honoured name had overawed all opposition. All at once, however, the Tories started the Lord President Hope, and the evangelicals Sir James Moncreiff. Unexceptionable as both these gentlemen are, the high office of judge, which each of them holds, should prevent them perhaps, especially when legal controversy is to be held, from interfering with the due performance of other and extra-judicial duties. Sir James was the favourite of the Divinity Students, from his known devotion to our venerable Mother Church, whilst the young Tories, looking forward to the realities as a substitute for the Pleasures of Hope, rallied boldly round the head of the Court of Session. Meetings were, as usual, held-orations, many of them very able, delivered—addresses, exhortations, appeals, squibs, and pasquils prepared and printed. The Lansdowns showed the lar-ray plays Giles to admiration, and Hart cannot play it gest share of eloquence and argument-the Hopes of wit. The leader of the latter is an accomplished and elegant scholar and young gentleman, named Page, and to his pen is attributed some very clever jeux-d'esprit.

On Monday the trial of strength took place: and the Marquess would have been elected by majorities in all the four nations, or departments, but for the indisposition of one individual, pledged to vote for him, which in his division made the votes equal, and threw the casting vote into the hands of a friend of the President, As it was, three nations voted for him, and he is now Lord Rector; and the students are once more quietly at their studies.

Our distinguished-guest, I regret to call him now— citizen that was for so many years-Mr Knowles, concluded his Course of Lectures on Dramatic Poetry the other evening, with an admirable and eloquent analysis of the first act of Macbeth. Macready was in the room, and the allusions to his manner of performing the usurper were loudly cheered. On Monday the actor appeared in that part to a respectable and delighted house. It is certainly among his best personations, and the banquetscene and battle were masterpieces in their way. Macready's character is, however, Virginius. It has made his highest reputation, and will preserve it longest. He played it last night with great applause. I have spoken of Mr Knowles as about to leave us. He does soon— but in a few months returns to bid us farewell. Then, surely, he will receive that tribute to which his genius, affability, and sociality, alike entitle him—a public din

[blocks in formation]

nor.

at all. It is not in his way; yet it was enough to satisfy us that he is a very mediocre actor, and that he is nothing but a bass singer ;-he cannot even get up a teHis bass is rich and good, but, of course, can be turned to very small account in the actual business of a theatre: and this, we are afraid, is all that can be said of Mr Hart. We are sorry for it, for we had hoped better things of him. Then there was Collier's Mr Mervin ! O! ye gods and little fishes!-Had it not been for the exquisite manner in which Miss Paton sang "The Minstrel Boy," and the clever acting of Stanley and Miss Tunstall as Ralph and Fanny, we should scarcely have known that we were in the Theatre-Royal.

Miss Jarman is rapidly rising in public estimation, and is almost already as much admired as she deserves, and as we could wish. Her appearance in a new drama, called "The Youthful Queen, or Christine of Sweden," has, perhaps, been more in her favour than any other of her personations, since she came to Edinburgh. It is the next thing to a perfect piece of acting, and leaves the spectator nothing to wish for-not even him who has seen, as we have done, Miss O'Neill herself in the first flush of her popularity. The drama, which is an adapt ation from the French, has not a great deal of intrinsic merit to boast of, and were any other performer that we know of to play the heroine, it would be a heavy and uninteresting affair; but Miss Jarman puts life and soul into it, and by the mere force of her individual genius, carries it through triumphantly. We anticipate much delightful acting when Macready and she appear together.-We have a word or two for Montague Stanley. He looks and dresses his part in "The Youthful Queen" well, only his jacket, or tunic, is about two inches too long, and his cloak, which he carries over his arm, is not light enough, making him look too much as if he were just about to ride out on rather a wet day. But what we have chiefly to mention to him is, that he is not energetic enough. Will he have the kindness to consider that he has won the heart of a Queen,—of a young and glorious creature, full of generous and ardent feeling; and, by the goddesses! if the thought does not bring the blood gushing up to his brow, and his heart knocking out against his ribs, he is one of the most degenerate Swedes that ever blackened his upper lip with burnt cork! We want a little more passion and action, When Christine confesses her love for him, he stands still like a boy going to be whipt. We should a thousand times rather see him leap into the pit in an agony of astonishment and despair. What makes it worse, is the terrible contrast between the girl he an

« السابقةمتابعة »