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It is our painful duty to state that his Majesty has been indisposed for the last week with what is called the Hay fever, to which his Majesty is subject, and which produces considerable difficulty of breathing. The King, however, was better at the time of our going to press. Her Majesty is, we are happy to say, restored to health.

A Drawing-room was held on the 18th, when the following ladies were presented to his Majesty, and afterwards to the Princess Augusta, who officiated for the Queen.

Anstruther, Miss, by Lady Anstruther, of Balcaskie. Anstruther, Miss Elizabeth, by her mother, Lady

Anstruther.

Anson, Miss, by the Countess of Lichfield.
Antrobus, Miss, by her mother, Lady Antrobus.
Armstrong, Mrs., by the Countess of Donoughmore.
Armstrong, Miss, by the Countess of Donoughmore.
Armstrong, Miss Bridget, by the Countess of
Donoughmore.

Balfour, Miss Eglantine, by Mrs. Balfour.
Barton, Lady, on succeeding to her title, by the
Countess of Mansfield.

Bedingfield, Lady Paston, on her return from
abroad, by the Hon. Lady Bedingfield.
Bellew, Miss, by Mrs. Channon.
Berkeley, Lady Charlotte, by the Countess of
Denbighi.

Bernard, Lady Catherine, by the Countess of
Donoughmore.

Bernard, Miss Marguerite, by the Countess of Donoughmore.

Bernard, Miss, by the Countess of Donoughmore. Bouverie, Lady Jane, by her mother, the Countess of Radnor.

Burgh, the Hon. Miss, by her mother, Lady Downes.
Butler, Lady, by Lady Downes.
Butler, Miss, by Lady Downes.
Byng, the Hon. Miss Hilare, by Lady Agnes Byng.
Cambell, Mrs. Deans, by Lady Clinton.
Camperdown, the Countess of, by the Countess of
Albemarle.

Carew, Miss, by Mrs. Palmer.
Carew, Miss Ellen, by Mrs. Palmer.
Clinton, Lady Caroline A. P., by the Duchess of
Buccleugh.

Conyers, Mrs., by Lady Maryborough.
Conyers, Miss, by her mother, Mrs. Conyers.
Coote, Miss, by Lady Coote.

Curtis, Miss Ann Augusta, by her mothers Lady
Curtis.

Dalyell, Mrs., by Lady Anstruther, of Balcaskie.
Darling, Lady, by the Countess of Sheffield.
Darling, Miss, by the Countess of Sheffield.
Delap, Hon. Mrs. Forster, by Lady Downes.
De Norman, Madame la Baronne, on her return
from Germany, by Lady Elizabeth.

Duncan, Lady Elizabeth, by her mother, the Countess of Camperdown.

Dunmore, the Countess of, on her marriage, and on accession to the title, by the Countess of Clanwilliam.

Fitzwilliam, Lady Anne Wentworth.
Flahault, Hon. Miss Elphinstone, by Baroness

Keith.

Forester, Miss, by the Countess of Chesterfield. Frankland, Miss, by her mother, Lady Frankland

Russell.

Fraser, Miss, by Mrs. Macleod, of Macleod. Fremantle, Mrs. Charles, on her marriage, by Lady Frances Clinton.

Goldie, Miss, by Mrs. Rushbrooke.

Bowers, Mrs., by the Countess of Camperdown.
Bowers, Miss, by her mother, Mrs. Bowers.
Bridgeman, Mrs. Edmund, on her marriage, by the Harcourt, Mrs., on her marriage, by the Hon. Mrs.
Countess of Bradford.

Henry Cavendish.

Bromley, Miss Davenport, by Lady Louisa Daven- Hawker, Miss, by Lady Rodney.

port Bromley.

Bullock, Miss H. Maria, by her mother, Mrs. Bullock.

Builock, Miss, by her mother, Mrs. Bullock.

Hawker, Miss Sophia, by Lady Rodney.

Heneage, Mrs. Walker, by Lady George Murray. Henniker, Right Hon. Lady, on her marriage, by the Countess of Dartmouth.

Hopton, Mrs. John, by Lady Emily Foley.
Hopton, Miss Mary, by Lady Emily Foley.
Hovenden, Miss, by Mrs. Rushbrooke.
Hutchinson, the Hon. Mrs. Coote Heley, by the
Countess of Donoughmore.

Suffield, Lady, on her marriage, by the Countess of Lichfield.

Talbot, Lady Catherine, by the Marchioness of Lansdowne.

Turnor, Mrs., by the Countess Brownlow. Keith, the Countess de Flahault-Baroness, by Turnor, Lady Caroline, on her marriage, by Mrs. Lady Willoughby d'Eresby.

Kerr, Lady Emily, by the Marchioness of Lothian. Kerr, Lady Frederica, by the Marchioness of Lothian.

Kingsmill, Mrs., on her marriage, by Mrs. Howley. Kynaston, Miss, by her sister, Mrs. Robert Snow. Lennox, Lady Caroline Gordon, by the Duchess of Richmond.

Le Marchant, Mrs. Thomas, by her sister, Mrs. Halford.

Macleod, Miss Harriette, by her mother, Mrs. Macleod, of Macleod.

Macpherson, Miss, by her mother, Lady Barton.
Martin, Miss, by the Countess of Sheffield.
Melville, Miss Whyte, by Lady C. Whyte Melville.
Messingberd, Mrs., by the Countess Brownlow.
Middleton, Hon. Mrs., by the Hon. Lady Beding-
field.

Middleton, Miss, by the Hon. Lady Bedingfield.
Mills, the Hon. Mrs. Thomas, on her marriage, by
her sister, the Countess of Dartmouth.
Moreton, Lady Emily, by the Countess of Denbigh.
Moreton, Lady Catherine, by the Countess of
Denbigh.

Morrison, Mrs., by the Countess of Albemarle.
Nixon, Miss, by her aunt, Mrs. Massingberd.
Ogilby, Mrs. Alexander, on her marriage, by Lady
Cavagh.

Otter, Mrs., by the Duchess of Richmond.

Otter, Miss, by her mother, Mrs. Otter.

O'Callaghan, Hon. Anne, by the Hon. Mrs. Cavendish.

Turnor.

Turnor, Miss Henrietta, by Mrs. Turnor.

Vere, Lady Elizabeth Hope, by Lady James Hay.
Vere, Miss Hope, by Lady Elizabeth Hope Vere.
Ward, the Hon. Miss, by Lady Ward.
Wheble, Miss, by the Countess of Albemarle.
Wilder, Miss E. M'Mahon, by her mother, Lady
Wilder.

Wednesday the 24th, being the anniversary upon which Her Royal Highness the Princess Victória attained the age of 18, was celebrated with every demonstration of regard and attachment.

At 7 o'clock, a band in full costume, under the direction of Mr. Weippert, gave a serenade in Kensington Gardens, under the bed-room windows of the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria.

Their Royal Highnesses received their household at half-past 12 o'clock, and the following members of the Royal Family at 2;-the Princess Sophia, the Princess Sophia Matilda, the Princess Augusta, and the Duke of Sussex.

As early as 9 o'clock in the morning visiters arrived to enter their names in the book of the Duchess of Kent, and during the whole day, up to a late hour in the evening, the Palace was crowded with company; so much so, that they were obliged to leave it by another gate.

A State ball was given in the evening at St. James's Palace, the Princess Augusta receiving the company on the part of the Queen. By half-past ten numerous company had assembled, and at eleven her Royal Highness the Princess Victoria (the band striking up "God save the King"), accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the Princess Augusta and the Duchess of Kent, entered the long gallery leading from the King's closet, the

Pakenham, Miss, by the Hon. Mrs. Pakenham.
Pringle, Miss, by Mrs. Macleod, of Macleod.
Rebow, Lady Ormsby, on her marriage, by Mrs.
Gurdon.
Rosslyn, the Countess of, by the Duchess-Countess splendid assembly forming an avenue through which
of Sutherland.

their Royal Highnesses passed, preceded by the

Rushbrooke, Miss Frederica, by her mother, Mrs principal officers of state, and receiving the congraRushbrooke.

Russell, Lady Franklin, on taking the name of
Russell, by her mother, Lady George Murray.
Sitwell, Miss, by her mother, Lady Sitwell.
Spiers, Mrs., on her marriage, by Lady Caroline
Dundas.

tulations of the noble and distinguished guests. The Princess presided in the centre chair of state, the Princess Augusta on her right, and the Duchess of Kent on her left. Her Royal Highness was attired in a blond dress over white satin slip, ornamented slightly with roses and brilliants; her

Stewart, Miss Jamesina, by her mother, Mrs. Royal Highness wore a bouquet at the head; a Stewart.

Strachan, Mrs., on her marriage, by her sister, Mrs.

slight wreath of geranium, a jasmine, and a small bandeau of brilliants formed the head dress.

Snow.

REVIEW OF NEW WORKS.

Athens, its Rise and Fall, with Views of the Literature, Philosophy, and Social Life of the Athenian People. By E. L. Bulwer, Esq., M.P., A.M. &c. 2 vols. London, 1837.

sesses,

AN historical work, exhibiting profound erudition, and enriched with the fruits of laborious thought, was scarcely to be expected from Mr. Bulwer, whose productions hitherto have rarely done more than indicate the veins of the ore of learning, without plunging into the depths of the mine. Here are two volumes of a publication, however, which establishes Mr. Bulwer's claims to higher consideration than any of his previous efforts, which reveals the novelist and poet engaged in the abstruser studies of the historian, and developing qualifications for his task for which nobody ever gave him credit, and which we may at once say, no other writer of the present day posor at least has given the world reason to believe that he possesses. The classical reader will find in this history of the Rise and Fall of Athens, the spring, progress, and decay of civilisation amongst the Greeks, described with an eloquence such as recondite men have rarely brought to such labours; while the lovers of a lighter style and more imaginative subjects will be tempted by the passionate spirit of the author into the acquisition of more sound knowledge than they will often find under a garb so brilliant and seducing. As it would be impossible to point out the characteristics of a work like this in detail, within the brief limits of our pages, we will touch each of the great divisions in a few lines, to shew summarily their special merits or defects.

The collation of the historical narrative is in the highest degree admirable; not merely for its impartiality in its treatment of institutions, parties, and individuals, but for the fulness of its facts and the extent of its research. Grecian history has of late years received large accessions from the labours of German writers, who, whatever may be their faults (and they are manifold) in other respects, have contributed more largely to dispel the ignorance in which the early ages of antiquity were obscured, than any of the savans of Europe, not even excepting those of France. Mr. Bulwer has judiciously availed himself of their assistance, and drawn into the elucidation of his work all the scattered materials that had been gathered by previous enquirers, so that this book, as far as history is concerned, may be considered not only the most elaborate of its kind, but the very best that is extant in any European language. This is high praise, but it is not inconsiderate, and it is not stronger than the actual merits of the narrative deserve.

The philosophy of the Athenians including religion and ethics-is not so felicitously treated. It does not appear that Mr. Bulwer carried his researches sufficiently far into remote and external sources of knowledge to enable him to give the necessary weight to his dissertations; he takes too much for granted, and too much as he found it at his hands. But the most serious objection against this portion of the work is, that he has evidently suffered his mind to be tinctured by the crude and speculative opinions of German commentators, the most unsafe guides he could have adopted in reference to questions of philosophical inquiry. The advantages derived from them in the search after facts, and the settlement of conjectures, are balanced by the errors and speculations into which they have led him in this part of the subject.

Upon the literature of Athens, as might have been expected, Mr. Bulwer exhibits powers of the highest order, and here, although many of his opinions are open to criticism, because the data on which they proceed is of necessity apocryphal, the great charm of the work will be found to lie. The analysis of Athenian tragedy, of the progress of the drama which certainly existed in an irregular form before the time of Thespis-and of the plays of Eschylus and Sophocles in particular, are conceived in the most enthusiastic spirit, and discover critical abilities that give Mr. Bulwer a new and unexpected lien on the admiration not only of the contemporary age, but of posterity.

The pictures of the social life of the Athenians, which we catch at intervals through these volumes, seems to be just and accurate. It cannot be concealed that Mr. Bulwer's prepossessions are in favour of those institutions that gave enlarged power to the voice of the people, and that he cannot repress the pleasure with which he records every advance towards the recognition of popular rights; but what historian of Greece has been free from a bias one way or the other? or rather, how could any writer undertake a disquisition of this nature without being prepared by previous principles to make the inquiry conducive to some results favourable or unfavourable to the abstract theories that agitated mankind quite as much before the days of Solon, as in the more experienced ages, after all possible forms of constitutions had been tried and exhausted? We have no hesitation in pronouncing, as a deliberate judgment upon this publication, that it is infinitely more impartial, more strict in the distribution of applause and censure, and more scrupulous in the assertion of opinions founded upon the state of society, than any previous history of Greece with which we are acquainted. It does not exhibit so much learning as the recent history by Mr. Thirlwall, but it transcends it in taste, in discrimination, in severe

truth, and in deep classical feeling. The two volumes before us bring down the history to the administration of Pericles, and it is proposed to conclude the whole in two volumes more. We suspect, and need not add that we hope, Mr. Bulwer will discover as he proceeds, that he has miscalculated his materials, and that he will find it necessary to enlarge the scope of his original design.

The Pirate of the Gulf; or, Lafitte. 3 vols. London, 1837.

A REPRINT of an American novel, in which the writer, emulative of the glories of Scott, endeavours to seek, in the brief annals of his country, materials, of historical romance. America is too new a land to take hold upon the imagination. It wants age, traditions, characters, and transitions in the past, to justify such efforts as these to impart interest to its literal and recent events. The antiquity of America is but as the recollection of yesterday; do what we can to try to grow romantic over her records, we shall try in vain. Even if it were otherwise, the author of this work is not the most likely person to succeed in the path he has chosen. It is remarkable for ignorance of the world, and the worst taste in the art of composition. Society in America. By Harriet Martineau, author of "Illustrations of Political Economy." 3 vols. London, 1837.

THIS work is in part the most amusing, and in part the most reflecting, work that has hitherto been published by any English traveller upon America. The worst feature in it is its view of the institutions. Miss Martineau loses herself in generalities, she theorises too largely, and it is difficult to extricate from the cloud of speculations the particular views which she desires to apply to the state of society and parties amongst the republics. One inference, however, of the highest importance may be drawn from this publication— that Miss Martineau went to America highly prepossessed in favour of the democratic principle, and that she came away quite out of love with its transatlantic operation. This is something gained for a better-ordered form of government. Her dissertation on slavery exposes a multitude of cruelties and inconsistencies, and proves that the people who, above all others, espouse the cause of liberty, violate it above all others in practice. She also shews that in America, where the cry for freedom of thought and the expression of opinion is loudest, the most savage and intolerant despotism is exercised by the mob. No man dare avow himself in favour of Slave Emancipation in the Southern States without risking his life, and many murders have been committed arising from this cause. We need not now to be told that the worst despotism on the face of the earth is the despotism of the multitude; but if any doubt were entertained on

If

the subject, this book would dispel that doubt. the volumes were of no further value, this would be enough to render them acceptable to every thinking and educated reader. Perhaps we ought to add, that Miss Martineau writes somewhat coarsely on topics that ladies do not usually consider to come within the sphere of their inquiries; but abundant allowances must be made for female political economist. When a woman once trespasses in this way, beyond the legitimate province of her sex, there is no saying into what extremities she may be carried.

The Arethusa, a Naval Story. By Captain Chamier, R.N., author of "Ben Brace," ," "Life of a Sailor," &c. 3 vols. London, 1837.

THE name of this novel does not convey to the reader the slightest notion of its contents. The refrein of Dibdin's song,

On board of the Arethusa!

will immediately occur to the mind of the reader; but except that this is a naval story, there is nothing in it to link it to that glorious recollection, nor does the name of this vessel indicate the purport of the story. The main object of this fiction is to shew how an obstinate and self-willed disposition is to be tamed by the discipline on board a man-of-war, developing not merely the influence of severe regulations upon ill-regulated minds, but incidentally the nature of life in the naval service. A moral very similar to this was still more ably illustrated in the Midshipman Easy of Captain Marryatt, which is in all respects a better picture, so far as it goes, of the profession. This, however, is the best of Captain Chamier's productions; the progress from tyrannical and headstrong youth to a subdued and somewhat selfish age, is naturally and forcibly drawn; and if it were not that there is a little too much of the coarseness of nautical truth in it, the novel would well deserve to take a place amongst the most interesting of its class.

Adventures of Captain Bonneville; or Scenes beyond the Rocky Mountains of the Far West. By Washington Irving. 3 Vols. London, 1837.

The

THE descriptions of the scenery and tribes of the Far West that appeared in former volumes written by Washington Irving, are felicitously followed up in this veritable history of the adventures of Captain Bonneville beyond the Rocky Mountains. temptations to fur-trading in that neighbourhoodtemptations that led to the enterprises of Mr. Astoria, already celebrated by the same graphic pen induced Captain Bonneville to solicit permission from the government to embark in a journey of discovery; and having obtained leave of absence from the regiment to which he belonged, he advanced into the remote tracts, to which so many daring explorers had previously directed their foot

steps.

ters.

After spending a considerable period of time in the country, he returned full of marvellous anecdotes, traditions of the wild, and a whole budget of personal escapes, rencontres, and disasWashington Irving met him at the table of Mr. Astoria, where he was so struck with the originality of his character, and the strange stories he related, that he ultimately cultivated his confidence; and this work, founded on Captain Bonneville's notes, but evidently enriched, not only by the author's picturesque style, but by information obtained from a variety of other sources, is the result. It is full of curious details, and is especially important, as it affords a clear and a complete view of a vast line of country that has hitherto been but little known, and much misrepresented. Taken along with the " Astoria," and the "Far West," it may be said to complete our information on the picturesque and interesting subjects to which it refers; and it has the unusual merit of combining, with a great quantity of geographical and local information, the most essential and fascinating characteristics of a romance.

Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart. Vol. 2. Edinburgh, 1837.

THE period embraced in this volume is from 1804-5 to 1811-12, including some of the most interesting events in the Life of Scott-the publication of the Lay of the Last Minstrel-the partnership with James Ballantyne, and the numerous literary projects to which it led-Scott's appointment as Clerk of Session-the publication of Marmion-the new editions and lives of Dryden and Swift-the secession of Scott from the Edinburgh, and the origin of the Quarterly, Reviewthe commencement and abandonment of Waverleythe vision of Don Roderic-the purchase of Abbotsford, and the beginning of Rokeby. These are some of the principal circumstances to which we are introduced, but the mass of particulars, the episodes, correspondence, excursions, and minor details that are so profusely strewn through the work, constitute an amount of interest which has been rarely concentrated in a single biography. Scott's high reputation, and still more his excellent disposition, acquired for him, not merely the acquaintance, but the close friendship, of the leading spirits of the age: hence, the narrative of his life comprehends a wide review of the literary characters and productions of the time. The great qualification which Mr. Lockhart possesses for the task he has undertaken, is the opportunity afforded him of collecting information by his relationship to Sir Walter Scott's family-a relationship which we sincerely regret to say has recently terminated in the death of Mrs. Lockhart. But his tastes, his pursuits, and above all his temperament, essentially unfit him for the responsible and important office of depicting to the world Sir Walter Scott, as he really was in private, surrounded by friends who loved him for the qualities of his heart even more than for the powers of his mind. Scott's VOL. X.-NO. VI.—JUNE, 1837.

letters, which are numerous and various, certainly assist the delineation in no slight degree; but we cannot help feeling that Mr. Lockhart does not appreciate the man truly, that he does not enter with the necessary relish into his feelings, and that the estimates which we insensibly make of Scott as we proceed in the perusal, is made, not in consequence of what Mr. Lockhart has written, but in spite of it. Still the book is full of interest-its contents are of a kind that will not suffer us to lose a fraction of that singular spell which is attached to every thing connected with the name of our great novelist; and if we object to the spirit in which it is put together, we are bound at the same time to observe, that the materials of which it is composed triumph over that spirit by the mere force of their own intrinsic value.

The industry of Scott, as a mere producer of writings, was marvellous. A considerable part of his time expecially after he obtained the appointment of Clerk of Session-was devoted to the drudgery of an irksome profession: yet he contrived to pour out treasures of invention, and to prosecute his researches into a great diversity of subjects, with a fertility and assiduity that cannot be sufficiently prized except by those who, like him, have devoted themselves to literature. The rapidity with which his creations followed each other, seem to have given a new impulse to the genius of the times-considered apart from the impress which their originality made upon the public. Previously to the appearance of the Waverley novels, authorship was a quiet and indolent pursuit, which men seemed to fall upon only in hours of sunshine and relaxation. Scott made it the business of life, and his example has been followed by others, who, if they cannot emulate his powers, tread closely in the footsteps of his facility. As remarkable instances, we may refer to Bulwer and D'Israeli the younger, who, in whatever class their productions may be ranked, are at least amongst the most prolific writers, for the term during which they have occupied attention, to be found in our language. Yet, although Scott wrote so much, and although his enquiries evidently spread over a very large surface, we do not find that throughout his life he sacrificed any of the ordinary pleasures that came in his way. In his house he was cheerful, and gave up more time than might be expected to company and every-day recreations. He was fond of exercise, chiefly on horseback, and frequently made excursions of enjoyment into different parts of the country. Then his correspondence was voluminous, and his personal engagements appear to have engrossed a large proportion of his leisure. But the more we examine the process by which he was enabled to become so extensive and constant a contributor to contemporary literature, the more we shall be surprised. The secret, perhaps, lies in his regular habits, and his uniform practice—which he did not adopt, however, until professional avocations pressed upon the hours of the day-of rising very early, and giving the whole of the morning to literary labours. Yet this would not be enough, in

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