The Athenaeum

Martin's broken squeak-the cow's low, as she snuffed the purified breeze-the milkmaid's ditty as she trudged to obey the summons, or sat at her Drimmendoo's tail to draw forth the precious store; now chanting a slower strain, to which, with drooping neck and half-closed eyes, the animal seemed to listen, much gratified.

But my business was to seek out the residence of the respectable and well-informed Mr. Daniel Lane. Looking round me, I saw two peasants commencing their day's work in a neighbouring field, and of them made the necessary inquiries. It was my first contact with Tipperary men on their own soil; and all I had previously heard and read of them inspired some misgivings as to the degree of politeness I was destined to experience at their hands. Very civilly, however, they answered my questions, and, considering their rank in this world, I considered them well-mannered. They praised Mr. Lane much. He was a Protestant-" but an honest

Protestant." I cautiously proposed some questions as to his condition in life-they called him a gentleman-farmer. We parted good friends; and I came in view of Mr. Lane's newly-erected and half-fashionable farm-house-Mr. Lane, the near relative of the Mr. Cecil who against his will guided Sarsfield across the ford; and this circumstance, as well as all the other good accounts of him, filled me with the comfortable hope of at last obtaining clear and rational information upon the query you have proposed to me;-so, experiencing a return of my former enthusiasm in this pursuit, I quickened my steps towards his hall door.

I was ushered into a parlour by a barefooted serving-wench,-by the way, I had not been used to the primitive style of costume until I left the province of Leinster. She said her master was getting up, and would soon be with me. I seated myself in a half-finished parlour, which, however, promised to be neat and commodious when finished. Persons moved about in an inner room, and I judged it to be the sleeping chamber of Mr. Daniel Lane. Its door opened, and I expected to see my friend elect; but an orderly old lady first made her appearance, neatly attired, plain featured, but looking abundantly good-natured, as I afterwards proved she really was. I introduced myself, hoping I could see the master of the mansion: she affably warranted his speedy appearance. Some chat passed between us; and at length the mysterious door again opened, and Mr. Daniel Lane entered, without his coat, though otherwise carefully dressed. He was an innocent-looking man, with round eyes, a blank brow, and pointed features. I told him the purpose of my journey in his country, and of my visit to him. He replied in a low, unvarying tone,-of the character and originality of which I can give you no idea; and his expressions of willingness to be of use to me, embraced a long page of curious phraseology. He sat close by me; and I was surprised that, in the first place, he should begin by bewailing the death of his grandmother. She had been, he declared, "a mighty well-informed woman,' versed in everything connected with my purpose: from her he branched into an account of her various connexions-then into a detail of the great extent of property once possessed by his ancestors then into a statement of

very

how he had lost a large History of Limerick, bestowed upon him by a certain considerable person, whose various links of kindred, intermixed with his own, were also enumerated for my information-then, as to how the individual to whom, in an unguarded moment, he had lent the precious book, was related to his wife-and how his wife was of the family of the O'Briens, and regularly descended from Brien Boirohme-and how the lady who came to borrow the volume happed to be his niece-and anon, to whom she got married, and from what stock her husband issued, and who he was; and, finally, how he took away his wife to the town of Thurles, by which measure the History of Limerick was lost.

I saw plainly that all this was nothing to me; and when he made a moment's pause, I ventured to suggest to his understanding the simple object of my visit to his house; but before I could finish he started off again.

"It was a great pity that no one could lay hands on a good History of Ireland: the difference of religion, and the party spirit, made all the histories to be on one side or the other; and-if there was no necessity for the reformation, what use in bringing it about at all?-for it caused difference of opinion, and, as Cobbett clearly set down, was the reason so many poor remained unprovided for; and the tithe-proctor called on him the other day, and demanded ten shillings an acre for tithes; and he, Mr. Lane, being himself a Protestant, told the proctor-that he would have no objection that the clargy of every persuasion should be maintained dacently; but that those of the established church were too high in their demands; and, in his opinion, as Cobbett said also

His wife having interrupted him to remark, that he was "talking out of the way"; and that, if he could not answer my questions himself, he had better put on his coat, and go down with me to old Mickle O'Brien, who was more than a hundred years of age, and a "well-informed man"-(I winced at the eulogy, Barnes)" and must be able to say a great deal about Sarsfield's times."

But the good man did not attend to this hint. Indeed, he seemed not even to have heard it; but rather looked as if he were trying to recollect, that moment, the question I had put to him, previous to his last sally; and in his low, monotonous tones he went on. "At present, there were no persons of information in Killalloo"-(I knew that, thank him).-"Major Pratt wanted to establish, the other day, that there was a bridge over the Shannon when Sarsfield crossed it; but of one thing he, Mr. Lane, was certain, as it had been handed down in his family, viz. that his great grand uncle, Mr. Cecil, was the person who guided the General. Sarsfield comes to ould Mr. Cecil in the night time; and, Mr. Cecil,' says he, 'I hear your son Tom is better acquainted with the ford than any other, so order him out to ride with me across you know I will not be refused, Mr. Cecil. Why, General,' said ould Mr. Cecil to the General, you must be obeyed.'-No, indeed, there were no well-informed people left in Killalloo. Dr. Hurly, to be sure, was a clever, inquiring man; and without inquiry no one could ever gain information: people accused himself of being inquisitive-trying always to learn something of those he met; and it certainly was a habit he was fond of:

his wife's niece's husband was a clever little fellow: he had been intended for a lawyer, and kept two terms at the Temple, in London; but had foolishly lost his term of late; and that was a great pity; for, in real truth, he was a clever little fellow; and he lived under the foot of the mountain I could see from the window; and

Mrs. Lane again interrupted her husband, still entreating him to put on his coat, and walk down with me to Mickle O'Brien's, before breakfast should be ready: he looked vacantly at her, and resumed, by assuring me, that Mickle O'Brien was distantly related to his wife; and, for a country farmer, had the name of being-a well-informed man; and was a hundred years old, and more, if he said the truth; and claimed kindred with certain great O'Briens of Limerick county, and with other O'Briens in different parts of Ireland." And in this strain did Mr. Lane continue for a long time, very wide of the mark: his wife constantly, but vainly, exhorting him to visit Mickle O'Brien before breakfast. He always promised her, indeed, to do so, but still kept his seat: his hands joined closely, palm to palm, and placed between his knees; and his unvarying voice keeping up its melancholy rumble. I ceased to put any further questions to Mr. Lane. Breakfast appeared-the old lady had got a buttered cake baked on "the griddle"

the eggs found time to be boiled hardthe tea to be well drawn-still he stirred not: his tongue seeming only to gradually acquire its morning vigour. During breakfast, he talked ten times as much as he ate, though his was no squeamish appetite; and Mrs. Lane often assisted him; so that I had frequently to attend to a story of hers, with one ear, while the worthy man's voice kept on "buzz, buzz," in the other.

My hostess gossiped more agreeably, however, than her spouse. Understanding from me that I had been on the top of the Craghill, the day before, she asked me if I had taken notice of the Banshee's Bed; and learning that it had escaped me, she proceeded gravely to relate that a Banshee, who always wailed the deaths in the O'Brien family, had her bed in a particular spot near the summit of the mountain; that ever since the days of Brien Boirohme-(Brian the great-the expeller of the Danes from our green shores-our Alfred)—this sympathizing spirit commemorated the various mortalities among his descendants; that, to her own knowledge, it had wailed her grandfather and his father; and that, however "well-informed people" might discredit the account, she begged to assure me of its authenticity. Now, Barnes, the feeble, rigmarole intellect of Mr. Lane had been vouched by his face and expressions; but his wife's features bespoke shrewd good sense; and I was therefore unprepared for the credulity she thus displayed in clinging to an extravagant, though beautiful superstition.

But let me not be too severe on my excellent host and hostess. I experienced from the worthy couple a sincere hospitality, which did not discredit the ancient and regal descent of one of them. They pressed me to spend the day, nay, the week, under their roof; and when, with due acknowledgments, I rose to prepare for continuing my pilgrimage, the good dame, learning that I had to travel through the mountains, insisted on putting

sliced ham and hard-boiled eggs into my pocket, with a hot cake, and several pinches of salt folded in a bit of blue paper, and tied with a worsted thread; for she said I should find refreshments scarce in the wild hills and glens before me. And when at last Mr. Lane could be prevailed upon to put on his coat, and set out with me to Mickle O'Brien's, she took me cordially by the hand, and wished me success in my journey.

ster, which I took down from his vigorous | ful voice. One anecdote of his, however, meant recitation:

From Limerick, next day, brave Sarsfield marched

Soon after Patt O'Brien joined us, we got upon the visible track of my long-sought old If I go on with Mr. Lane's dull prattle road, and for miles it scarce failed us; but during our walk from the house, I shall tire just as my friends prepared to return homeyou as much as it tired me. I only say, that wards, to attend to their own business, leavduring five long Irish miles,-which stretching me to the doubtful guidance of only a bare-headed and bare-legged child, we lost of the road he would kindly beguile by his all trace of it. Since parting from old O'Brien, company, and the charms of his conversawe had been gradually forsaking the usual tion, not once did he falter. If a name tracts of cultivation, and approaching the was mentioned in connexion with any of the mountain wilderness, of which Keeper Hill is surrounding scenery, he went over all its sovereign. I looked towards him and his kith and kin; sometimes, and very suddenly, crowd of bleak and rude subjects, and then hurrying off after his lost History of Limerick, or the traditional bravery of Sarsfield; fortable. Had I been alone, I believe I upon my hesitating cicerone, and felt uncomor he interrupted his own inveterate prose should have turned back. Mr. Lane, his son, to recite, and in reciting to murder, one of Moore's Melodies, and, in a breath, the and some admiring followers-nay, even Patt O'Brien, seemed as if impressed with some effusions of some wig-maker or shoemaker doubt of the success of my undertaking of Killalloo, in praise of its beauties, its eels, at least I thought so. It did not add to my or its salmon. I found, however, all along confidence, when they pointed out distant the road, that he was much respected. Every clamps of turf, which were to guide me in one saluted him deferentially, and he as deferentially responded;—and he would stop my journey; for, however effectually those land-marks might serve the native mounto say that I was an elderly gentleman, wishtaineer, I really could not long distinguish ing to find General Sarsfield's route to blow them from other clamps scattered around. up the cannon that were on their way to Then my friends would kindly advise me not batter down Limerick; and to ask where I well-informed person" to to take the lonesome path along the side of might find some tell me all about it; so that I, my Bramah, Keeper Hill: and how could I help imagining a race of people, half-starving upon its barren and my green spectacles, became stared at throughout the whole country as we passed with its inhospitable and savage character? bosom, whose dispositions night assimilate along; and were followed for miles by groups Nor was this pleasant fancy soothed, when a of old fellows, all talking "on the head of sinister-looking volunteer, born in the wilderthe great Sarsfield, Lord of Lucan.” ness, though now employed about Mr. Lane's house, told me, that he "could take a hare from the best pack of hounds that ever hunted in the Slieve-bloom mountains"-and, to indicate the truth of his boast, the young savage bounced over a high fence, and landed on a narrow ledge of rock, with the calm audacity of a wild goat. But I suppressed my misgivings as courageously as I could, and, while shaking hands all round with my friendly escort, got one ray of hope and comfort from Patt O'Brien. At about the spot in the mountains where I should want a roof and a bed for the night, he advised me to call at the house of his friend, Farmer Nowlan, and use his name-adding, in a whisper, that he thought I should not be asked to travel much farther till the morning. This, in the first place, rather confidently reckoned on my safe progress during the day in the second place, it promised a comfortable night's lodging; and so, renewing my adieus, I turned my back on my companions, and trod, like a man and your brother, in the footsteps of my barefooted guide.

I forgot to notice, in its proper place, our visit to old Mickle O'Brien, because, in truth, it ended in nothing at all: the man of the century before the last could not tell us a word that we wanted to hear: his memory had quite failed him. Shortly after leaving his house, however, we met his son,-a man about fifty, of the lower class of farmers, but well-mannered, intelligent, obliging, and in possession of much of his sire's traditionary lore; and, above all things, able and most willing to put me on Sarsfield's track into the hills. It cheered me to see him turn back with us on our walk. If not a protection, he was a relief against Mr. Lane, who, by the way, had just been joined by his eldest son and hope-all but equal to his father in facility of tongue, and, I suspected, ambitious of eclipsing him. But I got as used and indifferent to the trickling loquacity of both, as one does to the puny noise of a streamlet in a solitary walk; in fact, I could soon forget it altogether, and successfully lend my attention to the useful anecdotes of my new friend Patt O'Brien. I wish you could meet this man, Barnes-perhaps you may. He has gone to London on business, and will go there again; and I have given him your Gray's Inn address, in order, if you like, that you may see and converse with a good specimen of an Irish peasant. This is not the place to transcribe any of the real information I gained from him; but I will copy a verse of an old song, the composition of some unlettered, though not unpoetical rustic rhyme

very seriously by him, made me smile. As we came close to Keeper Hill, I stopped to contemplate the desolate grandeur of the unshapely mountain, as also to enjoy a contrast between it and a confronting one of nearly equal elevation; the contrast arising from the brows of both-one being heavy and lumpish, the other rocky and splintered, and the pinnacle of a formidable precipice. As I looked, a large brown eagle soared up from the crest of the precipice, and the little fellow shrunk to my side. I asked him some questions, and learned, that a pair of the royal birds dwelt on the mountain's top, and were addicted, when they had young, to the abduction of geese, ducks, turkeys, and, he had heard, little boys. Last year, he added, the eagle pounced upon a large male cat belonging to his mammy, who, while whirled through the air, so clawed his ravisher, as to Tom returned home, the same evening, only effect a speedy release from his talons; and a little indisposed after his aërial voyage.

But my guide and I, notwithstanding our misgivings, successfully wrought our way through glen after glen, and over hill and stream, to within view of the farm-house

mentioned by Patt O'Brien; and I now address you from under the hospitable roof of The Nowlans, of whom you may soon hear more. For the present, God bless you.

A. O'H.

HALL OF THE GREEK CONGRESS AT
NAUPLIA, 1832.

THE Congress, with a view to remove the suspicion, that their acts were dictated by the had a hall hastily constructed at the further Gallic bayonets which garrison Nauplia, have extremity of the suburb of Pronica, and have placed it in the safe keeping of the pallicars, under Zerbas, the Roumeliot. Unfortunately, nothing but bad wood, and none but bad operatives, were to be found on the spot. The work has, therefore, been built up with rough timber and unplaned deals, and forms an oblong square, little more than five and forty feet wide, and scarcely twice as long, crowned with a pointed roof. The walls are some twelve or fourteen feet high, lined with deals to a certain height, above which an open space is left, and through this opening the spectators, who stand on a platform which runs round the building, have a complete view of the interior. There is no floor but the bare earth; three sides of the hall are filled with three rows of seats, rising the one above the other; and in the centre of one of the two longest sides are three small galleries or boxes, the middle one destined for the president and secretaries of the Congress, a second for the members of administration, their friends. The secretaries of state have no and the third for the European diplomatists and particular situation assigned them; but a table is placed in the middle of the hall whenever they have any official communications to make. There is no decoration whatever in any part of it, beyond the scarlet coverlids, which are thrown over three tables; the rest is naked, unfinished woodwork. Such is the building, in which the sovereign Congress of Greece deliberates, generally from eight in the morning to

But, in continued candour, Barnes, I avow, that for the greater part of our journey, I felt dejected and doubtful. The barrenness-the lonesomeness, the deep silence-and the deep shadow of those black vallies were quite new two or three o'clock in the afternoon. The to me, and I could not shake off their baleful members are two hundred and twenty-four in effect. Often did I liken it to walking "in number, and comprehend almost every Greek the valley of the shadow of death.' of talent or reputation in the present day: My almost infant guide, though more used to such president; the patriot, Mavrocordato, their P. Notaras, late Chief Justice in Argos, is their scenery, seemed equally dispirited by it. He vice-president; and Polyzoibos and Christidis seldom spoke, and never but in a low, mistrustact as the secretaries. The Congress includes

not only representatives from all the provinces and islands of Hellas, with the solitary exception of Athens, where the elections were thwarted by the Ottoman party, but even from the emigrant Greeks, who have settled in the

Turkish provinces. In this way the Psarians, as well as the Hellenes in Chios, Macedonia, Congress. The external appearance of this assembly is full of life and variety, and exhibits four palpable distinctions of costume, to wit, the Insular, the Peloponnesian and Roumeliot, the European or Frank (which is worn by one in eight), and the few who appear in long Turkish caftans. They rise and speak from their places, or else walk down into the centre of the hall, facing the president's herth; the latter station being preferred on all occasions, where they have lengthened matter to discuss. It is singular, that most of them, when engaged in a reply, "thee" and "thou" one another à la Grecque, though they never omit addressing each other as "sirs"; and when their feelings are particularly warmed, they will cry out "brother" in a most affectionate and impressive tone of voice. At times a regular storm breaks out amongst them; which neither the president's bell, nor the vociferous "Silence! silence!" from the less turbulent, are able to quiet. That member comes off victor, whose lungs are most eminently stentorian. From a private letter inserted in a German Journal.

and Crete, have their own members in the

OUR WEEKLY GOSSIP ON LITERATURE
AND ART.

other.

James Stanley, Earl of Derby, and Charlotte de la Tremouille, his Countess. Engraved from the painting of Vandyke, by H. Robinson. Fisher & Son.

and sometimes beautiful books: the charac- | press and the prints are commentatries on each
ter of the art which they contain, will be the
sole cause of their failure. Instead of select-
ing, with an eye of true taste, the best works
selves up for judges of the article furnished,
of the best masters, the proprietors set them-
and though some of them may be, others cer-
tainly are not; hence, designs dull and com-
mon-place. Now a dull print is worse than
a dull poem-it is offensive at once to the
eye, and cannot be placed among what are
emphatically called "gems" in the portfolio,
yet is, perhaps, too well engraven to be
thrown away, and so becomes a lasting me-
morial of bad taste.

FINE ARTS

ENGRAVINGS OF THE LITERARY SOUVENIR. SOME one told us, that the embellishments of the Literary Souvenir were not so excellent this season as they were last; we shall not put trust in that person's taste again; they are decidedly better, and are at once more natural and more elegant. We thought the editor had a French touch in his taste, last year, which made him lean too much to the affected and fantastic; he is not without it this year-but then the touch is moderate, perfectly to our liking, and produces moreover an agreeable variety, which we are sure purchasers will be pleased with. Of the ten embellishments, not one can be called common-place; and some are of high MANY are the schemes proposed for honour- excellence. The Prince of Spain's Visit to ing the memory of Sir Walter Scott: our Catalina,' by Newton, and engraved by Rolls, is public theatres exhibit scenes of Abbotsford, few can equal. The Chevalier Bayard cona capital thing; there is a quiet grace in it, which and our actors and actresses put on the costume, mimic the manners of the chief cha-ed by Fragonard, and engraved by Greatbatch, ferring Knighthood on Francis the First,' paintracters of his novels, and walk across the is a work in the rich style which we love; we stage amid the applause of the audience: the only wish that the candles had been smaller, people of Edinburgh put on mourning for a and the streamers less abundant, so that the day at least, and then made speches about beauty of the human characters might have been his genius, and subscribed for the erection of more apparent. Fairies dancing on the sea a monument to his memory; while the peo- shore,' painted by Danby, and engraved by ple of London talk of purchasing Abbotsford Miller, is dream-like and lovely, "The Cauchoise and presenting it to the family-of a parli- is one of the most perfectly natural and exquiGirl,' painted by Newton, and engraved by Fox, mentary grant, which shall make the poet's sitely engraved prints we have yet seen in any residence national property-and finally of of the Annuals. On the whole whole, we have obtaining a legislative act to extend the been much pleased with these embellishments; copyright of his works for another genera- and we make no doubt the Literary Souvenir tion. The admiration of the couutry for will be one of the most successful and most genethe genius of that extraordinary man is rally admired of the Annuals. expressed in all these speculations; no one was ever so honoured in this land before; other men of genius have been allowed to slip quietly to their graves, without any expression of regard or sorrow, save perhaps a bad sonnet or two, and a worse memoir. Perhaps the extension of the copyright would be the most acceptable mode after all; it gives to the heirs-the descendants of the poet-the proceeds of his estate of the mind, to which, we think, they have as equitable a claim as they have to Abbotsford itself. Both were the fruits of Scott's genius. deed, we have always thought, and sometimes said, that the man who laid out his talents and time in creating a popular book, had as good a right to what it produced, as the man who laid out his talents and time in creating a fortune, had to the interest of it.

In art, there is not much stirring: the windows of the print-shops are crowded with heads of Sir Walter Scott, few of which are like, and with prints from the Annuals, amongst which, there is more mediocrity than formerly. We have some suspicion, that the tide is on the turn with these pretty

NEW PUBLICATIONS,

Portraits and Memoirs of Illustrious Persons.
By Edmund Lodge. Fifth Edition. Hard-
ing & Lepard.

THE first six numbers of the new and cheap
edition of this truly elegant and national work,
are now before us; and on examining the eigh-
teen engravings which they contain, and the like
number of memoirs which accompany them, we
can be at no loss to see the cause of such popu-
larity. The engravings are, one and all, from
the best portraits by the best masters; and when
we say that those of Vandyke predominate, we
need describe no further; nor have the persons
who engraved them, done their work negli-
gently; in truth, most of the heads are of ex-
tonio More: Queen Catherine Parr,' after
quisite beauty. Sir Philip Sydney,' after An-
Strafford,' and 'The Marquis of Montrose,'
Holbein; Sir Kenelm Digby,' 'The Earl of
after Vandyke, are all masterly. Nor are the
attractions of the work confined to the portraits
alone; the memoirs, though brief, are writ-
ten with spirit and feeling, and as we read
them, we see with what truth such artists as
Holbein and Vandyke wrought; for the letter-

THIS engraving is about six inches wide and eight inches high, and contains as much fine art as can well be in that compass. The manly vigour and female loveliness of the original, have been copied with no little skill by the engraver, nor is he less successful in the light and shade. He is a manly, noble-looking person; she is lovely and matronlike; and though the little girl, who accompanies them is something too much of a doll, we cannot avoid commending the beauty of the whole picture.

Sir Walter Scott. O'Conner, del. Pewtress. WE cannot commend this likeness; for the last twenty years of his life Sir Walter Scott had no such look; the expression of the mouth is decidedly wrong, and wholly unlike; the upper part of the face has a resemblance, but it is in the dawn.

Windsor Castle. Engraved by J. C. Armytage,
from a drawing by W. Daniell, R. A.
THIS plate will, we are informed by a pencil
note, be published in the forthcoming number
of The Court Magazine. It is, therefore, we
presume, to be considered as introductory of
the promised series of 'The Seats of the No-
bility. It is very beautiful, and rich in artist-
like feeling.

THEATRICALS

DRURY LANE.

We promised last week a more detailed notice of the lively and pleasant farce, lately produced here, under the title of Mr. and Mrs. Pringle,' We can keep our word in a very few words, for the whole plot consists in a cunning widow entrapping a rich bachelor into matrimony, as a means of providing for her numerous ready-made family. Those who know Mr. age, need scarcely be told with what effect to Farren's admirable representations of crabbed

himself and the audience, each successive introhad remained single until within a few months duction comes upon Mr. Pringle, upon him who of sixty, and had then fixed his choice on one, whom he believed to be a childless widow of half a century, in the hope of enjoying the golden treasure of matrimony, without the alloy of paternity. Although the rich and racy comicality of Mr. Farren's acting scarcely required any support, save what he could give it-although, we say, this dramatic elephant (to borrow a figure from the friend of our youth, Pidcock,) be the largest in the world, except himself, yet were we rejoiced to see him match to so splendid a specimen of the histrionic breed, as Mrs. Glover. They are indeed par nobile; and the walls of Old Drury never echoed to more joyous and more rational bursts of laughter, than are nightly elicited from its visitors, by that well-assorted ill-assorted couple, Mr. and Mrs. Pringle. There is no other attempt at character in the piece, or, doubtless, it would have been well played; the more especially, if it had fallen to the lot of that always regret, when actors or actresses of very original actress, Mrs. Humby. We beneath their grade, seeing that, in every inmerit refuse parts which they may consider stance of such a fancied condescension, which has come under our observation, they have rather gained than lost in fair reputation by it; but there is a modus in every rebus; and as a gentleman of Don Telesforo's gallantry and good feeling, will feel more pleasure than pain

in confessing himself under obligation to the fair sex, he will not be angry with us, we are sure, for expressing our hope, that in any forthcoming effort of his amusing muse, he will allow Mrs. Humby to take the benefit of the act, and pay her what he owes her, at once in part and in full.

A well earned and well paid compliment to departed worth and genius has been determined to be offered to the memory of Sir Walter Scott, at our two national theatres. This is a noble and a fitting race for them to run; and the original thought, of whomsoever it be born, is worthy of an enlightened age. Drury Lane is first in the field with a pageant, and Covent Garden is shortly to follow with a masque. We mention both the one and the other, for the purpose of panegyric, and with no view of criticism. We should be ashamed of our nature, if we could coldly cavil at the details of that which, in the mass, is a national credit to us. The procession, as arranged at Drury Lane, consists of the principal personages in the various poems and romances of the late gifted bard; and if there be many omissions in the dramatis personæ, the mighty wizard himself must be blamed for fecundity of production, rather than the management of Drury Lane censured for paucity of representation. The different groups pass across the stage in front of a scene, appropriately depicting a portion of the house and grounds of Abbotsford. This scene is delightful-is delicious-in short, it is painted by Stanfield, and that accomplished artist has only varied from his boon-companion Nature, in the two or three trifling instances where limited art required it of him-thus, he has with a true knowledge of the effect to be desired, raised the high ground at the back sufficiently to throw forward the building; and he has, we observe, turned the course of the river, or rather reversed its flow, in order to make his picture what it now is perfectly beautiful. Two other scenes follow that above described the one, the well-known interior of the Poet's Study; and the other, a creation of the painter's imagination: both are good-but the first had, to our minds, made all that could come after, comparatively tame. Why was this? 'Simply because we are enthusiasts, on the two subjects most intimately connected with that scene-Scott and salmon-fishing-and, because the last time we threw our line into the finny and fairy Tiviot, we saw the great enchanter of the place himself-with staff in hand, and hound at heel, pacing the banks of that narrow stream, which the wizard spell of his genius has swelled into boundless notoriety. The hand of death was already on the tottering form of the poet-for the accidental rencontre of which we speak, took place shortly before his departure for Naples and he appeared in the broad sunset, as though he too approached the horizon of his days, and was, even then, with his calm and benign aspect, looking for his home of peace. He is at rest-and next to the delight of having beheld him, and studied his works, comes the gratification of now seeing something like due honour paid to his glorious memory.

COVENT GARDEN.

SINCE our last, in which we spoke from the opinion of others of the success of Mr. Butler in Hamlet, that gentleman has repeated the character we were on this occasion enabled to be present, and therefore it is no longer from hear-say, but from see-say that we speak. Mr. Butler has many, and most essential requisites for the stage, and more particularly for the lofty department of it which he has selected as the object of his ambition. He is tall ("something too much of this ") and, for a man of his stature, singularly well formed. His head, which is of a classic contour, is well

set on his shoulders-and he possesses features, which, as near, or rather as far as we could judge of them at the great distance at which we chanced to be, we should call expressive, if not handsome. His voice, in level speaking, is distinct and pleasing, with certain very effective tones to which he occasionally resorts, in passages of pathos or solemnity. So much for the new candidate's physique of which the costume of Hamlet allows us fairly to speak once,and for all. For the morale we cannot be expected to pronounce but with limitation, since, however wide a range of ability the deep and philosophical Prince of Denmark may demand in its representative, (and perhaps no other character, even of Shakspeare, requires so much,) yet are there very many mental qualifications in the scenic art, for the display of which it does not call. We shall beg therefore, in the present instance, to speak of Mr. Butler as Hamlet, and not as a tragic actor generally, and it gives us sincere pleasure to be enabled to do so in terms of high commendation. It is a performance that evinces excellent natural sense, and well digested thought. Mr. Butler does not do his mortal self, nor his immortal author, the injustice to think that this splendid creation of nature's poet is to be jigged and ambled through, as though bugles and blackvelvet were all in all; nor does he appear to think so meanly of his audience as to imagine that, by merely studying "the glass of fashion," and presenting "the mould of form," he can content those who, even in these degenerate days of "bounce, bother, and balderdash," still occasionally go to the theatre to learn, as well as to laugh. We understand that this gentleman has been on the provincial boards for some years; if so, we can only say that he comes upon us with less to learn, and (which is generally a far harder task) with less to unlearn than any aspirant on whose pretensions we have for some time past been called to pronounce :-yet has he defects-not to say faults; and as we allude to them in the kindest possible spirit, we trust he will receive our hint purely as it is meant. Whether for the sake of an overweening desire to be thought original, or from what stronger or weaker motive we know not, but certainly Mr. Butler indulged in some few readings, and accentuations which are questionable, and in some few pronunciations which are not questionable at all. We would also take the trouble to ask a gentleman for whom we have much respect, why he consented to certain omissions of his text. This is a fault which we cannot tolerate; and therefore, thus early in Mr. Butler's career, we enter our protest against it. To sum up, we congratulate Mr. Laporte on having so good an adviser as he, be he who he may, who recommended his new Hamlet to him, and we promise to give our best attention, as we are sure the actor himself will do, to his Othello. We repeat our assertion, that he has great requisites for his profession, and, considering that he is hot from the country, it is truly delightful to find him without rant, and (strange praise for a Butler) without whine.

MISCELLANEA

New issue of Penny Pieces.-We have at least twenty upon our table; among them 'Shakspeare,' (the four numbers already published are on good paper, with clear type, and include the Tempest and the Two Gentlemen of Verona); Standard Works of Fiction,' 'Ancient History,'' Ancient and Modern Gazetteer,' Grammar and Dictionary,' Law Library,' History of England,' 'Universal Biography,' 'The Doctor,' 'The Penny Lancet,' and others, not necessary to be mentioned, for though born since our last notice, they are already extinct. We must however add an announcement which

we have just seen, of a new literary paper, which the proprietors promise shall be the exact size of the Literary Gazette; and of better paper, &c.&c., and this too is to be sold for one penny! Now, as we have had a threepenny, a twopenny, and a penny literary paper, within these six months,-The Original, The Literary Guar dian,' and 'The Tatler,'-their signal failure ought to serve as a warning to other adventurers. To get up many of the penny and twopenny papers, requires, we admit, no other effort than a disregard to the rights of property, and a little skill in handling the paragraph scissors; but a critical journal is another matter;-books must be got, and read, and studied, before articles setting forth the value of their contents can be written; and though two or three sanguine young gentlemen might make the attempt, as in the case of 'The Literary Guardian,' and for a month or two uphold the work, they would soon grow weary of fighting a losing battle. But to show the utter ignorance in which some of these announcements are written, or the trickery of the parties, we will state, that if the advertisement alluded to were honestly interpreted and acted on, the greater the sale of such a work, the greater must be the loss. We will say nothing of the expense of printing, writing, editing, &c. &c., but confine ourselves to the cost of the paper only, and we state, for the information and benefit of the uniniated, that every sheet-every single sheet of blank paper, costs the proprietors of 'The Literary Gazette' more money than these projectors would receive for a copy of the announced rival publication, and it will be admitted, we suppose, that the wealthy publishing proprietors of 'The Gazette' know how to carry their money to a good

market.

The Society of German Naturalists, of whose meeting in Vienna, our last number contained some exclusive particulars, will hold their next Year's Anniversary at Breslau, in Silesia, under the presidency of Drs. Wendt and Otto.

The Tragic Ballet-is thus sketched off in a late Milan paper. through successive acts, amidst a deluge of "Innocence swimming tears; next a tyrant, stalking and foaming across the stage, like a lunatic just escaped from a mad-house; then a pair of fidi Achates to the aforesaid Innocence, and ditto of satraps, or helpers to the aforesaid madman. Such are the elements of the tragic ballet, and its last agonies-poison, a dagger, and a court of jus

tice."

Opera at Naples.-A new opera is about to be produced at the Teatro del Fundo, of which report speaks in very high terms. It is written by a young musician of the name of Coppola, a native of Batania, in Sicily, the birthplace of the esteemed composer Bellini.

Exhibition at Milan.-The annual exhibition of works of native art, which opened recently in Milan, is said to contain some beautiful specimens of Hayez' and Marchesi's talents. The latter exhibits a colossal statue of St. Ambrosius, intended for the great cathedral in that town, and two other statues, larger than life, of "Concord" and "Justice," which Marchesi has executed by order of the corporation for the embellishment of the Barriera della Perta Orientale. From Hayez' pencil there are several large paintings, the finest of which are,

Mary Queen of Scots vindicating her innocence before the sheriff," (the figures in which are numerous, and one third of the living size), and "Charles the Fifth, stooping to pick up Titian's brush, whilst sitting to the artist for his portrait." The whole of the paintings exhibited by Hayez are bespoke. Marchesi's subjects are all of them executed in marble.

Gold discovered in Egypt.-A letter from Alexandria, in Egypt, dated August 12, states

that M. Linant, a French traveller, has dis- | covered a rich mine of gold in the mountains that run along the Isthmus of Suez. He conveyed nine chests of the ore to Cairo, some of which, on being smelted, rendered one-fifth of pure metal. The most productive of the mines of Peru do not afford a larger proportion. But these mountains do not supply any potable water, or any species of fuel, without which it will be absolutely impossible to work the mines. This was the principal cause of the abandonment of the emerald mines, which are supposed to have been formerly very productive.-French Paper.

New Steam Engine.-A Mr. Pelletan is making experiments at Cherbourg on a vessel, which he has built for the express purpose of ascertaining the merits of his simplified application of the powers of steam; and the result is said to have been hitherto satisfactory. His object is to get rid of the shock and tremulous motion, which attend the use of pad. dle-wheels, as well as to do away with the steam funnel. In effecting this, he hopes to be enabled to diminish the weight of the machinery, and of the vessel itself. The mechanism which he has devised, lies below the surface of the water, and from not occupying more than a tenth part of the ship's tonnage, much greater space is obtained for the stowage of fuel. The steam is disengaged from behind the after-part of the vessel, close above the water line.

The Brazils.-Wrech, in the work referred to last week, observes, every petition presented to the public authorities in the Brazils is entered short in a large book, which lies for inspection in the respective offices. The answers are given without much waste of ink, and half a word is all the petitioner looks for. Thus, Diff. (pro differido) implies "granted"; Inf. (p. informar) "to be further inquired into"; Esp. (p. esperar) "call again to-morrow"; and Esc. or Nao tem. lug. (p. escusado), "not deemed admissible." Every one may examine the book; and the petitioners may, if they desire it, have a written answer without being obliged to loosen their purse-strings.

On Vegetable Structure, and the British Oak. "A knowledge of the internal structure of the vegetable body assists greatly in explaining the modifications of its external form.

All wood is tubular and cellular, and the different weight, colour, taste, smell, &c. of oak, ebony, poplar, cedar, sandal, and so forth, depend not on the ligneous structure itself, but on the matter the cells contain; for, if ebony be steeped in any fluid which will dissolve the black matter with which its cells are filled, it will become as light and pale as poplar. But to the example. There are two, if not three species of British oak, (the third species is by some, however, considered only as a variety,) one of these alone produces strong and lasting timber fit for naval purposes, i. e. which will endure unchanged the transitions from wet to dry, from heat to cold, and remain unhurt between wind and water. This difference depends on the tubes just mentioned conveying to the cells of which the mass of wood consists, a substance differing in solubility in the different species; so that, when the timber of the one is wet, part of the inspissated extract is dissolved and borne away; and when this is repeatedly done, the cells become more and more void, and the timber light and spongy, so that, during cold weather, the water within it freezing and becoming expanded, the cells and tubes are ruptured, and consequently more readily let in fresh water and let out the solid matter it dissolves; and these successive crops of icicles soon form chinks and rents, extending for many feet. Now, oak is frequently contracted for in building ships, and mill-work, floodgates, locks, and so forth,

NOVELTIES IN LITERATURE AND ARTS. The first Vol. of the Works by the Author of Corn Law Rhymes,' embellished with a Likeness of the Author, engraved by Duncan, from a painting by Poole of Sheffield, will contain-The Splendid Village;' The Exile; Bothwell;' Corn Law Rhymes,' &c. &c. It will be uniform, in size and price, with the new Edition of Byron and Scott.

A Memoir by Major-General Sir Howard Douglas, Bart., containing a Review and Refutation of the Prin cipal Essays and Arguments advocating Mr. Clark's Claims, in relation to the Manoeuvre on the 12th of April, 1782.

Mr. Curtis has in the press, a Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye, with a new Method of Curing Incipient Blindness, by External Applications and Constitutional Treatment, whereby the pain and uncertainty of operations may be avoided.

The New Biographical Dictionary, by Mr. Gorton.

Just published.-Edwards on the Influence of Physical Agents on Life, 8vo. 16s.-Cameron on Diet, 8vo. 55.-Geographical Annual, 21s.-Biblical Annual, 21s. -Poole's Family Account Book, 1833, 3s.-Poole's Family Cellar Book, 1833, 3s.-Lafayette, Louis-Philippe, and the Revolution of 1830, 2 vols. post 8vo. 18s. -Little Library, Vol. IX. 4s.-Craven Derby, 2 vols. post 8vo. 21s.-Hind's Arithmetic, 8vo. 7s. 6d.-Refugee in America, 3 vols. post 8vo. 31s. 6d.--Sermons on Important Subjects, 8vo. 10s.-Observations on Southey's Life of Wesley, &c. 12mo. 3s. 6d.-Crutwell's Housekeeper's Account Book, 1833, 2s.-Lizars' Views of Dryburgh Abbey and Abbotsford, 4to. 2s. 6d. -Schomberg on Ship Building, 8vo. 4s.-Roscoe's Spanish Novelists, 3 vols. post 8vo. 27s.-East India Sketch Book, 2 vols. post Svo. 21s.-The Works of Rev. John Howe, imp. 8vo. 24. 2s.-Grier's Mechanic's Calculator, 12mo. 5s. 6d.-Rankin's Present State of the Representation of England and Wales, 12mo. 5s.Our Island, 3 vols. post 8vo. 17. 11s. 6d.-Taylor's Records of my Life, 2 vols. 8vo. 288.-Theological Library, Vol. III. 6s.-Worthies of Yorkshire, Part 1.

5s.

TO CORRESPONDENTS Thanks to H. S.-S. G.-P. N.-W.

Drogheda, but he must give us his name, and furnish us with some particulars of his plan.

We should be happy to oblige our correspondent at

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