401. Walpole informs us, that his father afterwards gave 7001. for this picture, and that it had been previously twice sold for upwards of 1,000l. Titian's pictures were generally appraised at 1001. But the valuation of the following list is really ludicrous. 'King Edward III., with a great curtain before it, 47. A Portrait of Buchanan, 31., 10s. Queen Elizabeth, in her robes, 17. The Queen Mother, in mourning, 31. Picture of the Queen, when a child, 5s. The valuable collection of coins sold, on the average, at about a shilling a-piece. The pictures, together with the furniture of nineteen palaces which had belonged to Charles, and the remains of the jewels and plate which had not already been sold for the maintenance of the royal cause, fetched the comparatively trifling sum of one hundred and eighteen thousand and eighty pounds, ten shillings and sixpence.'-Ib. pp. 102-105. We The extracts we have given will inform our readers of the nature of the materials collected in these volumes. must not, however, dismiss them, without a few animadversions from which we should gladly refrain, if truth and justice permitted it. The general complexion of Mr. Jesse's politics is very evident, nor do we complain of its being so. He has the common right of Englishmen to form his own opinions, and having done so, to give them utterance. But what shall we say of a writer largely conversant with our historical documents, who can sum up his description of Buckingham,-the haughty, reckless, and unprincipled favorite of two kings, by telling us that 'after perusing the history of his dazzling career, we shall per'haps doubt whether there is most room for envy or commisera'tion, for applause or censure.' It is needless to comment on such language; we cite it only in proof of the little reliance which can be placed on our author's judgment. The unde'viating rectitude' of Strafford is also as little known to history as Buckingham's title to applause; and if it be Mr. Jesse's intention, when contrasting the brilliant qualities and open character' of the Irish viceroy, with the wily fanatics and mushroom politi'cians of the age of Charles,' to refer to the leaders of the popular party, he only damages his own reputation, without injuring that of Pym, Hampden, and Vane. We smile at the absurd folly of a writer who, in the nineteenth century, can find no more appropriate term for John Pym than that of demagogue,' or who can describe the party with which he acted as gloomy enthusiasts and sanctimonious hypocrites.' Such epithets, we regret to say, are scattered somewhat profusely through these volumes, and they reflect no credit on the candor or discrimination of the author. It is of a piece with such caricaturing to represent Laud as, perhaps no enemy to arbitrary measures,' and to tell us that his zeal almost amounted to bigotry.' But we have a more serious charge to urge. Puritanic in our notions, we are far from being pleased with the light and exculpatory manner in which, our author refers to the fashionable vices of his heroes. These, indeed, are only slightly noticed, but glossing terms are used, as though vice could be other than itself. The impression produced is bad, which we the more regret, as the professed character of the work lulls suspicion, and thus opens the youthful heart to the reception of impressions which, are hostile to the purity of its moral sentiments. Our author's reference to the publication of the Book of Sports is in equally bad taste, to say nothing of the astounding ignorance it displays of the religious principles which were violated. We give the paragraph entire, lest our readers should deem our strictures too severe. One act of James's life can never be sufficiently commended. During the progresses made through his kingdom, he had noticed the pernicious effects which a puritanical observance of the Sabbath was producing on the health and happiness of the lower classes of his subjects. With the certainty that religious bigotry would be everywhere arrayed against him, he issued a proclamation, that, after the performance of divine service, his subjects should be allowed to indulge in all legitimate sports and amusements. Without entering into any theological discussion, as to the proper observance of the Lord's-day, there are few who will deny to James the real credit which he deserved on this occasion. Surely that monarch stands high among the thrones of the earth, who willingly turns from his own pomps and vanities, to the sufferings and discomforts of the poor and unprotected; and who readily encounters obloquy and discontent, in order to throw a gleam of sunshine over the broad shadows of human wretchedness.' -Vol. i. pp. 111, 112. The philosophy of this paragraph is as wretched as its religion, -the one is as shallow as the other is anti-scriptural. Mankind,' says Mr. Hallam, when referring to the republication of the Book of Sports in 1633, love sport as little as prayer by compulsion; and the immediate effect of the king's declaration was 'to produce a far more scrupulous abstinence from diversions on Sundays than had been practised before."* The testimony of May, one of the most dispassionate observers of the period in question, is most explicit on this point, for many men,' he in * The Constitutional History of England, II. 78. 401. Walpole informs us, that his father afterwards gave 7001. for this picture, and that it had been previously twice sold for upwards of 1000l. Titian's pictures were generally appraised at 1007. But the valuation of the following list is really ludicrous. 'King Edward III, with a great curtain before it, 47. A Portrait of Buchanan, 31., 10s. Queen Elizabeth, in her robes, 17. The Queen Mother, in mourning, 31. Picture of the Queen, when a child, 5s. + The valuable collection of coins sold, on the average, at about shilling a-piece. The pictures, together with the furniture of i teen palaces which had belonged to Charles, and the remains of jewels and plate which had not already been sold for the maintene of the royal cause, fetched the comparatively trifling sum of one dred and eighteen thousand and eighty pounds, ten shillings and pence.'-Ib. pp. 102-105. The extracts we have given will inform our reade the nature of the materials collected in these volumes. must not, however, dismiss them, without a few animadve from which we should gladly refrain, if truth and justic mitted it. The general complexion of Mr. Jesse's polit very evident, nor do we complain of its being so. He b. Hel. common right of Englishmen to form his own opinions having done so, to give them utterance. But what shall of a writer largely conversant with our historical documents can sum up his description of Buckingham,-the haughty less, and unprincipled favorite of two kings,-by telling after perusing the history of his dazzling career, we si haps doubt whether there is most room for envy or cop tion, for applause or censure.' It is needless to com such language; we cite it only in proof of the little which can be placed on our author's judgment. viating rectitude' of Strafford is also as little known. as Buckingham's title to applause; and if it be Mr. Jess tion, when contrasting the brilliant qualities and opene of the Irish viceroy, with the wily fanatics and mushro cians of the age of Charles,' to refer to the leaders of the party, he only damages his own reputation, without inj of Pym, Hampden, and Vane. We smile at the absi a writer who, in the nineteenth century, can find no m priate term for John Pym than that of demagogue,' describe the party with which he acted as gloomy. and sanctimonious hypocrites. Such epithets. say, are scattered somewhat profusely through th T > of e of re', are long il us, , and ips to .ial in found at this ire that gions of as lords little use , that we tourths of in to the , and every millions of at prolitic this island 1.ufactures ngland can and be inKing everyI that while housands in tion the very ket capable goods that all cm be as busy COMMON-SENSE eets employWill it be be Tons of fellow Y forms us, who had before been loose and careless, began upon 'that occasion to enter into a more serious consideration of it, and 'were ashamed to be invited, by the authority of Churchmen, to 'that which themselves, at the best, would but have pardoned in 'themselves, as a thing of infirmity. The example of the court 'where plays were usually presented on Sundays, did not so much 'draw the country to imitation, as reflect with disadvantage upon 'the court itself.'* We leave Mr. Jesse to reconcile his eulogy with these facts, and shall be glad to find, in the event of his prosecuting further the design announced in his preface, that he has purged his style from some unworthy asperities, and imbibed a portion of the better spirit of those men whom, at present, he grossly libels, and is unable to comprehend. A candid mind swayed by deep reverence for the things of God, will lead him to regret having penned many sentences in these volumes. Art. V. 1. Chapters of the Modern History of British India. By EDWARD THORNTON, Esq., Author of India, its State and Prospects.' 8vo. pp. 644. London: Allen and Co. 1840. 2. Letters to and from the Government of Madras, relative to the Disturbances in Canara in April, 1837, with some Explanatory Notes; and a Letter to the Honorable Court of Directors of the East India Company. By F. C. BROWN, Esq., of Tellicherry. 8vo. pp. 206. London: Smith and Elder. 1838. 3. Notes on Indian Affairs. By the Honorable FREDERICK JOHN 4. Edinburgh Review for January, 1840. IT T was thought a capital jeu d'esprit in Dr. Franklin when he was ambassador from the United States of America to France, and observed with surprise the late hours of the Parisians, to address a letter to them in one of the public journals, gravely assuring them that the sun at that time of the year actually rose at four o'clock in the morning, and that, therefore, there was no necessity for them to lie in bed till eleven and twelve, or to sit up so many hours by the light of lamps, which was so very inferior to sunshine: but it is something more than a joke that the people History of the Long Parliament, p. 15. |