MAJOR TOPHAM.

MAJOR EDWARD TOPHAM is the son of Francis Topham, Esq. LL. D. who was master of the faculties and judge of the prerogative court of York, at which place he resided. He was reckoned one of the most emineat civilians of his day; and it was in a great measure owing to the number of unfortunate cases that came before him as a judge, which he so strongly represented in a pamphlet addressed to the then Lord Hardwicke, that the act which put an end to the Fleet marriages passed. It was on this gentleman that Lawrence Sterne, better known under the name of Tristram Shandy, made his first essay in a little pamphlet which he called "The Adventures of a Watchcoat." Here Major Topham, who was then a boy at Eton, was first ushered into the world of literary warfare, from having it stated that his father, who was there held forth as a watchman, "wanted to cut the parish watch-coat into a dress for his wife, and a pair of small-cloaths for his son.”

The subject of all this originated, as we have heard, in a dispute with Dr. Fountain, the late Dean of York, who having neglected to fulfil an engagement made with Dr. Topham, engaged Tristram Shandy to endeavour to turn his breach of promise into ridicule. The best result was, that it became the means of first bringing forth into public notice, and afterwards into public admiration, Lawrence Sterne as an author, who was at that period a curate in the country, and till then totally unknown.

Major

Major Topham passed eleven years at Eton, where he was fortunate enough to be distinguished by frequently having his verses publicly read by the master in school, or, as it is there termed, by being sent up for good. He afterwards formed one of the numerous band of upper boys who were very severely punished for being engaged in the great rebellion that took place under Dr. Forster, then master, who was a great Latinist, a great Grecian, a great Hebraist, and every thing but a man of common sense. In the ways the world he was a very Parson Adams, and of course not well qualified to govern the greatest public seminary in the kingdom, which at one time boasted five hundred and fifty students.

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After leaving Eton, Major Topham went as a fellow-commoner to Trinity College, Cambridge. About this time his father died, and in a few months afterwards his mother. His father, (which is somewhat singular) although presiding over the very depository of wills, died intestate, and Major Topham had thus a good opportunity of beginning life well for a young man, for he executed all that his father intended to have done; a circumstance not a little advantageous to his eldest sister Charlotte, who married Sir Griffith Boynton, Bart. (now nearly the oldest baronetage in England) and died in child-birth at Burton Agnes, in Yorkshire.

At Cambridge, Major T. remained four years, long enough to put on what is there called "an Harry Soph's gown," which many people would think was exchanging a good for a bad gown; the gown of the fellow

fellow-commoner being purple and silver, and that of the Harry Soph black silk.

From Cambridge he went abroad for a year and a half, and afterwards travelled through Scotland. This little tour became better known, as he afterwards. gave an account of it "in Letters from Edinburgh," published by Dodsley. As the work of a stripling, they were so well received, that the first edition was soon out of print. Thence he removed to the seat of all human joy, in the eyes of a young man, London, and entered into the first regiment of life-guards, which in the hey-day of the blood may be thought to make that still greater.

There is a principle about some men that never allows them to be quiet or inactive. Major Topham had this principle in its full force. He was soon appointed adjutant of that corps, and shortly after exhibited as a character in the windows of all the print-shops under the title of "The Tip-top Adjutant." In truth, he was a Martinette of his day, and shortly converted a very heavy ill-disciplined regiment into a very good one; in consequence of this he received several commendatory notices from the King and the old general officers of the time.

The Major, however, was not so absolutely absorbed in military tactics as even then totally to estrange himself from literary pursuits. In the midst of his various avocations he wrote many prologues and epilogues to the dramatic pieces of his friends; and to these the wits of the day were pleased to attach so much more fashion than falls to the share of fugitive pieces in general,

neral, that few plays were brought out that did not produce a request of this kind. To some of Mr. Cumberland's dramatic pieces, and to all those composed by his friend Mr. Andrews, he gave the last word in the shape of an epilogue. Amongst those that produced the greatest applause on the stage, was a prologue spoken by Mr. Lee Lewis, in the character of Moliere's old woman, which had the effect of bring. ing for many nights together a full house before the beginning of the play-a circumstance in dramatic story somewhat singular; and an epilogue that was afterwards delivered by Miss Farren, now Countess of Derby.

The managers of Drury-lane, who had protracted their season to great length, at the close of it, to add to their profits, let their theatre for a few nights to a party, collected heaven knows how! of people who fancied they had great stage talents. Hamlet's advice to actors formed no part of their tragedy Amongst the rest was the father of Lawrence the painter, who having been unsuccessful in the wine trade, as an innkeeper, fancied that he had at least all the spirit necessary for a tragedian. The tragedy too was new, as well as the performers. Horace has observed,

Si vis me flere, dolendum est

.Primum ipsi tibi:

but this rule, for the first time, was known to be fallacious; for nothing could be more mournful than the performers, as they cried almost from the beginning to the end of the picce. One character, in fact, never appeared without a white handkerchief to be in rea

diness for his grief. The result was, that before half the play was over, the audience, which was very numerous, were in a state of convulsion: as the actors roared, the spectators roared with merriment, and every tear of the performer was accompanied with the laughter of the whole audience. Such a tragedy was certainly never performed before, and never has been performed since. It was this subject, luckily occur. ring at the time, that Major Topham selected for an epilogue, which was most admirably delivered by Miss Farren. The effect was such, that the elder Colman often declared that it brought five hundred pounds to the Haymarket theatre during that season. The author received from the manager in return a very handsome letter, with the perpetual freedom of the theatre.

Major Topham remained adjutant of the second life-guards about seven years, during which period he succeeded in making it the pattern regiment of the kingdom, and therefore, in some measure, actually merited the appellation of the Tip-top Adjutant. After this, in the regular course of purchase and promotion, he rose to be a captain, in consequence of which the duties of adjutant devolved upon another. What to many men would have been a recommendation, a life of less activity and trouble, was not a life of case to him. "Nunquam minus solus, quam cum solus,” was applied to a character of old; and an active mind is certainly never less at ease than when it has nothing to do.

At this time he first became acquainted with old Mr. Elwes, who frequently used to dine with him on

guard,