fortune to escape to London unscathed, where he engaged, first as a horse-factor, and then as a brickmaker. Failing in business, however, he became insolvent, and compounded with his creditors as best he could. It is to his credit, however, that when his circumstances were afterwards improved, he paid the full amount of all his obligations. In 1697, he again became an author; and more than twenty years later-when about fifty years of age-his romance of Robinson Crusoe appeared. His subsequent productions were very numerous; and a few of them were works of merit. GOETHE'S NOVELS. The regular novels of Goëthe are of a very questionable sort. The vivacity of his imagination and fineness of feeling, supply good individual pictures and acute remarks, but they cannot be praised either for incident or character. They are often stained, too, with the degradation to which he unfortunately reduces love, where liking and vice follow fast upon each other. The Apprenticeship of William Meister, for instance, is a very readable book, in so far as it contains a great deal of acute and eloquent criticism; but who would purchase the criticism, even of Goethe, at the expense of the licentiousness of incident and pruriency of description with which the book teems?-(Russell's Germany.) MISS BURNEY. When Dr. Burney had concluded his business in town, he went to Chessington, the seat of Mr. Crisp, where his family were on a visit. He had scarcely dismounted and entered the parlour, when the customary question of "What news?" was rapidly addressed to him by the several personages of the little party. "Nothing," said the worthy doctor, "but a great deal of noise about a novel which I have brought you." When the book was produced, and the title read, the surprised and conscious Miss Burney turned away her face to conceal the blushes and delighted confusion which otherwise would have betrayed her secret; but the bustle which usually attends the arrival of a friend in the country, where the monotonous but peaceful tenor of life is agreeably disturbed by such a change, prevented the curious and happy group from observing the agitation of their sister. After dinner, Mr. Crisp proposed that the book should be read. This was done with all due rapidity; when the gratifying comments made during its progress, and the acclamations which attended its conclusion, ratified the approbation of the public. The amiable author, whose anxiety and pleasure could with difficulty be concealed, was at length overcome by the delicious feelings of her heart; she burst into tears, and throwing herself on her father's neck, avowed herself the author of Evelina. Miss Burney, afterwards Ma- The joy and surprise of her sisdame D'Arblay, wrote her celebra-ters, and still more of her father, ted novel of Evelina when only cannot easily be expressed. Dr. seventeen years of age, and pub- Burney, conscious as he was of the lished it without the knowledge of talents of his daughter, never her father, who, having occasion to thought that such maturity of obvisit the metropolis, soon after it servation and judgment, such ferhad issued from the press, pur-tility of imagination, and chastechased it as the work then most ness of style, could have been dispopular, and most likely to prove played by a girl of seventeen-by an acceptable treat to his family. one who appeared a mere infant in ORATORY AND ELOCUTION. artlessness and inexperience, and whose deep seclusion from the world had excluded her from all visual knowledge of its ways. 119 and astonishment of all the personages, clergy, literati, and foreigners then resident at Rome. Among the latter was the brother of George Soon after 1774, she settled at III., the Duke of Gloucester. Rome, and was admitted a member Nearly fifty sonnets, by different of the Academy of the Arcadi, un-poets, with odes, canzoni, terze rime, der the name of Corilla Olympica, attave, canzonette, &c., produced on and for some time continued to the subject of the event, are incharm the inhabitants of Rome by serted at the end of a beautiful her talents in improvisation. At volume containing a description of length, when Pius VI. became Pope, the order and ceremonials of this he determined that she should splendid, honourable, and enthusibe solemnly crowned-an honour astic homage paid to poetry, claswhich had been granted to Petrarch sical taste, talents, literature, and only. the fine arts. THE AUTHORSHIP OF WAVERLEY. Twelve members of the Arcadian Academy were selected out of thirty, publicly to examine the new Mrs. Murray Keith, a venerable edition of the "Tenth Muse," which Scotch lady, from whom Sir Walter has so often been dedicated to ladies Scott derived many of the traditionof poetical and literary talents. ary stories and anecdotes wrought Three several days were allotted up in his novels, taxed him one for this public exhibition of poeti- day with the authorship, which he, cal powers, on the following sub- as usual, stoutly denied. "What!" jects:-sacred history, revealed re- exclaimed the old lady, "d'ye think ligion, moral philosophy, natural I dinna ken my ain groats among history, metaphysics, epic poetry, other folk's kail?” legislation, eloquence, mythology, THE "VICAR OF WAKEFIELD.” fine arts, and pastoral poetry. This beautiful little work re In the list of examiners appeared a prince, an archbishop, three mon-mained unnoticed, and was atseigneurs, the Pope's physician, tacked by the reviews, until Lord abati, avocati, all of high rank in Holland, who had been ill, sent to literature and criticism. These his bookseller for some amusing severally gave her subjects, which, book. This was supplied, and he besides a readiness at versification was so pleased that he spoke of it in in all the measures of Italian poetry, the highest terms to a large comrequired science, reading, and know-pany who dined with him a few ledge of every kind. days after. The consequence was, In these severe trials, she ac- that the whole impression was sold quitted herself to the satisfaction off in a few days. ORATORY AND ELOCUTION, PULPIT, PARLIAMENTARY, AND JUDICIAL. BISHOP ATTERBURY. Dr. Doddridge, in his unpublished lectures on preaching, gives a short view of the characters and quali fications of the most celebrated divines of the last and present age, both conformists and non-conformists. Under the former head he thus describes Atterbury as a preacher:-"Atterbury. The glory | by his oratory, that, without reof English orators! His language flecting where I was, I vehemently in its strictest purity and beauty nothing dark, nothing redundant, nothing defective, nothing misplaced. Trivial thoughts avoided; uncommon ones introduced; set in a clear and strong light in a few words; a few admirable similies; graceful allusions to Scripture beyond any other writer. On the whole, he is a model for courtly preachers." SHERIDAN. called out 'Bravo!' I was delighted to that degree that I made the house ring again. The speaker, Addington, immediately got up and said, that more unwarrantable conduct he had never witnessed than that of the person who had interrupted the proceedings. Strangers were upon sufferance in that house, and could not be permitted to ap plaud or disapprove anything that was passing. It was a high breach of privilege, and a sergeant-at-arms was ordered to bring the offender to the bar. A tall, handsome man, Sheridan was one day much annoyed by a fellow-member of the House of Commons, who kept cry-sitting alone in the side gallery, ing out every few minutes, "Hear! hear!" During the debate he took occasion to describe a political cotemporary who wished to play the rogue, but had only sense enough to act the fool. "Where," exclaimed he, with great emphasis, "where shall we find a more foolish knave or a more knavish fool than he?" "Hear! hear!" was shouted by the troublesome member. Sheridan turned round, and, thanking him for the prompt reply, sat down amid a general roar of laughter. APPLAUSE IN THE GALLERY OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. The late William Gardiner, of Leicester, related the following story of himself, in his work called Music and Friends: "I was presented with an order to the gallery of the House of Commons. That night there was a grand debate upon Mr. Grey's motion touching the seizure of Oczakow by the Empress of Russia, in which I heard all the principal speakers. Mr. Grey's style was that of sober argument; Sheridan's, playful; Burke's, imaginative and lofty; Pitt's (what little he said), supercilious and scornful; Fox's, powerful and eloquent. He was the last speaker, and I was so excited approached me, and said, with a LORD BROUGHAM. GRATTAN,- CONCENTRATED CON TEMPT. 121 that I was the very person who had | fessors do; he delivers himself with committed this outrage, till I met clearness, precision, and ability. him the next morning at breakfast." Moreover, he speaks his language in a manner which confirmed me in a secret suspicion I had, that a great number of Englishmen speak Thomas Campbell repeated the it very badly. Why is it that following anecdote of Grattan, on French in the mouth of Mdlle. the authority of Samuel Rogers:- Mars, German in that of Tieck, and Grattan was once violently attacked English in that of Faraday, seems in the Irish House of Commons a totally different language? Beby an inveterate Orangeman, who cause they articulate what other made a miserable speech. In reply, people swallow or chew. It is a Grattan said "I shall make no shame that the power and harmony other remark on the personalities of simple speech (I am not talking of the honourable gentleman who of eloquence, but of vowels and spoke last, than-As he rose with-consonants), that the tones and inout a friend, so he has sat down flexions which God has given to without an enemy." "Was ever con- the human voice, should be so tempt (adds Campbell) so concen- neglected and abused. And those trated in expression! BURKE PUT TO FLIGHT. Mr. Burke, on one occasion, had just risen in the House of Commons, with some papers in his hand, on the subject of which he intended to make a motion, when a rough-hewn member, who had no ear for the charms of eloquence, rudely started up, and said, “Mr. Speaker, I hope the honourable gentleman does not mean to read that large bundle of papers, and to bore us with a long speech into the bargain." Mr. B. was so swollen with rage, as to be incapable of utterance, and absolutely ran out of the house. On this occasion, George Selwyn remarked, that it was the only time he ever saw the fable realized-a lion put to flight by the braying of an ass. FARADAY AS A LECTURER. who think they do them full justice -preachers—generally give us only the long straw of pretended connoisseurs, instead of the chopped straw of the dilettanti." BROUGHAM AND LYNDHURST. Brougham, speaking of the salary attached to a rumoured appointment to a new judgeship, said it was all moonshine. Lyndhurst, in his dry and waggish way, remarked, "May be so, my Lord Harry; but I have a strong notion that, moonshine though it be, you would like to see the first quarter of it.” LORD BROUGHAM. It is related of Lord Brougham that on one occasion, after having practised all day as a barrister, he went to the House of Commons, where he was engaged in active debate through the night, till three Von Raumer acutely observes:- o'clock in the morning: he then "Mr. Faraday is not only a man of returned home; wrote an article profound chemical and physical for the Edinburgh Review; spent science (which all Europe knows), the next day in court, practising but a very remarkable lecturer. law, and the succeeding night in He speaks with ease and freedom, the House of Commons; returned but not with a gossiping unequal to his lodgings at three o'clock in tone, alternately inaudible and the morning, and "retired simply bawling, as some very learned pro- because he had nothing else to do." It is known that Brougham was covered from his first confusion, his mind and words could easily have subdued even Kemble.-(Life of Lord Jeffrey.) laboriously studying optics in the brief intervals of the Queen's trial, one of the most absorbing judicial proceedings of modern times, and in which he took a leading part as counsel. LORD ERSKINE. When Lord Erskine made his début at the bar, his agitation almost overcame him, and he was just going to sit down. "At that moment," said he, "I thought I felt my little children tugging at my gown, and the idea roused me to an exertion of which I did not think myself capable." JEFFREY AND JOHN KEMBLE. CHARLES JAMES FOX. "What a man," says Walpole, "Fox is! After his long and exhausting speech on Hastings's trial, he was seen handing ladies into their coaches, with all the gaiety and prattle of an idle gallant.” MELODRAMATIC TRICK. Burke's was a complete failure, when he flung the dagger on the floor of the House of Commons, and produced nothing but a smothered laugh, and a joke from Sheridan: "The gentleman has brought us In February 1818, he did what the knife, but where is the fork?" he never did before or since. He stuck a speech. John Kemble had DR. CHALMERS IN LONDON. taken his leave of our stage, and When Dr. Chalmers first visited before quitting Edinburgh, about London, the hold that he took on sixty or seventy of his admirers the minds of men was unpregave him a dinner and a snuff-box. cedented. It was a time of strong Jeffrey was put into the chair, and political feeling; but even that had to make the address previous was unheeded, and all parties to the presentation. He began thronged to hear the Scottish very promisingly, but got confused, preacher. The very best judges and amazed both himself and every- were not prepared for the display body else, by actually sitting down, that they heard. Canning and and leaving the speech unfinished; Wilberforce went together, and got and, until reminded of that part of into a pew near the door. The elder his duty, not even thrusting the in attendance stood alone by the box into the hand of the intended pew. Chalmers began in his usual receiver. He afterwards told me unpromising way, by stating a few the reason of this. He had not nearly self-evident propositions, premeditated the scene, and thought neither in the choicest language, he had nothing to do, except, in nor in the most impressive voice. the name of the company, to give "If this be all," said Canning to his the box. But as soon as he rose to companion, "it will never do." do this, Kemble, who was beside Chalmers went on-the shuffling of him, rose also, and with the most the conversation gradually subsided. formidable dignity. This forced He got into the mass of his subject; Jeffrey to look up to his man; when his weakness became strength, his he found himself annihilated by the hesitation was turned into energy, tall tragic god; who sank him to and, bringing the whole volume of the earth at every compliment, by his mind to bear upon it, he poured obeisances of overwhelming grace forth a torrent of the most close and and stateliness. If the chairman conclusive argument, brilliant with had anticipated his position, or re-all the exuberance of an imagination |