ORIGINAL ESSAYS ON POLITE LITERATURE, THE ARTS AND SCIENCES; A REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS; POETRY; CRITICISMS ON THE FINE ARTS, THE DRAMA, &c.; BIOGRAPHY; CORRESPONDENCE OF DISTINGUISHED PERSONS; ANECDOTES, JEUX D'ESPRIT, &c.; SKETCHES OF SOCIETY AND MANNERS; LONDON: PRINTED BY JAMES MOYES, TOOK'S COURT, CHANCERY LANE : PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, AT THE LITERARY GAZETTE OFFICE, WELLINGTON STREET, WATERLOO Bridge, STRAND; 1827. AND gournal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c. This Journal is supplied Weekly, or Monthly, by the principal Booksellers and Newsmen throughout th Kingdom; but to those who may desire its immediate transmission, by post, we recommend the LITERARY GAZETTE, printed on stamped paper, price Que Shilling. No. 520. REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1827. PlaCE 8d. being amused by reading as follows: "Dr. we have not; and, as it appears to us, the Editor Bogue's mind was ever engaged with some of this volume did not think it to be his province The Annual Biography and Obituary, for the important plan of usefulness." (p. 26.) "He to assume the character. Year 1827. 8vo. pp. 492. London, 1827. was, in 1788, united in marriage to Miss Char- In the Life of Lord Chichester, the writer Longman and Co. lotte Uffington, a lady generally esteemed for does not seem to have been informed of the THE eleventh volume of this meritorious publi- her amiable spirit, intelligent mind, agreeable important services rendered by that nobleman cation demands a seasonable notice from us; manners, and decided piety," &c. (p. 27.) to the Literary Fund-one of the best benevothough we do not find that we have much to say And thus we might, by the slightest juxtapo- lent institutions in Europe. There was some beyond repeating our hearty praises of the care sition, shew that this style of writing, which difficulty in its early times in procuring a with which its materials are evidently collected, too closely mingles the spiritual and the tem- Charter of Incorporation (a deed of great value, and the ability and judgment with which they poral, is (we speak as critics) very dangerous to as it renders benevolent grants and bequests. are put together. We know no more difficult be indulged. Even without reference to other easy and legal); and it is now frequently task in literature, than the production of bio- parts, observe how the following construes-stated, when the memory of Lord Chichester graphies: to steer clear on the one hand of They had a family of four sons and three is recalled, by the chairman of the committee, harsh strictures, which, in spite of apparent daughters, who were successively devoted to (Sir Benjamin Hobhouse, whese living support notoriety, may (such is human nature) be the Lord in baptism by their friend Dr. Winter; to this Fund is of a similar effective and inutterly unfounded; and, on the other, not to and their parents were faithful to discharge the valuable kind) that it was owing to him, Lord fail in with the kind and partial statements of solemn obligations which that ordinance in- C., taking expense, responsibility, and labour mourning friends, whose misrepresentations volves. Amidst abounding labours, Dr. B. did upon himself, that this important act was would rob the lives of men of every useful not neglect his household ; and it was his hap- carried through, and a considerable property lesson, requires no small share of circumspec-piness to see them growing up to manhood thereby secured to the charity. Such things tion and discrimination. The Editor of these around him, with accomplished and sanctified should not he forgotten. The proudest peer of volumes possesses both in an uncommon de- minds." Now, though Mr. Griffin, the quoted England could hardly have a more brilliant gree; and this it is, we think, which has caused eulogist of Dr. Bogue, may assert this fact, we epitaph than one which recorded a service like The Annual Biography and Obituary alone to put in our caveat against the belief that Dr. B.'s this to the cause of suffering humanity and maintain its place in public esteem, and go on three daughters grew up to manhood, in the literature: for ourselves, we do not estimate increasing in popularity from year to year, accepted sense of the expression; though as all Lord Pelham's political offices at a pin's while all similar works have speedily sunk into they grew up to be married to men, and man point, in comparison with this one unostentadisrepute. and wife are one flesh, there is no doubt tious, warm-hearted, and truly illustrious acThough during the preceding twelve months but the assertion may admit of grammatical tion, which has since wiped many a tear from Death's darts have certainly not flown so thick argument! But next comes our old friend Mic sorrowful eyes, and carried comfort into many a as they too often do among the great and the Kelly:-Dr. Bogue, when he met the heavy forlorn besom. 'stinguished; there are seventeen memoirs, loss of his second son, is described as preaching a derived from various sources, in this volume. funeral sermon for his own child, "in which all The principal subjects are, Lord Gifford, the the father appeared, supported and hallowed by Bishops of Durham and Calcutta, Sir Stamford all the saint:" and Kelly, when he lost the Raffies, Dr. Milner, Sir David Ochterlony, Von beautiful Mrs. Crouch, in 1805, (who had sepaWeber, &c. &c. There is a very interesting rated from her husband and lived with him) memoir of Mrs. Watts, in which we perceive was so overpowered, that "he obtained leave of with satisfaction that the account of that amiable absence from Drury Lane for two months, which writer, which appeared in the Literary Gazette time he spent at Wroxton Abbey with the late immediately after her death, has been of some Lord Guildford, from whom he experienced the use to the Editor. That of Lord Gifford strikes greatest consolation and kindness. His furlough Es as being one of the fullest and best; though having expired, Mr. Kelly took his departure for there is much for curious speculation in the London, and played Henry in The Deserter.' details of the busy life of the Roman Catholic | On his first appearance, he was received with bishop, Milner, which contrasts finely with the princely state of Durham, and more finely still with the apostolic piety of Heber. There are Again we recommend the Annual Biography sher contrasts in a work like this, which do to our readers. The obituary is a short sumnot fail to make their impression upon reflecmary or index of deaths, compiled from origi ve minds. Thus the Independent clergyman Now, we take it not upon ourselves to be nal papers and contemporary publications:-a Lue appears between the Veteran of Nepaul either the judges or the condemners of the gratifying tribute to those who have cast" terlony), and the Veteran of the stage, Mic actions of our fellow-creatures,-it is sim, to longing, lingering look behind" for something Kelly; and we form, perhaps, a juster appre. illustrate the style of what must be in contem- of a fame, for which they may have struggled Gatim of character, through the guise of ami-porary biographical writings, that we quote very strongly, though its louder blast has been e and admiring biography, in consequence of these passages :-but does it not look as if there denied by circumstances to their efforts. In wing how the soldier's, the preacher's, and the were entirely different orders of men in e: st-reading it, a very common expression has struck r's friends exalt their several merits, and ence? What would Dr. Bogue's auditors have us as susceptible of a rather ludicrous interprew into shadow the parts which even the said to Mr. Kelly's debut after his misfortune? tation:-such a one, who had four children, te stone would not wish to obtrude upon me- and what would Mr. Kelly's auditors have ary. The style of the religious memoirs often thought of Dr. Bogne's funeral sermon? It is, es a smile; while those of a lighter order may indeed, a strange world, my masters; and who to graver reflection: thus, who can help is there to decide-not knowing the heart, the motives, the temptations-who is the hero, who the coward,-who the sage, who the fool,—who the saint, who the sinner? Let those who fancy they have the right, determine ;-sure we are, די Within the last few weeks, (too late, of course, for this There has, on the contrary, been a harvest of by abundance reaped by the Conqueror's sickle, ending binding up of the Editor. kind and sympathetic applause by his friends Were we able to make any selection by way of specimen from the volume before us, we should look to the clever and interesting sketch of Lord Gifford; but werks like the present are so sure of being read, that we may safely leave these pages intact. We shall merely mention, that Sir T. Lawrence's fine wholelength portrait of him, for the city of Exeter (of which he was a native and recorder), was sufficiently advanced at the time of his decense, to ensure its becoming one of the most faithful and animated performances of that accomplished artist. Lord G.'s admirable reply in the late Queen Caroline's case, is justly pointed out as one of the greatest legal speeches that was ever delivered. a died, "only the two eldest, and his widow, survive to lament his loss:"-the others were, no doubt, dead, but it is not stated; and the matter, if jokes were admitted in such cases, would be very equivocal. |