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Pry Bureau, The,

129, 195

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Confidential Letters of Certain Lords, viz.
Lord L-nd-st to Lord Br—gh-m,

641

141, 660

Lord K-ny-n to Lord W-nf—rd,

730

769

ib.

387

582

Political Unions, their true nature,

Political Morality, and the Tory Ministry,

176

Political Register, 188, 207, 275, 352, 488, 555, 628,

Political State of the North of Scotland,
Popular Literary and Scientific Institutions,

Princess, The; by Lady Morgan,

Private Bill, How to carry a, through Parliament,
Provident and Visiting Societies, on, W. Howitt

Question of Questions, The,

Radicalism, English Opium-Eater on,
Ramble in the Woods on Sunday, A,
Rathcormac!

Richards, John, M. P., Jonathan Wilkins to,
Richmond versus Simpkin & Marshall,
Roberts' (Miss) Scenes, &c. of Hindostan,
Ross Beh Wrecker, The; an Irish Story,
Ross-shire, Political State of,
Sam Pogson's Gamecock,
Scenes in Edinburgh,

Scientific and Literary Institutions, On

Scott, Sir Walter, a Reformer, in his works,
Scottish Jurors and Scottish Judges,
Scrap-Stall of Paris, The; a Tale,
Second Melbourne Administration,

Lord Br-gh-m to Lord L-nd-st,
Epigram-When Luke, the 'cute

133 Fragment from the tragedy of " the Dictator,"
403 Give us Bread; a Voice from the Millions

1 Gully's Manu-fist-o to his Constituents,

145

743-

514

683 Hurrah for Bread-Taxed England; by E. Elliott, 235
726 Ignorance and Forgetfulness,

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310

620 Impromptu Sonnets; by Louisa Anne Twamley, 602
643 Jeanie Ballantyne; a Ballad,

16

129, 195 Know ye the Land,

299

753 L. S. D.

270

157 Laud-a-Tory Lines to Johnny M'Crea,
463 Lines on Dover Castle; by J. W. Ord,
452 Lines on Hamilton Rowan

747

785

252

288 Loose Fish; an excellent New Song,
758 Musings,

271

403

585

146 New Times; or, Revolutionary Tactics,
No-Popery.-A New Song,

518

823

Poetic Consolations.

On Harvey's Painting of the Covenanters,
To Helen,

428

602

715

Popish Ascendancy,

574

163

Serenade; the Knight's Return,

175

83

Songs of the People,

128

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Sonnet (in Colwick Woods) by Richard Howitt 776
Sonnet on Howitt's Priesteraft,

506

75

Sonnets on the Modern Greeks,

378

663

Sonnets to Adele,

523

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235

The Corse o' Dundee,

290

731

The Fairies' Song,

523

210 The Guardian Angel; an Infant's Dream,
652 The Ghost of Guy Fawkes,

506

742

311 The Mission of Changes

129

210 The Monarch; A Dramatic Fragment,

10

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539

The Mountain Streamlet,

463

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The Orange Flag on the Breeze, ...
The Reign of Terror,

389

76

The Great Modern Poets Great Reformers,

Thurland, Bilberry, once a Beggar,

Tomkins and Jenkins on the Aristocracy,

Tory's Account of Toryism, Whiggism, and
Radicalism; by the English Opium-Eater,

Tory Pis-aller, The,

Tribulations of the Rev. C. Kilmun; by J. Galt,744, 777

Tuckerman, (Dr,) on Visiting Societies,
Twamley, Louisa Anne; Poems of,

157 The Sinless Cain; by Ebenezer Elliott,

790

507 The Spinning- Wheel,

84

295 The Switzer's Hymn,

335

The Tricolor Cross; by Ebenezer Elliot,

574

769 The Wanderer's Return,

824

73

To an Ear of Unripe Wheat,

696

To the Hyacinth

743

741

To O'Connell,

696

274

To the Spirit of Liberty,

695

United States and Canada, in 1832-4,

114, 146

Traditional Ballads; by Mary Howitt :-

Upper Canada, Politics of,

663

No. I. The Hunter's Linn,

27

V. Poems and Prose by, 129, 175, 328, 835, 378, 523
Van, (Vansittart,) Progress of; by Cobbett, 585
Wanderings in the West of Ireland,

No. II. Lilien May,

216

599, 726

No. IV. The Fairies of the Caldon Low,
No. V. The Lady Magdalene,

365

597

Wars, Expenses of; by a Friend,
We Can't Afford it; by Isaac Tomkins,
West Country Exclusives,

536

No. VI. The Forest Lord,

820

625

335, 390, 602

Valedictory Stanzas to "Murtach the Pious,"
Verses to a Lapwing,

820

823

TAIT'S

EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.

JANUARY, 1835.

RICHMOND v. SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL.

TO OUR READERS.

of RICHMOND have been brought home to him upon the clearest and strongest evidence, till even the Court itself cried, "Hold, enough!" As this is no private affair between man and man, but one which deeply involves the interests of political society, it is intended to publish the trial at full length, with a brief history of the case and of the system. It will appear, as early as possible, in a supplementary number to the first volume of the new series of the Magazine, along with the Index and title page to Vol. I., the literary and political registers to the close of the year, and other interesting articles-and will conclude the volume.

We have to crave the indulgence of our readers, and of many friends and correspondents, for silence, apparent neglect, and unavoidable omissions, occasioned by the protracted absence of Mr TAIT in London-whither he was summoned above a month since, by the libel case, RICHMOND V. SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, i.e. THE SPY AND THE SPY SYSTEM v. TAIT'S MAGAZINE. Previous to this journey, he had seven times visited Glasgow on the same business. Our readers will, we are certain, rejoice to learn that the case is at last brought to a MOST TRIUMPHANT CLOSE. The good done to society, in all time coming, by the exposure of this detestable system in the deeds of its fitting instrument-the support Libel cases are never pleasant affairs; but this of public opinion, the generous interest, sympa- is no ordinary case of libel. This Magazine has thy, and kindness that have overflowed from every now been conducted for about three years of a quarter, more than overpay the great trouble and anxiety the affair has occasioned for upwards of eighteen months. The lapse of seventeen years, death, and the emigration of some of the principal victims of the spies, together with Messrs Finlay and Reddie, the employers of RICHMOND, refusing to be examined for the defence, threw great and serious obstacles in the way of justice. But a good cause and perseverance against the world! The misdeeds

VOL. IL-NO. XIII.

very agitating period, when men's passions were heated, and party spirit ran high. It has neither compromised its principles nor minced its words.

Yet it has held its course without blame and without complaint, save in this single instance. The fearless, if hazardous exposure, and the just, if indignant reprobation, of the Spy and the Spy System, will, we are persuaded, in the eyes of our readers, rather appear the subject of praise than of censure.

B

2

THE NEW CABINET.

SIR ROBERT PEEL, the wandering Knight"on | whose father's son hung so many destinies and dynasties he who carried the fortunes of England and the balance of Europe locked up in his portmanteau—was overtaken, on the 29th November, by the Queen's nimble page, as far off as Rome. Sir ROBERT, thus summoned, made short shrift. He came to England late on the night of the 9th December, and snatched a few hours sleep, during which, to save time, which was precious, he must have taken that "anxious view of public affairs" of which he tells the people of Tamworth. On waking, the Duke of WELLINGTON Stood by his bedside. Sir ROBERT rose in proud gratitude to his elbow, and probably scratched his head, which is, what the phrenologers call, the natural language of men who are puzzled. The Duke delivered his commands, which, for once, took the form of requests. A Wellington, or, in other words, an Anti-reform administration, which was to be called a Reform one, was to be constructed; and, as it was not seemly that the Duke should confess to it, Sir Robert was to be the putative parent.

The materials of the New Cabinet were laid before Sir Robert, with the ways and means, and the ground-plan not filled up. He was told to make the best of them; and the condition of the contract was, that the more he gained for his partners, the better would be his own share. Sir Robert lost no time. He went upon the prudent plan of the matron in the old story, who cut her coat according to her cloth; and who, as she could not bring her coat to her mind, brought her mind to her coat. Sir Robert has followed the same wise course :-he has turned, and stretched the rotten, shrunken, worthless materials in all ways. He has tried, and tried again; dovetailed and veneered his several pieces; considered which might shew the best gloss outwardly, which be toughest within; and, after many days of delay, has found courage to announce the thing as completed and fit for service. He has, in short, compacted a government wholly and entirely Tory-the renegade Whigs-the apostates of old standing, confirming its malignant character. The refusal of Lord STANLEY to join the Wellington, Peel, & Co. concern, leaves it as unmixed in Toryism, as with him it would, on some points, have been unmitigated in Whiggism. Lord Stanley may probably expect, ere long, to head a firm himself. The exclusion of the Marquis of CHANDOS, Sir CHARLES WETHERELL, Lord LOWTHER, and Mr CROKER, reveals the secret divisions, the jealousies and discord already lurking in the ranks of our enemy.

Having formed, or eked and patched up a government, it only remained to make a decla ration of its principles. This the nominal Premier has characteristically done in a kind of aside, spoken to the electors of Tamworth. He

has judged better than to follow the lead pointed out by The Times and The Standard; which last print, by the way, we sometimes admire to see bepraised-and by liberals too-for its sincerity and manliness! Instead of affecting to be the double-faced Reformer that he was warned to appear, and held out to be, by these great authorities, he has, upon sober calculation, adopted certainly the wiser, if less natural course, of a frank and explicit declaration of principles. This declaration may, in substance, be embodied in the late double-meaning rallying-cry of the Reformers. As for Sir ROBERT, marry forbid he should touché the Bill! It may slumber in all its innocence, undisturbed in any clause by him. From him we shall have the Bill-the whole Bill—and nothing but the Bill. With diplomatic address and covert irony, he even declares himself ready to adopt some of the abortive Whig half-measures. The liberal Sir ROBERT PEEL will really allow the Dissenters to marry, and be given in marriage, subject to no restrictions or regulation, save those they indignantly rejected when the boon was offered by Lord JOHN RUSSELL. By way of novelty and pleasant change, they may also be indulged in shifting the burden of church-rate from one shoulder to the other, and shoving part of the load upon the backs of those who will assuredly become restive under it-the Presbyterians of Scotland and the Catholics of Ireland. Municipal reform may proceed at the easy pace adopted by the Whigs, which boded so little danger that Sir ROBERT allowed himself to be placed on the Committee of Inquiry, whence the borough commission emanated. There are two reasons for which a man may become the member of such a committee :One is to forward-the other to obstruct its object: the new Premier has omitted to mention which was his. He is astonished that any one should imagine him intolerant or illiberal in his feelings to the Dissenters. There is certainly no other proof of this than 'the whole course of his public life, save his apostacy on the Catholic question, which he has to expiate ere he regain the confidence of the conscientious bigots of his party. Sir Robert must now oppose all Church reforms, on the principle that the renegade is bound to be the fiercest persecutor, lest his attachment to the new faith become suspected. Having stated his claims to support with tolerable fairness--and in strict accordance with the principle of the new discovery, that the pious frauds of public men are no longer beneficial to them, and ought therefore to be abandoned--the Premier concludes his manifestations in a deprecatory and somewhat desponding style, hoping the electors of Tamworth, with whom he has so many ties, near and dear, may choose him again; and also that the nation will give the King's Tory Ministry

a

fair trial." How many-or how long trials would they have? We have tried them for a half century-tried their measures, tried their men—and found each alike wanting. But surely, as a personal compliment to his gracious Majesty under the late extraordinary exercise of the Royal prerogative, used no matter for what object, “ a fair trial" should be granted! Since his Majesty, by desire of his secret advisers, is pleased to pipe, the people should be ready to dance, how little soever in the humour ;since the King has been advised abruptly, and without cause seen or signified, to dismiss an Administration in which the People placed great and increasing confidence, they, forscoth! must stand respectfully by, cap in hand, to see a set of men in whom they have not, and never had, and never will have either faith, or hope, or trust, play their mischievous pranks afresh, because such is the present freak of his gracious Majesty's secret advisers. So plausible a personage as Sir ROBERT PEEL might, at the present moment, have hit upon a better-seeming reason in the eyes of the British People, than the mere "The King wills it." It is like the Clanswoman's exhortation to her refractory husband-" Come out, Duncan, and be hanged man, and no anger the Laird !" But fore-warned, fore-armed. There can now be no longer even a shadow of doubt indulged by the most credulous, about what is to be the policy of the intruders. The symptoms of disunion in their rauks shew their objects. They arise from the fears of the Ultras, that the goverment may not be sufficiently antireforming, and from the kindred of the daughters of the horse-leech in their legions, whose cry of "Give, give," cannot be attended to at the first moment. The Reformers know their ground. The dissolution of Parliament will find them prepared and active, united and in good heart. The Tories, throughout all their tribes and tongues, are also active and resolute; but they want the confidence of their opponents, and the courage which a just cause inspires. From the Duke of BUCKINGHAM to Alderman WINCHESTER-from the Duke of WELLINGTON to Lord STORMONT at Norwich-their avowed object is to stop the movement, which, it is seen, must, in its progress, sweep away all those lucrative abuses that they fancied it was their right to hold in perpetuity;

| but, in effecting their object, they quarrel about the means to be employed. Their late efforts have tended to increase the momentum of the self-moving power they vainly try to arrest; and which, if their unauthorized interference continues much longer, must grind them to powder beneath its wheels. Who are the agitators now? Who have revived the slumbering might of the Political Unions? Who are striving to set the rural population in open array against their fellow-countrymen of the towns? Who, in Ireland, are calling into existence an Anti-Tory combination, which will soon be as formidable as the Catholic Association? Who have thrown into a ferment the whole country, which was quietly, and hopefully, and patiently awaiting the appearance of better times, led on by better measures?-The Tories have done this for the selfish and unjustifiable purpose of regaining place at all hazards, and for however short a period; for it is impossible Sir ROBERT PEEL can believe, that upon the negative principle of good, and the positive principle of mischief, avowed in his manifestations to the men of Tamworth, any government can now conduct the affairs of this country. Are the Tories then entitled to make such daring experiments upon the peace and the patience of the country; to risk so much only to discover for how many more or fewer weeks they may be tolerated? If the first Parliament be not sufficiently subservient, we hear of another dissolution. The idea is absurd as well as monstrous ! In the meantime, the prospects of the coming elections are highly satisfactory. In Scotland and in Ireland not a moment has been lost or misapplied; and, in England, appearances improve as the day draws nigh. That a few votes may be lost, there is no doubt. That might have followed upon a dissolution from any cause; and it is much better to face the worst before the great land-proprietors have farther increased the number of their new vassals, and before the fruits of a new system of corruption have been farther matured. Since battle there must be, it never could be fought with such advantage as now. Let the "calm, cool judgment of the people answer the appeal of the King," as the new Minister desires; and "the fair trial" demanded will prove a short and sharp one.

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

BY THE ENGLISH OPIUM-EATER.

Continued from our October Number.

FROM Mr Montague's, Coleridge passed, by favour of what introduction I never heard, into a family as amiable in manners and as benign in disposition, as I remember to have ever met with.

On this excellent family I look back with threefold affection, on account of their goodness to Coleridge, and because they were then unfortunate, and because their union has long since

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been dissolved by death. The family was composed of three members: of Mr M a lawyer, who had, however, ceased to practise ; of Mrs M- his wife, a blooming young woman, distinguished for her fine person; and a young lady, her unmarried sister. Here, for some years, I used to visit Coleridge; and, doubtless, as far as situation merely, and the most delicate attentions from the most amiable woman, could make a man happy, he must have been so at this time; for both the ladies treated him as an elder brother, or as a father. At length, however, the cloud of misfortune, which had long settled upon the prospects of this excellent family, thickened; and I found, upon one of my visits to London, that they had given up their house in Berners Street, and had retired to a cottage in Wiltshire. Coleridge had accompanied them; and there I visited them myself, and, as it eventually proved, for the last time. Sometime after this, I heard from Coleridge, with the deepest sorrow, that poor Mhad been thrown into prison, and had sunk under the pressure of his misfortunes. The gentle ladies of his family had retired to remote friends; and I saw them no more, though often vainly making inquiries about them.

Coleridge, during this part of his London life, I saw constantly-generally once a-day, during my own stay in London; and sometimes we were jointly engaged to dinner parties. In particular, I remember one party at which we met Lady Hamilton-Lord Nelson's Lady Hamilton-the beautiful, the accomplished, the enchantress! Coleridge admired her, as who would not have done, prodigiously; and she, in her turn, was fascinated with Coleridge. He was unusually effec.. tive in his display; and she, by way of expressing her acknowledgments appropriately, performed a scene in Lady Macbeth-how splendidly, I cannot better express, than by saying that all of us who then witnessed her performance, were familiar with Mrs Siddons's matchless execution of that scene; and yet, with such a model filling our imaginations, we could not but acknowledge the possibility of another, and a different perfection, without a trace of imitation, equally original, and equally astonishing. The word "magnificent" is, in this day, most lavishly abused : daily I hear or read in the newspapers of magnificent objects, as though scattered more thickly than blackberries; but for my part I have seen few objects really deserving that epithet. Lady Hamilton was one of them. She had Medea's beauty-and Medea's power of enchantment. But let not the reader too credulously suppose her the unprincipled woman she has been described. I know of no sound reason for supposing the connection between Lord Nelson and her to have been other than perfectly virtuous. Her public services, I am sure, were most eminent— for that, we have indisputable authority; and equally sure I am that they were requited with rank ingratitude.

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ridge went immediately: for I did not visit Lon don until some years had elapsed. In 1823-4, I first understood that he had taken up his residence as a guest with Mr Gillman, a surgeon, in Highgate. He had then probably resided for some time at that gentleman's: there he continued to reside on the same terms, I believe, of affectionate friendship with the members of Mr Gillman's family, as had made life endurable to him in the time of the Ms: and there he died in July of the present year. If, generally speaking, poor Coleridge had but a small share of earthly prosperity, in one respect at least, he was eminently favoured by Providence: beyond all men who ever perhaps have lived, he found means to engage a constant succession of most faithful friends; and he levied the services of sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, from the hands of strangers-attracted to him by no possible impulses but those of reverence for his intellect, and love for his gracious nature. How, says Wordsworth

-How can he expect that others should
Sow for him, reap for him, and, at his call,

Love him, who for himself will take no thought at all? How can he, indeed? It is most unreasonable to do so yet this expectation, if Coleridge ought not to have entertained, at all events he realized. Fast as one friend dropped off, another, and another, succeeded: perpetual relays were laid along his path in life, of judicious and zealous supporters; who comforted his days, and smoothed the pillow for his declining age, even when it was beyond all human power to take away the thorns which stuffed it.

And what were those thorns?-and whence derived? That is a question on which I ought to decline speaking, unless I could speak fully. Not, however, to make any mystery of what requires none, the reader will understand, that originally his sufferings, and the death within him of all hope the palsy, as it were, of that which is the life of life, and the heart within the heart-came from opium. But two things I must add-one to explain Coleridge's case, and the other to bring it within the indulgent allowance of equitable judges:-First, the sufferings from morbid derangements, originally produced by opium, had very possibly lost that simple character, and had themselves reacted in producing secondary states of disease and irritation, not any longer dependent upon the opium, so as to disappear with its disuse hence, a more than mortal discouragement to accomplish this disuse, when the pains of self-sacr fice were balanced by no gleams of restorative feeling. Yet, secondly, Coleridge did make prodigious efforts to deliver himself from this thraldom; and he went so far at one time in Bristol, to my knowledge, as to hire a man for the express purpose, and armed with the power of resolutely interposing between himself and the door of any druggist's shop. It is true that an authority derived only from Cole. ridge's will, could not be valid against Coleridge's own counter-determination: he could resume as easily as he could delegate the power.

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