eye on one point and success was companion of his labours.

A recent arrangement in the ministry has transferred the seals of office into other hands, and has left Lord Erskine to the quict enjoy. His exerment of his Peerage. tions have been strenuous and unremittent; fortune beamed a smile, and he is now an exception, in a double sense, to the rule, that genus must look to posterity for reward.

Whatever varying hues his char

ever fancy throws one of her pearls, they all wrangle for it, each one Nevertheless his personal vanity takes his turn to wear an ornament frequently broke forth with such so precious, and even when it bas terrible explosions, as often endan-contracted a rust by frequency of gered the fabric of his fame. Lest handling, in their eyes it loses none we be thought to aggravate this foi- of its lustre. ble, we will cite the expressions of the Chancellor himself. He shall be heard before he is convicted of decency. In the recent trial of Lord Melville before the House of Peers, a legal point arose whether a witness could be compelled to answer a question for which he might be afterwards rendered responsible in a civil suit? The Judges were summoned to deliver their opinions; and at the conclusion of the debate the Chan-acter exhibits, they are all reconcil. cellor remarked, "That he had been for seven and twenty years engaged in the duties of a laborious profession, and that while he was so employed, he had not for a single day been prevented from attending his duty on Courts by indisposition, or by corporeal infirmity. That his experience was equal not only to any individual Judge on the bench; but to all the Judges with their collective practice. That it was true there were men of much more learning and ability than he could pretend to.; but that success in life often depended more on accident, and certain physical advantages, than upon the most bril-teach him who is not endowed by liant talents and profound erudition." The Chancellor in the concluding sentence vouches for the entire veracity of our comments, and it gratifies us to find ourselves supported by so able an advocate. Those of A. friend dearly beloved has hinthis admirers who deny him the lau- ed to the writer the propriety of anrel of vanity convict him of false-nexing marginal notes to his essay hood. The style of his oratory is for the purpose of informing the diffusive and bordering on redundancy. His imagination although a jewel is not of the first order of brilliants. Amidst the matter of fact men at Westminster-hall, when

able, and we hazard an opinion that self confidence sometimes properly, and sometimes improperly applied, will account for all his inequalities. The meagre vapour surrounding the head of the author and the pol itician, suddenly kindles into glory when appearing on the legal horizon. "This example is not without its use." It will teach by its salutary admonitions, the pupil of fame and fortune, to endeavour to converge his energies of intellect to one point, and if above mediocrity, this example will cheer the despondency of his heart. It will further

nature with the prodigal munificence of a Burke, the folly of attempting to dissipate the rays of his genius over too large a circum

ference.

public from what quarter his intelligence is drawn. This is however a demand on labour and inves tigation difficult and irksome to accomplish; but if any gentleman

deems it worthy his attention to question the fact, it will be time enough then, to quote or to refer to the document.

in character, and pathetic in incident, situation, and feeling. Charlotte Smith headed a different species of just representors of conduct, character, and passion. From the

strong, but somewhat coarse and farcical satire of a Roderick and honest Strap, to the delicate tender

We cannot permit ourselves to close this biographical outline without recommending to our readers an uninterrupted perusal, now that the entire es-ness of Adelina, Emeline, and Gosay is before them. Somewhat of the interest and beauty of a connected dissertation is lost by the necessity of dividing it.

we

The judicious writer to whom are much indebted for this and other instances of friendship and genius will accept our warmest acknowledgments. His hours of relaxation from the duties of a learned and laborious profession will still be valuable to society by a devotion to the interests of polite and elegant literature; a taste for which can in no way be more easily disseminated than by his own polished and beautiful writings.

Em. Ed'rs.

SELECTED FOR THE EMERALD-
CHARACTER OF A NEW CLASS OF

MODERN LITERATI.
From Bisset's Modern Literature.

dolphin, the various classes of the comic epopee appear to have been exemplified by masterly writers, all adhering to existing or probable archetypes. The Recess and Emma Corbet, verging to the province of Melpomene rather than Thalia, are still imitations of probability, Genius, ardent after novelty, will sometimes leave an old road, not because it may not lead it to its journey's end, but because it is old. There was at this time a great disposition to literary innovation, that, showing itself on subjects of serious reasoning, religion, morality, and politics, was also manifest in works of amusement. The object of ingenuity appeared to be to enchain and petrify by astonishment, more than to allure by pleasure, impel by profit, ABOUT thirty years ago, a new or guide by wisdom. There was a species of writing began to make its very prevalent disposition to quesappearance, in works of fancy, and tion established truths, and to tranprofessed imitation of life and man-scend admonited probabilities; and ners. Le Sage and Fielding had while serious pretenders to philosocarried the exhibition of human na-phy proposed new principles and ture and passions, the manners and rules for governing social and pocharacter of the times, to a degree litical man, literary dispensers of of perfection that has not been e- amusement also chalked out a new qualled, and scarcely could be sur- system of tales and exhibitions ; passed. Miss Burney, pursuing and, instead of the probable, frethe same track, but professing great-quently substituted the marvelous. er originality of genius, introduced Some persons of great genius began, an extensive variety, not resem- and others followed this style of bling Fielding in detail, but, like him, copying from life--excelling in strength of delineation and in humour of colouring. Less comprehensive in rage, but acute in observation, picturesque in description interesting in the tale, impressive Bb 2

writing. The Eloise of Rousseau rendered it very popular on the Continent: it gilded all the eccentricities and easy extravagance of the French ingenuity, and was dragged through all the studied wilderness of German labour. Genius relievs

ed the marvelous by the probable,

The actual tale is natural; and, introduced its fanciful beings in during the age and manners which circumstances which, diminishing she describes, is probable. No obor overpowering the incredible, gave ject is actually presented, which was full force to the appearance; while not within the compass of known pains-taking dulness never failed existence at the time. The impres to introduce such adjuncts and ap- sions, though arising from imaginapendages as broke the spell and ry beings, were natural in the char showed the improbable absurdity.acters and state of mind represented. Shakespeare could manage a ghost; An innocent and experienced girl, but if he introduced a ghost, he dejected with the consciousness of brought such a being discovering a her destitute situation, conceiving foul and unnatural murder, not a- herself the victim of villany and musing himself with a tune on an treachery, where she, for a time, had organ. This new style of writing, experienced protection; torn from or old romance revived, generated the man that she loved, and appre or regenerated in France or Switz-hensive of violence from the man erland, receiving its clothing from that she hated; in a vast and desoliterary tailors of Germany; and a late edifice, which she had recently ponderous garb it was, containing discovered to be the scene of murthe heavy armour and escutcheons, der; hearing noises at the still hour and heraldic blazonry of the feudal of midnight, is perfectly consonant times, and the motley patch-work to nature, in apprehending a visitaof modern illuminism. tion from the apparitions of the dead. The fears which disturb the normity, the name of the Gigan- abbey; the scene of conscious murMarquis, and drive him from the tesque. If dexterity or skill hap- der, is perfectly consonant to the pened, at any time to betake themfeelings of enormous guilt, selves to this species of exhibition, Motte, vacillating between the dethey excited a horror and amazezement which, for a time, mighted into profligacy, and the remains. pravity of habitual indulgence ripensuspend the faculties of the reader, but the gross improbability soon dispelled the deception; but it was reserved for Genius so to temper the marvelous with the pleasing and pathetic, as to hurry on the

It obtained, from its uncouth e

reader wherever the writer chose.

Such were the reflections of our

hero when the 'Romance of the

La

of honourable and virtuous feelings, by temporary impulse driven to a manity held from hardened atrocity, crime, but by the remnants of huis a character at once natural and instructive, and very forcibly pourtrays the proclivity of pleasurable vice. The passions, characters, and Forest' was first sent for his critical manners, are in this production, examination. The able and inven-natural, striking, and impressive; tive author chusing a different tract the fable in its principal constituents from a Burney and a Smith, and ac-reader in the fortunes of the actors; sufficiently probable to interest the commodating herself to the grow- the descriptions of external nature ing taste for the gigantesque, admitted it with the modifications of perhaps too exuberant; but it is the judgment in her scenery and machinery, but did not chuse it as the groundwork of her story.

taste and sensibility, exquisitely exuberance of genius, prompted by susceptible of the beauties of nature: she cannot restrain her fancy from

expatiating on subjects which have afforded to herself such delightful sensation and images. Her marvelous is not improbable. Such were the critical reflections of our hero on his examination of this novel, together with the taste of the times when it made its appearance. He predicted, however, that attempted imitation, by inferior genius, would inundate the public with monstrous fictions, bearing no resemblance to any thing that ever existed in any age or country; and, it afterwards appeared, he was not mistaken in his prophecies.

For the Emerald.
DESULTORY SELECTIONS,

AND ORIGINAL REMARKS.
=

PERSECUTION.

Can some one tell me who wrote
the following hymn? I met with
it in the laid-aside hymn-book of a
congregation of Unitarian Dissen-
ters. It is the only attempt I re-
collect to make the doctrine of tol-
eration a part of the liturgic pre-
cepts of christianity. In this point
of view it is indeed precious.
Absurd and vain attempt! to bind
With iron chains the free-born mind;
To force conviction, and reclaim
The wandering by destructive flame.
Bold arrogance!' to snatch from heaven
Dominion not to mortals given;
O'er conscience, to usurp the throne,
Accountable to God alone.
Jesus, thy gentle law of love

Does no such cruelties approve ;
Mild as thyself thy doctrine wields.
No arms but what persuasion yields.
By proofs divine, and reason strong,
It draws the willing soul along ;
And conquests to thy church acquires
By eloquence, which heaven inspires.

GRAMMATICAL ILLUCIDATION.

A Grammarian inquired why the words suicide, regicide, &c. are employed to express both the act and the per

petrator; and whether we might not use suicism, regicism, &c. for the deed of self-slaughter, or king-slaughter. He attacks a real disease of language; but suggests a bad remedy.

The Latins have paracidium for the act, and paracida for the perpetrator of paracide. In old French books the abstract substantive is gallicized by parricidie, and the agent by parricide. But as words in ie are feminine in French, and as neuter Latin substantives become masculine in French, the word parricide was felt as anomalous, and abandoned for parricide. From the French we have our English word.

Had English writers been borrowing directly from the Latin, they would have said parracidy and parricider; suicidy and suicider; regicidy and regicider; they would thus have preserved the desirable distinction.

WRATH is drawn with wonderful force by Spenser, as one of the councellors and attendants on pride.

And him besides rides fierce reveng
ing Wrath

Upon a lion, loth for to be led;
And in his hand a burning brand he
hath,
[head;
The which he brandisheth about his
His eyes did hurlforth sparkles fiery red,
And stared stern on all that him beheld,
As ashes pale of hue, and seeming dead;
And on his dagger still his hand he held,
Trembling through hasty rage when
choler in him swell'd.

His ruffian raiment all was stain'd with
blood

Which he had spilt, and all to rags

The

CLARET.

Doctor is feed for a dangerous
draught,

Which cures half a dozen, and kills
half a score.
[taught,
Of all the best drugs the dispensaries
Twere well could each cure one dis-
ease, and no more.
But here's the juice
Of sovereign use,
Twill cure your distempers whatever
they be,

In body or spirit,
Whatever you bear it,

Take of this a large dose, and it soon
sets you free.

By cunning directors, if trick' of y'r pelf And losses a dose of good claret can heal,

What would a foreigner collect from being told by his friend, as an apology for not being with him at the hour of dinner, that he was "Spilt," in coming or in hearing from a third person, that another friend, who declined accepting his invitation, from alledged indisposition, "Shamm'd Abraham?" If you make an acceptable proposition to a fashionable party, they are immediately" Up to it?" if the contrary, they dislike "That there sort of Or if you have been a director yourself, thing." When they are low spirit-Twill teach you the loss of your honor ed and melancholy, they are " Hip- to feel, Stocks fall or rise, pish;" when mortified and disapTell truth or lies, pointed, "Down in the mouth.". Does a man of fashion drive his curricle furiously down Pall-Mall, or the Strand; passing his competitors, like the victors in the Olympic games? he is then said to "Tip them the go by." Is his dress, as we may presume it will be, elegant; exhibiting no articles of apparel but such as are "All the rage," he is "Quite the tippy."

Your fame and your fortune, here rem-
edy find,

If Sylvia be cruel
Take this water gruel,
Twill soon cure the fever, that burns

up your mind.

REMARK OF LESSING.

He who writes for bread, has seldom books which treat best on his topic: he money to buy, or leisure to quote, the who writes to kill time, willingly orders