The Press. — London, England, 1853-10-01 00:00:00

522 At a proper time he will aoheit the honour of being known to you : he has present important reasons for winching to be concealed. Some late paper..., in which the valise of this country, and the defence of your Character and measures have been thought nut ill maintained ;--otliers, signed Lucius, and one or two upon the new con iiii ission of trade, with a mid. titude of others, rame from this hand. They have be, n taken notice of by the Podolia& • May I plead it as a merit with you, Sir, that no motives I.f van is shell 'All' lIISCUVer the alllllol' of Iltis Lett.•r. If WI earnest wish to ser%, vou gives Meetly elaim.let me toe treat you nut to sutler a hint of this Co • 'ldiots to es cape yen to any body. Surely 140111 Temple would never tell his own brother that the writer of the letters was " x Mall quite tiNkNONII and anteonuerted." But. fitrthermore, would Ludy Temple, if she 11:141 been the miimmettsis, have ventured to write, even though in a feigned hand. to George Grenville? We can stipil4lHe the ruse, how ever extravagant, of Lady Temple having been employed to copy the manuscripts forwarded to Woodfall ; but there is something too absurd for belief in the idea that the sister-in-law would be engaged to twit' an anonymous letter to /sec I without( brut her ! This !repo+ terous notion Slppears even still more ridiculous when we ree4illeet that the esirresimmtleitee of Lord Chatham also contains litters fins the author of " Hut we may leave Mr. Smith's untenable theory. and direct our 'native to the important facts revealed in this second letter. The dis tinct admission of Junius flail In Wit!: also • Lueins, - and the writer of as nudtitudc of others," is of consideratble importance in Ile• bating the claims of Frauleis. It has always been contended by the anti-Fratteiscants that as clerk in the War-ottiee could never have even found the time necessary fur the pro digious labour bestowed on these eelebratted compositions, which were evidently "tAarnienteit with the file. - Persons with the greatest experience in literary life. and with the most extensive knowledge of celebrated authors and their habits, have deelared that it was at phy sical impossibility that lane engaged in official alntdgery could have ever exhibited the sus tained energy required fan. Junius. They havo said that the inechattiral routine of office would have robbed his limey Of him bloom, anti palsied his elastic. versatility. Let the facts in this !point be closely considered, and we confess that, if ever it shall be proved that Francis was Junius., we shall have muse for itinazement at his prialigious energy. To hate been Junius. under any eireumstances, would have tasked a man's powers ; but to have alaboniteol pill those compositions--broad the matter for them—discussed the gravest eanetitutional questions—exhibited laborious reward* on osomplicoolool laws—argued with consummate ability against Lord Mansfield and Mr. Horne Tooke—ascertained the truth of his innumendole facts before risking his reputation for authenticity in promulgating them—maintained a prolonged secret el WreM pi 111 ki 1 1 With Wilkes, besides another with Wu poll tid I—and, last not least. to have secured the disguise of the handwriting, and the secrecy of his runnuunicutious with the pub lisher—tit WIWI, 111•1•0111111iShell all those arduous loik, while the writer was drudging for several hours every day as a clerk in the War-otfiee, would mako the performances of Francis truly marvellous, and leave Min unrivalled, except by the !ferrules of inythooloogy ! • And it is this point of view which we have just now presented that has not been suffi ciently attended to loy Mr. !Macaulay, and other positive Frainciscans. They have eon centrated their attention toss matc h on th e mental relationship between Junius and Fran. els. to the neglect of the 1111 l 'V vulgar question ninth common sense suggests, whether the labours of Junius. along with those of at hard worked official. were within the bounds of ploy rierd possibility .1) The third letter is most re markable of all, as giving a statement tit' th e origin of the letters. in the passage whieh we print in halloos. and it supplies additional tes timony to the varied labours of the writer : Aokoosvopoop..., THE .Am non or .1 um TO MR. x.l:l:\\ II.I.F:. Loudon. Ilklt October. 176. v. lea% c to offer you A letter, reprinted in I e paper limier the sitritatitre of Attiemi. Ale tillimhed with ti n ii. than I haft usually time t o give to thc.e proiliietiiin%. The town (*orlon' , to kit" the author. Every botty guesttes, nom: quite certain, THE PRESS. and all are mistaken. Sou n •, who bear your character, give it to the Rockingham, ; 1 a policy I do not under stand ) and Mr. Itonite denies it, au. he would a fact. which be wished to have believed. It nuty be proper to assure yott that no man tiling knows or even suspects the author. I have no comiretiOU with any par”, except at voluntary attachment to yowl rattle and l'ersini. it &gam with 4111111.i.linlit t gr, if into habit, w a x by a ,loser allentinn h, your Ileineigee I' I ' IMet, and nut.' healed litho I' ,, u,,, The Beano I ' ouneil UliM • A' I may say, with truth, alumxt rs• Pry• thing that for loco year( pad, has ottraeled the (Mention oj ll lott•lick. I ani conscious these papers have been very unequal ; hut you will be candid enough to Inake allow- Mires for a titan, who *rites absolutely ll ithollt Inuterials or instruetion. For want of hints id this kind. I fear 1 freipwittly mistake your views, as well as the true point. whereon von would choose to rest the qui snow., in a hid) your name is coneerated. lint this is an inconvenienei a itlasitt al resucily. I moist continue to argue fur yl.n. US I 1//.11111 My•elf . in the Nino. circumstances as tat as I meiler-timil mill you are 31iiiister. 1 must not Inygrir to think of the honour of being known to you. When that happens. von will not tiud me a needy Or al I Ito )1111. I ependant. In the mean time, I must 1un.'515 Myself %%jilt reflecting that, resisting every temptation of vanity, e‘en the great desire I have of being ho with yaw notice. I give you some assur ance, 111111 yea may depend upon nay firmness null fidelity As literary rumours have reached us from various quarters that fresh co ntroversialists are taking up the examination of this; CilliOUS historical problem, we will defer our remarks on " the Lyttelton theory." In the meanwhile, for the convenience of our readers, and for the purposes of future reference, we have ex trotted the three foregoing.l twins letters from the " Grenville Papers," and we conclude for the present by observing that the writings of the masked scribe must still continue to be published with their appropriate epigraph— " Sint innsimis 'nohow.- eitrbstie Johnshme. A Novel. By Charles Heade, EN. London : Bentley. DacsnEN china has long had its admirers, though we cannot say that we have much fiutey for it (ourselves. Sparingly mingled with other articles of rids, it giVes passing pleasure to the eye. There is a lackadaisical mockery of the natund about its shepherds and shepherd. CSSes flint. is diverting; and even grave philo sophers might allow their muscles to relax into a smile at peasants petticoats spangled over with brilliant ornaments. while courtly Cory dons pick their steps daintily through such limbistie verdure as blooms only in a porcelain climate. The quizzical, grotesque design is a great part of the merit of this kind of ware, and the bizarrcrie produced by the prodigal variety Of golden tints and agnauuu ine blues is another of its perfections. Last of all conics th e se dulous care with which these pretty little pieces of timeiful nutuntacture have lapn— • Christie Johnstone " belongs t 4) the Dres den-china class of fiction. and is one of the best specimens of the kind we ever suet. It is sparkling. curious. and showy, but it is also whimsically fitutastie and unreal. It glitter, with literary talent, especially in pictorial of frets condensed in paragraphs. and odd rs. marks skilfully decked as novelties ; and the author is certainly au adept in giving trifles as value by the cunning application of a peculiar style of nit. When, however, we are vaned on to say that he has inspiration—that he is a genius of a new kind. and so forth—we must demur. Ile has careffilly studied their trieal rules, and we have not the least doubt but that lw is calculated to succeed as a writer for the stage. lie has What actors COI " the I'ollllllllnd of situation " and the knowledge of " etreet " neeessary for that department of let ters. Ills bustling plot. his unexpected inci dews. the clever alternation of his dramatis iperstintr, and his elaborated •• points;' all tell of a trained dramatic writer. Lord Ipsden is die double of Pqr ('harks Komy in U4Ol Up. and his situation meals to us the " L'Entitti" of Miss Edgeworth. Aft er roaming through Ellrlipe. he tries to persuade lady Barbara Sinclair to marry him. Lady Barbara is a t'arlylian, delights in " earnest " people, and seeks for lovers of moral energy. The authorlivotessing his inability to describe her, tells Its that " Lady Barbara was exactly like Mademoiselle Itrohan playing the part of .IhulemfoiseM. Ise Seylit;re." Inconsolable at being refused. Lord Ipsden sib hs. wastes, and gets thin. He does not know that he is ill, but his SATURDAY, valet, Saunders, calls in Dr. Aberford, intended as a portrait (by way of novelty !I of the late Doctor Abernethy. A pre•eription is given— •` Make acquaintance with all the people of low estate who have time to be bothered with you : learn their ways. their minds, and, above all, their troubles." Lord Ipsdon sails in his yacht for Newhaven, and, arrived there, he thus con verses with his valet : " Saunders ! do you know that I Ir. Abetforti means by the lower classes?" " Perfectly. wy lord.•' Are thcic any about here ? ' I am sorry to say they are everywhere, my lord." tiet nie some"--(cigarelle). Out went Saunders. with his ustril gracefttl empre+tee• moil, but an internal shrug of his shoulders. He was absent an hour and a half; he then returned with a double exiiression on his face. Pride at his success in diving to I lie very bottom of society, and contempt of what he hind bated up thence. fle approached his lord myyte►ions!y, and said, iota roe, but impressively, '' This is low enough, my lor.' Then glided back, and ushered in, with polite disdain. two lowlier women than he had e‘er opened u door• to in the whole course of his perfumed existenee. These two fishwives are then put in the most graceful eostumes by the author, with a lavish display of his " properties." and their natural attractions are thus enlarged upon : Of these young women, one had an olive complexion, with the red blood mantling under it, and black hair, and glorious Muck e . %eltrows. The other was lair, with a massive but shapely throat, as white as milk : glossy brown hair, the loose threads of which glittered like gold, and a blue eye. which, being con. trasted with dark eyebrows and law-hes, took the luminous etleet peculiar to that rare beauty. Their short petticoats Tevealtsl n neat ankle and a leg with a noble swell ; for Nature, w hen she is in earnest, builds beauty on the ideas of ancient. sculptors and poets, not of modern itoettisters, who, with their airylike sylphs and their smokt , like verses, tight for want of flesh in wo man tool want of fact in poetry as parallel beautivs. Thrm tree, my These %%nitwit had a grand corporeal trait; th e y had never k it a corset ! they were straight as javelins : they emthl lift their bands above their heads !—aetnally Their supple persons moved as Natum intended; every gesture was ease, grace, and freedom. What with their own radiance, anti the snowy cleanli ness and brightness of their costume, they came like meteors into the apatiment. Christie Johnstone is the fair beauty of the foregoing pair of Dresden-china herring. women, " who came like meteors into the " apartment," with " their snowy cleanliness • of costume." (How like a pair of Newhaven paissailles!) With these porcelain fishwives my Lord Ipsden is as much pleased as his grandmother might have been with any of the favourite "monsters" in her china closet. The reader probably suspects that the author in tends to conclude with making Christie a peeress ; but he is satisfied by making her a heroine of the Grace Darling pattern. There is one Charles (fatty, a young artist of extra ordinal"' genius, who is smitten with love of Christie Johnstone ; but the respectable mother of Gatty ji/s will not hear of a misalliance for her son with a fishwife : and Gatty gets gloomy, and the despairing lovers are to be parted : but the mother must be made discon solate by the sight of seeing her son drowning in the ocean ; and great excitement is to be got up by Christie Johnstone, in her fishing boat. saving her lover from being food for the fishes, dating a fearful crisis of twenty pages long : and thus Gatty tme;re is reconciled to the marriage; and my bad Ipsden, having recovered his health and spirits, succeeds in fascinating Lady Barbara, and all winds up happily' Such a plot is of course very extravagant : but the volume must be read for its style, with its vivacity and occasional passages of characters" are so many conceits on two legs, but the authoroften puts good smart things in their mouths, similar to those in the witty dialogues in the first act of llasks and /area, of which he was one of the writers. Thus Lord Ipsden is made to cut at one of the nearly past absurdities of the day:— The 111'‘I time tilt `y Met T. 014 111 , 411'11 LAS', 1 1 1 11 ' hunt occupied u Is gentleman. u hose first sentence pr claimed him a pupil Mr. Thomus Carlyle, and he hittl the mollification to find that she had neither an ear nor an rye fiqr Human optuitsii has so many shades, that it is me to find two people Ilgree. Itut two et‘oph:'tudy ngrce womleifttll, if they will let a thini think for them both. Thal it was that these two ran so smoothly in couples. Antiquity, they agtvell, was the time whets the worhl