The Press. — London, England, 1857-10-03 00:00:00

THE PRE S S, OCTOBER 3, 1857. The Yoble Traytour. A Chronicle. By Thomas of Swarraton, Armiger. Three Vols. Lon don : Printed for Smith, Elder, and Com pany, over against St. Peter's Church, in Cornhill. THE author of this imitation of the antique has caught the style of the period he desires to describe with much natural cleverness, aided by a good knowledge of the literature of that time. Doubtless he has gained much in formation from Ben Jonson's Every Man Out of his Humour, yet it never seems to have struck him that. in his effort to catch the spirit of a time by aping its style he is doing much the same as the law-student in that play who wishes to be drest like Sir Fastidious Brisk, and is ever one dress in arrear of the courtier Had he been writing for the approval of Master Francis Bacon, or Mr. Shakespeare of the Globe, player, it would be reasonable that he should have assumed a style with which they were familiar; but, we presume, he writes for the nineteenth-century reader, who must find greater vividness in the style of his own day than in that of a bygone age, and, grudging the labour spent upon the early dramatists, is not likely to approve a work possessing their difficulty without their merits. More than this, if we regard such a work as a work of art, we cannot but think the end proposed insufficient, and the labour thrown away upon a mistaken principle. In the excessive care for minutite, the spirit of the time evaporates. Compare Mr. Kean's Shakesperian revivals with Garrick's presentation of Macbeth in a wig and small sword, and )ou must acknowledge that the art of the actor who makes you forget incongruities of dress by the life thrown into his presentation of the part, is far superior to that of him who never shocks your judgment, but never lifts you beyond it. Mr. Kean and Thomas of S war raton, Armiger, give you men dressed in the style of their time and speaking the dialect of their time ; Garrick and Scott give you the men in such a way that you never ask whether they are dressed at all, or speak any language save that of the soul. The difference between such artists and such authors is much the same as that between Madame Tussaud and Phidias. The " Noble Traytour" is the Earl of Essex, and the story of the novel is the story of his life. Thus, being spread over a long space of time, an:l treating of a great number of events, it lacks the briskness of a single story confined to one leading incident, and is apt to grow tedious if read for amusement. But the sketches of the many great men who people its pages—Bacon, Shakespeare, Ben Jenson, Sir Walter Raleigh. Sir Philip Sidney, the Earl of Leicester, and those many others, each of single eminence equal to the great of other ages, yet all clustered together in an unequalled galaxy of greatness—make the chief charm of the volumes. Here is a specimen, in the per son of a gentleman described by the Earl of Southampton as " a young poet who had writ " a few sonnets, and had dedicated to him the " first heir of his invention," whom we shall have small difficulty in recognising as Wil liam Shakespeare, Armiger It was here, one evening, just before the great pestilence broke out, that my Lo. Southampton showed a young gen tleman to the company, whom he entreated to use respect fully, as a hopeful genius and friend of his. Whereupon William and some othets took note that he was comely and likely to look at ; having a just mien in his gait; neither haughty nor servile; for while his brow was sad his eye was merry. So you migLt know at once there was gravity without bitterness, and gay humours chastened from folly; and the graceful smoothness of his countenance seemed to control and combine these oppo sites, making a sweet harmony of character, as do contrary and diverse sounds, brought skilfully into one consent, create delightful music. Truly, for one of gentle blood (if he were such). his nose was curt, his upper lip especially long. Yet was the former fine; peculiar, as showing some concrete vigour; and his mouth, if too full and thick for your painter's conceit of beauty, enough in its own way, since its smiles were affec tionately bent and passionate. Then there was ever some intelligence 'twist these ostents and what was passing inward with him. He seemed to have that repose and power —that life and inspiration which you may have seen and thought about when watch. ing the great sea, Infleci. No motion on it bat the sparkle of the sunbeam. No sound but that imaginary echo in the tenantless shell. Yet where was the plummet could fathom the depth of that ocean-mind ? Whose the lithe- good authority to be living and prospering on the profes sion, which is calculated as low as 501. From the gross number of banisters, a large number no doubt must be taken, in order to obtain an estimate of the numbers resident or practising in England. Thus there are over 500 occupying public employments that debar them from practising, as well as about 300 resident in the colonies and in Ireland, leaving about 3,235 as the number to whom the profession is open in this country. The number of barristers, therefore, who raise fortunes, or even competence, isexceedingly small. Thus, from 120 to.llo barristers attend the circuit at Liverpool, and cer tainly not more than thirty of these ever hold a brief except by mere accident; an even smaller proportion obtain practice on other circuits, anti there can be little doubt that out of the 1 .OJO gentlemen bona fide practising as common law advocates, only twenty-five per cent. ere living on the emoluments of their profession. As this example may be taken as a fair test of the whole profession ( placing the practising body of common-law advocates, as above stated, at Lain ), 1 believe that not more than 250 are profitably employed in the practice of that branch of the law. If to these we add 250 as successful equity lawyers, conveyancers, and advocates in Doctors' Commons, it may be fairly said that the country, in its present condition, supports only 540 advocates. That number is daily diminishing; the sweeping away by legislative changes of mtny avenues of practice has seriously diminished their number. There are thus 1,500 unsuccessful advocates, eachanxious to rise, each conteuding for the next opening to practice that may occur by the promotion, retirement, or dtath of any senior member. Mr. Thomson has collected much special in• formation on the Bar which will be of use to the young law student. On the relation be tween academical distinction and success at the Bar, the author observes : On the list are to be found, among many other less known names, those of Lord ( the first Lord) Ellenborough, Copley, Tindal, Littledale, Shadwell, Bickersteth, Pollock, Parke, Alderson, &c. On the other hand, an equal or greater num ber of eminent judges and advocates never received the benefit of an Oxford or Cambridge education, or made any effort at distinction whilst at the university. Kenyon, Thurlowe, Dunning, Erskine, Scarlet, Gitiord, Shepherd, Romilly, Kelly, Follett, Willes, and almost all the undisputed leaders of the profession in England at the present moment, belong to one orjother of these two categories. The author is mistaken as t 3 Mr. Justice Willes. That eminent personage did not re ceive " the benefit of an Oxford or Cambridge education," but he was a most distinguished member of Trinity College, Dublin, where he carried high mathematical distinctions. Mr. Thomson is of opinion that the lower walks of the Bar require very moderate ability; but he might say the same of the "lower walks" of any pursuit. He is extremely eloquent on the trials which await a junior:— Can you live alone? Can you keep away from tempta tion in the midst of forced idleness, or can you create occu pation for yourself? Can you live for years without the daily solace of household affections ? Can you bear up against trial and sorrow without aid or sympathy? Can .on sit patiently for years in court or chambers, and see younger men passing you? Can you bear to see inferior men succeed, when you, a man of talent, have never been afforded an opportunity? Can you go on believing, until you are greyheaded, " that there is a good time coming, wait a little longer " ? Can you do all this without becoming intemperate, bluer, soured, or misanthropical ? If you can do all this you may safely go to the Bar, for with such qualities you might conquer an empire. Neverthe. less,ac,reer at the Bar will try you in all these points; and rare man you will he indeed if you pass through the ordeal without some marks of the fire. And he then well observes : With such a view before him, no one of a vacillating, uncertain, or fastidious temperament, however brilliant his talents, ought to try this profession—he is a predicted failure. A man of a very warm, ardent, affectionate tem• perament ou ht to think twice, as, even though he may not fail, he will meet with many things to try his better feelings, and disgdst may unexpectedly terminate his career. A cold, intellectual, firm, but hopeful disposition, with a large amount of self•esteem, is generally considered the best for a lawyer. Though, if anch a man breaks down, his fall will be lower than that of others. Theso remarks are excellent, and he adds what is true of nearly all the professions : ' Mach of this trial will be mitigated if the young lawyer takes a sensible view of the profession lie is entering. Supposing hi.n to commence with fair prospects of sup. port, let him, too, a moment consider that he is not entering the profession for the ordinary purpose of gaining a livelihood, but he is in fact playing for a high stake, which will /noire years to win. Let him accustom himself to look upon this success as a deferred annuity, of which be has no right to expect the first payment for a certain time; let him therefore regard the intermediate period not as a f tilnre, but as a probation, during which the interest on his future fortune is accumulating, and regard any accidental business, or any acceleration of success, as a providential favour, and not as a right fulfilment of a just expectation. The mithor of this volume is a man of abilities, and we can recommend his treatise to book-clubs. Such a volume cannot fail to be useful, though in some respects it is not adequate to its subject. 969 some intellect who should follow his brighter spirit, silently playing on the surface ? This is a sample of the author's portraiture of the men of that time, which, though writto in a spirit of some affectation, is not without its merits. There is more genuineness in this sketch of old London-bridge Blackfriars! Whitefriars passed. And now the rowers steady their oars ; and the steersman, with keen and prac tised eye, measures the current and prepares to " shout " old London•bridge. 'Tis a feat that craves his care. Narrow and highpointed are they, these nineteen time worn arches! Cumbrous and ruined ate the buttresses thereof, and they have been repaired and rebuilt over and over again, where bricks and stones, mortar and rubbish of every sort, had congregated ; and there is little space left when the tide is low even for the smaller craft to struggle through. And the broad barges can only nags when the waters are at the height. Quint old houses piled no un these buttresses! They are the safe haunts of sinners—refuge of all villanies ! You see that fellow there, rope in hand, letting down from his red-latticed window baskets and bags to some sneaking smuggler moored underneath ? There, sliding over some dange rous pile, escapes one on whose wretched head perhaps a price is set, bigger than his dirty hand has ever clutched. The author certainly possesses talent. We should like to see him enter a field of fiction. more congenial to the public taste of the nine• teenth century. POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS. 1. A Legend of Glencoe, and other Poems. By the Rev. J. Anderson. Author of " The Pleasures of Home." London : Longmans. 2. Michiny ...I.lallecho. By Paul Richardson. London : Mozley. 3. The Eclogues of Virgil. Translated into English Verse, line for line, by the Rev. George Mackie, D.D. Dublin : Milliken. 4. The ales of Horace. Translated into Eng lish Verse, with the original measures preserved throughout, by Richard W. O'Brien, M.A., of Trinity College, Dublin. Dublin : Hodges and Smith. 5. Epitapris from the Greek Anthology. Trans lated by Major Robert Guthrie Mac gregor, of the Bengal Retired List. Lon don: Nissen and Parker. 1 THIS volume of poems is one of the best that we have recently had occasion to notice among our briefer criticisms. It is the work of one who, if not meriting the name of an original poet, is nevertheless a man of powerful faculties, which display themselves in the vigour of his style, and not less perhaps by the absence of all puerilities and affecta tions. The " Legend of Glencoe" is the con fession of one of the actors in that massacre, who believed that e. curse clung to him, and who had retired from the world to feed his remorse in solitude among the Pyrenees. The spirit of the poem, and not unfrequently the language, remind us of Mr. Aytou's k" Both well;" as for instance the following passage : When sense resumed her shaken throne I breathed—l stood—but riot alone, — The dead were at my feet! Oh how I longed for their deep peace, Where earthly care and trouble cease, Their rest appeared so sweet ! What runneth warm upon my hand? What crimsons this my naked brand? 011 God where slept thine ire? Why did not I that moment die, Blasted by heaven's own fire? But oh, ye ghastly, gory dead, Deeply avenged are ye. The poorest wretch, who begs his broad, Would ill exchange with me ! What though his bed may be the sod, His roof the icy sky? He bath not made a foe of God, He need not fear to die! One of the best of Mr. Anderson's minor poems is on Pizarro. But here we have to notice as remarkable a resemblance to Long fellow as in the " Legend of Glencoe " to Ayton. We do not mean to accuse Mr. Anderson of plagiarism ; but the melody of a favourite poet remains impressed upon the mind long after the words are forgotten, and we imitate unconsciously, while seeming to produce our own. This process, though not plagiarism, is still sufficient to exclude a writer front any claim to originality, and in that limitation we fear Mr. Anderson must ac• quiesce.