The National Register. — London, England, 1808-07-31 00:00:00

JULY Si. rica the inure your enlarged unbiassed manner of speaking of 'the institutions and people of that country, excites the astonishment and admiration of your cotemporaries. An uncommon manner of thinking and feeling is the exclusive privilege of men of your genius. But, apropos, you have been rather injudicious in your com positions of late ; and though you do not attach much im portance to classical taste, you should not entirely neglect the rules laid down by the critics. If your wild, uncultivated genius, more particularly qualifies you for that species of writing called fiction, you must be cautious to maintain some appear ance of probability. Had you consulted Horace,Boileau,or Pope, they would inform you that probability is a necessary ingre dient in the style of writing you most excel in. Oh that is quite a different case, if you imagine that the memory of Englishmen is as confined as their good nature is extensive. There is no other way of accounting for your description of the arbitrary measures of the present administration. Where was your discre tion when you could be so indifferent to the feelings and under standings of your readers. Even Ariosto himself never loses sight of the probable. As every one of your readers receives weekly proofs of your poetic licence, how could you he guilty of so gross a blunder as to assert that the present Ministers are severe censors. You must know there is a number of men in this country who are disinterestedly attached to the Constitution, who blame those censors, not for their seve rity, but on account of their knity towards writers of your description; and till you can disembarrass yourself of those troublesome fellows, you must restrain your sublime imagi nation. You may sneer and laugh as much as you please, among your friends, at the extravagant notions of these modern Catos: but till you can succeed in making them as suspicious and odious to the people of England, as your bra ttier Tribunes did the same class of men at Rome, you will find some difficulty in making the public relish the sublime licen tiousness of your style. Those patriots are most intractable personages ; they are fraught with prejudices in favour of the present Government, and are attached, with the most incorri gible stubbornness, to our establishments in church and state; and as there are many of them as zealous as Nosien himself, you ought to be more circumspect in the satisfaction you express at the prospect of seeing a revolutionary government estab lished in Spain, and of a confiscation of the property of the aclergy and nobility. However, I am inclined to pardon your neglect of probabili ty, in consequence of the good humour you display at the idea of the Spanish ladies getting in the harvest. From the pleaswre with which you mention this circumstance it may he surmised you forgot you were writil , front Bone!), and had some hopes of assisting those amiable shepherdesses in their rural labours. Rh! le duns bcrger pee Mons. l'obbelt ! But take care, the Spaniards are not so gallant as sour friends in a neighbouring country. They have already given stronger proofs than you may relish, of their dissatisfaction with impertinent strangers interfering with their government, property, church lands, and ladies : and though .1 entertain not the least doubt of your gal lantry, and of the dangers von would expose yourself in the service of the fair, I st mild advise you to remain at Botley, as 1 cannot rely on your deseretion. Well, Mr. Cobbett, your greatest enemies must acknowledge that You have a most pun erful imagination. How much will they have admired your bold figure of the " sweeping scythe," and its mowing down of pimps, bawds, parasites, buffoons, toad-eaters in read, blue, mat black ! W hat a picture you have drawn there ! And though they may have the squeamishness to oltject to the chasteness of the 51 vle t they remain confounded at the boldness of the eSecul ion. They may say what they please about the delicacy of flue bee in culling sweets and flowers, hut, with the revolutionary snout of that useful animal the swine, you explore all the sinks of society to find the figures for your picture. %nu see, Sir, I begin to make some profi ciency in your own style of composition; with the studs., and under the guidance of so great a master, it is itnpossible to he long restrained by the fastidious laws of decorum. And there . is reason to expect. that ‘; ith the other innovations you pre- Jed, you will at last succeed in revolutionizing the language, and rescuing it from the tvrannic restraints of Pope, Dryden, and such tvrauts. But there is a very considerable weakness I have to object to in your last suinmary, and which I. did not expect fiom a gentle man of 11r. Cobbett's cen-momate prudence in such .matters. How is it possible your principles cimild make you in Inta)l blind to your interests. N . ou have been too indiscreet in your lijiidaCtiOU at the change of property in Spain. Did vou re . - THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 483 fleet that the promulgating of such principles may introduce a taste for similar innovations in this country. Consider you have a very considerable stake yourself. 1 would not be in the least sur prised, if a stronger and more sturdy fellow than you,' consider ing the influence you have over that kind of people, should re lish your doctrine, and applying a dagger to your breast, insist on your sharing with him the profits of your Political Register. An indiscretion of this kind t would not expect from you. Mr. Cobbett ; for whatever opinion. I may entermin of the sound ness of your heart, I never thought your head enthusiastic or weak enough to propose any thin; detrimental to your interests. You knowy on may be as sentimental and disinterested as you please with regard to the property of others, but you should be circumspect in bestowing your commendations on a project, which may expose your own to the " . fatal and sweeping scythe." Your animadversions on the late meeting of the Common Council must afford the sincerest pleasure to every honest and enlightened man in this country. They will stew you, Cobhett, in your real character; and remove every doubt which may be still entertained with regard to the purity of your in tentions. That. Mr. Quin, you mention, is said to have been one of the most zealous in his professions of attachment to his Sovereign, and consequently was a lit subject for your delicate irony : but, not withstandiug all his zeal and loyalty, you have still the advantage. over him, that ypu are more universally known. Believe me you are, Sir; and if any one should still misunderstand you, I would be mere inclined to doubt his in tegrity than his understanding. Your allusion to Mr. Alderman Birch was so truly attic, that, struck with a prominent feature in your character, I cannot resist. an inclination to b urrow it. I sincerely congratulate the public, " you mars of brass, " that the tendency of your writings cann o t he mistaken for the future. But I am absolutely under the necessity of telling yonahat your train (tf nttv and noble ideas has displeased me. 'There is too much of the Joseph Surface in it; and if you set any value on the continuance of my correspondence, you will abandon that rant. You may- he as extravagant and eccentric as you please, all that makes me laugh. You may even he as indelicate and gross as you please; that affords me satisfaction ; for I admire consistency and support of character. But when you affect to be sentimen tal, you do it clumsily, and I. wish to see you adopt a style more congenial to your disposition. Be abusive ;he indecent ; be thing; but avoid the dulness 'of sentimental declamation. Even your train of new and noble ideas displeases me, because the sentiment is absolutely false, know you like a little bluntness). Those noble ideas, which you impute to the Spa niards, are not new. The friends of your bosom, of your choice (1 absolutely disapprove of your modesty in depriving them of the honour of the discovery) that noble nation you so much ad mire has long since published them. However 1 will excuse you this time on account of your "outrageous" passion with the Courier. You treated him as he deserved. Ile never move 4 out of the contracted sphere of national feelings, and is eternally tormenting us vs ith the merits of the present ministry. Since 'll began to read von, I dislike all encomiums on those men, and would, like the Athenian boor, on that very account .vote for their Ostracism. Bi the most uncharitable you, Mr. Cobbett, ha not like that Sa►ncn•it and your charitable of not only pardoninl prodigy, 'ill', in our happe•u to mew rarie3 were so sloe• FORE: • FROM THE FRIMCII, lit TL U !, AND SFIEOI6II PAPERS, It N PARIS, SIMI' L—All the Pritssi.ln Oftc . en, prisoners of war in Vraiire, have arrived at Nancy from the different depots, n here they Fernald ftir the p re<rut. On the 7th instant, the Junta at Bayonne held theii twelfth meeting. It was the day appointed fur the acceptance of the new Censtit talon. hi the chamber where they sat were erected a magniftee,nt throne and a richly decorated altar, the service of whkh performed by the ArehhiQhop of Ilurgus. His Ma jesty being, - , eared on the throne, delivered the fullutving speech : •;(;eitilemen I)eptities—l was desiron. of presenting myself in the midst of . 01t pre, it'll: to p.)ur separution front eat:b other. ocntau lebidept,thif ±orl i rti,ge our courier 1.- bringing as Ie armp i t 5,,40. , A trepoutrine fro...udli. ;Sot; itave,..pirmork,tx,Nolvl 4 . t h i a.t.v o u t arg t , %: itan,—rou. li - 1 ;... . f ao f c h a r pet, fe:goon_ j 4 far • T.I . k t virtu , .:• , . , l Al . i ig , !Pout even if I, o • .4;,,a,,,,, 2 ,- . u are . r clega4ieiiitedii ' . ~,,.. , 1:, ' )liould' Wit utiorn4itit, . 1, t .', tlitopo4.' in dab% . btlilling0 111 1 1 4; • " ; " .%, • . .taiiii*C lll4 flottolottol IV • i' , - , • ' :1G N IN T g lAO litiliNC . ,;.- I -,,,...--.. Nr . ' t.I • '• . I I +' ~`