The Press.
London, England, 1856-03-15 00:00:00

fiteraturr.

A Portion of the Journal Kept by Thomas Brakes,
Esq., from 1831 to 1847. Two Vols. Lon-

don : Longmans.
No one has a better chance of readily obtain-
ing admission to the best West-end circles
than a man with good City connections. On
the onine ignotum principle, his wealth and in-
fluence arc sure to be magnified; his opinions
on commercial and monetary transactions are
regarded with reverence ; the depth of his
pocket is thought to be unfathomable ; and
he establishes a convenient link between those
two classes of society whose tastes, habits, and
pursuits are directly opposed—the class which
lives to spend money, and the class which lives
to make it.
By birth and connections, Mr. Thomas
Raikes belonged to the latter class ; by incli-
nation and mode of life to the former. His
father was an eminent London merchant, and
in due time our Diarist became a partner in
the house, but " cut the shop," and became a
man of fashion From some cause not explained,
the experiment, though completely answering
Mr. Raikes's expectation as to social views and
advantages, did not succeed in other respects.
It is said briefly in the preface to this journal
that, through embarrassments of the house
with which he was connected, he was com-
pelled in 1832 to break up his London estab-
lishment, and reside in Paris, where he re-
mained till 1846 ; he returned to England in
1846, and died in 1848.
The journal commences in January, 1832,
when the Reform Ministry of Lord Grey was
at the height of its power, and in the midst of
its embarrassments. The fate of the Bill was

in suspense ; democratic agitation was rising
to a fearful height; the Belgian question
threatened European war; and Russian diplo-
matists dropped sinister hints of the danger
that must ensue from the foreign policy of
Lord Palmerston. That policy is fairly
enough described in an entry under date of
August, 1832 :

Matuscewitz [joint plenipotentiary with Mince Lieven
at the London Conference 3 said to me this evening,
" What are we to think of your ➢tinistry, who professed
friendship for the allied powers ; who, whenever a revolu-
tionary movement is made in Europe, affects to sympa-
thise with it, but when the crisis arrives refrains from
giving its assistance ; who incurs all the obloquy and sus-
picion of fostering such principles, but does not openly avow
them ?"

To this Mr. Raikes made a sensible reply,
showing how the Ministry were ruled by the
press in their language, and how they advo-
cated Liberal opinions without having courage
to act up to them. But had the question been
put to him at a later date, he would, no doubt,
have said that the policy of first fomenting
and then disowning revolutionary movements,
amounted simply to " judicious bottle-hold-
ing " ; that it gave rise to a good deal of sport,
though of rather a sanguinary kind ; and that,
whatever became of those who took part in the
deadly affray, the bottle-holder himself could
easily keep out of harm's way.
The portion of the journal here published
only extends to the middle of June, 1836; it
is full of anecdotes of the politics and society
of the time, for, while residing in Paris, Mr.
Raikes kept up au active correspondence with
his friends in London, and seems to have been
much trusted and respected. The Duke of
Wellington communicated with him in the
most confidential manner, and, "though no
" party man," Mr. Raikes was as stanch a
Tory as the whole empire could produce, and
was in most of the secrets of the party. He
was at one time almost as despondent re-
specting the effects of the Reform Bill as Mr.
Croker himself :—" No words can describe the
" desponding, hopeless view which he takes of
" all public matters ; national bankruptcy and
" ruin with him are inevitable." But subse-
quently Mr. Raikes took a more hopeful view.
Events since (848 seem to prove that modern
societies, es societies, rest on too firm a basis
for political convulsions to greatly disturb
them.

An extract of a letter from the Duke of
Wellington is given here, which shows that
Shough moat favOtable to keeping up an excel•