The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-13 00:00:00

No. LXVIII.

CHARACTER OF SAMUEL RICHARDION.—The author
of Ccaatssa was always fond of female society. He lived
in a kind of flower-garden of ladies: they were his in-
spirers, his critics, his applauders. Connexions of busi-
ness apart, they were his chief correspondents. He had
generally a number of young ladies at his house, whom he
used to engage in conversation on some subject of senti-
ment, and provoke, by artful opposition, to display the
treasures of intellect they possessed. Miss Mulso, after-
wards Mrs. Chapone ; Miss Highmore, now Mrs. Dun-
combe ; Miss Talbot, niece to Seeker, and author of some
much esteemed devotional pieces; Miss Prescott, after-
wards Mrs. Mulso ; Miss Pieldings ; and Miss Colliers, re-
sided occasionally with him. He was accustomed to give
the young ladies he esteemed the endearing appellation of
his daughters. He used to write in a little summer-house,
or grotto, as it was called, within his garden, before the
family were up ; end, when they met at breakfast, lie
communicated the progress of his story, which, by that
means, had every day a fresh and lively interest. Then
began the criticisms, the pleadings, for HARRIET BYRON
or CLEM ENTIN• ; every turn and every incident was
eagerly canvassed, and the author enjoyed the benefit of
knowing beforehand how his situations would strike. Their
own little partialities and entanglements, too, were de-
veloped, and became the subject of grave advice, or lively
raillery. Mrs. Duncombe thus mentions the agreeable
scene, in a letter to Mrs. Mulso:—

" I shall often, in ides, enjoy again the hours that we
hare so agreeably *pent in the delightful retirement of
North End:
" For while this pleasing subject I pursue,
The grot, the garden, rush upon my view ;
There in blest union, round the friendly gate,
Instruction, peace, and cheerful freedom wait ;
And there, a choir of list'ning nymphs appears
Oppresed with wonder, or diutolved in tears:
But on her tender fears when Ilarriet dwells,
And love's soft symptoms innocently tells,
They ail with conscious smiles, those symptoms view,
And by those conscious smiles confess them true."

Mr. RICHARDSON was a friend to mental improvement
in women, though under all those restrictions which mo-
desty and decorum have imposed upon the sex. Indeed,
his sentiments seem to have been more favourable to female
literature, before than after his intercourse with the
fashionable world; for Clarissa has been taught Latin, but
Miss Byron is made to say, that she does not even know
which are meant by the learned languages, and to declare,
that a woman who knows them is an owl among the birds.
The prejudice against any appearance of extraordinary cul-
tivation in woman was, at that period, very strong. It
will scarcely be believed, by this generation, that Mrs.
Delany, the accomplished Mrs. Delany, objects to the
words intellect and ethics, in one of the conversation pieces,
in GRANDISON, 11/1 too scholastic to proceed from the
mouth of a female. What would some of these critics
have said, could they have heard young ladies talking of
gases, and nitrous oxyd, and stimuli, and excitability, and
all the terms of modern science! The restraint of tbrmer
times was painful and humiliating; what can be more
humiliating than the necessity of affecting ignorance ? and
yet, perhaps, it is not undesirable that female genius should
have something to overcome; so much, as to render it
probable, before a woman steps out of the common walks
of life, that her acquirements are solid, and her love for
literature decided and irresistible. These obstacles did not
prevent the Epictetus of Mrs. Ca arse, nor the volumes
of Mrs. CIIAPONE, from being written and given to the
world. _

The moral qualities of Richardson were crowned with a
serious and warm regard for religion; it is conspicuous in
all his works; and we shall. probably, not find any writings
of the class of novels, in which virtue and piety are so
strongly and uniformly recommended, without any party
spirit, or view to recommend a particular system; and it
would be doing injustice to the taste of the world not to
say that they were highly valued on that account. 'rite
house of Richardson was a school of virtuous sentiment and
Rood morals. The following letter, from Mr. REICH, of
Leipsie, shows the pleasing impression a visit to him made
on the lively feelings of a foreigner.
" You know, sir, I set out for England purely with a
view of cultivating a personal acquaintance with so great a
man as Mr. Samuel Richardson, who had so long endeared
himself to me by his works, and who, afterwards, by the
correspondence established between us, granted me his
friendship. I arrived at London the Bth of August, and
had not much difficulty in finding Mr. Richardson in this
great city. He gave me a reception worthy of the author
of Pamela, Clarissa, and Grandison ; that is, with the
came heart which appears throughout his works. His per-
son, his family, and even his domestics, all answer this
character. lie carried me into his library, and his print_

. llis

iht§§.

'44souse (for he is a printer), in both which I never saw
things so well disposed. Sunday following, I was with him
at his country-house (Selby-house), where his family was,
with some ladies, acquaintances aids four daughters, who,
with his lady, compose his family. It was there I saw
' beauties without affectation; wit without vanity; and
thought myself transported to an enchanted land. After.
chocolate, Mr. Richardson brought us into the garden, ad-
joining to the house. He invited me to partake of its
fruits, of which the trees afforded the finest of their kind,
and, perceiving that I hesitated, gathered some himself,
which he presented to me. Every thing I saw, every thing
I tasted, recalled to me the idea of the golden age. Here
are to be seen no counterfeits, such as are the offspring of
vanity, and the delight of fools. A noble simplicity reigns
throughout, and elevates the soul. The harmony of this
charming family furnished me with many reflections on the
common ill-judged methods of education, whence springs
the source tither of our happiness or misery. The ladies
affected not that stiff preciseness peculiar to coquettes.
Trained up by a parent who instructs them still more by
his example than by his works, they strive to imitate him;
and, if you feel a tenderness for objects so lovely, you will
surely be sensible of a still greater rsts.,
"'1 e the garden, over agaiost the house,
we came to a kind of grotto, where we rested ourselves. It
was on this seat, Mr. Le Fevre (Mr. Richardson's friend)
told me, that Pamela, Clarissa, and Grandison, received
birth ; I kissed the ink-horn on the side of it. We after-
wards proceeded to table (dinner), where an opportunity
was offred me of reading the letters written to me by Mlle.
Sack, front Berlin, concerning my voyage, and Mr. Rich-
ardson. One might in them discern the wit which is the
peetiliar characteristic of that lady; and every one listened
with the closest attention to whatever truth obliged me to
say concerning her. IVhereupon Mr. Richardson °ban-red
to me, that the ladies in company were all his adopted
daughters ; that he should he very proud to give to them,
as well as to his own, so charming a sister; and desired to
signify as much to her, and to send her his picture, which
he gave me for that purpose. The rest of our discourse
tnrned on the merits of Mr. Gellert, and of some other
Germans of distinction. I told him we had the same rea-
son to glory in our relationship, as countrymen of these
worthy gentlemen, as the English had in regard to him.
Mr. Richardson's usual modesty dictated his answer. To-
wards evening he brought me to London, where he made
me promise to come and see him as often as I could. On
the Sunday following 1 was with him again at his pleasant
country seat. IVe found there a large company, all people
of merit ; Mr. Miller, author of the Gardener's Dictionary
(which has been translated at Nurnburg, with such suc-
cess), and Mr. Highmore, the famous painter, were there.
This last, two days afterwards, conferred on me a genteel
piece of civility, which I shall never forget : he must, in-
deed, be the accomplished gentleman he appears to be, by
obliging with so good a grace. I was extretnely coned' ned
on not seeing his only daughter, who was in the country.
I have read some of her letters, which excite in me the
highest esteem both for her understanding and her heart.
In the evening I took my leave of the family, and returned
with Mr. Richardson. 1 saw him several times since, dur-
ing the eight days I staid in England ; but it was neces-
sary, at last, to quit that divine man. I gave him the letter
entitled No. I. ; lie embraced me, and a mutual tenderness
deprived us of speech. Ile accompanied me with his eyes
as far as lie could ; I shed tears."
RICHARDSON was, in person, below the middle stature,
and inclined to corpulency ; of a round, rather than oval,
face, with a fair ruddy complexion. His features, says
one who speaks from recollection, bore the stamp of good
nature, and were characteristic of his placid and amiable
disposition. He was slow in speech, and, to strangers at
least, spoke with reserve and deliberation; but, in his
manners, was affable, courteous, and engaging ; and when
surrounded with the social circle he loved to thaw around
him, his eye sparkled with pleasure, and often expressed
that particular spirit of archness which we see in some of
his characters, and which gave, at times, a vivacity to his
conversation, not expected from his general taciturnity and
quiet manners. He has left us a characteristic portrait of
himself, in a letter to Lady Bradshaigh, written when he
was in his sixtieth year, before they had seen one another.
She was to find him out by it (as she actually did,) as he
walked in the park. " Short, rather plump, about five feet
five inches, fair wig, one hand generally in his bosom, the
other a cane in it, which he leaps upon under the skirts of
his coat, that it may imperceptibly serve him as a support,
when attacked by sudden tremors or dizziness, of a light
brown complexion, teeth not yet failing him." IVhat fol-
lows is very descriptive of the struggle in his character be-
tween innate bashfulness and a turn for observation.
" Looking directly fore-right, as passengers would imagine,
but observing all that stirs on either hand of him, without
moving his short neck ; a regular even pace, stealing away
ground rather than seeming to rid it; a grey eye, too often
overclouded by mistiness from the head, by chance lively,
very lively if lie sees any he loves ; if he approaches a
lady, his eye is never fixed first on her face, but on her
feet, and rears it up by degrees, seeming to set her down as
so or SO."

The health of Richardson was grievously affected by
those disorders which pass under the denomination of ner-
vous, and are the usual consequence of bad air, confine-
ment, sedentary employment, and the wear and tear of the
mental faculties. It is astonishing how a man who had to
raise his fortune by the slow process of his own industry,
to take care of an extensive business, to educate his own
family, and to be a father to many of his relations, could
find time in the breaks and pauses of his other avocations,
for works so considerable in size as well as in merit, " nine-
teen closely printed volumes," as he often mentions, when
insisting upon it, in answer to the instances of his corres-
pondents, that he would write more, that he had already
written more than enough. Where there exists strong
genius, the bent of the mind is imperious, and will be
obeyed; but the body too often sinks under it. " I had
originally," says he, " a good constitution; 1 hurt it by
no intempctance, but that of application."
Richardson scarcely writes a letter without mentioning
those nervous or paralytic tremors, which, indeed, are very
observahle in those written with his own hand, and which
obliged him often to employ the hand of another. Yet his
writing, to the last, was small, even, and very legible.
Though a strong advocate for public worship, he had dis-
continued for many years going to church, on account, as
he tells Lady B. of his not being able to bear a crowd. It
is probable, however, that he also wanted the relaxation of a
Sunday spent in the country. He took tar-water, then
very much in vogue, and lived for seven years upon a ve-
getable diet; but his best remedy wag probably his country
house, and the amusement of Tunbridge, which he was ac-
customed to frequent in the season. He never could ride,
being, as he declares, quite a cockney, but used a chamber
horse, one of which he kept at each of his houses. Ilis
nervous maladies notwithstanding increased, and for years
before his death he could not lift the quantity of a small
glass of wine to his mouth, though put into a tumbler,
without assistance. He loved to complain; but who that
suffers from disorders that affect the very springs of life and
happiness, does not? Who does not wish for the friendly
soothings of sympathy, under maladies from which more
material relief is not to be expected ? That sympathy was
feelingly expressed by Mrs. Chapcme, in her Ode to Health,
in the following apostrophe:
Bast thou not left a Richardson unblest ?
He woos thee still in vain, relentless maid.
Tho' skill'd in sweetest accents to persuade,
And wake soft pity in the savage breast;
Him virtue loves, and brightest fame is his :

Smile thou too, sioddess,;nti complete his bliss.
In the latter part of his life he was rarely seen among
his workmen, sometimes not twice in a year, and, even
when he was in town, gave his directions by little notes.
His principal workman was hard of heating; and Richard-
son felt a nervous irritation, which made it not easy for
him to bear any thing of hurry or personal altercation.
His will shows the same equitable, friendly, and benefl•
cent disposition, which was apparent in his life ; Legacies to
a tribe of relations, to whom, it appears, helm(' given little
pensions during his life ; one third of his fortune to his
wife, and the rest to be divided equally among his daugh-
ters; recommending, however, his daughter Anne to her
mother's peculiar care, from the weak state of her health
and spirits. Yet this object of his tender anxiety was the
survivor of the whole family. She is said to have possessed
an excellent and cultivated understanding, true piety, sen-
sibility, resignation, and strength of ;ninth—Mrs. Bar-
/via s A;count of his Correstondhce.

LAW NOTICES.
COURT OF CHANCERY.
BEFORE THE LORD CHANCELLOR THIS MORNING AT TIN.
Petition pan heard—lahrtwood v. Rich.
ntroar THE TTCX-CITANCELLOR THIS PAT AT HALF-FAST

O.

Exceptions And further directions:—
To be Spoke to, exceptions—Jones v. Harrison.
Exceptions and Petition pet order—Pemberton v. Oakes —Pembar.
ton v. Parsons.
Exceptions and further directions per order—Hisde s. h inde,
Same v. Same, Ssme ►. Same, Same v. Same, Same v.
Custance. Same v. ilinde.
Exceptions per Doter—Ovey T. Leighton.
Exceptions—Baldwin v. Cawthurne, Rogers v. Cawthome, 1 homp-
1100 v. Sam,.
Further directions and costs—Marriott v. White.
Exceptions and costs—Hunter v. Marsh, Marsh v. Hunter,
Hunter v. Marsh, Pye v. Abbott.

Exception..
Knowles v Godinn I Fournier v Paine 1 Freske v Walters
Matteson v Scotch. Turner v. Same Heartley v skin
burn

ROLLS COURT. ..
The Abater of the Roils Ate every evening tats week at six
o'elock, except to-morrow and Saturday.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.

LONDON CABALS TO BE TRIZD THIS MOITTIBO AT HALT-

PAST NINE.
SP=ct►L JURY—Sanford • GrimsdelL
COMMON .1t:

Laud . Juekez

lislliley v Tuner
Bmith v Early
Leigh v Alexander
Evelyn v Jones
Nottage v Dean
Bowyer v Carpenter
Bell v Manton

o ;aM

Mee ♦ White

Wilding v Prideaut
Bishop v Douglas
Same v Boys
Goddard w'Jones
Allure') v Kinnear
Kemp v Brown

The King v Evans
Gardiner r Durant
Blackburn v Prior
Mortleman v Gibbs
Blokes v Pinker
Rayner v Linthorne
Briant v Milnes
James v Poona!'
Yates v Claridge
Cox v Stephens
Hill v Lawrence
Tooley v Baker
Chapman v Peake
Maskeli v Walter
The Bank of Eng-
land v Soanes

Pinckney v Morris
The King v Hutch.
inson
Crowther v Lamb
AVeatherheld v Early
Parker v Harrison
Taylor v Davies
Durwood v Cunt
Nichols v Sayer
Hathiday v William-
son
Warmott v Yount
The Thames Tull-
nell Company 1,
Sheldon
Same v Same

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
LONDON CAUSES TO BE TRIED BY SPECIAL JURIES Till

MORNING aT TEN.
Hume r Bothnia 1, Snow r Peacock
COMMON JUNIES.
Johnson v Didier Harding, Hill I France r Lucy
Crowder r Austin Salmon v Ward Smith r Thackwtay.
Sherman v :N•Ler• Pullen r Hearn
roth

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
Sitting at Gray's-Inn-Hall, this morning., eit ten.
Gardner v Lyddon, Report and Atkinson v. Hutton
EXceptions Fielden v Meynell
Ridley v Obee, Report and Es. Evans v Williams
ceptions Bamford v Archer
Bass v Thomson. Report Bossingham v Boar
Lloyd v Llnyd, Petition I Hamilton v Earl of Strathmore,
Iledfeam v Livesey, by order on sequestration
Price v Spencer Wade v Stabington
Hugo v Job Watkins v Smith
Dean and Chapter of York T.
Illiddleburgh

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, MONDAY, DEC. 12.

COMMISSION OF REVIEW.
POWELL V. MOUCHETT.
This was the day appointed for the Civilians to attend to argue
this case. The application was, that a commission of review
might be granted to reconsider a decision of the Delegates, upon
an appeal against a judgment of Sir John Nichol, which decision
set aside an instrument called a second will, and declared it void.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, Dr. ADDAMS, and Mr. COPR-
TENAY, appeared in support of the application; Drs. JENNLR
and LITSHINOTOW, Mr. HART, Mr. WAKEFIELD, and Mt.
PLPTS. were on the other side.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, he had read all the papers, and
it did not appear to him that there was any question of law in the
case at all. His Lordship took it to be extremely well settled,
that upon proper evidence a part of a piece of paper might be held
not to be a part of a person's will ; therefore the Court thought
the question here was a mere question of evidence.
The SOLICITOR•OZNERAL then proceeded to open the case.
The case, though knows In this Court by the name of Powell v.
31outbett, was known in the Ecclesiastical Court by the title of
Isherwood v. Rich. The subject of dispute arose upon instruments
made in the shape of wills by the late Alt% Litchfield. In the year
IBV7 he made his first will, by which he left his property to his na-
tural son. of his own name; in 1813 he executed another will, re-
voking his will of 1807, and leaving his pdaperty undisposed of;
and the great question between the parties was, whether the instru-
ment of 1813 could be considered a valid will, it being contended
on one side that the testator was not of sound mind in that year.
The Vice-Chancellor directed four issues to be tried at law upon
the case being brought before him ; the Jury found upon the
trial of those I...ties a discrepant or contradictory verdict ; it then
came back to his Honour upon a motion for a new trial; he
granted it, directing two issues to be tried ; before another trial
could be had the subject aunt before this branch of the Court,
upon an appeal against the direction, of the trial of those two issues
its Lordship upset the order, and directed the question to be tried
in one Issue, the trial of which issue is at present depending, hav-
ing stood over for some time for want of parties. Ad interim
Isherwood v. Rich was discussed before, and decided by Sir J.
Nichol, as well as an appeal from that decision, discussed before
and decided by tits Delegates. One ground for the commission
of review was, that one of the three Judges, Mr. Justice Little-
dale (the three Judges being Mr. Justice Gaselee. Mr. Baron
llullock and Mr. Justice Litticdale, who ought to have attended
as Delegates), was not present to give his opinion upon the ques-
tion referred to the Delegates; and though the ',earned Solicitor-
General would not c attend that this was a sufficient ground for
vitiating the whale of the proceedings before the Delegates, yet he
instated that it was a strong reason why a commission of review
should issue. The Learned Gentleman next submitted, that the
decisions of Sir J. Nichol and the Delegates were erroneous, accord-
ing to the arguments of those whose duty it was to support them ;
and likewise that they were erroneous, being against all the prin-
ciples of law. •
The LORD CHANCELLOR inquired how nanny of the persons
named in the commission as Delegates were present.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, three Common Law Judges
astd six Civilians were named in the commission, but only two 01
the former and four of the latter attended.

The Solicitor on the other side nhxerved, that it was not usual
fir more than two Common Law Judges to attend on such an oc-
casion.

Dr. A DOA), s desired distinctly to contradict such an assertion ; he
having hardly ever known an instance in which fewer than three
Common Law Judges had attended.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL continued his address at great
length on the points of the case.
I Mr. Litchtield carried on business as an upholsterer and
cabinet-maker, in St. lliartin's.lane, end died in 1313. possessed of
personal estate to the amount of between forty and fifty thousand
pounds, as well as possessed of real estate.)

IN THE MATTER OF TOWNSEND, A DANITIFET.
Mr. Townsend appeared in person, and stated he had applied at
the office of his Lordship's Secretary in bankruptcy, to give notice
that he wished the petition in this matter to be set down for hearing,
and he had now to beg that his Lordship would have the goodness
to appoint en early dry for hearingit.
The LORD CHANCELLOR permitted it to stand first 'n the
bankrupt paper, to be heard nest week. and directed Mr. Towns-
end to give notice or this permission to all parties.
Mr. Townsend undertook to do sc.