The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-24 00:00:00

LITERARY GLEANINGS.

honoured with an especial allowance of'surh honour—king
regarded as elegant nrige, or tasteful relaxations from
the drier routine of ordinary practice—somewhat like
snatches of the Belles Lettres, in the midst of a course of
hard reading. I could perceive, that even the grimmest
and most morose•looking tnen of business would, in pass-
ing, endeavour to wedge their noses into the crowd, and
after catching a few words of the pleading, would turn
away grinning like satyrs, with the relish of what tney
heard still mantling in their opaque imaginations. Jeffrey
also told me, that Irish cases of the sort above-mentioned
are extremely frequent even hi the Scottish Courts; and,
indeed, the great Phillips himself seems never to enjoy
the fiill command and swing of his powers, unless on the
subject of a seduction ; so that it may be said with truth
lof this wonderful man, and the gallant nation to which
be belongs, that they mutually stand in much need of
each other.
" 'Tis well that they should sin, so he may sLine."
P. M.
Peter's Letters to la s Kintfolk.

No. XVI.
come or SESSION IN EIMNRURGII.—Sy degrees I
,o 0 ray way through several different currents of the
crowd, and established myself with my back to the wall,
full in the centre of the Advocates' title Of the house.
Here I could find leisure and opportunity to study the
minutie of the whole scene, and in particular to " fill in
as foreground," as the painter's phrase runs, much more
accurately than when I was myself mingled in the central
tumult of the place. My position resembled that of a
person visiting a peristrephic panorama, who, himself im-
moveable in a darksome corner, beholds the whole dust and
glare of some fiery battle pass, cloud upon cloud, and flub
upon flash, before his eyes. Here might be seen some of
the "Na nanimi Heroes," cleaving, into the mass, like
g
furious wedges. in order to reach their appointed station=
and traced in their ulterior progress only by the casual
glimpses of " the proud horse-hair nodding on the crest"
—while others, equally determined and keen Is, srliteesecor,
ovelhiss, from their stature and agility, might be
mere properly compared to so many shuttles driven
through the threads of an intricate web by some nim-
ble-jointed weaver, Msxpos pAi, *Xka Marmas. On one
sire might be observed some first-rate champion, paus-
eel for a moment with a grin of bloody relaxation, to
breathe after one ferocious and triumphant charge—his
plum? Sancho Psnza busily arrvigieg his harries, for the
nest, no less ferocious. (hi another sits some less success-
ful combatant, all his features screwed and twisted toge-
ther, smarting under the lash of a sarcasm—or gazing
blankly about him, imperfectly recovered from the stun of
a retort; while perhaps some young beardless esquire,
burning for his spurs, may be discovered eyeing both of
these askance, envious even of the cuts of the vanquished,
and anxious, at all hazards, like Uriali the Hittite, that
some letter might reach the directors of the fray, saying.
' Set lig thit man in the front of the battle."
The elder and more employed advoestes, to have done
with my similitudes, seemed for the most part, when not
actually engaged in pleading, to have the habit of seating
themselves on the benches, which extend along the whole
rear of their station. Here the veteran might be seen
tither poring over the materials of some future discussion,
or contesting bitterly with some brother veteran the pro-
priety of some late decision, or perhaps listening with
sweet smiles to the talk of some uncovered Agent, whose
hand fn his fob seemed to give promise of a coining fee.
The most-of the younger ones seemed either to promenade
with an sir clutter nonchalance, or to collect into groups of
four, five, or six, from whence the loud and husky cackle
of some leading characters might be heard ever and anon
rising triumphantly above the usual hum of the place. I
could soon discover, that there are some half-dolen, per-
haps, of professed wits and story-tellers, the droppings of
whose inspiration ere sufficient to attract round each of s
them, when he sets himself on his legs in the middle of Mr. Owen, of Lana*, in arrived In the metropolis. On
the floor, a proper allowance of eyes and mouths to glisten Sunday merning he breakfasted with the London Co-
and gape over the morning's budget of good things=-some operative Society, in Pickett-street. When lie left the
new eccentricity of Lord H—, or broad bon-mot of Mr. settlement of Harmony, in America, in June last, that
f'—. The side of the Hall frequented by these woe- new co-operative community was making most rapid and
thies, is heated by two or three large Promstoves ; and orderly progress in apiculture and inanufactures. The ap-
from the custom of lounging during the winter-mouths in pile:nous for admission had been much more numerous
the immediate vicinity of these centres of comfort, the bar- than could be complied with, but various establishments
testers of facetious disposition have been christened by one of a similar kind were about commencing. Mr. Owen,
of their brethren, the " wits of the Stove-school." But, since his arrival in England, has visited New Lanark, and
indeed, for aught I see, the journeyman days of the whole also the buildings making by the new community of Orbis-
of theyoung Scotch advocates might, with great propriety, ton, near Glasgow.
be called by the simple collective,—Store-hood. The Washington Gazette says, that an association modeled
What has a more striking effect, however, than even the on the plan of Mr. Owen, of Lanark, had been form-
glee and merriment of these young people close at hand, ing in Cincinnati. They had purchased a tract of land
is the sound of pleaders pleading at a distance, the music of upwards of seven hundred acres. A constitution had
of whose elocution, heard separate from its meaning, is been adopted, and the community was to commence opera-
net, for the most part, such as to tempt a nearer approach. tions immediately.
At one bar, the wig of the Judge is seen scarcely over-
topping the mass of eager, bent-forward, listening ad- To PREVENT MISCHIEF BY ROOM—Take a straw..
miters, assembled to do honour to some favourite speaker rope, such as is used in some counties for thatching, and
stretch it across the field from about the middle towards
of the day—their faces already arrayed in an appropriate
smile, wherewith to welcome the expected joke—or fixed the fences, supported by stakes fixed in the ground, to raise
it a few feet. This is sufficient notice to the rooks to keep
in the attitude of discernment and penetration, as if re-
off. If fields are large, other ropes may be placed at a pro-
solved that no link of his cunning chain of ratiocination
should escape their scrutiny. At another extremity, the per distance; for if food grows scarce, they may, after eau-
tiously reconnoitering for some time, approach to within
whole paraphernalia of the Judge's attire ere exposed full
to vision—all the beaches aronnd his tribunal deserted WO or 300 yards of the supposed trap.
and tenantless, while some wearisome proser, to whom DANCI NO.—The Chinese have odd ideas of this amuse-
nobody listens except from necessity, is seen thumping the ment. When Commodore Anson was at Canton, the
bar before him in all the agonies of unpartaken earnestness, officers of the Centurion had a ball upon some Court bo-
las hoarse clamorous voice floating desolately into thin liar while they were dancing, a Chinese, who very
air, " like the voice of a man crying in the wilderness— quietly surveyed the operation, said softly to one of the
whom no man heareth." party, " Why don't you let your servants do this for you ?"
The appearance of the Judges of Lords Ordinaries, AFRICAN MANI:FACTURES.—A cotton shawl, menu-
themselves, next attracted my attention, and I walked factored by Africans from the growth of their own coun-
round the Hall to survey them, each in rotation, at his try, has been received at Baltimore. It consists of five
particular bar. Their dress is quite different from what pieces, woven three yards in length, and six inches in
we are accustomed to in our civil courts in England, and width, sown together, and is considered a fair specimen of
bears much more resemblance to what I have seen in the arts vet in their infancy amongst that rude people. Cotton,
sPortreits of the old Presidents of the French Parliaments. of the quality of which this shawl is manufactured, is said
ludoed I believe it is not widely different from this; for to grow in abundance over a track of country extending
the Court of Session was originally formed upon the model to 40 degrees of latitude, and SI to 70 of longitude, inha-
of the Parliament of Paris, and its costume was borrowed bited by many millions of naked human beings.
from that illustrious court, as well as its constitution. The CONVICTS.—We understand the Government, in its
Judges have wigs somewhat different from those of clemency, have directed Mr. F. Murphy, the Governor
the Advocates, and larger in dimension; but their of the Convict Penitentiary in this city, to provide ac-
gowns are very splendid things, being composed of pur- commodation for a certain number of women and chil-
ple-velvet and blue cloth and silk, with a great variety of dem, the families of men transported to New South
knots and ornaments of all kinds. I could not see this Wales for various offences, and who, while in that
vestment without much respect, when I reflected on country, hare conducted themselves to the satisfaction
the great number of men celebrated both for greatness of thelocal Government of the colony. Those persons have
and 'sootiness that have worn it. It is the same gown been brought together from all parts of the kingdom, at
in which the venerable Duncan Forbes, of Colloden, the expense of the Government, and are meow comfortably
delivered judgment—in which Kaimes, and Hailes, and lodged and maintained in Cork, until a ship arrives ex-
Braxfield, and Monboddo, and Woodhouselee—and later, pressly to convey them to their destination. This humane
Perhaps greater than all, in which Blair was clothed. • • act towards a truly wretched portion of society is attribu-
I t struck me that the Judges in the outer Court were ra- table to his Excellency the Marquis Wellesley, whose noble
tiler younger men than we commonly see on the Bench in feelings in softening the miseries of exile, is well worthy of
an English Court of Law ; but their physiognomies, and his illustrious name and family.—Cork Advertiser.
the manner in which they seemed to be listening to the
On Monday afternoon, about five o'clock, a dreadful ac-
pleaders before them, were in general quite as I could have .
adent occurred in Tothill-street, Westminster, which, it is
wished to see them. At one end sat Lord G—, brother
feared, will prove fatal to four unfortunate individuals,
to the excellent historian of Greece, and translator of irris-
named
Sowter, Henessy, Fitzpatrick, and M'Call, all
tale's Rhetoric* and Ethics. Ile has at first sight an air
bricklayers. Sowter, who is the master bricklayer, is so
of laziness about him, and seems as if he grudged the 1a-
severely injures! that he now lies in a very dangerous state.
hour of lifting up his eyes to view the countenance of the
alenessy has his thigh broken. Fitzpatrick is dreadfully
person addressing him. But every now and then, he
injured in the spine, aml many of his ribs are broken ;
muttered some short question or remark, which showed
and M'Call is injured about the head and neck.
abundantly that his intellect was awake to all the intrica- dreadfully•. •
cies of the case ; and I could see, that when the Advo- . The latter sufferers now lye in the Westminster Infirmary,
in a very hopeless state.
cater were done, he had no difficulty in separating the es-
sence of the plea from all the adventitious matter with SUSPENDED ANIMATION.—A labourer having fallen
which their briefs had instructed them to clog and em- off a scaffolding from a considerable height, was carried,
barren it. Hellas a countenance very expressive of acu- apparently dead, to medical aid ; and though every
men, and a pair of the finest black eyes I ever saw, al- means were used which the surgeons thought necessary,
though he commonly keeps them half shrouded under he remained in the same torpid state from two o'clock
their lids; and I have no doubt, from the mode in which till six, when his friends carried him home on a door,
he delivered himself, that he must have been a meet ac- with advice to make his coffin. On inquiry being made
complished debater when at the Bar. At the other extre- into the particulars of the case, another surgeon volunteered
unity, the greatest stream of business seemed to rush in his service for his recovery. This was readily accepted, as
the direction of Lord P—'s tribunal. This Judge has he was given up for dead. When the surgeon arrived at
the most delightful expression of suavity and patience in his house, which was a quarter of a mile distant, lie found
his look and manner that I ever saw in any Judge, unless he had heat enough to convince him that the vital spark was
it be our own venerable old Chancellor Eldon. The calm not fled. On opening a vein in the arm, no blood of any con-
cascientious way in which he seemed to listen to ever sequence came ; but, on drawing the scalpel over two
thing that was said, the mild good-tempered smile with branches of the temporal artery, lie bled profusely. Before
which he showed every now and then that he was net to a pound had flowed, be breathed; and when two pounds
be deceived by any subtlety or quirk, and the clear and were drawn, lie respired almost naturally. 'f he vessels
distinct manner is whtch he explained the grounds of his were then secured. The next day he could articulate.
decision, left me at no loss to account for the extraordinary Twelve days after he resumed his employment. It oc-
pressure of business with which this excellent Judge cap- curred to the surgeon at the time (and which he found in
peered to be surrounded. Before these two Lords it was a similar case since the above) that the blood remains
that all the principal causes of the morning appeared to in the arterial system, in a warm fluid state, after the
he argued. I happened to be standing close behind Lord super-veins become nearly empty, and what remains in
P-- a bar, when a pleading was going on for aliment of them is partly congealed from losing its free caloric ; also,
a natural child, at the instance of a servant-wench against that the arteries retain their elasticity and vital properties
an Irish student, who had come to Edinburgh to attend the a considerable time after the veins have lost their little
medical classes. The native of the Emerald Isle was per. contractile power necessary to carry on the circulation.
/tonally present In the rear of his Counsel, arrayed in a Pidding and Co. have had an extraordinary demand for
tarnished green great-coat, and muttering bitterly in his Whole Tickets at their Office, No. 1, Cornhill, in conse-
national accent. I heard him say to one near him, tbat he Treece of the publicity given by the friends of Mr. H.
had been prevented from getting out of the way in proper the Member of Parliament, to his success in gaining
time, by the harsh procedure of a grocer in Drummond- 40,000 (Nines% the last day of drawing ; People however
street, whose account was unpaid, and who had detained remark that, although the M. P.'s have determined to dis-
him by what he called a " meslitatione fugie warrant." continue Lotteries, they must not expect to engross these
The poor girl's ease was set forth with great breadth of co- choice things to themselves, for others have an equal
Louring and verity of detail by Mr. CLERIC (a fine saga- chance and not less inclination to carry some to their
etotts-looking old gentleman, of whom I shall speak anon), Homes before the opportunity expires; and as there will
and the bar was speedily surrounded by clew ranks of hs- be Four Prizes of 25,000/. distributed Next Wednesday,
tenets. Mr. JETIPIREY wbo was Counsel for the son of 31st August (each of which will be thought seasonable
Erin, observed that the exceeding rapidity with which the as a Harvest Home), no wonder the demand for 'rickets
crowd clustered itself around did not escape my attention, and Shares is so uncommonly brisk at Pidtling's Lucky
and whispered to me, that cases of this kind are always Corner, No. 1, Cornhill.

ST. PETER'S.
Sublimest Temple of the living flod !
Shall I no more the thrilling transport feel
That o'er me came, when, ere thy court I trod,
I saw, far off, a crown of braided light
Purple thy cross? that purple light, which eve
Seeni'd like a glory round thy dome to weave,
When in the peaceful hour, half day, half night,
Th' aerial wonder first cntranc'd my view,
And more than mortal power my spirit onward drew.
The sun had thro' a gorgeous canopy
Of gold, of purple, and of Imre sheen
Virbeerd his broad orb, and set with glow serene;
And all was stillness to the ear and eye :
The labors of the day began to cease.
And alt without was calm, and all within was peace;
But deep the glow and tumult in my heart,
llThen on th' eternal flint my footstep rung;
Thought, fancy, feeling to one object clung;
Nor joy, nor woe thin claim'd divided part.
On, to the Temple; on, I sped my way,
Reckless that Tybee's flood athwart my passage lay.
'I saw no good, on cows. no pillar'd zone
-That girt it roust: I heard no fountain play.
With guidelesa foot, as sunk the dying day,
I sped impatient on
A rd stood beneath the dome, at fall of night,
What time a priest, dire seen, slow pae'd with lonely light.
Else, all was darkness ; all mysterious gloom :
Save where, bright gaming round the altar, rose
The silver lamps, that day nor night repose,
And here and there the baldachin illume,
Where the calossal column's brazen frame
Catches on wreathed spires by fits the gliding flame.
And, save those lamps, and that departing light,
Darkness above, beneath me, and around :
No marble glittcr'd thro' the gloom profound;
Tomb, statue, column, none tlisturb'd the sight :
The spirit of devotion fill'd the whole,
And scaling up the lip, held commune with the soul."
Poems by William Sotheby.