The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-07-21 00:00:00

SIR IFALTER.SCOTT IN DUBLIN.

[From the Whys Aforeieg Post of Manday.l
.It was generally rumoured in the fashionable circles on
Saturday, that this distinguished individual would honour
the theatre with his presence in the evening. Many a I
fleet messenger spread abroad the intelligence, and the
theatre was filled with beauty and fashion. During the,
first and second acts the curiosity of the audience was con-
fined to significant
Nods and becks and wreathed smiles,"
which could not be mistaken; but at length the name of
" Sir Walter Scott" echoed from every part of the theatre,
and the clamour became truly deafening. Sir Walter, who
sat as if to escape observation, on a third scat in one of.
the boxes under the galleries, accompanied by his son,
Captain Scott, and a party of ladies and gentlemen, did
not at first appear to comprehend what all this applause!
was about, and assisted in it by clapping his hands; but
soon all the thunders of the pit ascended ; every hat was
doffed ; every 'back was turned to the stage ; not even a
word from the performers could be !teasel ; even the fasci-
nations of Miss Foote failed in attracting.
'• As in a theatre, the eyes of men
After a well-graced actor leaves the stage,
Are idly bent on him that next appears,
ren so"
was she, " the observed of al! observers," obliged to leave
the stage unnoticed, and for the moment wholly disregard-
ed. Mr. Abbott now came forward, and said " Gentle-
men, might I ask what can be the cause of this disturb-
ance ?"
Sir Walter Scott, Sir Walter Scat !" was shouted
forth by a hunded voices at once. This exclamation
caused a burst of laughter, in which Sir Walter himself
heartily joined. He then rose amid the most vehement
applause; all darted their, desiring eyes upon his visage,
whilst he spoke nearly as follows :—" Gentlemen, I thank
you; as I am notcooscious of having merited this kind-
ness, I was not until this moment aware I was the object
of it: Believe me, Gentlemen, I can never be forgetful of
the honour you hate done me." Sir Walter then Fat down
whilst loud applsuaes filled the entire theatre. The play then
proceeded with an occasional alight interruption, caused by
the anxiety of those in the gallery to get a sight of the
" great unknown."
From the few words that Sir Walter Scott uttered, it
could be easily perceived that he has a strong Scotch ac-
cent. Age has blanched his lock.. His face is precisely
that which is termed a Scotch face, large and full, with a
prominent nose, good forebeed, and a light blue eye. In
fact he reminded us very much of that worthy man, "rest
and bless him," Old Mcrtality.
It should not be forgotten that the only airs played by
the orchestra the entire evening were those of " Bannie
Scotland." 1

When Sir Walter was leafing the theatre, which was
at the conclusion of the first act of Clari, the applause was
renewed, and even the populace assembled outside the
theatre, eheerid him on entering his carriage.
Improvident as Irishmen are in general said to he,
they have in this instance, at least, belied the lines of
Plautus—

" Turn denique homines nostra intelligimus bona
Cum qua in potentate habnimus, ea sinisimus."
" Men prize not to the worth those blessings they enjoy
'Till they have ►ost them."
In the course of the evening there was a cheer for
Thomas Moore, whose parents sat in the next box to Sir
Waltcr.

[From the Morning Register.l
The writer of this paragraph saw Sir Walter Scott on
Saturday, while he went through a few apartments of the
Dublin Society House. He was accompanied by his two
daughters, Mr. Lockhart, and the indefatigable Mr. Wilde
Hartstonge, who having to discharge the gratifying but
arduous duty of " showing the lions" to the renowned
stranger, thinks lie commits a cardinal sin if he neglects
noticing, not only the present properties and condition, but
the birth and parentage of every single pariag-stone ! Sir
Walter is a tall, lame man, grey-haired, fresh-coloured,
bushy-eyed. He is greatly flattered by the bust at Milli-
ken's; his forehead is not so prominent or intellectual ; his
eye not so shrewd or penetrating, but yet there is a strong
likeness. The bust is Sir Walter with half a score years fewer
than he has now to reckon, and every thing intelligent and
strikinein the visage in high relief. The general deport-
ment of the Baronet was simple, unaffected, and courteous.
He hurried through his observances with great rapidity—
& circumstance which exposed poor Hartstongs to many a
bitter mortification. The model of the great bridge over a
part of the Rhine (we believe) naturally suggested to him
the theory of the eliptical and circular arches ; and all that
had been said and written on the subject in Dr. Johnson's
time—and indeed, what that renowned Lexicographer'
himself had committed to the press upon this very
interesting topic ; but he bad searcelv given even an'
inkling of his erudition in all relating to bridges, when the
"Great Unknown" pushed forward to acme new curiosity.
Instances of this meritorious communicativenesss on the
part of the conductor, and velocity of movement on the
part of the illustrious visiter, occurred at least ten times.
The Society gallery does not exhibit a great many pictures.
Mr. Wilde. Ilartstonge had an account of all from the
catalogue ; but the renowned Baronet's attention seemed
to us to rest only upon one, which peeps down from a
corner in the Secretary's room, and that is a fine and bril-
liant likeness of " Peg Woffington," by Sir Joahus Rey-
nolds. Sir Walter called " Lockhart" to witness this
striking object, explaining that " Peg" was famous for her
wit. The ladies of the parry particularly admired this
picture. In the Library Sir Walter was received by Dr.
Litton, and in the Museum by Sir Charles Gieseke. The
Library did not detain him long. /n the Museum he in-
spected several Irish relics, especially specimens of ancient
armour. He was most inquisitive about forms of swords,
and he put some questions to Sir Charles about Roman
weapons, which the latter did not appear able to answer.l
There was a helmet in high preservation, which Sir Charles I
could not believe to be a production of very remote times,
but which Sir Walter seems much inclined to trace to very
high antiquity, a.signiner, reasons that were not audible to
those placed at a little distance. " Was this found in Ire-
land ?" was a question which we often heard, as Sir Walter
passed through the curiosities. When he took up the
ancient Irish sceptre Mr. Hartstonge was of some distance,
but he contrived not to let the occasion pass without snaking
it known " that the King hail the relic in his hand when
he visited the Museum !" Sir Walter asked whether a
word which we heard him indistinctly pronounce, was not
the Irish apellation for a particular species of weapon ?
but if it was a question relative to the Cherokee dialect it
would have a better chance of being answered by Sir
Charles Gieseke. On the whole, the renowned Baronet
seemed much pleased. We fancied that he indicated par-
ticular pleasure when he got a glimpse of any thing of
which he was not before apprised relative to Irish anti-
quities. Hs is oissrifisr-searett tit incarnation on this

CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS.•

A LETTER TO THE REV. DR. MILNER,
OCCASION/D.IIY SOME tASSAGES CONTAINED IN TII9 Soo',
ENTITLED

" TILE END OF REl,l6iiiiTS CONTROVERSY.'s
SY Till LATE RSV. S. PARK, LL.V.

We have here a posthumous pamphlet, which will not
fail to attract very strongly the public attention. Whey
the Rev. Dr. M is ea ventured to brays the moral se,
strains of truth and conscience lie did not expect to he
;encountered by so vigorous and powerful an antagonist et
Dr. PARR. The Catholic priesthoOd do, no doubt, mr.
vise a very powerful influence over the minds of their
ritual subjects; but they should confine thems-lvtt. ,
think, in ecrnmon prudence, to the ordinary arts of
selvtisin, and not resort to such mean and unworthy cert.
dijnts as this pamphlet so ably exposes.
The assertions which Dr. Milner is here called tiponeie,r
to prove or to retract, which impute to several of the n.e,t
distinguished persons in the Church the atrocious hypo
of being professedly Catholics at heart, are contained in 1:',4
elaborate work, written to vindicate the members of the
Church of Rome from the accusation of impiety and tete
latry in the worship of glorified Saints, and in their atlorati
of the sacramental elements, in the doctrine of myereet
transubstantiation, and entitled " The End of Religion
Controversy) in a friendly correspondence between areli,
gioits society of Protestants and a Roman Catholic diviee
addressed to the Right Rev. Dr. Burgess, Lord Bishop of
St. Davierrs'in answer to his Profeefueit Catechism."
After throwing out reflections which tend to impeach the
sincerity of Bishop POIRTEUf4, Dr. Hoast.i.v, and other
illustrious ornaments of the Protestant Church, whose
published labours bear testimony to the zeal with which
they asserted the doctrines, and suppOrted the interests of
IChriatiaitity, Dr. Milner proceteds, in gsweeptisneeglmysi,nteitittat,
kaive Opprobrium, which is well suited to his purpose, to
declare, that " there are few of out Catholic Priests nho
have not been called in to tee, tee ilin.;-.PitOTESTICTS inn
Me Catholic Church, while not a single instance of a Cat&
lic, wishing .to die in any other communion than his own,
'eat) be produced,' anal upon this,—bracing himself up to
'a pitch of pious exuetation, he adds, "0: truth-telling
Death, how powerful art thou in eonfuting.the blasphemil
and dissipating the prejudices or the enemies of Goths
Church!" (Part I. p. 77.) That Deaen tells troth, is
certain, and it were to be wished, that the liciolf,—Dc.
Milner, among the rest,—would benc.it: by the example.
Crowds of expiring Proteslanta—so many, it
hardly atsingle Catholic Priest, but bas been entreated by
more or less of their number, to lei 'item out of the wcrld
through the door of the Catholic Church—crowds of Pro-
testants, abjuring oh their death-bed all hope but in the
efficacy of the holy unction, and all confidence but in the
keis of St. Peter, have called, in citreous, for the Cofbufic
Priest; while, no/ in a sine,: instance, has, even a solitary
son of the true Church, ever departed, but pectore firma,
full of reliance on the absolving power of his Confeswr,
and the intercession of the Saints. It is easy to per.
ccive to what conclusion this is intended to lead. jg
is intended to inspire the weak and ignorant with a
wholesome distrust as to the soundness of the Protest.
ant faith. Dr. Milner does not -trouble himself to con-
firm this startling statement cf his by any reference to
cases. Accustomed to teach in a communion which receives
all his assertions, qualified or unqualified, with implicit
faith, he considers every thing in the way of proof as
utterly beneath his attention. Those, however, whore
minds have never been trained to this sort of homage,
would desire to have their doubts satisfied, before they give
credit to this tale of the apostasy of their Prottetant
fellow-subjects. Such persons will wait till they receive
an answer to the questions put by Dr. Parr :
" Can you prove that the Catholic priests, who have been called
in to receive dying Protestants into the Catholic church, are nor
few ? Can you prove that these many priests have been called in
by many Protestants? Can you furnish the public with a soli&
factory reason, that so many priests, with so many instances of cow.
version, should from time to time have been silent upon the sahs
ject of so much triumph to Roman Catholics, and so much
mortification to Protedotim ? Can yoti show us that the prime
professing thus to be called in were men of sound discretion and
unimpeachable veracity ? Was it the prudence, of which yea
speak, 'bat restrained your priests from telling their followers, or
their opponents, whether their interposition was solicited or spans
taneous ; whether it took place with or without the consent and
knowledge of relations ; whether the example of the dying was
followed by their survivors ; whether the persons whom they at.
tended were men of weak or strong intellects; and whether, ia the
general tenour of their conduct, they were virtuous or vicious; re
virtuous, Sir, as in their last moments to renounce the Church in
which they have been educated, and, with hazard to their repute.
tion, to become members of what they at last. believed to be the
true Church ; or ro vicious as to stand in urgent need of those pe.
culiar aids, wbizii the Church of Rome abundantly supplies in the
confession and absolution prescribed by its discipline?
It. were absurd to expect that any answer to these ques.
tions will be attempted. It was never meant to adduce
any testimony in support of an assertjon which, with tin.
paralleled effrontery, is thus put upon record to terrify the
Catholic laity from the thought of ever departing from the
Romish faith, by teaching them that even Protestants, in
the hour of death, desert the religion of their fathers,
reject the consolation of their own clergy, and banish all
hope of salvation but through the absolution of a Catho-
lic priest and the doctrines of the Holy See.
It is the note which Dr. 3IILN ea subjoins to the passage
shove cited which calls for the pointed animadversions of
Dr. Parr, and was, no doubt, the occasion which drew
from his pen the animated pamphlet, which his son-in-
law, Mr. Lynes, has now first published, in conformity
ffe
with the manifest intention of the Doctor, who had left
among his papers three dirent copies, each more finished
than the preceding, which sufficiently evince his design of
one day giving it to the world.
The note referred to concludes thus:—
" Some fitsiioPS of the ESTABLItIIED Church, for instattee,
Goodman and Cheyney of Gloucester, 14nA Gordon of Glasgow',
probably,
boafbtirtle:l";'/!:,Vritinot;,;thelsapepth...nagdieesd, Cw'ahtohohlainve.
either
erlorreg.
turned to the Catholic faith, or for the first time embraced it on
their deathbeds in modern times. might be named here, if it were
prudent to do so."—(Part 1. n. 77).
We need not brush oft the dust from the paces of the
Bellarmines, the Marianas, the Valentias, the Parsonscs,
for the purpose of refreshing our memory with instances of
I the prostrate subserviency with which the governing mem-
bers of the Catholic Church give themselves up to its in-
terests, and the .ous indifference with which they relax in
their obligations to truth and justice, whenever those in•
terests can be forwarded with any chance of success. What
a wide door is opened to suspicion and distrust, by the
statement here deliberately made, and made with a minute-
ness calculated to beget a belief of its authenticity ! But
we shall abstain from all observation, and leave it to he
dealt with by Dr. Parr.
" I inquire not. Sir, after the Illustrioos personages, whom year
prudence forbids you to name ' • but my prudence does not forbid,
and my own sense of justice does irresistibly lead me, to ram'
very strong doubts upon the aecumey of weer statement,' as itre-
gards /Ls tt OP 11,ALITML. It was my good fortune, Sir, to know
him personalty.; gladly do I bear witness to his unassuming dis-
position and hts courteous manners. When be sat in the prof.,
serial chair at Cambridge' the members of that learned Uniterser
were much delighted with t he fluency and clearness of his lAtinity,
and with his readiness and -kill in conducting the disputes of tie
law schools. It was my own lot to keep under him two sets for my
Hoetor's degree ; and surely, tram the preparatory labour which I
employed in correciirg the language of two Latin Theses, and in
accumulating materials for a close logical dispute, likely to pas:
before a numerous, intelligent, and attentive audience, the obvious
inference is, that I did not seta small value on the abilities and ac-
quirements of the Professor. I have seen some of his annual
speeches ct our Cambridge commencement, and, an far as my judg-
ment goes, they are highly creditable to his erudition and bus taste.
Reacquired much reputation in the University by three sermons which
he first preached there, and afterwards pubbetted,during a long and
important controversy, which had arisen about subscription to Of
29 Article& He gave no inconsidcsable proof of his diligent re.
searches and clear discernment, Iv an analysis of the Roman law,
as compared with the English. Ile owed much of his fame, and,
perhaps, preferment, to the Lectures which he delivered at Lin.
:coin's Inn ; and whether be and other eminent Protestants te.•
or be not right in considering the Pope as Antichrist, and applying
to the Church of Rome many well-known passages in the Arm!
lypse, no impartial ;Age will refuse to Bishop Haiti* the tn.
bete of praise for the altilfulneae which hi shows, in the choice seal
arrangement of his matter, 'Ed in uaa perspicuity and elegance of
his style. Ile was patronized by a terperatc sod judicious metro.
politan, Dr. Cornwallis ; he stood high in the estimation of the
celebrated Bishop Warburton ; he lived upon terms of the most in•
titillate and confidential /Hem:ship with the very ingenious Bight):
Hurd ; he wes respected a. a man of learning by his most learnt.
contemporaries in the 17niverstty he frequently had access to the
.sagacious and contemplative recluse, Bi4sm Law ; he, first as •
caeopanton„ and afterwards as a son.in.)aw, was intimately con-
tained with the quaint, pompous, but acute and truly critical echo
far,. Provost Cool. e ; he was encountered, and perhaps refuted, In:
wet detided as a puny and clumsy antagonist, by the keen.sighted.
deleapanned, high-spirited polemic, Blacken of Emanuel; he eat
but not despised, by the dauntless, stately, and Mom
tor, Bishop Watson;he wee a most amiable man
htsgantralsronduct as a Christian was blameles,
sad 9112 stonoplary. fitt it not be forum, too, thst, wlnlt. be.