The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-13 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

The SWEEPINGS of my STUDY, by the Author of The
HUNDRED WONDERS of the WORLD.
This is one of those books which are invalu-
able to the general reader, as the miscellaneous
nature of its contents proves a source of uninter-
rupted amusement. With the former publica-
tion of the Author " The Hundred Wonders of
the World" we are unacquainted, but his pre-
sent volume stamps him as a man of;consider,-
able attainments, arid as an intelligent and ob-
serving traveller. The work commences with a
dialogue between the author and his' heuse-
keeper Sukey, whom he observes to be carefully
arranging certain papers, which she acknowledges
to be the "Sweepings of his Study," which she
had scrupulously collected and preserved for
her particular gratification. Thanking Sukey
for her friendly interposition, which has re-
scued his manuscripts_ from oblivion, he pro-
ceeds to arrange them for the amusement of the
public. The sweepings now consist of a variety
of anecdotes, some of them historical, and some
referring to the travels of the author. We shill
extract one of them relating to the famous Gene-
ral MIRANDA, in order to give our readers a spe-
cimen of the style in which the work is written,
and then dismiss it with the assurance that they
will derive much amusement from a perusal of it.
" Those may talk as they please of fine actors, and consum-
mate acting, who have not seen General Miranda engaged in
this, which was one of his favourite topics ; but never, I think,
even in the days of Garrick, was such acting displayed on the
boards of a public theatre. By his powerful eloquence, he car-
ried you into the very presence of the miscreants by whom he
was to be judged. You saw them seated at the table where the
death-warrants of so many thousands had been signed, while
he stood before them, stripped to his shirt, his arms and neck
bared, his hair turned up, and every formality observed that
would precede the fatal blow of the axe. With this prepara-
tion he hurled at them the boldest defiance, and pointed to the
windows, intimating, by a master-stroke of policy, what he
knew not to be true, but which they, in the panic he bad in.
spired, were led to apprehend, that many were assembled with-
outside to avenge his death. Of the principal personages who
had acted under Dumourier, at the time of his defection, he
alone escaped.
" Professor Pauw had described the provinces of South Ame-
rica as being overrun with barbarism, and the natives inca-
pable of culture and moral improvement. When a very young
man, General Miranda quitted his native place, the Caraccas,
and visited most of the countries of Europe. He did not ne-
glect, when an opportunity presented itself, to call on the
Professor ; who received him very graciously, and was so
charmed with his intelli ence, and the general information he
had collected, at an early time of life, on subjects of science,
that he expressed a wish to know some particulars of his his-
tory. " I am," said the General, " one of the South American
savages whom you have honoured with a particular notice in
a recent publication." The Professor was abashed, but tried
to excuse himself by remarking, that he must have acquired his
accomplishments in some one of the learned Seminaries of
Europe. " Not at all," replied the General. " What you
now see me, that I was when." left, for the first and only time,
South America and the Caraccas."
The General rarely stirred abroad in the day-time, but con-
fined himself to his study, where he had every facility afforded
him to add to his extensive and well selected library. It was
understood that the foreign puilications imported for his use
were liberated from the custom-house duties ; and ample
means were otherwise provided to him to gratify his taste in li-
terature. He was then in concert with the late Mr. Windham,
the War Minister, maturing his plan of liberating the Spanish
possessions in South America, and was promised the powerful
aid of Great Britain, in the event of a ;lai
AU,— With Spain. As
be knew that he was closely watched by spice the pay of the
Spanish Ambassador, and felt the necessity of taking a great
deal of exercise in a little time, when he could do it with appa-
rent safety, he used to sally tbrth withsecrecy, in the dusk
of the evening, and math:
such powerful allwerfulsirides in his rambles
in the fields leading to llampstead, that a
young' Scotchman,
who acted as his Secretary, and had to accompany him, found
it very difficult to keep pacz with his sturdy patron."