The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-15 00:00:00

LITERAT URE.

THE GL:i DI eI.TOR.
Ball, London; Philp and Evans, Bristol. 1841. t
The author of this tale is a lady named Lanion
who has inscribed it, in a modest and affecting
dedication, to the son of the late Marshal Mac.
donald, as a "slight tribute to an unchanging
friendship of many years." The-events Of, Ole
narrative are supposed to have occurred duriaf
the reigns of Septimus Severus and Caracall6l
when the Roman power, ;having-
highest pinnacle of greatness, was fa4t
Ittp
on decline. The principal personage; a
by name Cevulas, is his own biograpili3rin, 10
the leisure and tranquillity of old age, an,lutie
himself by detailing the particulars,
past career to his distinguished Roman frien
e
Claudius Tacitus. He was born in a secluded
foreAt hut, near the banks of the Danube, and
in
early life was deprived of his father, who as
murdered by a Roman soldier. The youth
afterwards carried off to Rome, where, afterito
ing through many strange vicissitudes, a ;se
employed as a gladiator, and attractedin
capacity the attention of the Emperor Car,o
who, struck by his skill, agility, and CAtilTsicat
the arena, endeavoured to make him subo/4-41i0
to his interests—in fact, to engage mierts,
tool; but being unsuccessful 'in • bier.'-'e
threw him into prison, and ''Peririn-ore'•
him for months with unrelenting 'aiFs'_';,slit
Having by good fortune escaped-
Imp
erial clutches the Dacian quitted -s"
and pursued his way to Antioch, where•heisnfif
mained for some time, and was an ey.e-*,"t the
the death of Caracalla, with which inciaTm,_. 'Peeie
narrative concludes. There is much SPIT
tenderness in the story, which is put tuFtisioce
with skill, and shows no ordinary acquainted's,
with the usages of the period. The cbtkra.rty..A-
too, are delineated with considerahte
especially that of Caracalla, whose
dictive; treacherous nature, and uncease
el
mosity towards his brother Geta, are Ine,l-peivoit
accordance with historical fact. But
consistently sustained personage is decided
of the autobiographer himself, who iS. ,Lulll'
we might imagine a bold, impetuous, .i'lerred
cian would have been, when suddenly trot-sod
from his native forests to the refinetne,Ruitvie
civilization of the Queen of Cities. 101.,Thobich
omit to speak of the author's descriptiu,nlisf;s
are full of vigour, and occasionallY-7:efiier
truly poetical imagination. As a sauirr,sl
manner, we subjoin the Dacian e'ladiat° '
count of his desperate combat in the 11 envy el'
a rival gladiator, by name Paulus,
wards proves to be his own brother 7,-77 ,kOF,,t/
The trumpets sounded,—the gladiators Iv"
crossing. and re-crossing, flashing like rnetaa'",
our eyes, formed a shining belt around the 51.,,e;030.
sinking into a recumbent posture at the feet of Oh its t°
ters, prepared to witness the real combat f'.twbelliciititb,frore
succeed their pretended one. At,
sounded. Paulus shot before me, bright es 4,stfaiieß!'
heaven,—his name was repeated with joyful aeela`Z Ai;
—he waved his crested head with a proud gr.rach7nittril
ready he was in the centre of the arena, and Yet `.,'-eee`"
at its entrance. But in a moment my. nan3e iltere
around : either my imagination deceived welch is
was something reproachful in the tone in whA in the
uttered ; recollections and feelings were absorbeut
thought that the delay of another instant Init>ll.3o,
the shame of the coward mime, and I rushed feru"ool,sol
the side of Paulus. Loud were the exulting s_,Ped:be;
the Romans,—deep was the silence that suceeeubui4i, et
ken only occasionally during the combat kr.a..of,be!:
applause, a call of encouragement, or the nleituitoiirev
when I could hear the voices of the Caesars, chu;spottr
and eager on the merits of their favourites. 111,e 00 eur
bly seemed to hang with the intensest interwore per'
swords. Never met combatants on terms if fel4ee
feet equality. Again, and yet more strongli' not
spirit of the gladiator awake within me. It "f"1 disPrt
I wished to preserve my life,—it was not Oat
the honour of being victor over Paulus ; but iftj ki,j#
I shrank from the thought of defeat. .111.5 foile,7o
not myself, I knew not human nature, vrb.,ct.-ory'R,.4"o
Paulus into the arena. Had an ignoble etory'l, fee` --,1
mine, I could have submitted, my death would "0%001
voluntary, no sounds of triumph would have ralivbeeer-
me. Now my barbarian soul rejected death, •
iana
death would have been defeat. On- 1
Twice did we bend our weapons to the gr
pause for breath. Again the fight was rlll6,bitetn
struggled to be indifferent,—instinctively enutiii;
hand, eye, and foot did their part. At leg effo';
shed,—it is mine. "He has it," resounds on ehcaoetv
—words harsh to a gladiator's ear, and which 010 St be;
before grated on mine. And now, indeed, the el,
comes real ; I forget every thing but the ins-,° ,001;
which I have just heard,—my soul is in the ngl'i fee t"
more the sword of Paulus drinks my bloodr;/ ittio°,l
warm tide gush from my side and flow d9..%Vi;ig ink
vered leg. The assembly, rapt in the inerei,°,l6.ooNy •
of the combat, forget to shout. The voiee t•ius. wll_ll°
tells exultingly the successful stroke of PS; his 117,10
deep curse from the lips of Caracalla betrq-,,,er'or
nation that his chosen champion is not Sq,"
brother's. Paulus becomes more ardent 0, 7,4- ,";
seems more certain ; I retreat from a well-30-.01: eU,
his impetuosity throws him forward on his knee„'Of
sword, descending with force, cuts through 1),.'711.. oa.
head-piece, his helmet falls off,—surprised, I°•%jecrti'l;
ment lie is not on his guard,—my weapon is o°Lrit„, P.Lse
his bosom, where it is crossed by the glittering no Irt,
staggers back,—tries to recover himself,--110,1";
sword : 'tis vain, his enfeebled arm cannot et: conilei,
weight,-11:. bends its point to the earth, bye ain
heavily on its hilt yet refuses to fall. He turili fits y
on me,—no anger, no desire of vengeance
~_gi.ese4
those eyes ; a languid smile plays over 131.3,.‘e101,7ie
His brave and gentle spirit strives to subdue itself;,,
yet he cannot call himself vanquished,---bfi.o
nd
drooping head and looks around with a mourn?. 0
No sound of triumph had followed my faialieolol:
still the multitude are silent, gazing on the
before them.
1G

--_-_------------ ,
EDINBURGH REVIEW. No. C. ~:I,le
Longman, London, 1841. -..
.:,,asiCil,,
It is singular that the two most rers oft!?4,"
men in the military and political annasotjle..
tish India, Lord Clive and -Warren .4 04%4
commenced their career as commerelherl7o
at Calcutta. Neither one nor t 110.13; 144
been trained to the profession in•ivliziacts ()Vol
afterwards so renowned, or had the ng- b4ilsitl
cedent or experience to guide bi111,..i..ch‘,19
wholly self-educated, and at crises woloppeibe
have overwhelmed inferior minds, Nirastiiied a it
to trust to his own resourees. Each.° oti 111:011
highest eminence in his own departinledis aCiiiii•••
we now possess such a footing in to CI elf
i,id defiance to all opposition, it is to_t el. of
Ilactings, who laid the foundations ofti7Dittlieti
that our. cbicf gratitude is due. Of 0/004 i 0
these two eminent men a copious inettlyarttrihe
in the present Number, penned, bont eN eti,
the dispassionate spirit of a judge,„"",;ioi4_Hsky'
ardent zeal of an advocate. The o•e'- 140.T0
no bounds to his eulogiurns on
capacity -, and when compelled to blatn e'007.0,0
ciples, does so with the uttnoslifostrisdf
Obliged to admit that his hero's au".. 1,1$,(41; 1
WarreflayAso.
was not seldom degraded by gross 'tc„' SO • 040'
oppression, and cruelty, he yet e._,1111,," ther;tiie
find excuses for such acts—espeeT e-7',;07),,15i
and execution of Hastings' personaii,:s6,o7p ill,
Brahmin, -,Nuncomar—in the peon 'sit4 tliv,
stances of the country, and the trYiPifeico9...dlso"
which he was nlaced. This is,ininui weliTtPl°
part of the Reviewer, for—howeYer:;floioooce
great man, over w
—it has the effect of injuring thei....-. wool
whom the grave IS relidea
closed, by reviving th,e, old controveT is, , „V.
his character and condmet. The trilTooespit`,.
Hastings was a statesm.
sense of justice none can eXtol but re.utoth;;otiO,
determined to shut their eyb,s to t
~ utle;oc 6
general capacity for legislation w4'pt iniie°ol
in whose..l',.se_i J.
able. Fertile in conception, didPr.,,,.°,,lllatloatita
tion ; quick to perceive, and taken the A!' 0
opportunities; calm and resolute tresotireoce,°s,
peril ; full of confidence in his 0w,114,pe0004#30)
the brink of destruction
never so much so as when, to ab..."%asli,ebio
;_uastoold ootvi
every requisite that a statesman ~sll;,.j.it• 1e.01,103
except a high and guiding sense °1 1.-'ol_,`,egie.,,e' r
only influenced him during his
he cannot lay the slightest claim' 0. ci,"-orret
lolis " filo
cal eer—namely, the gratification °I to thcii;;l if•
011
sonal ambition. He coveted power' pure ' ei'lp
as ever was Pygmalion of his stattl.. ei•tect,
.4
,eis
covets gold. He was as fondly ern"'
.T10,4': f 'iji
ing feature of his character exhiprt,bili°,ol,4 of
earliest childhood, and did not dered for 1;-efr' to
at past eighty years of age, be 2ig 1 t t•e'itfilili
distinction of a peerage. while at one' Ai,
Indian affairs, he knew there was "..,,af,,,,bieeee
maintain his authority—and •this /coil heio,, ii
the exchequer of the CornpanY-' .)". theileor
'lying ci., Ael
in his efforts, but how? BY su: eiple ,fe,r, (le(
of the British army in the unPrill.,. e, Ittird,' itioid .
war; by acts of the grossest injuit„lc.i, is,11;013030
towards the Begum Princesss; 4150 pr, 1.0
of the Mogul ; and, above all, bY tareS..,ii'a 1;0
conduct towards the Rajah of Brn.cia i,,hf. w
been accused of a sordid love
_e__.!.e. 1..10„
_:',6
infirmity cannot be laid to his cri,a_Tiiiiiisfie.e, 05,
rapacious, it was for others not 10.1ne. -rlO7O,
might have amassed a princeling Lus vtit tA
home, comparatively speak have al 1311
When, in addition to what we i'of laigt;.peolif
we state that he was possesset_L.. _ ni- p „taprile
acquirements, of stern inflexibility,.o-10
ant;tistlaef.
a perseverance that no obstacles
„4,litivl g,,0,0.,111
of a courage that no dangers
_`"„.ive roe v
have said all that is necessarY,t%l.o, or' ,d;
a tolerably correct estimate 01 nottirt.eo.):"
illustrious statesmen of the last.c:i. NtroceppPloola
In tracing the leading eventsioallii444o •
tings' career, the Reviewer is nti,.' fre , 0,
of his inveterate enemy, Sir -PhinTjouol4
he positively asserts to have Dee°.