The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE MEMBER-AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
LONDON, 1832.
This is the history, penned by himself in a
pkuant vein of the most amusing atid charac-
teiistic gravity, of one of those dextrous Mem-
bers of Parliament—a race that bids fair shortly
to. become extinct—who being neither Whig

ncir Tory, Ultra nor Radical, but as expediency
p4ints out, a discreet compound of all four, are
always sure to be on the right side, no matter
what Ministerial changes may take place. Mr.
Archibald Jobbry is indeed a perfect natural
curiosity in this respect. He is a parodoxical
union of independence and servility ; a Scotch-
man, ever on the look out for a " convincing rea-
son," from whatever Government happens to be
uppermost, yet ever holding aloof from it in time
of need, even when he has obtained his " con-
vincing reason." In a word, he is a Scotchman
of that rare and serviceable nature which would
procure him the means of existence in the very
heart of an Arabian desert ; and if thrown out
of an attic window, would enable him, like the
cat, to alight comfortably, and with as little
damage as possible, on his legs. It is amusing
to mark the imperturbable gravity with which he
details the particulars of his Parliamentary career;
how he eschewed the idle vanities of oratory, lest
peradventure they might seduce him, in an un-
guarded moment, into a partial betrayal of his
interests : how he preserved his conscience un-
sullied despite the basilisk eyes of the Treasury
Bench, who, by some strange accident or other
were never able to " convince " him wholly to
his satisfaction ; how he ogled with the lean
Whigs on the wrong side of the House without
compromising his character with the fatter Tories
on the right ; how even in the serenest weather
he was ever on the look-out for squalls ; and
how while voyaging among the shoals and quick-
sands of the political sea, his helm was always so
arranged, and his sails so trimmed, as to enable
him to sail clearly through into the open main.
The autobiography of this excellent gentleman
has convinced us that it is better to be born a
Scotchman than heir to ten thousand a year.
Who but such a fortunate individual could com-
mence his Parliamentary career, in such an adroit
spirit as the subjoined extract developes ?

" No sooner had I, as it was stated in the newspapers,
taken the oaths and my seat, than I lifted my eyes and looked
about me ; and the first and foremost resolution that I
came to, was, not to take a part at first in the debates. I
was above the vain pretension of making speeches ; I
knew that a wholesome Member of Parliament was not
talkative, but attended to solid business ; I was also con-
yinced, that unless I put a good price on my commodity,
'there would be no disposition to deal fairly by me. Ac-
cordingly, I resolved for the first week not to take my seat
in any particular part of the House, but to shift from side
to side with the speakers on the question, as if to hear
them better ; and this I managed in so discreet a manner,
that I observed by the Friday night, when there was a
great splore, that the Ministers, from the Treasury Bench,
pursued me with their eyes to fascinate me, wondering, no
doubt with what side I would vote,—but I voted with
neither. That same evening, more than two of my friends
inquired of me what I thought of the question. By this I
could guess that my conduct was a matter of speculation ;
so I said to them that, 'really, much was to be said on
both sides; but I had made up my mind not to vote the
one way or the other until I got a convincing reason.'
" This was thought a good joke, and so it was circu-
lated through the House, inasmuch as that, when we broke
up at seven o'clock on the Saturday morning, one of the
Ministers, a young soft-headed lad, took hold of me by the
arm, in the lobby, and inquired, in a jocund manner, if I
had got a convincing resmon. I gave him thereupon a
nod and a wink, and said, Not yet ; but I expected one
soon, when I would do myself the honour of calling upon
him;' which he was very well pleased to hear, and shook
me by the hand with a cordiality by common when he
wished me good night,.—.' trusting,' as he said, that we
should soon be better acquainted.' 'lt will not be my
fault,' quo' if we are not.'

" With that we parted ; and I could see by the eye in
toy neck that he thought, with the light head of youth,
that he had made a capital conquest by his condescension.
" Now, this small matter requires an explanation, for
the benefit of other new Members. If a man has all his
eyes about him, he will soon discern that a Ministry, if it
has three or four decent, auld•farrent men, is for the most
part composed of juveniles—state 'prentices—the sprouts
and offshoots of the powerful families. With them lies
the means of conciliating Members; for the weightier
metal of the Ministers is employed in public affairs, and
to the younkers is confided the distribution of the patron-
age,—for a good reason, it enables them to make friends
And a party by the time that they come, in the course of
nature, to inherit the upper offices.
"‘ I had not been long in the House till I noticed this ;
and as my object in being at the expense of going there-
into was to make power for myself, I was not displeased
at the scion of nobility making up to me; and I have uni-
formly since found, that the true way of having a becom-
ing influence with government, is slily to get the upper
hand of the State fry.
" But, on this occasion, there was a personal reason for
my so cleverly saying I would call on him for a convinc-
ing reason. My second cousin, James Gled, when he saw
my election in the newspapers, wrote to me for my in-
terest, knowing that I would naturally be on the side of
Government, and stating that the office of distributor of
stomps in our county was soon to be vacant. So it just
came into my head in the nick of time to make a pleasant
rejoinder to my Lord; and accordingly I was as good as my
word ; and to make the matter as easy as possible, I told
him, in my jocular manner, when I called, that I was ceme
for the convincing reason.
" I could see that he was a little more starched in his
office than in the lobby ; but I was determined to be
troubled with no diffidence, and said, ' My Lord, you'll
find me a man open to conviction—a very small reason
will satisfy me at this time ; but, to be plain with your
Lordship, I must have a reason,—not that I say the Go-
vernment is far wrong, but I have an inclination to
think that the Opposition is almost in the right.' And
then I stated to his Lordship, in a genteel manner, what
James Gled had said to me, adding, It's but a small
place, and may be your Lordship would think me more
discreet if I would lie by for something better ; but I wish
to convince his Majesty's Government that I'm a moderate
man, of a loyal inclination.'
" His Lordship replied, ' That be had every inclination
to serve an independent Member, but the King's Govern-
ment could not be carried on without patronage; he was,
however, well disposed to oblige me.'
" My Lord,' said I, if I was seeking a favour for my-
self, I would not ask for such a paltry place as this ; but
I'm a man that wants nothing : only it would be a sort
of satisfaction to oblige this very meritorious man, Mr.
G led.'

" We had then some further talk; and he gave me a
promise, that if the place was not given away, my friend
should have it."

In his negociations for other posts and places ;
in his management of his second election for the
borough of Frailtown, by the timely introduc-
tion of a clown and mountebanck into the market-
place, at the moment when the rival candidate is
addressing the populace, Mr. Jobbry slims
equally that he inherits the true Caledonian
genius. Unluckily however—for accidents will at
times disturb the prosperity of even a Scotch-
man—just when he thinks his vessel is safely
anchored in port, the astounding intelligence
reaches him that the Duke's Ministry is totter-
ing. Scarcely has he recovered this shock when
he finds that it is gone, but his breath is abso-
lutely taken away, and his very senses shattered,
when on the accession of the Whig Ministry
to office, and the subsequent introduction of the
Reform Bill into the House of Commons, he

finds that his own darling borough, occupies a
prominent station, in that most unprincipled of all
schedules—schedule A. Of course this catastro-
phy decides him ; in a paroxysm of partriotic indig-
nation he withdraws from the society of a House of
Commons, which is contamination to all con-
nected with it; returns to his Sabine abode in
Scotland, and employs his leisure in drawing up
an account of his Parliamentary career.
Mr.Galt, the real author of this Autobiography,
has executed his task in a style worthy of the
creator of that inimitable character, " Lady
Grippy." His Scotchman is the veritable Am-
phitryon, full of shrewdness, sly, pungent
humour, invincible self-possession and sedulous
attention to his own interests. What can be
truer to nature than this passage ? " No sooner
was I enfeoft in my property, than my kith and
kin began to bestir themselves, and to plague me
for my patronage, pleading in a very wearisome
manner, that blood was thicker than water."
The experience of every wealthy gentleman,
cursed with a long schedule of relations, will
bear out the truth of this shrewd remark.

The volume is dedicated with an amusing
archness of manner, to the much-esteemed
" Billy Holmes," whose downfall, says the long-
sighted Mr. Jobbry, " as a patriotic senator, is
probably drawing to a conclusion." We recom-
mend this work to all lovers of that grave, quiet,
but caustic humour, in which Swift so much ex-
celled. It will serve to cheer the disconsolate
spirits of the boroughmongers in this, their hour
of exceeding tribulation.

FINE ARTS.

JULIET.

Perhaps there is no other of Shakspeare's
characters that has been so often the subject of
the artist's pencil as Juliet. Within the last
ten years we have seen, we suppose, on a reason-
able calculation, some score paintings of the fair
Veronese. Of these, four or five, at the utmost,
have conveyed a tolerably correct idea of Juliet ;
the remainder have been invariably distinguished
either by a too exclusively material, or a too ex-
clusively intellectual expression of countenance.
Now, the truth here, as in most other instances,
lies in the mean, and this happy mean Miss
L. Sharpe has hit off with considerable
effect. Her Juliet has passion, sensibility,
and just sufficient loveliness to justify the sud-
denness of Romeo's apostacy, while she pos-
sesses also those higher qualities of mind, to-
gether with that dash of energy and determined
self-will, which, after all that may be said of
the voluptuous character of her fancy, form
the ground-work of Shakspeare's Juliet. Miss
Sharpe has pourtrayed her in the balcony,
just at that hour when she is supposed
to be waiting for Romeo. She kneels on
the floor, with her small, plump, delicately.
white hands clasped in front ; and looks up to
the partially shaded moon, not with a tear on her
cheek, as but too many artists erroneously, and by
way of pathos, we presume, have painted her with,
but in a spirit of young hope and confidence,
and as though the moon were the sole approving
eye-witness of her first and last attachment. The
expression of her countenance at once reveals
her thoughts. She is convinced that there will
be no blunder on the part of Romeo, lout that
he will be at her side in something less than ten
minutes. Moreover, she is assured of his ardour
and sincerity ; that his few words uttered at the
masquerade were not the light, random words of
inconstant boyhood's admiration, but of a fixed,
intense passion that can cease only with life.
Else why the proud, tranquil, yet joyous, ex-
pression of that light full eye to which meaan•
choly is yet a stranger, and the eager watchful-
ness so truly pourtrayed in those parted lips and
slightly-spread nostrils ? So much for the
painter. The engraver has executed his portion
of the task with equal judgment. The peculiar
character of the original he has preserved with
scrupulous fidelity. The eye has lost nothing
of its lustre, nor the mouth of its exquisite sym-
metry, while the slight shadows on the alabaster
neck, are delicate and transparent as the softest
of summer clouds. The light from the moon is
thrown in on the engraving with, if possible, still
happier skill. It falls from right to left, and all within
its influence is touched with a mellow radiance,
which Mr. Bromley has made the most of.
The only defect we find with the engraving, is
the disposition, and heavy and somewhat leaden
look of Juliet's drapery. The satin wants soft-
ness and transparency, and is evidently not
meant to rustle. But, perhaps, Sir Thomas
Lawrence has made us somewhat fastidious with
regard to this essential portion of a good pic-
ture. Of the figure of Juliet we feel we cannot
speak too highly. She is all that a lovely wo-
man should be, to bring the world in homage at
her feet ; tall, slim, yet plump and well-rounded
in every limb ; with a neck formed on the purest
and most classic model ; bosom full and whiter
than the driven snow ; hair of a lustrous black-
ness ;—in a word, all that Shakspeare's Juliet
should be, but seldom yet has been, a witching
compound of physical loveliness, and intellectual
grace and dignity.

DEVONSHIRE AND CORNWALL—No. 32.

The best illustration in this part, which con-
sists of four, is that of Teignmouth Bridge from
the Ness. We can speak personally to the fide-
lity of its resemblance ; though we would just
observe, that the village of Bishop-steignton,
among the woods, on the banks of the Teign,
is thrown too much in the distance. It is
close to the Bridge, yet is made to appear faint
and indistinct, as though it were miles off. The
foreground, constituting the lower part of the
Ness, is admirable ; but the thick woods, close
behind the straggling village of Shaldon have a
gaunt, harsh, stiff character, as though nothing
short of a brisk north-easter could move their
wiry branches.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY,
No. 35.

engraved
noble We are glads rto
rr sheoem
ahse rLe ,a
wrir. oe
nr tchei,lsy
by Cochrane,
por-
trait of Earl Grey. It is perhaps one of the
most truly dignified and commanding of all that
great artist's pictures ; flattering, yet still pre-

serving all the great outlines of character. The
animation of the eye, the eye-brows, and the
mouth, is really wonderfnT, and have not been
lost sight of by Mr. Cochrane. We have al ways
thought the portrait of Earl Grey, the most faith-
ful and aristocratic of all Sir Thos. Lawrence's
paintings. In the engraving, the best portions
are decidedly the head and hand ; the latter par-
ticularly, which is a model of easy grace. The
two remaining portraits are those of Lords Ken-
yon and Gardener. They are well executed,
but possess little of the finish and delicacy of
Earl Grey. The accompanying memoirs are, as
usual, by Mr. Jerdan. They are slight, but
agreeably written.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

FROM LLOYD'S.

DEAL, MARCH 3 AND 4.—Wind S.W. W.S.W., moderate.—
Arrived the Amphitrite transport, and sailed for Conway from
Smyrna ; Dash, from ditto, for ditto. Arrived and sailed for
the River, the Madras, Beach, from Madras. Arrived from the
River and remains, the Palmyra, Loader, for Bengal.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 3 AND 4.—Wind S. W.S.S.
rived the Jane, Deson, foom Smyrna ; Jane and Susan, Har-
vey, from Oporto ; Cambridge, Barber, from London for Born.
bay; Lady Harewood, Stonehouse, from Van Dieman's Land;
and the Hope transport, from Deptford. Sailed his Majesty's
ship Pearl, for Bermuda and Jamaica.
PLYMOUTH, Mato( 2 AND 3,--Wind S.S.W., fresh.—
Arrived the Avenia, Roseworth, from Ancona; St. Auben,
Carrill, from Cadiz; Katherine Stewart, Forbes, transports
from London, for New South Wales, with convicts, and was
towed out on the 3d, by a steamer, to sea, having had five case,
of cholera on board since leavingGravesend on the 26th ult„ and
one death. It is reported there has been another death, and two
or three more cases onboard to-day.
FALMOUTH, MARCH 2 AND 3.—Wind S. to S.S.W.—Ar.
rived the Camden packet, from Vera Cruz,—sailed 13th of Ja-
nuary, and from Havannah the 29th ; Emerald, Ritzema, from
Bahia ; Emerald, Lever, from Messina ; and Melantho, Price,
from Palermo.

LIVERPOOL, Maßot 3.—Arrived the William Salthouse,
Roberts, from the Mauritius,—sailed Dec. a

MARGATE, MARCH 4.—Arrived the Jane, ---, from St.
Michael's ; and Resolution, Lewis, from ditto.

COWES, MARCH 4.—Arrived the Preciosa, Moller, from
Charleston.

DARTMOUTH, Maacn 3.—Arrived off port, the Hespe.
rus, Ailsen, from Smyrna.

STANGATE CREEK, MARCH 4.—Arrived the New Hol-
land, Trail, from Leghorn , and Ann, Williams, from Lecata-

The Kingfisher, Parry, from Demerara, has arrived off Mar.
gate.
_.

The Jane, from Honfteur, to Llanebly, was on shore in Big_
bury Bay, the 3d inst., abandoned, and with loss of mainmast,
; but it was expected would be got off.

KING'S THEATRE.

On Saturday evening Mercadante's operas semi seria, of
Elisa c Claudio was represented, for the second time this sea-
son. Madame Meric sustained the part of Elisa with much
success as an actress and a cantatrice, in both of which capa-
cities her performance was distinguished by a simplicity, sweet-
ness, and purity of style, which gained for her the repeated
plaudits of the house. The pretty and plaintive air, where she
supplicates the Count on behalf of her children, beginning
" Vado—senti—ah pieta"—and the finalle " Figli—sposo—io
reggo appena," where sudden joy takes possession of her mind,
were given in an admirable manner. Mariani, as the Count,
though inferior to Santini in the same character, played and
sang with spirit; while Curioni's otherwise excellent persona-
tion of Claudio was marked by the opposite quality. Galli, as
the Marquess, appears to more advantage than he did in
Barbiere. The whole of the concerted pieces were given ex-
ceedingly well. After the opera, the trifling ballet Cue Heure
a Naples followed.

CHOLERA MORBUS, OFFICIAL REPORT

CENTRAL
COUNCIL OFFICE,
DAILY REPO