The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-02 00:00:00

AINS WORTH'S MAGAZINE.

Mr. Ainsworth opens his new tale of "The
Court of Queen Anne" with much animation
and directness of purpose, bringing- us at-once,
and without ceremony, into the company of some
liileow lesseNi,ehe insists on that, r
of his leading personages. ItprouNe willrtraying• the
• just
whisper Dukeoti'n Ailiaisrlebaorrotuhgalti,
t
great General's " magnanimity " the better, for
he had not an atom of it in his character. Am-
bition was his idol, and to this he unhesitatingly
in
sacrificed consistency—principle—honour—gra-
titude—every qualigY, short, that constitutes
the real greatness of humanity. He was beset
too, in his autumn and Ins old age, by that
of passions, ava-
rice; be magnani-
mous?rpaltriestie ; i 1
o vFussing andt h
then could
most
ne ou
this
lds
uc
slight
l igll 1t humiliating a
defect in the pre-
liminary liminary sketch of the Duke's character, we
may observe that Mr. Ainsworth has been sin-
gularly fortunate in his choice of subject; and
his dextrous introduction of the wily adven-
turer, Guiscard, will give him an opportunity
in due course of exhibiting his admirable de-
scriptive powers to advantage, in that im-
pressive and dramatic scene where the baffled
spy attempted the assassination of Harley
at the Council-table an incident which
Swift has told so feelingly an unusual
thing with him—in his "Journal to Stella."
The dialogue between Marlborough and his wife,
aoifidtitlbeii•crible manner, being
where Mrs. Masham is the theme of their dis-
suspicion, is in the
cou1;
a-correct index to Character—the greatest recom-
mendation e
authors a n
most
1 ost the
natural object
that dialogue can possess. Charles
011ier's " Adventure of a Benighted Traveller,"
though slight and barren in point of incident, is
told so pleasantbr that it is impossible to read it
without interest. "Daphne of Antioch" de-
scribes with infinite minuteness of detail that
enchanting, voluptuous spot, of which Milton has
spoken in all the sternness of his Puritanism,
and which Gibbon—fbr this sort of theme was
greatly to his liking —bas sketched with such
unction in his unrivalled history. Mr, Francis
Ainsworth, we perceive, is at variance with both
these great authorities, and insists with more
ingenuity than force, that the grove of Daphne
has been shamefully calumniated by the satirists

of the middle ages. In the present chapters of
Dr. Maginn's "John Manesty," the plot begins
to clear up a little, and the sanctified merchant
bids fair to turn out, as we suspected he would
do from the first, a pretty considerable rogue—
a change by no means uncommon among,- those
who profess particular devoutness. For our own
part, we must honestly confess that we infi-
nitely prefer a scamp to a saint. There is
hope from the one; but when roguery once takes
a pious turn, swindles by the agency of the
Bible, and lifts up its evangelical eyes while it is
picking its neighbour's pocket, all chance of
amendment is lost, and nothing is to be antici-
pated but -Norfolk Island or the gallows.
" Jeremy Scrap, the Optimist," is a sprightly
tale, which inculcates precisely the same moral
as Voltaire's '' Candide." But Scrap is a more
respectable "Optimist" than the philosophical
lover of Miss Cunegund's maid-servant, and is
by no means sage or aphoristic in his turn of
mind. Mrs. Hall's " Long Hours" is conceiv, d
in a kindly spirit, and we trust will have the
effect of directing public attention in sonic de-
gree to the sufferings of the poor, ovvrtasked
female dressmakers who, Heaven knows, stand
in need of all the assistance that can be extended
to them. By way of wind-up to our notice, ‘ve
may state that a charming likeness of the Editor,
from the flattering pencil of Maelise, who has re-
presented him sitting in a most picturesque and
exalted mood, in a high-backed Elizabethan
arm-chair, adds greatly to the value and attrac-
tions of the Number. We quote a graphic
description of the popular bustle on a Royal
birth-day, from the new romance of the "Court
of Queen Anne":—

" The Royal birthday was usually kept with extra-
ordinary splendour during the reign of Anne, but on
no previous occasion was it accompanied with so
much magnificence and rejoicing as on the sth of
February, 1707. Preparations were made for a
general illumination, and the bent of popular feeling
was proved by the fact, that wherever the Queen's
name appeared, it was sure to be followed by that of
the hero of Blenheim and Ramilies, while trans-
parencies were placed in the most conspicuous situa-
tions, representing the chief events of the recent cam-
paign. Bonfires were lighted at an early hour, and
the French King, the Pope, the Pretender, and the
devil, were paraded in effigy through the streets, and
subsequently burnt. The weather was in unison
with the general festivity, being unusually fine for
the season. The sky was bright and sunny, and the
air had all the delicious balminess and freshness of
spring. Martial music resounded within the courts
of the palace, and the trampling of the guard was
heard, accompanied by the clank of their accoutre •
meats as they took their station in St. James's-street,
where a vast crowd was already collected. About
an hour before noon, the patience of those who had
taken up their positions betimes promised to be re-
warded, and the company began to appear at first
somewhat scantily, but speedily in great numbers.
The science of the whip was not so well understood in
those days as in our own times, or perhaps the gor-
geous and convenient, though somewhat cumbersome
vehicles then in vogue were not so manageable; but,
from whatever cause, certain it is, that many quarrels
took place among the drivers, and frequent and loud
were the oaths and ejaculations they poured forth.
The footpath was invaded by the chairmen, who
forcibly pushed the crowd aside, and seemed utterly
regardless of the ribs or toes f those who did not
instantly make way for them. Seine confusion ne-
cessarily ensued ; but though the crowd were put to
considerable inconvenience, jostled here and squeezed
there, the utmost mirth and good-humour prevailed.
Before long the tide of visitors had greatly increased,
and coaches, chariots, and sedans were descending in
four unbroken lines towards the palace. The curtains
of the chairs being for the most part drawn down, the
attention of the spectators was chiefly directed to the
coaches, in which sat resplendent beauties, bedecked
with jewels and lace, beaux in their costliest and
most splendid attire, grave judges and reverend di-
vines in their respective habiliments, military and
naval commanders in their full accoutrements, foreign
ambassadors, and every variety of character that a
Court can exhibit. The equipages were most of
them new, and exceedingly sumptuous, as were the
liveries of the servants clustering behind them. The
dresses of the occucants of the coaches were varied in
colour, as well as rich in material, and added to the
gaiety and glitter of the scene. Silks and velvets of
as many hues as the rainbow might be discovered,
while there was every kind of peruke, from the courtly
and modish Ramilies just introduced, to the some-
what antiquated but graceful and flowing French
campaign. Neither was there any lack of feathered
hats, point-lace cravats and ruffles, diamond snuff-
boxes and buckles, clouded canes, and all the et cetera
of beauish decoration."

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