The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-21 00:00:00

DREAMS OF TILE PAST.

As we wander alone where the moonlight reposes,
And the wind o'er the ripple is tuneful and sweet,
When the stars glitter out as the day-flower closes,
And the night-bird and dew-drop are all that we meet ;-
Oh ! then, when the warm flush of thought is unsealing
The bonds that a cold world too often keeps fast,
We shall find that the deepest and dearest of feeling
Is pouring its tide in a dream of the past.
Oh ! who shall have travelled through life's misty morning,
Forgetting all waymarks that rose on their track,
Though the things we loved then had Maturity's scorning,
Though we cast them behind, yet we like to look back.
Though the present may charm us with magical numbers,
And lull the rapt spirit, entrancing it fast,
Yet 'tis rarely the heart is so sound in its slumbers,
As to rest without mingling some dream of the past.

Oh ! the days that are gone—they will have no returning,
And 'tis wisest to bury the hopes that decay,
But the incense that's purest and richest in burning,
Is oft placed where all round it is fading away.
Though the days that are aone had more canker than blossom
And even that blossom too tender to last,
Yet had we the power, oh ! where is the bosom
Would thrust from its visions the di earns of the past ?

LIVES OF THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND.
Vol. VIII. By Agnes Strickland.
Many and varied as are the branches of instruction,
the study of history is of all others the one most cal-
culated to interest and improve. From the records of
the past it brings many a lesson to direct the future—it
gives knowledge to the ignorant and wisdom to the
simple—it is second only to experience, and in many an
instance may supply its; place. But, though general
history be instructive and entertaining, how much
greater is the interest we feel when following the
fortunes of individuals, and contemplating the record of
private trials and sufferings. "In the worst of men
there is more to love than hate"—more to pity than to
blame; and however much we may disapprove of his
general conduct, we cannot study the life of any single
being, we cannot regard his difficulties and temptations,
without sympathising in his sorrows, and rejoicing in his
success. Politicians may be taught by the annals of
nations, but philosophers will prefer the history of men.
We may delight in reading of the actions of the great,
but we shall profit more if we go to the fountain-head,
and learn what feelings animated their hearts, what im-
pulses inspired their mighty deeds. When we think of
the monarch or the warrior we may admire their genius
and be awed by their glory, but we feel no sympathy
they are different beings ; but let us look beneath the
gaudy trappings of their imagined greatness—regard
them as men—and we shall find they are even as our-
selves. Hope and fear, love and doubt, joy and sorrow
dwell alike in the hearts of all, and the highest and the
proudest must feel and suffer like the humble ; none are
above our pity or beneath our love. It is for this reason
we may regard biography as the most important branch
of history, and for this reason we are indebted to Miss
Strickland for this admirable work, which she has
rendered interesting as a novel, yet instructive as history.
The "Lives of the Queens of England" are well worthy
of attention ; they illustrate the influence of individual
character, and the various effects of time and circum-
stance. Not posessed of authority themselves these
illustrious ladies occupied a prominent place in the
history of the country, strangers in a foreign land, theit
task was difficult, their fortune hazardous— surrounded by
trials and temptations, their situation demanded the
highest abilities of the mind, and the gentlest qualities
of the heart. A few, indeed, found a happy home in
their adopted country, but many passed lives of suffer-
ing and sorrow ; of this number are the subjects of Miss
Strickland's present volume—the beautiful and unfor-
tunate Henrietta of France and the unhappy Catherine
of Braganza.
The life of Henrietta Mafia comprises an im•
portant epoch in the history of England, but the
authoress has been careful to avoid as much as possible
all political allusions, and to speak of the Queen arid not
of the nation. Though evincing a preference for the
Royalist cause, this biography is written in an impartial
strain. We read of the amiable qualities of' Henrietta,
but her faults are not passed over in silence, yet whatever
were her errors, surely her situation was a trying one.
Not only a foreigner by birth, but differing in religion
from her husband and her subjects, the English people
regarded her with dislike, all the errors of the king
were attributed to her influence—she became the object
of universal hatred, like th,l beautiful Austrian whose
sorrows so nearly resembled her own. Miss Strickland
justly observes:—
" At sixteen, Henrietta was no judge of the state of her
husband's affairs ; it is not an age when the faculties which
produce foresight are much developed in any class of human
beings; those who placed a petulant child in a situation that
required all the calm temper and clear judgment of which a
woman of twenty-five is capable, were responsible far the
whole of the mistakes she committed as queen. Unfortunately
the effects of her childish errors in judgment weighed heavily
against her in after life. Yet there was no moral wrong in the
conduct of the young queen ; her errors merely proceeded
from a fervent attachment to her religion, manifested without
wise calculation on the preju-lices of her new country. Alas !
in political history, crimes committed with tact are often
wiewed with complacency, but small mercy is shown to
blunders, even it they may be traced to the virtuous affections."
If we wished to learn the vAnity of human greatness we
could hardly find a fitter example than this princess, the
daughter of Henry the Great, the wife and mother of
English sovereigns, her lot seemed cast in the sunshine ;
but the dawn was overcast. Believing in the inralli-
bility of kings, she Limed by experience they are
but men. Her illustrious father was struck by the hand
of an assassin, her husband perished on the scaffold, and
her children were wanderers in foreign land,. In the
following touching scene we find livnriova bearing th
death of the husband whom site love.' so dearly, and
who, whatever were his faults as a king, was eminent for
his private virtues:--
" Greatly exhilarated by the arrival of her favourite son, the
queen rose on the morning of F. bruar‘ 1,21 (4), with the, deter.
minatioa that a fresh e-ffort should be made to obtain ridir,gs of
her husband; she entreated a brave and faithful gentleman of
her household to proceed to St. Gerinains to ascertain what
news the queen-regent had lately received from London.
" The messenger accordingly undertook the perilous service