The Sun.
London, England, 1828-02-01 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

Sketches from the Irish Bar—" The Farewell
of Lord Manners,"—from the lively pen of Mr.
Shiell, arc this month unusually amusing and
sarcastic ; as a specimen we give the address of
Mr. Joy to his Lordship, on quitting the Irish
Chancery Court ; it abounds in humour :
It would, however, have been a misfortune for the
lovers of ridicule, if any man except Mr. Joy had pro-
nounced the Address, which was delivered to the depart-
ing Chancellor. He is a great master of mockery, and
looks a realisation of Goethe's Mephistophiles. So strong
is his addiction to that species of satire which is contained
in exaggerated praise, that he scarcely ever resorts to any
other species of vituperation. Nature has been singularly
favourable to him. His short and upturned nose is ad-
mirably calculated to toss his sarcasms off—his piercing
and peering eyes gleans and flash in the voluptuousness of
malice, and exhibit the keen delight with which he revels
in ridicule and luxuriates in derision. His chin is pro-
truded, like that of the Cynic listening to St. Paul, in li
Raphael's Cartoon ; his muscles are full of flexibility, and
are capable of adapting themselves to every modification of
irony. They have the advantage too of being covered with
a skin that dimples into sneers with a plastic facility, and
looks like a manuscript of Juvenal found in the ashy libra-
ries of Herculaneum. In this eminent Advocate such ass
assemblage of physiognomical qualifications for irony are
united, as I scarcely think the countenance of any orator
in the ancient city of Sardos could have presented. His
face was an admirable commentary on the enormity of the
encomium which he was deputed to offer. The _Evening
Mail, indeed, the official organ of the Orange party in
Ireland, gives a somewhat different account of this amusing
exhibition. " Every sound," says that graphic journalist,
" was hushed, while the Attorney-General, with a tremu-
lous voice, but with a feeling and emphasis which showed
that the sentiments expressed cause directly from his heart,"
and so forth. Then follows the Address. I forbear from
setting forth the whole of it, but select a single sentence :
" We," said Mr. Joy, " cannot but admire that distin-
guished ability, that strict impartiality, and that unremit-
ting assiduity) with which you have discharged the various
duties of your office." The delivery of this sentence was
a masterpiece of sarcastic recitation ; and, to any person
who desired to become a proficient in the art of sneering,
of which Mr. Jey is so renowned a professzrr, afforded an
invaluable model. Cicero, is his oratorical treatise, has
given an analysis of the manner in which certain fine
fragments of eloquence have been delivered ; and for
thebetsefitto
enter with some minoteness into a of the students of irony, it may not be
improper
de-
tail of the varieties of excellence with which Mr. Joy
thispronounced view, I
shalltlsis flagitious piece of panegyric.—With
take each limb of the sentence apart.
—"
We cannot but admire :"—ln uttering these words,
he gave his head that slight shake, w.-sth which he gene-
rally announces that he is about to let loose some formida-
ble sarcasm. He paused at the same time, as if he felt a
qualm of conscience at what he was about to speak, and
experienced a momentary commisseration for the victim of
his cruel commendations. This feeling of compassion,
however, only lasted for ass instant, and he assumed the
aspect that became the utterance of the vituperative adula-
tion which he had undertaken to inflict. " We cannot
but admire the distinguished ability ;"—At the word
"ability" it was easy to perceive, that he could with diffi-
culty restrain his sense of extravagance from breaking into
laughter. However, he did succeed in keeping down the
spirit of ridicule within the just boundaries of derision.—
At the same time he conveyed to his auditors (the Chan-
cellor excepted) the whole train of thought that was pas-
sine in his mind ; and by the magic of his countenance re-
called a series of amusing recollections. It was impossible
to look at him without remembering the exhibitions which

for twenty years had made the administration of justice
in the Irish Court of Chancery the subject of Lord Redes-
dale's laughter, and John Lord Eldon's tears. He spoke it
with such a force of mockery, that he at once brought to
the mind of the spectators. that spirit of ignorant self-suffi-
ciency, and presumptuous precipitation, with which Lord
Manners discharged the business of his court. A hundred
cases seemed to rise in his face. • Stackpoole and Stack-
poole appeared in the curl of his lip ; Blake and Foster
qUivered in the movement of his nostrils; Brcssley against
the Corporation of Dublin appeared in his twinkling
eyes; and "reversal" seemed to be written in large charac-
ters between his brows. The next sarcasm which this un-
merciful adulator proceeded to apply, turned on his Lord
ship's selection of Magistrates. At the utterance (,'
"strict impartiality," the smile of Mr. Joy gleamed with ;•
still yellower lustre over his features, and he threw hi
countenance into so expressive a grimace, that the who],
loyal, but pauper magistracy of Ireland was brought a,
once to my view. I beheld a long array of insolvent jos
tices with their arms out at the elbows, who had been ho-
noured, by virtue of. their Protestantism, with his Majesty'-
commission of the peace. I did not think it possiW,
for the powers of irony to go beyond this last achievement o
the Attorney-General, until he came to talk of his Lord-
ship's unremitting assiduity, It was well known to ever)
man at the bar, that Lord Manners abhorred his occupations.
He trembled at an enthymem, he sunk under a sorito
and was gored by the horns of a dilemma. His initabi •
lity in court was the subject of universal complaint. 11,
seemed to labour under an incapacity of fixing his atten-
tion for any continuity of time to any given matter of me-
ditation ; and by his wriggling in his seat during the admi-
rable arguments of Mr. Pennefather, and his averted eye.
and the puffing of his cheeks, exhibited his strong distast
for reasoning, and the horror which he entertained for al!
inductive thought. It was in a frosty weather that his ex.
citability and fretfulness of. temperament were particularl
conspicuous. Hewes fond of shooting-, and if he was detaine,:
by a long argument beyond the usual period which he al
lowed to the hearing of causes, about Christmas, he brol«
out into fits and starts of ludicrous irritation. Mr. Plun-
kett used to sav, that whenever Lord Manners heard tlo
name of Mr. Hitchcock (a gentleman of the Irish Bar o
considerable talents), his Lordship used to start, as if 'it
were Hish ! Cock," that struck his ear. The memory
of the Attorney-General, in complimenting him on his
" unremitting assiduity," was, I am sure, carried back to
those scenes of judicial impatience, in which, when the
mercury stood at the freezing point, his Lordship's intole-
rance of all argument was exemplified. The look with
which Mr. Joy executed the recitation of this portion
of his address, was, if possible, a higher feat. It was
chef•d'ceuvre of mockery, and a master-piece of derision."
" Letters from the East" contain as usual in-
formation conveyed in a pleasing and intelligent
manner. There is, however, too much sameness
about this series of papers, both with regard to
style and matter. When you have read one,
you have read very nearly all. The " Main
Chance" is a metaphysical dissertation ; rambling,
unconnected, but vigorous ; it looks like Haz-
litt's. A " Swiss Tour" possesses not the
slightest claim to novelty—we are tired of
Geneva, it is as stale a subject as Colonel
Arthur and Major Bradley. " A Military Ad-
venture in the Desert" might be fairly taken for a
chapter belonging to a new forthcoming edition
of " Anastasius. ' Its details of the Arabs and
their Sheikh deserve more attention than our
very contracted limits this month (owing to the
heavy press of Parliamentary matters) can afford
to bestow on them. The " Dancing and Howl-
ing Dervishes" is -a lively, but scarcely novel,
description of these fantastical nondescripts.—
Mr. Hope has already done ample justice to the
subject. " Points of the Compass" is a light
pertinent paper, hitting
.off a city character in the
pleasant
sketchy manlier of the Smiths. " Notes
of the Month" are an imitation of the same de-
sultory series of papers in the " Monthly Maga-
zine.' They are, however, worth reading.