The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-26 00:00:00

CANDIDUS.

PROPOSED INSCRIPTION FOR THE ELDON

STATUE.

There are material substances which resist the
greatest physical power that art or science can ap-
ply against them ; a woolsack repels a cannon-ball.
. .

So, in the human race, are wOolsacks; men the
woof of whose mind is so cottony and unindentable
as to set at defiance all the assaults of reason, from
whom the weapons of argument bound back, and to
whom the truths and lessons of political experience
petition entrance in vain; their minds have no
moulting-season ; ancient opinions and prejudices
(little excused because conscientious) are always in
full plumage ; and these men glory in the conscious-
ness of being antipodean in their sentiments to all
that is enlightened around them.
But it is especially by qualities of heart, by his
well-known estimation of all the generous and social
virtues, that the crowning merits of the individual
whose Statae treads this pedestal, are illustrated.
These form a fit counterpart of character to the
imperviousness of the Judge and Politician.
To arrest from oblivion (a destiny which the na-
tional mind had otherwise mercifully accorded) pub-
lic and private attributes so distinguished, and par-
ticularly to commemorate the last act of his political
life, wherein he stood forth the champion of an un-
assailed Protestant Church, and with an untiring
labour, and as praiseworthy a consistency and libe-
rality, opposed' the extension of equal civil and po-
litical rights and privileges to Catholic loyal and
constitutional subjects, the friends of John, Earl of
Eldon, ex-Lord Chancellor of England, have erected
this statue.

LITERATURE.

OLIVER CRONINVELL—VoL. 2.

This volume, which forms the Forty-eighth
of Constable's Miscellany, details the particulars
of Cromwell's life, from the period of his ob•
wining the Protectorate, down to that of his
death. The closing chapter is taken up with
an estimate of his private and public character,
and is draw► up and condensed with much scru-
pulous impartiality. The observations which
we made on the former volume of this intelli-
gent memoir, may be equally applied to the pre-
sent, viz., that it is penned in the spirit of rigid
enquir), and is almost wholly devoid of secta-
rian or other prejudices. As a specimen of the
style, we select the following account of Oliver's
expulsion of the Commons :

" So intense was the observation directed towards
Cromwell, that his looks, his dress, his attitude, have been
recorded by all the annualists of the period. He had on a
plain suit of black clothes, with grey worsted stockings.
At first he seemed to listen with interest to the debate,
and manifested no intention to interrupt the proceedings ;
but when the Speaker was about to put the question, he
beckoned to Harrison, who sat opposite to him, and said,
' This is the time ;—I must do it.' Upon this he rose,
put off his hat, and began to address the House in a mild
tone, and in language expressive of modesty and appro-
bation. As he went on, however, his speech became
animated and his remarks less measured, until at length,
be gave way to the most vehement and personal abuse.
He charged the Members with self-seeking and profane-
ness, with the frequent denial of justice, and numerous
acts of oppression ; with idolizing the lawyers, the con-
stant advocates of tyranny ; with neglecting the men who
had bled for them in the field, that they might gain the
Presbyterians who had apostatized from the cause; and
with doing all this in order to perpetuate their own power
and to replenish their own purses. But their time, he
said, was come : the Lord had disowned them ; he had
chosen more worthy instruments to perform his work.
Here he was interrupted by one of the Members, who de-
' elated that he never before heard language so unparlia-
mentary and offensive, and the more so, too, because it
was uttered by their own servant, whom they had too

fondly cherished, and whom by their ye ri,,cedented bonr.ty
they had raised to the elevation o. u hid, he now sto.-.1.
At these words Cromwell put on li;s has, and stepping
forward from his place, exclaimed, Come, come, Sir, I
will put an end to your prating.' For a feyv seconds, ap-
parently agitated by the must violent passions, he paced up
and down the Hall ; and then stamping on the floor, he
cried aloud, You are no Parliament ! I say you are no
Parliament! Bring them in, bring them in.' Instantly
the door opened, and Colonel Worse!), entered, followed by
a number of musketeers. ' This,' exclaimed Sir Harry
Vane, is not honest. It is against morality and common
honesty.' Sir Harry Vane !' replied Cromwell, 0, Sir
Harry Vane ! The Lord deliver me from Sir Harry- Vane
He might have prevented this. But he is a juggler, and
has not common honesty himself.' From Vane he turned
to Whitelock, on whom he poured a torrent of abuse :
then pointing to Challoner, There,' he cried, ' sits a
drunkard ;' next looking at Marten and Sir Peter Went-
worth, ' There are two whoremasters.' Afterwards, se-
lecting different Members in succession, he described them
as dishonest and corrupt livers, a shame and a scandal to
the profession of the gospel. Checking himself, however,
all at once in his career of vituperation, he wheeled round
to the soldiers, and desired them to clear the House. The
Speaker refused to withdraw unless he were compelled to
leave the chair; upon which Harrison •led forward two of
the military to make a show of force, and laying his hand
on Lenthal, assisted him to descend. About eighty Mem-
bers, among whom were Algernon Sidney, followed the
example of their President, and moved towards the door :
upon which Cromwell resumed h:s address. It is you,'
he exclaimed, who have forced me to do this. I have
sought the Lord day and night, that he would rather slay
me than put me on the doing of this work !' Alderman
Allen teok advantage of these words, and told him that it
was not yet too late to undo what had just been done ; but
Cromwell instantly charged him with having defrauded
the public to the amount of some hundred thousand pounds
as Treasurer of the:Army, and delivered him into custody
until be should answer for his peculation. When all had
retired, he axed his eyes on the mace, and said, t.What
shall we do with this fool's bauble? Here, carry it away.'
Then snatching the act of dissolution from the hands of
the clerk, lie ordered the doors to be locked, and, in the
midst of his guard, returned to Whitehall."

THE JUVENILE KEEPSAKE.
LONDON, 1830.

Mr. Roscoe has displayed much intelligence
and discernment in the selection of such topics,
both in prose and verse, as are most likely to
suit the capacity of his juvenile readers. Tales
of the simplest nature and amusing little poems,
developing some incident or feeling, happily
adapted to the quick but as yet unformed fancy
of childhood, abound in the pages of this
annual, and will, no doubt, render it a general
favourite. For a birth-day, or Christmas, or
new-year's gift, we know of no better book.
The embellishments suit the character of the
compositions, and are various, lively, and grace-
ful in their style and aspect, Among the best
of them is the one engraved by C. Heath, from
a painting by Corbould, entitled the " Ball
Dress," which possesses infinite delicacy of exe-
cution. The figure of the gentleman who is
leaving the room bears a very singular resem-
blance to the late George Canning, as he ap-
pears in the noble portrait of him by Sir Thos.
Laurence. Whether the resemblance be the
effect of accident or not, we cannot tell, but it
certainly is very strong. The " Deserted Vil-
lagers" is another fine able specimen of engrav-
ing, but indeed all are good, and some excellent.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.