Star.
London, England, 1829-07-20 00:00:00

MR. BUCKINOHAM'S LECTURES.

Monday night this cerebrated traveller commenced his lectures,
in the Hopetoun Rooms, on the manners, antiquities, and policy
of the Eastern countries. The company was numerous and gen
tech ; and for the two hours during which his discourse continued,
be was listened to, as he deserved to be, with the meat p ofound
attention. He has since delivered two other lectures, which have
not been less favourably received. Mr. Buckingham, we believe, is
the only traveller who ever resorted to this method of ointment-
eating the result of his observations verbally to the public, in place
of publishing them in a printed volume; and every tow mutt at once
see how greatly these viva twee communications must excel in *leach y
and interest . any written composition, whatever be its merits.
especially where the person who makes this experiment is so emi-
nently qualified to give it effect as Mr. Buckingham appears to Ise.
As a lecturer his merits are certainly very great. His elncution is
easy ; his manner quite natural and agreeable ; and be seems to
carry on his discourse without the aid of any written notes. Ile
has indeed all the ease, readiness, and alacrity of a finished speaker.
and so simple and familiar is his style, that in place of a public au-
dience we might suppose him to be addressing an account of his
adventures to a circle of his private friends. He has 110ile of that
ease, however, which degenerates into carelessness ; and he never
approaches to any thing like tameness. On the cowtrary, though
he is obliged, in consequence of his limited stay in this city, to
protract his lecture for two, and sometimes nearly three lours,
he never flags for a moment, but seems to gather new vigour.
as he enters more deeply into his subject ; and goes nu, to the last,
fluent, animated, and impressive. Yet he dues not critic, any
anxiety to shine ; his sole object seems to be, to convey insult:nun
to his audience; to tell them what they did not know before, and
to tell it in the easiest and briefest manner. His style is accordingly
simple. He does not go out of his way for flowery desc‘ipPions or
embellishments of any sort, but seems to rely 'tartly for his we-
cess on the sterling value of the iulnrmation which he cotnimusij.
cates, and which is only a portion of that larger store which he has
collected hi the course of his travels. • His acquaintance with anise
eastern countries which form the subject of his discourses, seems to
be most perfect; we were struck with the mastery which hr displayed
over every pact of ►is subject ; with the fullness, the freshness, the
vivacity of his sketcher ; the force of his illustrations ; the prodi-
gality of his details ; and the skill with which he disposed and ar-
ranged to the best advantage his exten•ive informatiuu. There are
many travellers ingenious and well informed, who have perrectly
accurate and just notions of all that they have ever area or heard,
but who yet fail to give any distinct or vivid impressions of inte•
resting objects; who set the mind afloat, as it were, among
vague and general ideas, and there leave it. Mr. Buckingham
is quite the reverse of this. Whatever be the matter on
which he is discoursing, whether it be any point of local
usage or manners, any interesting relic of antiquity, or any
question of antiquarian research, he is sure to make it clear
before he ►as done with it, and to bnng it borne to the
standard of our ordinary ideas, by some ready and familiar illus-
tration. He does not seem to be much given to ingenious or
doubtful speculations; yet be misses no oppurtimity of illustrating
the manners and policy of the Eastern countries ; and, without
being a theorist, be is frequently very successful in tracing parti-
cular facts to the general state of manners, in striking out an un-
expected light, where the mere antiquarian would grope in dark-
ness, and in thus bringing out tile rutionaie of many ancient
customs, by reasonings that display at voce his research and hi.
judgment.
With regard to the Fast India Company's charter, on which it
is Mr. Buckingham's object to treat in his last lecture, this is a
question which leads to a wide field of speculation, involving many
complex considerations, into which we do nut mean to enter. But
his merits as a lecturer, which we willingly allow, and which went
to be acknowledged in the reception he has met with, are indepen-
dent altogether of hi. views on those disputed points. His lectures
have certainly given, as far as they have gone, general satisfaction ;
and most of his he are, we believe, impressed with the ability
which be displays in condensing within so small compass so much
entertaining and useful knowledge —Edinburgh &avant.