Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-10-17
FRANCIS JEFFREY, ESQ.

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b or this man, the world has known much, an
y the American public have felt the severity q
his pen. Having held a most cons pcuous sta
, ton in the eye of the world, and having bee
f at once the terror and delight ofmcn of lhora
ture, sketch of his history may be acceptable
to our readers; and the following, presented t,
them, may be considered correct.
"This distinguished critic is a native of Edin
burgh, and the son Of one Of the Deputy Clerk
of Sessions in Scotland. lie was born on th,
23d OF October, 1873, and was educated part
ly at tho University of Glasgow, and partlr a.
Oxford. After completing his education. he
wasscalcd TO the Bar in 1875. In 1901, Mr.
Jeffrey married Miss G.. Wilson, daughter OF
the Professor Of Church History in the Univcr.
sity Of ST. Andrews; and after her death. mar
ried Miss Charlotte Wilks, of New-York, tho
niece of the celebrated John WIks, and has
had by her one child. He was an active Nom
Der Of the Debating Societies Of Edinburgh, in
which lie amused and improved himself for
many years. OF one Of these, called the Spec
uahre Society, he was a member, in coniunc-
ton with Brougham, Horner, Murray, and
others.
Mr.. jeffrey, notwithstanding the powers OF
ms mind, and his reputation as a writer, was n
long time in getting into practice, and il was
not until within few years that he succeeded
at the Bar of his native country, in a manner
commensurate with his learing and SPLENDID
talents. In 1923, he became the pro c,or
and Editor of the Edinburgh Review, which
has since been SO widely circulated, and so
justly praised for the eloquence, learning vi
'acity, and tcrsencss OF the articles il contain
ed. lie is considered, as IA criminal lawyer,
or at the Bar Of the Criminal Court, as rnri-
vailed: and though his pronunciation is very
defective, being n mixture of prov incial Eng
lish and undigaified Scotch, his eloculion is so
! overpow cringly rapid-his illustrations 50 hap
! py-hIs masses of thought so successive, and
his flashes Of mind so brilliant and dazzling,
that all who listen arc delighted, and look
upon hm as one of the most gifted Of speak
ers. There is such a playfu!ness in his wit +,
such richness in his imagination, and such
choice and beauty in his expression, and such
depth and force and energy in his reasoning,
that no one can hear him without admiration
and delight. Mr.. jeffrey is said, however, to
be deficient in that faculty. or power, so essen
tial to an orator, of exciting the sympathy, or
rousing the indignation Of his hearers, and NAV
therefore be considcrcd rs more of a rhetoric
ian than an orator. But though Z" the ma gic
he wclds (says coun;ryman Of his) is not Of
the high cost which makes the sabec, of its
working the conscious, yet willing, slave Of the
sorcerer, his is more cunning, but quite as
ctiectual species Of tempting lie natters
the vanity Of men, by making them believe
! that the best proof of their own superiority
VIII be their coming TO the conclusion which
he has proposed; and they submit with servilc
stupidity at the very moment they are phiming g
! themselves on displaying the holdness and in-
dependence of adventurous intellect"
AS n critic, Mr.. Jeflrcy's merits are cqunll,
prominent. He has struck out an origina
mode Of reviewing, which pleased at first b,
its novelty, and which has, for many years
continued to please by the talent, intelligence
and power, it displayed. There is, in his re
views, perhaps less Of fine taste than apparcn
bitterness of feeling, or keen and mordaun
sarcasm-less of classical beauty than of gen.
cral learning. Its object seems 10 be TO rem.
der the author reviewed ludicrous and con.
temptible, rather than to dfnse truth or &c
produce new light. His reviews partakc more
of the character of political and literary dis
ser'ations than absolute criticisms, and the
| dictatoral air of superiority which he assumes
the terseness and poignancy of his remark s..
the ease and iluency of his style, and the non.
chalanco and sang .froid with which he dis
sects his victim, have conspired TO give 10 his
articles 4 zcst and influence which every read
or Of them must have felt and enjoyed
Mr. Jeffrey is of low stature, with n ia
small and swarthy, but full OF vivactv. His
features are neither handsome nor Otherwise
his forehead forms the segment Of circle
his hair is bla elk and wiry, his eye sparkling
and animated. and his mouth expressive o
great iirmness and aucnce Of mnd.''
No man, who has ever lived, has been NO,
sincerely dreaded, beloved, hated and despiscd
than Jeffrey. He has, through his unsparing
criticism, sent to tho shades of oblivion, many
promising son of genius, who, but for the
gal and severity Of Jonrey's pen, might have
added fresh honors 10 the cause of literature
But Jeffrey is always unspnrng, where hi:
prcjudices arc cnkindlcd, and his opinion, once
unfavorably formed, relative 10 an author, nC
supplication, no proof of worth and talent, car
divert the malignity Of his spleen. Although
Jeffrey is unsparing in his criticisms on others
no man is so restivc as lac is, when his produc
; tions are assalcd, and no man bears with sucl
entire absence OF self comp|accncy the crti
cisms Of cotcnpor0rics, as the Editor oil th'
Edinburgh Review. In his criticisms, h
has always seemed ANXIOUS to condemn, an'
more willing TO ccnsuro than appaud-to scei
for all the foiblcs of an author-and TO disrc
, pard his merits. Ills writings, though the
t may be, and are, rasbanc to tho toict'c Q
: authors, they afford fine food for tho genera
> rcadcr. and those who arc fond of the sarcas
tic and severe.
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