New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-07-11
THE TRIBUNE.
literarp Notice.

Edition. Vol. Xxx. No Joseph Mason,
This number of the Quarterly is unusually IN
teresting, containing papers on great variety Oh
subjects, and all written with spirit and ability.
Mrs. Sherwoods g Lady of the Manor IS ably
and severely reviewed, and the class and general
spirit of religious novels TO which II belongs are
pointedly censllred. Those who have been accus-
toned to look upon these works with extreme ia
yor will read the article with profit if not always
with pleasure and assent. The next paper is a
full and capital biographical sketch OF the late
TnroDoRE Hook one Of the most brilliant and
oifted men of the times. 1t is evidently written
by familiar acquaintance and a warm friend
though it is far more impartial than similar tri-
butes from similar sources are apt to be- The
article is well filled with variations of the practi-
cal Jokes with which Hook used to amusc him
self and astonish every body else, told as well as
he acted thcm-and presents most interesting,
though most melancholy, picture of bis life and
character. We have room TO copy only one of
the hoares for which he became famous:
REIMBURSEMENT HoAx.-The crown and con-
summation of ali this was the Berners-Strcct
Hoax in 1909. 1t is recorded that in walking
down that street one day his companion called
his attention to the particularly neat and modest
appearance of a house, the residence, as appeared
from the door-platc of some decent shop-kccpcrs
widow Il ii lay youa guinea, SAID Theodore,
that In one week that nice, modest dwelling shall
be the most famous in all London. The bet
taken. In the course of four or five days Hook
had written and despatched one thonsand let
tiers, conveying orders to tradcsmon OF every sort
Il
one particular day, and as nearly as possible at
one fixed hour. From wagons of Goals and po-
tatoes (says Gurney) to books, prints, feathers,
ices, jcllies, cranberry tarts-nothing in any way
whatever available to any human being but was
commanded from scores of rival dealers scattered
over our province of BRICKS from Mapping 10
Lambeth, from Whitechapcl to Paddngton. In
l8O9, Oxford Road was not approachabIc either
from Westminster, or Mayfair, or from the City,
otherwise than through complicated series of
lanes. 1t may be ieebly and afar of guessed
what the crash and jam and tumult Of the day
was. Hook had provided himself with a lodging
nearly opposite the lated No. =; and there, with
couple of trusty allies, he watched the develop
mcnt of the midday melo- drama. But some OF
the drGmatis persona were seldom if ever, alluded
to in later times. He had no objection to bodying
forth the arrival of the Lord Mayor and his Chap
lain, invited to take the death-bed confession Of
peculating common councilman but he would
rather have buried in oblivion that precisely the
same sort of liberty was taken with the Governor
of the Bank the Chairman of the East India
Company, a Lord Chief Justice, IA Cabinet Min
ister,-above all, with the Archbishop of Canter-
bury and His Royal Highness the Commander
in.Chicf They all obeyed the summons-cvcry
pious and patriotic feeling had been most mOvlngly
appealed to we are not sure that they all reached
Berners.Strcet but the Duke of ork's military
punctua,v and crimson liveries brought HIM to
the point of attack before the poor widows aston
iShment had risen TO terror and despair Perhaps
no assassination, no conspiracy, no Royal demise
or Ministerial revolution of recent times was Il
greater godsend TO the newspapers than tins
audacious piece of mischief. In Hooks own
theatrical WORLD he was instantly suspected, but
no sign escaped either him or his conldants.
The affair was beyond that circle a serious one.
Fierce were the growlings of the Doctors and
Surgeons, scores of whom had been cheated OF
valuable hours Attorneys, teachers OF all kinds,
male and female; hair dresScrs, taiiors popular
preachers and parliamentary philanthropists, had
been vlctmized i'll person, and were IN their
various notes vocierous But the tangible ma
terial damage done was itself no Iokng matter.
There had been an awful smashing of glass,
horse had fallen never to rise again. Beer-bar-
rcls and wincbarrels had been overturned and
exhausted with nnpunitv amidst the press OF
countless mutitudes. 1t had been fine field
day for the pickpockets There arose u fcrvent
hue and cry for the detection of the wholesale
decciver and DESTROYER.
Mr.. Theodore, we believe, found it convenient
10 be laid up for week or two by severe fit OF
illness, and then promoted reconnaissance by q
country tour.
OF Hooks talent as an improvisatorc we have
many examples, of which we select the following
because it also gives US a glimpse OF CoIEElpGE
IN new situation:
ilool; AND ColERlDGE.-A friend says - The
first time ever witnessed Hooks cxtcmpore talent
wasata gay young bachelors villa near llighgatc,
when the other lion was one OF very different
brced,-Nlr. Colcridgc Much claret had been
shed before the Ancient Mariner proclaimed
that he could swallow no more of any thing, I'M
less 1t We're punch. The materials were forth
with produced the bowl was planted before The
poet, ana as he proceeded in his connection, Hook,
unoiodeh' TOOK ms piece a the piano. lie burst
lnlo oacGnana OF cgrcgious luxury, every line OF
which mac reference 10 the author of the Lay
Sermons and the Aids to Reflection The
room Was becoming excessively hot the first
specimen Of the new compound was handed to
HooS, who paused TO quaf it, and then cxclam
,ng that he was stifed, flung his glass through
the window. Coleridge rose with the aspect OF
bengnant patriarch, and demolished another
pane--,he example was followed gcncray-the
window was sieve in an the kind hos,
was farthcst from the mark, and his goblet made
havoc of the chandelier. The roar of laughter
was drowned in rheodorc'S resumption OF the
song-and window and chandelier and the pecu-
lar shot OF each individual destroyer had apt, and