Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-01-16
UnIIIaRI.E ROCKS.

ray. three very interesting puolicanons-"h.
Hs,oyv Of Alexander the Great, by jacob Ao-
Dol. In pleasing form it presents the leading
events in the life OF The great conqucror. TO"
instructive 10 The American youth 10 study The
contrast between our own pure and vrIuous
Washington, and the warlike Macedonian,
whose sole object was sensual indulgence and
the charging and strengthening bis own person
al powerl This little book is handsomely got'
gen up, with fine map of The Expedition OF
Alexander, and numerous engrayinss.
PART Isl oil Franklin Wustrated-beins the
Autobiography 0: the wise American statesman
PRACTICAL philosopher and Philanthropls'' neo)a'
min franklin, with narrative OF his puolic lie
and services, by the Rev. h. Hastings weld
This work is spleEddy cmbellished by great
variety Of exquisite designs, by Chapman IL is
extremely cheap a, 25 cents per part.
Lastly, Vol. Isl Of The Hislo', Of E"gla"@'
from the accession vi James II, by Thomas bao'
inston Macauay, the distinguished ssssayisl' CT,
tic orator and scholar. This great work VIII
fully satisfy The profound curiosity with Whicn
il has been looked for. An introductory chapter
considers al length the position OF England
among the nations oil The earth, down to The lime
of The Restoration, u66O.) The present volume
brings the history down to he suppression OF the
auemp, by The Duke OF Monmouth, Gllegtimate
son of Charles H. TO dehrone his uncle, James
III; and the reader is thrilled by the description oil
The military atrocities Of Kirke and The still more
infamous judicial atrocities of Jefifeys. Inc
authors intention is to "wrile The History OF
ENGLAND from The accession OF King James The
second, down 10 time which is within The me-
mory OF men still living" 1t is scarcely neces-
sary for US TO say that The style IS brilliant ana
charming The picture OF The internal condition
OF England, two centuries ago, its society, ii'er
AZURE, sc is striking and instructive. The cIer-
gy and the country gentlemen are presented IN a
new and piquant light. il is destined TO be me
work Of The day, and TO be read with delight by
thousands in our country. We cannot iorbear
from giving 10 our readers specimen OF lis me-
rs, in The following vivid skcicn OF The death Of
Charles III, the "Meuy Monarch"
The printing, paper and embellishments, do
great credit 10 the Harpers |, has all The air Of
London publication. The fronlispiece is or
namenled with fine portrait Of the noble ica-
lures Of tie author.
Death of King Charles the Second.
By THOMAS gABINeToN MAcAULEY.
The death Of King Charles the Second took
the nation by surprise. His frame was naturally
strong, and did not appear 10 have suffered from
excess lie had always been mindful of his
health even in his pleasures, and his b3biis wcfe
such as promised long life AMI a robust old age
udolenl As he was on all occasions which "
auired tension OF the mind, he was active and
perseveriug in bodily exercise. He had, when
young, been renowned as tennis player, and
was even in the decline of lite, an interchangeable
| walker. His ordinary pace was such that those
who were admitted 10 The honor of his society
found it difficult 10 keep up with him. lie rose
early, and generally passed three or four hours
day in the open air. He might be seen, before
The dew was off the grass in 81. James Park,
siridins among the trees, playing with his span.
icIs, anu finging corn 10 his ducks; aud these
exhibitions endeared him 10 The common people,
who ALWAYS love to see the great unbend.
AT length, toward the close OF the year 1854,
he was preventeu by slight attack OF what was
supposed 10 be govt, from rambling as usual
He now spent his mornings in his laboratory,
where he amused himself with experiments On
the properties OF mercury. His temper seemed
10 have suffered from confinement. lie had no
apparent cause for disquiet Washington was
tranquil; he was mol in pressing want OF money I;
his power was greater han il had ever been; the
parry which had long thwarIed him had been bea;-
en- down. but the checrluness which had sup
ported him against adverse fortune had vanished
in this season OF prosperity.
A .rhe now suficed 10 aepress those elastic
spirits which had borne up against defeat, exile
and penury. His irritation frequently showed IL
SELF by looks and words such as could hardly have
been expected from man so cminenlly dslin-
gushed by good humor and good breeding. i
was not supposed, however, that his constitution
was seriously impaired.
/ His palace had seldom presented gayer or
more scandalous appearance than on The evening
| OF Sunday The first OF February, 1855. Some
| grave persons who had gone thitber, after thr
fashion OF The age pay their duty 10 their soye-
| reign, and who had expected that, on such day,
his court wond wear decent aspect, were struck
with aslonishmenl and horror. The great gallo
| ry OF Whitehall, an admirable relic Of The mag
nifcence or the Tudors, was crowded with revel-
ers and gamblers. The King sal there chatting
| and toying with three women, whose charms were
| the boast, and whose vices were the disgrace, Ct
three nations Barbara Palmer, Duchess Of
C Cleveland was there, no longer young bat still re-
tanning some traces OF that superb and vo-
luptuous LONELINESS which twenty years be-
| fore overcamc the hearts u all men
There, too, was the Duchess Of Portsmouth,
whose soft and infantne features were lighted
up with The vivacity of France. Hortensa Man.
chi, Duchess of Mazarin, and niece Of the great
Cardinal, completed The group. She had been
early removed from her native Italy TO the court
where her uncle was supreme. HIS power and
| her own attractions had drawn crowd Of illus
trious sutors round her. Charles himself, du-
ring his exile, had sought her hand in vain No
! Gift of nature or of fortune seemed 10 be want
| ing in her Her face was beautiful with the rich
beauty Of the SOUTH her understanding quick,
| her manners graceful, her rank exalted, her pos
sessions immense; but her ungovernabe pas
sions had turned all these blessings into curses
She had found the misery Of an i'll assorted mar
riage intolerable, had fled from her husband, and
abandoned her vast wealth, and after having
astonished Romo and Piedmont BY her adven-
| lures, had fixed her abode in England. Her
| house was the favorite resort Of men Of wit and
| pleasure, who, for the sake other smiles and her
| table, endured her frequent fits of insoence and
! i'll humor. Rochester and Godophn sometimes
| forgot the cares Of State in her company. Bar.
| illon and Saint Evremond found in her draw
| ing. room consolation for their long Punishment
| from Paris. The learning OF possius, the wit Of
Waller, were daily employed to fa,ler and
amuse her. But her diseased mind required
stronger stimulants, and sought them in 4allan-
| try, in basset, and in usquebaugh. While Charles
airted with his three sultanas, Hobcnsa's
French page, handsome boy, whose vocal per-
formances were the delight of Whitehall, and
were rewarded by numerous presents Of rich
clothes, ponies, and guineas, warbled some amo-
rous verses. A party OF twenty cuurtiers was
seated at cards round large table on which
gold was heaped in mountains. Even then the
King had complained that he did not feel quite
we'll lie had no appetite for his supper: his
rest that night was broken; but on the following
morning he rose, as usual, early.
To that morning the con,cnding factions in
his country had, during some days, looked for
ward with anxiety. The struggle between Hall
fax and Rochester seemed 10 be approaching a
| decisiye crisis. Halifax moi content with hay.