Litchfield enquirer., 1849-11-08
MlSGII L A on Y .


Mary Hewitt is the least in the world
Of an authoress. She is mild, middle
aged, intelligent and lady-like English
matron, who is fine looking and has made
narrow escape from being beautiful.
She dresses not like Quakeress, but
like lady; her manners are gently dig.
nified; her conversation interesting and
fluent. Gifted with true genius, sur
rounded by an amiable and accomplished
family, and united to a husband Of rare
talent, she has been enabled from such
sources to drink defiance to misfortune,
and to retain moonlight complacency
amid the clouds which have of late
clothed her path. She spoke with great
delight Of Scotland, and hoped that cir
cumstances would yet permit her to pass
part of each year amid its romantic
scenery Altogether she came up to our
ideal Of the author Of " Martens Pilgrim
age" By the way we read some time
ago. wretehed critique, upon that po-
EN- in Macphails' Magazine" which
passed over that beautiful creation loath-
some and innocuous as snail over rose
bud. Worst of all it was written by a
man who has ia him nobler element
than venom, and higher insight than
malice.
From Mary Howitt's we repaired to
Leigh Hunts. We found him rather
poorly in health and spirits, but with the
old genial nature shining out through
dullness and decay. We talked much
of religion. He told us that Hazlett
once confessed to him that he had never
thought ON that subject at ALL Hunt
has, and we think is beginning to think
rightly. He started when we said that
the difference between Shelly and Chris
tianity was, that while the one said,
Glove is God" the other inverted it into
"God is Love-" He owned that the re-
mark was Just. Of Shelly he spoke
with much tenderness. When he was
expelled from Oxford, he ran away to
Southbury, who did not and who could
not understand him. 1t was leaping from
the frying pan into the FIRE. Coleridge
heard of it and asked. "Why did he not
come to me?" Would to God that he
had at this crisis found Christian teach
er somewhat wiser than the Oxford con-
clave of learned fools, and at what Chris
tan teachers feet could Shelly have sat
with such advantage as at the feet Of
that mighty poet and subtle-souled
psychologist, whom he afterwards COM
memorated, but whom he never met
Hunt told us, too. that Shelly was justifi-
el by the laws Of his college in propoun-
ding his extraordinary theses. The
choice Of the subject only was outra-
geous; an outrage which was soon. cru
ELY and long revenged.
In the evening we repaired to Thomas
Carlyle's. We expected to lave the
company Of Thomas Binney, who had
engaged to 60 along With us. Indeed.
we had smiled for weeks at the thought
of Scottish parson forming the connec-
ting link between the most popular prea-
cher and the most powerful writer IN
London. But unfortunately, he was pre-
vented. We went, however, alone, and
enjoyed the visit as keenly as before.
Carlyle's talk was not, to be sure, "of
bullocks."
1t was principally concerning three
men that he spoke-Chalmers, Irving
and Brongham. The. broad benignity,
the Catholicity. the rugged heaven which
Chalmers carried about with him in his
faee and nature, are vary dear to Car