The southern press., 1851-07-19

Mr.. THAcKERAYs LEcTUREs.--Mr. Thack-
cray delivered his first lecture on De English
humorists of the last century, on Thursday, at
Willis's Rooms, to very numerous and dstn-
gushed audience. Mr.. Thackeray began by
saying that he must not be expected, in treating
OF these humorists, to mutter only series OF
lively and facetious observations. Harlequin
without his mask was known to be as grave a
man as his neghbors. 1t was to their lives,
more than to their books, that he proposed to
direct his attention, and they now suggested re.
flections of a serious if not sad character. AS
their object had been to comment on others,
they now became the subjects of observation
themselves; the preachers of yesterday became
the text'of to days sermon. He then recapitu-
lated the leading facts of Swifts lfe his birth at
Dublin, his service in Sir William Temples, his
political career. Abiding to his biogIaphers,
he happily characterized Johnson as having given
him a surly recognition, and passed on. After
all; the best test was to say of any such man,
(" How would you have liked to have been bis
friend ~ AS to Swift if you had been his infe-
rior, he would have treated you kindly; fsyou
had met him an man and his equal, he would
have assailed you; ifyou had been nobleman,
he would have been the most delightful COM
panion in the world. His servility staggered
so, that it looked like independence. He took
the road like Macheath, stopping all the carri-
ages that came in his way to get what he could
from them; but there was one carriage with a
mitre on it which he looked for very anxiously.
It never came, however; so, said Mr.. Thackeray,
g he fires his pistol in the air with curse, and
retires to his own country"
Next, he gave picture of Temples house
4 hold and Swift's position there, which WAS one
i of the most characteristic parts of the lecture
Contrasting Swift's humble position under
! Temple with his brilliant and important station
during the Harley government, the lecturer
came to the question of Swift's religious snceri.
ty. He considered Swift as having been 9
sceptic, and having suffered dreadfully from his
scepticism. Henry Fielding and Steele were
true churchmen; they belabored free thinkers
! heartily; and each was ready, after he had
stumbled, to 60 on his knees and cry peccapi
i Swift was a man of different powers and diff
ferent mind But he was far too great to have
any can't AS far as the badness Of his sermons
goes, he was perfectly honest. They were poll
i teal pamphlets. Swift was strangled in his
band. He seemed to have been haunted all hi,
life by fury His sufferings were awful. He
4 was lonely. The great generally are. The
giants must be alone. Here he quoted the an
ecdote of Archbishop King, and Swift's declar
ing himself to him the most miserable of men
ana, approaching olrectly Tie suD]ect OF oWlIts
attachments, ostrophised Stella with much
tenderness and grace. She was, he said, on'
of the saints of English story.
In spite of their disunion, and Of Venessa ant
the verdicts of most women, who generally tool
Vanessa's part in the controversy, the brightes
part of Swift's story was his love of Esther John
son. 1t had been'his (Mr. Thackeray's) lot (o
course in the way of his profession to go through
great deal of sentimental reading but be knew
no writing more touching than those notes O
Swift's to her, in what he called little language
F Such man must have had great deal of love
in him. He gave lively picture of the deani
frst acquaintance with Vanesss and said quite
Il In tho strain of the author OF VANITY Fair
that Stella had enjoyed one nice little bit of in
| jostice that that young lady-that other Perso'
T had been sacrificed to her. His description o
the sad and clouded later day of the great maj
, was very powerful and affecting; and he visitet
Swift's treatment of Stella very severely. Blu
he paid then, as he did throughout, abundan
homage to the deans genus-of which he ap
. peared to have very high appreciation. Th,
, lecture was heard throughout with evident de
light and attention, and the applause was fire.
quent and hearty.-London Despatch