The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-03


probably will consent to reviews. II IL not stter Of
much consequence however, what his opinion is on the
the subec His works display tact and talent but no
genius We say genius and talent for though the latter
Mr. Thackersy undoubtedly possesses to the former he has
pretensons keen analyst Of every yli6e, he has
not in hun vivyng touch OF nature. AL Is forced,
artificial exaggerated He is the cynic Of the boudoir-
the philosopher Of the drawing He shine in civil
compliments to her grace the Duchess Of Sutherland and
may venture on satirica homage to assemblage OF
American ladies'. We can easily conceive that in the
presence Of the former he will be particularly
the sin of man selling" and that to the latter he will
not think of eulogizng Mrs. Beecher Stowe But there
is neither heart sincerity in Il all The whole
hollow, constrained, and stilted. There may be some
truth but there not particle Of poetry in Mr. Thacke
rays whole composition.
His lecture last night illustrated this 1t a
mass of Details sometimes artsticaly wrought up but
crude and undigested the whole, though evidently
finished with elaboration So far have yet SEEN
Mr. Thackeray possesses distinct idea Of the Georgian
era. Heset out with prosy detail of obsolete German
history which would have been wholly uncomfortable but
for hit that witha view of relieving the edousness he
deemed expedient venture upon England for her con-
duct to the American colonies. Next suddenly return
ing to the times OF William the Pious aud his psalm
tunes as well as his fifteen children, he attempted
pathetic alIuson to the blind old bgo George ILL.,; but
pathos is evidently not Mr.. Thacserays FORTE He was
infinitely at home In reveing on the details OF the
aforesaid pious Williams Kitchen and his allusion to the
pages being Entrusted with the duty Of forbddng the
guests to pocket the vands doubtless intended to
provoke laugh He found the audience little more
refined than he anticipated and BY means calculated
to fr nish him with terais for book should he pro-
pose on his return to England, cutting them up
tpuke George,n one Of this worthy's eleven sons,
c. fha0
lie went abroad lighting" One of his sons, are griev
cd to learn "came to sad end and the whole of the
family appear to have been set ocoarse and gutonous
or as Mr.. Thackeray infonns u.s. olly and jovar gam
blers. They literally "pocketed their people" as he
added with look especially emphatic and sorry are we
to learn for the sake Of the present royal family that
the existing of princes are no better.
The character Of such monarch Louis XIV seems
wholly beyond Mr.. Thackeray's grasp. There wan no
necessity for introducing the French sovereign into the
lecture all for he had virtually disappeared from the
scene ere the first OF the Georges entered IT. and the
only event he English rebellion in 17l5 with which he
was connected, Mr.. Thackeray slsrred over in n few
words towards the close Of the evening The grand mo
norouc was apparently introduced solely to supply the
lack Of materials at Mr. Thackerays command The lec-
turer M we can easily believe, and he himself re-
marked is enc histor ian' but we would beg to re-
mind him that the gories OF a reign extending over
nearly three-quarters OF century, and associated
with such immortal as Moiiere, Racine, Cor
nellie, the revival Of letters-and Renaissance, we
must add Of uxury-are not to be enaced by the re-
ca, iulation of few absurd jokes about his chamber
an his dancing masters his baker his butcher his bar
Der, his cock and his man-miner, which formed the
stock in trade of Mr. Thackerays remarks upon royalty
Such quite applicable to the English
court Of the present to that OF the French monai CHI
nearly two centuries ago. and Mr. Ihackeray
f1.vn n, Will fpct We
think they might have been more appropriately intro
dueed in England than hercespecially after that
ing at the London Crystal Palace where Mr. Thackeray
declared he saw whole lot Of courtiers walking q
mile in crab fashion "backwaTds.' The repetition of
the cid tIite anecdoe q the French Guard at fonenoy
"Gentemen the English Guard please fire frstl''was
equally unnecessary here. We are somewhat OF a
fast" race and do not care to be reminded Of such
coury stuff The wild charge of the lti,h Guards, OF
which Mr.. Thackeray seems wholly ignorant, will longer
live in the hearts Of men.
Passing from this the lecturer introduced to te ii
GUS narrative OF the FIRST Eecor Of Hanover brptner Of
luke Georgen Delivered within the meridian If the
coekney district Of Bow Bells might possibly have ,een
Interesting tn snrtons' but we must own we found II
iresone The story Of the poor little Princess his
daughier-a girl r thirteen and ready TO be educated
in any religion that Of her future husband
discovered we fear with great propricty be
eIeated in England at the present day where Il yet
uncertain whether the existing roeess koya : 70 re-
Prussia Become conscientious Catholic for the sake
Of jerome Napoleon
Feeling the tiresomeness ofthis the lecturer found it
necessary to attempt ievving interest BY reminding
Of the German merccnaries I'VE" made use OF during
the war Of endence y was wholly needless: the
vt n stl remembers 1t in his fading thoughts 1t
delicate ground indeed for Mr. Thackeray to venture
and he found IL expelient to veeI of by sheer
against the morality of Princes, and joke concerning
George being only :. Temporary lodger'' in England.
aaee life is proyelbisly dull and we are no, sure
Hant yer two centuries ago. An the old jokes
ing the mul atious offices and officers OF the royal
housed
muc like the modern court circular and were not half
so eloquent as enc Of auctoneer's catalogue
Had lie D, ed ota Of poetry beautiful oppor
tuniy h.,e afforded Mr.. Ihackeray for describing
German nng ground but the whole passed OF with
transmitted with great benefit for the service OF Prince
albert in Frgisnd tor whom seemingly it was intended
still more seriously lie want Of materials He was con.
strained TO return TO Louis Xvs reign, when womans
| shame dishoncr," and to Charles the Seconds
''concubir es" Passing gu ideny from these he re.
entered Hanover in 1716 AID had piqadnts dectip
ton Of its 'seraglio and melting like at
fire." The subject rather tender, considering that
ii was tapded in church. and in the presence Of la
dies but the whole 1t well DONE though not over
decately The worst Of these jokers however Is that
enough. The effect Of Mr.. Thackeray's humor
wholly mared by his tedious description of court ieeches
physicians BARRIERS and their salaries that folio we'd aud
It vas BY no means redeemed by the historical fact which
he had ascerained that there only 'two washer
women to the whole establishment. We can easily con-
oeive that the whole greasy their redigrees.
Want Of space prccludes from following Mr. Thacke-
ray throuehou, his discursve lecture He again
turned to Charles H. ond his 'ladies George and his
"a and the story Of Count Konigsnark and his death
oil Ct which, he lecturer perhaps satr,ay lame ited
1.-THE unhappy education OF America prevented from
understanding" We beg to inform Mr.. Thackeray that
We knew II al, and that il quite unnecessary for
Linn to take the trouble Of crossing the Atlantic to teach
il u.s. To yulgarsm, he might well have stayed
az LONE and ins uced his grandmother in the
art Of sucking eggs Hs ferocous attack on Mary stu
art and Caroline Of Brunswick George Tvs iused
wife, will meet with sympathy here
We were extremely sorry to learn that George l. was
an .tld reprobate" and that he talked in church.
though have heard that his descen liant, the late
luke # Cambridge, guilty Of similar mpropreties
Mr. 1hacksrsy, too, exsggeraes the perhdy aud un.
DULY cehases the character OF Marlborough He seems
have II up with prejudice aud studied super
fciay. His description Of the great commanders ban
ishnen and his age wholly unfounded. Goldsmith,
in few words more truly and eloquentiy far depicted
him az going into voluntary exile afer having saved
his country Sd etch Of Bongbroke, which followed
was equally incor ssient With historic truth Mr. Thack
cray here found necessary to remind his audience that
he was mo historisn'-snd assurediy we can believe
HIM when he exols as an Id Of the most hollow
hearcss ard uprincipled characters which history pre-