New-York tribune., 1869-04-09

and as he coed up this part fell over and he fastened
his teeth into his own coils One esit more and
SIDE the deck aud the ships rail into tne sea
indeed safe and, drawing long breath OF rehei
thanked the giyer of all our blessings.
With this pleasant narrative we take leave oil lne
adventurous explorer, who has added to tho lltera
ture; of American travel Ia branch already OF hand
some dimensons work abounding III curious IN
formation. and though showing by many crudities
of statement and illustration that the writer has
but moderate skill in the arts of composition one
which will attract and reward attention OF the
reader in quest either Of instruction or amusement
HARRIET MARTINEAUS BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES.
TYPOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. BY HARRIET MARTISEAU.
l2mo PIP. 45S Leypoldt Holt.
The mature judgments of one of the most in-
tellectual woman of the age on her eminent
contemporaries in different walks Of public life
challenge a degree of interest which is not often
accorded to the ephemeral notices Of the news
paper press For many years. Miss Martineau has
been the principal writer of the obituaries which
have appeared in of the prominent London jour
nails and her sketches collected in the present vol
ume which will be welcome not only to the habtual
admirers of the productions of her pen, but to much
wider circle of readers Miss Martineau is remarka
faculty of logical argument is not equal to the bold
ness of her conceptions. She possesses rare talent
of sezing the essence of historical facts which she
well knows how to group in lucid order, and in pic
turesque relations Her perception of character we
think is not one of her peculiar gifts; she
is not without strong personal prejudices !;
and though her intellect is OF critical
and decisive east, her opinions apt to take an
emphatic coloring from her affections With her
dogmatc and almost oracuar tendencies, 1t is not
little curious to see how often her judgments are
tempered by personal sympathies. Her knowledge
of the most distinguished people of her day both in
Europe and America is probably not surpassed by
that Of any other individual. In the period Of her
freshest literary bloom. in spite of the infrmity
which made conversation task, she took singular
delight in the intercourse of society. Her impress
sions of persons always clear and positive, but
often curiously erroneous. Those who took sides
with her questions of public or philosophical III
terest, she loved to endow with imaginary perfec-
tons Their beloved heads were crowned with
purple halo of inefable splendoTs But the enemies
of her cause were to her the foes Of mankind. Her
epithets of rebuke tested the energy Of the English
language. This disposition. we apprehcnd, has been
softened with the lapse of years At least the vol
ume before us, though written i'll O stern judicial
spirit is not without the sweetness of human
charity, and shows bnt infrequent traces
of personal bitterness 1t presents a gallery
OF portraits, sketched indeed with rapid
touches often exhibiting but slight outline Of
character, but always fresh and animated, some
times highly graphic initheir expression and betray
ing wonderful versatility of taste and appreciation
as well as a rare knowledge Of personal details. If
she has written under tho influence Of private an
a. .ba al
cealed under the vai of biographical justice She has
certainly taken of her subjects trust, their
place in the public is carefully revised, and
her ultimate verdict is founded on her own conyic-
tons not current reputation. No prestige of pop
ulaTity mpairs her Judgments she Is never blinded
by the glare OF applause; she does not hesitate to
point ont spots the brightness of the sum- in many
instances she perces through the varnsh Of paus-
bic pretensions; and frankly exposes the deficiencies
of men whom she has weighed in the balance. and
found wanting.
Thus she describes Macauay as the most brilliant
rhetorcan and essayst ofhis day and generation but
as no statesman. philosopher no logclan, no law
yer He was merely one OF the accomplished scholars
who exercise the art OF making their learning avail
able from moment TO moment for the benefit OF the
multitude. Although the son of philanthropst. in
bis composition the heart was left out He had kind
life of the affections he knew only by proxy. Hence
his interpretations Of history were partial his
innate of life and character little elevated, and
his habits Of reasoning 30 unsound and illogical.
He was destitute Of the vitality which binds all the
elements Of thought in living harmony and there
fore his Judgments were superficial desultory. and
without any adequate basis. Miss Martincau repre-
sents his famous article Oh Lord Bacon in the "Edn-
buTgh Review" not only intellectually defective
but as liable grave charges I'm ethical point
view. Besides exposing his incapacity for philoso-
phy and his radical ignorance of the subject he
dertoO 20 treat il is open TO the accusation of freely
using the very materials which he disparasing,
and giving as his own large excerpts from Mr.. Mon
tagu, while loading him with contempt and rebuke
Still more severe is Miss Martineau's judgment Of
De Quincy whose moral n6rmties she places in q
painful light especially as regards his relations with
the poet Wordsworth. After contracting his fatal
habit of using opium, his existence became only a
series Of dreams. In his hungry days in London he
would neither borrow nor beg. But rs years passed
on he not only became more helpless victim to his
prominent vice. but lost all of honor and
tesy, to say nothing Of gratitude and SINGER
ity. Having written To Wordsworth in terms
Of admiration and sympathy, he received invita-
tion TO WestmOreland valley. where he finally took
mp his abode in the very cottage that had been
WordswOrths With his wife and growing family
Of children he shared largely in the hospitality and
other kind offices Of the fastidious poet. lie was
admitted 10 his household confidence and frequently
favored with substantial aid. In return for this
friendly treatment, which was certainly not called
forth by any liking for his manners, conversation, or
character he wrote series of papers exposing every
thing which he knew to the disadvantage of tho
WOrdsworths. The infirmities of one member of the
family, tho personal blemish of another, and the
human weaknesses of Wordsworth himself were
Indignantly set forth with ingenious aggrayations
for the purpose Of casting odum on the benefactors