The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-21
Literary Notes.
BY MRS. MARGARET j. PRESTON.

NNVV w dohiu6IOu DIIoSI, DOSlOuiJ OhO VI WV
most extensive Bellies Lettres publishing houses
in the country, and one specially noted for its
well-selected English reprints. The Auto6iogra-
ply and Correspondence Of Mrs. Deldny, IN two
volumes, GA, abridged by Miss Woolsey, from
the fve-volumed English edition Of Lady Llano-
YER is work to put besides Roberts Life Of
Mss Hannah More, or Madame ID Arotay's
Fanny Burney) Diary AS Mrs. Delany was
born in the year 100, and did not die till
1788-as she was connected by birth with the
highest English aristocracy-as she was wo
man of rare beauty and accomplishments, and
in many ways model of the purest and most
exalted character in the midst of a corrupt and
irreligious age as her access to the best society
Of the realm, even to being the intimate of roy
atty itself, was exceptional and therefore she
was able to reflect in her correspondence the
spirit of her life and times; we may consider her
Autobiography exponent of the society, the
religion, the education, the morality, the cul-
ture and the domestic history of the century
through which she lived. And a strange centu-
ry it was Much more than hundred years
seem to separate our advanced civilization. our
educational progress, our fixed religious ideas,
our far higher morality, from the period of
which Mrs. Delany writes One can hardly be-
lieve that only so long ago, our sturdy English
ancestors had no truer conception of the sacred
ness of marriage than the higher classes of
French society have at the present day-a mere
matter of convenience-of bargain and sale, of
which the beautiful Mary Granville Mrs. Della
N.Y. was an illustrious example She was mar
ried at seventeen, without her own consent, to
an old man of sixty, whose only recommends
lions were that he had blue blood and good
estate. Her marriage, after many years of wild
owhood, with DIR. Delany, the Dean of Down,
was of different stamp
The state of religion during this period was
desperate. By turning to George Whitefelds
Life and Times, recently published by Messrs.
Randolph & Co., one can find picture that
bears out all Mrs. Delany has written. No
marvel that the souls of such men as the Yves
legs and Whitefeld were stirred within them, in
view of the dead formality the infdelity and
the terrible social corruption of the times =
Amidst all this, Mrs Delany carried herself with
garments undefled and the high tone of her
Letters will commend them even at the present
day. We have not the space here to glance at
the varied interest of this Autobiography.
HIS Majesty MySeL--(No Name Series
Roberts Bros. Price 81, } is professedly Novel.
published anonymously, according to the plan
of this Series. If we were allowed to venture
a guess upon the matter, we should say that its
author was the Rev William NJ Baker, who
has won literary name by his various books
Inside, d Ne,0 Timothy Carter Qoarterman, and
last, Col. Dunnoddie Millionaire, also published
without his name. The reason we call atten-
ton to the present book-His Majestv-lf,lsezf
Is, for the portraits of eminent persons which il
contains, most of them easily recognizable by all
old graduates of Princeton College and Semin-
airy. Under the disguise of "Old Orange" it is
not hard to discover Nassau Hall; and so truth
fully is the whole region of country around
Princeton reproduced, even to the boulders and
pine barrens, that one familiar with the ground
must needs read the reality of it all between the
lines. Allowing for little anachronism. manv
of the best known Professors of College and
Seminary are graphically sketched in: even
- Peter Polite looms darkly up for the reader
In the person of Caesar Corteous." Take lust
one portrait-all we have room for-and own
its truthfulness
Dr. Stormworth, the most ponderous as well
as the most learned of Professors and divines had
been upon his solitary walk and was coming
back along side street He was of immense
build, intellectually and physically A sermon
from him was like listening to military music
upon some of the more enthusiastic it had al
most the effect of brandy But never under anv
circumstances, did the Doctor associate with any
one. His divinity was of the kind that doth
hedge king. He smote in his lectures. popes
false philosophers, heretcs of all sorts, and his
audience could sympathse with the smitten. so
often had his lightning struck nearer home
Next to hearing him preach, it was an event to
meet the Doctor on the street l say, 1.-THE stu
dent who did so, was sure to remark to the next
man he metz / passed DR.. Stormworth on the
sidewalk to day. You did and what did he
say was generally the sarcastic reply. The
Doctor Is grand old fellow, lone of the drama
Us persona IS made to say) with lady like a
Titan, and his round head always reminds me of
the globe. Imagine Vandoren standing before
hlm' a mere wisp of a fellow, thin, stopping.
long halred,-one Of those men who live on
brown-bread and religious biography-not that
that can conquer the world, but the whimper-
lngs OF dyspepsia. They say the Doctor was &C
tgally kind to the poor fellow, and told him he
ought to 60 oft and hunt and fish for a while
Il like him because he is such a powerful man
-as a man. lie began the moment he got into
the pulpit he had a certain business 10 do and
ne stood up and did it, 1t was a sermon To see
such magnificent man Hestood there broad
as barn, vigorous in every nerve and rnuscla
ss prize fighter What grandeur in sucb a
head! 1T Is great advantage to him that he
e. rrfr.. De- - IL