while to write poetry; and it is to be feared that such works will attain no other description of immortality than that which arises from our reading them to no end.

Fortunately for all parties, these evils will ultimately effect their own cure, for there is in the moral and literary, as well as in the physical world, a perpetual tendency to correct partial aberration, and restore the equilibrium and fitness of things. We may descend a little lower in the prevalent character of our writings, but the incessant demand for novelty will ultimately necessitate a change, and the improvement will be sudden and great, for it will be commensurate with the previous debasement. In this point of view the worse we are, the better we shall speedily become; and therefore did I advance the seeming paradox, that the better founded were the objections of our censurers and critics, the greater was the ground for present congratulation and future hope. What! has Pegasus got the glanders because he is changing his coat; is Minerva's owl dying of the pip because it is moulting; is the snake, the emblem of immortality, moribund when he periodically casts his skin; is there to be no more Spring time because of the dark and fruitless winter; is the moon going to be extinguished because it is suffering a partial eclipse? No! these periods of apparent sickliness and decay are but the harbingers of a brighter, more glorious, and more vigorous existence. It is always the darkest just before daybreak; and the greater the alleged obscuration of our existing literature, the more near and the more certain is its emergence into a sphere that will be pure, exalted, and radiant, in exact proportion to the previous gloom. H.

LINES TO EDWARD LYTTON BULWER ON THE BIRTH

OF HIS CHILD.

My heart is with you, Bulwer, and pourtrays
The blessings of your first paternal days;
To clasp the pledge of purest holiest faith,

To taste one's own and love-born infant's breath,
I know, nor would for worlds forget the bliss.
I've felt that to a father's heart that kiss,
As o'er its little lips you smile and cling,
Has fragrance which Arabia could not bring.

Such are the joys, ill mock'd in ribald song,

In thought, ev'n fresh'ning life our life-time long,
That give our souls on earth a heaven-drawn bloom;
Without them we are weeds upon a tomb.

Joy be to thee, and her whose lot with thine,
Propitious stars saw Truth and Passion twine!
Joy be to her who in your rising name

Feels Love's bower brighten'd by the beams of Fame!
I lack'd a father's claim to her-but knew
Regard for her young years so pure and true,
That, when she at the altar stood your bride,

A sire could scarce have felt more sire-like ride.

T. CAMPBELL.

ADVERTISEMENTS EXTRAORDINARY.

IN the improvements which have taken place of late years in allthings moral, and material, in London, nothing tends oftener to surprise and yet oftener to bewilder those who possess a laudable curiosity as to the meaning of things, than the style and phraseology of the advertisements which occur in the public prints; and, as a straw will show the direction of the wind quite as well as a church weathercock, when it does condescend (like the Bishop of) to alter its long-fixed opinions upon a subject, I look not to the leading article of a leading journal,--the severe and biting commentary on men and things of an atrabilious scribe, who, investing himself with the garb of a censor, is content with denouncing where he cannot improve the morals and manners of the age; but I turn to its advertisements, where popular wants and popular desires are best indicated, and whence, consequently, the character of public taste can best be derived. They do more, however, than merely express the variations of fashion and the caprice of ton; for in my researches I have discovered much of erudition - things that are new in science and in art, and of which we had scarcely dreamed before; and thus, like French, the Irish barrister, I can, from new, and unknown sources, afford instruction and amusement to a dull and ignorant world. No one can entertain more respect for the talent and genius of a Brunel, a Dodd, or a Rennie, than I do: the meed of public approbation and popular applause has been freely, if not justly, accorded them, and their fame will long live in their works: but in the construction of bridges it is evident they have (like my Lord Ellenborough in all things) much, very much, to learn-if they but permit one otherwise ignorant in such matters, to call their attention to an advertisement now lying before me. "The Royal Clarence Bridge," which it is now proposed to erect, will most certainly differ toto ponte from all its predecessors in character, if the public notice given of it to the world may be at all relied upon; and it is reported that, upon receiving the annunciation, the French Institute has been most grievously puzzled as to the nature of the professed edifice : nay, nearly as much so as my Lord Eldon when the Duke concocted an Administration without ever having appealed to him on the subject. "The daily transit of the neighbouring bridge for twelve hours in the day-time having been accurately ascertained." In quoting the words of the advertisement, I am sadly at a loss to know who this moveable friend of the Royal Clarence may be-can it be the City Alderman, or the old Goldsmith ?—it is difficult to say. However, let that pass, and let us proceed to the notice itself, which concludes with the gratifying assurance "that the transit of the new bridge will be greater"—of course in the day-time only. The night transit will not be visible. A transit of more than twelve hours, however, is certainly enough to content us; but I hope that, for the purpose of gratifying foreign curiosity, the gentlemen of the press will not forget to be present when "the Royal Clarence" condescends to make its first transit; and, perhaps, when the Times and Chronicle have a place to spare, they will deign to inform us who the lively neighbour of the new bridge may be. All that I can say is, that it is passing strange; but, certainly, you Londoners are an improving people.

Sept.-VOL. XXIII. NO. XCIII.

P

But this is not the only freak of architectural genius I find; for, in the same newspaper, there is the following confounded and confounding advertisement: and had it been derived from Miss Edgeworth's Essay on Irish Bulls, I should have given it up in despair— but as it emanates from an English literary character (by the way, I see it is a Bull too that prefers it), and in a London journal, I really am content, that in the only point the Irish could pretend to excel us, an English Bull has left all theirs far behind. There must be something in it, no doubt. So, instead of the old vulgar custom of teasing the readers of Miscellanies with inexplicable charades and riddles, I shall just give it to them as it stands, to make the best they can of it." New Public Subscription Library, formerly the Banking-house removed:" if the Banking-house be really and bona fide removed, the New Public Subscription Library, I would respectfully suggest, cannot have been formerly the said Banking-house; or if it be so, it cannot have removed. Now, in this "Yes and No" business, I will just adopt the words of its author, Lord Normanby, and call upon the Honourable Bull to explain-only entreating that his explanation may be somewhat more to the purpose than that which his Lordship had the fortune to obtain; or the explanation may be deemed somewhat more difficult of comprehension, and little less of a bull, than the advertisement itself.

L

66

In medicine, too, I perceive we are (to use a new-coined term) rapidly progressing." Certainly, the late meeting of the College of Physicians, in which the lamentable state of ignorance of the profession seems largely admitted, and the opinion of foreign practitioners, in regard to the extent of medical science in England, might lead us to doubt the fact; but I am one of those who put but little faith in the words of doctors, even when they speak to their own disadvantage, and it is more pleasant and profitable to recur to one of rank and family (even if both be Hibernian) in approval of my statement. Here is a letter from a scion of the noble house of Aldborough to Mr. Rowland, the ingenious inventor, I believe, of a specific for-for what is it not a specific?-and, although to the excessive prejudice of our national revenue, the low-born and ignorant may be disposed to denominate his generous and beneficial exertions as sheer quackery, it is better, far better to rely with confidence on the assurance of such as birth and education have better fitted to ascertain their character and effect. The Lord Viscount Amiens thus writes: "Your inestimable medicine"-There is à commencement sufficient to render mute all would-be detractors of the specific! Your inestimable medicine has been the means of restoring my infant child under circumstances the most unparalleled." We must allow something to the superlativeness of modern style; if we can, satisfy a legitimate curiosity, as to what these "most unparalleled circumstances" may be. Read on then, and the secret is out at once, "having the first medical advice." I wish his Lordship had given us the terrific nomenclature of " the most unparalleled circumstances." A circumstance was but lately the dandy designation of “an event" in the fashionable world: hereafter whatever may occur of an 66 unparalleled character" had better be termed a doctor-a Halford, a Latham, a Heberden, or a Nevinson; and when they presume to prescribe, just give them Lord Amiens's Rowland for their Oliver..

"We have all, haply, heard of Doctor (not a circumstance, but the schoolmaster,) Busby's dignity of character: and it is delightful to observe that the more modern professors of education are as tenacious as the birch-loving Dominie of the olden time; and, at least those of London, are not disposed to resort to the meaner arts which characterize other professions in their feeble attempts at the attainment of fame and riches. Here is an application for scholars by advertisement. "A Doctor of Laws," in stating that his notice on the subject will not be repeated, observes-" a newspaper being too expensive, and the advertiser cannot descend to puff." What a dignified style is this! really, Mr. Hume, I would advise you to take a lesson or two from the Doctor of Laws. His instruction in "cannon" law might be most serviceable to you, Sir Edward Codrington; and his civil law not wholly thrown away upon you, Mr. Attorney, as Lord Eldon delighted, and Sir Nicholas dislikes, to term you.

The fine arts amongst us are, however, worse off, I fear, or at least the professors of them, if we may judge of poor Haydon; but I must say that I really think he has been most deservedly treated. In a number of the "Literary Gazette" of last year, is the following account of a transaction, which with whatever levity and coolness it may be narrated, would in better times have made us shudder with fear and disgust in its perusal. Unwillingly I copy it. "Lord Mulgrave's fine and spirited picture of Haydon's Assassination of L. Dentatus' has been engraved.' Well it might be!" Who the unfortunate Mr. L. Dentatus was, I know not. The Newgate Calendar gives me no information. It does not even appear that a coroner's inquest was summoned to sit on the body of the wretched man; or that justice was invoked against his murderer.

The next advertisement I meet with is in the Times Newspaper of the 18th of March last; and it excited in me no less astonishment than delight. I must say that as far as his general policy is concerned, I have little to admire in the Duke of Wellington; but, if he reduce the expenses of Government, he will deserve better of his country than even at the battle of Waterloo. With the best intentions, it was to be expected that his prejudices might lead him to spare the army in the execution of his promised measures of reform; it was therefore the more "refreshing" to read, in right prominent and most distinguished characters," His Majesty's Regiment of Royal Horse-Guards to be sold." There was something that followed about horses certainly, but I was too much gratified with the principal fact announced to enter into the details. Now, this is certainly doing the business effectually. No puff, no ostentation, no answering "the noble Lord on the opposite side with an assurance that his Majesty's Government has adopted measures,” and all that stuff we have heard the last thirty years; but here they are brought at once to the hammer and knocked on the head-" going, going, gone!" and one scratch of the pen erases them for ever from the Army List, and relieves the country of their charge. Then there's the perfect impartiality of the thing. It is not the extinguishment of some miserable skeleton of a wasted West India corps, or a regiment so completely what is termed cracked, that it will no longer hold together, but the Blues, the King's favourite corps-colonel, kettle-drums, and allall off at a swoop. Besides, in the way of economy, what an admirable

expedient! Had they been reduced in the old-fashioned way, there would have been a pension for one, half-pay for others, a job-sale of horses and equipments, producing one and a quarter per cent on their real value; but here they are despatched in the lump; sold, turned over to the best bidder, Rothschild, King Ferdinand, the Prince of Hesse Hombourg, or whoever he may be; we pocketing the purchasemoney, and getting rid of all charges, military or civil, at once. They are a fine body of men, I must say, these same Blues, if they be not yet sold; but we must not gratify our taste at the expense of our honesty we must first pay our debts. Your Grace's conduct will call for the gratitude of the present and all future generations.

In natural history I always deemed we had yet much to learn, and the recent expeditions to Africa, the Pole, and the New American States, have fully confirmed me in the idea. I have ever read the account of the mole with interest, and foolishly enough deemed myself somewhat acquainted with its form, qualities, and attributes; but we are just as blind as the animal itself has been said to be, and I do think Mr. Lloyd, the hat-maker, should have commanded more attention for his extraordinary discoveries than he yet seems to have done; but as the Royal Society has had a complete clearing out,-president, secretaries, and all, let us hope he will yet be duly noticed in the " Philosophical Transactions," and that the jealousy and unfairness once displayed to John Dundas Cochrane may not exist to the unworthy prejudice of Mr. Lloyd. "Lloyd's napped beaver-hats:" be patient, and you shall have it, "like a mole's back with consolidated cork linings." How beautifully has Nature provided for the wants of this creature; how admirably the effect of any Thames-tunnel affair, in its process of mining, is guarded against by a contrivance so simple and at the same time so natural. A mole's back with "consolidated cork linings;"-not like other consols, sinking in times of peril and of danger; but here the greater the danger the higher they rise. Oh! Mr. Goulburn, pray think of it! for if ever your consols had need of cork linings, they will shortly have, I assure you. Indeed, Mr. Lloyd is a highly meritorious

man.

Mercantile phraseology has often furnished us amusement in novels and on the stage; but people often laugh at that they do not understand. Perhaps I am myself in "such a case," when I read in "The Times" the following extraordinary notice-" Wanted a situation in a desk." There is no accounting for tastes, certainly: but here is another-" Wanted in a counting-house, a lad of fifteen, well grounded' in arithmetic." I should have scarcely thought it worth advertising about, for there are enough to be had. Take half the University of Oxford, two-thirds of the Commons, and all the Peers, and if you do not find them all "aground" as to Cocker, as "well grounded," as the advertisement has it, as heart can wish, I'll give my head.

Man has been designated a cooking animal; but since we have been blessed with the theory of a Kitchiner, and the practical exertions of an Ude, I should have rather deemed him, what would be more to the purpose, an eating animal. Experience, however, only serves to demonstrate our ignorance-Sir William Curtis has a rival he hardly dreamed of; and we who have so lately trembled at the idea of Turkey being a bonne-bouche for Nic. may now more justly tremble for our