Causes which were most likely to have drawn my new neighbours to this quiet spot. "Are they," thought I," members of Parliament, come here to study what they are to say on some important question? Are they lovers, seeking retirement to descant to each other on the charms of Their mistresses? Are they husbands, afraid to face their wives? Are they"--but all my conjectures were put to flight by the first sentence which reached my ear.

"Well, Tom," said one," your plot is well laid; but I think you will have some difficulty in disposing of Berkley."

46

Oh, not at all,” replied Tom; "I propose sending him to one of the West Indian Islands, and there are too many ways there of stopping a man's breath, for me to be at any loss."

66

less, now knocked me down. The police interfered, however, and set me on my legs. I was still as bold as could be. "I charge these two men," said I, " Tom and Bob, other names unknown, with conspiring the death of sundry individuals; and I command you," I continued, turning to the policemen," to carry them before a magistrate, when I shall substantiate the charge." At this Bob and Tom affected the most perfect amazement, and treated the accusation with the greatest scorn. The mob, however, took part with me, the uproar increased, and the policemen carried us all before Sir Richard Birnie.

The appearance of Bob and Tom at Bow Street seemed to occasion some surprise, and Sir Richard, who appeared to know them, looked confounded on hearing the report of the policemen. “Gentlemen,” said he, “this is a most extraordinary affair. I scarcely expected to see you before me on such an occasion."—" You could not expect it less than we did," answered Bob. "It is not to be borne, that gentlemen are to be pelted by a mob, and dragged here, "Heaven and earth," thought I," what atrocious vil-like felons, on the bare assertion of a scurvy, half-drunk lains are here! What Duke are they speaking of? What Berkley do they allude to?"-I had no time for farther reflection.

“Is his death absolutely necessary ?" asked the other. Undoubtedly," ," answered Tom, " for you know the Duke has sworn that Julia shall never marry Villiers, so long as Berkeley is alive."

"True, true," said the other, "he must certainly be put out of the way; but I think your sending him to the West Indies is a clumsy mode of getting rid of him. Could you not kill him in a duel ?"

tailor."-"I am not a tailor, Master Bob," I replied; "I aman honest maker of saddles."—"I wish you had learned to put them on the right horse," answered Bob, as bold as brass. "Sir Richard, I presume we may retire ?"" If you let them go, it will be at your own peril," said I. "Gentlemen," said Sir Richard, “have a moment's patience, and we shall soon settle this business. You, fellow, state your charge."—" By your leave, Sir Richard, I will first say a few words, which will make their consciences fly in their face. Hark ye, Master Bob and Master Tom, other names unknown, look at me."—" Well!" answered Bob, we do look at you, and see nothing but a half"I cannot consent to that," answered Bob; "I don't starved wretch, in a suit of clothes not worth eighteenlike the expedient."

"Nothing could be more easy, my dear Bob," replied Tom; "but as I dismissed Spenser to the other world, with a bullet for his passport, I would rather try another mode. I think I shall have him murdered by a slavedriver."

"Like it or not," said Tom, angrily, “ I am not aware that it is necessary to ask your consent in the matter."

pence."-" If I took in hand certain jobs, and shared the cash like some people,” replied I, staring them full in the face, "I might have had a better coat on my back. You "Did we not agree to do the thing between us, and to take me, Master Bob?"—" I take you for an insolent divide the cash?" asked his companion. "You are in-scoundrel!" said Bob, in a rage. "No more of this," said experienced in these matters, but I have put a good many such jobs through my hands already.”

Imagine the dismay with which I listened to this horrid dialogue! My head swam; my blood ran cold; I crept close to the tree, afraid even to draw my breath. "Well, well," said Tom, “don't let us fall out about it; Berkeley shall die some way or other. I am glad you think well of the plot. Our employer will surely be satisfied, seeing there are three Dukes, seven Marquises, and nineteen Earls, engaged in it. The deuce is in it, if that won't content him !"

"Yes,"

your

Sir Richard; "but state distinctly your charge."—" I charge them with conspiring the death of a gentleman of the name of Berkeley, and of his most gracious Majesty William the IVth." At this, Bob and Tom stared at each other, and Sir. Richard looked confounded. I continued, turning to the culprits, “I overheard ́y murderous schemes; and, you monster of iniquity! you swore to assassinate the king! And what harm has Berkeley done you, that he should be murdered by a slavedriver? You boasted that your plot was well laid ; but con fess, ruffians, who are the three Dukes, the seven Mar"Thunder and lightning !" said I to myself, "it is plain quises, and the nineteen Earls, who are engaged in it ?" that some awful conspiracy is hatching. Is the town to At this, the hardened wretches burst into such a shout be barut? Is the House of Commons to be blown up?" of laughter as made the roof ring. Peal followed peal; "When Berkeley is done for," continued Bob, “Vil-though I saw plainly that this was done to gain time to liers will marry Julia. They will be presented at Court, concert some story to palm upon Sir Richard. At length, and then comes the grand catastrophe. We there assassi-Master Bob owned that he and his companion had cernate William." tainly been in St James's Park that night, and that they My brain whirled; I could scarcely credit my senses; had sat for some time under a tree; but that the converand it was only after pinching my arm that I could be-sation I had overheard related entirely to the personages in lieve I was awake. "Is it possible," thought I, "that these ruffians could coolly plot the death of our gracious sovereign under the very nose of his palace? Desperadoes that they are! But the King shall live, and Berkeley shall not be murdered by a slave-driver, if.I can help it!" They had by this time left the bench, and were walking towards town. Fired with indignation, I hastened after them, guided by the sound of their footsteps. As there was no creature near to assist me in securing them, I resolved not to attempt it till help was at hand. Step by step I followed them, till they reached Charing-cross, when, suddenly springing forward, I seized Bob by the collar, and called out "Help, help! they are murderers!" A crowd immediately gathered round, and Tom, instead of running away, stood stock-still. "I charge you all, in the king's name," said I, "to secure these two desperate ruffians!" Bob, who had at first remained motion

a novel which he and his companion were writing jointly, and that this was the plot they alluded to! Master Tom, ta king this hint, chimed in with the story; and they so bamboozled Sir Richard, that the good simple man dismissed the charge, adding a few remarks, so little complimentary to me, that I must stand excused for not setting them down. "Sir Richard," said I, solemnly, "you are imposed upon;

these rogues are too much for you; but since you are pleased to let loose Master Bob and Master Tom, other names unknown, I wash my hands."-" When your, hand is in, you had better wash your face," remarked Master Bob; and this was the last I saw of Master Bob and Master Tom, other names unknown.

first volume of a History of British India, by the Rev. G. R. Gleig-has as yet taken place here to express to the French people their adthe work is to extend to three volumes.

by which we take cognizance of the acts of the mind. He seems to be totally destitute of the power of observing mental phenomena; and when obliged to enter into disquisitions therewith connected, he uniformly substitutes high-sounding expressions for ascertained facts. He has no feeling of the beautiful: what he mistakes for that emotion, is high excitement of any kind. He is not susceptible (except in a mere organic way) of the pleasurable emotions excited by sounds and colours, or their various arrangements; or of the peculiarity about virtuous conduct, by which it leaves upon the mind an impression analogous to that resulting from the contemplation of beautiful objects. These emotions appertain to the mind alone, and have no reference to our own personal comfort or discomfort. But that alone is beautiful in Mr Galt's apprehension of the word, which excites a reaction on his physical frame-love, hatred, and the like. He stands in the same relation to a person possessed of a fine taste, that one whose palate is naturally, or in consequence of dissipated habits, assured against all excitement save that caused by ardent spirits, does to the man capable of discriminating and relishing the more delicate sorts of wine. Lastly, in regard to his power of appreciating character, and detecting the delicate ties which link man to man, his penetration is in the one instance but skin-deep, and in the other capable of seizing only the most gross and palpable links. His delineations of character convey only the external show, without giving any hint of the mind within. Hence, his power of representing it is confined to the comparatively narrow range of that class of society, which, sufficiently raised above the labourer to have a feeling of its own importance, stands too low in respect of education and experience to have its mind expanded or its manners formed. In other words, his forte lies in the description of vulgar characters of the apes of gentility, or, at best, of commonplace people. He can draw the provost of a small burgh, or a Glasgow nailer, but it is only in so far as their station in society has superinduced certain peculiarities upon them. Galt, in short, is not a Shakspeare, who can lay bare to us the deepest feelings of the soul; he is merely a clever mimic, who can take off the awkward habits of his friends. A mind thus constituted in regard to metaphysical discernment, appreciation of the beautiful, and comprehension of character, is far too low to grapple with such a subject as Byron.

cies.

phical error in Mr Galt's work, it is impossible to fix the date.) The remainder of their intercourse consisted of the occasional interchange of the presentation copy of a work, or of a complimentary letter. The only remark that we make upon this account of the acquaintance between Lord Byron and his biographer is, that it was sufficient for picking up a few stray anecdotes, but not for fathoming so deep and wayward a character.

There is, however, yet another question, to which none of those (be they prophets of the future, or preachers of the past) who have as yet made Mr Galt's book the theme of their harangues, have seen fit to advert. Even allowing that Mr Galt had been (and it is evident that he was not) a confidential friend of Lord Byron, the principal advantage thence accruing to him in his capacity of biographer, would have been such a knowledge of his habits and opinions, as would have served the purpose of a touchstone whereby to test the value of anecdotes communicated to him by third parties. He must still have had recourse to others for the narrative of that portion of Byron's life which was not passed in his company. But, situated as he was, the great bulk of his story must have been received at second hand. The question then arises whence has he received his information? To this enquiry, however, we can return no satisfactory answer; for, except in the case of one or two quotations from Mr Moore's work, the citation of a letter from some nameless friend, at present resident in Edinburgh, one reference to Mr Hobhouse's authority, one to that of the late Dr Kennedy, and one or two anecdotes respecting scenes of which Mr Galt seems himself to have been an eye-witness, we are left entirely in the dark as to the sources of his knowledge. This would be a dreadful drawback upon any biography; but it presses with double weight upon Mr Galt, for an overwhelming majority of his statements are verbatim the same with those which have already made the round of all the journals, pilfered from that most veracious publication, Galignani's Messenger.

Incapacity, want of authentic information, a swaggering pretence of knowing more than he does these are heavy charges against an author; but we are about to follow them up with one, in comparison with which they are but as dust in the balance. Whether Mr Galt is himself conscious of the fact, we know not-the human mind has a strange power of veiling its unamiable feelings We now turn to consider the nature of those facilities from itself—but he certainly has composed his book under for prying into the peculiarities of Byron, which have the influence of a strong personal dislike to Lord Byron. been attributed to our author. We take Mr Galt's We prove this by his own words. He speaks, at the one own account of the matter. Towards the end of Au- hundred and seventeenth page, of a "singular scowl, which gust 1809, he sailed from Gibraltar to Malta, and struck me so forcibly when I first saw him, and which Lord Byron and Mr Hobhouse were on board the pack- appears to have made a stronger impression upon me than et. The passage was a short one, and Mr Galt only it did upon many others. I never, in fact, could overremained a week on the island after landing. At this come entirely the prejudice of the first impression, although time, therefore, they could not be more than a fortnight I ought to have been gratified by the confidence and in company, and during the whole period, Lord Byron friendship with which he always appeared disposed to showed an anxiety to avoid contracting any new intima- treat me.” This childish and contemptible feeling has Their next meeting was at Athens, where Mr been exasperated, we have no doubt, by the perusal of a Galt arrived on the 20th February 1810, and whence passage from Lord Byron's Diary, printed in Mr Moore's Lord Byron departed on the 4th of March. At Athens Life, which Mr Galt quotes as a proof of the noble Mr Galt accompanied Lord Byron on one or two excur-poet's "excoriated sensibility;" and which we take, in sions to some of the most remarkable spots in the neigh- conjunction with the paltry attempt which follows his bourhood. About three weeks or a month after Lord notice of it to prove Lord Byron a plagiarist, as the cause Byron's departure, Mr Galt travelled to Smyrna by a and evidence of Galt's hatred towards him. "Galt says circuitous route, and arrived there two or three days be- there is a coincidence between the first part of fore his Lordship sailed for Constantinople. Mr Galt, Bride' and some story of his, whether published or not, on returning to Athens, found, in October, not Lord I know not, never having seen it. He is almost the last perByron, but (what perhaps was as good for his purpose) son upon whom one would commit any literary larceny." It his valet, Fletcher. During the first winter after Lord appears from the passages we have just quoted, that Galt Byron returned to England, Mr Galt, we are rather was predisposed to dislike Lord Byron, that they had a disvaguely told, was frequently with him. Mr Galt left pute respecting the original authorship of part of a poem, town in the beginning of summer, and did not return and that the biographer has latelydiscovered the withertill the ensuing spring. After this, Mr Galt only saw ing contempt entertained by his hero for his literary abiLord Byron for a few occasional visits. Their last in-lities. The amiable disposition engendered by these conterview seems to have taken place some time either in the September or December of 1813, (from a typogra

• The

curring circumstances speaks out in almost every page. We cite a few examples. At page 13 Mr Galt says,

*

by it in the art of detraction." Whatever charges may be brought against the Liberal, this one at least is unfounded. Mr Galt knows right well that The Vision of Judgment, the insertion of which at the head of the first number gives a hollow semblance of foundation to his charge, was composed, and in the hands of Mr Murray, before the Liberal was started, and consequently could not be calculated upon by the editors. "His principles were objects of jealousy to the Tuscan Government; and it has already been seen, that there was a disorderliness about the Casa Lanfranchi which attracted the attention of the police." On turning back to page 245, we find that Lord Byron having been assaulted by a non-commissioned officer of hussars, his domestics rose in defence of their master, and that during the scuffle the sergeant-major was wounded by a pitchfork. The affair was investigated by the police, and Mr Galt's own remark upon the termination of the enquiry is-" The result upon these particulars was not just; all Lord Byron's Italian servants were banished from Pisa," &c. Yet, in a subsequent portion of his book, the same gentleman dares to make the assertion we have quoted above, well knowing that the generality of readers, retaining but a vague impression of what they have read, and influenced, moreover, by all the foolish calumnies which have been propagated respecting Lord Byron, must necessarily give a most sinister interpretation to the "disorderliness about the Casa Lanfranchi which attracted the attention of the police.' "Honest, honest Iago!" We could swell these examples by at least a round dozen more, but we suspect our readers have enough.

"His school-fellows, many of whom are alive, still recollect him as a lively, warm-hearted, and high-spirited boy, passionate and resentful, but withal affectionate and companionable; this, however, is an opinion given of him after he became celebrated; for a very different impression has unquestionably remained among some, who carry their recollections back to his childhood." Which being interpreted, means: "There is conflicting testimony in regard to this point, and I, out of the dear love and affection I bear to the memory of Lord Byron, rather incline to side with his detractors." The truth is, that to an unprejudiced mind the accounts are nowise incompatible; the one is that of persons who have seen him in all his moods; the other that of persons who, having seen him once and away, have encountered him in a fit of passion. Again, Mr Galt, wondering that Byron should never have mentioned Malta in his poems, suggests the following ingenious hypothesis to account for this fact :-" The silence of his muse on a topic so rich in romance, persuades me that there must have been some specific cause for the omission. If it were nothing in the duel, I should be inclined to say, notwithstanding the seeming improbability of the notion, that it was owing to some curious modification of vindictive spite. Assuredly he had met with something there which made him resolute to forget the place. The question as to what it was, he never answered-[was he ever asked?] The result-[result of what?]-would throw light into the labyrinths of his character." This is the most wanton and gratuitous as. sumption of an improper motive that we remember to have met with. The concluding remark is a curious specimen of a peculiarity of the author's mind to which We have said enough to show that Mr Galt is " almost we shall afterwards advert. "Perhaps [perhaps !] the last person" who ought to have undertaken the bioI did him injustice, but I thought he was, in that short graphy of Byron. It only remains to enquire whether space, something changed, and not with improvement. so "experienced a pen" has succeeded in getting up his Towards Mr Hobhouse, he seemed less cordial, and was materials after a workmanlike fashion. Mr Galt takes altogether, I should say, having no better phrase to ex- particular care to tell us that his object is to give a "gepress what I describe, more of a Captain Grand than im- neral view of the intellectual character of Lord Byron ;" proved his manners. I never, in the whole course that "it did not accord with his plan to enter into the of my acquaintance, saw him kithe so unfavourably as details of his private life;" that "it forms no part of the he did on that occasion. • It was too evident, that, plan of his work to repeat the gossip and tattle of private without intending any wrong, or any offence, the un- society." We confess that we do not clearly see how any checked humour of his temper was, by its caprices, cal- person's intellectual character can be represented otherculated to prevent him from ever gaining that regard to wise than by a narrative of his sayings and doings-and which his talents and freer moods, independently of his in the case of Lord Byron, who never was a public charank, ought to have entitled him. Such men become ob- racter, except in his capacity of poet, we do not see jects of solicitude, but never of esteem." About half a wherein a narrative which shall exclude the details of his page farther on, we find the following passage: "A letter private life, possibly can differ from a mere criticism of to his mother, written a few days before my arrival at his works. Indeed we have not the least doubt that Mr Smyrna, throws some light on the sources of his un- Galt is entirely of our opinion, and that his disclaimers satisfied state. He appears by it to have been disap-are merely thrown out as an apology for his work's bar→ pointed of letters and remittances from his agent." renness of anecdote, because we see that whenever he And again---“ It is easy to conceive that the false dig-gets hold of a new story, however trifling, and of however nity he assumed, and which seemed so like arrogance, doubtful authority it may be, he is sure to introduce it. was the natural effect of the anxiety and embarrass- Still, from the poverty of his materials, he is under ment he suffered, and of the apprehension of a per- the necessity of making his book, in reality not a bioson of his rank being, on account of his remittances,graphy, but a long-running commentary on Byron's exposed to require assistance among strangers." This is a just and natural interpretation; why then does Mr Galt allow his first inference to remain blackening the character of Lord Byron? A solitary instance (Mr Galt "never saw him kithe so unfavourably as on that evening") is not enough to warrant the sweeping charge founded upon it; and even this instance is abandoned as untenable, while the accusation is maliciously left upon record. We add only two more instances of Mr Galt's liberal and unprejudiced appreciation of Lord Byron's character. "There is no disputing the fact, that his lordship, in conceiving the plan of the Liberal, was actuated by sordid motives, and of the basest kind, inasmuch as it was intended that the popularity of the work should rest upon | satire; or, in other words, on the ability to be displayed

An English critic says, this word will puzzle some of Mr Galt's southern, we know it has puzzled some of his northern, readers. Why, this is affectatious!"

works, interspersed and enlivened occasionally with little
anecdotes of the author, and just as often with anecdotes
of the critic himself. We have already discussed the
groundwork of Mr Galt's critical character, and shall
now only advert hastily to two of its minor features.
The first shows itself in his definition of a great poet .-
"The London Gazette does not tell us things more like
facts than the narratives of Homer, and it often states
facts that are more like fictions than his most poetical
inventions. So much is this the case with the works of
all the higher poets, that as they recede from that world-
ly standard which is found in the Epics of Homer, they
sink in the scale of poets." It is curious to see the per-
tinacity with which he persists in trying Byron's poems
by this standard. The poet's works stand high in Mr
Galt's estimation, in proportion as they are exact tran-
scripts of the persons and scenery described in them.
Imagination, fancy, passion, go for nothing with him—

1