elapsed since they were all among us, and now how few of them are left!

These sketches commenced with JOHN RANDOLPH, and as he was, in all respects, the most remarkable, and in many the most important personage of that assembly, we see no good reason why they should not end as they began.

Few men came to the Convention with a higher reputation than General ROBERT B. TAYLOR, and had he continued his services, there are, in all Many persons, knowing Mr. Randolph only probability, few who would have left it with hon- by his published speeches, and never having enors more justly deserved. His position at the joyed the opportunity of hearing or seeing him bar had long been among the highest. He was in debate, have expressed to us their astonishthe acknowledged rival of Leigh, Johnson and ment at the prominent position assigned him by Stanard, and if either of these great jurists had us. Indeed, were the judgment formed from the advantage of him in any particular, it was these alone, it would be difficult to account for so light as hardly to be perceptible. the extraordinary influence which all who reGeneral Taylor, in addition to his great ad-member the times will bear us out in asserting, vantages of talent and reputation, had another that he exerted in that body. It was our own advantage to which few of his compeers could opinion, before we saw him in the Convention, lay claim. Belonging to the old Federal party, that he had been vastly overrated, for we are he had been warmly, and upon principle, opposed willing to acknowledge that we never saw any to the war of 1812. Yet no sooner was the die thing in his previously published orations which cast than his opposition ceased at once. From struck us as indicative of extraordinary powers that moment he only thought of the mode in of oratory. The late Mr. Wickham, in a conwhich he could render his country the greatest versation with the lamented Thos. Miller, of amount of service. He had been chosen to com- Powhatan, upon the question of Mr. R.'s ability mand the troops at Norfolk, and during the whole of his service in that capacity, he manifested the zeal, the intelligence, and the activity that distinguish the able commander.

to argue (a question which we have heard debated with infinite warmth in our younger days) decided it in a very few words. "If,” said that accomplished and most fastidious critic, who Gen. Taylor was remarkable for his grace- certainly understood the exact value of words ful manner, and the finished style of his public and sentences as well as any philologist of his speeches. His person was eminently fine, and day, "the enemies of Mr. Randolph mean to say in his public speeches, he knew how to set it off that he cannot, or at least does not, build up an to the best advantage. An anecdote is related argument brick by brick as an architect puts up of him, in connexion with the late excellent, but a house, they are probably correct. But, as the eccentric and fastidious Merritt Robinson, which object of all argument is to carry a point, and as proves that he was a man of humor, and some- he must be considered the ablest reasoner who what addicted to fun. Dining with that gentle- makes the most decided impression, he must be man, who, among other peculiarities, was noted a very rash man who should refuse to accord to for a disposition to play upon words, he chanced Mr. R. reasoning powers of a very high order." to sit next to him, while another gentleman of If this view be correct, few men who have ever the name of Taylor sat upon the other side. Mr. lived have surpassed Mr. Randolph as a reasoner. R. immediately began to complain of his unfortu- No man, certainly, saw the bearing of any subnate position, being placed between two Tay-ject with more quickness, or arrived at conclulors. The General retorted that he thought the sions with a certainty more nearly resembling inTaylors far more unfortunate, inasmuch as they tuition. This faculty, indeed, was the subject of had only one goose between them. wonder, and of comment, among his contemporaGen. Taylor resigned his seat in the Conven-ries as long as he lived. Since then the end of all tion in consequence of instructions from his con- argument is to arrive at a conclusion, and since stituents which he could not conscientiously obey, he arrived at the same point by a shorter road, in a very short time after he took it. Conse- we see not the advantage of those who took the quently we are unable to say as much of him as more circuitous route, so far as the individual we have said of some others. We can say, how judgment of the speakers was concerned. The ever, that he was in every respect a noble speci- most important part of the whole matter. unmen of old Virginia. In person, in manner, and doubtedly, was the carrying along of the hearers, in intellect, he would have been an honor to her whom it was sought to bring to the same concluin her brightest and palmiest days. In honor, sion. And here, it must be admitted, that the in courage, and in humanity, he was a credit not brilliant illustrations employed by Mr. R. were only to her but the human species. Alas that so far better calculated to enlist the attention, and few are left like the men of that golden period of even to convince the judgment, than the labored Virginia's greatness. logic of his more formal contemporaries. A sin

gle observation frequently upset from the very in any assembly of the world-were members of foundation, an entire structure, formed of the most that Convention. To say that Mr. Randolph undisputed syllogisms that any system of logic controlled the large majority of those who comcould afford. A single ludicrous remark sufficed posed his own party, as absolutely as the moon to expose a formal logician to so much ridicule regulates the motions of the tide, were to use a that his premises and conclusions, though as le- figure scarcely too bold for the occasion. The gitimate as truth itself, fell at once into contempt. boldest and most impassioned speakers, in the By every one of these master-strokes, Mr. R. loftiest flights of their oratory, turned their eyes advanced the object he had in view. There are to watch his approving nod, and seemed to catch formalists, no doubt, who would scorn any but inspiration from his recognition. He was like the the regular means of carrying the strong fortress musical Director, in the midst of an immense orof a regularly built argument, as there are pa- chestra. The players and the instruments seem tients who had rather be killed by a doctor with to obey the slightest motion of his hand. He a diploma in his pocket, than cured by a Thom- gives the signal for those on his right, and insouian. Such persons will never admire Mr. stantly a strain of the most delightful music enRandolph's method of conducting a discussion, sues; he motions to his left, and the horns and or admit that the many Parliamentary victories clarionets take it up, where it has been left by which he gained were legitimate. They are like the violins and flutes. He makes a rapid perthe old Austrian officer, who complained that pendicular movement, and a loud crash, the uniBonaparte had entirely destroyed the science of ted thunder of the entire orchestra, ensues. He. war, by fighting a battle every day for a week at is the very embodiment of all the harmonies, and a time, instead of taking one good fight accord- so was Mr. Randolph. It must be recollected ing to rule, and then resting for the rest of the too, that the persons over whose movements he campaign. If such men were military engineers exercised such undisguised control, were not they would turn up their noses at the exploit of mere sycophants or tools in his hand. They Rooke, who, with a few English sailors, surpri- were high-spirited gentlemen-men of talents and sed Gibraltar and got into it before the enemy acquirements-the very flower of the Old Dominwas aware of his presence, instead of taking it ion. They yielded the supremacy, not from any by regular approaches, forgetting that under such selfish fear or puerile admiration, but, as it ap circumstances its strength was sufficient to have peared to us, from the same impulse that enables defied the united artillery of the world. It is men in time of difficulty to discover and to place enough for the credit of Mr. Randolph to know, at their head the master spirit among them. It that the most powerful arguments gave way be- was the magical influence which the master mind fore his attacks, and whether his approaches were never fails to exercise upon all others, however made according to rule or not, is a matter of strong, that come within the sphere of its atsmall moment to any one but the rigid and in- traction. corrigible formalist. His method of argumenta- We would defy any man, (were Mr. Randolph tion, however, tells upon his posthumous fame, now alive and in his prime) to go to hear him for his speeches, however well reported, convey speak, with the intention of creating a disturbno idea of the effect they produced upon delivery. auce and preventing him from being heard, and If, along with very many others, we were dis- to stick to his resolution. His tall, gaunt figure, 'posed to call in question the justice of that criti- and unearthly appearance, as he rose from his cism which assigned to Mr. Randolph a high seat, instantly attracted all attention, and renplace as a man of genius, the observations which dered it impossible to make a noise. Thus much we were enabled to make during the sitting of gained, he had but to open his mouth to rivet atthe Convention, were well calculated to dispel tention upon him beyond the possibility of dievery shadow of doubt. That man is undoubt version. We have often heard persons attempt edly a great man who can, at will, control the to imitate his voice, but we have never known minds of those with whom he is associated for a any one to succeed, for it was, in fact, inimitaa given object. It may be doubted, indeed, ble. We know not how the opera people would whether there be any stronger evidence of intel-class it, for we doubt whether any of them ever lectual power. No man who watched the pro- heard any thing like it. It was higher than that ceedings of that Convention could fail to observe of men generally, yet it did not in the least parthe very extraordinary influence which Mr. Ran- take of that harsh quality which is generally dolph exercised over all its members, friends as found associated with a higher voice in persons well as foes, though in very opposite directions. of the sterner sex. On the contrary, it was as The greatest men in the whole State-men whose soft, as rich, and as delicious, as the most melnames were spread as widely as the limits of the lifluous tones of Jenny Lind, when she pours Union-men who would have been distinguished her whole soul into one of her breathing_melo

dies. Of course we speak of him only as we | frequently without discrimination. Its unconsaw him in the Convention, for we never saw trolled indulgence often made enemies of those him in any other deliberative body, and we are who were most disposed to admire his marveldisposed to think that he was more himself lous endowments, and doubtless added much to while here, than he had been elsewhere, for the bitterness of a very unhappy existence; for years. It has been said that in his unhappy mo- it is a rule, admitting of not a single exception, ments in Congress, while laboring under fits of that those who possess the power of sarcasm in violent exasperation, his voice became dry and the highest degree are most sensitive to its apharsh in the extreme. It is but justice to say, plication when they themselves become its subthat this, as far as we have been able to learn, jects. Yet there were few men who knew betwas never the case in the Convention. He ter how to soothe and flatter, when flattery and usually spoke with the greatest deliberation, his caresses became necessary to success. Indeed, left hand resting on his cane, and his right em- the very rarity with which anything pleasing ployed in giving emphasis to his words. Each came from such a quarter, rendered it doubly sentence, nay, each word, seemed to be thorough-agreeable when it did come, as the honey of ly weighed before he gave utterance to it, and it Samson's riddle may be supposed to have been was pronounced so distinctly that it was impos- the sweeter from having come out of the carcass sible to mistake it. We once saw a beautiful of a lion. Those who remember his approving hand-writing, so distinct that it could be read as easily as print, which possessed the remarkable peculiarity of having a full stop after every word. We have often thought there was some analogy between it and Mr. Randolph's style of speaking, as it presented itself to our observation in the Convention. He was not contented with making you understand the general meaning of a sentence; he made you remark every particular word that composed it, with as much clearness as though he meant to speak that one word and no other.

smiles, his nods of approbation, and the habit which he had, in the Convention, of standing half bent when one of his favourite lieutenants was speaking, stretching out his neck and pulling down the corner of his ear with his fore finger, as if to drink in every word of a golden discourse, frequently uttering some monosyllable at the same time, expressive of admiration, will understand perfectly what we mean.

LINES.

We never had any acquaintance with John Randolph, and, from all we have heard, were by no means disposed to rate his social qualities Mr. R.'s eyes exceeded in brightness and pen- very high; yet, when his corpse was brought to etration any we have ever seen in a human head. the Powhatan House, on its way to its last restThey absolutely blazed when kindled by the ex-ing place, and we among others attended while citement of debate. It was his custom to em- the burial service of the Episcopal Church was ploy very little gesticulation, his fore-finger being read, we could not help thinking that a man had used almost entirely for purposes of that sort. gone down to the clods of the valley, the like of When answering an argument, he would some- whom Virginia would never look upon again. times turn away from the occupant of the Chair and fix his eyes upon the person to whom he was replying for several seconds, without uttering a word. If accounts are to be credited, the person thus becoming the subject of his gaze was wont to feel any thing but comfortable under the scrutiny. The man was literally petrified who encountered his glance. like him who fixed his eyes upon the head of the Gorgon. Of all the persons of whom we have read in history, Voltaire alone seems to have possessed eyes of equal brilliancy, and though he would have shuddered to have been compared with the great French wit. he possessed another faculty, in common with him, and in almost an equal degree, though he manifested it with his tongue, while the Gaul gave evidence of it in his writings. We allude to the power of converting into ridicule or rendering utterly odious every thing and every body that did not exactly suit his fancy. This terrible gift, it must be acknowledged, he exercised without mercy, and

What is he charged with? What his crime?
Marry! the worst-poverty.-Old Play.

Oh! gold how it bows the human mind,
How it fetters the human soul
How everything of human kind

Seems made for its control!
And Poverty-'tis a Upas tree

And bitter the fruits that grow
On its sombre boughs-well may they be,
Its roots are watered by woe.

Oh! I looked upon one in the pride of youth
Whose heart was beating high
That heart a synonyme of truth,

The truth that spoke from his eye.
And I saw a maiden as fair as dawn

And tenderand gentleand true,

And her heart was as blithe as a bird's at morn
And pure as the morning dew.

When I heard him breath his noble love,
And I heard her trembling sigh,
And I saw her turn like a fluttered dove
In her lover's arms to lie.

She pillowed her head upon his breast,
And he calmed her maiden fears,
And he sweetly soothed her into rest,

And he kissed away her tears.

Oh! happy the youth, and happy the maid,
Good angels smiled to see

Such joy on earth, and good men prayed
Such joy might always be.

Then a cloud came over the blessed sun
And a wailing sound was heard,

And the leaves were withering one by one,-
And hushed was the song of the bird.

I looked, and lo! a serpent dire
Drew near the gentle pair,

His fangs were gold-his crest was fire,
And he poisoned all the air.

In the maiden's breast I saw him creep
And bury his fangs of gold

In her virgin heart-and I saw her weep
And writhe in his venomed fold.

In the maiden's ear I heard him hiss,
And I heard her feeble moan,

And the lips where lingered her lover's kiss
Grew pale and cold us stone.

THE SELDENS OF SHERWOOD.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

How blest the humble cotter's fate
He wooes his simple dearie;
The silly bogles wealth and state
Can never make them eerie.

O why should fate sic pleasure have
Life's dearest bands untwining;
O why sae sweet a flower as love
Depend on fortune's shining.

was a positive treat to listen to Virginia's plans for retrenchment, and to see her trying to put them in practice. The necessity for exertion that had arisen, was likewise, Arthur said, a God-send to himself, as it would develope his energies, which he felt to be fully sufficient to redeem the fortunes of fifty families. But though Arthur affected to treat the matter so lightly, he was not without his share of disturbance at these changes in his prospects, he felt sure that Mary reciprocated his attachment, but without a profession, without an independent fortune, it was no time to tell his love; not that he feared any misconstruction as to his motives from Mary, but pride, generosity, a doubt of Mrs. Lennox's approbation, alike forbade him, under present circumstances, to endeavor to win from Mary an avowal that his affection was returned.

Though Mr. Selden's fortune was ample, he had very little money at command, as his property consisted almost wholly of land and negroes, and as it was necessary to raise the money in a short time, he had no alternative but to dispose of a tract of land, as neither his conscience nor his feelings would permit him to sell his negroes, unless compelled by necessity to do so. After much deliberation it was determined to sell a valuable tract, called the Cedar Creek estate, and to move the negroes who lived on this plantation to some lands in the west, which Mr. Selden had purchased many years before, at a very low price, but which were still uncleared and unsettled. Arthur offered to lead the expedition, to superintend the settlement, and remain with them, as long as the interests of the family, and the welfare of the negroes required it.

But the idea of giving Arthur up to this wild and solitary life, for years, in the very spring time of existence, was too painful to be thought of, if any other expedient could be suggested. After much deliberation, and various plans mooted and abandoned, Charles proposed that he should visit a distant relative, a Mr. Thomas Selden, who lived at about fifty miles distance from Sherwood, explain to him the whole state of affairs, and see if he could be induced to associate himself with Arthur in this expedition, and to locate himself permanently on these lands, for a fair share of the profits. Mr. Thomas Selden was a worthy and intelligent man, but he was one of those individAs a large debt which Mr. Williams had con- uals to whom life has been a regular struggle His father died tracted, for the payment of which Mr. Selden almost from its commencement. was responsible, would shortly be due, it be- when he was scarcely more than a child, leaving came necessary to devise ways and means for a numerous family, and an estate heavily encumits settlement. Charles was summoned to the bered with debt. Education for the children family council. Arthur declared that Reginald was out of the question, except of the cheapest ought to consider their reverses as a real blessing, and most defective kind, the schools in the counfor they had waked him up wide for the first try were few, and of the most miserable sort, time for many years; and then he said too, it the teacher generally proposing to give no other

VOL. XVII-39

[Burns.

instruction than reading, writing and the first rules | some way, which prevented all intimate interof arithmetic, and sometimes the Latin Gram-course in their domestic circle. mar. As Thomas Selden was the eldest son, he Mary partly divined the real state of Arthur's assumed as soon as possible all the family cares feelings, and was wounded at the distrust of her, and responsibilities, which devolve upon the which she thought they implied, and yet, it head of a house, and worked hard to endeavor seemed to her that his pride hecame him, and she to obtain for his younger brothers more advan-respected him more highly for the energy and tages than he had himself enjoyed. But all his resolution he displayed. Still she often wished efforts were not sufficient to place the family in that he was not so much occupied, and that he a state beyond that of very moderate indepen- might not be able to exert so much self-command dence, and after his mother's death, his share of in withdrawing himself from her society; and the property was just enough to give him a start occasional doubts as to whether he indeed loved in life. He made a love match early in life, a her so truly as she once believed he did, would step of which he never repented, although the sometimes obtrude themselves painfully, so that necessity for exertion was continually increasing, she found it impossible always to preserve the from the demands of a continually increasing same manner towards Arthur, which she had family, yet his wife was so truly a helpmate, that done hitherto. he was never tempted to repine at any difficulties, in which she took so large a share with so much affection and cheerfulness. One of his brothers, too, died a few years after his marriage, leaving a young family almost entirely destitute. as his habits had always been improvident; and Mr. Thomas Selden increased his exertions, to endeavor to supply their necessities. In these worthy endeavors, he had often received aid from Mr. Selden of Sherwood, not only in wise and kind counsels, but by valuable presents, and though the distance at which the families lived, and the constant occupation of Mr. Thomas Selden's time, prevented much intercourse, a very friendly feeling subsisted between them, accompanied in the case of Thomas Selden by strong sentiments of gratitude.

Charles Selden thought it would be for the interest of all parties, if Mr. Thomas Selden could be prevailed on to locate himself upon these Western acres, and superintend their clearing and cultivation for a fair share of the profits, and a portion of the land, though it was resolved eveu in the event of his consent to this proposition, that Arthur should accompany the expedition, and remain for the first year to assist in making the settlement, and also to lessen the reluctance of the negroes to a removal, and give them time to become accustomed to the dominion of a new master. This plan met with Mr. Selden's entire approbation, and Charles set out the next day to visit his cousin, and conduct the negotiation of this matter with him.

An evident change came over both Arthur and Mary, which they daily felt more painfully, and yet they found it more and more impossible to resume a natural manner towards each other. To open, generous natures such as theirs, accustomed to manifest the genuine feelings of their hearts, constraint is especially oppressive, and they both felt it almost insupportable.

Day after day wore away, and Charles, who could not be longer absent from home, wrote to inform his father of the result of his negotiation with Mr. Thomas Selden. This gentleman had not yet decided whether to accept the proposal, but Charles hoped that he would ultimately determine on doing so,-when the decision was made, Thomas Selden would come himself to Sherwood to acquaint his cousin with his determination. Meantime all was suspense, and it was impossible to resist its dispiriting influence.

After a day in which Mary had tried vainly to seem very cheerful, towards the close of the evening, she suddenly remembered a volume of Dryden's Works, in which he had been reading a of herself for having stopped in the middle of few days previously, and saying she was ashamed

such a tale as Palemou and Arcite, reading it too for the first time, she went to the library in search of the book. She was surprised at her entrance to find Arthur, whom she thought was out of the house, as had lately been his wont at this time of the evening. He was seated at a table, with a book before him, but his eye was not even glancing at its contents, and there was a thoughtful and even sad expression in his countenance, Arthur felt now restless. uncomfortable, re- such as Mary had never seen it wear before, until strained in Mary's presence, and found no relief within the last three or four weeks. Mary started from these sensations, but in continual change of a little at seeing him; her first impulse was to place and employment, and Mary felt this change draw back as the thought arose in her mind that in his manner painfully; there were no more Arthur might suppose she had been aware of his pleasant walks, or rides, or social evening par- presence there, but a second thought determined ties; there was always some imperative reason her to proceed in the boldness of conscious iunothat he should go somewhere, or be employed in cence. She turned to the book shelves, and