1822-28. that this also contained many admirable things; on the folly of the partition of Poland as even greater than its wickedness, on the small wisdom of the Poles in serving Napoleon with any expectation of service in return, and on the short-sightedness of politicians in leaving morals so much behind them. "Beyond all doubt," says Kosciusko, "I am a feeble and visionary politician : "nevertheless I will venture to express my opinion that "gratitude, although it never has been admitted among "the political virtues, is one; that whatever is good in "morals is also good in politics; and that, by intro"ducing it opportunely and dexterously, the gravest of "old politicians might occasionally be disconcerted." The closing speech of this dialogue Julius Hare used to point to as a specimen of perfect rhythm, such as might have been deemed scarcely attainable in a language rather of thought than of sound such as ours is. But the great performer can make his instrument well nigh what he pleases. The eighteenth conversation, between Middleton and Magliabechi, closed the first volume; and here occurred the passages whereon contention arose between Landor and his publisher, and which were omitted in the first edition by Julius Hare. They had relation to the efficacy of prayer: but if expurgation were to be made at all, it is difficult to understand the justice of leaving in the dialogue its other reasonings and humorous illustrations directed against doctrines and practices exclusively Romish. Even Southey could see that such omissions were not exactly fair, and he declined to be a party to them. The conversation is unquestionably a powerful one, but the effect would have been greater with less offence in the tone, and there are some words spoken by Magliabechi that seem to have this objection in view. "I defended you to my superiors," he says to Middleton, "by remarking that Cicero had "asserted things incredible to himself merely for the "sake of argument, and had probably written them "before he had fixed in his mind the personages to "whom they should be attributed in his dialogues; “that, in short, they were brought forward for no other "purpose than discussion and explosion." In this was also let drop the secret of an occasional want of verisimilitude as chargeable to Landor as to Cicero. V. WHAT THE SECOND VOLUME CONTAINED. The second volume opened with a dialogue, nineteenth in the series, between Milton and Marvel, who talk of what we should hardly expect to have been their theme, but find to be quietly characteristic both of them and of the time. Government, religion, the noblest forms of human life, the highest regions of poetry,-of these Milton talked in his happier days, and his thoughts about them all, scattered over his own majestic pages, are grandly familiar to us: but here, within sound of the riot of Bacchus and his revellers, we learn what may have been his thoughts about some wiser kinds of mirth, in what he says upon the literature of comedy. His friend Andrew has in hand the design of writing one, and this raises between them interchange of thought and suggestion not only as to its forms but its province, and its principal masters among the ancient writers. Upon the points of management and plot we have a reproduction of what had been said so ingeniously by Mr. Hardcastle in his preface to the comedy of the Cha 1822-28. ritable Dowager:* and in the higher criticism we have sayings happily suggestive of Menander, whose fragments Marvel imitates in some verses; of Plautus, who for his clear insight into feeling and manners is declared by Milton to resemble Shakespeare more than any of the ancients; and of Aristophanes, to whom the praise and blame are given that would naturally arise to the lips of so severe a moralist and so great a poet. While he compares his verse to a dance of bacchanals, and admits that in his joyous glades the satyrs do not dance without the nymphs, he yet brands him with the offence beyond pardon of turning into derision what is excellent, and endeavouring to render undesirable what ought to be desired. The character and writings of the wise, Milton holds to be the only riches our posterity cannot squander; and he would punish the man who attempts to depreciate them. I will add his noble exhortation to Marvel to be ever mindful of what learning gives, and heedless of what she takes away. "O Andrew! albeit our learning raiseth up against us many enemies among the low, and more among the powerful, yet doth it invest us with grand and glorious privileges, and confer on us a largeness of beatitude. We enter our studies and enjoy a society which we alone can bring together: we raise no jealousy by conversing with one in preference to another: we give no offence to the most illustrious by questioning him as long as we will, and leaving him as abruptly. Diversity of opinion raises no tumult in our presence: each interlocutor stands before us, speaks or is silent, and we adjourn or decide the business at our leisure. Nothing is past which we desire to be present: and we enjoy by anticipation somewhat like the power which I imagine we shall possess hereafter, of sailing on a wish from world to world." The speakers in the twentieth dialogue were Washington and Franklin, who are supposed to have met *See vol. i. pp. 389-90. on the envoy's return from Paris, and between whom are exchanged experiences and thoughts that would be likely to occur at such a time: recollections of the recent struggle; comparisons of forms of government and religion; confidence in the prospects of the new world which they have created, and distrust of such arrangements of the old world as their success has left undisturbed. Washington points to where, by timely acknowledgment of error, England might "recover not "much less than she has lost ;" and thereupon are suggested certain remedies for Ireland, of which the principal four have claim upon attention even yet. They proceed in chief from Franklin, who would have middlemen abolished to check absenteeism, Irish gentlemen ennobled to encourage residence, the Protestant Establishment removed to arrest popery, and fisheries established to relieve the potato. The shrewd man of type professes no confidence in talking men; thinks that no kind of good can come from keeping the understanding at tongue's-length; and is disposed to lay no small part of England's losses on her too great reliance upon orators. "I have been present while some of them "have thrown up the most chaffy stuff two hours to"gether, and have never called for a glass of water. "This is thought the summit of ability; and he who is "deemed capable of performing it is deemed capable of "ruling the east and west." That was levelled against Pitt, and will be found to have considerable meaning in it to this day. The series had no conversation more attractive than the twenty-first for the quiet sweetness of its tone and character. Lady Jane Grey, called suddenly away from the companionship of her books to that other in which her life was wrecked, takes counsel from her tutor, 1822-28. Shaken Roger Ascham, on the duties awaiting her. by fears, the good old man strives hard to reassure himself. "Love is a secondary passion in those who "love most, a primary in those who love least. He who " is inspired by it in a high degree is inspired by hon"our in a higher." With innocent dismay she hears his sentence of banishment from her old silent friends; and, surrendering to him those that have amused her in the arbour or the gravel-walk, makes tender intercession to retain still the companionship, by her fireside and her pillow, of the four that have taught her truth and eloquence, courage and constancy. They are Cicero and Epictetus, Polybius and Plutarch. "Read them," cries Ascham; "read them on thy marriage-bed, on thy "child-bed, on thy death-bed. Thou spotless, undroop66 ing lily, they have fenced thee right well. These are "the men for men; these are to fashion the bright and "blessed creatures whom God one day shall smile upon "in thy chaste bosom. Mind thou thy husband." O, yes, she says; she will love and will obey him, and will do her best to make his home dear to him, reading to him every evening, and opening to him new worlds richer than those discovered by the Spaniard. Nay, says Ascham, "Rather do thou talk with him, ride with him, play with him, be his faery, his page, his everything that love and poetry have invented: but watch him well; sport with his fancies; turn them about like the ringlets round his cheek; and if ever he meditate on power, go toss up thy baby to his brow, and bring back his thoughts into his heart by the music of thy discourse. Teach him to live unto God and unto thee; and he will discover that women, like the plants in woods, derive their softness and tenderness from the shade." This dialogue was a great favourite with Hazlitt, whose praise of it rises to enthusiasm. |