Atlength,inreturnforallthemiserywhichshehadundergone,andforthehealthwhichshehadsacrificed,anannuityofonehundredpoundswasgrantedtoher,dependentontheQueen’spleasure。
  Thentheprisonwasopened,andFranceswasfreeoncemore。
  Johnson,asBurkeobserved,mighthaveaddedastrikingpagetohispoemontheVanityofHumanWishes,ifhehadlivedtoseehislittleBurneyasshewentintothepalaceandasshecameoutofit。
  Thepleasures,solonguntasted,ofliberty,offriendship,ofdomesticaffection,werealmosttooacuteforhershatteredframe。ButhappydaysandtranquilnightssoonrestoredthehealthwhichtheQueen’stoiletteandMadameSchwellenberg’scard—tablehadimpaired。Kindandanxiousfacessurroundedtheinvalid。Conversationthemostpolishedandbrilliantrevivedherspirits。Travellingwasrecommendedtoher;andsherambledbyeasyjourneysfromcathedraltocathedral,andfromwatering—
  placetowatering—place。ShecrossedtheNewForest,andvisitedStonehengeandWilton,thecliffsofLyme,andthebeautifulvalleyofSidmouth。ThenceshejourneyedbyPowderhamCastle,andbytheruinsofGlastonburyAbbeytoBath,andfromBath,whenthewinterwasapproaching,returnedwellandcheerfultoLondon。
  Thereshevisitedherolddungeon,andfoundhersuccessoralreadyfaronthewaytothegrave,andkepttostrictduty,frommorningtillmidnight,withasprainedankleandanervousfever。
  AtthistimeEnglandswarmedwithFrenchexiles,drivenfromtheircountrybytheRevolution。AcolonyoftheserefugeessettledatJuniperHall,inSurrey,notfarfromNorburyPark,whereMr。Lock,anintimatefriendoftheBurneyfamily,resided。
  FrancesvisitedNorbury,andwasintroducedtothestrangers。Shehadstrongprejudicesagainstthem;forherToryismwasfarbeyond,wedonotsaythatofMr。Pitt,butthatofMr。Reeves;
  andtheinmatesofJuniperHallwereallattachedtotheconstitutionof1791,andwerethereforemoredetestedbytheroyalistsofthefirstemigrationthanPetionorMarat。ButsuchawomanasMissBurneycouldnotlongresistthefascinationofthatremarkablesociety。ShehadlivedwithJohnsonandWindham,withMrs。MontagueandMrs。Thrale。Yetshewasforcedtoownthatshehadneverheardconversationbefore。Themostanimatedeloquence,thekeenestobservation,themostsparklingwit,themostcourtlygrace,wereunitedtocharmher。ForMadamedeStaelwasthere,andM。deTalleyrand。TheretoowasM。deNarbonne,anoblerepresentativeofFrencharistocracy;andwithM。deNarbonnewashisfriendandfollowerGeneralD’Arblay,anhonourableandamiableman,withahandsomeperson,franksoldierlikemanners,andsometasteforletters。
  TheprejudiceswhichFranceshadconceivedagainsttheconstitutionalroyalistsofFrancerapidlyvanished。ShelistenedwithrapturetoTalleyrandandMadamedeStael,joinedwithM。
  D’ArblayinexecratingtheJacobinsandinweepingfortheunhappyBourbons,tookFrenchlessonsfromhim,fellinlovewithhim,andmarriedhimonnobetterprovisionthanaprecariousannuityofonehundredpounds。
  HeretheDiarystopsforthepresent。Wewill,therefore,bringournarrativetoaspeedyclose,byrapidlyrecountingthemostimportanteventswhichweknowtohavebefallenMadameD’Arblayduringthelatterpartofherlife。
  M。D’Arblay’sfortunehadperishedinthegeneralwreckoftheFrenchRevolution;andinaforeigncountryhistalents,whatevertheymayhavebeen,couldscarcelymakehimrich。Thetaskofprovidingforthefamilydevolvedonhiswife。Intheyear1796,shepublishedbysubscriptionherthirdnovel,Camilla。Itwasimpatientlyexpectedbythepublic;andthesumwhichsheobtainedforitwas,webelieve,greaterthanhadeveratthattimebeenreceivedforanovel。Wehaveheardthatsheclearedmorethanthreethousandguineas。Butwegivethismerelyasarumour。Camilla,however,neverattainedpopularitylikethatwhichEvelinaandCeciliahadenjoyed;anditmustbeallowedthattherewasaperceptiblefallingoff,notindeedinhumourorinpowerofportrayingcharacter,butingraceandinpurityofstyle。
  Wehaveheardthat,aboutthistime,atragedybyMadameD’Arblaywasperformedwithoutsuccess。Wedonotknowwhetheritwaseverprinted;norindeedhavewehadtimetomakeanyresearchesintoitshistoryormerits。
  DuringtheshorttrucewhichfollowedthetreatyofAmiens,M。
  D’ArblayvisitedFrance。LauristonandLaFayetterepresentedhisclaimstotheFrenchGovernment,andobtainedapromisethatheshouldbereinstatedinhismilitaryrank。M。D’Arblay,however,insistedthatheshouldneverberequiredtoserveagainstthecountrymenofhiswife。TheFirstConsul,ofcourse,wouldnothearofsuchacondition,andorderedthegeneral’scommissiontobeinstantlyrevoked。
  MadameD’ArblayjoinedherhusbandinParis,ashorttimebeforethewarof1803brokeout,andremainedinFrancetenyears,cutofffromalmostallintercoursewiththelandofherbirth。Atlength,whenNapoleonwasonhismarchtoMoscow,shewithgreatdifficultyobtainedfromhisMinisterspermissiontovisitherowncountry,incompanywithherson,whowasanativeofEngland。Shereturnedintimetoreceivethelastblessingofherfather,whodiedinhiseighty—seventhyear。In1814shepublishedherlastnovel,theWanderer,abookwhichnojudiciousfriendtohermemorywillattempttodrawfromtheoblivionintowhichithasjustlyfallen。InthesameyearhersonAlexanderwassenttoCambridge。Heobtainedanhonourableplaceamongthewranglersofhisyear,andwaselectedafellowofChrist’sCollege。ButhisreputationattheUniversitywashigherthanmightbeinferredfromhissuccessinacademicalcontests。HisFrencheducationhadnotfittedhimfortheexaminationsoftheSenateHouse;but,inpuremathematics,wehavebeenassuredbysomeofhiscompetitorsthathehadveryfewequals。HewentintotheChurch,anditwasthoughtlikelythathewouldattainhigheminenceasapreacher;buthediedbeforehismother。Allthatwehaveheardofhimleadsustobelievethathewasasonassuchamotherdeservedtohave。In1832,MadameD’ArblaypublishedtheMemoirsofherfather;andonthesixthofJanuary,1840,shediedinhereighty—eighthyear。
  WenowturnfromthelifeofMadameD’Arblaytoherwritings。
  Therecan,weapprehend,belittledifferenceofopinionastothenatureofhermerit,whateverdifferencesmayexistastoitsdegree。ShewasemphaticallywhatJohnsoncalledher,acharacter—monger。Itwasintheexhibitionofhumanpassionsandwhimsthatherstrengthlay;andinthisdepartmentofartshehad,wethink,verydistinguishedskill。
  But,inorderthatwemay,accordingtoourdutyaskingsatarms,versedinthelawsofliteraryprecedence,marshalhertotheexactscattowhichsheisentitled,wemustcarryourexaminationsomewhatfurther。
  Thereis,inonerespect,aremarkableanalogybetweenthefacesandthemindsofmen。Notwofacesarealike;andyetveryfewfacesdeviateverywidelyfromthecommonstandard。AmongtheeighteenhundredthousandhumanbeingswhoinhabitLondon,thereisnotonewhocouldbetakenbyhisacquaintanceforanother;
  yetwemaywalkfromPaddingtontoMileEndwithoutseeingonepersoninwhomanyfeatureissooverchargedthatweturnroundtostareatit。Aninfinitenumberofvarietiesliesbetweenlimitswhicharenotveryfarasunder。Thespecimenswhichpassthoselimitsoneitherside,formaverysmallminority。
  Itisthesamewiththecharactersofmen。Here,too,thevarietypassesallenumeration。Butthecasesinwhichthedeviationfromthecommonstandingisstrikingandgrotesque,areveryfew。Inonemindavaricepredominates;inanother,pride;inathird,loveofpleasure;justasinonecountenancethenoseisthemostmarkedfeature,whileinothersthechiefexpressionliesinthebrow,orinthelinesofthemouth。Butthereareveryfewcountenancesinwhichnose,brow,andmouthdonotcontribute,thoughinunequaldegrees,tothegeneraleffect;andsothereareveryfewcharactersinwhichoneovergrownpropensitymakesallothersutterlyinsignificant。
  Itisevidentthataportraitpainter,whowasableonlytorepresentfacesandfiguressuchasthosewhichwepaymoneytoseeatfairs,wouldnot,howeverspiritedhisexecutionmightbe,takerankamongthehighestartists。Hemustalwaysbeplacedbelowthosewhohaveskilltoseizepeculiaritieswhichdonotamounttodeformity。Theslighterthosepeculiarities,thegreateristhemeritofthelimnerwhocancatchthemandtransferthemtohiscanvas。TopaintDanielLambertorthelivingskeleton,thepig—facedladyortheSiamesetwins,sothatnobodycanmistakethem,isanexploitwithinthereachofasign—painter。Athird—rateartistmightgiveusthesquintofWilkes,andthedepressednoseandprotuberantcheeksofGibbon。
  ItwouldrequireamuchhigherdegreeofskilltopainttwosuchmenasMr。CanningandSirThomasLawrence,sothatnobodywhohadeverseenthemcouldforamomenthesitatetoassigneachpicturetoitsoriginal。Herethemerecaricaturistwouldbequiteatfault。Hewouldfindinneitherfaceanythingonwhichhecouldlayholdforthepurposeofmakingadistinction。Twoamplebaldforeheads,tworegularprofiles,twofullfacesofthesameovalform,wouldbafflehisart;andhewouldbereducedtothemiserableshiftofwritingtheirnamesatthefootofhispicture。Yettherewasagreatdifference;andapersonwhohadseenthemoncewouldnomorehavemistakenoneofthemfortheotherthanhewouldhavemistakenMr。PittforMr。Fox。Butthedifferencelayindelicatelineamentsandshades,reservedforpencilsofarareorder。
  Thisdistinctionrunsthroughalltheimitativearts。Foote’smimicrywasexquisitelyludicrous,butitwasallcaricature。Hecouldtakeoffonlysomestrangepeculiarity,astammeroralisp,aNorthumbrianburroranIrishbrogue,astooporashuffle。"Ifaman,"saidJohnson,"hopsononeleg,Footecanhopononeleg。"Garrick,ontheotherhand,couldseizethosedifferencesofmannerandpronunciation,which,thoughhighlycharacteristic,areyettooslighttobedescribed。Foote,wehavenodoubt,couldhavemadetheHaymarkettheatreshakewithlaughterbyimitatingaconversationbetweenaScotchmanandaSomersetshireman。ButGarrickcouldhaveimitatedaconversationbetweentwofashionablemen,bothmodelsofthebestbreeding,LordChesterfield,forexample,andLordAlbemarle,sothatnopersoncoulddoubtwhichwaswhich,althoughnopersoncouldsaythat,inanypoint,eitherLordChesterfieldorLordAlbemarlespokeormovedotherwisethaninconformitywiththeusagesofthebestsociety。
  Thesamedistinctionisfoundinthedramaandinfictitiousnarrative。Highestamongthosewhohaveexhibitedhumannaturebymeansofdialogue,standsShakspeare。Hisvarietyislikethevarietyofnature,endlessdiversity,scarcelyanymonstrosity。
  Thecharactersofwhichhehasgivenusanimpression,asvividasthatwhichwereceivefromthecharactersofourownassociates,aretobereckonedbyscores。Yetinallthesescoreshardlyonecharacteristobefoundwhichdeviateswidelyfromthecommonstandard,andwhichweshouldcallveryeccentricifwemetitinreallife。Thesillynotionthateverymanhasonerulingpassion,andthatthisclue,onceknown,unravelsallthemysteriesofhisconduct,findsnocountenanceintheplaysofShakspeare。Theremanappearsasheis,madeupofacrowdofpassions,whichcontendforthemasteryoverhim,andgovernhiminturn。WhatisHamlet’srulingpassion?OrOthello’s?OrHarrytheFifth’s?OrWolsey’s?OrLear’s?OrShylock’s?OrBenedick’s?
  OrMacbeth’s?OrthatofCassius?OrthatofFalconbridge?Butwemightgoonforever。Takeasingleexample,Shylock。Ishesoeagerformoneyastobeindifferenttorevenge?Orsoeagerforrevengeastobeindifferenttomoney?OrsobentonbothtogetherastobeindifferenttothehonourofhisnationandthelawofMoses?Allhispropensitiesaremingledwitheachother,sothat,intryingtoapportiontoeachitsproperpart,wefindthesamedifficultywhichconstantlymeetsusinreallife。A
  superficialcriticmaysay,thathatredisShylock’srulingpassion。Buthowmanypassionshaveamalgamatedtoformthathatred?Itispartlytheresultofwoundedpride:Antoniohascalledhimdog。Itispartlytheresultofcovetousness:Antoniohashinderedhimofhalfamillion;and,whenAntonioisgone,therewillbenolimittothegainsofusury。Itispartlytheresultofnationalandreligiousfeeling:AntoniohasspitontheJewishgaberdine;andtheoathofrevengehasbeenswornbytheJewishSabbath。Wemightgothroughallthecharacterswhichwehavementioned,andthroughfiftymoreinthesameway;foritistheconstantmannerofShakspearetorepresentthehumanmindaslying,notundertheabsolutedominionofonedespoticpropensity,butunderamixedgovernment,inwhichahundredpowersbalanceeachother。Admirableashewasinallpartsofhisart,wemostadmirehimforthis,thatwhilehehasleftusagreaternumberofstrikingportraitsthanallotherdramatistsputtogether,hehasscarcelyleftusasinglecaricature。
  Shakspearehashadneitherequalnorsecond。Butamongthewriterswho,inthepointwhichwehavenoticed,haveapproachednearesttothemannerofthegreatmaster,wehavenohesitationinplacingJaneAusten,awomanofwhomEnglandisjustlyproud。
  Shehasgivenusamultitudeofcharacters,all,inacertainsense,commonplace,allsuchaswemeeteveryday。Yettheyareallasperfectlydiscriminatedfromeachotherasiftheywerethemosteccentricofhumanbeings。Thereare,forexample,fourclergymen,noneofwhomweshouldbesurprisedtofindinanyparsonageinthekingdom,Mr。EdwardFerrers,Mr。HenryTilney,Mr。EdmundBertram,andMr。Elton。Theyareallspecimensoftheupperpartofthemiddleclass。Theyhaveallbeenliberallyeducated。Theyalllieundertherestraintsofthesamesacredprofession。Theyareallyoung。Theyareallinlove。Notoneofthemhasanyhobbyhorse,tousethephraseofSterne。Notonehasarulingpassion,suchaswereadofinPope。Whowouldnothaveexpectedthemtobeinsipidlikenessesofeachother?Nosuchthing。HarpagunisnotmoreunliketoJourdain,JosephSurfaceisnotmoreunliketoSirLuciusO’Trigger,thaneveryoneofMissAusten’syoungdivinestoallhisreverendbrethren。Andalmostallthisisdonebytouchessodelicate,thattheyeludeanalysis,thattheydefythepowersofdescription,andthatweknowthemtoexistonlybythegeneraleffecttowhichtheyhavecontributed。
  Alinemustbedrawn,weconceive,betweenartistsofthisclass,andthosepoetsandnovelistswhoseskillliesintheexhibitingofwhatBenJonsoncalledhumours。ThewordsofBenaresomuchtothepurposethatwewillquotethem:
  "WhensomeonepeculiarqualityDothsopossessaman,thatitdothdrawAllhisaffects,hisspirits,andhispowers,Intheirconfluxionsalltorunoneway,Thismaybetrulysaidtobeahumour。"
  Thereareundoubtedlypersons,inwhomhumourssuchasBendescribeshaveattainedacompleteascendency。TheavariceofElwes,theinsanedesireofSirEgertonBrydgesforabaronytowhichhehadnomorerightthantothecrownofSpain,themalevolencewhichlongmeditationonimaginarywrongsgeneratedinthegloomymindofBellingham,areinstances。ThefeelingwhichanimatedClarksonandothervirtuousmenagainsttheslave—
  tradeandslavery,isaninstanceofamorehonourablekind。
  Seeingthatsuchhumoursexist,wecannotdenythattheyarepropersubjectsfortheimitationsofart。Butweconceivethattheimitationofsuchhumours,howeverskilfulandamusing,isnotanachievementofthehighestorder;and,assuchhumoursarerareinreallife,theyought,weconceive,tobesparinglyintroducedintoworkswhichprofesstobepicturesofreallife。
  Nevertheless,thewritermayshowsomuchgeniusintheexhibitionofthesehumoursastobefairlyentitledtoadistinguishedandpermanentrankamongclassics。Thechiefseatsofall,however,theplacesonthedaisandunderthecanopy,arereservedforthefewwhohaveexcelledinthedifficultartofportrayingcharactersinwhichnosinglefeatureisextravagantlyovercharged。
  Ifwehaveexpoundedthelawsoundly,wecanhavenodifficultyinapplyingittotheparticularcasebeforeus。MadameD’Arblayhasleftusscarcelyanythingbuthumours。Almosteveryoneofhermenandwomenhassomeonepropensitydevelopedtoamorbiddegree。InCecilia,forexample,Mr。Delvileneveropenshislipswithoutsomeallusiontohisownbirthandstation;orMr。
  Briggs,withoutsomeallusiontothehoardingofmoney;orMr。
  Hobson,withoutbetrayingtheself—indulgenceandself—importanceofapurse—proudupstart;orMr。Simkins,withoututteringsomesneakingremarkforthepurposeofcurryingfavourwithhiscustomers;orMr。Meadows,withoutexpressingapathyandwearinessoflife;orMr。Albany,withoutdeclaimingaboutthevicesoftherichandthemiseryofthepoor;orMrs。Belfield,withoutsomeindelicateeulogyonherson;orLadyMargaret,withoutindicatingjealousyofherhusband。Morriceisallskipping,officiousimpertinence,Mr。Gosportallsarcasm,LadyHonoriaalllivelyprattle,MissLarollesallsillyprattle。IfeverMadameD’Arblayaimedatmore,wedonotthinkthatshesucceededwell。
  Weare,therefore,forcedtorefusetoMadameD’Arblayaplaceinthehighestrankofart;butwecannotdenythat,intheranktowhichshebelonged,shehadfewequals,andscarcelyanysuperior。Thevarietyofhumourswhichistobefoundinhernovelsisimmense;andthoughthetalkofeachpersonseparatelyismonotonous,thegeneraleffectisnotmonotony,butaverylivelyandagreeablediversity。Herplotsarerudelyconstructedandimprobable,ifweconsidertheminthemselves。Buttheyareadmirablyframedforthepurposeofexhibitingstrikinggroupsofeccentriccharacters,eachgovernedbyhisownpeculiarwhim,eachtalkinghisownpeculiarjargon,andeachbringingoutbyoppositiontheodditiesofalltherest。Wewillgiveoneexampleoutofmanywhichoccurtous。AllprobabilityisviolatedinordertobringMr。Delvile,Mr。Briggs,Mr。Hobson,andMr。
  Albanyintoaroomtogether。Butwhenwehavethemthere,wesoonforgetprobabilityintheexquisitelyludicrouseffectwhichisproducedbytheconflictoffouroldfools,eachragingwithamonomaniaofhisown,eachtalkingadialectofhisown,andeachinflamingalltheothersaneweverytimeheopenshismouth。
  MadameD’Arblaywasmostsuccessfulincomedy,andindeedincomedywhichborderedonfarce。Butweareinclinedtoinferfromsomepassages,bothinCeciliaandCamilla,thatshemighthaveattainedequaldistinctioninthepathetic。Wehaveformedthisjudgment,lessfromthoseambitiousscenesofdistresswhichlienearthecatastropheofeachofthosenovels,thanfromsomeexquisitestrokesofnaturaltendernesswhichtakeushereandtherebysurprise。Wewouldmentionasexamples,Mrs。Hill’saccountofherlittleboy’sdeathinCecilia,andthepartingofSirHughTyroldandCamilla,whenthehonestbaronetthinkshimselfdying。
  ItismelancholytothinkthatthewholefameofMadameD’Arblayrestsonwhatshedidduringtheearlierhalfofherlife,andthateverythingwhichshepublishedduringtheforty—threeyearswhichprecededherdeath,loweredherreputation。Yetwehavenoreasontothinkthatatthetimewhenherfacultiesoughttohavebeenintheirmaturity,theyweresmittenwithanyblight。IntheWanderer,wecatchnowandthenagleamofhergenius。EvenintheMemoirsofherfather,thereisnotraceofdotage。Theyareverybad;buttheyareso,asitseemstous,notfromadecayofpower,butfromatotalperversionofpower。
  Thetruthis,thatMadameD’Arblay’sstyleunderwentagradualandmostperniciouschange,achangewhich,indegreeatleast,webelievetobeunexampledinliteraryhistory,andofwhichitmaybeusefultotracetheprogress。
  WhenshewroteherletterstoMr。Crisp,herearlyjournals,andherfirstnovel,herstylewasnotindeedbrilliantorenergetic;
  butitwaseasy,clear,andfreefromalloffensivefaults。WhenshewroteCeciliasheaimedhigher。ShehadthenlivedmuchinacircleofwhichJohnsonwasthecentre;andshewasherselfoneofhismostsubmissiveworshippers。Itseemsnevertohavecrossedhermindthatthestyleevenofhisbestwritingswasbynomeansfaultless,andthatevenhaditbeenfaultless,itmightnotbewiseinhertoimitateit。PhraseologywhichisproperinadisquisitionontheUnities,orinaprefacetoaDictionary,maybequiteoutofplaceinataleoffashionablelife。Oldgentlemendonotcriticisethereigningmodes,nordoyounggentlemenmakelove,withthebalancedepithetsandsonorouscadenceswhich,onoccasionsofgreatdignity,askilfulwritermayusewithhappyeffect。
  InanevilhourtheauthorofEvelinatooktheRamblerforhermodel。ThiswouldnothavebeenwiseevenifshecouldhaveimitatedherpatternaswellasHawkesworthdid。Butsuchimitationwasbeyondherpower。Shehadherownstyle。Itwasatolerablygoodone;andmight,withoutanyviolentchange,havebeenimprovedintoaverygoodone。Shedeterminedtothrowitaway,andtoadoptastyleinwhichshecouldattainexcellenceonlybyachievinganalmostmiraculousvictoryovernatureandoverhabit。ShecouldceasetobeFannyBurney;itwasnotsoeasytobecomeSamuelJohnson。
  InCeciliathechangeofmannerbegantoappear。ButinCeciliatheimitationofJohnson,thoughnotalwaysinthebesttaste,issometimeseminentlyhappy;andthepassageswhicharesoverboseastobepositivelyoffensive,arefew。TherewerepeoplewhowhisperedthatJohnsonhadassistedhisyoungfriend,andthatthenovelowedallitsfinestpassagestohishand。Thiswasmerelythefabricationofenvy。MissBurney’srealexcellenceswereasmuchbeyondthereachofJohnson,ashisrealexcellenceswerebeyondherreach。HecouldnomorehavewrittentheMasqueradescene,ortheVauxhallscene,thanshecouldhavewrittentheLifeofCowleyortheReviewofSoameJenyns。ButwehavenotthesmallestdoubtthatherevisedCecilia,andthatheretouchedthestyleofmanypassages。Weknowthathewasinthehabitofgivingassistanceofthiskindmostfreely。Goldsmith,Hawkesworth,Boswell,LordHailes,Mrs。Williams,wereamongthosewhoobtainedhishelp。Nay,heevencorrectedthepoetryofMr。Crabbe,whom,webelieve,hehadneverseen。WhenMissBurneythoughtofwritingacomedy,hepromisedtogiveherhisbestcounsel,thoughheownedthathewasnotparticularlywellqualifiedtoadviseonmattersrelatingtothestage。WethereforethinkitinthehighestdegreeimprobablethathislittleFanny,whenlivinginhabitsofthemostaffectionateintercoursewithhim,wouldhavebroughtoutanimportantworkwithoutconsultinghim;and,whenwelookintoCecilia,weseesuchtracesofhishandinthegraveandelevatedpassagesasitisimpossibletomistake。Beforeweconcludethisarticle,wewillgivetwoorthreeexamples。
  WhennextMadameD’Arblayappearedbeforetheworldasawriter,shewasinaverydifferentsituation。ShewouldnotcontentherselfwiththesimpleEnglishinwhichEvelinahadbeenwritten。Shehadnolongerthefriendwho,weareconfident,hadpolishedandstrengthenedthestyleofCecilia。ShehadtowriteinJohnson’smannerwithoutJohnson’said。Theconsequencewas,thatinCamillaeverypassagewhichshemeanttobefineisdetestable;andthatthebookhasbeensavedfromcondemnationonlybytheadmirablespiritandforceofthosescenesinwhichshewascontenttobefamiliar。
  Buttherewastobeastilldeeperdescent。AfterthepublicationofCamilla,MadameD’ArblayresidedtenyearsatParis。DuringthoseyearstherewasscarcelyanyintercoursebetweenFranceandEngland。Itwaswithdifficultythatashortlettercouldoccasionallybetransmitted。AllMadameD’Arblay’scompanionswereFrench。Shemusthavewritten,spoken,thought,inFrench。
  OvidexpressedhisfearthatashorterexilemighthaveaffectedthepurityofhisLatin。Duringashorterexile,GibbonunlearnedhisnativeEnglish。MadameD’ArblayhadcarriedabadstyletoFrance。Shebroughtbackastylewhichwearereallyatalosstodescribe。ItisasortofbrokenJohnsonese,abarbarouspatois,bearingthesamerelationtothelanguageofRasselas,whichthegibberishofthenegroesofJamaicabearstotheEnglishoftheHouseofLords。Sometimesitremindsusofthefinest,thatistosay,thevilestparts,ofMr。Galt’snovels;sometimesoftheperorationsofExeterHall;sometimesoftheleadingarticlesoftheMorningPost。ButitmostresemblesthepuffsofMr。RowlandandDr。Goss。Itmattersnotwhatideasareclothedinsuchastyle。ThegeniusofShakspeareandBaconunited,wouldnotsaveaworksowrittenfromgeneralderision。
  ItisonlybymeansofspecimensthatwecanenableourreaderstojudgehowwidelyMadameD’Arblay’sthreestylesdifferedfromeachother。
  ThefollowingpassagewaswrittenbeforeshebecameintimatewithJohnson。ItisfromEvelina:
  "Hissonseemsweakerinhisunderstanding,andmoregayinhistemper;buthisgaietyisthatofafoolishovergrownschoolboy,whosemirthconsistsinnoiseanddisturbance。Hedisdainshisfatherforhiscloseattentiontobusinessandloveofmoney,thoughheseemshimselftohavenotalents,spirit,orgenerositytomakehimsuperiortoeither。Hischiefdelightappearstobeintormentingandridiculinghissisters,whoinreturnmostcordiallydespisehim。MissBranghton,theeldestdaughter,isbynomeansugly;butlooksproud,ill—tempered,andconceited。Shehatesthecity,thoughwithoutknowingwhy;foritiseasytodiscovershehaslivednowhereelse。MissPollyBranghtonisratherpretty,veryfoolish,veryignorant,verygiddy,and,I
  believe,verygood—natured。"
  Thisisnotafinestyle,butsimple,perspicuous,andagreeable。
  WenowcometoCecilia,writtenduringMissBurney’sintimacywithJohnson;andweleaveittoourreaderstojudgewhetherthefollowingpassagewasnotatleastcorrectedbyhishand:
  "Itisratheranimaginarythananactualevil,andthoughadeepwoundtopride,nooffencetomorality。ThushaveIlaidopentoyoumywholeheart,confessedmyperplexities,acknowledgedmyvainglory,andexposedwithequalsinceritythesourcesofmydoubts,andthemotivesofmydecision。Butnow,indeed,howtoproceedIknownot。ThedifficultieswhichareyettoencounterI
  feartoenumerate,andthepetitionIhavetourgeIhavescarcecouragetomention。Myfamily,mistakingambitionforhonour,andrankfordignity,havelongplannedasplendidconnectionforme,towhich,thoughmyinvariablerepugnancehasstoppedanyadvances,theirwishesandtheirviewsimmoveablyadhere。Iambuttoocertaintheywillnowlistentonoother。Idread,therefore,tomakeatrialwhereIdespairofsuccess。Iknownothowtoriskaprayerwiththosewhomaysilencemebyacommand。"
  TakenowaspecimenofMadameD’Arblay’slaterstyle。Thisisthewayinwhichshetellsusthatherfather,onhisjourneybackfromtheContinent,caughttherheumatism。
  "Hewasassaulted,duringhisprecipitatedreturn,bytherudestfiercenessofwintryelementalstrife;throughwhich,withbadaccommodationsandinnumerableaccidents,hebecameapreytothemercilesspangsoftheacutestspasmodicrheumatism,whichbarelysufferedhimtoreachhishome,ere,longandpiteously,itconfinedhim,atorturedprisoner,tohisbed。Suchwasthecheekthatalmostinstantlycurbed,thoughitcouldnotsubdue,therisingpleasureofhishopesofenteringuponanewspeciesofexistence——thatofanapprovedmanofletters;foritwasonthebedofsickness,exchangingthelightwinesofFrance,Italy,andGermany,fortheblackandloathsomepotionsoftheApothecaries’
  Hall,writhedbydartingstitches,andburningwithfieryfever,thathefeltthefullforceofthatsublunaryequipoisethatseemsevermoretohangsuspendedovertheattainmentoflong—
  soughtanduncommonfelicity,justasitisripeningtoburstforthwithenjoyment。"
  HereisasecondpassagefromEvelina:
  "Mrs。Selwynisverykindandattentivetome。Sheisextremelyclever。Herunderstanding,indeed,maybecalledmasculine;butunfortunatelyhermannersdeservethesameepithet;for,instudyingtoacquiretheknowledgeoftheothersex,shehaslostallthesoftnessofherown,Inregardtomyself,however,asI
  haveneithercouragenorinclinationtoarguewithher,Ihaveneverbeenpersonallyhurtatherwantofgentleness,avirtuewhichneverthelessseemssoessentialapartofthefemalecharacter,thatIfindmyselfmoreawkwardandlessatcasewithawomanwhowantsitthanIdowithaman。"
  Thisisagoodstyleofitskind;andthefollowingpassagefromCeciliaisalsoinagoodstyle,thoughnotinafaultlessone。
  Wesaywithconfidence,eitherSamJohnsonortheDevil:
  "EventheimperiousMr。DelvilewasmoresupportableherethaninLondon。Secureinhisowncastle,helookedroundhimwithaprideofpowerandpossessionwhichsoftenedwhileitswelledhim。Hissuperioritywasundisputed:hiswillwaswithoutcontrol。Hewasnot,asinthegreatcapitalofthekingdom,surroundedbycompetitors。Norivalrydisturbedhispeace;noequalitymortifiedhisgreatness。Allhesawwereeithervassalsofhispower,orguestsbendingtohispleasure。Heabated,therefore,considerablytilesterngloomofhishaughtiness,andsoothedhisproudmindbythecourtesyofcondescension。"
  Wewillstakeourreputationforcriticalsagacityonthis,thatnosuchparagraphasthatwhichwehavelastquoted,canbefoundinanyofMadameD’Arblay’sworksexceptCecilia。Comparewithitthefollowingsampleofherlaterstyle。
  "Ifbeneficencebejudgedbythehappinesswhichitdiffuses,whoseclaim,bythatproof,shallstandhigherthanthatofMrs。
  Montagu,fromthemunificencewithwhichshecelebratedherannualfestivalforthosehaplessartificerswhoperformthemostabjectoffices,ofanyauthorisedcalling,inbeingtheactiveguardiansofourblazinghearths?Nottovainglory,then,buttokindnessofheart,shouldbeadjudgedthepublicityofthatsuperbcharitywhichmadeitsjettyobjects,foronebrightmorning,ceasetoconsiderthemselvesasdegradedoutcastsfromallsociety。"
  Weaddoneortwoshortersamples。Sheridanrefusedtopermithislovelywifetosinginpublic,andwaswarmlypraisedonthisaccountbyJohnson。
  "Thelastofmen,"saysMadameD’Arblay,"wasDoctorJohnsontohaveabettedsquanderingthedelicacyofintegritybynullifyingthelaboursoftalents。"
  TheClub,Johnson’sClub,diditselfnohonourbyrejectingonpoliticalgroundstwodistinguishedmen,oneaTory,theotheraWhig。MadameD’Arblaytellsthestorythus:"AsimilarebullitionofpoliticalrancourwiththatwhichsodifficultlyhadbeenconqueredforMr。CanningfoamedovertheballotboxtotheexclusionofMr。Rogers。"
  Anoffencepunishablewithimprisonmentis,inthislanguage,anoffence"whichproducesincarceration。"Tobestarvedtodeathis"tosinkfrominanitionintononentity。"SirIsaacNewtonis"thedeveloperoftheskiesintheirembodiedmovements";andMrs。
  Thrale,whenapartyofcleverpeoplesatsilent,issaidtohavebeen"provokedbythedulnessofataciturnitythat,inthemidstofsuchrenownedinterlocutors,producedasnarcoticatorporascouldhavebeencausedbyadearththemostbarrenofallhumanfaculties。"Intruth,itisimpossibletolookatanypageofMadameD’Arblay’slaterworkswithoutfindingflowersofrhetoriclikethese。NothinginthelanguageofthosejargonistsatwhomMr。Gosportlaughed,nothinginthelanguageofSirSedleyClarendel,approachesthisnewEuphuism。
  ItisfromnounfriendlyfeelingtoMadameD’Arblay’smemorythatwehaveexpressedourselvessostronglyonthesubjectofherstyle。Onthecontrary,weconceivethatwehavereallyrenderedaservicetoherreputation。Thatherlaterworkswerecompletefailures,isafacttoonotorioustobedissembled:andsomepersons,webelieve,haveconsequentlytakenupanotionthatshewasfromthefirstanoverratedwriter,andthatshehadnotthepowerswhichwerenecessarytomaintainherontheeminenceonwhichgoodluckandfashionhadplacedher。Webelieve,onthecontrary,thatherearlypopularitywasnomorethanthejustrewardofdistinguishedmerit,andwouldneverhaveundergoneaneclipse,ifshehadonlybeencontenttogoonwritinginhermothertongue。Ifshefailedwhenshequittedherownprovince,andattemptedtooccupyoneinwhichshehadneitherpartnorlot,thisreproachiscommontoherwithacrowdofdistinguishedmen。Newtonfailedwhenheturnedfromthecoursesofthestars,andtheebbandflowoftheocean,toapocalypticsealsandvials。BentleyfailedwhenheturnedfromHomerandAristophanes,toedittheParadiseLost。InigofailedwhenheattemptedtorivaltheGothicchurchesofthefourteenthcentury。WilkiefailedwhenhetookitintohisheadthattheBlindFiddlerandtheRentDaywereunworthyofhispowers,andchallengedcompetitionwithLawrenceasaportraitpainter。Suchfailuresshouldbenotedfortheinstructionofposterity;buttheydetractlittlefromthepermanentreputationofthosewhohavereallydonegreatthings。
  Yetonewordmore。ItisnotonlyonaccountoftheintrinsicmeritofMadameD’Arblay’searlyworksthatsheisentitledtohonourablemention。Herappearanceisanimportantepochinourliteraryhistory。Evelinawasthefirsttalewrittenbyawoman,andpurportingtobeapictureoflifeandmanners,thatlivedordeservedtolive。TheFemaleQuixoteisnoexception。Thatworkhasundoubtedlygreatmerit,whenconsideredasawildsatiricalharlequinade;but,ifweconsideritasapictureoflifeandmanners,wemustpronounceitmoreabsurdthananyoftheromanceswhichitwasdesignedtoridicule。
  Indeed,mostofthepopularnovelswhichprecededEvelinaweresuchasnoladywouldhavewritten;andmanyofthemweresuchasnoladycouldwithoutconfusionownthatshehadread。Theverynameofnovelwasheldinhorroramongreligiouspeople。Indecentfamilies,whichdidnotprofessextraordinarysanctity,therewasastrongfeelingagainstallsuchworks。SirAnthonyAbsolute,twoorthreeyearsbeforeEvelinaappeared,spokethesenseofthegreatbodyofsoberfathersandhusbands,whenhepronouncedthecirculatinglibraryanevergreentreeofdiabolicalknowledge。Thisfeelingonthepartofthegraveandreflecting,increasedtheevilfromwhichithadsprung。Thenovelisthavinglittlecharactertolose,andhavingfewreadersamongseriouspeople,tookwithoutscruplelibertieswhichinourgenerationseemalmostincredible。
  MissBurneydidfortheEnglishnovelwhatJeremyCollierdidfortheEnglishdrama;andshediditinabetterway。ShefirstshowedthatatalemightbewritteninwhichboththefashionableandthevulgarlifeofLondonmightbeexhibitedwithgreatforce,andwithbroadcomichumour,andwhichyetshouldnotcontainasinglelineinconsistentwithrigidmorality,orevenwithvirgindelicacy。Shetookawaythereproachwhichlayonamostusefulanddelightfulspeciesofcomposition。Shevindicatedtherightofhersextoanequalshareinafairandnobleprovinceofletters。Severalaccomplishedwomenhavefollowedinhertrack。Atpresent,thenovelswhichweowetoEnglishladiesformnosmallpartoftheliterarygloryofourcountry。Noclassofworksismorehonourablydistinguishedbyfineobservation,bygrace,bydelicatewit,bypuremoralfeeling。SeveralamongthesuccessorsofMadameD’Arblayhaveequalledher;two,wethink,havesurpassedher。Butthefactthatshehasbeensurpassedgivesheranadditionalclaimtoourrespectandgratitudefor,intruth,weowetohernotonlyEvelina,Cecilia,andCamilla,butalsoMansfieldParkandtheAbsentee。
  MOORE’SLIFEOFLORDBYRON
  (June1831)
  LettersandJournalsofLordByron;withNoticesofhisLife。ByTHOMASMOORE,Esq。2vols。4to。London:1830。
  WEhavereadthisbookwiththegreatestpleasure。Consideredmerelyasacomposition,itdeservestobeclassedamongthebestspecimensofEnglishprosewhichouragehasproduced。Itcontains,indeed,nosinglepassageequaltotwoorthreewhichwecouldselectfromtheLifeofSheridan。But,asawhole,itisimmeasurablysuperiortothatwork。Thestyleisagreeable,clear,andmanly,andwhenitrisesintoeloquence,riseswithouteffortorostentation。Noristhematterinferiortothemanner。
  Itwouldbedifficulttonameabookwhichexhibitsmorekindness,fairness,andmodesty。Ithasevidentlybeenwritten,notforthepurposeofshowing,what,however,itoftenshows,howwellitsauthorcanwrite,butforthepurposeofvindicating,asfarastruthwillpermit,thememoryofacelebratedmanwhocannolongervindicatehimself。Mr。MooreneverthrustshimselfbetweenLordByronandthepublic。Withthestrongesttemptationstoegotism,hehassaidnomoreabouthimselfthanthesubjectabsolutelyrequired。
  Agreatpart,indeedthegreaterpart,ofthesevolumes,consistsofextractsfromthelettersandjournalsofLordByron;anditisdifficulttospeaktoohighlyoftheskillwhichhasbeenshownintheselectionandarrangement。Wewillnotsaythatwehavenotoccasionallyremarkedinthesetwolargequartosananecdotewhichshouldhavebeenomitted,aletterwhichshouldhavebeensuppressed,anamewhichshouldhavebeenconcealedbyasterisks,orasteriskswhichdonotanswerthepurposeofconcealingthename。Butitisimpossible,onageneralsurvey,todenythatthetaskhasbeenexecutedwithgreatjudgmentandgreathumanity。WhenweconsiderthelifewhichLordByronhadled,hispetulance,hisirritability,andhiscommunicativeness,wecannotbutadmirethedexteritywithwhichMr。Moorehascontrivedtoexhibitsomuchofthecharacterandopinionsofhisfriend,withsolittlepaintothefeelingsoftheliving。
  TheextractsfromthejournalsandcorrespondenceofLordByronareinthehighestdegreevaluable,notmerelyonaccountoftheinformationwhichtheycontainrespectingthedistinguishedmanbywhomtheywerewritten,butonaccountalsooftheirraremeritascompositions。Theletters,atleastthosewhichweresentfromItaly,areamongthebestinourlanguage。TheyarelessaffectedthanthoseofPopeandWalpole;theyhavemorematterinthemthanthoseofCowper。Knowingthatmanyofthemwerenotwrittenmerelyforthepersontowhomtheyweredirected,butweregeneralepistles,meanttobereadbyalargecircle,weexpectedtofindthemcleverandspirited,butdeficientinease。Welookedwithvigilanceforinstancesofstiffnessinthelanguageandawkwardnessinthetransitions。Wehavebeenagreeablydisappointed;andwemustconfessthat,iftheepistolarystyleofLordByronwasartificial,itwasarareandadmirableinstanceofthathighestartwhichcannotbedistinguishedfromnature。
  Ofthedeepandpainfulinterestwhichthisbookexcitesnoabstractcangiveajustnotion。Sosadanddarkastoryisscarcelytobefoundinanyworkoffiction;andwearelittledisposedtoenvythemoralistwhocanreaditwithoutbeingsoftened。
  TheprettyfablebywhichtheDuchessofOrleansillustratedthecharacterofhersontheRegentmight,withlittlechange,beappliedtoByron。Allthefairies,saveone,hadbeenbiddentohiscradle。Allthegossipshadbeenprofuseoftheirgifts。Onehadbestowednobility,anothergenius,athirdbeauty。Themalignantelfwhohadbeenuninvitedcamelast,and,unabletoreversewhathersistershaddonefortheirfavourite,hadmixedupacursewitheveryblessing。IntherankofLordByron,inhisunderstanding,inhischaracter,inhisveryperson,therewasastrangeunionofoppositeextremes。Hewasborntoallthatmencovetandadmire。Butineveryoneofthoseeminentadvantageswhichhepossessedoverotherswasmingledsomethingofmiseryanddebasement。Hewassprungfromahouse,ancientindeedandnoble,butdegradedandimpoverishedbyaseriesofcrimesandfollieswhichhadattainedascandalouspublicity。Thekinsmanwhomhesucceededhaddiedpoor,and,butformercifuljudges,wouldhavedieduponthegallows。Theyoungpeerhadgreatintellectualpowers;yettherewasanunsoundpartinhismind。
  Hehadnaturallyagenerousandfeelingheart:buthistemperwaswaywardandirritable。Hehadaheadwhichstatuarieslovedtocopy,andafootthedeformityofwhichthebeggarsinthestreetsmimicked。Distinguishedatoncebythestrengthandbytheweaknessofhisintellect,affectionateyetperverse,apoorlord,andahandsomecripple,herequired,ifevermanrequired,thefirmestandthemostjudicioustraining。But,capriciouslyasnaturehaddealtwithhim,theparenttowhomtheofficeofforminghischaracterwasintrustedwasmorecapriciousstill。
  Shepassedfromparoxysmsofragetoparoxysmsoftenderness。Atonetimeshestifledhimwithhercaresses;atanothertimesheinsultedhisdeformity。Hecameintotheworld;andtheworldtreatedhimashismotherhadtreatedhim,sometimeswithfondness,sometimeswithcruelty,neverwithjustice。Itindulgedhimwithoutdiscrimination,andpunishedhimwithoutdiscrimination。Hewastrulyaspoiledchild,notmerelythespoiledchildofhisparent,butthespoiledchildofnature,thespoiledchildoffortune,thespoiledchildoffame,thespoiledchildofsociety。Hisfirstpoemswerereceivedwithacontemptwhich,feebleastheywere,theydidnotabsolutelydeserve。Thepoemwhichhepublishedonhisreturnfromhistravelswas,ontheotherhand,extolledfaraboveitsmerit。Attwenty—four,hefoundhimselfonthehighestpinnacleofliteraryfame,withScott,Wordsworth,Southey,andacrowdofotherdistinguishedwritersbeneathhisfeet。Thereisscarcelyaninstanceinhistoryofsosuddenarisetosodizzyaneminence。
  Everythingthatcouldstimulate,andeverythingthatcouldgratifythestrongestpropensitiesofournature,thegazeofahundreddrawing—rooms,theacclamationsofthewholenation,theapplauseofapplaudedmen,theloveoflovelywomen,allthisworldandallthegloryofitwereatonceofferedtoayouthtowhomnaturehadgivenviolentpassions,andwhomeducationhadnevertaughttocontrolthem。Helivedasmanymenlivewhohavenosimilarexcusetopleadfortheirfaults。Buthiscountrymenandhiscountrywomenwouldlovehimandadmirehim。Theywereresolvedtoseeinhisexcessesonlytheflashandoutbreakofthatsamefierymindwhichglowedinhispoetry。Heattackedreligion;yetinreligiouscircleshisnamewasmentionedwithfondness,andinmanyreligiouspublicationshisworkswerecensuredwithsingulartenderness。HelampoonedthePrinceRegent;yethecouldnotalienatetheTories。Everything,itseemed,wastobeforgiventoyouth,rank,andgenius。
  Thencamethereaction。Society,capriciousinitsindignationasithadbeencapriciousinitsfondness,flewintoaragewithitsfrowardandpetteddarling。Hehadbeenworshippedwithanirrationalidolatry。Hewaspersecutedwithanirrationalfury。
  Muchhasbeenwrittenaboutthoseunhappydomesticoccurrenceswhichdecidedthefateofhislife。Yetnothingis,nothingeverwas,positivelyknowntothepublic,butthis,thathequarrelledwithhislady,andthatsherefusedtolivewithhim。Therehavebeenhintsinabundance,andshrugsandshakingsofthehead,and"Well,well,weknow,"and"Wecouldanifwewould,"
  and"Ifwelisttospeak,"and"Therebethatmightantheylist。"Butwearenotawarethatthereisbeforetheworldsubstantiatedbycredible,orevenbytangibleevidence,asinglefactindicatingthatLordByronwasmoretoblamethananyothermanwhoisonbadtermswithhiswife。TheprofessionalmenwhomLadyByronconsultedwereundoubtedlyofopinionthatsheoughtnottolivewithherhusband。Butitistoberememberedthattheyformedthatopinionwithouthearingbothsides。Wedonotsay,wedonotmeantoinsinuate,thatLadyByronwasinanyrespecttoblame。Wethinkthatthosewhocondemnherontheevidencewhichisnowbeforethepublicareasrashasthosewhocondemnherhusband。Wewillnotpronounceanyjudgment,wecannot,eveninourownminds,formanyjudgment,onatransactionwhichissoimperfectlyknowntous。Itwouldhavebeenwellif,atthetimeoftheseparation,allthosewhoknewaslittleaboutthematterthenasweknowaboutitnow,hadshownthatforbearancewhich,undersuchcircumstances,isbutcommonjustice。
  WeknownospectaclesoridiculousastheBritishpublicinoneofitsperiodicalfitsofmorality。Ingeneral,elopements,divorces,andfamilyquarrels,passwithlittlenotice。Wereadthescandal,talkaboutitforaday,andforgetit。Butonceinsixorsevenyearsourvirtuebecomesoutrageous。Wecannotsufferthelawsofreligionanddecencytobeviolated。Wemustmakeastandagainstvice。WemustteachlibertinesthattheEnglishpeopleappreciatetheimportanceofdomesticties。
  Accordinglysomeunfortunateman,innorespectmoredepravedthanhundredswhoseoffenceshavebeentreatedwithlenity,issingledoutasanexpiatorysacrifice。Ifhehaschildren,theyaretobetakenfromhim。Ifhehasaprofession,heistobedrivenfromit。Heiscutbythehigherorders,andhissedbythelower。Heis,intruth,asortofwhipping—boy,bywhosevicariousagoniesalltheothertransgressorsofthesameclassare,itissupposed,sufficientlychastised。Wereflectverycomplacentlyonourownseverity,andcomparewithgreatpridethehighstandardofmoralsestablishedinEnglandwiththeParisianlaxity。Atlengthourangerissatiated。Ourvictimisruinedandheart—broken。Andourvirtuegoesquietlytosleepforsevenyearsmore。
  Itisclearthatthoseviceswhichdestroydomestichappinessoughttobeasmuchaspossiblerepressed。Itisequallyclearthattheycannotberepressedbypenallegislation。Itisthereforerightanddesirablethatpublicopinionshouldbedirectedagainstthem。Butitshouldbedirectedagainstthemuniformly,steadily,andtemperately,notbysuddenfitsandstarts。Thereshouldbeoneweightandonemeasure。Decimationisalwaysanobjectionablemodeofpunishment。Itistheresourceofjudgestooindolentandhastytoinvestigatefactsandtodiscriminatenicelybetweenshadesofguilt。Itisanirrationalpractice,evenwhenadoptedbymilitarytribunals。Whenadoptedbythetribunalofpublicopinion,itisinfinitelymoreirrational。Itisgoodthatacertainportionofdisgraceshouldconstantlyattendoncertainbadactions。Butitisnotgoodthattheoffendersshouldmerelyhavetostandtherisksofalotteryofinfamy,thatninety—nineoutofeveryhundredshouldescape,andthatthehundredth,perhapsthemostinnocentofthehundred,shouldpayforall。WeremembertohaveseenamobassembledinLincoln’sInntohootagentlemanagainstwhomthemostoppressiveproceedingknowntotheEnglishlawwastheninprogress。Hewashootedbecausehehadbeenanunfaithfulhusband,asifsomeofthemostpopularmenoftheage,LordNelsonforexample,hadnotbeenunfaithfulhusbands。Werememberastillstrongercase。Willposteritybelievethat,inanageinwhichmenwhosegallantrieswereuniversallyknown,andhadbeenlegallyproved,filledsomeofthehighestofficesintheStateandinthearmy,presidedatthemeetingsofreligionsandbenevolentinstitutions,werethedelightofeverysociety,andthefavouritesofthemultitude,acrowdofmoralistswenttothetheatre,inordertopeltapooractorfordisturbingtheconjugalfelicityofanalderman?Whattherewasinthecircumstanceseitheroftheoffenderorofthesufferertovindicatethezealoftheaudience,wecouldneverconceive。Ithasneverbeensupposedthatthesituationofanactorispeculiarlyfavourabletotherigidvirtues,orthatanaldermanenjoysanyspecialimmunityfrominjuriessuchasthatwhichonthisoccasionrousedtheangerofthepublic。Butsuchisthejusticeofmankind。