And Weekly Review ;

Forming an Analysis and General Repository of Literature, Philosophy, Science, Arts History, the Drama, Morals, Manners, and Amusements.

This Paper is published early every Saturday Morning, Price Sixpence; or 10d. if sent into the Country, Free of Postage, on the Day of Publication; Country and Foreign Readers may also be supplied with the unstamped Edition in Monthly or Quarterly Parts.

No. 237.

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29,-1823.

Review of New Books.

Price 6d.

Woolnoth, and other esteemed artists.

since Mr. Neale first commenced his 'Illustrations of the Abbey Church of The History and Antiquities of the Ab-Westminster'-'a structure alike vene- That there is no edifice in the kingbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster: rable from its age, architecture, and dom which presents a more extensive Including Notices and Biographical sculpture. We were then very much field for historical research and graphic Memoirs of the Abbots and Deans of pleased, not only with the elegance of illustration than the Abbey Church of that Foundation. Illustrated by JOHN its graphic embellishments, but with the Westminster, Mr. Neale and Mr. BrayPRESTON NEALE. The whole of the great research of the author, who, by ley have proved. In the description of Literary Department by EDWARD great industry and a devotion to the the edifice, the author has entered very WEDLAKE BRAYLEY. 2 vols. Royal subject, brought forward so much inter-fully into the peculiarities of its style and Imperial 4to. pp. 604. London, esting information, which had escaped and arrangements, referring to the en1818-1823. preceding writers. It has been a fre-gravings in corroboration of his remarks. It is an old remark, and none the worse quent objection to works of art, publish- The historical part is carefully written for being so, since it is true, that works ed periodically, that the latter numbers from the most rare and authentic sources; which could only be effected by the aid have not kept pace with the promises the descriptions, both of the church and of governments in other countries, in made in the outset; the contrary, how- its monuments, have not been taken at England are begun and executed by in- ever, is the case with Mr. Neale's Il-second hand, but written from actual dividuals; and although we are not in-lustrations,' and we need only refer to investigation and hence will be found

sensible of the advantage which the direct patronage or support of government can give in many cases, yet, in general, the result is the best, as it is certainly the most honorable, when it is accomplished without its interference.

6

the correction of a mass of blunders, committed by the previous historians of this venerable pile. The inscriptions were all newly copied by Mr. Brayley, who says Not a single monument or grave-stone, either in the church or cloisters, on which the inscription is legible, has been passed unmentioned.' These have been carefully printed, and on many occasions types cast on purpose, in order to give a fac simile of the inscription. In the biographical and heraldic part, the utmost pains appears to have been taken: some account is given of every individual connected with the Abbey; and the arms-that stumbling block to previous historians, which Keepe did so erroneously, and Dart did not venture

the sixty-one beautiful engravings with which the work is embellished, to show that they have been decidedly improving from the commencement; the artist and the author seem to have acquired a growing enthusiasm as they proceeded, In England, any project, whatever may and been anxious that every part should be the expense, if at all feasible, soon surpass its predecessor. No expense meets with men and money to carry appears to have been spared, to render it into effect: as a proof of this we this work not only the best history need not only look to our inland na- of Westminster Abbey extant, but the vigation, and to our roads and bridges. most splendid work on architectural or Waterloo Bridge alone is a proud monu- ecclesiastical antiquities. We underment of what individuals can effect stand that it has cost upwards of £9000; without the aid of government. But nor are we surprised at it, when the to come more immediately to the sub- extreme beauty and delicacy of some ject, we may at once appeal to the nu- of the plates are considered. Reserving merous splendid works recently pub- our critical notice of the engravings for lished, and now publishing in this a future number, we cannot, however, country, to shew the spirit of our au- omit noticing one plate, which, we be-upon-are correctly blazoned. thors, artists, and booksellers, and the lieve, has been added to the first voliberal patronage of the public. The lume since it was published,—an instance different encyclopædias published in of singular liberality on the part of Mr. this country, some of them, we under- Neale, who is the artist and proprietor. stand, at an expense of nearly £200,000, It is a view of Henry the Seventh's Chashew the enterprising spirit of our book-pel, showing the installation of the sellers, nor are our authors less adven- Knights of the Bath, in 1812, and is turous. We last week noticed the splendid one of the most exquisite and delicate work of Dr. Meyrick on Ancient Armour, specimens of the art ever produced, and we have now to call the attention of but of this, more hereafter; we shall, our readers to one of a different cha- therefore, dismiss the graphic departracter, but of more general interest,—a ment for the present, by observing, that work which is a proud monument of all the plates are engraved from drawthe arts, and of the enterprising spiritings made and finished on the spot, by of a British artist. Mr. Neale, and that they are engraved It is now, we believe, some six years by the brothers Le Keux, Sands, Smith,

As the greatest part of the first volume of this work has been before the public some years, and most of our readers may be in some degree acquainted with it, we shall not enter into any analysis, but merely observe that it contains a succinct history of the Abbey, from its first foundation to the present time-including memoirs of the several déans, and every point of interest connected with the subject. A brief chronological summary of the time of its erection and improvements, however, may serve as data to our readers.

The Abbey Church of Westminster was founded and the monastery built in

the reign of King Sebert, about the year 604. It was rebuilt and enlarged under the auspices of Edward the Confessor, between the years 1050 and 1065. The eastern part of the church, including the choir and transept, was rebuilt, 12691307; the eastern part of the naves and aisles between 1245 and 1307, in the reign of Henry III. and Edward I. The great cloister, abbot's house, and the principal monastic buildings were

stone never was given up, although many
ancient records, jewels, and monuments
were actually delivered to the Scots, in pur-
suance of the treaty.

·

appears to have been a tablet that was formerly suspended over the chair, but which has long ago partaken of the same fate as all

the other written memorials that were in the chapel.'

held at London between Edward the Third The eleventh head of the conference, This venerable stone, which is of a and King David of Scotland, in the year sandy granular texture, like the stones 1363, is thus briefly detailed by Dalrymple: brought from Dundee, is placed within "The king, after having been crowned King the frame work of the chair, which is of of England, to come regularly to the king- oak, and still firm and sound, and was dom of Scotland, and to be crowned king at Scone, in the royal chair, which is to be de-evidently made for the purpose of reerected from 1307 to 1386; the west-livered empty to the English.-The cere- ceiving this highly prized relic of ancient mony of the coronation to be performed by customs and sovereign power.

persons

ern part of the nave and aisles rebuilt
between 1340 and 1483. The west
front and great window from 1483
to 1509. Henry the Seventh's Chapel
was erected 1502, 1520. The great
church window rebuilt and the western
towers completed 1715, 1735; and the
The ancient prophetic distich relating to
restoration of Henry the Seventh's cha- this stone is said to have been cut in, or
pel was commenced under the auspices engraven on it, by command of King Ken-
of his late majesty, in July 1809. With-roneous, as no trace of an inscription can
neth; but this, in all probability, is er-
out, for the present, standing upon the be found. If the verse were really engraven
order of our proceeding, we shall dip by Kenneth's order, it is most likely to have
into the middle of the second volume, been done, either on the wooden chair,
where we find a very minute inquiry wherein he originally had the stone inclosed
into the history of the famous corona- (but not any remains of which are known to
tion stone, of which notices have ap-metal-plate fastened to the upper surface of
be preserved), or, as is more probable, on a
peared in preceding volumes of The the stone: in which there is a rectangular
Literary Chronicle. After noticing the
Scotch tradition that the race of the by nine inches, and from one-eighth to one-
groove, or indent, measuring fourteen inches
kings, though of legitimate descent, fourth of an inch in depth, as if purposely
should fail to preserve regal power, cut, or roughly chiseled out, for the fixing
unless in possession of this fatal stone, of the edge of such plate, either with cement
and quoting a variety of ancient authoor melted lead: there is likewise, at one
rities, Mr. Brayley has the following has printed the inscription on a chronogram
corner, a small slightly cut. Dalrymple
curious particulars on the subject:-

'Nothing, indeed, can show the vast importance attached to the possession of this stone in a more forcible point of view than the circumstance of its having been made, not only the subject of an express article in a treaty of peace, but also of a political conference between Edward the Third and David the Second, king of Scotland.

For our knowledge of the first of these

facts we are indebted to the industrious au

thor of the "Introduction to the Calenders of Ancient Charters," who discovered a writ of privy seal, dated at Bordesly, July 1st, 1328, (being shortly after the treaty with Scotland was signed,) and directed to the abbot and convent at Westminster, wherein the king, (Edward III.) after reciting that "his council bad, in his parliament, held at Northampton, agreed that the stone whereupon the kings of Scotland used to sit at the time of their coronation, and which was then in the keeping of that abbot and convent should be sent to Scotland; and that he had ordered the sheriffs of London to re

ceive the same from them by indenture, and cause it to be delivered to the queen mother;" he commands the abbot and convent "to deliver up the said stone to those sheriffs, as soon as they should come to them for that purpose." Notwithstanding this command it is clear that the coronation

(To be continued.)

whom the court of Rome shall depute for that purpose." Even this agreement remained equally unfulfilled with the former one, and the stone was still permit-Tales of Humour, Gallantry, and Roted to retain its place in St. Edward's Cha- mance. Selected and Translated pel; and it has ever since remained there.' from the Italian. With Sixteen Illustrative Drawings, by George Cruik shank. 8vo. pp. 253. London, 1823. THE embellishments to this volume will add nothing to the reputation of the artist; neither do we think that the publisher will find the present work so good a speculation as his German Stories,' to the success of which we impute the present undertaking. As for the anowould not offer him much for the renymous party, videlicet the author, we version of the share of praise which will accrue to him for his portion in this performance,-for such uncouth, stiff, and barbarous language, greater insipidity and flatness, and a more ungrammatical construction of sentences, will not freare in the habit of translating or doing quently be found even among those who books from a foreign language, without being able to write their own. In this species of composition an attractive style is so indispensable, that unless a tale possesses this requisite, it is hardly preferable to an incident recorded in an old newspaper.

thus:

nI faLLat fatuM sCotIqVoCVnque
LoCatVM

In VenIent LapIDeM regnare tenent Vr
Ib IDeM

But there does not appear to be any
ancient authority for this application of its
meaning.-The verse itself may be trans-
lated as follows:-

Where'er this stone is found, or Fate's de

cree is vain,

The Scots the same shall hold, and there su-
premely reign.

"This prophecy is reported to have re-
conciled many of the Scottish nation to the
union with this country; and it is not unde-
serving of remark, that the prediction still
continues to be fulfilled in that branch of
the descendants of the Stuarts which is yet
seated on the British throne.-That it was
anciently held in the most signal repute is
evident from Buchanan, who, in mention-
ing the spoils transported from Scotland by
Edward the First, says, "he sent also to
London an unwrought marble stone, wherein
it was vulgarly reputed and believed that
the destiny of the kingdom was contained."
"The connecting this stone with the name
of the Patriarch Jacob was, most likely, a
monkish invention, and not improbably had
its origin in this abbey; since the most an-
cient document in which it was thus described

Deprived of the naïve

graces which distinguish some of those in the present collection, in their native idiom, these vapid, bald, and tasteless translations convey as little idea of the charm of the originals, as a skeleton, or a dead body, does of the living form, animated with beauty and intelligence. Such, indeed, is the carelessness with which the translator has performed his task, that, in stories supposed to be narrated in a party of friends, where allusions are made to a tale previously related by some other speaker, such passages have not been retrenched, although they cannot be understood without referring to the context of the work whence the story has been derived. Even the tales themselves do not appear to have been very happily selected. Several of them are little more than mere anecdotes, and as uninteresting and puerile

6

6

loftily as it might have been, but still
we admire its plain unadorned energy.

as can well be conceived; for what is admirably facetious! We have here class,-that, because spirited sketches might not be an unbecoming simplicity in a gentleman who begs his own respects, often betray precipitancy and inaccuthe original is here rendered absolute and who makes hosts out of flour.- racy, the former is the concomitant childishness. Among these, we must place No sooner did the dawn appear than of the latter. And they thus very illoAntonio and Veronica,' The Unex- he rose and went to the church of St. gically infer, that the more careless the pected Reply' and the 'Fatal Mistake,' the Catherine, where a devout and worthy outline, the more spirited the design. last of which reads as much like a para-pastor dwelt, and who was considered To what an unfortunate degree Mr. C. graph out of an old newspaper or maga- by all the Pisanians as a little saint.'-— has fallen into this perverse notion will, zine as we could possibly desire. Most The gods receive alike the prayers of we think, be apparent to any one who of the other stories are well known: the the just as well as [of] the wicked.' In looks at the cut opposite page 235, reDead Rider' is the same tale as that this sentence the just and the wicked presenting Marriotto forcing open Giantold with so much humour in Colman's seem rather oddly to have changed nozza's tomb; where the figure of the Broad Grins;' Who am I?' is 'Il places. The following example of the sexton with his lanthorn, in the backGrasso Legnaiuolo,' and to be found in figure pleonasm is very elegant. Go ground, is the most miserable scrawl Nardini's Novelle Antiche,' a little vo- to her, and say to her, that I certainly we ever beheld :-perhaps the artist inlume much read, we presume, in this will give it to her;' nor is there, per- tended it to be very ludicrous. There country by most students of the Italian haps, less ease and naïveté in this ex- is, indeed, in almost every one of these language. The same remark applies pression: Nature had certainly en- subjects, an affectation of coarseness to the Merchant of Venice; and the dowed him with great strength of body, and slovenliness, that certainly does not Sleeping Draught' is very similar to but had left his upper rooms totally un- enhance their merit in our eyes. A few the principal incident of Shakspeare's furnished.' But we scarcely know whe- random scratches are frequently made to Romeo and Juliet.' Lest we should ther we do not prefer the felicitous con- indicate a window, or some other object be deemed unjustly severe, we will now torsion and novel idiom of this sentence: in the back-ground. As for that pecuexhibit some of those glaring errors of There lived, at Salerno, a nobleman of liar humour and cleverness, for which style and taste which occur in almost the name of Marino, who had from his this artist has been often so deservedly every page of this delectable work, lady, Plasida by name, one only son.'- praised, we perceive nothing of it in which, to say the truth, seems to be the All those that were anxious to obtain these illustrative drawings, as these performance of some student, who, her, came forth with different devices, cuts are somewhat affectedly denominawhile translating from Italian novelists, and began to thump at one another most ted. Its external appearance is, indeed, by way of improving himself in the lan- gloriously.' Some persons may, per- the only thing on which we can compliguage, has, unfortunately, sent his ma-haps, think that this is not expressed so ment this volume, of which, we regret, nuscript exercises to the printer's. Of that the contents should so ill accord one gentleman, we are informed, that with the elegant manner in which it is he was a doctor in law;' of another, One of the stories begins thus: 'I got up. In this respect it is creditable to that he was a chief justice;' but the remember having heard my old uncle re- the publisher; but, with regard to its climax of this species of absurd blun- late:' now we should be glad to be in-literary merits, a more notable piece of dering is contained in the following sen- formed to whom this said old uncle be-book-making we have seldom witnessed. tence, Fear not, good Mrs. Santa!' longs. He determined to heap upon her This single trait is sufficient to show how new injuries:'-here the word injuries admirably competent such a writer is to should undoubtedly be insults [ingiurie]. the task of copying the style of the older Of that elegant fluency for which this Italian novelists. As examples of the book is remarkable, the following is an general elegance, terseness, and fluency example:- Bacciuolo willingly agreed of the translator's style and his gram-to the proposal, and promised to wait matical correctness, we submit the fol- for him. Bacciuolo, in order not to lowing specimens: By her he had lose his time, &c.' Instead of the three sons, and a daughter, who, in due period after him,' and the second 'Bactime, was married in Pisa; the eldest ciuolo,' we should have substituted a son was likewise married, the younger comma followed by and.' We have one was at school; the middle one, been so much occupied with the merits whose name was Lazarus, although of the translation, that we have really great sums had been spent upon his no space for extracts: besides, we must, education, made nothing of it.'-A before we conclude, say a few words to party of young men being at sup- Mr. G. Cruikshank. We have already per, one Sunday, in the city of Flo- given it as our opinion, that what he has rence, at a gentleman's house, whose here done will not add to his reputation. name was Tommaso de Pecori, a re- In fact, there is little of that whim spectable, honourable, and good-hu- which, rather than humour, distinmoured man, who delighted in plea guished his etchings to the German sant society.' And this, reader, is the Popular Stories.' The vignettes in the whole of the period:-admirable gram-present volume are still more slight, marian! My master, madam, begs and are negligent in the drawing, to an his most dutiful respects to you, and en- unpardonable degree. We would caution treats you to give [him] a little of your the artist against mistake which has finest flour to make hosts with! This so often proved fatal to those of his

6

The Fall of Constantinople; a Poem. With a Preface, animadverting in Detail on the Unprecedented Conduct of the Royal Society of Literature. To which are added, Parga, and other Poems. By JACOB JONES, JUN., Of the Inner Temple, and late of Brasenose College, Oxford, 8vo. pp. 156. London, 1823.

UNTIL we saw Mr. Jones's volume, we really thought the Royal Society of Literature so harmless, that it could not by any possibility have given offence to any one. It is true that when it was announced, the Morning Chronicle' and one or two other journals took the alarm, and suspected that it was intended as a covert inroad on the constitution; but they soon discovered that no danger was to be apprehended from it, and they have long ago ceased to do any thing but laugh at the Royal Society of Literature. The editor of another journal, the New Monthly Magazine,' has in his last number inserted a good natured but satirical 'first' let

6

--

That it had done so,' says Mr. Jones,

was the prevailing persuasion of all

suited to the general appetite, and mercantile
criticism pursues those works,' &c.
The Royal Society of Literature for the
advancement of general literature.
When the French Academy was pro-
jected, its primary objects were to purify
and fix their native language.

made against them by Mr. Jones, and

How the society will meet the charges

ter to this society, pointing out the avo-pel Court or at Tattersal's, without cation most proper for its attention, discovering that kicking is a custom that of regulating the English language, more honoured in the breach than in and determining whether footmen are the observance,' while a country magisto announce at our routs, Mr. and Mrs. trate would be inclined to send them to Foot and the Miss Feet,' or whether the tread-mill. Mr. Jones was so con"the daughters of Mr. Peacock are not vinced of the baseness of conduct in the The society are quite aware, that the to be called Misses Peachicks,' &c. WeRoyal Society of Literature,' that on great objects of their institution cannot be have heard, but we do not pledge our-finding his papers restored, and the attained without adequate exertions on their selves to the truth of the report, that prizes not adjudged, he applied to an part to establish a character, and to win the more than one of the learned Thebans eminent chamber-counsel for his opi-esteem and regard of the public, without are at present engaged in researches to nion, whether or not the society had yielding to its prejudices; unless such exertions are made, it must necessarily fali of discover the authorship of our nursery involved itself in an actionable fraud. its own imbecility!' literature, which is to be reprinted in folio (bound in calf of course, but not lettered) with notes, and that the Life my friends to whom the affair was and Death of Cock-robin,' Little Bo-known. Let the answer I received meet them they must, we know not. go peep,' and Jack and the Bean Stalk,' forth to the utter confusion of this de- He accuses them of having robbed' him are already in the hands of one of our linquent society. "Such is the state of the chance of two prizes-of practising best printers, and will be published on of the English law, that there are many an impudent cheat' upon the literary all-fools day, vulgarly called the first of rights without remedies; now as this public-of the perpetration' of an inApril. agreement was a nudum pactum, the human and public fraud'—of having violation of it is not an actionable fraud. 'committed literary treason against the In equity and natural justice, however, sovereign! after having associated his the transaction is a swindling transac-name with doings that have called down the indignation, contempt, and derision of the nation.' With this load of guilt for the present to the Royal Society of on their shoulders, we should bid adieu Literature;' but that we have a few more last words on the first and chief ostensible object of the society,-which has been so singularly abandoned,―that of offering prizes for poems and essays.

tion.""

re

We are of opinion, that literature, in this country, meets with ample encouragement, and that a really good book, on any subject, will not fail of gaining the best of patrons-the public. The sapient gentlemen of the Royal Society of Literature,' however, seem to think that the breed of authors may be improved, like that of cattle, by premiums, and that, with offering a due incentive, the cultivation of genius may be improved like that of fruits or vegethem better. tables. Experience might have taught

But to be serious,-for Mr. Jones really brings a serious charge against this redoubtable society. In our last number but one, we noticed Mr. Jones's charge very briefly, and should scarcely Mr. Jones's counsel speaks strongly, have recurred to the subject at present, but not very intelligibly. We presume had it not been to correct an error into he means there are wrongs without which we fell. We stated that the so- medies, instead of rights: but, we conciety, after offering premiums, of one fess, we are at a loss to understand the hundred, and fifty guineas each, with-last tautological paragraph; for we aldrew them, and substituted medals; but ways thought that a swindling transacwe now find that no premiums whatever tion was an indictable fraud, and that are to be given, and that Mrs. Hemans there was scarcely a session passed in is to enjoy the only prize, for her poem London, without some individual being on Dartmoor; and, truly, any person prosecuted for it. That Mr. Jones feels who undertook to write on such a sub- and writes strongly on the conduct of ject is entitled to all the honours the the Royal Society of Literature,' is eviRoyal Society of Literature' can bestow. dent. An author scorned is nearly as In speaking thus contemptuously of the vindictive as a woman, and he has just society, we do not allude to the mem- cause of complaint. But who formed bers personally, we care not for their this self-elected junto, that arrogate to being reformed radicals, newspaper re- themselves the power to dispense with porters, or merchants' clerks, and should the obligations and courtesies, which are have suffered them to remain in their binding on society generally? What obscurity, had they not impudently as have they done that they should usurp sumed so dictatorial a tone, and proved the power of treating with contempt a themselves totally incapable of either host of authors, much their superiors, Even at the universities, where there carrying their own plans into effect, or who, by false promises, devoted their ta- is a much higher stimulus than that of forming others calculated to render the lent and entered the lists to win the pecuniary reward, how few prize poems least service to literature. promised prize. Pope says.have ever been worth printing; but the Let those teach others who themselves excel,, ing on a given subject, within a given fact is, that the school-boy task of writ And learn to censure, who have written well.' Happily for Mr. Jones and the other and we appeal to the annals of our uni time, rather cramps genius than aids it, unsuccessful candidates, the society has versities for the truth of the remark. exhibited itself on paper, and we shall Mr. Heber's prize poems may, perhaps, let our readers see what a figure it makes. form an exception-but it is the only The following passages, quoted by Mr. Jones, are culled from a manifesto of one. the Royal Society of Literature,' dated Constantinople, is a highly creditable Mr. Jones's poem, on the Fall of May 16, 1823:effort, and we think fully equal to Mrs. to pour The mercantile press is incessantly at Hemans's Dartmoor,' to which the work, to pour out innumerable productions only premium the Royal Society of Li

one.

The case of Jones versus the Royal Society of Literature' is a very simple The latter offer premiums for the best poem and the best essay, on subjects which they name; several candidates enter the lists, all are rejected, and the prizes withdrawn.-We do not know how far an action at law would lay against them for such conduct, but we are sure if it was left to the committee at the Stock Exchange, or to the Jockey Chib, the Royal Society of Literature, would never be able to appear in Ca