1825.] REVIEW-Sir H. Halford's Oration. and will feel no slight desire that he who can so purely feel and so elegantly express poetical ideas, should never be destined to feel alone, nor to sing in vain. The opening stanza is a perfect picture; we recommend it to Mr. Glover: "High in the East the Sun of July shone, Upland and valley streaming with the heat; On a hill's grassy side I lay alone, O'ercanopied by elms, while at my feet Dancing and laughing all its merry way, Like a glad prisoner 'scaped to freedom and to day." We dare not attempt to analyze a Poem which, though sufficiently simple in its construction, would yet compel us to tread the Pilgrimage step by step, until we were left in the Poet's purgatory. It is avowedly written on the model of the "antique school;" and though the phraseology be occasionally somewhat remoter than the antique, yet is it a very clever perform ance; and though not immediately popular, nor written " ad captandum," we dare predict for it an abiding repotation, when more noisy and more talked-of productions are forgotten. Like the immortal Milton, our poet may not find "fit hearers" in his own generation; but, if we mistake him not, he is of a temperament that can commit the claims of genius to posterity, in proud anticipation of his reward. 147 Baronet*. It is very elegant; and the only disappointment is, that it was not of course practicable to include in it the high character of medical science in Great Britain, not surpassed, perhaps not equalled, in any part of Europe. We shall give a specimen: "Quodcunque Antecessoribus nostris visum fuerit in ædificandâ Domo sua moliri id omne nos sedulò conati sumus in reficiendâ. Habueruntne igitur illi conclave, ubi Censores pro auctoritate et diguitate suâ congredi possent? Habemus. Num Theatrum extrui voluerunt, in quo solennes eorum, qui merendo nos memores sui fecerint, laudationes instaurare possent; aut in quo, si placuisset, medicinæ studiosos instituerent docendo? Nos etiam extruximus: quanquam nostram est potiùs de doctis judicium facere, quàm indoctos docere. An Coenaculum adparaverunt, ubi corpus commodè et jucundè concinnam, ubi, negotiis atque urbano opere reficerent Socii; et Bibliothecam aptam et defessi, vacui curâ ac labore, liberæ animi remissioni indulgerent? Adparavimus nos quoque. Quin vos dicite, illustrissimi Auditores (vos etenim perspexistis), annon libri, imagines, quodcunque denique sit Atticum, apud nos etiam Attice sint adservata.— Provisum est porrò nobis, quod Antecessoribus nostris admodum deerat, Museum; in quo reponamus, quicquid, ex Anatomia petitum, humanæ fabricationis structuram, morbo læsam vitiatamque, explicet." P. 13. All this is as it should be, in perfect taste; and though we felt rather disturbed that persons who are so stingy in allowing the delights of the Cœnaculum to others, should say that they had made proper provision of it for themselves, yet the Anglicism is a fine trait of the national character. No 30. Oratio in Collegii Regalis Medicorum public business is done in England Londinensis Edibus novis habita die dedicationis, Junii xxv. M.DCCCXXV. ab Henrico Halford, Baronetto, Medico Regis Ordinario, Præside. 4to. pp. 16. THOUGH it is not fitting that scientific works should be written in Latin, on account of the ambiguity to which they are thus subject, the necessity of avoiding which ambiguity has occasioned the barbarism of monkish Latin; yet these objections cannot attach to orations or many other proceedings of learned bodies, who ought of course to adopt forms suited to their dignity. Besides, every scholar is fond of fine Latinity, and considers the composition of it to be a very elegant accomplishment. Such scholars will not be disappointed in the inaugural Oration of the honourable and eminent without a dinner; and we recollect that when a new county hall was building, there was great importunity for a good dining and ball room, sub obtentu of a grand jury room. 31. Bayley's Tower of London. Part II. (Continued from p. 40.) SO great is the merit of Mr. Bayley in biography, that were it not for the name in the title-page, we might suspect that the volume was the work of Southey. This is no inconsiderable praise; for in poetical display of incidicious reflection, and well-jointed condent and characteristic features, in jucatenation of narrative, we know of no Of the ceremonies of the occasion, see p. 76. 148 REVIEW. Bayley's History of the Tower. rival, ancient or modern, to the Laureat. His biographical productions resemble fine pieces of music; contrast, harmony, and all the respective parts join in producing one grand and imposing effect. From Mr. Bayley we gather in particular new lights as to the state of the Constitution, and important elacidations of history. The first which we shall here notice is, that the trial and execution of State criminals, whether innocent or guilty, were merely fictions of law, by which the fiat of the Sovereign was put in execution, or the obloquy of popular dislike removed from his own person to the sufferers, Charles the First has been severely blamed, and justly so, for sacrificing Strafford, but he only complied with precedent. An instance of this occurs in Empson and Dudley. It is well known that they were mere tools of Henry VII.-common informers, with the rank of Judges, who made up a fortune for the Sovereign and themselves, by levying penalties of all sorts. To such nuisances popular hatred attaches of course. Upon the accession of Henry VIII. public indignation des manded punishment of them; but they had not violated the law; they had only converted it to an instrument of torture, a rack applied ad crumenam, a part of the human person unnoticed by physiologists, but possessed of most surprising effects upon the nerves and passions, and mental and muscular ac, tion. But there was no law of course prohibiting this mode of picking pockets, this galvanic effect upon the human constitution; and because the Royal physician who administered these unwelcome medicines to cure his subjects of repletion and dropsy, as to riches, was inaccessible in the way of punishment, therefore the chemists who furnished the drugs were the proper objects of vicarious suffering. Upon their pleading, however, that all their acts had been in obedience to their Sovereign's orders, the Council found it imprudent to take such ground; but on being driven to extremities in point of law for their proceedings, absolutely made the tyranny of the defendants, their perversion of the law, the means of their retributive punishment; we say perversion of the law, because, now at least, it allows no constructive interpretation [Aug. of treason. It can be proved only by overt acts. Upon this decision of Council, that they could not be convicted by the means first proposed, "They were returned to the Tower, and it being found impossible to proceed against them on these charges, without entailing infamy on the memory of the late King's and as the public clamor became still more loud for their punishment, means were found to accuse them of high treason, for having, as was pretended, during Henry the Seventh's illness, engaged certain of their friends to be ready to take arms at an hour's warning; whence it was inferred that they had meditated seizing the King's person, and possessing themselves of the administration. On this improbable and almost absurd charge, they were both tried and declared guilty, and the verdict against them being followed by a bill of attainder in Parliament, they were sacrificed to the violent clamours of the people. After a suspension of several months, Henry was reluctantly brought to sign a warrant for their execution, and they were accordingly led out of the Tower, and beheaded on the adjoining Hill." P. 354. Now mark the consequence of a change of things. The Sovereign is not now reduced to such violent modes of administration, and treasonable acts are only committed by low people acting under the influence of faction, not of the Sovereign, but of a party directly hostile personally and politically. Mr. Bayley next proceeds with the trial of Edward, Duke of Buckinghain, who was punished with death because a Monk had prophesied that he should be King of England, and he had spoken unwisely on the occasion. Here ensued another violation of the law. "The witnesses were not examined in court before him," but he was condemned upon the depositions given for his apprehension, &c. (p. 335.) However, he died calmly; acknowledged that he had offended against the King, and desired all other noblemen to take warning from his fate (p. 357) ;" just as a school-boy, humiliated by a flogging, begs pardon for fear of another. So different is now the predominance of intellectual power and high personal character, that the very lowest criminals only are capable of such abject behaviour, The next sufferers were Bishop Fisher, an honest martyr to principle (understanding by the word martyr a sufferer from principle); Sir Thomas More (an odd man, much extolled beyond 1825.] REVIEW.Bayley's History of the Tower. beyond his merits) and Anne Boleyn. The misfortune of Henry's female favourites was, that they were of too high rank to be his mistresses; and that as to him the trammels of matrimonial law were too irksome for his patient endurance, after extinction of affection, murder, if legalized, was in the common course of things; and in the days of Elizabeth, the Clergy at Paul's Cross indirectly recommended the assassination of Mary, Queen of Scots. The" Edwardum nolite occidere," &e. the famous equivoque of Adam Torleton, Bishop of Hereford, relative to Edw. II. is another and better known proof. Passing by less important victims, we come to Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, who was never brought to trial, and coolly murdered, through her connection with the Royal line of England. Not even a suggestion of common sense or decency was regard. ed in her execution, by tying her arms and legs. "A scaffold was erected for her execution on the green within the Tower; but when conducted thither, and required to lay her neck upon the block, she stedfastly refused to do so, declaring she was no traitor; and the executioner followed her round the platform, striking at her hoary head, and in this shocking manner, at seventy years of age, the last of whole blood of the royal line of Plantagenet was literally mauled to death!" P. 378. With regard to Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, means utterly unjust and unconstitutional were adopted. Articles of accusation were secretly preferred against him, upon which he was arrested; the bill of attainder was carried through the House without a hearing of the prisoner, or a witness being called to substantiate the charges against him. P. 382. In p. 387, Mr. Bayley informs us from Burnet, that the term Catholic Faith was in the early part of the Reformation, applied to the Lutherans, "in its true sense, in opposition to the novelties of the See of Rome." Such was the barbarism of the age, that when poor Anne Askew was stretched upon the rack, Sir Richard Rich and Sir Thomas Wriothesley the Chancellor were not only present, but assisted in increasing her tortures. P. 393. When the Duke of Norfolk was imprisoned in the Tower, he was even 149 obliged to beg of the Council' sheets to lie upon. P. 397. We find another instance of very unjust proceedings in the case of the Lord Admiral Seymour : "On the 27th, the bill of attainder was sent by the Lords to the Commons with a the Lords had done, those Peers who had message, that if they desired to proceed as given evidence in their own House should the unpopular mode of proceeding adopted come and declare it to the Commons. But by the Lords met with a spirited opposition in the lower House; many of its members argued forcibly against the injustice of attainders in absence; they thought it strange that some Peers should rise up in their places in their own House to relate matters be thereupon attainted; and they pressed that the Lord Admiral should be brought himself. But there seems to have been to trial at the bar, and be heard to plead for some secret reasons for this not being acceded to, and on the 4th of March a message was sent from the King, that he thought it was not necessary to send for the Admiral, and that the Lords should come down and repeat before them the evidence which they had given in their own House." P. 809. to the slander of another, and that he should Mr. Bayley observes that this was a little more regular than Parliamentary attainders had been in the last reign, for here the evidence upon which it Houses. P. 310. was founded was given before both Upon the trial of Seymour, Duke of Somerset, the witnesses against him were not examined in court, but only their depositions read. P. 311. The short reign of Edward VI. resembled the proscriptions under the triumvirate of Augustus, Lepidus, and Antony; situations in which the safety. The wonder is, that the Comgreatest rogue has the best chance of mons ventured so far as they did in the matter of Lord Seymour's attainder. Sir Thomas Arundel, a friend of the Duke of Somerset, was attainted with the latter, and it seems that after locking up the Jury for part of that day and all the following night, they who fear of their own lives. (P.417.) What thought him innocent only yielded for would be thought of a Statesman, who in our own days held out such a menace to a Juryman? As the ruins of Rome, and the pictures of Italy are studies for artists, so do we think that State imprisonments in the Tower are studies for pupils in English history. From the reign of Mary, 150 REVIEW. Bayley's History of the Tower. Mary, however, there is no important instruction to be derived. The painting of a butcher's shop, by Caracci, is only interesting from its connection with portrait family-history, and fine execution. But there is nothing of any merit or agreeableness in the representation of Mary's Slaughter-house, or her Butcher-bishops. There is only disgusting caricature in a masquerade of mitres and blue aprons, Bibles in one hand, and hatchets in the other. Mr. Bayley only calls Mary "a stern bigot;" for our parts we can form no other opinion of her than that she construed the prophecy of turning the Sun and Moon into blood in a literal sense, and hoped that she was the spirit appointed to execute it. She longed for a child; but Providence possibly prevented it, because nothing but blood would have issued from her breasts. She had her father's vices, in spirit above proof. She was MARIA HENRY-EIGHTISSIMA; a daughter whose soul, body, bones, and nerves, were made out of the Six Bloody Articles. This is a flight à la Burke; but really we cannot think of Mary without falling into a violent passion. But Providence may convert evil into good. There cannot be a doubt but that the disposition of her father prevailed to a certain extent in Elizabeth, as well as in Mary; and yet that spirit was in the former made the instrument of carrying her through her perilous reign, and finally establishing the Reformation. Hume says that he does not like so many masculine qualities in her character; but more feminities would have ruined her. It was very properly said of Elizabeth and James, that the one was a Queen in breeches, and the other a King in petticoats. The perpetual conspiracies against the person of Elizabeth justly vindicated the vigilance of her Government, though nothing can extenuate the cruelties exercised upon the unfortunate prisoners. The fact, however, is, that our ancestors were savages; and it was a rule of Government in this and the preceding reigns, that none should meddle with State affairs but the members of the Administration. If they did, they were first warned, and then surrounded with spies, and entrapped into imprudent language or actions, until they had gone far enough to give a plausible face to accusation. Then they were apprehended upon as [Aug. sumed treason, and in most instances punished with death. Elizabeth more than once complained of the free language used in the Commons, notwithstanding privilege, and always gave them to understand that to concern themselves with her or her Government, was great presumption. The custom of making rings favourite articles for presents is well known; but by no means the reasons why they in particular were thus selected: "Sir John Perrot sent one of his gentlemen ashore with a diamond, as a token unto his mistress Blanch Parry, willing hym to tell hir, that a diamond coming unlooked for did always bring good looke (luck) with John Perrot a fair jewel hanged by a white it; which the Queene hearing of, sent Sir cypresse, signifying withal, that so long as he wore that for hir sake, she did beleve, with God's helpe, he should have no harme." P. 504. The last incident lends further probability to the accuracy of the Ring story about Essex. It is astonishing to find how ignorant our ancestors were of the natural properties of matter. We have read in the wars of Charles I. of cannon having been rendered useless by merely pouring poison into them; and we find that a fellow was hanged for treason, because he had vowed to take away the Queen's life by rubbing poison on the pommel of her saddle, and actually made the experiment, but without_effect. He had also anointed the Earl of Essex's chair, and there it was equally unsuccessful. (p. 509.) It is well known that the supposed property of flying, conferred upon the broomsticks of witches, was bestowed by means of smearing them with a particular ointment. See Fosbroke's Encyclopedia of Antiquities, ii. 527. (To be continued.) 32. The Life of Frederick Schiller, comprehending an Examination of his Works. 8vo. pp. 352. Taylor and Hessey. THIS is an exceedingly well written Life of the German Shakspeare, and a most skilful analysis of the writings of this extraordinary genius. It is a work far exceeding in execution all that it pretends to or promises, and in a style of elegance and of occasional loftiness worthy of its subject. We have been exceedingly delighted by a perusal of this noble specimen of critical Biography, and we regret that our 1925.] REVIEW.-Life of Schiller. 151 scenes of Elysian beauty. It is true he had no rest, no peace, but he enjoyed the fiery consciousness of his own activity, which stands in place of it for men like him. It is true he was long sickly, but did he not even lomini,' and 'Thekla, and the Maid of then conceive and body forth Max PiccoOrleans, and the Scenes of William Tell?' It is true he died early, but the Student will exclaim with Charles XII. in another case, our limits will not permit us to vindicate our praise by copious extracts. We select, however, the following, as an able and eloquent exposition of the literary character of Schiller; and as it is of this that the volume principally treats, our readers will perceive how masterly is the hand which has given to us in an English dress, not a translation, but an imperishable and origi-Was it not enough of life, when he had nal record of the finest genius which Germany, prolific of genius, has brought forth; in another age to stand in the foremost rank among the master spirits of his century, and be admitted to a place among the chosen of all centuries. "No man (says his biographer) ever wore his faculties more meekly, or performed great works with less consciousness of their greatness. Abstracted from the contempla tion of himself, his eye was turned upon the objects of his labour, and he pursued them with the eagerness, the entireness, the spontaneous sincerity of a boy pursuing sport. Hence his childlike simplicity,' the last perfection of his other excellencies. His was a mighty spirit, unmindful of its might. He walked the earth in calm power; the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam;' but he wielded it like a wand. "Literature was his creed, -the dictate of his conscience. He was an apostle of the sublime and beautiful, and this his calling made a hero of him; for it was in the spirit of a true man that he viewed it, and undertook to cultivate it, and its inspirations constantly maintained the noblest temper in his soul. The end of Literature was not in Schiller's judgment to amuse the idle, or to recreate the busy, by showy spectacles for the imagination; least of all was it to gratify in any shape the selfishness of its professors, to minister to their malignity, their love of money, or even of fame. For persons who degrade it to such purposes, the deepest contempt of which his kindly nature could admit was at all times in store. Unhappy mortal!' says he to the literary tradesman, the man who writes for gain; unhappy mortal! that with science and art, the noblest of all instruments, effectest and attemptest nothing more than the day drudge with the meanest,-that in the domain of perfect freedom, bearest about in thee the spirit of a slave.' As Schiller viewed it, genuine Literature includes the essence of Philosophy, Religion, Art, whatever speaks to the immortal part of man." Again : "On the whole, we may pronounce him happy. His days passed in the contemplation of ideal grandeur; he lived among the glories and solemnities of universal Nature; his thoughts were of Sages, and Heroes, and conquered kingdoms?' Those kingdoms which Schiller conquered were not for one nation, at the expense of suffering to another; they were soiled by no patriot's blood, no widow's, no orphan's tear,-they are kingdoms conquered from the barren realms of darkness, to increase the happiness, and dignity, and power of all men,-new forms of and scenes of beauty, won from the void truth, new maxims of wisdom, new images and formless infinite,' a xrux is alu,—‘a possession for ever,' to all the generations of the earth." Now this, it must be confessed, is beautiful, and we are unwilling to weaken its effect, by adding a syllable of our own; but we are constrained to say that, after all, "the highest style of man" is that of "Christian." To assert, therefore, that the "fiery consciousness of activity" was in "the place of rest" to Schiller, seems to us to argue a frame of mind far from the influence of that wisdom, compared with which the sublimest speculations of the philosopher are but as dust in the balance, and the proudest achievements of the human intellect altogether lighter than vanity. We will not pursue the subject. We can only refume, which exhibits, in no ordinary peat our general praise of this able vomanner, both elegance of style and acuteness of analytical criticism. 33. Antiquities in Westminster Abbey. Ancient Oil Paintings and Sepulchral Brasses in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster; engraved from Drawings by G. P. Harding, with an Historical, Biographical, and Heraldic Description, by Thomas Moule, Author of Bibliotheca Heraldica, &c. 4to. pp. 48. OF Westminster Abbey and its glorious contents we are professed devotees, and we ever welcome with unfeigned satisfaction any publication tending to illustrate its history or display its beauties. Actuated by these feelings, we dilated at some length on Messrs. Neale and Brayley's excellent History (see vol. xc11. pp. 137, 236). What |