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Female Novel-Writers.

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tory of man, composes the main story tam lubricus aspici," as when she comes in that of woman, and by forming one before us arrayed with the decorations of the constant objects of her solicitude, of sentiment. For then, without any heightens and refines her sensibilities to metaphor,grace does indeed sit upon her such a degree, that the most languid lips, and eloquence issue from her frame of mind would be preferable to tongue: then indeed do the effusions their intensity, and, in many cases, of her simple and ingenuous nature would be considered as a welcome re- steal over our ravished senses, like “the first breathings of morning in the universe's sweetest climate, carrying along with them the freshness of untainted air, the mild moisture of the dew, and the resistless charm of a thousand odours and perfumes."

Nor is it merely in what is called

fuge from it. The pleasing cares, which flock around her on becoming a wife and a mother, instead of diminishing, increase and augment them: they may indeed be changed in the points to which they are directed, and limited, in the objects on which they are bestowed; but all that you effect by narrowing the sentimental style that the ascendthe channel, is to make the tide flow in ency of female talent is displayed; it is the space, over which it does flow, with seen also in the representation of the a richer, a deeper, and a stronger cur- more deep and grave, and tragic pasrent. To sensibility, sentiment is near sions of our common nature. This ly allied; they are children of the same has been denied by some writers, who, house, and cannot well exist apart from though willing to allow the superior each other. The original elements, of acuteness, with which woman discerns, which woman is composed, render her and the superior fidelity, with which the creature of sensibility; and sensi- she depicts, the ever-varying shades of bility soon transforms her into the slave transient emotions, are by no means of sentiment, whilst that slavery, by inclined to concede to her similar praise giving to her thoughts that constant for the delineation of those feelings, employment, which is not to be found which are more permanent in their duin the sameness, and quietude,and friv- ration, and more important in their reolous inanity of her usual occupations, sults. They assert, first of all, that, as appears of so seductive a nature, that she is not accustomed to watch the its tramels are preferred to the most ab- movements of the mind, when agitated solute and unconditional freedom. by the vexing disquietudes of business, “Aovλeven dididæxT." She gives her- or ploughed into frightful inequalities self up to it without deliberation and by the tempests of public life, she can without reserve; she makes it the sub- know but little of its stern and violent ject of her daily thoughts and of her and rugged affections; and then add, nightly dreams; and indulges in it, not that, as she has not an intimate acaccording to her usual system, by fits quaintance with the object to be copied, and starts, but with such a regular and it is morally impossible, that she should continued ardour, that her perception produce a correct resemblance of it. of it gradually ripens into instinct, and Grant the major of the syllogism, and her habitual felicity in expressing it the minor is undeniable-to use the seems the effect of inspiration. What language of the schools, "cadit quæsever be the occasion on which she in- tio;" but prove the premises to be detroduces it, she is always original and void of all foundation, and the reasoncreative, imitating no one, and herself ing built upon them is so weak and erinimitable. Indeed so indisputable is roneous, as to need no refutation. We female merit in this department of lit- shall pursue this latter course, and shall erature, that even the countrymen of shew the fact to be directly the reverse Rousseau are apt to recommend their of what is here stated. Instead of befair writers as the best models of the ing unaccustomed to witness the toseatimental style; and the most deter- multuous passions of the soul in action, mined misogainist must confess, that woman sees them more frequently in a beauty is never so beautiful "nunquam state of excitement than man do.s

62

There is also another kind of merit in works of fiction, which female writers have attained in a much higher degree than those of the male creation : and the cause, to which also this is owing, lies in the nature of their domestic

Lady Morgan-Miss Hamilton-Miss Porter-Mad. de Stuel. [voL.4 himself; and from this circumstance, un- severance amidst difficulty, resignation derstands more distinctly their different amid distress, hope amid despair, and causes, gradations, and symptoms. In- unconquered resolution and fortitude deed man, in the presence of man, from in torment and anguish, have emanated various motives, sometimes of shame, from the pen of women, have only to sometimes of terror, sometimes of dig- refer to the O'Donnell of Lady Mornity, and sometimes of a combination gan, the Agrippina of Miss Hamilton, of them all, checks the impetuosity and the Thaddeus of Miss Porter, and the restrains the agitation of his feelings, Corinna of Madame de Stael, to proeven when they convulse him most duce irrefragable conviction of the stapowerfully; to society, he exhibits bility of their position. their movements, not in natural, but artificial colours; and it is only when he has retired within the circle of his own family, that he indulges, without control their genuine impulses, and displays them without disguise. It is there, that he unveils his most secret employments. We allude to their insentiments, and unbosoms his most timate acquaintance with the fire-side hidden determinations: and it is there, habits of life, and their exquisite disthat woman, with curiosity all awake, crimination of those smaller peculiariand sensibility all alive, is called in ties of character, which throw so much to aid, direct, and participate them. light and shade over the surface of orWhen under the influence and do- dinary society. We shall not endeaminion of these powerful masters, man vour to account for this circumstance, by is too proud an animal to disclose their stating, that, as they are themselves the real workings to his fellow men, and most sensitive thermometers of the too much interested in them to be able slightest change in the manners and to investigate their characteristics him- customs of the world, it is not at all self. Woman, and woman alone, wonderful, that they dive into the very views them naked and unmasked; and elements from which such change oriupon the same principle that a looker- ginates; nor shall we adopt the axiom on sees more of the game than the of Diderot, that they are reading in the gamester himself, obtains a clearer in- great book of mankind, whilst we are sight into their peculiarities, than those reading in books of ethics and philoindividuals can, who are personally sophy. Such remarks are merely speactuated by them. It is therefore un- culative, and made for no other purtrue, that the tenor of her occupations pose, than to shine as pithy, and epiand her duties renders her only ac- grammatic sentences; and such speculaquainted with human nature in a calm, tions may be neglected without loss, or at most with human nature ruffled when the stronger testimony of positive into mere gentle undulation; neither is experience can be appealed to. The it more correct, that she is led only to true reason why woman traces with study the light restlessness of the minut- more truth and nature, and less exager passions, and the minor particulari- geration and mannerism, the lineaments ties of ordinary character. No-he of living characters, arises from that takes a wider range, and, extending her observation to the most exalted, the most complicated and the most heroic sensations, embodies them into shape and substance with the utmost truth, accuracy, and exactness. This is a fact, which, whether our method of accounting for it be satisfactory or not, cannot be disputed: and those, who assert that the most powerful delineations, of per

class of her domestic engagements, which concerns the care of children. There can be no question, that, either as mothers, or elder sisters, the female sex are infinitely more conversant with children than we are: and the effects naturally produced on their minds by this sort of society (for surely it may be honored with this sort of appellation), are just such as are required to generate

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Novel-Reading-Signs of Inns.

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the qualifications which we are now Random; the society, which must be discussing. For, as an elegant author frequented, in order to become familiar has truly remarked, in touching inci- with the low-lived blackguardism of a dentally on this topic, Strap or a Partridge; and the total "What habits of quick and intelli- eradication of every modest and degent observation must be formed by the cent idea, which must be accomplished, employment of watching over interest- before we can describe in their naked ing helplessness, and construing ill- colours the adventures of a brothel or a explained wants! How must the per- prison-house, are all circumstances so petual contemplation of unsophisticated discordant to the constitution of the fenature reflect back on the disposition of male mind, as to form an insurmountthe observer a kind of simplicity and able barrier to its success in this deingenuousness! What an insight into partment of fiction. We are glad that the nativé constitution of the human they are so; because, if they were not, mind must it give to inspect it in the we should have the sex deprived of that very act of concoction! It is, as if a vestal purity, which constitutes its chief chymist should examine young dia- ornament, and which gives us a fore. monds in their native dew. Not that taste upon earth of celestial enjoyment. mothers will be apt to indulge in delu- Woman has so many attractions alsive dreams of the perfection of human ready, that she need not seek to obtain nature. They see too much of the more at the expense of decency: she waywardness of infants to imagine has so many realms of the imagination them perfect. They neither find them yet unexplored and yet uncontaminated, nor think them angels, though they often call them so."

All this must in some degree contribute to form that species of merit in female authors which we have here thought proper to point out.

in which she can expatiate with ease and innocence; that she has no occasion to enter those which are polluted and corrupt; and she has gained such honorable renown in every other province of literature; that she has not the It is only fair, before we conclude, to slightest reason to mourn, that it is destate, that there is one class of novels, nied her in this alone. Since then, in which our sex, beyond all dispute, custom, and inodesty, and honor, and bears away the palm from its female religion, each and all, imperiously for-competitors: but, when we say that it bid her to engage in a combat for such is in that coarse delineation of men and distinction, let her retire from the field manners, in which Fielding and Smol- without discontent or murmuring; or lett so lavishly indulged, no on ewill re- rather let her exult with joy and thankgret that they have neither sought nor fulness, that she is debarred from enobtained so guilty a pre-eminence.- tering into that arena, in which to win The vicious excesses, which must not the highest prize of victory is scarcely only be witnessed, but shared, in order glory, and where to meet with only the to acquire a perfect knowledge of such second, is disgrace indeed.--Brit. Crit. characters as Tom Jones or Roderick June 1818.

ORIGIN OF SIGNS OF INNS, &c.

From the Gentleman's Magazine, June, 1818.

CONTINUEd.

1

CAT AND FIDDLE. CAT AND BAGPIPES. to my friend Simplex that I knew an old

PUSS IN BOOTS.

man who at the age of sixty had cut a IT T may perhaps be quite as prudent complete new set of teeth, and he immealways to ascertain the existence of diately wrote an essay of fourteen sheets a presumed fact, prior to reasoning upon upon the subject, which he read with it. I copy the following extract from the infinite applause at the Royal Society. portfolio of a punster in the European It was an erudite production, beginning Magazine: "I happened to mention with Marcus Curius Dentatus and Coe

64

Signs of Inns, &c.-Puss in Boots-Whitlington.

[VOL. 4

ius Papyrius Carbo, who were born with ton, obedient to the sound, returned to all their teeth; quoting the cases of Pyr- his master's house, and reluctantly parted rhus, King of Epirus, and Prussias, son with his sole possession, a favourite Cat, of the King of Bithynia, who had only on an adventure in his master's vessel :one continued tooth, reaching the whole how the ship arrived in a strange counlength of the jaw; noticing the assertions try, where the King and Queen had their of Mentzalius a German physician, and meat snatched from table as soon as it our English Dr. Stare, who state instan- was put on by innumerable rats and ces of a new set of teeth being cut at the mice:-how Puss killed or drove them ages of 80 and 110; and embracing in all away:-how the King sent immense the progress of the discussion, all the opi- presents to Whittington in lieu of his Cat, nions that had been expressed upon the which, being fortunately in the family subject from Galen down to Peyer, Dr. way, stocked the whole country :-how Quincey, M. de la Harpe, Dr. Derham, Whittington married his master's daughRiolanus, and others. I omitted at the ter-and finally, time to mention one circumstance which might have saved Simplex a deal of trouble, and the Society a deal of time: the man to whom I alluded was a combculter,"

It was Dean Swift, who, when a lady had thrown down a Cremona fiddle with a frisk of her Mantua, made the happy quotation :

"Mantua væ misera nimium vicina Cremona !"

Hardly, if at all inferior, was the exclamation of Warton, when he snuffed out a candle :

"Brevis esse laboro: Obscurus fio."

I shall not enter into the surprizing history of puss in boots, as I think there are very few above six years old who are not thoroughly acquainted with the great services she rendered to her Master," My Lord the Marquess of Carabas," and who do not know that, after he had married the King's daughter, Puss lived in great pomp, and only caught mice now and then, just for

amusement.

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT.

"How London city, thrice beneath his sway
Confirm'd the presage of that happy day,
When echoing beils their greeting thus begun,

Return thrice Mayor, return, O Whittington."

BISHOP.

Foot, in his Comedy of the Nabob, makes Sir Matthew Mite thus address the Society of Antiquaries: "That Whittington lived, no doubt can be made; that he was Lord Mayor of London, is equally true; but as to his Cat, that, Gentlemen, is the Gordian knot to untie. And here, Gentlemen, be it permitted me to define what a Cat is. A Cat is a domestic, whiskered, fourfooted animal, whose employment is catching of mice; but let Puss have been ever so subtle, let Puss have been ever so successful, to what could Puss's captures amount? No tanner can curry the skin of a mouse, no family make a meal of the Whittington his wealth. meat; consequently no Cat could give

"From whence then does this error

proceed? Be that my care to point out. The commerce this worthy merchant carried on was chiefly confined to our Another Cat of equal celebrity claims coasts; for this purpose he constructed a vessel, which from its agility and lightsome commemoration, though I am not aware that her whiskers have ever fig- to this our day, Gentlemen, all our coals ness, he aptly christened a Cat. Nay. ured on a sign-board. At Islington from Newcastle are imported in nothing stands an upright stone, inscribed, but Cats: from hence it appears that it "Whittington-stone," which marks the was not the whiskered, four-footed, spot where tradition says Whittington mouse-killing cat, that was the source of sat down when he had run away from the magistrate's wealth, but the coasting, the cruelty of the cook-maid, and where sailing, coal-carrying cat: that, Gentlehe thought that he heard the bells of Bow church, then in full peal, ring merrily in men, was Whittington's Cat."

bis ears,

"Turn again, Whittington, Thrice Lord Mayor of London."

Sir Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor in 1397, 1406, and 1419. In 1413 he founded a College (now con

Every child will tell, how Whitting- verted into an alms-house for 13 poor

Origin of Signs or Inns, &c.

men, and vested in the Mercers' com- the rise of the phrase is very intricate, pany) on the hill, thence called College- a owing to a corruption of speech, for hill; and lies buried in the church of the word no doubt is cate, which is an St. Michael Pater Noster Royal, which old word for a cake, or aumalette, which he had rebuilt. being usually fried, and consequently turned in the pan, does therefore very aptly express the changing of sides in politics or religion, or, as we otherwise say, the turning of one's coat."