wonderful man, seemed advancing rapidly towards their legitimate ends, through the wisdom energy and virtue of those two extraordinary individuals whom his genius had, as it were, evoked from the chaos and ignorance and barbarism around him, to assist in spreading abroad that light and heat of civilization, which his word had called into life: we allude to Alexander Menzikoff, and the widowed Empress Catherine Catherine the First-the one, the greatest statesman and the greatest general his country has ever known; and the other, the wisest and kindest of female sovereigns, in suffering herself to be implicity guided by such a minister: yet both of them evoked, with an almost superhuman foresight, from the very dregs of the people. Menzikoff having been a pastrycook's apprentice, who cried pâtés about the streets of Moscow; and Catherine, first a menial servant, and afterwards a pauper dependent on the charity of this very "pieman❞—as his aristocratic enemies used to call him to the day of his death! Such are two of the personages with whom Mrs. Hofland is bold enough to busy herself, her immediate hero and heroine being the famous Theodore Dolgourouki, the youthful conqueror of Persia, and the gentle Mary Menzikoff, daughter of the prince, whose ambition, noble as it was, "o'erleaped itself," in wedding that daughter to the half-savage idiot who inherited none of his grandfather's qualities but the ill ones. It would be doing great injustice both to Mrs. Hofland and her readers, if we were to enter further into the plot of her animated and stirring romance. It is evident that it is the result of great care, pains, and study; and of no ordinary degree of skill in the application of these to the particular purpose she has in view: and as that purpose falls in very happily with the prevalent taste of the day in regard to prose fiction, her work may fairly reckon on a considerable share of popularity the rather that every one of its leading characters being historical persons, and treated of as such, it will command the attention of that large and increasing class of readers who have outgrown the frivolities of the "fashionable" literature of the day, and demand something in their place that has at least its roots in the realities of life. It is difficult to extract, without doing the writer injustice, from a work, the several parts of which have a necessary dependance on each other; but the following may afford an idea of Mrs. Hofland's style of composition, at the same time that it shows the relative position of two of the principal personages who take part in the story. Menzikoff married a woman of rank and great personal beauty, superior education, and excellent disposition; and in their dwelling the sovereign spent his happiest hours, for he found there not only the society of superior minds, but that love and gratitude which every human being, however high his station, desires for his happiness. Here, too, he met that fair and unpretending girl, who stepped from the lowliest grade and the most perfect poverty to the throne of one whose dominions nearly circled the globe. Catherine, maintained by charity in her infancy, and deprived by death of her parents and protector, even in childhood earned her own bread in servitude, and, in the house of a Lutheran minister of piety and benevolence named Gluck, gained so much instruction as to become a kind of nursery-governess to his children, although she never attained the art of writing beyond that of signing her name. Marienbourgh, where she lived, was besieged and taken on the day when, although scarcely fifteen, she had married a young man who was slain in defending the city. The wretched girl was drawn by the soldiery out of an oven, into which she had fled for shelter; and General Bauer, struck by her youth, beauty, and extreme distress, caused her to be conveyed to his own quarters; but, shortly afterwards, with a prudence and generosity most honourable to his character, and which was worthy to stamp his memory as the Russian Scipio, he procured for her the friendship of the Princess Menzikoff, then newly married. With this excellent lady she lived as a companion-for the benevolence of the young is rarely stinted-and her singular misfortunes, her simplicity, youth, and loveliness, gave the widowed maid an interest in every bosom. Here she was frequently seen by the Czar, who found that her sweet and gentle voice could calm his anger, sooth his scrrow, and excite his cheerfulness. At this period he had been in love with a merchant's daughter, who, considering his views dishonourable, and fearing to awaken his resentment by her rejection, uniting the romance with the decision of virtue, had clandestinely fled from home to the distant dwelling of her nurse, and having literally adopted the most perfect seclusion, was at this time believed, both by her friends and her lover to be dead. The novelty and beauty of Catherine, in time, not only consoled the Czar for her loss, but awoke a more active flame. Two years, however, passed before Peter the Great obtained his own consent for his marriage with Catherine, during which time, unquestionably, she became the object of his sincere esteem, not less than his affection. Never could any woman render exaltation more beneficial to others and amiable in herself than Catherine. She had a sound understanding and a tender heart-she was never more happy than when euriching and rewarding the friends of her infancy; but she carefully avoided employing them in state affairs, or in any way interfering with the politics of the country. Frankness of manners and simplicity of mind were her most striking qualities; but, yet, considering that her high station demanded dignity of deportment, she assumed it gracefully, and Peter himself frequently exulted in the splendour and propriety of her dress and the majesty of her carriage. It must be supposed that the empress was fondly attached to the Menzikoff family; and, as it was understood by all that the prince and the army he commanded had placed her on the throne, notwithstanding the grandson of Peter was evidently the true heir, it may be supposed at this time she felt towards her prime minister not less gratitude than affection. That the emperor had made a will in her favour was undoubted; but, as the testament remained unsigned, room was given so suspect a change in the royal intention, on which it became the nobility and ministers to deliberate; but the eagerness and eloquence of Menzikoff, the distress of the weeping and agitated widow, who appeared loath to accept the honours he offered her, and declared that her life should be devoted to the welfare of the young prince, the true heir—the memory of her benevolence, humility, and consistency, conspired to overcome the doubts, or awaken the hopes of those around; and she became empress by acclamation. Menzikoff, her most highly endowed subject, her active minister, the protégé of her illustrious husband, and the friend of her own helpless youth, combined, of course, all possible claims on her abiding friendship, and was in fact as necessary to her government as she could be to his aggran dizement: THE WHISPERING GALLERY. TIME has not allowed us to visit and inspect the Fresco Paintings by Mr. Mills, in the Literary Institution at Gravesend. Besides, to be candid, the subjects as described in the Kentish Herald, are not attractive. We have heard from Mrs. Malaprop of "Allegories on the banks of the Nile," and are sorry that they are come to the banks of the Thames. The proper place for such Abstractions is the Frigid Zone. The communication from India has come to hand. ANONYMOUS. Some gentleman-if he be a gentleman-has favoured Will he now oblige us with his us with a letter without his name. C. C. C. Authors are expected to retain copies of their brevities. The long Peace would not suffice to return the short ones. * is advised to send his communication to some scientific Journal, and to drop the first letter in Heditor." The word should begin with an E, except when, as Mr. Weller says, it is spelt "with a We." L.'s paper shall be attended to when it arrives: but such slowness seems fearfully to imply its carriage per waggon. X. is declined for a reason he will probably divine. X ought to know Y. N.B.-Refer to the Schedule. We have received several papers on the Income Tax, but they were not properly "filled up." Besides, the thing is settled, and nothing remains for us but to attend to the Marquis of Conyngham's motto-Over, fork over ! EPIGRAM. ON READING OF THE ADULTERATION (WITH GLASS) OF SNUFF. I SAID to myself after reading the Times, As I restlessly toss'd in my bed, 'Tis glass then destroys all my snuff-taking joys, And that makes this great pane in my head! C. C. THE NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. NEWS FROM CHINA. In the absence of direct advices or official despatches from the Far East, the following Correspondence may possess some interest for the Public; and especially for such persons as have fathers, husbands, sons, brothers, or cousins attached to the Chinese Expedition. Of the genuineness of the letters there can be no doubt: the parties are all known to us, and if necessary, we could swear to the handwriting. But the internal evidence will satisfy any competent judge who knows any thing, by books or travel, of the Celestial Empire. No corrections have been attempted, whether in style or in the orthography (for example, Morfius for Morpheus, and Romus for Remus, in No. II.), and the only suppressions are of real names, and a few domestic particulars too private for the public.-Editor. No. I. To Mr. Abel Dottin, Grocer, Manchester. Dear Brother, In spite of differings and I must say hashness on some points you will be delighted to hear I have at last got a letter from dear Gus. How it came I do not quite know, but a most gratifying one to maternal feelings and I should hope to others, however some peoples prognostifications are proved to be in the wrong. But I am not going to triumph over any one, tho if I did motherly joy might be my excuse, for her pride will rise up when a beloved son turns out such as to justify my fondest hopes and do honour to her system of bringing up. That repays for all. Nobody knows the sacrifices I have gone thro for his sake, indeed such as nothing would reconcile to, except the reflection it was all for his dear welfare, whatever others might think to the contrary. I have pinched myself in many ways both inside and out, and even more than prudence or health dictated, or even keeping up appearances, but a mother like a pelican of the wilderness will go shabby genteel or any thing for a beloved child. For of course his outfitting came very heavy, and I had to part with the Japan buffet and all my beautiful old chaney to make him fit for the Celestial Empire. Not to name all his little desideratums which at such a time I could not grudge or refuse any thing he set his heart on to an only departing son for a foreign land. As is more than some people per Nov.-VOL. LXVI. NO. CCLXIII. U haps will simpathise with, but uncles an't mothers. Indeed his goold watch and other nicknacks ran rather over than under your kind thirty pound. Then what with bullock trunks and regimentals and other items besides chains and trinkets to barter with the natives, came to a pretty penny, so as obliged me to sell out of my long annuities and has sadly scrimped a narrow income. However I am now repaid for all my efforts and privations, and only my due and a proper reward for my own sagacity and foresight in putting my dear Gus in a line of life adapted to his uncommon cleverness. Some people I know thought otherwise, but in common justice ought to acknowledge I always predicted my son would be a shining character. Those were my very words, and they have literally come as true as if I had been a fortunetelling gipsy. So much for cultivating genius, and which you'll excuse my saying, the mother it springs from must naturally know more about than even the best of uncles. Indeed you know yourself, to be candid, I always said he was a genius out of the common way, and was the first to put it into his head. And now I have reason to be thankful that I never thwarted him, as some people wished, but always let him have his own way in every thing, and the consequence is, instead of his being a plodding tradesman, or a low mechanick, my Augustus has distinguished himself as a shining character, and for what we know may be at this very moment a colonel, a general, or a plenipenitentiary. Every bodies nevies do not get up to that! As for himself, poor fellow, whatever other people may have said or done agin him, it is plain he harbours no malice or anymosity, or he wouldn't joke so good-humoured about your pigtail. But he always was of a forgiving disposition, bless him, and a generous nature besides, and no doubt when he comes back will bring heaps of foreign presents for all his friends and relatives. For my own part I seem to see the house turned into a perfect British Museum, what with great porcelain jars, and little tiny shoes, and bows and arrows, and the frightfullest staring idols. And the Chinese make the most beautiful carved ivory fans. So I need not grudge the Japan buffet and the old chiney,--and instead of going shabby genteel, who knows but I may some day go to routes and parties, in a rich filial silk, and be fetched home with a splendid illuminated lantern? But those are pictures some people won't or can't enter into, so I say no more. But it stands to reason one's sister must surely reflect more credit on him properly consulting appearances according to her rank in life, and handsomely dressed and set off as if she had just walked out of the Book of Beauty, than if she had just come out of Mrs. Rundle's Domestic Cookery-which is too often the case. I enclose dear Gussy's letter of which I hope you will take religious care of, and not file it into holes like a common trumpery business letter as some in trade are too apt. Some sentences read oddish, but you must not be set agin it by his style, which to be sure ought not to be exactly like other people's who have no shining parts. At any rate, it shows uncommon cleverness and a good heart. I don't mind owning I enjoyed a good cry over those infantile Chinese fondlings, and then that savage beast! But some people are of more untender natures, not having had any family of their own. How would you like your Gus if you had one to be shot and peppered at by a set of long pig |