cies into which Sir Humphry is ever Bart., we shall place him in an impofalling, throughout every part of his sing attitude with his best foot foreunlucky volume. When called to task most. We were struck with one pasby Halieus for his most improper pro- sage, unconnected wholly with angposal, Poietes says, I now remember ling, and had the volume been written that I have often heard of the extreme throughout with the same spirit, how severity with which the Sabbath discie different had been our critique ! pline is kept in Scotland. Can you give us the reason of this ?” So he who “ Phys. You are severe on Cockney

aks authoritatively and oracularly fishermen, and, I suppose, would apply about Scotland, and the people of to them only, the observation of Dr John. Scotland, on the great question of edu- son, which on a former occasion you would cation, here avows himself ignorant as

not allow to be just: 'Angling is an amusea child of the history of its “ glorious

ment with a stick and a string; a worm

at one end, and a fool at the other.' And army of martyrs and apostles !” Se

to yourself you would apply it with this condly, suppose that in Scotland the

change : a Ay at one end, and a philosoSabbath-day were not so religiously pher at the other.' Yet the pleasure of observed as it is in hall and hut, still, the Cockney Angler appears to me of much what possible excuse could there have the same kind, and perhaps more contibeen for Poietes in looking forward to nuous than yours; and he has the happithe morning of that day for good sport ness of constant occupation and perpetual in the river among the salmon? pursuit in as high a degree as you have ; Would he not have been better em

and if we were to look at the real found ployed in going to hear a Gaelic

dations of your pleasure, we should find

them like most of the foundations of hu. sernion ? or in bringing up his Journal? or writing a letter to his wife

man happiness-vanity or folly. I shall

never forget the impression made upon me or mistress ? or lying on his back

some years ago, when I was standing on among the heather composing a son

the pier at Donegal, watching the flowing net ? Why should he always be ange of the tide. I saw a lame boy of fourteen or ling-angling-angling-and not at- fifteen years old, very slightly clad, that tending a little, like other worthy and some persons were attempting to stop in wicked people, to the interests of his his progress along the pier; but he resisted immortal soul? Thirdly, Do the gen

them with his crutches, and halting along, tlemen of England angle on Sun.

threw himself from an elevation of five or days? No. You may see a Cockney six feet, with his crutches, and a little para - or other Cit,--the round-faced, pot- his arm, on the sand of the beach. He

cel of wooden boats that he carried under bellied, happy little father of a nu

had to scramble or halt at least 100 yards, merous family, with knee-breeches,

over hard rocks, before he reached the waand buckles in his shoes, on a point ter, and he several times fell down and

a promontory, beetling three cut his naked limbs on the bare stones. or four feet above the raging bil. Being in the water he seemed in an ecstasy, lows of a canal, pulling out an oc- and immediately put his boats in sailing casional “ animal,” somewhat more order, and was perfectly inattentive to the like a fish than a fowl, to the infinite counsel and warning of the spectators, who delight of the progeny, with bags of shouted to him that he would be drowned. worms and papers of paste swarming

His whole attention was absorbed by his at his feet. Such a Cockney, or other boats. He had formed an idea that one Cit, you may see angling-and ang, boat was foremost he was in delight; when

should outsail the others, and when this ling blamelessly, too-on a Sunday. any one of the others got beyond it, he But London Physicians, and Authors howled with grief ; and once I saw him of Epic or Didactic Poems, and Presi- throw his crutch at one of the unfavoured dents of Royal Societies, and Mem- boats. The tide came in rapidly-he lost bers for Counties, do not angle on Sun. his crutches, and would have been drowndays in England ; and were they to be ed but for the care of some of the spectamet on the King's highway, on their tors : but he was wholly inattentive to any progress to the river, creeled, rodded, thing save his boats. He is said to be and

booted, while all honest and decent quite insane and perfectly ungovernable, people were going to church, the first clothes, and his whole life is spent in this

and will not live in a house, nor wear any magistrate they met would commit them as audacious vagabonds to the feet of wooden boats, of which he is sole

one business making and managing a tread-mill. “ Can you give us the admiral. How near this mad youth is to reason of this?”

a genius, a hero, or to an angler, who inBut before we take leave of the jures his health and risks his life by going

or on

a

a

into the water as high as his middle, in scepticisin and discontent-sickness of the the hope of catching a fish which he sees mind-are often the results of devouring rise, though he already has a pannier it. full !”

“HAL.-Surely you cannot have a more

religious, moral, or more improved popu. There is another pretty good pase lation than that of Scotland sage in “ Ninth Day”-Scene-the

“ POIET._Precisely so. In Scotland, Fall of the Traun, Upper Austria. education is not forced upon the people " Poiet. I admire in this country not

it is sought for, and it is connected with

their forms of faith, acquired in the boonly the mode of preserving, carrying, and

soms of their families, and generally purdressing fish, but I am delighted, general.

sued with a distinct object of prudence or ly, with the habits of life of the peasants, interest: nor is that kind of education and with their manners. It is a country wanting in this country, in which I should like to live; the scenery

" Phys. Where a book is rarely seen, is so beautiful, the people so amiable and

a newspaper never. good-natured, and their attention to stran.

66 POIET.-Pardon me- - there is not a gers so marked by courtesy and disinterestedness.

cottage without a Prayer-book; and I am “ Phys. They appear to me very ami.

not sorry that these innocent and happy

men are not made active and tumultuous able and good ; but all classes seem little instructed.

subjects of King Press, whom I consider “ POIET.-There are few philosophers principled tyrant that ever existed in Eng

as the most capricious, depraved, and unamongst them, certainly ; but they appear land. Depraved_for it is to be bought 'very happy, and

by great wealth ; capricious-because it • Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.'

sometimes follows, and sometimes forms, We have neither seen nor heard of any in. the voice of the lowest mob; and unprin. stances of crime since we have been here. cipled because, when its interests are They fear their God, love their sovereign, concerned, it sets at defiance private feelare obedient to the laws, and seem perfect ing and private character, and neither rely contented. I know you would contrast gards their virtue, dignity, or purity. them with the active and educated pea- " Hal. My friends, you are growing santry of the manufacturing districts of

I know you differ essentially on England; but I believe they are much

this subject ; but surely you will allow happier, and I am sure they are generally that the full liberty of the press, even better.

though it sometimes degenerates into li. “ PHYS. I doubt this : the sphere of centiousness, and it may sometimes enjoyment, as well as of benevolence, is be improperly used by the influence of enlarged by education.

wealth, power, or private favour, is yet " POIET. I am sorry to say I think highly advantageous, and even essential the system carried too far in England. to the existence of a free country; and, God forbid that any useful light should be

useful as it may be to the population, it is extinguished ! Let persons who wish for still more useful to the government, to education receive it; but it appears to me whom, as expressing the voice of the peothat, in the great cities in England, it is, ple, though not always vox Dei, it may be as it were, forced upon the population ; regarded as oracular or prophetic. But and that sciences, which the lower classes

let us change our conversation, which is can only very superficially acquire, are pre- neither in time nor place.” sented to them ; in consequence of which they often become idle and conceited, and

We have a million more remarks to above their usual laborious occupations. make. But, Brethren of the Angle, The unripe fruit of the tree of knowledge farewell till next month, when we me. is, I believe, always bitter or sour; and ditate having A DOUBLE NUMBER.

warm.

EDINBURGH:
PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY,

PAUL'S WORK, CANONGATE,

EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.

No. CXLIII.

SEPTEMBER, 1828.

VOL. XXIV.

Contents.

273

.

288

300

313

326

.

CHRISTOPHER IN HIS SPORTING JACKET.

Fytte First,
Fytte Second,

Fytte Third,
MARQUIS SPINETO ON HIEROGLYPHICS,
CLOSE OF THE LONDON SEASON,
The BACHELOR's Beat. No. IV. A DAY AT THE SEA-SIDE,
BIDCOMBE HILL,
MESSAGE TO THE DEAD. By F. H.
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS,
LORETTO,
CASTLE OF TIME. A VISION. BY DELTA,
THE OLD SYSTEM OF TRADE AND THE New One,

335

345

353

354

357

362 370

396

.

MONTHLY REGISTER.
Works PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION,
MONTHLY LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS,
APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, &c.
Births, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS,

398

400

403

EDINBURGH: WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, No. 17, PRINCE'S STREET, EDINBURGH;

AND T. CADELL, STRAND, LONDON;

To whom Communications (post paid) may be addressed.
SOLD ALSO BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND CO. EDINBURGH,

John Wilson

FYTTE FIRST.

We delight, as all the world has heart of the young a fierce passion, long well known, in every kind of in the heart of the old a passion still, fishing, from the whale to the min- but subdued and tamed down, withnow; but we also delight, as all the out, however, being much dulled or world now well knows, in every kind deadened, by various experience of all of fowling, from the roc to the wren. the mysteries of the calling, and by Not that we ever killed either a roc the gradual subsiding of all impetu or a wren; but what comes to the ous impulses in the frame of all more same thing, we have, on two occasions, tal men beyond perhaps threescore, by design brought down an eagle, when the blackest head will be bea and, on one occasion, accidentally lee coming grey, the most nervous knee velled a toni-tit. In short, we are less firmly knit, the most steelyconsiderable shakes of a shot—and, springed instep less elastic, the keenshould any one of our readers doubt est eye less of a far-keeker, and, above the fact, his scepticism will probably all, the most boiling heart less like a be removed by a perusal of the fol- cauldron or a crater-yea, the whole lowing Article:

man subject to some dimness or des There is a fine and beautiful alliance cay, and, consequently, the whole between all pastimes pursued on flood duty of man like the new edition of and field and fell. The principles in a book, from which many passages human nature on which they are pura that formed the chief glory of the sued, are in all the same; but those editio princeps have been expunged, principles are subject to infinite mo- and the whole character of the style difications and varieties, according to corrected indeed, without being improthe difference of individual and na- ved,-just like the later editions of tional character. All such pastimes, the Pleasures of Imagination, which „whether followed merely as pastimes, were written by Akenside when he or as professions, or as the immediate was about twenty-one, and altered by means of sustaining life, require sense, him at forty--to the exclusion or de sagacity, and knowledge of nature and struction of many most splendida vitia, nature's laws; nor less, patience, per- by which process the poem, in our severance, courage even, and bodily humble opinion, was shorn of its strength or activity, while the spirit brightest beams, and suffered disaswhich animates and supports them is trous twilight and severe eclipse-pera a spirit of anxiety, doubt, fear, hope, plexing critics. joy, exultation, and triumph,-in the Now, seeing that these pastimes are VOL. XXIV.

2 M