The unhappy pilot stamped his foot every time the cutter took a fresh whirl, and called his favourite Odin to witness his dilemma; but Odin paid as much deference to his prayers as Hercules did, of yore, to the waggoner who got the wheel of his cart in the rut. The cutter wearied not in her waltz; but, whether she felt the want of a partner, or the powerof the wind, I know not; for when the pilot had lighted his pipe, and given his soul to its soporific ward, she darted unexpectedly out of the circling haven, and ceased not in her flight until the first wave of the Ocean leaped up against her bow with so much rude impetuosity that her hull staggered under its force, and her gaff-topsail shook with anger at such lack of gentleness.
Amid a multitudinous salute of "Farväl!" the pilot bundled into his pram; and even now I see him tossed about, looking the very configuration of "Gamle Norge."
The sameness of all other seas is not forbidden to this northern one; and except a more constant repetition of squalls and showers of rain, I distinguished the great family likeness. The 8th of August passed pleasantly enough, and for those souls which can absorb the sublimity of water, and soar to the infinity of space, the scene might have seemed wondrous in width and height; but the subsequent day, while sitting below and reading, I heard a tremendous racket on deck, and before I could exactly arrange the different sounds, the main-sail and gaff-topsail came to the deck "with a run;" and for aught I knew to the contrary, but strongly imagined, the gib and foresail followed their example with like expedition.
"We shall go up in the air, like a balloon!" one of the sailors, with a twang of horror in his voice, exclaimed.
"Ay, or swamped!" a second suggested, loudly, with dreadful determination.
"Ay, ay; and the deck's as good as stove in!" growled a third nautical son of a Shuhite.
I threw the book I had been perusing on the cabin table, and hurried towards the staircase; but one of my friends met me at the door, and moving with the same velocity as myself, we came into sharp collision. He rebounded to the right, and I recoiled to the left hand.
"For God's sake, get out of the way," said he, out of breath, and recovering his legs as fast as he could.
"What's the matter?" I asked, with much alarm. "Is the vessel on fire, or what?"
"No;—nothing," replied he, with a wildness of look that foretold anything but nothing. "Here, steward!" he called out at the top of his voice,—"Alfred!—Gandy!—cook!"—dismay expanding the sources of information, and adding loudness to his vociferation—"Where's my gun?"
The steward, Alfred, Gandy, and the cook were busily employed elsewhere, for they made no reply, and my friend soon found, without their assistance, what, at first, confusion of mind had hid from his sight.
Breathless, too, with the flushed face and disordered dress of haste and horror, my other fellow traveller came thundering down the companion, and the thick shooting-boots he commonly wore clattered the importance of his approach.
"Gracious heaven!" I exclaimed, "What is all this about? If I am to be——"
"Where's the powder?" asked he, and brushing by me, like a rocket, to get across the cabin, brought his shoulder so forcibly in contact with my chest, that he knocked all the breath out of my lungs, and broke my second sentence into pieces.
"Where's the powder?" again asked he, his voice ascending in the scale of articulation.
"How am I to know?" fulminated the one, angrily, loading his gun with the despatch of an adroit musketeer. "Am I a magazine?"
"No; I know that," said the other, tartly.
"Well; what's the good of baiting a fellow when he's busy," replied the first decisively.
I could rest no longer in ignorance of my fate, and I scrambled on deck. The vessel labouring very much in a heavy sea, had not a stitch of canvass on her, and her bare mast tapered into the air like a cocoa-nut tree that had been discrowned.
"What is all this?" I said, appealing to one man who had hold of the tiller, and, with his neck extended like a race-horse, seemed to be steering as if the greatest way was on the vessel.
"Look there, your Honour," and without removing his eyes from the bow of the cutter, he pointed the thumb of his left hand over his shoulder. I turned, and saw, half a mile astern, the cause of all this uproar. But Ihad barely a clear conception of what I was looking at, when my companions with loaded guns reappeared on deck. The triggers clicked, and I assumed their guns were to be discharged at once, but D—— called out,
"Not yet; it's too far off."
"Tell us when to fire, then," said my two friends, filing themselves in that attitude which the reader may have observed in a regiment of soldiers, when the word is given to "present."
"What!" I cried out, now that I found my senses by the visual elucidation of the threatened evil;
"What! you don't mean to say you are going to fire with a couple of fowling pieces at a water-spout?"
"To be sure, Sir," answered D——, giving me a momentary glance that he ventured to take, clandestinely, from the water-spout. "Don't they fire guns to break them?"
"Yes," I replied, "people do,—cannon!"
However, I could not get any one to agree with me, that a rifle-ball would have just as much effect on the dispersion of the huge water-spout that boiled and waved, like an elastic tower, to and fro with the wind, and roared in the wake of the yacht, as a sigh would arrest the rotation of Sirius; and so, placing my life in the custody of Providence, I went back to my book, and left my companions standing on the poop with gunspresented, and the whole crew with leaping hearts and open mouths waiting the efficacy of their artillery. I did not hear the discharge of the two guns; but the water-spout kept them in great trepidation, by approaching within a hundred yards of the cutter, and then resolving into its native cloud and water.
The following day the high lands in the vicinity of Whitby in Yorkshire were seen; and at four o'clock the same afternoon we passed close under the frowning headland, on which the old ruins of the castle stand. A south-west wind appearing desirous to treat us with another gale, we brought up off Scarborough for the night; and notwithstanding the swell which precluded all other boats from intercourse with the shore, we managed to reach the land in a gig, and stretched our legs on English ground again.
Early in the morning P—— left us for London, fearful that the wind might detain us some time at Scarborough; but five hours after his departure, at mid-day, with a fresh breeze, we got under weigh; and, though the wind continued heading us the whole distance, reached Yarmouth as the clocks in the town were striking eight.
Having made up our minds not to remain more than the night at this place, the cutter lay in the roadstead.
We must have arrived at a moment of some gaiety, for on a terrace facing the sea, a bandwas playing, and all the inhabitants had congregated to converse and walk. What a contrast to the country from which we had just come! No man can judge of the superiority of England, whether in the beauty and elegance of its women, the cleanliness of its towns, the multiplicity and aptness of its comforts, but he who has wandered in other parts of the world. Grumblers are domestic; just the same as spoiled brats cry for the very sake of peevishness, because they know not the pain of denial. As I have not much more time to speak, I would, with my last breath, recommend discontented people to travel; but if they should come back in the same fretful condition, well, let them go to——Bath;—no further.
At six o'clock on the morning of the 12th of August, we sailed from Yarmouth, and at a quarter to seven in the evening, the anchor of the Iris dropped within thirty yards of the pier-head at Erith.
By the first flush of day, taking the early tide, the cutter crept up the familiar, winding River; and while yet I pondered on the reason why I should love my own land, with its yellow sky and puffing toil, better than the pure Heaven and kindly ease of foreign strands, the Hospital of Greenwich lay within the cast of a stone. The crimson flag was waving on the western turret, just as it waved in May, and so, with his two wooden legs projecting at right angles to his body, sat alone, on thesame bench, the lone old pensioner. I seemed to have been sleeping for three months. I felt sad, and knew not why. How ideal is the reality of life! and the inexpressive cause of grief is the consciousness of that truth.
The sailors, as they furled the sails, talked of home. The deer and fawn, ceasing to ruminate, viewed their new country with surprise; but Jacko going into Sailor's hutch, begged, without doubt, to know if he might ride through the town on his back; and Greenwich, like Brundusium, was,
"longæ finis chartæque viæque."
As all men are not of the same stature, so their minds differ in the means of accepting knowledge, or entertainment, and to please every one is a difficult thing. To hope, therefore, that I should afford amusement to all who read these pages, would be to aspire for that which has not fallen to the lot of any one; but if out of the incongruity of opinions I have expressed, be they ever so weak, or opposed to each other, instruction may be taken, then I shall not have striven without a result. For me, I have no moral lesson to teach; but by writing, to repeat what I have witnessed, and by that repetition to impart to others those things which, sheltered, though of the same world, by a different sky, and shadowed by other customs, were pleasing to my mind and sight.
My task is done; and, like a dream, is dreamt the recollection of human things already changed and ever changing. The remembrance of the interesting country through which I have been travelling shall abide by me always; for, encouraged by the desire to speak and muse, as I do now, of the hardy, freely happy, and contented sons of its mountains, I first learned that no greater blessing could be granted than a life of honourable industry, and that, pine who might beneath the infliction of mental or bodily exertion, I had known the exalted destiny of creation in the effort to be useful. Like an exile turning to take a last glance at the blue outlines of his native land, I, too, have lingered to look back; yet the pleasant retrospection of three happy months is at an end; and I now dream of its delight as one who feels that, in the swift transition of existence, such peace of mind can never come again.
13, Great Marlborough Street.MR. COLBURN'S LIST OF NEW WORKS.——————————LIVES OF THE PRINCESSES OF ENGLAND,By Mrs. EVERETT GREEN,EDITOR OF THE "LETTERS OF ROYAL AND ILLUSTRIOUS LADIES."2 vols., post 8vo., with Illustrations, 21s. bound.——————————OPINIONS OF THE PRESS."A most agreeable book, forming a meet companion for the work of Miss Strickland, to which, indeed, it is an indispensable addition. The authoress, already favourably known to the learned world by her excellent collection of 'Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies,' has executed her task with great skill and fidelity. Every page displays careful research and accuracy. There is a graceful combination of sound, historical erudition, with an air of romance and adventure that is highly pleasing, and renders the work at once an agreeable companion of the boudoir, and a valuable addition to the historical library. Mrs. Green has entered upon an untrodden path, and gives to her biographies an air of freshness and novelty very alluring. The present volumes (including the Lives of twenty-five Princesses) carry us from the daughters of the Conqueror to the family of Edward I.—a highly interesting period, replete with curious illustrations of the genius and manners of the Middle Ages. Such works, from the truthfulness of their spirit, furnish a more lively picture of the tunes than even the graphic, though delusive, pencil of Scott and James." —Britannia."The vast utility of the task undertaken by the gifted author of this interesting book can only be equalled by the skill, ingenuity, and research required for its accomplishment. The field Mrs. Green has selected is an untrodden one. Mrs. Green, on giving to the world a work which will enable us to arrive at a correct idea of the private histories and personal characters of the royal ladies of England, has done sufficient to entitle her to the respect and gratitude of the country. The labour of her task was exceedingly great, involving researches, not only into English records and chronicles, but into those of almost every civilised country in Europe. The style of Mrs. Green is admirable. She has a fine perception of character and manners, a penetrating spirit of observation, and singular exactness of judgment. The memoirs are richly fraught with the spirit of romantic adventure."—Morning Post."This work is a worthy companion to Miss Strickland's admirable 'Queens of England.' In one respect the subject-matter of these volumes is more interesting, because it is more diversified than that of the 'Queens of England.' That celebrated work, although its heroines were, for the most part, foreign Princesses, related almost entirely to the history of this country. The Princesses of England, on the contrary, are themselves English, but their lives are nearly all connected with foreign nations. Their biographies, consequently, afford us a glimpse of the manners and customs of the chief European kingdoms, a circumstance which not only gives to the work the charm of variety, but which is likely to render it peculiarly useful to the general reader, as it links together by association the contemporaneous history of various nations. The histories are related with an earnest simplicity and copious explicitness. The reader is informed without being wearied, and alternately enlivened by some spirited description, or touched by some pathetic or tender episode. We cordially commend Mrs. Everett Green's production to general attention; it is (necessarily) as useful as history, and fully as entertaining as romance."—Sun.———————————————THE FOLLOWING WILL BE PUBLISHED IMMEDIATELY.——————————A NEW HISTORICAL ROMANCE.BY ELIOT WARBURTON, Esq.,Author of "The Crescent and the Cross." &c. 3 vols.——————————MEMOIRS OF A HUNGARIAN LADYBY THERESA PULSZKY.With an Historical Introduction, byFrancis Pulszky, late Under Secretary of State tothe Emperor Ferdinand and King of Hungary.2 vols., post 8vo., 21s. bound. (Now ready.)——————————THE LIFE AND REIGN OF CHARLES I.BY J. DISRAELI.A NEW AND IMPROVED EDITION, with a Preface by B. DISRAELI, M.P.2 vols., uniform with the "Curiosities of Literature."——————————HISTORIC SCENES.BY AGNES STRICKLAND.Author of "Lives of the Queens of England," &c.1 vol., post 8vo, elegantly bound, with Portrait of the Author.——————————LONDON LITERARY SOCIETYIN THE DAYS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON.FROM THE PAPERS OF THE LATE HENRY ROSCOE.BY WILLIAM WEIR.2 vols., post 8vo.——————————LEAVES FROM A LADY'S DIARYOF HER TRAVELS IN BARBARY.2 vols., post 8vo.——————————FRESTON TOWER;OR, THE EARLY DAYS OF CARDINAL WOLSEY.BY THE REV. RICHARD COBBOLD.3 vols., post 8vo., with Illustrations.——————————A CHEAPER EDITION OFBURKE'SHISTORY OF THE LANDED GENTRY;FOR 1850.A Genealogical DictionaryOF THE WHOLE OF THE UNTITLED ARISTOCRACY OFMENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND:And comprising Particulars of 100,000 Individuals connected with them.CORRECTED TO THE PRESENT TIME.A COMPANION TO ALL THE PEERAGES.In 2 volumes, royal 8vo., beautifully printed in double columns, comprising more matter than 30 ordinary volumes, price only2l. 2s.elegantly bound in gilt morocco cloth.⁂ The great cost (upwards of £6000) attending the production of this National Work, the first of its kind, induces the Publisher to hope that the heads of all Families recorded in its pages will supply themselves with copies.——————————The Landed Gentry of England are so closely connected with the stirring records of its eventful history, that some acquaintance with them is a matter of necessity with the legislator, the lawyer, the historical student, the speculator in politics, and the curious in topographical and antiquarian lore; and even the very spirit of ordinary curiosity will prompt to a desire to trace the origin and progress of those families whose influence pervades the towns and villages of our land. This work furnishes such a mass of authentic information in regard to all the principal families in the kingdom as has never before been attempted to be brought together. It relates to the untitled families of rank, as the "Peerage and Baronetage" does to the titled, and forms, in fact, a peerage of the untitled aristocracy. It embraces the whole of the landed interest, and is indispensable to the library of every gentleman."A work of this kind is of a national value. Its utility is not merely temporary, but it will exist and be acknowledged as long as the families whose names and genealogies are recorded in it continue to form an integral portion of the English constitution. As a correct record of descent, no family should be without it. The untitled aristocracy have in this great work as perfect a dictionary of their genealogical history, family connexions, and heraldic rights, as the peerage and baronetage. It will be an enduring and trustworthy record."—Morning Post."A work in which every gentleman will find a domestic interest, as it contains the fullest account of every known family in the United Kingdom. It is a dictionary of all names, families, and their origin,—of every man's neighbour and friend, if not of his own relatives and immediate connexions. It cannot fail to be of the greatest utility to professional men in their researches respecting the members of different families, heirs to property, &c. Indeed, it will become as necessary as a Directory in every office."—Bell's Messenger.——————————DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCEOFSAMUEL PEPYS, F.R.S.,SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY IN THE REIGNS OF CHARLES II. AND JAMES II.EDITED BY LORD BRAYBROOKE.New and Revised Edition, with numerous Passages now restored from the Original Manuscript, and many Additional Notes, complete in 5 vols., post 8vo., with Portraits, &c., price 10s. 6d. each, elegantly bound in French Morocco with gilt edges."These volumes of Pepys' famous Journal, in their present complete form, contain much attractive novelty. Without making any exception in favour of any other production of ancient or modern diarists, we unhesitatingly characterise this journal as the most remarkable production of its kind which has ever been given to the world. Pepys paints the Court, the Monarchs, and the times, in more vivid colours than any one else. His Diary makes us comprehend the great historical events of the age, and the people who bore a part in them, and gives us more clear glimpses into the true English life of the times than all the other memorials of them that have come down to our own."—Edinburgh Review."The best book of its kind in the English language. The new matter is extremely curious, and occasionally far more characteristic and entertaining than the old. The writer is seen in a clearer light, and the reader is taken into his inmost soul. Pepys' Diary is the ablest picture of the age in which the writer lived, and a work of standard importance in English literature."—Athenæum."There is much in Pepys' Diary that throws a distinct and vivid light over the picture of England and its government during the period succeeding the Restoration. If, quitting the broad path of history, we look for minute information concerning ancient manners and customs, the progress of arts and sciences, and the various branches of antiquity, we have never seen a mine so rich as these volumes. The variety of Pepys' tastes and pursuits led him into almost every department of life. He was a man of business, a man of information, a man of whim, and, to a certain degree, a man of pleasure. He was a statesman, abel-esprit, a virtuoso, and a connoisseur. His curiosity made him an unwearied, as well as an universal, learner, and whatever he saw found its way into his tables."—Quarterly Review."We owe Pepys a debt of gratitude for the rare and curious information he has bequeathed to us in this most amusing and interesting work. His Diary is valuable, as depicting to us many of the most important characters of the times. Its author has bequeathed us the records of his heart, the very reflection of his energetic mind; and his quaint but happy narrative clears up numerous disputed points, throws light into many of the dark corners of history, and lays bare the hidden substratum of events which gave birth to, and supported the visible progress of, the nation."—Tait's Magazine."Of all the records that have ever been published, Pepys' Diary gives us the most vivid and trustworthy picture of the times, and the clearest view of the state of English public affairs and of English society during the reign of Charles II. We see there, as in a map, the vices of the Monarch, the intrigues of the Cabinet, the wanton follies of the Court, and the many calamities to which the nation was subjected during the memorable period of fire, plague, and general licentiousness. In the present edition all the suppressed passages have been restored, and a large amount of valuable explanatory notes have been added. Thus this third edition stands alone as the only complete one. Lord Braybrooke has efficiently performed the duties of editor and annotator, and has conferred a lasting favour on the public by giving them Pepys' Diary in its integrity."—Morning Post.——————————DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCEOFJOHN EVELYN, F.R.S.,Author of the "Sylva," &c.A NEW EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED WITH NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL NOTES.UNIFORM WITH THE NEW EDITION OF PEPYS' DIARY.In 4 vols., post 8vo., price 10s. 6d. each, with Illustrations.N.B.—The First Two Volumes, comprising "The Diary," are now ready.The Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn has long been regarded as an invaluable record of opinions and events, as well as the most interesting exposition we possess of the manners, taste, learning, and religion of this country, during the latter half of the seventeenth century. The Diary comprises observations on the politics, literature, and science of his age, during his travels in France and Italy; his residence in England towards the latter part of the Protectorate, and his connexion with the Courts of Charles II. and the two subsequent reigns, interspersed with a vast number of original anecdotes of the most celebrated persons of that period. To the Diary is subjoined the Correspondence of Evelyn with many of his distinguished contemporaries; also Original Letters from Sir Edward Nicholas, private secretary to King Charles I., during some important periods of that reign, with the King's answers; and numerous letters from Sir Edward Hyde (Lord Clarendon) to Sir Edward Nicholas, and to Sir Richard Brown, Ambassador to France, during the exile of the British Court.A New Edition of this interesting work having been long demanded, the greatest pains have been taken to render it as complete as possible, by a careful re-examination of the original Manuscript, and by illustrating it with such annotations as will make the reader more conversant with the numerous subjects referred to by the Diarist."It has been justly observed that as long as Virtue and Science hold their abode in this island, the memory of Evelyn will be held in the utmost veneration. Indeed, no change of fashion, no alteration of taste, no revolution of science, have impaired, or can impair, his celebrity. The youth who looks forward to an inheritance which he is under no temptation to increase, will do well to bear the example of Evelyn in his mind, as containing nothing but what is imitable, and nothing but what is good. All persons, indeed, may find in his character something for imitation, but for an English gentleman he is the perfect model."—Quarterly Review.——————————ANECDOTES OF THE ARISTOCRACY,ANDEPISODES IN ANCESTRAL STORY.By J. BERNARD BURKE, Esq.,Author of "The History of the Landed Gentry," "The Peerage and Baronetage," &c.Second Edition, 2 vols., post 8vo., 24s. bound.The memoirs of our great families are replete with details of the most striking and romantic interest, throwing light on the occurrences of public as well as domestic life, and elucidating the causes of many important national events. How little of the personal history of the Aristocracy is generally known, and yet how full of amusement is the subject! Almost every eminent family has some event connected with its rise or greatness, some curious tradition interwoven with its annals, or some calamity casting a gloom over the brilliancy of its achievements, which cannot fail to attract the attention of that sphere of society to which this work more particularly refers, and must equally interest the general reader, with whom, in this country, the records of the higher classes have always possessed a peculiar attraction. The anecdotes of the Aristocracy here recorded go far to show that there are more marvels in real life than in the creations of fiction. Let the reader seek romance in whatever book, and at whatever period he may, yet nought will he find to surpass the unexaggerated reality here unfolded."Mr. Burke has here given us the most curious incidents, the most stirring tales, and the most remarkable circumstances connected with the histories, public and private, of our noble houses and aristocratic families, and has put them into a shape which will preserve them in the library, and render them the favourite study of those who are interested in the romance of real life. These stories, with all the reality of established fact, read with as much spirit as the tales of Boccaccio, and are as full of strange matter for reflection, and amazement."—Britannia."Two of the most interesting volumes that have ever issued from the press. There are no less than one hundred and twenty-three of the most stirring and captivating family episodes we ever remember to have perused. The 'Anecdotes of the Aristocracy' will be read from the palace to the hamlet; and no one can rise from these volumes without deriving a useful knowledge of some chapter of family history, each connected with one or other of the great houses of the kingdom."—British Army Despatch."We cannot estimate too highly the interest of Mr. Burke's entertaining and instructive work. For the curious nature of the details, the extraordinary anecdotes related, the strange scenes described, it would be difficult to find a parallel for it. It will be read by every one."—Sunday Times.——————————COMPLETION OF THELIVES OF THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND.BY AGNES STRICKLAND.DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION, TO HER MAJESTY.TheEleventhandTwelfth Volumes, completing this interesting Work, being now published, Purchasers are recommended to give immediate orders to their Booksellers for the completion of their sets, to prevent disappointment."These volumes have the fascination of a romance united to the integrity of history. The work is written by a lady of considerable learning, indefatigable industry, and careful judgment. All these qualifications for a biographer and an historian she has brought to bear upon the subject of her volumes, and from them has resulted a narrative interesting to all, and more particularly interesting to that portion of the community to whom the more refined researches of literature afford pleasure and instruction. The whole work should be read, and no doubt will be read, by all who are anxious for information. It is a lucid arrangement of facts, derived, from authentic sources, exhibiting a combination of industry, learning, judgment, and impartiality, not often met with in biographers of crowned heads."—Times."This remarkable, this truly great historical work, is now brought to a conclusion. In this series of biographies, in which the severe truth of history takes almost the wildness of romance, it is the singular merit of Miss Strickland that her research has enabled her to throw new light on many doubtful passages, to bring forth fresh facts, and to render every portion of our annals which she has described an interesting and valuable study. She has given a most valuable contribution to the history of England, and we have no hesitation in affirming that no one can be said to possess an accurate knowledge of the history of the country who has not studied her 'Lives of the Queens of England.'"—Morning Herald."A most valuable and entertaining work. There is certainly no lady of our day who has devoted her pen to so beneficial a purpose as Miss Strickland. Nor is there any other whose works possess a deeper or more enduring interest. Miss Strickland is to our mind the first literary lady of the age."—Chronicle."We must pronounce Miss Strickland beyond all comparison the most entertaining historian in the English language. She is certainly a woman of powerful and active mind, as well as of scrupulous justice and honesty of purpose."—Morning Post."Miss Strickland has made a very judicious use of many authentic MS. authorities not previously collected, and the result is a most interesting addition to our biographical library."—Quarterly Review."A valuable contribution to historical knowledge. It contains a mass of every kind of historical matter of interest, which industry and research could collect. We have derived much entertainment and instruction from the work."—Athenæum.——————————KING ARTHUR.BySIR E. BULWER LYTTON,Bart.,Author of "The New Timon."Second Edition, 1 vol., post 8vo., 10s. 6d. bound."King Arthur aims at relating one of the most fascinating of all national and chivalrous legends. It is a valuable addition to the poetical treasures of our language, and we regard it as not only worthy, but likely, to take its place among those fine, though not faultless performances which will hereafter represent the poetical literature of England in the first half of the nineteenth century. The author is, we think, right in believing this to be the least perishable monument of his genius."—Edinburgh Review."This grand epic of 'King Arthur' must henceforth be ranked amongst our national masterpieces. In it we behold the crowning achievement of the author's life. His ambition cannot rise to a greater altitude. He has accomplished that which once had its seductions for the deathless and majestic mind of Milton. He has now assumed a place among the kings of English poetry."—Sun."We see in 'King Arthur' a consummate expression of most of those higher powers of mind and thought which have been steadily and progressively developed in Sir Bulwer Lytton's writings. Its design is a lofty one, and through all its most varied extremes evenly sustained. It comprises a national and a religious interest. It animates with living truth, with forms and faces familiar to all men, the dim figures of legendary lore. It has an earnest moral purpose, never lightly forgotten or thrown aside. It is remarkable for the deep and extensive knowledge it displays, and for the practical lessons of life and history which it reflects in imaginative form. We have humour and wit, often closely bordering on pathos and tragedy; exploits of war, of love, and of chivalrous adventure, alternate with the cheerful lightness and pleasantry ofla gaie science." —Examiner."The great national subject of 'King Arthur,' which Milton for a long time hesitated whether he should not choose in preference to that of the 'Fall of Man,' has been at last in our own day treated in a way which we think will place 'King Arthur' among the most remarkable works of genius. It will be the delight of many future generations. It is one of the most entrancing poems we have ever read; full of great and rare ideas— conceived in the plenary spirit of all-believing romance—strange and wonderful in incident—national through and through—a real plant of this soil, so purely the tree of England's antiquity that we love it for kind's sake."—Morning Post.——————————THE NEW TIMON:A POETICAL ROMANCE.Fourth Edition, 1 vol., post 8vo., 6s. bound."One of the most remarkable poems of the present generation."—Sun.——————————THE REV. R. MILMAN'SLIFE OF TASSO.2 vols., post 8vo., 21s. bound."The present work, from the touching interest of its subject, is likely to be extensively read."—Athenæum."Mr. Milman's biography is a very good one. The work will find a place in every library."—Britannia."A most valuable addition to our literary treasures—fraught with deep and thrilling interest."—Morning Post."Mr. Milman's Memoir of Tasso is a work of considerable interest; entering fully into the particulars of the great poet's life, and giving a general review of his works."—John Bull.——————————MEMOIR AND CORRESPONDENCEOFSIR ROBERT MURRAY KEITH, K.B.,Minister Plenipotentiary at the Courts of Dresden, Copenhagen, and Vienna,from 1769 to 1793; withBiographical Memoirs of Queen Caroline Matilda, Sister of George III.Edited by MRS. GILLESPIE SMYTH.2 vols., post 8vo., with Portraits, 25s. bound.Sir Robert Murray Keith, it will be recollected, was one of the ablest diplomatists of the last century, and held the post of Ambassador at the Court of Copenhagen, when Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark, the unfortunate sister of George III., was involved in the conspiracy of Struensee, and was only saved from the severest punishment her vindictive enemy the Queen Mother could inflict, by the spirited interposition of the British Ambassador. Sir Robert Keith also for a long period represented his Sovereign at the Courts of Dresden and Vienna; and his papers, edited by a member of his family, throw considerable light on the diplomatic history of the reign of George III., besides conveying many curious particulars of the great men and events of the period. Among the variety of interesting documents comprised in these volumes, will be found—Letters from Frederick, King of Prussia; Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark; Princes Ferdinand of Brunswick, Kaunitz, and Czartoriski; the Dukes of Cumberland, York, Queensbury, Montagu, and Newcastle; Lords Stormont, St. Asaph, Heathfield, Hardwicke, Darlington, Auckland, Apsley, Barrington, Stair; Counts Bentinck and Rosenberg; Baron Trenck; Field-Marshals Conway and Keith; Sirs Walter Scott, Joseph Yorke, Nathaniel Wraxall, John Sebright; Dr. Robertson, Mr. Pitt, Howard, Mrs. Piozzi, Mrs. Montagu, &c., &c."A large portion of this important and highly interesting work consists of letters, that we venture to say will bear a comparison for sterling wit, lively humour, entertaining gossip, piquant personal anecdotes, and brilliant pictures of social life, in its highest phases, both at home and abroad, with those of Horace Walpole himself."—Court Journal.——————————THE HISTORY OF CIVILISATION,AND PUBLIC OPINION,By W. A. MACKINNON, M.P., F.R.S., &c.Third and Cheaper Edition, 2 vols. 8vo., 21s., bound."Mr. Mackinnon's valuable 'History of Civilisation' is a vast repertory of knowledge that we could wish to see universally circulated throughout the country, as tending to convey information that is much required, and of which too many are deficient."—Morning Herald.——————————REVELATIONS OF PRINCE TALLEYRAND.Edited from the Papers of the late M. COLMACHE,THE PRINCE'S PRIVATE SECRETARY.Second Edition, 1 volume, post 8vo., with Portrait, 10s. 6d. bound."A more interesting work has not issued from the press for many years. It is in truth a complete Boswell sketch of the greatest diplomatist of the age."—Sunday Times.——————————COLBURN'S AUTHORISED TRANSLATION.Now ready, Volume 9, price 7s., ofM. A. THIERS' HISTORYOFTHE CONSULATE AND THE EMPIRE.A SEQUEL TO HIS HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.Having filled at different times the high offices of Minister of the Interior, of Finance, of Foreign Affairs, and President of the Council, M. Thiers has enjoyed facilities beyond the reach of every other biographer of Napoleon for procuring, from exclusive and authentic sources, the choicest materials for his present work. As guardian to the archives of the state, he had access to diplomatic papers and other documents of the highest importance, hitherto known only to a privileged few, and the publication of which cannot fail to produce a great sensation. From private sources, M. Thiers, it appears, has also derived much valuable information. Many interesting memoirs, diaries, and letters, all hitherto unpublished, and most of them destined for political reasons to remain so, have been placed at his disposal; while all the leading characters of the empire, who were alive when the author undertook the present history, have supplied him with a mass of incidents and anecdotes which have never before appeared in print, and the accuracy and value of which may be inferred from the fact of these parties having been themselves eye-witnesses of, or actors in, the great events of the period.⁂ To prevent disappointment, the public are requested to be particular in giving their orders for "Colburn's Authorised Translation."——————————BURKE'S PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE;CORRECTED THROUGHOUT FROM THE PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONSOF THE NOBILITY, &c.In 1 vol. (comprising as much matter as twenty ordinary volumes), withupwards of 1500 Engravings of Arms, &c., 38s. bound."Mr. Burke's 'Peerage and Baronetage' is the most complete, the most convenient and the cheapest work of the kind ever offered to the public."—Sun.——————————DIARY AND MEMOIRS OF SOPHIA DOROTHEA,CONSORT OF GEORGE I.Now first published from the Originals.Cheaper Edition, 2 vols., 8vo., with Portrait, 21s. bound."A work abounding in the romance of real life."—Messenger."A book of marvellous revelations, establishing beyond all doubt the perfect innocence of the beautiful, highly-gifted, and inhumanly-treated Sophia Dorothea."—Naval and Military Gazette.——————————LETTERS OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.Edited, with an Historical Introduction and Notes,By AGNES STRICKLAND.Cheaper Edition, with numerous Additions, uniform with Miss Strickland's"Lives of the Queens of England." 2 vols., post 8vo., with Portrait, &c., 21s. bound."The best collection of authentic memorials relative to the Queen of Scots that has ever appeared."—Morning Chronicle.——————————MEMOIRS OF MADEMOISELLE DE MONTPENSIER.Written by HERSELF.3 volumes, post 8vo., with Portrait."One of the most delightful and deeply-interesting works we have read for a long time."—Weekly Chronicle.——————————LADY BLESSINGTON'S JOURNALOF HER CONVERSATIONS WITH LORD BYRON.Cheaper Edition, in 8vo., embellished with Portraits ofLady Blessington and Lord Byron, price only 7s. bound."The best thing that has been written on Lord Byron."—Spectator."Universally acknowledged to be delightful. "—Athenæum.——————————NARRATIVEOFAN OVERLAND JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD,By SIR GEORGE SIMPSON,Governor-in-Chief of the Hudson's Bay Company's Territoriesin North America.2 vols., 8vo., with Map, &c., 31s. 6d. bound."A more valuable or instructive work, or one more full of perilous adventure and heroic enterprise, we have never met with."—John Bull."It deserves to be a standard work in all libraries, and it will become so."—Messenger."The countries of which this work gives us a new knowledge are probably destined to act with great power on our interests, some as the rivals of our commerce, some as the depôts of our manufactures, and some as the recipients of that overflow of population which Europe is now pouring out from all her fields on the open wilderness of the world."—Blackwood's Magazine.——————————MR. ROSS' YACHT VOYAGETODENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN,IN LORD RODNEY'S CUTTER "THE IRIS."Second Edition, 1 vol., 10s. 6d. bound."There is not a sporting man in the country who could peruse these volumes without deriving a considerable amount of pleasure and profit from their pages. No one should think of visiting Norway, Denmark, or Sweden, without consulting them."—Era.——————————FIVE YEARS IN KAFFIRLAND:WITH SKETCHES OFTHE LATE WAR IN THAT COUNTRY.By MRS. HARRIET WARD(Wife of Captain Ward, 91st Regiment).Second Edition, 2 vols., post 8vo., with Portraits of Col. Somerset,the Kaffir Chief Sandilla, &c., 21s. bound."Mrs. Ward's narrative is one of deep interest, full of exciting adventures and wild and graphic descriptions of scenes the most extraordinary which could be presented to the eyes of a traveller."—Sunday Times."The fullest, clearest, and most impartial account of the Cape of Good Hope and of the recent war, that has yet come before the public." —Naval and Military Gazette.——————————THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS;OR,ROMANCE AND REALITIES OF EASTERN TRAVEL.By ELIOT B. G. WARBURTON, Esq.Seventh Edition, 2 vols., with numerous Illustrations, 21s. bound."Independently of its value as an original narrative, and its useful and interesting information, this work is remarkable for the colouring power and play of fancy with which its descriptions are enlivened. Among its greatest and most lasting charms is its reverent and serious spirit."—Quarterly Review."We could not recommend a better book as a travelling companion."—United Service Magazine.——————————HOCHELAGA;OR,ENGLAND IN THE NEW WORLD.Edited by ELIOT WARBURTON, Esq.,Author of "The Crescent and the Cross."Third Edition, 2 vols., post 8vo., with Illustrations, 21s. bound."We recommend 'Hochelaga' most heartily, in case any of our readers may as yet be unacquainted with it."—Quarterly Review."This work has already reached a third edition. We shall be surprised if it do not go through many. It possesses almost every qualification of a good book—grace, variety, and vigour of style—a concentrated power of description, which has all the effect of elaborate painting—information carefully collected and judiciously communicated—sound and enlarged views of important questions—a hearty and generous love of country—and the whole pervaded by a refined but sometimes caustic humour, which imparts a constant attraction to its pages. We can cordially recommend it to our readers, as well for the amusement of its lighter portions, the vivid brilliancy of its descriptions, and the solid information it contains respecting Canada, and the position generally of England in the new world."—John Bull.——————————LORD LINDSAY'S LETTERS ON THE HOLY LAND.Fourth Edition, revised and corrected, 1 vol., post 8vo., 7s. 6d. bound."Lord Lindsay has felt and recorded what he saw with the wisdom of a philosopher, and the faith of an enlightened Christian." —Quarterly Review.——————————SIR JAMES ALEXANDER'S ACADIE;OR, SEVEN YEARS' EXPLORATION OF CANADA, &c.2 vols., post 8vo., with numerous Illustrations, 21s. bound."Replete with valuable information on Canada for the English settler, the English soldier, and the English Government; with various charms of adventure and description for the desultory reader."—Morning Chronicle."No other writer on Canada can compare with the gallant author of the present volume in the variety and interest of his narrative." —John Bull.——————————STORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR.A COMPANION VOLUME TO MR. GLEIG'S"STORY OF THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO."With six Portraits and Map, 7s. 6d. bound."Every page of this work is fraught with undying interest. We needed such a book as this; one that could give to the rising generation of soldiers a clear notion of the events which led to the expulsion of the French from the Peninsula."—United Service Gazette.——————————LADY LISTER KAYE'S BRITISH HOMESAND FOREIGN WANDERINGS.2 vols., post 8vo., 21s. bound."Unrivalled as these volumes are, considered as portfolios of aristocratic sketches, they are not less interesting on account of the romantic history with which the sketches are interwoven."—John Bull.——————————THE NEMESIS IN CHINA;COMPRISING A COMPLETEHISTORY OF THE WAR IN THAT COUNTRY;With a Particular Account of the Colony of Hong Kong.From Notes of Captain W. H. HALL. R.N., and Personal Observationsby W. D. BERNARD, Esq., A.M., Oxon.Cheaper Edition, with a new Introduction, 1 vol.,with Maps and Plates, 10s. 6d. bound."Capt. Hall's narrative of the services of theNemesisis full of interest, and will, we are sure, be valuable hereafter, as affording most curious materials for the history of steam navigation."—Quarterly Review."A work which will take its place beside that of Captain Cook."—Weekly Chronicle.——————————ADVENTURES OF A GOLDFINDER.WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.3 vols., post 8vo."What is here?Gold? yellow, glittering, precious gold?"Timon of Athens.——————————MR. DISRAELI'S CONINGSBY.CHEAPSTANDARDEDITION, WITH ANEWPREFACE.In 1 vol., with Portrait, 6s. bound."We are glad to see that the finest work of Disraeli has been sent out in the same shape as those of Dickens, Bulwer, and other of our best novelists, at such a price as to place them within the reach of the most moderate means. Coningsby has passed from the popularity of a season to an enduring reputation as a standard work. It is not merely as a novel, however, that Coningsby is interesting, but as a popular exposition of the author's political ideas. It is a valuable contribution to popular literature."—Weekly Chronicle.——————————A NEW SYSTEM OF GEOLOGY.BY THEVERY REV. WILLIAM COCKBURN, D.D., DEAN OF YORK.Dedicated to Professor Sedgwick.Small 8vo., price 3s. 6d.——————————ZOOLOGICAL RECREATIONS.By W. J. BRODERIP, Esq., F.R.S.Cheaper Edition, 1 vol., post 8vo., 7s. 6d. bound."We believe we do not exaggerate in saying that, since the publication of White's 'Natural History of Selborne,' and of the 'Introduction to Entomology,' by Kirby and Spence, no work in our language is better calculated than the 'Zoological Recreations' to fulfil the avowed aim of its author—to furnish a hand-book which may cherish or awaken a love for natural history."—Quarterly Review.——————————THE OLD JUDGE; OR, LIFE IN A COLONY.By the Author of "Sam Slick, the Clockmaker;" &c.2 vols., post 8vo., 21s. bound."These volumes are redolent of the hearty fun and strong masculine sense of our old friend Sam Slick. The last work of Mr. Haliburton is quite equal to the first. Every page of the 'Old Judge' is alive with rapid, fresh sketches of character; droll, quaint, racy sayings; good-humoured practical jokes; and capitally told anecdotes."—Morning Chronicle.——————————ADVENTURES OF A GREEK LADY,THE ADOPTED DAUGHTER OF THE LATE QUEEN CAROLINE.Written by Herself.2 vols., post 8vo., 21s. bound."The chief interest of this more than ordinarily interesting book lies in the notices it furnishes of the unfortunate Queen Caroline. From the close of 1814 till Her Royal Highness's return to England the author was never absent from her for a single day. All is humourously and artlessly told, and the plain truth finds its way at once to the reader's heart and feelings."—Court Journal.——————————POPULAR NEW NOVELS AND ROMANCES.——————————THE WILMINGTONS.By the Author of "Emilia Wyndham," "Mordaunt Hall," &c. 3 vols."It argues well for the character of a people when, in their popular literature, the good is ever found in association with the beautiful; and we regard the eminent success of this author's works as a very favourable attestation of the soundness of our public opinion. The author is indisputably a writer of true genius and of great power, but is also one who dedicates high endowments to the service of Him who has given them. The popularity of such a writer is creditable to a people— the productions of such a writer must necessarily exert a beneficial influence over a people prepared to prize them. They all bear the impress of sterling English morality—all minister to generous emotions, generous scorn of what is base, generous admiration of excellence; and all inculcate respect for principle, by which emotions ought to be governed —all minister to the exaltation of justice."—Dublin University Magazine.——————————PRIDE AND IRRESOLUTION.By the Author of"THE DISCIPLINE OF LIFE."3 volumes.——————————LEONARD NORMANDALE;OR, THE THREE BROTHERS.By the Hon. C. STUART SAVILE.3 volumes.——————————THE PETREL.A TALE OF THE SEA.By a Naval Officer. 3 vols."The best nautical novel which has appeared for a long time. It cannot fail to remind the reader of the best tales of Captain Marryat." —Britannia."This story possesses an attraction which is all engrossing. Admiral Fisher has proved by this tale that he can use his pen with no contemptible skill."—Dispatch.——————————ERNEST VANE.BY ALEX. BAILLIE COCHRANE, M.P.2 volumes."'Ernest Vane' is of high merit as a production of genius. The work is in parts, surpassing beautiful. It is rich in imagery, almost exhaustless in observation. It deals with passion in its intensity, and not unseldom penetrates the darkest recesses of the human heart. Its pages abound with brilliancy of thought and depth of feeling."—Morning Post.——————————SIN AND SORROW.A TALE.2 vols. (just ready.)——————————PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OFMrs. MARGARET MAITLAND,OF SUNNYSIDE.Written by herself. 3 vols."The most gratifying work of its class since the great delineator of Scottish manners ceased to exist."—Tait's Magazine."This work has given us much pleasure. Mrs. Maitland might claim cousinship with the Rev. Micah Balwhidder."—Athenæum."Our readers will enjoy this work—its genuine nationality of tone and sentiment, its refined and poetic homeliness, and its strokes of quiet humour. The author may be described as a refined or feminine Galt. In the pathetic element we are not unfrequently reminded of Wilson's 'Lights and Shadows.'"—Scotsman.——————————THE MAID OF ORLEANS.By the Author of "Whitefriars," "Owen Tudor," &c. 3 vols."An excellent novel. The character of the 'Maid of Orleans' is drawn with a glow and fervour, a mixture of elevation and simplicity, which are alike powerful and attractive."—Athenæum."A romance of surpassing interest, rarely equalled for vigour, brilliancy, pathos, and dignity of style."—Weekly Chronicle.——————————The OLD WORLD and the NEW.By MRS. TROLLOPE.3 vols."In all respects one of the very cleverest and interesting novels of the day."—Herald."A very clever novel, presenting in marked contrast the 'Old World and the New' during the eventful epoch out of which we are emerging." —Post.——————————ROCKINGHAM;OR, THE YOUNGER BROTHER.Second Edition. 3 vols."We beg to call our readers' attention to 'Rockingham; or, the Younger Brother,' a book which, from internal evidence, must have been written by a person constantly mingling in the highest English society. The work abounds in interest, and, indeed, we should be at a loss to name another recent novel that shows anything like the same power of painting strong passion."—Quarterly Review.——————————THE MIDNIGHT SUN.BY FREDRIKA BREMER.Translated by Mary Howitt. 1 vol. 10s. 6d.——————————THE HALL & THE HAMLET.By WILLIAM HOWITT.Cheaper Edition. 2 vols., 12s. bound.