Ah, no! thy tidings, Herschel, even at first So! we're to feel no fright, to make no fuss, To idle boys and philosophic codgers I would not, if I could, be gay," writes Rogers. Anguish is easier when past all cure; Check not your sorrow-call it uncontrollable; Grief may be disagreeable; yet, endure It grows more pleasant when it's inconsolable. Whoe'er is not quite horror-stricken, hums; He thus, at least, is certain of enjoying. Mine be sweet wretchedness and dear despair; Talk not of fierce Lord Durham-hot-brain'd Hume- A great Enlightener, bidding others cease, Then will the House divide-then England's peace I care not what the Tories now endure; Nor what the Whigs have got, nor who have bought 'em ; Nor when the Radicals will come in sure; Who will, I ask, insure the Thames next autumn? Oh Press, prodigious" organ," cease to blow Your bellows, while the fiery foe's about; But rather, as a mighty "engine," show No more about the "March;" on August preach!-- So ends-" my tale"-another 's within reach ;- ተ ተ MONTHLY COMMENTARY. The New Administration-The Recent Pensions-Libel upon the lovely-Burlesque with the Black Cap-The Last New Murderess-Finding not KeepingShakspeare Ireland. THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.-Our monthly commentary must touch upon the recent changes in the Government of Great Britain-albeit, we eschew politics, party politics, and desire to confine ourselves to the more pleasant and less troublous paths of literature. The administration of Sir Robert Peel is the shortest upon record-in England, that is to say; for in France, regenerated France, ministerial changes have been as frequent as the changes of the moon. In that free and happy country, ever since the "three glorious days" of the Messieurs les Charbonniers and Mesdames les Poissardes, ministers of state are no sooner seated than they spring out of their most uneasy places. With us, however, matters have been otherwise. Heretofore, if the King's advisers were not altogether men after the own hearts "of the people, they were at least allowed a fair trial," that which an Englishman accords even to the culprit whose crime is as clear as the sun at noon-day. He is considered innocent until he has been proved guilty. Modern fashion, however, is putting aside ancient usages even in State affairs. Sir Robert Peel held the office of Prime Minister during 118 days; and consequently, could do nothing but declare his desire and intention to propose and effect all rational reforms, such as, while maintaining the great principles of the Constitution, would fully satisfy the people. The House of Commons, or rather a small majority of the House, was indisposed to take his word, and refused him the "fair trial" for which he asked; after sustaining several defeats, the Right Honourable Baronet, like a true Englishman, acknowledged himself beaten, gave in, and permitted his adversaries to enjoy all the honours and advantages of victory. Lord Melbourne has, therefore, again taken the helm of the State; we trust his voyage will be a longer and a more prosperous one: that he may steer his course in safety through the dangers by which he is surrounded-that he will, by the force of a large mind, be enabled to reconcile interests and opinions, but a short time ago as opposite as fire and water; that he will subdue or conciliate the avowed enemies of English supremacy; satisfy, without too great a sacrifice, the enormous appetites of hungry adventurers; restore us to calmness and prosperity at home, and preserve peace, while maintaining and extending the national honour abroad,that he will, moreover, succeed by the most reasonable, and therefore the safest, means in disarming of its hostility, an "opposition," next to that which was the opposition, the most powerful against which any Minister of modern times has had to contend. If Lord Melbourne and his coadjutors, Lords Lansdowne, Duncannon, Palmerston, and Brougham, and Messrs. Rice, O'Loughlin, and Grant, are enabled to work out their way with such happy results to Great Britain, we shall be deeply thankful that the "fair trial" was not allowed to Sir Robert Peel, and that he was rejected almost without a hearing; and certainly before it was possible for him to carry into effect any one of the largely beneficial measures of which he had given notice. It is, however, admitted on all sides, that he has greatly raised his own character by his conduct while in office, and by his manly dignity in retiring from it. He might have again appealed to the country-it is believed with the certainty of success; we rejoice that he preferred a more prudent course. He has gained and deserved the approbation of the King, and the gratitude of the kingdom. THE RECENT PENSIONS.-To those who live by literature, it is deeply gratifying to record that to some of its worthiest and most estimable professors, pensions have been granted by the late Government such a judicious expenditure of public money cannot but receive the sanction of all parties. It will be recollected that, a short time ago, several aged and meritorious "slaves of the pen" were, without the slightest notice, deprived of annuities, upon which they had calculated as certain and unfailing securities against want while treading" the downhill of life." They were men of fine and delicate sensibilities-they had accepted the small recompense which their country offered for long and valuable labours, and it gave to them the feeling, at least, of independence. The withdrawal of such support was a mean and pitiful economy; more than one of our lamps went out when the oil was supplied no longer; death soon followed the cruel change which a single act had wrought in their destinies. It is therefore with increased pleasure we state, that during the brief Administration of Sir Robert Peel he conferred pensions upon some of the most deserving men of the country; and had he remained longer in cffice, doubtless the same liberal source would have afforded comfort to many others*. It is doubly gratifying, because the majority of those who have been thus distinguished have held political opinions opposed to those of the late Premier; one of them-James Montgomery-was for several years the editor of the "Sheffield Iris," a Whig newspaper, of the old and better school, certainly, but always a powerful opponent of the policy of the Tories. Another circumstance highly honourable to Sir Robert Peel we may refer to. In the kindest and most delicate manner, he conveyed information to Mrs. Hemans that a Government-office was at the service of one of her sons; accompanying the offer with a sum sufficient for the young gentleman's outfit. Both were gratefully received by the excellent lady, and have doubtless contributed much to relieve the maternal anxieties of a mother who has sacrificed health and strength to educate her children-unaided by him who should have at least divided the duty with her. Sir Robert Peel may also enjoy the consciousness that he has given comfort and consolation, in a time of extreme suffering, to one of the most upright, amiable, and admirable of her sex. Facts like *The following are the pensions granted by Sir Robert Peel, during his short Administration: Professor Airey, 3007.; Mr. Southey, 3004.; Mrs. Somerville, 2007.; James Montgomery, 1507.; Sharon Turner, 2007.; the widow of Mr. Tem ple, late Governor of Sierra Leone, 1007. these speak for themselves; we may dwell upon them in our thoughtsit is unnecessary to do so with our pens. LIBEL UPON THE LOVELY.-That was a wise monarch who resolved to pay his physicians only while he continued in an unexceptionable state of health-stopping their handsome allowances the very instant his pulse beat slower or quicker than it should do. It is a great pity that circumstances will not allow of the strict application of this bene. ficial principle to our guardians of the public morals-our police-physicians. We should gain greatly by paying them only while they have nothing to do-by making their sole interest consist in the growth of good principle, and enlarging their rewards according to the diminution of depravity. As it is, it would appear that they conceive themselves bound to labour incessantly for their money-to provide themselves constantly with work-to guard against every possibility of a falling off. It can scarcely be with any other view that they-we speak of the majority of them-offer no lenient interpretation of the law which punishes poverty as a crime, and that they so dispense justice as that very often the prosecutor repents of having sought it, while still more frequently the delinquent is certain to be brought up again for some unavoidable offence as soon as his punishment has terminated. Duennas occasionally have not been indisposed to instigate and encourage intrigue, in order to render duennas more important and necessary; and many of our metropolitan moralists seem to proceed upon the same plan. But, whether they speak upon system, or for want of thought, with a view to lower public morals in the eyes of society, or simply for the sake of talking-the frequent record of their strange sayings in the newspapers is equally calculated to produce a call for reform in that department of the "public offices," wherever else it may be superfluous. We can point to an instance of that indifference (to say the least of it) with regard to morality which we have been adverting to, in an observation made a few days since by one of the Lambeth-street Magistrates. A somewhat silly old gentleman, seeking advice, had stated as his grievance, that some person had endeavoured to alienate the affections of a widow lady to whom he was "betrothed," by accusing him of having a mistress and two illegitimate children. The magistrate is reported to have thus expressed himself:-"With many females, that which forms the ground of complaint against you-namely, that of having illegitimate children-would be a recommendation; and I have no doubt, that, if you persevere in your suit, you will find this to be the case with the lady in question, and that in a short time you will accomplish your object." This is vapid enough as a piece of playful jocularity, yet, it doubtless produced the laugh it aimed at, and at the same time satisfied a frivolous applicant. But what a sentiment for a magistrate to utter! What an insulting libel upon "the sex," and what a gratuitous reflection upon the widow in question! Why should she be picked out as one whom this worthy moralist "had no doubt" would regard the proofs of illicit love as a recommendation in a suitor! It is impossible to say with what class of females "his worship may have had most experience, or to what rank of life he alluded. We may be sure he did not level his remark as a shaft of satire at the upper classes. It is most charitable to suppose that he was thinking more particularly of that class, some members of which are almost daily, it is to be feared, brought within the scope of his tender mercies. However taken, it denotes how much the moral schoolmaster is needed by those who are set in authority over us, and calls for an indignant reprimand as an impertinence and an indecency. BURLESQUE WITH THE BLACK CAP.-That " thin partition” which divides the bounds of the sublime and the ridiculous-that same small single step between them in other cases and in other places-is frequently not discoverable at all in courts of justice when questions of life or death are being decided. Then and there-far more often than those who are not constantly on the watch would conceive-the extremes meet. The awful is absolutely blended with the absurd. So were they, as it seems to us, upon a singular trial for murder at the recent Gloucester assizes. The miserable culprit was a young labourer, of less than average intelligence. He manifested no viciousness of mind, but had been prompted to murder by a species of infatuation. His eyes had been dazzled by the watch-seals of his victim, whom he had often I met in the dark." It was always in his thoughts-in his sight; he thirsted for the possession of it; and at last, he obtained it by assassination. With the watch to which it belonged, he first buried it in the earth; then placed it, with a bit of hay laid over it, on the wall of a loft hourly frequented by his fellow-labourers; and then he carried it about his person, hiding the watch with his hand when he wanted to see what time it was." All this terminated in a full confession before a magistrate. There were no witnesses to his fearful statement-no circumstances to throw suspicion upon him-nothing but his own voluntary confession to connect him with the crime for which he was to be tried. When called upon to plead, he avowed himself" guilty.' The judge demanded who had so advised him." They told me," said the prisoner," that I had better tell all about it." "Whoever," rejoined the judge," has told you so, has advised you very improperly. Every one is entitled to a fair trial, and it will be no worse for you, either in this world or the next, that you should plead not guilty." This really appears to us to be a frightful mockery of reason and justice,—a moral enormity, not certainly less shocking for being common. The present case, however, is hardly to be called a common one. The judge had all the depositions before him, he was aware of the inconsequential character of the evidence, he knew that ere he himself quitted the judgment-seat, the unfortunate prisoner would be convicted solely upon his own confession, and sentenced to die. And so it was. Yet the judge, at that awful moment, and under those awful circumstances, could act upon the established practice, and turn the solemn business of justice and truth into a horrible farce;-could excite hopes in the mind of the self-accused which he knew could not be realized,-recommend him to quit the world with a lie upon his lips, and, while about to doom him to death upon his written confession of guilt, could persuade him to give the wretched mockery of a contradiction to it, under the plea of insuring to himself a fair trial." We will not imitate the judge, and talk of the "next world;" but surely these are triflings with the sacred แ |