the constitution, and preserved the independence of Britain.

Such is the opinion entertained of Burke by the approvers of the present system and plans. of Government.

Those who do not concur in every particular of either the praise or the censure of this personage with the supporters or opponents of Administration, agree with both in ascribing the prevention of change and the continuance of the present system, whether, on the whole, good or badthe war, whether, on the whole, right or wrong, -chiefly to the powers of Edmund Burke.

As in the general estimation, he is the author of effects the most momentous to mankind,-even had his influence never been felt in the former part of his life, had he been totally inactive during the American contest and at every other period previous to the French revolution, had he never before been distinguished as a genius, a scholar, an orator, a politician, a philosopher, his history and character must be highly important and interesting to Britons and to mankind. But it is not as a literary and political man alone that a biographer is to regard Burke. By following him to the retirement of civil and domestic life, by viewing him as a neighbour, a companion, a friend, a brother, an associate, a private member of the community, as a husband, a father, a master of a family, we must reap the highest intel

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lectual and moral instruction, and interest the best affections.

The course of general study had led the writer of this sketch to a close contemplation of the literary efforts and character of Burke. Special objects combined with general study in producing a still closer attention to his political exertions, and to consider them in detail and principle, and the parts severally, and as members of a whole system. Anxious to know the civil and domestic life of a personage whose literary and political talents are so eminent, the writer has spared no pains to procure authentic information concerning his private engagements, relations, habits, temper, manners, and conduct.

The first quality of biography is authenticity. A biographer and an historian, like any öther witness, is bound to speak, as far as he knows it, the truth, all the truth, and nothing but the truth; regarding fact only, not the consequences of the narration to the character of its subject. A necessary constituent of authenticity is impartiality. If a writer set out with a predisposition either to praise or to censure, he is apt to lose sight of truth; to bend facts to a favourite hypothesis.

It has been asserted, in a preface to some posthumous publications of Burke, that consistency marks every part of his conduct. The writer of this Life is neither the FRIEND nor the

ENEMY of Burke: neither assumes that he was consistent nor inconsistent, but will impartially narrate every fact which he deems illustrative of his talents and character. He will endeavour to ascribe the due merit to his extraordinary excellencies; also to notice his defects as from such he, in common with all men, was not exempt. He who should exhibit one side only is an advocate, not an historian; and not a very judicious advocate, because so easily to be convicted of partiality. Neither a friend nor an enemy is the fittest for writing a true life. The friend is apt to become a panegyrist, the enemy a satirist: the former to overcharge the good, and sink the bad; the latter to overcharge the bad, and sink the good. Truth is either lost in the blaze of admiration, or perverted by the misrepresentation of malignancy.

To narrative biography only (according to Lord Bacon's distinction) does the author pretend, and arrogates to himself no qualities beyond those which it requires :-knowledge of important facts, veracity and impartiality in recording them. With his information on the subject, and his determined adherence to authenticity, he hopes he may be able to exhibit, if not a finished, a true account of this illustrious personage; and may afford many useful materials to future biographers of greater talents

and skill.

EDMUND BURKE was born in the city of Dublin, * January 1st, 1730. He derived his descent from a respectable family. His father was of the Protestant persuasion, and by pro fession an attorney, of considerable ability and extensive practice. Young Edmund received the first part of his classical education under Mr. Abraham Shackleton, a quaker, who kept an academy at Ballytore, near Carlow. Mr. Shackleton was a very skilful and successful teacher, and at his school were educated many who became considerable in their country.

Under the tuition of this master, Burke de. voted himself with great ardour, industry, and perseverance, to his studies, and laid the foundation of a classical erudition, which alone would. have entitled ordinary men to the character of great scholars, but constituted a very small proportion of his multifarious knowledge. His classical learning was the learning of a philosopher, not of a pedant. He considered the ancient languages not as arrangements of measures, but as keys to ancient thoughts, sentiments, imagery, knowledge, and reasoning.

Johnson observes, that there is not an instance of any man whose history has been minutely related, that did not in every part of his life discover the same proportion of intel

His father for some time resided at Limerick; from which it has been erroneously asserted that Edmund was born there.

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lectual vigour. Though, perhaps, this as a general position may admit of modifications, it is certain that Burke, from even boyish days, manifested a distinguished superiority over his contemporaries. He was the pride of his master, who foreboded every thing great from his genius.

He regarded his preceptor with a respect and gratitude which did honour to both. For near forty years that he went annually to Ireland, he travelled many miles to pay him a vi sit. Mr. Shackleton lived to a good old age, and was succeeded by his son, Mr. John Shackleton, under whom the school continued to flourish. From Mr. John Shackleton it descended to his son, Mr. Abraham Shackleton, who is its present master, with no less reputation and success than his father and grandfather.

Burke's brother, Richard, who abounded in vivacity and pointed wit, was by many esteemed, in their boyish days, the abler of the two: as among superficial judges boys are rated according to the vivacity, not the force of their intellectual qualities and operations; by the quickness of the vegetation more than the value of the production. Hence the fruits of ripened manhood are often very different from the ap. pearance of juvenile blossom.

Of the comparative merits of the two brothers, both their master and father entertained a very different opinion from that which others had conceived. They allowed that Richard was bright, but maintained that Edmund would