Or, Literary and Scientific Miscellany. Published Weekly, and may be had of the respective Booksellers in Manchester; of the Agents in most of the principal Towns in the Kingdom; and of the Newscarriers. SECOND EDITION. Advertisements-The last column of the Iris, is open to such advertisements only as are of a Literary or Scientific nature, comprising Education, Institutions, Sales of LAbraries, &c. No. 1.-VOL. I. ADDRESS. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1822. PRICE 3 d. Flowers of Poetry and Elegant Literature, | of anonymous critics-and their deficiency in which delight by their beauty, and improve by system, exemplification, and becoming defertheir style and tendency. THE first number of the MANCHESTER Attached to no exclusive interest, we shall, as far as lies in our power, select and procure whatever may tend to promote the happiness and improvement of society; without entering into the prejudices, or peculiar opinions, which frequently obscure the virtues, and contract the understanding, of even the erudite and benevolent. Arrangements have been made which will, we hope, ensure us a tolerably regular supply of ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS: and every attention will be paid to those Corres-" pondents who may be obligingly disposed to assist us in this very important department.-Literary and Entertaining Compositions, Poetic Effusions, and useful Observations and Queries, are respectfully solicited; and shall at all times obtain attention.+In these departments, we expect, frequently to exhibit such specimens of the taste, talent, and ingenuity of our fair townswomen, as cannot fail to excite a happy emulation in persons of refined and cultivated minds. In our SELECTIONS from expensive or popular works, we shall be careful to cull those ence. Upon a deliberate examination we cannot but discover in these Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly Inquisitors, a lamentable ignorance of human nature, and an arbitrary assumption in judgement and decision, that are pitiable and unjustifiable; as well, as an evasive unsatisfactory criticism, that is frequently productive of effects contrary to those contemplated and intended. That our critics betray a lamentable ignorance of human nature will readily appear from their descriptions of, and distinctions between, the style and tendency of works under consideration. We are sometimes told that a composition is classical,' 'elegant,' fascinating, &c. all of which are flattering, and never fail to leave a deep impression, on the mind of the reader. But then comes the hero the sentiment; wholly unnatural and impure. Can these be eulogized? No! What though the piece might entertain, it cannot edify--is decisive;-Curiosity dissipates; and, desire is no more! Indeed!and is this really then? Oh, the critic's assurance-that, al İt short, as it is our wish to please and to There is nothing more common with this description of writers, than pretensions to a nice discrimination-a discrimination, which is mostly too speculative for any other brain than that exercising the imaginary power. TASTE and MORAL FEELING are frequently dissevered; and a work is eulogized for a display of the author's attainments and proficiency in the former, whilst it is strongly declaimed against and irrevocably proscribed, for a total dereliction from, or hostility to, the latfer -This may be designated tasteful, oratorical, and potential, criticism; but, it is surely somewhat too refined, and rather dogmatic! FROM a superficial perusal of the popular fascinating,' style,' is certainly desirable; To be master of a classical elegant,' Reviews, and more especially, of the Criti-and there are few, who would not make incisms on those lighter compositions with tense and vigorous efforts to attain it: but, which the present age abounds; one would the work in which this enviable treasure may general, the exercise of individual judgement being derogatory from social, domestic, and naturally conclude, that, as regards society in be found, is, in a little time, denounced as was discontinued; or rather, gratuitously re- individual, rectitude and happiness! Now, if linquished in favour of a few periodical writers, we inquire into the human mind, we shall, whose implicit confidence in their own dis- with very little difficulty, ascertain it's procernment, and magisterial air in the inculca-pensity to appreciate it's own strength, and to tion of their own, opinion, appear to be their confide in it's own energy. The reasoning chief and only requisite qualifications. This occurs--" Is not society much vitiated? Do view would be corroborated by the increased I not behold irregularities, and, unavoidably and increasing number of Reviews--the invi-notice obscenities, which must be, at least dious declamation, and sophistical argument, equal, in moral deformity, to any in this ele 6 gant narration? The critic, probably seldom diverging beyond the precints of his study, is little conversant with these things, and consequently with that habit and determination, which resist and abhor them.---If he dare un dertake, I am not incompetent to, the task of perusal." But, with many, the Curiosity excited by the classical,' &c. ' style,' is considerably heightened, by the plainly-hinted, ever to-be-lamented defects of the 'anomalous publication; and the exparte view, and anathematizing decision, of critics, almost invariably add to it. who has been reading half the day will not be The relaxations of the studious ought It is my intention in the present Essay to point out amusements proper for the studious: it should however be remembered, that in the choice of them a good deal will depend upon the difference of tastes, the habit of the body, the age and the circumstances of individuals. But these are things in which every one must judge for himself. It may perhaps assist in the enquiry, to notice here such amusements as have delighted the learned. I owe most of my information on this subject to that valuable work, the Curiosities of Literature. Tycho Brahè diverted himself with polishglasses for spectacles, and making mathematical instruments. | Several of the mechanical arts would occupy very agreeably the vacant hours of the studious. Such amusements would be particularly serviceable when the state of the weather renders diversions in the open air impracticable. I believe that a man might acquire great skill in the useful arts by employing himself at such times in this manner : and besides the pleasant and cheap amusements which would result from such occupations, the skill thus acquired might be of frequent use to him in his studies. Dr. Franklin observes, that being acquainted with some of the mechanical arts was of great service to him; as it enabled me,' says he, to make little things for myself, when I have had no mechanic at hand, and to construct small machines for my experiments, while the idea I have conceived has been fresh and strongly impressed upon my imagination.' Music has a very happy effect in relieving the mind when fatigued with study. It would be well if every studious person were so far acquainted with that science as to amuse himself after severe thoughts, by playing such airs as have a tendency to inspire cheerfulness and good humour. This amusement is however so fascinating, that there is, perhaps, a danger of its becoming a passion. It now remains for us to say something relative to the criticism we should approve. If the tendency be to deteriorate the feelings of the heart, no style,' no arrangement-however 'classical,' elegant,' or fascinating,' can compensate for the injury; or obliterate the disgrace attaching to the author and pulishers of such a work. And it would be most judicious in Reviewers to pass it over with silent disregard :-but, should a critique be looked for and demanded, the task must, of course, be undertaken; and then, it is only requisite that the heart and judgement be ade-ing quate to, and co-operate in, the performance. In light entertaining compositions generally, D'Andilly, the translator of Josephus, one the critic's real province appears to be-1st, of the most learned men of his age, after seven To ascertain and state the plot, argument, or or eight hours of study every day, amused himGardening, in situations where it is pracdesign, and arrangement. 2ndly, To elucidate self in cultivating trees; Barclay, in his leisure ticable, is a relaxation highly to be recomand exemplify the principal characters, or in-hours, was a florist; Balzac amused himself mended. It not only gives exercise to every cidents, by appropriate selections and 3rdly, with making crayons; Peiresc found his part of the body, but the very smell of the To object, approve, suggest, censure, or euamusement amongst his medals, and antiqua-earth and fresh herbs revives and cheers the logize, in accordance with the sentiment and rian curiosities; the Abbé de Marolles with his spirits, whilst the perpetual prospect of somestyle of the extracts. For, by these only, engravings; and Politian in singing airs to his thing coming to maturity, delights and entershould we decide; aud by these, with candid, lute. apposite, and well-supported remarks alone, Rohault wandered from shop to shop to obtains the mind. A garden, observes Addison, was the habitation of our first parents before should we permit our own judgement to concur in his general character of the work. Z. with calmness and tranquillity, and to lay all the fall. It is naturally apt to fill the mind its turbulent passions at rest. It gives us a great insight into the contrivance and wisdom The celebrated Descartes passed his after-jects for meditation. I cannot but think of providence, and suggests innumerable subnoons in the conversation of a few friends, the very complacency and satisfaction which a and in the cultivation of his little garden.-man takes in these works of nature, to be a Sir Isaac Newton ground optical glasses for telescopes; Dr. Johnson, in his hours of lei- laudable, if not a virtuous habit of mind." sure, was a chemist; and the poet Cowper a gardener. ON THE AMUSEMENTS PROPER I, can you pardon the presumption? I, FRANKLIN. It is observed by medical writers, that few things are more injurious to health than continued and intense study. Hard study always implies a sedentary life; and when intense thinking is joined to the want of exercise, the consequences must be bad. A few months of close application to study, have been frequently known to ruin an excellent constitution, by inducing a train of nervous complaints which could never be removed. Man is evidently not formed for continual thought more than for perpetual action, and would be as soon worn out by the one as by the other. It would be a tedious and unnecessary task, to enumerate all the diseases which are the consequences of close application to study.-It is sufficient to observe, that there is no complaint which can proceed either from a bad state of the humours, a defect of the usual secretions, or a debility of the nervous system which may not be induced by intense thinking. Studious persons, in order to relieve their minds, must not only discontinue to read and write, but engage in some amusement that will so far occupy the thoughts as to make them forget the business of the closet. Their amusements should not be sedentary. A man serve the mechanics labour. The great Arnauld read in his hours of relaxation, any amusing romance that fell into his hands. This also did the critical War burton. Galileo read Ariosto. Riding and walking in the country are most For one who long in populous city pent, It is to be lamented that an amusement so admirably adapted for studious persons, is so seldom in their power. A great proportion of the studious reside in situations in which gardening is impracticable, and this amusement is, besides, rather expensive. There is, however, an amusement, which possesses all the advantages of gardening" without its being costly, and which is besides practicable in almost all situations. I allude to the study of Botany. Dr. Aikin observes, So many advantages with respect to health, tranquillity of mind, useful knowledge, and inexhaustible amusement, are united in this study, that I cannot recommend it too warmly. The study of English Botany caused several summers to glide away with me in more pure and active delight, than almost any other single object ever afforded me. It rendered every ride and walk interesting, and converted the plodding rounds of business into excursions of pleasure. Nothing is more fevourable to enjoyment than the combination of bodily exertion and ardour of mind. This, the study in question affords in the highest degree, and such is the immense variety of its objects, that the labours of the longest life cannot exhaust them.' The amusements of the studious may be agreeably varied by an occasional attendance at | ing and well supported character, whose finer the Theatre. If Jonson's learned sock be on, Or sweetest Shakespear, fancy's child, Warble his native wood-notes wild. L'ALLEGRO. feelings are perpetually breaking out, through the rugged covering which long habits of endurance have thrown over them. Basil Mertoun, the ci-devant pirate, is imperfectly drawn, and does not always harmoIndeed I do not know a more pleasing relax- nize with the story sufficiently; he is a most ation than this; for what can be more agree-forbidding specimen of the remorseless, vilable to a cultivated mind, than to hear the most lanous, and misanthropic recluse. just and noble sentiments, clothed in the most elegant language, and delivered with all the graces of pronunciation and action. I have now enumerated those amusements which appear to me most proper for the studious. Many doubtless remain unnoticed; but the student who wishes for variety, will easily discover or invent new ones for himself. In doing this, however, he should endeavour as much as possible to combine bodily exertion with ardour of mind. N. O. THE PIRATE. THE extraordinary popularity which the novels of Sir W. Scott have gained, and the firm hold, which they have retained, of popular opinion, (in spite of adverse criticism) almost renders a review of any of his new productions a work of supererogation. The critic has now merely to point out where the author has failed in comparison with his former works, or where an original character, scene of exquisite pathos, or a charming scrap of poetry, stands pre-eminently conspicuous. All this has been already done, and soon done, for the Pirate, by the shoal of monthly, weekly, and diurnal Reviewers; and consequently it would appear, that, according to my own admission, these remarks are as une cessary as they will probably be unwelcome. I (for not having yet obtained the eminence of a regular critic, the use of the plural number might be deemed a presumptuous affectation,) have only to say in excuse, that no review which I have yet seen has exactly coincided in my opinion of this work; and, therefore, my remarks will, at least, lay claim to the merit of novelty, in some degree, and if I add to this, the universally admired requisite (in crities and lawyers) of brevity, I may perhaps not be an entirely unwelcome intruder upon your readers. Taking it for granted that your readers have already read the Pirate, I shall not attempt to sketch an outline of the story, but confine myself to a few remarks upon the leading characters and actions of the piece, premising that I object to the story, and the scene where it is laid, because that genius, which has already furnished us with such historical pictures as are contained in the Scotch Novels,' Ivanhoe,' and Kenilworth,' could have been better employed than in illustrating the escapes and adventures of a pirate; or in delineating the rugged manners and scenery of such an obscure place as the Zetland Isles, while the whole field of English, and even of European history, lay open before it. Miana Troil, the heroine of the piece, is an indifferent copy of Flora Mc. Ivor, and her romantic enthusiasm, depending on her ignorance of the world and a deficient education, excites much less sympathy, than the more polished feelings of her prototype. Brenda, her sister, is more natural, and (to my regret) less prominent. Their father, the honest, warm-hearted, old Udaller, is a very interest His son, Mordaunt, (over whose birth however, an unpleasant mystery is permitted to remain,) is, in the commencement of the story, sketched with considerable vigour, and his numerous embarrassments excite much sympathy; but in the denouement he dwindles into obscurity, not altogether to the satisfaction of the reader. Cleveland, the pirate, son and heir to old Mertoun, is a strange medley of sentiment and villany: on his first arrival in the island, ingratitude and treachery seem to be his principal characteristics; the latter trait is however explained (but most unsatisfactorily), and the effects previously supposed to arise from his agency, are attributed to a contemptible newsmongering pedlar. As the piece advances, Cleveland's character clears up, at the conclusion, he is found to be a very amiable man, with very virtuous propensities, whom destiny had compelled to follow his father's occupation. It appears to ine, that the conclusion of Cleveland's character is inconsistent with the commencement; and I almost imagine that the author altered his character after he had formed his original design. Udaller Magnus, is chiefly interesting from certain scraps of poetry which he introduces. There are many scenes of pathos, of bustle, and of powerful description, in which this author surpasses all competitors, and which he introduces into his most inferior productions; in which class, however, I would not place The Pirate,' nor would I rank it with his best. Its principal faults I have already enumerated, and have only to a ld, that it is too long for the interest which it excites, and leaves rather more of the sensation of weariness, than I have lately been accustomed to feel from the perusal of these novels. The motto which the author has chosen for this piece, might, with a little more of the context, be applied to himself:— "Nothing in him that doth fade, NEMO. REMARKABLE TRAITS OF VANITY, IN CELEBRATED LITERARY CHARACTERS. Voiture was the son of a vintner, and like our Prior, was so mortified, whenever reminded of his original occupation, that it was sad of him, that wine, which cheered the heart of all men, sickened that of Voiture. John Baptist Rousseau, the poet, was the son of a cobbler; and when his honest parent waited at the door of the theatre, to embrace his repu'sed his venerable father with insult and contempt. son on the success of his first piece, the inhuman poet Akenside ever considered his lameness as an insupportable misfortune, since it continually reminded bim of his origin, having been occasioned by the fall of a cleaver from one of his father's blocks, a res Norna of the fitful head, is a weak copy of the inimitable Meg Merrilies, with this difference, that early misery had operated on a warm imagination so strongly, as to shake reason pectable butcher. Milton delighted in contemplatfrom her throne, to which in the conclusioning his own person; and the engraver not having of the story she is again restored: while on the reached our sublime bard's ideal grace,' he has other hand, Meg is inflexible, and never to be complaints of Pope, is that of the pictur'd shape.' pointed his indignation in four iambics. Among the changed. Even the strong minded Johnson would not be painted blinking Sam.' Mr. Boswell tells us, that Goldsmith attempted to shew his agility to be superior to the dancing of an ape, whose praise had occasioned him a fit of jealousy, but he failed in imitating his rival. Mr. Triptolemus Yellowley and his avaricious sister, Miss Baby, bear some resemblance to characters in the preceding novels of this great master, but are neither so amusing nor so natural as their predecessors. Mr. Trip. himself is frequently tiresome, and his disquisitions reader, as they are represented to be to his on agriculture, are often as unpleasant to the auditors. Jack Bunce, one of the pirates, with his satellite, Dick Fletcher, are very amusing, especially the former; and it is (in my opinion at least) a matter of regret that we have so little of his company. Jack was originally the Rover of the stage, where his abilities were so little encouraged that he became a Sea Rover, and his success there, did not seem to have added much to his happiness, for what with visions of the gallows, quarrels with his comrades, whom he despised for their ignorance and brutality, and his longing recollections of the stage, Jack's life was very unpleasantly passed, except in occasional interviews with Cleveland, (to whom he was warmly attached,) and who was the only one on board the pirate's vessel, who had any feelings in common with Jack. The death of Dick Fletcher, from his warm attachment to Jack, becomes extremely affecting, although poor Dick was rather too much of an automaton to excite any very powerful feelings. Claude Halcro, a poet and admirer of the immortal Dryden, who is supported by the benevolence of the BUCCANEER PARSON. Dr. Blackburn was in the early part of his life an active Buccaneer in the West Indies, for even Buccaneers could not be without their parson. In one of their cruises, the first lieutenant having a dispute with him, told him, that if it were not for his gown, he should treat him in a different manner." "Oh," says Blackburn," that need be no hindrance, as it is easily thrown off-and now I am your man." On this it was agreed that they should fight or a small island near where the ship lay, and that the one who fell should be rolled into the sea by the survivor, that it might seem as if walking on the cliff, he had slipped his foot and tumbled in. The lientenant fell, to all appearance shot dead. Blackburn began rolling him down one or two declivities, but just as they came to the last, the lieutenant recovered sufficiently to call out, “ For sake, hold your hand." "Ah." said Blackburn, " you spoke just in time, for you had but one more cast to the bottom." Will it be believed, that this same fighting parson and Buccaneer was afterwards promoted to be Archbishop of York? When Sir Charles Wager heard of the promotion, What," said he, " my friend Dr. Blackburn made Archbishop of York! I ought to have been preferred to it before him, for I was the elder Buccaneer of the two." |