INCONSISTENCY IN "KENILWORTH."

(For the Mirror.) SIR.In reading that much admired novel of the great unknown Kenilworth,' I was struck with the following passages, which seem directly to contradict one another, they are in the 6th chapter, vol. ii. "But his eye-brows were as dark as the keen and piercing black eyes which they shaded;" and in a few pages farther, he says, "while an observing glance of the most shrewd penetration shot from under the penthouse of his shaggy white eye-brows." You will plainly perceive the error in these passages, and that there are frequently blunders among beauties; but if this great unknown calls black white he should not tell us so, when describing any thing I am, yours, PETER TOMKINS.

otherwise beautiful.

Dec. 27.

SPIRIT OF THE

Public Journals.

CHARACTER OF THE REV.

EDWARD IRVING.

THAT in Mr. Irving we have discovered our imaginary preacher, we can by no means admit; we have read his volume with bitter and painful disappointment: bitter, because the work falls so far short of the expectation which his fame had excited; painful, because it is an ungracious and unwelcome office to depreciate, in the least, the labours of a zealous man, which appear to have produced so striking an effect on so great a concourse of hearers; to have startled so many of the thoughtless and dissipated; and captivated so many undisciplined, but ardent and enthusiastic minds. But Mr. Irving would despise us if we were not as fearless in performing our duty, as he is in his. We consider popularity, in London especially, so uncertain a criterion of excellence, that its verdict can neither awe nor control our opinions. From the tone of our former observations, the author will perceive that we are not blindly wedded to our own system of preaching; and as to the charitable insinuation of illiberal jealousy,' with which we find that Mr. Irving's admirers attempt to heat down every one who will not bow to their idol, that we can only treat with disregard,as we do the wanton falsehood, so industriously circulated, that our ministers, in whom the inseparable interests of the church and state are vested by the crown,

have followed the prevailing fashion of deserting their parish churches, and hur ried, day after day, to what, by the law of England, (we speak without intended, and, we hope, without suspected disparagement to the Scottish church,) is no more than a licensed conventicle. Had the orator attained or approximated to the lofty station assigned to him by popular report, we may have felt a blameless reduced the consummate preacher; that the gret that our own church had not procrowds which flowed to Hatton Garden had not rather thronged to one of our splendid new churches, at Mary-le-bone, Pancras, or Chelsea; but still, we should have hailed the eloquent advocate of Christianity with pride and satisfaction, as an ornament to our common literature, and a support, to be valued as much as it certain days, to our common religion. is wanted in our capriciousness and unBut we cannot recognise as the champion of our faith, a reasoner so vague and inconsistent, a declaimer so turgid and unintelligible, a writer so coarse and incorrect. We deprecate the introduction of a system of preaching which must eventually be dangerous to the interests of Christianity, and which is equally objectionable in its design and execution. However imperfect our rules of pulpit eloquence may be, we are convinced of their substantial truth; against all and each of those of Mr. Irving offends; nor do we think that his own merits, which, better regulated, would be considerable, counterbalance the violation of every principle: for we must be excused in saying that his is not the brave neglect of a transcendent genius, but an effected and elaborate outrage against nature, simplicity, and truth. Even that primary and indispensable excellence, which arises from the neos, (we studiously adopt the Greek word,) as far as it is displayed in the work itself, is wanting in Mr. Irving. Far from creating a favourable impression of himself, his book commences, and we lament to say, proceeds, in a tone of self sufficiency, we had almost written arro gance, which not all the piety of Taylor, nor the theologic depth of Barrow, not the conscious strength of Horsley could excuse; but here with nothing to vindicate it beyond the erudition of a school boy, and a theclogy so indistinct and ir. consistent, as to appear to take refuge. from the detection of its unsoundness in its redundant and confused language; it is not merely in itself offensive, but destroys the effect of that boldness, which otherwise all would admire, with which many fashionable folies and vices are as sailed.

Mr. Irving's system seems to be, not to confine religious advice to topics of religion alone, but to introduce every subject which may occur, either literary or political, in the way of digression and illustration. The sermon is to be made as amusing as possible; no longer to restrict itself to the exposition of Scripture, the unfolding of points of doctrine, or exhortation to Christian duty, but the preacher is to add to his office those of pamphleteer, journalist, and reviewer. But has not Mr. Irving the good sense to perceive, that to admit matters of taste and opinion into the pulpit, however attractive at first, must invalidate its authority, and detract from that religious reverence, which the sanctity of the place and the priestly character ought to ensure ? It is dangerous for a preacher to give his audience an opportunity of differing from him with justice and propriety. If they question the truth of his discourses on these points, they will suspect his authority on those which are more important. If he is a bad critic in their estimation, they will naturally doubt his being a good divine. There is, however, a more serious charge. We cannot endure the liberty of the old Grecian comedy being assumed in the pulpit. Mr. Irving introduces personal allusions to the authors of the day, and even attacks them by name. We must reprobate a practice so irreconcilable with the charity, and which may lead to consequences de grading to the dignity of the pulpit.

Mr. Irving's manner of distributing and arranging his subjects by no means fails in comprehensiveness; but is so perplexed with digressions, and encumbered by intermingling the separate heads, sometimes anticipating what is to come, or reverting to what he has exhausted, that we find it difficult to discover with what part of the plan we are occupied; and after all the care with which our journey has been laid down and mapped, we find ourselves wandering in an inextricable wilderness. His style and diction are still more perversely inconsistent and contradictory. His prose is elaborate, and at the same time singularly deficient in rhythm; a sentence cast in the prolix mould of the ancient pulpit is succeeded by a smart epigram; the full and turgid flow of his great model, Dr. Chalmers, is suddenly broken up into short quaint clauses. For the singularity of his language we cannot permit him to plead his country. It would be the very insolence of pedantry, should we affect to make allow ances to the countrymen of Hume, Robertson and Dugald Stewart, for national peculiarity and for incorrectness of writ

ing.

But the dialect of Mr. Irving is neither Scotch nor English, neither ancient nor modern; it is sometimes so forced and strained as to be unintelligible, strange words used in still more strange senses; sometimes it is familiar even to vulgarity: one moment inflated to the highest poetry, the next sinking to the language of the streets. We are almost ashamed of our perpetual antithesis; but, in fact, the faults and merits of Mr. Irving are so strangely balanced and contrasted, so much in opposite extremes, that we know no other way of expressing our opinion with perspicuity and decision.

6

Is then Mr. Irving eloquent? If he is, the prize of eloquence must be awarded with greater frequency, and may be obtained with greater facility, than such writers as Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian supposed. Who may not be eloquent, that is endowed with an imagination in the least ardent and creative, it he has boldness enough to disdain whatever impedes the fluency, and restrains the copiousness of more modest and correct speakers? If it is eloquence, to pour forth every thought in metaphors incongruous, incomplete and clashing with each other; to seize every illustration which occurs from the sacred volume or the meanest occupation of life; if every third sentence may mean not but blunder round about a meaning;' if the language may disdain not merely purity and precision, but even grammar; if the expressions are to be confined by no regard, we will not say, to propriety but to decency, (for there are terms, favourite terms with Mr. Irving, which we dare not quote,) then indeed our orator is worthy of the name. But if abundance without selection, fluency without correctness, perpetual repetition without perspicuity; in short, a total want of judgment in the application of extraordinary fertility and exuberance, are imperfections, much is still wanting, before we can accede to the high pretensions of this celebrated preacher.

Finally, we intreat Mr. Irving, for his sake as for our own, in the name of that cause which he is pledged to advocate, not to waste his extraordinary powers; not to sacrifice a permanent and extensive influence to a transient, theatrical success. His usefulness must depend upon his real and lasting excellence; let him therefore despise the poor pride of sending forth his works, crude, disjointed, and unconnected; let him lower his pretensions, without in the least compromising the boldness of a minister of divine truth: let him be more cautious in his assertions, and the subjects which he introduces into

the pulpit, without being restrained or timid; let him set us an example of that solemn sequestration of the mind,' of whic he speaks, for the great conception and perfect execution of some enduring work in favour of Christianity, and we assure him that none of his fondest admirers, or more eager followers, will hail his appearance more proudly, gladly, or affectionately.

Quarterly Review, No. 58

Select Biography.

No. I.

CAPTAIN PARRY.

William Edward Parry, the fourth son of Dr. Parry, was born at Bath, on the 19th of December, 1790, and received the rudiments of his education at the grammar school of that city, under the care of the Rev. Nathaniel Morgan. Here he continued till he was about twelve, pursuing his studies with diligence, and uniformly maintaining that deportment which gained him the regard of the masters and the esteem of his school-fellows. At that time Admiral Cornwallis commanded the Channel fleet, to whom young Parry was recommended by a near relative of the Admiral, and was permitted to make trial of the naval service, under the immediate auspices of that gallant officer. He, therefore, joined the Ville de Paris, in 1803; and, during his probationary year in this active scene, his conduct was such as secured the high opinion of both the officers and the crew. His intrepidity of character was often displayed, and his deference to his superiors, and his amiable attention to his equals, were constantly manifested. His classical and other attainments, which had been so assiduously acquired while at school, were by no means neglected in his new situation. Admiral Cornwallis had provided for the improvement of the younger members of the provision, and especially for those on board of his own ship. The Rev. William Morgan (afterwards Chaplain of the Royal Navy Asylum, Greenwich), was, at that time, Chaplain of the Ville de Paris, and was particularly attentive to the younger branches of his charge; so that, under these circumstances, the first year of Parry's professional career not only developed several valuable qualities of his character, but increased his store of knowledge, and seemed to have rivetted more firmly these principles of virtue and religion, which had been deeply impressed on his mind by the care and attention of his parents. It showed, too, that his taste and disposition were suited to the

service to which he had been introckiced. In reference to this period, the testimony of Admiral Cornwallis is decisive. On the 4th of August, 1804, he writes, "I never knew any one so generally approved of. He will experience civility and kindness from all whilst he continues to conduct himself as he has done, which, I dare believe, will be as long as he lives." The first three years he spent on board the Admiral's ship, in the tedious and unprofitable task of blockading the French fleet in the harbour of Brest; a service in which he had great opportunities of acquiring a knowledge of good discipline and practical seamanship. He still -con tinued equally attentive to his duty, and assiduous in improving his mind, and extending his knowledge, under the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Morgan, for whose care he always manifested a strong sense of obligation.

In May 1806, Parry joined the Tribune, 36 guns, then commanded by Capt. Baker, and employed off L'Orient. In the following year, and a part of 1808, this vessel cruised off the west coast of France and the Peninsula, from Rochfort to Lisbon. The acts of service which presented themselves at this period were reconnoitering, and others, which belonged to the blockading party, into all of which young Parry entered with his usual spirit and promptitude. In April, 1808, Capt. Baker was appointed to the Vanguard, of 74 guns, then in the Baltic, and which Parry also joined in the following month. Early in the next year, great preparations were made for an active summer in that sea, against the Danes, in which service Parry was again employed. On the 9th of January, 1810, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and on the 9th of February, joined the Alexandria, commanded by Capt. Quilliam. Soon after this, the subject of this memoir began to study the situation of the principal fixed stars in our hemisphere, with a view of applying them to the purpose of finding the latitude and longitude at night; he was also, at the same period, employed in preparing charts of the northern navigation. During the two following years, the Alexandria remained on the Leith station, protecting the northern whale fishery, and Lieut. Parry still continued to observe the stars. He also employed himself in making a survey of the Baltic Sound and the Voe, in Shetland, a harbour which was very little known, though the only one capable of sheltering men of war in the north-eastern part of these islands. This chart was transmittted to the Lords of the Admiralty in 1813, who were pleased to signify their approbation

of it, and to consider it as highly acceptable. Mr. Parry also, about the same time, presented other charts, of the coasts between Denmark and Sweden, to the hydrographer of the admiralty. While engaged in this service, in 1812, the Alexandria, was ordered to proceed as far as 76 deg. of north latitude, and return with the last of the whalers; but she was prevented from reaching that parallel by large masses of floating ice, and made the North Cape. The following January, Parry was discharged from the Alexandria, and ordered to proceed to Halifax, in which station the years 1813 and 1814 were spent; and where he distributed, among the junior officers, several copies of his practical rules for observing the fixed stars, a corrected copy of which was afterwards printed. In May, 1816, Parry, was at the top of the Admiralty list for promotion; and, in June, was appointed first Lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Niger, on the Halifax station, commanded by Capt. Jackson, where he still secured the same esteem and confidence he had obtained on board other vessels. In consequence of a severe affliction experienced by his father, Lieutenant Parry obtained leave to return to England, and he arrived in May, 1817. He spent the summer in the vicinity of Bath, where his parent then resided; and in the autumn of that year, when the first of the late expeditions in search of the north west passage to the Pacific Ocean, was contemplated, Lieutenant Parry was strongly recommended to the Lords of the Admiralty; in consequence of which, he was appointed to the command of the Alexander, the second ship destined to explore that passage, under the orders of Capt. Ross. The particulars of this voyage are too well known to require repetition; and the result of the discussions which followed was the appointment of a new expedition to the same quarter, to sail in the following spring. Such was the high opinion which the Lords of the Admiralty entertained of Parry's conduct on the former occasion, that the second attempt was entrusted to his sole care and direction; as he not only received the command, but was consulted in the choice of the ships and officers of the expedition. The two ships (Lieut. Parry in the Hecla, and Lieut. Liddon in the Griper), left England in May, 1819, under the extreme degree of public interest and anxiety. In November of the following year, both vessels almost unexpectedly returned; and, though the object of the expedition had not been fully realized, the most sanguine anticipations as to the safety of the crews had been surpassed; as not a single man was lost,

except one who was unwell when the expedition left England.

Such was the satisfaction which the conduct of the commander, under these new and trying circumstances, rendered to all concerned, that he was immediately promoted, and a third expedition planned, under the vigilance and care of the same experienced and intrepid navigator; and such was the confidence inspired by his former deportment, that the officers and men, who volunteered to accompany him, were treble the number that could be accepted. Capt. Parry, therefore, once more left his native country for these hyperborean regions, as already stated in May, 1821.-Times Telescope.

Dr. Mac. Culloch's Recipe for Paste. To be made with flour in the usual way, but rather thick with a proportion of brown sugar, and a small quantity of Corrosive Sublimate. The sugar keeps it flexible, and prevents it scaling off from smooth surfaces, and the corrosive sublimate, independently of preserving it from insects, is an effectual check against its fermentation. This salt, however, does not prevent the formation of mouldiness; but a drop or too of the Essential Oil of Lavender, Peppermint, Anise, or Bergamot, is a complete security against it. Paste made in this manner and exposed to the air, dries without change to a state resembling horn, so that it may at any time be wetted again and applied to use. And if kept in a close covered pot, may be preserved in a state for use at all times.

Acetic Acid, a remedy for Warts and Corns. According to Mr. A. T. Thomson, "Acetic acid is stimulant and rubefacient. It is principally employed as a refreshing scent in syncope, asphyxia, and nervous head-aches; and for obviating the unpleasant smell of the confined air of crowded assemblies and of the sick-room. It is also an excellent application to warts and corns, which it seldom fails to remove; but in applying it, care must be taken to avoid eroding the surrounding skin.”

The Gatherer.

"I am but a Gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff.---Wootton.

A RABBINICAL STORY.-In one of the Rabbinical stories in the Talmud, a bird is represented as spreading its wings and blotting out the sun. An egg from another fell out of its nest, and the white thereof overflowed a whole village. One of these birds is said to have stood up to the lower joint of its leg in a river, and some mariners imagining, that the water was not deep, were hastening to bathe, when a voice from heaven said, " step not in there, for seven years ago a carpenter drop't his axe, and it hath not yet reached the bottom.

BON MOT OF VOLTAIRE.-One of the happiest repartees of Voltaire is said to have been made to an Englishman, who had previously been on a visit to the celebrated Haller, in whose praise Voltaire enlarged with great warmth, extolling him as a great Poet, a great Naturalist, and a man of universal attainments.-The Englishman answered that it was very

Joe hates a hypocrite: which shews Self-Love is not a fault of Joe's!

A good simile. As concise as a king's Declaration of Love.

Superstition is the spleen of the soul.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Our Correspondents are requested to address all communications for the Editor," to 143, Strand, where the Mirror will henceforth be published.

LEISURE HOURS, No. I., in our next, when we shall insert "The Amateur Music Party," "Lent, or a visit to my Catholic Friends," "The Mistletoe," "The Princess Charlotte to Prince Leopold," and communication of T. Z.

Rob Roy's Letter, Mus. (who we more than suspect to be in error, in the last paragraph of veral articles from some of our early correshis letter,) Francisca, Edric, Ignatius, and sepondents, shall appear forthwith.

G. F. in some half dozen or dozen lines advises

people not to go to law. We at least shall en

deavour to follow his advice.

The Ode of BONAS is written in a good feeling, and is by no means destitute of merit, but it is not quite bonus enough for the MIRROR.

Jacobus is one among some thirty who have sent us New Year Odes so equal in merit, that we are like the Royal Society of Literature, unable to decide, to which we shall give the preference, and therefore respectfully beg leave to decline inserting them.

We thank Leonidas, but we would not wish to perpetuate the memory of a young officer who could desert his own colours to fight under those of the enemy of his country.

We will endeavour to find room for Mr. Hales. We are still in arrear even in acknowledging a host of communications, but we intend to

decide on the whole of them in the course of a few days, when, to use a parliamentary phrase, we shall report progress, and ask leave to sit again."

Printed and Published by J. LIMBIRD, 143, Strand, (near Somerset House,) and sold by all Newsmen and Booksellers.