ing; you have no liberty to reject or to of cohesion. It is indeed the realization of choose. Besides, in treating the ordinary anarchy; and one amusing test of this may themes proper for what is called didactic be found in the fact, that different compoetry-say, for instance, that it were the mentators have deduced from it the very art of rearing silk-worms or bees-or sup- opposite doctrines. In some instances this pose it to be horticulture, landscape-gar apparent antinomy is doubtful, and dependening, hunting, or hawking, rarely does dent on the ambiguities or obscurities of there occur anything polemic; or, if a the expression. But in others it is fairly slight controversy does arise, it is easily deducible: and the cause lies in the elliphushed asleep-it is stated in a line, it is tical structure of the work; the ellipsis, or answered in a couplet. But in the themes (as sometimes it may be called) the chasm of Lucretius and Pope, every thing is may be filled up in two different modes espolemic you move only through dispute, sentially hostile: and he that supplies the you prosper only by argument and never- hiatus, in effect determines the bias of the ending controversy. There is not positive- poem this way or that-to a religious or to ly one capital proposition or doctrine about a sceptical result. In this edition the comman, about his origin, his nature, his rela-mentary of Warburton has been retained, tions to God, or his prospects, but must be which ought certainly to have been di missfought for with energy, watched at every ed. The Essay is, in effect, a Hebrew turn with vigilance, and followed into end- word with the vowel-points omitted: and less mazes, not under the choice of the Warburton supplies one set of vowels, writer, but under the inexorable dictation whilst Crousaz with equal right supplies a of the argument.

contradictory set.

Such a poem, so unwieldy, whilst at the As a whole, the edition before us is cersame time so austere in its philosophy, to- tainly the most agreeable of all that we gether with the innumerable polemic parts possess. The fidelity of Mr. Roscoe to the essential to its good faith and even to its interests of Pope's reputation, contrasts evolution, would be absolutely unmanage- pleasingly with the harshness at times of able from excess and from disproportion, Bowles, and the reckless neutrality of since often a secondary demur would occu- Warton. In the editor of a great classic, py far more space than a principal section. we view it as a virtue, wearing the grace of Here lay the impracticable dilemma for loyalty, that he should refuse to expose Pope's Essay on Man. To satisfy the de- frailties or defects in a spirit of exultation.' mands of the subject, was to defeat the Mr. Roscoe's own notes are written with objects of poetry. To evade the demands peculiar good sense, temperance, and kind in the way that Pope has done, is to offer feeling. The only objection to them, which us a ruin for a palace. The very same applies however still more to the notes of dilemma existed for Lucretius, and with former editors, is the want of compactness. the very same result. The De Rerum Na- They are not written under that austere tura, (which might, agreeably to its theme, instinct of compression and verbal parsimohave been entitled De omnibus rebus), and ny, as the ideal merit in an annotator, the Essay on Man, (which might equally which ought to govern all such ministerial have borne the Lucretion title De Rerum labors in our days. Books are becoming Natura), are both, and from the same cause, too much the oppression of the intellect, fragments that could not have been com- and cannot endure any longer the accumupleted. Both are accumulations of dia- lation of undigested commentaries, or that mond-dust without principles of coherency. species of diffusion in editors which roots In a succession of pictures, such as usually itself in laziness: the efforts of condensaform the materials of didactic poems, the tion and selection are painful; and they slightest thread of interdependency is suffi- are luxuriously evaded by reprinting indiscient. But, in works essentially and every- criminately whole masses of notes-though where argumentative and polemic, to omit often in substance reiterating each other. the connecting links, as often as they are But the interests of readers clamorously call insusceptible of poetic effect, is to break up for the amendment of this system. The the unity of the parts, and to undermine principle of selection must now be applied the foundations, in what expressly offers even to the text of great authors. It is no itself as a systematic and architectural longer advisable to reprint the whole of whole. Pope's poem has suffered even either Dryden or Pope. Not that we more than that of Lucretius from this want would wish to see their works mutilated.

Let such as are selected, be printed in the has arrived when they may be advantageousfullest integrity of the text. Bnt some ly retrenched: for they are painfully at war have lost their interest;* others, by the with those feelings of entire and honorable elevation of public morals since the days of esteem with which all lovers of exquisite those great wits, are felt to be now utter- intellectual brilliancy must wish to surround ly unfit for general reading. Equally for the name and memory of POPE. the reader's sake and the poet's, the time

From the Quarterly Review.

HORACE WALPOLE'S LETTERS TO THE COUNTESS OF OSSORY.

Letters addressed to the Countess of Ossory, from the year 1769 to 1797, by Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford; now first printed from the original MSS. Edited, with Notes, by the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, M.P. 2 vols. 8vo. London: 1848.

We have so often and so recently ex- phrased if we said that these volumes are plained our views of the personal and lite- not edited at all. The title-page, indeed, rary character of Horace Walpole, that we tells us that they are edited by Mr. Vernon shall on this occasion have little more to do Smith; but there is scarcely any other page than to give our readers a brief notice of an of the work that confirms this promise. unexpected and by no means inconsiderable This is a great disappointment; because of addition to the already vast harvest of his all Walpole's letters, this batch especially miscellaneous correspondence. In our num- and peculiarly needed marginal illustration, ber for September, 1843 (vol. lxxii., p. 516), and the talents and position of Mr. Smith we stated that his published letters (includ- raised a confident hope that the task he had ing the last batch of those to Sir Horace undertaken would be not merely adequately, Mann then announced) fell little short of but brilliantly, executed. From what two thousand, and we expressed an opinion causes Mr. Smith has to so great a degree that the discovery of many others might be abdicated his editorial functions, and, in reasonably looked for. These volumes are the rare instances in which he has done anycome to confirm our former, without dimi- thing, done it so superficially, we cannot nishing our further, expectation; for they conjecture. The kind of apology he makes are from a source which he had not antici- is not unmixed with a sneer at the duty he pated. We knew that Lady Ossory had has thus neglected:

been an early and intimate acquaintance of "The few notes which I have added relate only Walpole, but we were not aware of their to such circumstances as my relationship enabled having been such frequent correspondents, me to explain of family history. I have purposeas that her cabinet could supply us with ly abstained from the repetition of accounts of above four hundred of his letters; and we persons which have been given in former editions now see some reason to believe that there

must have been many more.

of Walpole's letters, which are derived from registers and magazines, open to the observation of all who think it worth while to pursue such inquiries."

We are sorry to begin with repeating the complaints which we have had to make of the very defective way in which Walpole We readily admit that if Mr. Smith consihas been recently edited-perhaps our ders his publication as a mere continuation grievance on this occasion would be better - the 11th and 12th volumes as it were

of the vast mass of Walpole's letters,* it • We do not include the DUNCIAD in this list. would have been needless to identify or chaOn the contrary, the arguments by which it has been generally undervalued, as though antiquated by racterize persons incidentally mentioned, lapse of time and by the fading of names, are all and who were already familiarly known to unsound. We ourselves hold it to be the greatest all Walpole's readers; but as this is edited

"the amusement of the public," we think as ed from registers or magazines that we commuch should have been told as would insure plain-they may be obtained, as Mr. Smith that necessary ingredient to amusement- remarks, "by all who think it worth while the comprehending what and whom the cor- to pursue such inquiries," or, as we should respondents are writing about; it is a little rather have said, by those who wish to be hard that those who take up a gossiping able to read his book without laying it volume should be obliged to provide them- down a hundred times to consult a hunselves further with the Annual Register, dred others but what the reader most inGentleman's Magazine, and a succession of dispensably needs, and what registers and old Peerages, to discover the object and magazines cannot supply, is the explanation meaning of one of Walpole's jokes on of small events, slight allusions, obscure Lady A. or Lord B. Mr. Smith must feel anecdotes, traits of individual character, this, and has accordingly in a very few in- the gossip of the circle, and all the little stances afforded us some such lights; but items and accidents of domestic, social, and unluckily he holds up his candle-almost, political life, which constitute in a most pewe think, without exception-where there culiar degree the staple of Walpole's corwas the least call for one. When Walpole respondence the most frequent occasions mentions" a dear old blind friend in Paris," and chief objects of either his wit or his Mr. Smith-habitually so sparing of illus- sagacity, and without some knowledge of trations-need hardly have told us (i. 25) which his best letters would be little more that "Madame du Deffand" was meant: than a collection of riddles. Let us give a when Walpole, after having said that Lord few examples. In describing a severe fit of Shelburne had married Lord Ossory's sister, the gout he says

calls him "votre beau-frère," it was rather

superfluous in an editor usually so taciturn, "I am still dandled in the arms of two servants, to repeat that it means "Lord Shelburne," and not yet arrived at my go-cart. In short, I am fit for nothing but to be carried into the House of who had married Lord Ossory's sister, p. Lords to prophesy." -vol. i. pp. 6, 7. 93: or when Walpole says that Lord

Waldegrave had died at Lord Aylesford's Many of the present generation of readers house in the country, and that the scene would require here to be reminded of one of of the catastrophe was "Packington"-we Lord Chatham's remarkable exhibitions in could have guessed, without a note, that the House of Lords, which Walpole, who Packington was "Lord Aylesford's house," was at this time angry with Lord Chatham p. 401. And these, be it observed, are on General Conway's account, sneers at. three of, we believe, not much above a dozen explanatory notes in the whole volumes.* "Have you read the character of Lord Chatham We don't object even to such almost super- by Dr. Robertson in to-day's Public Advertiser?

It is finely, very finely written."-vol. i. p. 118. "The character of Lord Chathain was written

fluous information, but we wonder that one who thought it necessary in such cases should have neglected it in so many others by the Irish Mr. Flood, and published in Dublin

where it was more wanted.

But Mr. Smith in his contempt of the

a year ago in a book called Barataria."-vol i. p. 120.

humble duties of an annotator, mistakes we Should not the editor have added, that this think the question. It is not merely of the famous Character was written neither by want of such illustrations as may be collect- Dr. Robertson nor by Mr. Flood, but by

Mr. Grattan? It first appeared in a collection of jeux d'esprit against Lord Townsend's administration in Ireland, called

* And of the rest of the dozen, several are, we suspect, essentially erroneous; as these, for instance -in vol. i., p. 54, which is made nonsense by confounding a Poussin with a Claude-in p. 58, where Baratariana (p. 240): the editor of which, a wrong name is given in p. 153. where irony, we believe, is mistaken for a serious statement, which for the purpose of mystification, stated it makes a puzzle in another note, p. 203-in p. 259, to be an extract from Robertson's forthwhere Mr. Smith has forgotten the old French jeu coming History of America; and this led d'esprit (if it can be so called) (f La Palisse, whence to Walpole's momentary mistake.

Goldsmith pilfered his Madam Blaize. We submit

these to Mr. Smith's reconsideration; two of them And again, when Horace Walpole (i. 299), are of some importance. There are also some on the first appearance of the celebrated strange errors of the press. What do our readers verses to Mr. Crewe, attributed them to

think of a comparison of General Elliot, the governor of Gibraltar, to "the old man of the mountain, who destroyed enemies with his few Gregois?"ii. 113.

Sheridan, a note ought, we think, to have told that they were really Fox's.

Walpole makes frequent sarcastic allu

sions to one Mr. Martin as his "heir-ap- house, if only to recover my liberty, as Lord North parent" a pleasantry unintelligible to those set a precedent of being as idle as one pleases."

who may not have discovered that Mr. Mar.

tin, Secretary of the Treasury in 1760, had, to Walpole's great annoyance, obtained a reversion of his lucrative sinecure in the Exchequer.

vol. ii. p. 146.

This pleasantry-written in the celebrated ministerial crisis of March, 1783-is unintelligible to those who do not happen to remember that Lord North had been just

" I believe I am really Xottoho, a Chinese that turned out of the Home Office, which he comprehends nothing he sees or hears "-vol. i. had accepted reluctantly and executed with p. 350.

indifference; and that Princess Amelia lived at the corner of Cavendish Square, where Walpole was too often honored with invitations to the loo-table.

This enigma should have been corrected and explained by observing that amongst Walpole's fugitive pieces, in the 4to. edi. tion, vol. i p. 205, is "A Letter from Xo In August, 1783, after stating the "such Ho, a Chinese philosopher, to his friend at sums of money" that his maid MarPekin." We doubt whether Mr. Smith has garet gets by showing Strawberry Hill, and found time even to look into that edition of pleasantly hinting an intention to marry his author, for we see that he has reprinted her himself, lest some fortune-hunter should in these volumes a stupid Irish tale already carry off so great a prize, he proceedspublished there. But, stranger still, he "Mr. Williams said this morning that Marseems not to have consulted the contempo- garet's is the best place in England, and wondered raneous letters of Walpole to his other cor- Mr. Gilbert did not insist on knowing what it is respondents. Walpole, offering a visit to worth. Thank my stars he did not! Colonel the Ossorys at Ampthill, calls it Houghton Barié, or Dunning, would propose to suppress Park, upon which one of the editor's rare notes observes

"Either a slip of the pen for Ampthill, or an allusion to the ruin of Houghton on Lord Ossory's estate.-ED."-vol. i. p. 7, note.

housekeepers, and then humbly offer to show my house themselves; and the first would calculate what he had missed by not having shown it for the last ten years, and expect to be indemnified."vol. ii. p. 165.

In order to understand these allusions, it

Mr. Smith, we suppose, is good authority is necessary to recollect that Mr. Gilbert on all matters relating to Ampthill; but had taken a forward part in some recent inthis is assuredly no slip of Walpole's pen. quiries into public offices, which had discoIn a letter to Conway, 17th June, 1771, vered to Walpole's great vexation, and a and elsewhere, he mentions Houghton Park little to his discredit-that one of his many synonimously with Ampthill.

"I tremble lest Mr. Conway should have an opportunity of being romantic and defending a pebole because he has nothing else to defend."

vol. i. p. 358.

This pebble was Jersey-then menaced by the French of which General Conway was governor.

"La Signorina I have not seen, and, in truth, did not ask to see her. I love David too well not to be peevish at an Abishag of eight years old."vol. i p. 382.

If this was worth printing, it was worth telling that George Selwin and his little pupi Mademoiselle Faguiani are meant.

places, the Ushership of the Exchequer, which he returned as producing £1800 a-year, really produced £4200; and that Barré and Dunning, who had been great economical reformers while in opposition, had lately obtained, the one a great pension, and the other a lucrative sinecure.

"I was told t' other night that Lady Cathcart, who is still living, danced lately at Hertford, to show her vigor at past fourscore-ware and Abbé de Gedoyn !"-vol. ii. p. 280.

This must be obscure to those who do not remember two very extraordinary stories. The Abbé Gedoyn was the hero of the, we believe, fabulous story of Ninon de l'Enclos octogenarian flirtation. The Lady Cathcart was Sarah Malyn, who died in 1789, aged 98. She had four husbands, of whom Lord Cathcart was the third; the fourth was a Captain Macguire, an Irish officer, who, not much pleased with the posy

In short, alas! your ladyship's gazetteer is grown such a favorite at a certain tiny Court in Cavendish square, that he is called to sit at the board th ee nights in a week I really think that I should accept, if I was sent for to the Queen's on her wedding-ring

If I survive
I will have five-

took her to Ireland, and kept her there in solitary durance for near 20 years, when he died, and her ladyship came back to dance at Welwyn assembly. Some details of her treatment are told in "Castle Rackrent." " I have seen good old Lord George, and would have persuaded him to read the pamphlet, which

likely to be more obscure to common readers than any other class of his correspondence. The reason, as we think, is this:-In the former successive batches we had grown acquainted with his personages; the contemporaneous letters to different quarters illustrate each other, and the subjects are commonly of general interest, public or political, or of fashionable notoriety; and the

I acknowledged I admired, as I have to Mrs. notes of other editors, however imperfect Bouverie; but did not prevail."-vol. ii. p. 429. they may have been, have still thrown a One is curious to know who the "good old good deal of light on the more obscure pasLord George" was, who would not so much sages; but this collection is particularly as read Mr. Burke's great work on the in the earlier portion, and in some degree French Revolution. We, on behalf of all throughout-of a somewhat different comother Lord Georges, venture to guess that it plexion-the chief personages are not those

was Lord George Cavendish.

we have been in the habit of meeting in Walpole's society-Lady Ossory's name is "My servant's death was shocking indeed, and inco nprehensibly out of proportion to his fault, not, that we recollect, to be found in the and to the slight notice taken of it; and that preceding ten volumes. One letter to her, gentle treatment is my consolation, as I had in no- but omitting her name, closes the correswise contributed to, nor could foresee nor prevent, pondence published by Mr. Berry in 1798, his sad catastrophe !"-vol. ii. p. 455. and has been reprinted with her name at the This relates to the suicide of a young foot- end of the collective edition. The main man, which exposed Walpole to some ob- cause of this reserve is to be extracted from loquy. It should, we think, have been the following short note at the bottom of stated that the story is told by Pinkerton in one of his pages, which contains, strange to his "Biographical Sketch," who shows that Walpole was wholly blameless.

say, all that Mr. Smith tells us of the history of the lady to whom the letters were addressed:

We have noted on the margin of our copy a hundred desiderata of this kind"The Earl of Upper Ossory was married to the some more important, which we could not Hon. Miss Liddell, late Duchess of Grafton, explain without more space than we can daughter of Lord Ravensworth, March 8,1769.spare to such notes. It may be said that ED."-vol. i. p. 2, note.

the matters themselves are trivial-they are The plain truth is, she had been divorced so-the whole book will by some persons by Act of Parliament from her first husbe thought trivial; but if it be worth while band, Augustus Henry, third Duke of Grafto print trivialities-supposing even they ton, and married immediately after the were such-it is surely worth while to en- partner of her offence, John, second and able us to see whatever little meaning they last Earl of Upper Ossory. There was may have. But we do not rate them so almost as much excuse for this poor lady as lightly-they are items in the history of so- there could be in any case. A formal sepacicty always entertaining and sometimes cu- ration by deed had taken place between the rious, and ought to be made intelligible. In Duke and Duchess in January, 1765. The short such letters are amusing or valuable cause was incompatibility of temper, and exactly in proportion to the degree in which we know that the Duchess's patience was the present reader is able to understand severely tried. There was no imputation them, as the original receiver did. Mr. on the lady's personal character, while Smith seems to despise those who think it Junius has immortalized the public immorworth while to pursue such inquiries; but, ality of the Duke's conduct. It was in this for our parts, we belong to the old-fashioned state of quasi widowhood, and under such school of wishing to understand what we provocation and insult, that she became read, and to taste of the banquet which intimate with Lord Ossory; and was at Mr. Smith-worse than Sancho's Doctor- last, about the middle of August, 1768, serves up to us in covered dishes.

secretly, as she hoped, brought to bed of a

These observations are applicable to all daughter-but the fact could not be confamiliar letters, but especially to Walpole's, cealed, and a divorce necessarily ensued. and above all to the series now produced, Walpole, in a letter to Conway, of the 19th which, from peculiar circumstances, are of June, 1768-when we know from the