Page images
PDF
EPUB

by almost the last shot that was fired. The wound was such, that it was found necessary to amputate the leg.

EDWARD LYTTON BULWER.

A WRITER in the New Monthly Magazine, after reviewing the works of this gentleman, observes: A transition from the author's works to the author's self, has been a common consequence of fame in all ages. Though we do not quite go the length of Genevese, who, publishing an account of Rousseau's visit to his native city, deems it worthy of mention that Jean Jacques wore a cap trimmed with fur, but that he would not decide whether it was lined with fur or not, for he never took it off: still, by that rule which leads us to judge of others' feelings by our own, we think the curiosity, personal though it be, about a distinguished author, is, to say the least, very excusable. We often hear complaints that the author does not sustain the beau ideal of his hero; this complaint, at least, cannot be made of Mr. Bulwer. His appearance is distinguished, his features chiselled and regular, and the whole expression of his face highly intellectual as well as handsome. Generally, though we confess to having but a slight personal knowledge, Mr. Bulwer is silent and reserved in society, but this may in some measure arise from his extreme distaste to mixing with it: for at times nothing can exceed the flushing wit of his gayer converse, unless it be the originality and interest of his more serious discourse. Mr. Bulwer is married, and is we believe among the instances that genius is very compatible with domestic happiness. Prediction has an easy task in foretelling a future when its prophecy is founded on a past of rich Dromise. When we say that he gave us the idea of ɔe whose habits were fastidious and tastes refined—

when we find in him the descendant of an ancient and aristocratic family, and know him to be one nursed in all the lavish indulgence of wealth, the more are our causes of admiration for one whose talents disdained repose, and whose pages have ever advocated the cause of right.

Sophocles, in the days of old, could dream away his summer midnight on the reeds by the Hysus, listening to the moonlight music of the nightingales. Mr. Bulwer early felt, that a modern writer had nothing in common with this literary luxury, and his genius has ever seemed held by him as a trust rather than an enjoyment. We should think the great success of his writings in other countries must be very gratifying. Praise from afar comes the nearest to fame. Mr. Bulwer has already produced four standard novels, works replete with thought and mind, and he yet wants some years of thirty. A still more active career, that of public life, now lies before him. If first rate talents, enlarged and liberal views, strong and noble principles, can make one man's future an object and benefit to his country, we are justified in the high anticipations with which we look forward to Mr. Bulwer's future. Last year he was eagerly solicited, by a large body of its most respectable inhabitants, to stand for Southwark.

Reluctance to oppose Mr. Calvert, made him decline the honour; but we cannot conclude this article better than by part of his first declaration of public faith-"I should have founded my pretensions, had I addressed myself to your notice, upon that warm and hearty sympathy in the great interests of the people, which, even as in my case, without the claim of a long experience or the guarantee of a public name, you have so often, and I must add, so laudably, esteemed the surest and highest recommendation to your favour. And, gentlemen, to the eager wish, I will not hesitate to avow that I should have added the determined resolution to extend and widen, in all

LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGUE.

187

their channels, those pure and living truths, which can alone circulate through the vast mass of the community that political happiness so long obstructed from the many, and so long adulterated even for the few.

LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGUE.

LADY MARY PIERPONT was the eldest daughter of Evelyn, Duke of Kingston. She was born at Thoresby in Nottinghamshire, about the year 1694. The first dawn of her genius opened so auspiciously, that her father resolved to cultivate the advantages of nature by a sedulous attention to her early instruction.

[ocr errors]

A classical education was not then given to English ladies of quality, when Lady Montague received one of the best. Under the same preceptors as Viscount Newark, her brother, she acquired the elements of the Greek, Latin, and French languages, with the greatest success. Her studies were afterwards superintended by Bishop Burnet, and her translation of the Enchiridon of Epictetus received his emendations; this translation, she said, in the letter that accompanied it, was the work of one week of my solitude," and it was to uninterrupted leisure and private habits of life, that she was much indebted for so complete an improvement of her mind. In 1712, she married E. W. Montague, Esq., a man possessed of solid, rather than brilliant parts; but the soundness of his judgment, and the gracefulness of his oratory, distinguished him in parliament. During the first two years of her marriage, Lady Mary had lived in retirement at Wharncliffe Lodge, near Sheffield, where her son was born; but in 1714, Mr. Montague was appointed one of the lords of the treasury, which introduced them at court, and into those distinguished circles in which she was so well formed to shine.

In 1716, Mr. Montague was appointed ambassador

to the Ottoman Porte; and in August, the same year, he commenced an arduous journey over the continent of Europe, to Constantinople, accompanied by Lady Mary, whose conjugal affection reconciled her to the dangers unavoidably to be encountered in passing the savage Turkish territory; the native horrors of which were then doubled by those of war. They travelled through Germany, Bohemia, and Hungary; great part of this journey was performed during the winter, and the Danube being frozen, they were obliged to travel entirely by land; the route they took was very little traversed, even by the Hungarians themselves, who generally chose to wait for the conveniency of going down the Danube. It was April, 1717, before they arrived at Adrianople, after a journey of eight months; and in a letter, addressed to the Princess of Wales, Lady Mary says, "I have now finished a journey that has not been undertaken by any Christian, since the time of the Greek emperors." Whilst on her journey, and during her residence at the Levant, she amused herself, and delighted her friends, by a regular correspondence, chiefly to her sister, the Countess of Mar, Lady Rich, and some other ladies of court, and to Mr. Pope. The ambassador and his suite remained two months at Adrianople, to which city Achmet III. had then removed his court from Constantinople. During her stay at the latter, her active mind was regularly engaged in the pursuit of objects so new to her, as the Turkish capital presented. Among her other talents was a great facility of learn ing languages; and in the assemblage of ten embassies from different countries, of which her society was chiefly composed, she had daily opportunities of practising them. She began the study of the Turkish, under the tuition of one of Mr. Wortley's dragomans or interpreters, who compiled for her use a grammar and vocabulary, in Turkish and Italian. In one of her letters, she says, "I am in great danger of losing my English; I live in a place that very well repre

LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGUE.

189

sents the tower of Babel; in Pera, where I now am, they speak fifteen languages, and what is worse, there are ten of these spoken in my own family. My grooms are Arabs; my footmen French, English, and Germans; my nurse an Armenian; my housemaids Greeks (half a dozen Greeks ;) my steward an Italian, and my guards Turks."

There was a custom then prevalent in Turkey, though unknown in England, into which Lady Mary examined, and at length became perfectly satisfied of its efficacy. It was that of inoculating with variolous matter, in order to produce a milder disease, and to prevent the ravages made by the small-pox. The process was so simple, that she did not hesitate to apply it to her son, then three years old. She described her success in a letter from Belgrade, to Mr. Wortley at Pera: "The boy was engrafted last Tuesday, and is at this time singing and playing, impatient for his supper: I pray God I may be able to give as good an account of him in my next." On her return to England, she strenuously advocated the system, and it is to her we are indebted for its introduction into this country.

Mr. Wortley's negotiations failing of their intended effect, he received letters of recall under the privy seal, October, 1717, which was countersigned by his friend Addison, then secretary of state,

He did not commence his journey home till June 6, 1718: they returned through the Archipelago, landed at Tunis, and having crossed the Mediterranean, arrived at Genoa, and from thence passed Turin to Lyons and Paris, and reached England, October 20, 1718. In a short time after her return, Lady Mary was solicited by Pope to fix her summer residence at Twickenham; and in retirement there she enjoyed the literary society which resorted to his villa. But the ties of friendship, which existed between them, were not of long duration. Lady Mary espoused Sir Robert Walpole's politics, while Pope adhered to

« PreviousContinue »