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and it was, doubtless, this unequal distribution of the public burdens, that mainly produced that convulsion, which effected such alterations in the institutions of the continent.

Mr. McCulloch then made some observations on the great utility of the warehousing system, on the excise scheme of sir Robert Walpole, and concluded with contrasting the expense of collecting the revenue in England and Ireland, and with noticing the great benefit Scotland had derived from substituting, in lieu of compulsory labour on the highways, a fixed impost on the landlords.

VISIT TO THE SYBILLE.

THE philosopher of New Lanark may be a little extravagant in the adoption of the Helvetian theory, but it cannot be denied, that human nature is vastly modified by circumstances. Seamen are an instance of this. They are a sort of sui generis, whose habits, and even personal conformation, are generated out of the winds and waves, and their insular situation. Behold sailors on shore, and their gait seems to partake of the motion of the ship, rolling obliquely along, like a vessel close-hauled to the wind. The watery wildness of the eye indicates the aqueous vocation, and the loud hoarse voice is modulated to the roaring winds. They are proverbially improvident; they are careless because their profession renders any particular foresight unnecessary. Why should those provide anxiously for the future, who are uncertain of the present? Existence with them is, at best, precarious; and on ship-board all the essentials of life-meat, drink, and lodging, are provided. Money is a superfluity and incumbrance of which they naturally disburthen themselves the first opportunity. Their vagaries with the fair sex may be traced to similar causes. Celibacy, if not chastity, is inseparable from a sea-faring life. The sweets of matrimony can only be enjoyed by those fortunate ad scriptas gleba, who have homes; but sailors are unavoidably absentees, and can only take partners in transitu, till the locker is empty, or the ship refitted for a new voyage. Intrepidity is another predominant trait in the naval character. A timid sailor would be a nonentity; the profession is surrounded with perils; to be fearful would be constant misery and death hence their hardihood; like children in a savage state, they must be strong and bold, to survive the hardships of their lot. On land, they are truly fishes out of

water. They are familiar with the sea, not the world, and hence they frequently convey their feelings in a way more expressive of sincerity than consonant to the forms of society. The tar who presented Mina with a handful of nuts, at a public theatre, was insensible of the indecorum, and merely sought to express his hearty admiration of the patriot chief. The strictness of naval discipline is at best but an indifferent preparation for social intercourse. Absolute power, or implicit obedience, does not qualify for the independence of private life; where equality exists, and the prerogatives of individuals are only limited by their discretion. In the navy, the feudal system, though abolished on land, is still preserved; the sailors being little better than serfs to their superiors, while the captain maintains the same gloomy despotism on the quarter-deck that the baron formerly did in his castle.

Altogether, the navy seems to offer. few temptations to its votaries. On shipboard, every land enjoyment is either excluded, or abridged. Every sense is palled by the repetition of the same diet, the same amusement, and the same society. Nothing is new to the mind, the senses, or imagination. Even the eye is saturated in contemplating without relief" the boldface surface of the deep." Yet youth rushes here with alacrity;-there is enterprise, there is danger. Those arguments which reason would suggest to deter from the profession, seem to act as an incentive, and perils and privations become a stimulus to adventurers. It is the privations sailors undergo that render them such madmen on shore. Their passions having been in a state of compression, on touching land, they burst forth like a whirlwind. The very idea of setting foot on terra firma half intoxicates them; they lose all control over themselves, and instantly become the prey of landlords, girls, and shopkeepers. I have known sailors dissipate the fruits of three years' service, toil, and danger, in a single night, and be completely "cleaned out" next morning. They resemble those unfortunate youths who have been kept under too strict discipline in their nonage, and whose passions burst into boundless excess when relieved from the restraints of tutors and guardians.

These remarks have arisen from a visit to the Sybille frigate, while lying off Deptford. She had returned from a cruise in the West Indies, where she had been stationed nearly three years, engaged in checking the depredations of the pirates, who latterly excited public indignation by their atrocities. When a vessel comes to

CITY OF LONDON INSTITUTION.

be paid off, there is a relaxation in naval discipline, a sort of Saturnalia prevails on shipboard. The sailors are allowed to go on shore, and a number of friends and acquaintance are admitted into the ship. A temporary alehouse is erected on deck, for the sale of porter and other refreshments; the former being a delightful cooling beverage, after two or three years' cruise, in a hot climate, with nothing but grog. On going below, I was almost stunned with the indescribable scene of riot and disorder which presented itself. It is unnecessary to describe the interior economy of a man of war. The hold is appropriated to the sailors; on each side are tables, with benches, belonging to the different messes into which the ship's company is divided. This part of the vessel was filled with a motley assemblage of girls and seamen, whose amusements seemed to concentrate all the agrémens of the brothel and pothouse.

A jealousy exists between the marines and sailors, which it is the policy of their 'superiors to encourage The former are the police of the vessel, whose duty is to preserve order among the crew. This has its natural consequence, for we universally observe that conservators of the peace, in all stations, incur odium and aversion. Few authors but dislike the reviewers by whom they have been castigated, and there never probably was a man whipped who did not hate the exe'cutioner. Boys at school seldom entertain kindly feelings towards their masters at least while under their control. We cannot wonder, therefore, at the antipathy of sailors, who, of all others, most blindly follow the impulse of their feelings. In short, the "sea-soldiers" are a constant subject of reproach and ridicule. A bottle that has been emptied is sarcastically termed a marine. No term is too opprobrious for them. A subaltern of this corps strongly reminded me of some scenes in "Roderick Random," with the Welsh doc

tor.

He was sitting in his birth, a lamp burning close under his nose, the table covered with "pread and cheese," among which he was busily writing, surrounded with the most horrid discord and confusion, from the revelries of the crew.

I must confess, on leaving the vessel, I did not feel any strong impressions in favour of a sailor's life;-there is nothing in it for the scholar, or the gentleman. A sort of étourderie, in which the men are kept by the constant use of grog, is the only thing that can render the navy tolerable. On a small scale, a ship's company strikingly exemplify the effects of slavery and despotism on the human character. The men, from implicit obedience to their

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superiors, are divested of all prudence and power to conduct themselves rationally when at liberty; while the officers are not less out of their element, unless exercis ing their accustomed sway on the quarterdeck. Of course these opinions have been formed from a limited observation, perhaps not under the most favourable circumstances, and a more extensive acquaintance with his majesty's navy might excite different reflections.

PUNISHMENT OF THE STOCKS.

LORD CAMDEN, when chief-justice, was upon a visit to lord Dacre, his brother-in-law, at Alveley, in Essex, and had walked out with another gentleman, a very absent man, to the hill, no great distance from the house, where, on the summit, by the road side, the parish stocks stood: he sat down upon them, and after a little time asked his companion to open them, as he had a mind to know what the punishment was; this being done, his companion took a book from his pocket, and sauntered about, until he forgot the judge and his situation, and returned to lord D.'s. When the judge was tired, he tried, but found himself unable to open the stocks, and asked a countryman, who soon after passed by, to assist him, who said, "No, old gentleman, you was not set there for nothing;" and left him, until he was released by some of the servants of the house passing that way. Not long after, he presided at a trial, in which a charge was brought against a magistrate for false imprisonment, and for setting in the stocks. The counsel on the side of the magistrate, in his reply, made very light of the whole charge, and particularly of setting in the stocks, which, he said, every body knew was no punishment at all. The chiefjustice rose, and, leaning over the bench, said, in a half whisper," Brother, were you ever in the stocks?"." Really, my lord, never."" Then I have," said the judge," and I assure you, brother, it is no such trifle as you represent."

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CITY OF LONDON INSTITUTION.

THIS very promising Institution advances in its prosperous career. Upwards of five hundred persons have expressed their wish to become members, and more than three hundred have already paid their half-yearly subscriptions. On Monday evening they met to consider and adopt the initiatory regulations for the

organization and government of the so ciety; previous to which, Dr. Black de livered a very admirable address, on the importance and relative advantages of the different branches of literature and science, and on the benefits that result from their diffusion among young people of both sexes. We regret that we cannot at present give a more copious account of this gentleman's interesting discourse, and the subsequent proceedings of the meeting.

WAGES OF LABOUR.

AN abstract of returns, prepared by arder of the committee of the house of commons which sat last session, on the practice of paying the wages of labour out of the poor's rates, has been just printed. It contains much valuable information as to the usual rate of wages, and the condition of the labouring people in the various counties of England. The following are the results of the answers to the question, "What is the usual rate of wages?"

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Leicester

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Shropshire

70

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Review and Analysis.

THE LAST DAYS OF LORD BYRON: WITH
HIS LORDSHIP'S OPINION ON VARIOUS
SUBJECTS, PARTICULARLY ON THE
STATE AND PROSPECTS OF GREECE.

BY WILLIAM PARRY, MAJOR OF LORD
BYRON'S BRIGADE, &C. LONDON, 8vo.
pp. 360.

In going down to Blackheath one fine day, the conversation turned on the vari ous loans, bubbles, and speculations, then afloat in the money market. One gentle man asked another, well known on'Change, what he thought of the Greek loan? "Pshaw," was the reply, "it's a mere poes tic inspiration-but that won't pay the dividends!" We are apt to think lord Byron's visit to Greece was an afflatus of the same kind. It was a generous impulse to volunteer his services in the cause of Grecian independence, but we doubt whether the noble lord would have earned more laurels in the field of Mars, than the celebrated Roman poet at the battle of Pharsalia. A man may be a great poet, and no statesman nor general; he may be able to compose a fine imaginative poem, yet not have the practical knowledge to reconcile contending fac tions, to overawe a mutinous and half civilized soldiery, and counteract the intrigues of rival and ambitious partisans.

Lord Byron was never more out of his ́element, than at Missolonghi ; he left the

LAST DAYS OF LORD BYRON.

society of valets and kept mistresses, of poets and sycophants, to mingle with soldiers and politicians. He felt his situation; he saw he had engaged in a cause, in which he could lend no aid but his money; he was surrounded by those who felt no obligation to submit to his petulence and caprice: hence his nervous irritability and chagrin; and we doubt not that the anxiety and distraction of mind, caused by the novelty of his situation, laid the foundation of that distemper, which brought the first poet of the age to a pre

mature grave.

As to the volume before us, it is like the fellow's razors, got up for sale and nothing more; it contains no new facts worthy of credit, relative to lord Byron: "his lordship's opinions on various subjects," are mere piracies from Medwin's fabrications. As to Parry himself, we never met in print with such a Hotten tot before : he is wholly illiterate, and cannot put a dozen lines in decent English. Yet this Esquimaux has the modesty, with all the self-complacency imagin able, to show up (as he thinks) some of the most talented and enlightened men of the age! We at first determined to make no extracts, but on a second consideration, think it best to give a specimen of our author's manner; and that Mr. or Major Parry may not think us unfair in our selection, we will take that part which he evidently considers his master-piece, and which has been copied into one daily paper, more distinguished for its malignity than good taste :

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"Shortly before I left London for Greece, Mr. Bowring, the honorary secretary to the Greek committee, informed me that Mr. Jeremy Bentham wished to see the stores and materials, preparing for the Greeks, and that he had done me the honour of asking me to breakfast with him some day, that I might afterwards conduct him to see the guns, &c.

"Who the devil is Mr. Bentham?' was my rough reply, 'I never heard of him before. Many of my readers may still be in the same state of ignorance, and it will be acceptable to them, I hope, to hear of the philosopher.

"Mr. Bentham,' said Mr. Bowring, is one of the greatest men of the age, and for the honour now offered to you, I waited impatiently many a long day; I believe for more than two years.

"Great or little, I never heard of him before; but if he wants to see me, why I'll go.'

"It was accordingly arranged, that I should visit Mr. Bentham, and that Mr. Bowring should see him to fix the time, and then inform me. In a day or two

391

afterwards, I received a note from the honorary secretary, to say I was to breakfast with Mr. Bentham on Saturday. It happened that I lived at a distance from town, and having heard something of the primitive manner of living, and early hours of philosophers, I arranged with my wife over-night, that I would get up very early on the Saturday morning, that I might not keep Mr. Bentham waiting. Accordingly, I rose with the dawn, dressed my self in haste, and brushed off for Queen'ssquare, Westminster, as hard as my legs could carry me. On reaching the Strand, fearing I might be late, being rather corpulent, and not being willing to go into the presence of so very great a man, as I understood Mr. Jeremy Bentham to be, puffing and blowing, I took a hackney coach, and drove up to his door about eight o'clock. I found a servant girl afoot, and told her I came to breakfast with Mr. Bentham by appointment.

"She ushered me in, and introduced me to two young men, who looked no more like philosophers, however, than my own children. I thought they might be Mr. Bentham's sons, but this I understood was a mistake. I showed them the note I had received from Mr. Bowring, and they told me Mr. Bentham did not breakfast till three o'clock. This surprised me much, but they told me I might breakfast with them, which I did, though I was not much flattered by the honour of sitting down with Mr. Bentham's clerks, when I was invited by their master. Poor Mr. Bowring, thought I, he must be a meek spirited young man, if it was for this he waited so impatiently.

"I supposed the philosopher himself did not get up till noon, as he did not breakfast till so late, but in this I was also mistaken. About ten o'clock I was sum. moned to his presence, and mustered up all my courage, and all my ideas for the meeting. His appearance struck me forcibly. His white thin locks cut straight in the fashion of the quakers, and hanging or rather floating on his shoulders; his garments something of their colour and cut, and his frame rather square and muscular, with no exuberance of flesh, made up a singular looking, and not an inelegant, old man. He welcomed me with a few hurried words, but without any ceremony, and then conducted me into several rooms to show me his ammunition and materials of war. One very large room was nearly filled with books; and another with unbound works, which, I understood, were the philosopher's own composition. The former, he said, furnished him his supplies; and there was a great deal of labour required to read so many volumes.

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"I said, inadvertently, I suppose you have quite forgotten what is said in the first, before, you read the last.' Mr. Bentham, however, took this in good part, and taking hold of my arm, said we would proceed on our journey. Accordingly off we set, accompanied by one of his young men carrying a portfolio, to keep, I suppose, a log of our proceedings.

"We went through a small garden, and passing out of a gate, I found we were in Saint James's Park. Here I noticed that Mr. Bentham had a very snug dwelling, with many accommodations, and such a garden as belongs, in London, only to the first nobility. But for his neighbours, I thought, for he has a barrack of soldiers on one side of his premises, I should envy him his garden more than his great reputation. On looking at him, I could but admire his hale and even venerable appearance. I understood he was seventythree years of age, and therefore I concluded we should have a quiet comfortable walk. Very much to my surprise, however, we had scarcely got into the Park, when he let go my arm, and set off trotting like a highland messenger. The Park was crowded, and the people, one and all, seemed to stare at the old man; but heedless of all this, he trotted on, his white locks floating in the wind, as if he were not seen by a single human being.

"As soon as I could recover from my surprise, I asked the young man, Is Mr. Bentham flighty,' pointing to my head. Oh no, it's his way,' was the hurried answer, he thinks it good for his health, but I must run after him,' and off set the youth in chase of the philosopher. I must not lose my companions, thought I, and off I set also. Of course the eyes of every human being in the Park, were fixed on the running veteran and his pursuers. There was Jerry a-head, then came his clerk and his portfolio, and I being a heavier sailer than either, was bringing up the rear.

"What the people might think, I don't know, but it seemed to me a very strange scene, and I was not much delighted at being made such an object of attraction. Mr. Bentham's activity surprised me, and I never overtook him or came near him till we reached the Horse Guards, where his speed was checked by the Blues drawn up in array. Here we threaded in amongst horses and men, till we escaped at the other gate into Whitehall. I now thought the crowded streets would prevent any more racing; but several times he escaped from us, and trotted off, compelling us to trot after him, till we reached Mr. Galloway's manufactory in Smithfield. Here be exulted in his activity, and inquired

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particularly, if I had ever seen a man at his time of life so active. I could not possibly answer, No, while I was almost breathless with the exertion of following him through the crowded streets.

"After seeing at Mr. Galloway's manufactory, not only the things which had been prepared for the Greeks, but his other engines and machines, we proceeded to another manufactory at the foot of Southwark-bridge, where our brigade of guns stood ready mounted. When Mr. Bentham had satisfied his curiosity here also, and I had given him every information in my power, we set off to return to his house, that he might breakfast; I endeavoured to persuade him to take a hackney-coach, but in vain. We got on tolerably well, and without any adventures, tragical or comical, till we arrived at Fleet-street. We crossed from Fleetmarket, over towards Mr. Waithman's shop, and here, letting go my arm, he quitted the foot pavement, and set off again in one of his vagaries up Fleet-street. His clerk again set off after him, and I again followed. The race here excited universal attention. The perambulating ladies, who are always in great numbers about that part of the town, and ready to laugh at any kind of oddity, and catch hold of every simpleton, stood and stared at, or followed, the venerable philosopher. One of them, well known to all the neighbourhood, by the appellation of the City barge, given to her on account of her extraordinary bulk, was coming with a consort full sail down Fleet-street, but whenever they saw the flight of Mr. Jeremy Bentham, they hove too, tacked, and followed to witness the fun or share the prize. I was heartily ashamed of participating in this scene, and supposed that every body would take me for a mad doctor, the young man for my assistant, and Mr. Bentham for my patient, just broke adrift from his keepers.

"Fortunately the chase did not continue long. Mr. Bentham hove too abreast of Carlile's shop, and stood for a little time to admire the books and portraits hanging in the window. At length one of them arrested his attention more particularly.

Ah, ah,' said he, in a hurried indistinct tone, there it is, there it is,' pointing to a portrait, which I afterwards found was that of the illustrious Jeremy himself.

"Soon after this, I invented an excuse to quit Mr. Bentham and his man, promising to go to Queen-square to dine. I was not, however, to be again taken in by the philosopher's meal hours; so, laying in a stock of provisions, I went at his dining hour, half-past ten o'clock, and supped with him, We had a great deal

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