the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第18部分

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ven　them　an　unmerited　preference。　And　it　must　be　owned　that；　without　making　large　allowances　for　the　circumstances　under　which　they　were　produced；　we　cannot　pronounce　a　very　favourable　judgment。　　They　must　be　considered　as　exotics；　transplanted　to　a　foreign　climate；　and　reared　in　an　unfavourable　situation；　and　it　would　be　unreasonable　to　expect　from　them　the　health　and　the　vigour　which　we　find　in　the　indigenous　plants　around　them；　or　which　they　might　themselves　have　possessed　in　their　native　soil。　　He　has　but　very　imperfectly　imitated　the　style　of　the　Latin　authors；　and　has　not　compensated　for　the　deficiency　by　enriching　the　ancient　language　with　the　graces　of　modern　poetry。　　The　splendour　and　ingenuity；　which　we　admire；　even　when　we　condemn　it；　in　his　Italian　works；　is　almost　totally　wanting；　and　only　illuminates　with　rare　and　occasional　glimpses　the　dreary　obscurity　of　the　African。　　The　eclogues　have　more　animation；　but　they　can　only　be　called　poems　by　courtesy。　They　have　nothing　in　common　with　his　writings　in　his　native　language；　except　the　eternal　pun　about　Laura　and　Daphne。　　None　of　these　works　would　have　placed　him　on　a　level　with　Vida　or　Buchanan。　　Yet；　when　we　compare　him　with　those　who　preceded　him；　when　we　consider　that　he　went　on　the　forlorn　hope　of　literature；　that　he　was　the　first　who　perceived；　and　the　first　who　attempted　to　revive；　the　finer　elegancies　of　the　ancient　language　of　the　world；　we　shall　perhaps　think　more　highly　of　him　than　of　those　who　could　never　have　surpassed　his　beauties　if　they　had　not　inherited　them。

He　has　aspired　to　emulate　the　philosophical　eloquence　of　Cicero；　as　well　as　the　poetical　majesty　of　Virgil。　　His　essay　on　the　Remedies　of　Good　and　Evil　Fortune　is　a　singular　work　in　a　colloquial　form；　and　a　most　scholastic　style。　　It　seems　to　be　framed　upon　the　model　of　the　Tusculan　Questions；with　what　success　those　who　have　read　it　may　easily　determine。　　It　consists　of　a　series　of　dialogues：　　in　each　of　these　a　person　is　introduced　who　has　experienced　some　happy　or　some　adverse　event：　he　gravely　states　his　case；　and　a　reasoner；　or　rather　Reason　personified；　confutes　him；　a　task　not　very　difficult；　since　the　disciple　defends　his　position　only　by　pertinaciously　repeating　it；　in　almost　the　same　words　at　the　end　of　every　argument　of　his　antagonist。　　In　this　manner　Petrarch　solves　an　immense　variety　of　cases。　　Indeed；　I　doubt　whether　it　would　be　possible　to　name　any　pleasure　or　any　calamity　which　does　not　find　a　place　in　this　dissertation。　　He　gives　excellent　advice　to　a　man　who　is　in　expectation　of　discovering　the　philosopher's　stone；to　another；　who　has　formed　a　fine　aviary；to　a　third；　who　is　delighted　with　the　tricks　of　a　favourite　monkey。　　His　lectures　to　the　unfortunate　are　equally　singular。　　He　seems　to　imagine　that　a　precedent　in　point　is　a　sufficient　consolation　for　every　form　of　suffering。　　〃Our　town　is　taken；〃　says　one　complainant；　〃So　was　Troy；〃　replies　his　comforter。　　〃My　wife　has　eloped；〃　says　another；　〃If　it　has　happened　to　you　once；　it　happened　to　Menelaus　twice。〃　　One　poor　fellow　is　in　great　distress　at　having　discovered　that　his　wife's　son　is　none　of　his。　　〃It　is　hard；〃　says　he；　〃that　I　should　have　had　the　expense　of　bringing　up　one　who　is　indifferent　to　me。〃　　〃You　are　a　man；〃　returns　his　monitor；　quoting　the　famous　line　of　Terence；　〃and　nothing　that　belongs　to　any　other　man　ought　to　be　indifferent　to　you。〃　　The　physical　calamities　of　life　are　not　omitted；　and　there　is　in　particular　a　disquisition　on　the　advantages　of　having　the　itch；　which；　if　not　convincing；　is　certainly　very　amusing。

The　invectives　on　an　unfortunate　physician；　or　rather　upon　the　medical　science；　have　more　spirit。　　Petrarch　was　thoroughly　in　earnest　on　this　subject。　　And　the　bitterness　of　his　feelings　occasionally　produces；　in　the　midst　of　his　classical　and　scholastic　pedantry；　a　sentence　worthy　of　the　second　Philippic。　Swift　himself　might　have　envied　the　chapter　on　the　causes　of　the　paleness　of　physicians。

Of　his　Latin　works　the　Epistles　are　the　most　generally　known　and　admired。　　As　compositions　they　are　certainly　superior　to　his　essays。　　But　their　excellence　is　only　comparative。　　From　so　large　a　collection　of　letters；　written　by　so　eminent　a　man；　during　so　varied　and　eventful　a　life；　we　should　have　expected　a　complete　and　spirited　view　of　the　literature；　the　manners；　and　the　politics　of　the　age。　　A　travellera　poeta　scholara　lovera　courtiera　reclusehe　might　have　perpetuated；　in　an　imperishable　record；　the　form　and　pressure　of　the　age　and　body　of　the　time。　　Those　who　read　his　correspondence；　in　the　hope　of　finding　such　information　as　this；　will　be　utterly　disappointed。　It　contains　nothing　characteristic　of　the　period　or　of　the　individual。　　It　is　a　series；　not　of　letters；　but　of　themes；　and；　as　it　is　not　generally　known；　might　be　very　safely　employed　at　public　schools　as　a　magazine　of　commonplaces。　　Whether　he　write　on　politics　to　the　Emperor　and　the　Doge；　or　send　advice　and　consolation　to　a　private　friend；　every　line　is　crowded　with　examples　and　quotations；　and　sounds　big　with　Anaxagoras　and　Scipio。　　Such　was　the　interest　excited　by　the　character　of　Petrarch；　and　such　the　admiration　which　was　felt　for　his　epistolary　style；　that　it　was　with　difficulty　that　his　letters　reached　the　place　of　their　destination。　　The　poet　describes；　with　pretended　regret　and　real　complacency；　the　importunity　of　the　curious；　who　often　opened；　and　sometimes　stole；　these　favourite　compositions。　　It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that；　of　all　his　epistles；　the　least　affected　are　those　which　are　addressed　to　the　dead　and　the　unborn。　　Nothing　can　be　more　absurd　than　his　whim　of　composing　grave　letters　of　expostulation　and　commendation　to　Cicero　and　Seneca；　yet　these　strange　performances　are　written　in　a　far　more　natural　manner　than　his　communications　to　his　living　correspondents。　　But　of　all　his　Latin　works　the　preference　must　be　given　to　the　Epistle　to　Posterity；　a　simple；　noble；　and　pathetic　composition；　most　honourable　both　to　his　taste　and　his　heart。　　If　we　can　make　allowance　for　some　of　the　affected　humility　of　an　author；　we　shall　perhaps　think　that　no　literary　man　has　left　a　more　pleasing　memorial　of　himself。

In　conclusion；　we　may　pronounce　that　the　works　of　Petrarch　were　below　both　his　genius　and　his　celebrity；　and　that　the　circumstances　under　which　he　wrote　were　as　adverse　to　the　development　of　his　powers　as　they　were　favourable　to　the　extension　of　his　fame。

。。。


SOME　ACCOUNT　OF　THE　GREAT　LAWSUIT　BETWEEN　THE　PARISHES　OF　ST　DENNIS　AND　ST　GEORGE　IN　THE　WATER。

（April　1824。）

PART　I。

The　parish　of　St　Dennis　is　one　of　the　most　pleasant　parts　of　the　county　in　which　it　is　situated。　　It　is　fertile；　well　wooded；　well　watered；　and　of　an　excellent　air。　　For　many　generations　the　manor　had　been　holden　in　tail…male　by　a　worshipful　family；　who　have　always　taken　precedence　of　their　neighbours　at　the　races　and　the　sessions。

In　ancient　times　the　affairs　of　this　parish　were　administered　by　a　Court…Baron；　in　which　the　freeholders　were　judges；　and　the　rates　were　levied　by　select　vestries　of　the　inhabitant　householders。　　But　at　length　these　good　customs　fell　into　disuse。　The　Lords　of　the　Manor；　indeed；　still　held　courts　for　form's　sake；　but　they　or　their　stewards　had　the　whole　management　of　affairs。　　They　demanded　services；　duties；　and　customs　to　which　they　had　no　just　title。　　Nay；　they　would　often　bring　actions　against　their　neighbours　for　their　own　private　advantage；　and　then　send　in　the　bill　to　the　parish。　　No　objection　was　made；　during　many　years；　to　these　proceedings；　so　that　the　rates　became　heavier　and　heavier：　　nor　was　any　person　exempted　from　these　demands；　except　the　footmen　and　gamekeepers　of　the　squire　and　the　rector　of　the　parish。　　They　indeed　were　never　checked　in　any　excess。　　They　would　come　to　an　honest　labourer's　cottage；　eat　his　pancakes；　tuck　his　fowls　into　their　pockets；　and　cane　the　poor　man　himself。　　If　he　went　up　to　the　great　house　to　complain；　it　was　hard　to　get　the　speech　of　Sir　Lewis；　and；　indeed；　his　only　chance　of　being　righted　was　to　coax　the　squire's　pretty　housekeeper；　who　could　do　what　she　pleased　with　her　master。　　If　he　ventured　to　intrude　upon　the　Lord　of　the　Manor　without　this　precaution；　he　gained　nothing　by　his　pains。　　Sir　Lewis；　indeed；　would　at　first　receive　him　with　a　civil　face；　for；　to　give　him　his　due；　he　could　be　a　fine　gentleman　when　he　pleased。　　〃Good　day；　my　friend；〃　he　would　say；　〃what　situation　have　you　in　my　family？〃　　〃Bless　your　honour！〃　says　the　poor　fellow；　〃I　am　not　one　of　your　honour's　servants；　I　rent　a　small　piece　of　ground；　your　honour。〃　　〃Then；　you　dog；〃　quoth　the　squire；　〃what　do　you　mean　by　coming　here？　　Has　a　gentleman　nothing　to　do　but　to　hear　the　complaints　of　clowns？　　Here！　Philip；　James；　Dick；　toss　this　fellow　in　a　blanket；　or　duck　him；　and　set　him　in　the　stocks　to　dry。〃

One　of　these　precious　Lords　of　the　Manor　enclosed　a　deer…park；　and；　in　order　to　stock　it；　he　seized　all　the　pretty　pet　fawns　that　his　tenants　had　brought　up；　without　paying　them　a　farthing；　or　asking　their　leave。　　It　was　a　sad　day　for　the　parish　of　St　Dennis。　　Indeed；　I　do　not　believe　that　all　his　oppressive　exactions　and　long　bills　enraged　the　poor　tenants　so　much　as　this　cruel　measure。

Yet　for　a　long　time；　in　sp