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    «U8 TIE tBABER. [Saturday,

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    LAMARTI^E'S CELEBRATED CHARACTERS. Memoi...

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    Guizot's Cromwell,. History Of Oliver Cr...

    theme of eapesy historian . We have the narrative coloured by every shade of party prejudice * , from , the royalist , who- denounces Cromwell ! as pan-ieide snd murderery aad sneers at him as the upstart brewer , to the fanatic who * upholds aim as a saint and a " chosen vessel , "' and cries " down with Aliab and : his accaaraedLiace . * It becomes ,, therefore , in some sort the duty of the-historian of modern times * , who is beyond the influence of those personal leanings aad considerations which affect the impartiality of contemporary writers , to compare their conflicting evidence-, and extract the truth from therr variously coloured statements . Such is exactly the character of the present work . There is nothing new to be said about the English Revolution , bufr-3 £ Gmzofe-aints at doing for the entire history what other writers have done for-ptasttons- 'etf ife , he- presents ? tts with ; a very full , unprejudiced , and well corroborated narrative of events with , which ; we axe all familiar ; . and . as .-such * the book is undoubtedly a useful and important one . Here is a good description of the " Bikon Basilike , " and of Milton ' s answer to it . After stating that the work was Cerconeously ) attributed to Charles the First , M' . Griiizot continues : —

    ** The work was not by nan- ; extern *! testmrony and internal evidence both ? combine to remove-all , doubt on the matter . Dts Gaudaa , Bishops fust of Exeter and afterwards , of Worcester , under , the reign ; of Charles H / was ita real author ; but the manuscript bad grobably been perused ana approved * perhaps even corrected , by Charles himself , during his remjlEnEe . in theMe-ofLWighfc . In any case it was the real expression * and true portraiture of Jas position , character , aad mind as they hadi been , formed by miafortune : it is remarkable for an elevation of thought which is at once natural and strained ; a constant mingling of 4 ) lmdroyaIpride ^ andainBerfrCfeistran'lramaitjrT heart-impulses struggling against habits of ¦ obstinate selE-consciauanessij ; trus > piejy in- the midst of misguided conduct ; invincible , though somenrhat inert , demotion to his faith , his honour , and his rank ; and as all these sentiinen ^ arB expressed 1 in monotonous language , which , though offen emphatic , is always grave ,, tranquil ,. and ; eve 3 a . unctaaa 3 iwith . serenity and ; sadness , it . is not surprising- that-such ¦ a . w . ork should have profoundlyaffected , all royaiist'hearts ,, ami , easily persuaded , them , that it was . the KTing himseu" who adaressed them .

    " ¦ Th * Parliament , felt that it could not remain silent in presence of ao powerful a public « motio % and-it directed . Milton , to answer the Eikoau Tnatsublbnet and aaistece-genius , < wh 6 in his youth had deteEnained , in opposition to paternal authorit y * to devote himself Entirely to poetry and' literature , was animated By . air ardent passion for liberty : not for that real and true liberty whichresalts from res ^ Bcfcfoc all rights , arid for the-righiSi of all , but for an ideal and absolute liberty ,, both- religious r political , and domestic . ; and his mighty TOrad ? revetted ^ on this subject , in- noble-ideas , lofty sentiments , grand images ,, and eloquent wordsj without his troubling himself to inquire whether , in the worldaround- him , positive factaand his own personal actions corresponded with bis principles and ; hopes . He was able to serve , and he did in fact serve , the tyranny ,., first of an assenibly , and afterwards of a single-marr ^ so long- as , in the intellectual order of things , he could profess and defend tie and

    aiDercy . was a glorious melancnoly instance ot the blinding effect which imagination , abstract reasoning , and eloquent language can produce

    life- fdHowMig is a graphic account of the difficulty experienced by the Parliament in conciliating its' many masters : — ^ In religious matters also , the-Parliament would have been : g lad ; to obtain some popularity ,, and gaia . for itself , as Cromwell had done-, clien t * and ; friends ? among all denomina , tions . la tjia year 1650 , it bad abolished the fcuva passed daring the reign of Queen Elizabeth to enforce uniformity of faith and worship ; hut at the same time , it bad continued and eTreaaggravatedJth © : persecution of the Catholics andi E piscopalians , and ! promulgated new Jaws , against immorality of conduct , ' obscene , licentious , aad impious practices , ' and 4 atheistical " , blasphemous , and execrable opinions : ' attempting by this means to give satiswhhw * «¦ miimwHiiw Ai tn \ \ 3 1

    -wv ~ . . v » uw ,, iwugwu ^ - , irtj udpy . iuuoijijciity , * imi toicuotorxtiy ot cnaracter . puch a task cannot possibly be performed by the power whose dutyifcia to put all the laws into daily application , and which , even in the eyes of the people whoso passions it has adopted ' , rnuatr bear , the punishment of their inconsistencies and iniquities . Cromwell , carefullj"keeping AimaelCalQofi rrpmthe' Government , was able to protect by turns ,, audi with . greater or less _ reserve ,-sectaries of all sorts , Episcopalians , Catholics , audevem freethinkers or the worst kind ; whilst the Parliament , whose duty it was to govern , found itself taxed sometimes withs harshness foT'repreasmg themy and sometimes with laxity for tolerating thena ^ and gained only enemies , where Cromwell recututed partizansv * In . eon « luBion ^ we . wiIlfixtractiM . Qiuzot ' sreflfictiQiiaon , th 3 death of Cromwell : —

    " Cromwell died in tho plenitude of his power and greatness , He had succeeded beyond all expectation , far more than any other of those men has succeeded , who , by their genius have raised themselves , as he had done , to supremo authority ; for ho had attempted and acttoroplwaed ,, with : equal success ,, tho most opposite designs . During eighteen years that he baAibeeiLian esrar ^ vrctanous'actor oa tho world ' s , stage , hehad alternately sown disorder and -estabhaned order , effected aud puniabed revolution , overthrown and restored government , in Jus countaxyv At evejgj moment ,. undoc all cu-cumatancoa , ho had , distinguished with admirable sagacity tho dominimt interests , and passions , of the time , so as to make thorn tho in-Btftaueuts of hiErown rule , —careless whether ho boliod his antecedent conduct , so long as to'lfrjanipneiiitt concerto -wjth ' tho popular instinct ? , and explaining- tho inconsistencies of ' his oandu ^ b j theaacendaiittuttityof hfe power , He * is , perhaps , tho only examplo which historynfifoeda of one . manhaving governed the ; most opposite events , and proved snfflcionfcfor anost various , deataues * . Audin tho couraa . of ? hi * violent and changefuli caueer , inceasantly °£ ft ! £ ' L ! ! i ^ " ^ f of enemies and conspiracies , Cromwell experienced , thia orawnina favour "Zt ^ u * ! tUafBislifa Was never actually attacked ; tho aweroign ag » insfc wliona ldlling ImAbeeadeclared tobonw mnrdor , never fonrtd himself foce to face with an assassin . The dLtoaa vonlaw

    jwl n « « vmaBotber exnmploof . ateccesB . at once aa constant and so various , or of *> rtuai 6 , flQrmrawabl ^& raarablo ^ iU : the midst o £ such , manifold conflicts and perife . iWrtrS ? T ? f n ; W ^ floud ?' ^ Lfcl 1 S - H » was , unwUlingnot only to die , ibut also , and mosfe of all , to . dia without having attuinad hia re » l and final object . However ^ oat hJa- egotism may hnvo been , Wa i 3 oul wa « too great to rest satiafiod with tho hfcliesfc « orta « e , if it wwo ^ meroly personaJ . and , lifco himaclf , of ephemeral earthly duration . Weary <» fctho roan , he hadicauaody it waa life cherished wish to restoro to hia country ** roffular and ^ Wo »^ wrnmmt--tl ) o . only . governmBnt whic h was suited tot its wnnta , a monarchy under tbo contiol of 1 arhamnat . An 4 at tho anmo fcimo , with a « ambition which ojctonded beyond tn & gmv * . under the mfluonoo of that tliirat for pormttnenoe which ia tho stamp of true » roatn « S 3 , hu aspired to leavo his namo and race in possession of tho throne . Ho failed in l ) oth dosigna : hia onmos had raised up obatucloa against him , whioh noitlier hi 3 prudent € ^ aa no r > hia perse vering will could aurmount ; and tiiough covered , na fur aa ho wia him . H ^ . QW ^ tnod , with , powoi : and glory , ho died wdtli hia dearest liopoa fruatratod , and loavinK Sffiq ffi ^ lWCaaSOr 3 r tW ° ° " Ba whomho lladH 0 wdantly combat ed—anarchy ^ mSfetEf ^ Tr ' men , who Unvo l . iidtho foundntions of t ] , ojr groatnosa ^ M ^^^ Sffia ' " P ° ° f regnlUtl " lU tUdr B lOa 8 Ur ° ' and f ° r flUCC 00 din S ^ % ZwdnX ^; lir wroto that Ia 8 t pftragraphi hQ httd moro

    «U8 Tie Tbaber. [Saturday,

    « U 8 TIE tBABER . [ Saturday ,

    Lamarti^E'S Celebrated Characters. Memoi...

    LAMARTI ^ E ' S CELEBRATED CHARACTERS . Memoirs of Celebrated Characters . By Alphonse de Lamartine . 2 vols . Bentley . From time to time we noticed several of these biographies as they appeared in Le Civilisateu )' , and then , as on other occasions , had to criticise with some severity the great literary defects which Lamartine's genius throws into relief .. It will be needless , therefore , to re-open that unpleasant question at this , moment 5 for unpleasant it is to bring serious * charges , against a wafitec of such * remarkable eminence , thereby seeming , insensible to bis good qualities * In these volumes the ; old -want , of literary conscience ia less painfully visible , while the enthusiasm for greatness , for splendour of achievement or of thought , for heroic struggle , and for most of the qualities which dignify a hero , lends a charm to these pages , no one will resist .

    The volumes contain biographies of Helson , Helois ^ , Columbus , Palissy , RoGStam ( written by Madame de Lamartiue ) , Cicero ^ Socrates , Jacquard , J * oaa of Arc * . Cromwell , Homer , G-uttenbergv Fenelon . As portraits , they are unworthy of being , mentioned . They have no individuality , no character . One rose pink hue is suffused over the whole . The biographical ophthalmia , in successive attacks , prevents each feature being clearly discerned . These are panegyrics , not portraits . They are texts upon which Lamarfcine may preaefc . ; excuses for the copious rhetoric in which ] * e loves to indulge . But they are interesting , though we feel throughout that they are not true . Apart from this romantic and rhetorical distortion ; there is LanxaEtine- ' s usual disregard of ccttical examination of . ifae facts—less-striking than in his histories , because the task has been simp ler * being IittLe more than taking up the written biography of each person , and improvising upon it . Let us , however , accept the volumes for what they are , aad we snail read them with interest sustained and fruitful .

    The series opens with Nelson . Lamartine , who has ever been distinguished , for magnaniiuaty , shows rare courage in thus presenting to the millions , of France so glowing a panegyric of the English , hero ; for while Napoleon , is almost as much admired in England aa In . France , it is rare to find Frenchmen adnairing ^ Wellington or Nelson . Yet as Laraartine finely says : — ¦ . ' ¦ ' . " National rivalries disappear before the elevation from which history contemplates characters and events . Hannibal and Scipio , the champions of Cartilage and Kom & , are measured ; in the same balance . Both are men ; history requires- no more ; it pamtseach

    with the same pencil ; it describes with equal warmth the exploits of one and the other , for the admiration of future ages . Glory resembles truth ; it has no frontiers , but shines forth for general instruction ; Because Newton ascertained in England the universal law of gravity , France does not reject the discovery as an autinational iact . Hewton ^ in this light , ceases to . be an enemy , and becomes a fellow-countryman ,, an announcer of- revelation to the universe . What , is true of science is equally so of heroism . We acknowledge both under every flag , and descr ibe them , when they fail in our way . Narrow national prid & may be wounded ^ but the more expanded love of human nature will he glorified and exalted . Posterity makes no distinctions between citizens and foreigners , fr iends and enemies , victors and vanquished ; it acknowledges only works aud actions . Death nationalises tfie , w / u > le world in one blended immortality . " ' '

    With this generosity of sentiment he does more than justice to the high qualities of Nelson , though he gives us no image of the man . Curioua it is to note how , amid all his enthusiasm for Nelson , the national vanity peers through . It would probably be the- same were an . Englishman writing : of some French hero— -but we think it would be more soberly stated . Thus our readers may remember in Lamartine ' s account of Waterloo , after describing with enthusiastic fervor the conduct of the English , after admitting that the French were defeated , he concludes by declaring that it was a defeat which must be ranked amongst the most splendid of their victories ! If a Frenchman happens to be beaten , he is beaten in such away that he gains more glory than his victor . So also in this account of Nelson . The French are assured tc that their nnvy was annihilated , but thxjir courage , constancy , and name rose in reputation ! " Bead this spirited account of the battle of Abukir , and throughout your admiration ia more challenged for the vanquished thaa for the victor—the heroism of the French takes precedence , and the victory looks like an accident : —

    The French fleet , nt once tho support and arsenal of tlie land army , constituted tho sole base , of their operations . The destruction of this fleet deprived them of their only means of communication and hope of succour . They bad no other bridgo bobweon Franco and Egypt . To expose the ships , therefore , to bo destroyed in open aoa , woull bo to betray at one blow the army they had transported , and tho country that expected thoir return BrueyB , after fruitless attempts to enter tho inner harbour of Alexandria , which waa not then supposed , deep enough to receive vesaola of so much draught of water , determined to moor ins fleet m tho baj of Abouldr , the sandbanks of whioh ho had fortified . Six veasols at anchor ,, ranged in a concave crescent , according , to tho aweop of tho ahore , wore aupported on one flank by tho little island of Aboukir ,-a natural fortreaa armed with cannon on the other , b y an . advanced , arm of the bay . They formed « o many immoveublo citadels ' presenting , their broadsides to tho sea . Their combined forco might bo brought to bear upon each single ship of tho advancing , onomy ; unattackablo from the lnnd-aide ? according i-f- ? ™ « of B ' ' « ° y s » thl <* llno of dofimco gavo to * naval battle ' the solid

    impreg" At two i \ zu on , the 1 st of August , Bruoya , appriaoiby signal of thu appearance- of Nelaon m sight of tho . Egyptian const , recalled every auilor of hia crews on Ward ,. Ho ordered two brigs , the Alorto and Kaillour , whioh drew little water , to < reconnoitre tho J ' . ngliali ilect within citnnon shot , then to scolc rofuRe in tho bay , over tho shoala , honinc Uiut tho loading vesaols of tho purauin / , ' onomy would follow thoir oxacfc courao , And runi aground in the mud of tho Nile . But Nelaon waa well aware of those dangor » and oacanod tlwaniwe . Without bestowing any attention on tho bri ^ a , llo advanced in order of battlejW » inflt tlio head of fcho l ^ ronch lino , as to a direct assault upon tho contro of « position llutn , varying a httlo from hid courao without sounding , hesitating , or ( trim * a shot hu passod botwoon the mooringa of liruoys and tho Ialct of Abouldr , in full anil , with halhim Bqundron , onvmg only tho Oullodon buliijid . whioh wont uffround on tho rnindhnnlrH . A «

    IU 8 alnns cloiirod tho pimHngo they anchored auccosBivoly in ronr of thoir oppimonla . Tho romnming hall divided , iund ranged up on tho outor Bido in front of tho French vowels who woro thus attacked » ii « i » ll ; ttneoubl y on botli flunks , and tho thundor of a double iiro ponrod into thoir immovable liulla . Tlio Froiich ( loot tlmu doprivud , by tho error of bhoir chief of tl » o protection they oxpuotod from the liwitl , and without tho powor of motion by boing at imelior , saw at onco tho di « u » tor that awaited tohom . Nofcliluij remained but to porioh Klorlottiily , and to onvoloi * in thoir own dosLmotion as many ol" t . hu onoiny ' H aliipa aa poaBiblo llloy proved theinsolvoa wortliy of thoir i ' ato . Oommandud' Htitl by tho bravo warriors ot ' U 10 revolution , they raised thomsolvos to tho lovol of nnciunt hciroiam , and i > ro » pnted nnotJior bMUums , to which nothing was wanting but , Mia proaouoo of Thommtoolosl Tho Spartlatc tho Dranklin , tho Onont , tho Tonnaut , ronponding ou tho right and loft to the . . loublo broi \ daidas ol tho Enchah anvonty-foure . utvowml thu dcokd of Nolaon with ulmttored mnato and yurda with dead and wounded Biulora . Victory was loan tho prlag of n « v « l auporiority , tlian tlio oonauciuonqo of tho fatal miatuko of oiifMinK at miolwr . Tlio Fronoli marluu

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 1, 1854, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_01071854/page/18/