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Leader (1850-1860), 9th December 1854, Edition Town of 2, Page 1171, Untitled Article

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      dens * Having beea sen * by my master for the ^ presentey and then . on . my-way Home , ao ibsfi . tbqy latine . pass , but rode after . ma to , wiihib aibow ' asbot diateaca from , tit © walls o £ . C . aLa » 6 , where I found am English , armed T > ari . bounds to . London ,, on .-vvdiicki took paeea&a with , my horses , and In one . day . and nigh . t , ieacUed . London , in safely praised he God . I like to give you all these details that you may know what a , i > leasaufc journey I had on my way to this country . Having reached London , picture to yourself , noble brother , what a . stately mission mine was ! for ,, on leaving Venice , to aroM suspicion-, I took nothing with me "but what was on my back—namely , two shirts , one over the other , and a certain doublet in the E&gQi&h fashion , all patched and moth eaten , without purse or poeket , or anybffing : iii thia < world : in short , on auriving . here * L bad to- clothe ; myaelf anew feanx ; head ; to

      foot , as , a . Yenetian . ambassador , just as if I had only then come into the w » rld } . and ppcehftfflog . each of my penn ' orths- for twopence : Ifare they manufacture , no cloths of silk ,. receiving all such from Genoa , Florence , and Lucca—almost grievous and lamentable fact , for , it behoved me to take what I could get , and shut my eyes . Think , what a figure I ahall make in Venice , my neighbours' gowns being of silk , and my otvn of frieze . I bought everything , new , at its weight in gold , at the greatest inconvenience , and worse ; for , when at Venice , I shall' be unabTe to use my apparel , as it is all' made more according to the English fashion than that of Italy . In the next place , I liad to hire servants who were common thieve ^ not knowing whom to trust and to give you an idea of wlat they were ,, you must know that one glutton robbed me of a silver-gilt ewer , for which I paid twenty-eight ducats

      I found that the King , his present Majesty ' s father , to whom my credentials had been made out , was sick , nor ' could he-give me audience , and a few days afterwards he died , and was succeeded by his son , about the time of the rout of the Ghiara d' Adda . I wrote to Venice , that the letter of credence was no longer valid , and that another must be sent me , the -which * did . not arrive , until the following month of November , so you . see how I should have served the- atate had I waited , for that I It is weR that through . the-English . noblemen whom 1 had received . o £ yoie in my house , at Venice < g iviug them , good welcome , not indeed that I ever , thought at the time of going to iEnglamd , but for my own satisfaction ) , T was introduced to this magnanimous prince , not ten days after his coronation ^ they having- heed of my need , and exertlngthemselvBseso , that their intercession and arguments caused the Kmg to reoeive my old latter ,, although , addressed to his father .. By God ' s grace he was silent on . = thia score , and heard ; me so graciously , that ,, by the favour of the Almighty , hetook . a . liking to me immediately , owing to the good account of me given to his- Majesty by my friends , nd enaMedto influence him

      aI "was . so , that I got him to -write to the Pbpe in favour of our most illustrious Signory , requesting him to reoeive the State into favour and take-o * 'the censures - : hfa Majesty promising for us that we would prove most obe ^ < lienfc sona , o £ the Church .-infuture ; He 3 made suok-efibrts , as succeeded ; , aadj . in additiinv seuthis-ambassador to Rome , who constantly took part with the Venetians ,. and , -agaiast . France . After this , I prevailed- on him to write some letters to the King , of , Spain , praying his Catholic Majesty to consider the most illustrious Signoxy as ids alifyj and he also wrote endless letters to the Emperor , sending hiin an ambassador to tMs-effect . I al&o caused the King of France to he written to , to-desisfc from the league : against th . a Venetians ,, having obtained , what belonged : to him in . the Duchy of " Milan ,, whereas he had . no claim upon , the other possessions ; and . to assure hiin , that if he chose to continue in amity with Ms Majesty here , he was to tease molesting the Venetians , his good friends and good Christians , defenders of the Christain faith , who had proved themselves the bulwark of Christendom , "by a most immense outlay , both of blood and treasure . Upon this the King of France took offenceand' answered

      , sllarpLy , I fanning the flame from time to time , and by letters from saiitMajesty quieting fljLe Pope and the Catholic King , his father-in-law ; and thus j . when ; these powera saw tlie King of England well disposed towards the Venetians , they likewise commenced siding with the Pope , but the chief impediment lay with the Emperor , but I so plied the King , that he wrote to him offering to mediate and arrange every difficulty between the Signory and his Caesarian Majesty . After so much exertion , toil , and 1 trouble , -which never left me a single hour ' s happiness , nor even repose , I was seizedwith ' a malignant fever , which- never left me for * thirty-seven days . Thou raayst imagine how . L was waited on ,, and . by whom , and with-howvmuch . ikindnessj duiang this my . malady , and who caroa to ; comfort me . I had- two physicians ^ oach , of whom chose to reoeive a noble per dlew » . which is equal to a ducat and a half , and their coming was as beneficial to me as if they had stayed away , and when I had completed my thirty-seven days' fever in bed , the King received a reply from the Emperor , and not knowing that I was so very ill , serrt to tell me to come to speak withr him ; so , regardless of the fever ,- I roso from my : bed , on St . Catharine ' s eve , tlie 24 fth of

      ZNiovGinlier , anl wont to the Court at Greenwich , six miles distant nonce , by water , though all dissuaded mo from doing so , thinking it would be my death . When tho King saw me , he wopt for very pity at my having come , it seeming to him , that I had been taken out of my grave

      Untitled Article

      A BATCH OP BOOKS . A Sketch of , the Wse and Profftvsg of Christianity . By Robert William Maukay , 3 M . A . Author of " The Progress of tho Intellect , " &o . John Chapman . \! lla < ja Development , Based on Practical Principles ; or , the . Old Vicar \ i Advice , < j eorge Cox . Tftfr Church and Her Destinies . By James Bidon . Aylott and Go . Litaniry Addresse&j J ) elivor «< l at Various Popnliir Institutions , Second Series . Revised and Corrected by tho Authors . Griffin and Co . Essays on Shakspeare and Jliti Writings . W . Kent and Co . Anne Boleyn ; or , The Suppression t * fthe Religious Houses . launders and Ottloy . Introductory Text Bool : of Geology . By David Pago . Blnckwood and Sons . A' Popttlap History of British Mossoji . By Robert M . Stark . Lovoll Keovo . The , Vicar of ? WaUcfidd . Illustrated , by Goorgo Thomas . Sampson ,, Low and Son .

      Wjb place Mr . Mkickay ' s Slcctch of ilia Rise , and Progress of Christianity on our-present list , with tlie purpose of giving it some immediate notice , how cw ahort , and with the hope of being able to review ifc at greater length on . another occasion . Meanwhile , our readers may rest assured , that thia -work ? ia on every account worthy of spoeinl and most attentive perusal . A 'i ' oanleaely practical inquiry into the causes of the progress of Christianity , and the value of the evidence on which the boiiof in Christian doctrines roate , ia of sufficient importance to advoento ita own claims irresistibly to tho attention of nil thinking men . Mr . Muckay has treated his difficult and delicato subject in a nuumur which ought to oll ' enJ no souaiblo person of any sect or persuasion . Lie writes moderately as well as fenrlcHsly , with tho spirit oi \ a philosopher and the candour of an honuut man . Muny people may diiFer from some of his duductions ( wo ourselves among tho number ); nuvny people alfco may question here and thure the validity of uoino of hi «

      authorities ; butr-aLwaj . s excepting the extremely credulous bigot on the one hand , and the extremely sceptical bigot oa the other—no reasonable person caa be offended , withi this book ,, and every tolerant , person may assuredly learn sometkiag- from id . Village Demlopnteraier & very sensible little volume , containing some excellent advise to : country dwgymen < m the management o £ tiieir ^ huicheB and the relations in whicli- fcney ought to ^ stand to their' parishibners . We heartily wish , the book a wide clerical circulation , for we are convinced that it is calculated to do great good in a practical and unpretending , way As , teMr , Biden ' a small rhapsody about The Church and Her Destinieswhen

      , we have stated that the author has a theological hobby of ^ ia own about the < new Jerusalem , " which leads him into " expounding" from the Kevelations ^ and going the . whole hog , in an explanatory way , with the Brophets our readers will probably not care to know more about Mr . Biden and hia opinions . However , he . shall state his position for ths benefit -of any persona of an- argumentative tendency . « The Holy City ; " he writes ,, in . his first paragraph , " the new Jerusalem , described by St . John ,, has , by divine ^ been said to be a figure to represent the Church triumphant in heaven I declare it to he . a figure to describe the Church on earth . " If any readers want to argue on this extraordinarily important tonic with Mr . Biden . thor-o .

      is . the , raw material , of dispute for them to begin upon . The Second Series of Messrs . Griffin's collection of speeches , by famous modern orators only requires from us an announcement . The present volume ^ contains Literary Addresses , delivered by popular men at popular institutions , and corrected for publication by the speakers' own pen s Speeches by Sir Bulwer Lytton , Mr . Cobden , Lord John Russell , Mr ! Macaulay , Lord Brougham , Sir Robert Peel , Professor Masson , and other eminent and honourable gentlemen , fill the pages of this last new book of BxitisK JSlaquence-r-which ; w . e may add , is portable in size and ; very carefully and clead ^ -printed-. It is- said ^ and quite truly ,, that " everybody turns author-now . " Everybody must , of course ,, mean : the whole population , and that necessarily ineludes . a . eerteun sprinkling of insane persons . 0 f book > -wrifcinff maniacs

      we have two ; specimens thi * week , so inveterately rabid as to exhibitnot tha faihteab . glimps ^ of : a " liicid mterval" of any kind ; More nonsenee has prp- ^ bably been wsritfeen : about Shakspeare than about any other- man who ever lived—but . in , the lowest depth of literary imbecility there is always ; a lower deep still ; and the gentleman who has produced the last book on Shak * speara appears to have reached it . We had-no room , to place his whole title at the head- o £ this , noticei ; but we will try and copy it now . Here- it is v literally ,: —** Time ; ami Truth ; Reconciling the MoiaL and Religious World to- Shakspeare ; the greatest Poet and Dramatist , the greatest Moral Philosopher and Philanthropist that ever lived in the tide of times : whose greafe . like Al

      ness , an pine avalanche , continues increasing and increasing and increasing , as the wonderful revelations of his overwhelming Genius ° oll down the steep of time ! " There is a nice short name of a new book to mention afc tiie libraries ' . The maiit delusion under which the unfortunate authon ofthia astounding title labours , ia , that Shakspeare is generally underrated by the ^ public and the majority of the critic ^ He ( the- unfortunate-author ) is also insane to a great degree on the subject of spelling , being desirous to alter English * OBthog ^ rsiphy in many absurdly useless ways , and feeling enraged with tHe printers for their unwillingness to help him . Upon tlie wJiole ,. he strikes , us as one of the most dangerous literary lunatics- afr large whom , we have ever encountered .

      The second insane-writer .-on our list gives us a story about Anne JSoIeyn , He- ( br she ) raves less loudly , but gabbles faster , in a grinning , conceited way , thanour unfortunate Shakspearian friend . This is , for : example , the manner Jin which the delirious author- of Anne Boleyn introduces himself Qoxherself , as we are inclined to suspect ) to the reader : — ... I do . profess ignorance of mysolf . I can . judge others much blotter tiiau I can determine me ( sic ) . I defy my own scrutiny . Therefore my readers muat notejqiect me to . explain myself . But—pos 3 we on ; pass we on . I am no scholar . I am na historian nor antiquarian . I am next to nothing . I ain myself : Nevertheless , feeling deeply upon a subject , I have thought I might write heartily—Time will tell There are many—how many !'—booka published- annually , and I suppose the author !? 1 make fame or ponce of them . Why may not I ? To write aa the many , is hut a [ modest , a-very modest desire , one that I care not to follow . I despise tho m : my . 1 T 4 ie : manyia a mob . 1 would be a leader . Could I not bo something , I would bo nothing . The many ! away . The few for mo—and I one of them .

      There is more to the same pui-jiose—but one such specimen of absolute nonsense as the foregoing is enough for quotation . Seriously , wo are astonished * that Messrs . Saundeps andOttley should trjile ( to say tho least of it ) with their reputation in " tho trade , " by publishing , on any terms whatever , such 1 utterly' discreditable traBli aB A ^ ne Boleyn . It is pleasant to get back into the clear atmosphere of Science , and to bo able to inform our readers of the publication of two useful books . The Introductory Text-Bonk of Geology - really-poribnns the promise of . ite titlepage . The science is moat carefully' made cleai * for beginners , and the 1 ¦ volume is published at a eommemlnbly cheap rate . Mr . Starlc ' s History of British Mosses ia also intended for the widest popular circulation ; and ' attracts the botanical student by a profusion of very carefully and beautiiully-coloured illustrations . Tlhs work is further recommended ' by an Index ana Glossary—it is excellently , printed—and ( not the lcaat important in it « list of merits ) the young Botanist cai * carry it about with him in his . walkg as a volume for the pocket .

      ihe only book , left on our hat is that sweetest , flimplesfc , most inexhaustibly delightful of aUl stories— tho Vicar of Wuhific . ltI . TJio present edition ol one of tho few fictions wh ' uih can never bo out ofdutu , readies un from Mcssrd . Sampson , Low , and . Son , ami ia really a beautiful gift-book for tho approaching gift-senaou . It in excellently printed in tlie old style , on paper of the * pleasant ald-fnahionud hue nncltlucktio . su ; contains ftuvurul clover illustrations by Mr . George Thomas ; nnd \» bound in the most intlostructibly thick gilded covers . Poor urlluiJcJ Goldsmith himuulf looked not gayer and smarter in the famous bloom-coloured coat , " than bin immortal work now looka in tho lust now Christmas dress provided for it .

      Untitled Article

      JeoiapsEB 9 , 1854 , ] T : BB LJB _ AP-EiR ' , ia ! m

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 9, 1854, page 1171, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2068/page/19/