'The fish salesmen of the London markets all 6 rejoices in a domain comprising nearly his sides, especially those of the Spiegel carp eight thousand acres, of which nearly breed.'—p. 14. one-half is forest. On that estate are We have here seen what may be done twenty-two ponds, the largest being about twenty-seven acres in extent; and the in rural economy with fish-ponds ; and we stock above recommended was calculated, earnestly call the attention of land-ownby this comfortable Saxon, after forty ers to the subject:years' experience of practical results. Out of this large pond, Gottlieb-we can agree, that, if a regular supply of live fresh-wafancy how he devoured them with his ter fish were kept up, good prices and a large eyes-saw, in 1822, the two largest breed consumption would be the result: as it is, what ing carp placed in the scale, and their little is introduced to the markets is readily purunited weight amounted to nearly 100 lbs. chased by the Jews, and, during the season of the male drawing 43 lbs. and the female Lent, by the Roman Catholics. At any rate, 48 lbs., Saxon: noble fish, even taken at as I have described in this pamphlet, must be the whole system of stocked fish-ponds, arranged our Own rate of weights: but Saxon productive of profit, tending also to increase the weight is above 7 per cent heavier than quantity of sustenance or food at a cheap rate English. In 1833 this goodly pair had for our fellow-creatures; moreover, producing increased, the male to 52 lbs., Saxon, and a gain from that which now constitutes a waste.' the female to 55 lbs.! In the same year -p. 17. I do not doubt,' says he, that were the he was present at the draught of his friend's second largest pond, covering tise to describe generally adopted, a very great system which it is the object of this little treaseventeen acres. The produce exceeded demand for fresh-water fish would ensue; for it 4000 lbs. weight of carp, besides tench is a business-like adage, that if you provide for and jack. In this pond the proprietor a market by a regular supply, a market is crehad left several carp for breeding, five of ated, and increased demand follows.'-p. 1. which weighed 103 lbs. Saxon; the largest of the five, a Spiegel carp, aged sixteen administers, in his Appendix, twenty-three As a gentle stimulus, Gottlieb Boccius. years, drew in the scale 3 lbs. English. administers, in his Appendix, twenty-three The age of the two taken from the largest German recipes for cooking fresh-water pond could not be correctly stated, as they tite flag, we beg to prescribe the perusal fish; and, if any one should find his appewere on the estate when he purchased it, some fifty years ago. This venerable of this supplement about half an hour be fore dinner. couple, it seems, continue to fulfil the We must not, however, be divine command, nothing loth. These lured further by the captivating simplici fish,' says our author, they treat as prize ty of tench fried with caper-sauce, or the fish, and consider them infinitely better more elaborate gastronomy manifested in for spawn than younger ones,' (p. 12) carp poulpeton, or carp with oyster forceThe largest English carp known to us meat; but earnestly advising our friends shrink before these dimensions. The not to overlook the jack cotelettes., we for brace presented by Mr. Ladbroke, from the present take leave with the leonine his park at Gatton, to the late Lord Egrehexameter, which-Halfordian in sense mont, weighed 35 lbs. ; nor can we find a though Palmerstonian in prosody-conrecord of a single fish heavier than 19 lbs. cludes the vellum MS. of 1831Probably we do not give them time in 'Explicit de coquina quæ est optima medicina.' this country, for the carp lives to a great age: เ At Charlottenburg, the summer palace of the King of Prussia, in the ornamental waters of the domain, are a large number of carp, which ART. VIII.—Letters of John Adams, ad dressed to his Wife. Edited by his Grandson, Charles Francis Adams. 2 vols. Boston. 1841. are so extremely tame that they come to the surface to be fed at the sound of a bell. The keeper has his favourites; and it is said that there are some among them more than a century old. Where carp are well fed they may be seen basking in the sun on the surface of the Ir we had been aware that the Letters of water during the hot months of August and Mr. Adams would have so soon followed to September, and sometimes rolling about like so the press those of his wife, one article many porpoise. They will scarcely retreat at the approach of any one; and become so extremely fat in stews, that a 10-lb. fish will frequently have fat an eighth of an inch thick on might have sufficed for both; and if we shared the opinion which the Editor seems to have, that this batch of his fami ly papers is less attractive than the for-derstand that he has exercised this power mer' (Preface, p. xiii.,) we should cer- very sparingly, and rather fears that he tainly have thought that our readers had may not have sufficiently lopped indishad quite enough of them. But though creet passages (vol. i., p. xi;) but these these letters fall short of what we might apprehensions seem to us to be superfluexpect from Mr. Adams, they are in our ous. It is true that Mr. Adams is often judgment much superior-even in the coarse in his expression of a political lighter merits of epistolary writing-to difference; and his construction of other those of his lady; and are not without a men's motives and actions is apt to be certain, though not very considerable, habitually uncharitable but there is litdegree of historical and political interest. tle or nothing which at this day can give They, perhaps, on the whole, lower the pain to anybody, unless, indeed, Mr. opinion we had formed of the scale of Adams's own friends; and it seems to us Mr. Adams's intellect; but they confirm that he was, or at least is presented to us our opinion that he was---bating some in these volumes as, one of the most weaknesses from which the best and the cautious, not to say jejune, corresponablest are not exempt-a good man, and dents that we have ever met with. Inan honest man; and that his talents and deed, the letters themselves are in nocharacter, though of no striking brillian- thing more abundant than in confessing cy, were respectable in themselves, and their want of interest, and in making exappropriate to the share which he was cuses for telling nothing when a great destined to take in the foundation of the deal might have been told :American Republic. '10th October, 1775. 'I must be excused from writing a syllable of anything of any moment. My letters have been and will be nothing but trifles.'-vol. i., p. 63. It is remarkable that, though these '8th September, 1774. 'It would fill volumes to give you an idea of volumes were printed before the Editor the scenes I behold, and the characters I concould have seen our observations on his verse with. We have so much business, so former publication, his new Preface dis- much ceremony, so much company, so many cusses at considerable length, and finally visits to receive and return, that I have not And the times are such as to admits the justice of, the main objection time to write. we had made to that work-namely, that, make it imprudent to write freely.'-vol. i., p. 20. by selecting particular portions of a cor18th September, 1774. respondence, and omitting, even in the There is so much rascality in the manageselected portions, such parts as might not ment of letters now come in fashion, that I am be satisfactory to his own feelings or pal- determined to write nothing of consequence, atable to the national taste, an editor di- not even to the friend of my bosom, but by minishes-not to say destroys-our con- conveyances which I can be sure of.'-vol. i., fidence in the evidence and authority of P. 25. the author. But having, most fairly, logically, and laboriously, arrived at our conclusion, it is comical to find that the very next thing the editor does is to acknowledge-with more candour than consistency--an essential departure from it. For he admits that, though he has made no addition, he has used his discretion in making such omissions as he himself thought necessary,' and of 'selecting, not simply'-(which implies that the selection is made partly)-from personal considerations; and of furnishing, not the whole evidence, but 'as much' as, in his opinion, the public is desirous to see.' This discretion, it is obvious, differs little from that dictatorial power of selection and alteration against which he had in the half-dozen preceding pages so success fully argued; and the result is that we find ourselves condemned to read the letters of Mr. Adams with something of the same kind of distrust that we did those of his wife. The editor gives us to un '28th April, 1776. 'There is such a mixture of folly, littleness, and knavery in this world that I am weary of it; and although I behold it with unutterable requires that I should take no notice of it by contempt and indignation, yet the public good word or by letter.'-vol. i., p. 104. 31st March, 1777. 'I believe you will think my letters very trifling-indeed they are. I write in trammels. Accidents have thrown so many letters into the hands of the enemy, and they take such a malicious pleasure in exposing them, that I choose they should have nothing but trifles from me to expose. For this reason I never write anything of consequence from Europe, from Philadelphia, from camp, or anywhere else.'-vol. i., p. 199. 21st February, 1779. 'I write you as often and as much as I ought. Let me entreat you to consider if some of your letters had by any accident been taken, what a figure would they have made in a newspaper, to be read by the whole world? Some of them, it is true, would have done honour to the most virtuous and most accomplished Roman matron; This last solemn recommendation of 'sacred confidence and strict discretion,' as to the very diverting' stories he will not tell her, has at least the merit of reminding us of Hotspur's pleasantry : 'Constant you are, But after all, we are surprised that these appear trite and commonplace to stran. gers, a very different aspect to those who are better acquainted with the peculiarithe secret history of American parties. ties of American society, and, above all, If the editor had been solicitous for the suffrages of the European public, he would no doubt-or at least we think should-have given us more explanatory notes, and elucidated many passages which in their present state are obscure, and, for that reason perhaps, very uninteresting to a European reader. But with the largest allowance we can make on this score, we are still surprised how little this mass of correspondence contributes to political history, or even to Mr. Adams's own biography. The latter must still be gathered from other and very imperfect Sources. Mr. Adams was born in October, 1735. The account of his family given by Dr. Allen has some curious touches of that fond desire, That longing after aristocracy! which pervades the whole human race, but none, we believe, in a stronger degree than the republican citizens of America. 'His father, John, was a deacon of the Church, a farmer, and a mechanic, and died May 25, 1761; his grandfather, Joseph, died Feb. 12, was born in England, and died at Braintree, Dec. 1737, aged 82; his great-grandfather, Joseph, 6, 1697, aged 63; the father of this ancestor was Henry, who, as the inscription on his monument, erected by John Adams, says, took his flight from the Dragon persecution, in Devonshire, in England, and alighted with eight sons, at Mount Braintree-now Quincy-is not known, but is Wollaston. The year of Henry's arrival at supposed to be 1632. He died October 8, 1646.' We cannot, however, but suspect that the more immediate motive for printing these and the former volumes was, that the publication of the lives and correspondence of Washington, Jefferson, Jay, Morris, and other worthies of the era of independence, awakened an emulative and very natural desire in Mr. Adams's family that He too should have his literary monument. It was announced in Allen's 'American Biography' (1832) that his eldest It is quite clear that all these details son, John Quincy Adams, was preparing must have been furnished to Dr. Allen by memoirs of his father's life.' We have the family; and our readers will smile at heard no more of that work; and we sup- a minute accuracy of pedigree which Nor pose that these volumes and Mrs. Adams's roy and Clarencieux are seldom able to letters are intended as a substitute. We attain. The farmer' and 'mechanic' could have so often expressed our dissatisfac- not be denied, but the pain of the contion at biographies from the pens of near fession is alleviated by the addition of relatives, that we are far from blaming the dignity of deacon'-which if transMr. Quincy Adams's silence, though we certainly wish we had a more adequate substitute than one of the least interesting collections of private letters that we have ever met with. It is, however, only fair to admit that we do not consider our selves as very competent judges in this paricular point for there are a thousand details of the times, the localities, and the persons, which may give to passages that lated into English, would sound as if 'Farmer' Adams had also been Churchwarden of his parish. Then, please to observe the choice of words. These farmers and mechanics are ancestors ;'-Gray was content to call them the rude forefathers of the hamlet.' Then Braintree-the name of a pretty village in old Essex-is not good enough to be connected, in any way, with this illustrious house of Adams: it have a more respectable stock or a deeper root of public services than the descendants of John Adams: but we cannot help smiling at the inconsistency which fosters such natural and laudable feelings under a sour parade of republican simplicity. is now Quincy: Why?-our readers will that we either ridicule or deprecate such easily guess, when they recollect that a result-'tis the natural course of human Mrs. Adams was the grand-daughter of a events; and few ennobled families could Mr. Quincy, that she had some wealthy relatives of that name, and that she found, in her travels in England, that there had been, in the time of Edward I., a de Quincy, Earl of Winchester, whose race, she rather believed, was not extinct!' (Letters of Mrs. Adams, ii., 181.) And then John Adams, we are told, graduated at Mr. Adams erects a monument to his great- Harvard College in 1755, and 'studied great-grandfather-Imagine any man in law under Colonel Putnam, an able lawyer aristocratical England erecting a monu- in extensive practice, from 1755 to 1758, ment to his great-great-grandfather! Let during which time he instructed pupils in the Duke of Somerset blush-the Pro-Greek and Latin, as a means of subsisttector has no monument! And then ence.' Here several doubts arise. First, again, Mr. Adams pens an inscription on we suspect that, as was said of a still an ancestor about whom he knows lit- greater man, there was 'little Latin and tle, concerning a Dragon persecution of less Greek.' Though we see in his 'Dewhich, we suspect, he knows nothing at fence of the American Constitution' a all but this Dragon persecution is the good deal about the ancient republics, and Rouge Dragon of his heraldry; and we some references to classical authors, they cannot but think that, considering the cir- are such as might be, and we think were, cumstances, any 'boast of heraldry' im- borrowed from translations; and we have puted to Howards and Seymours could hardly exceed the ancestral pride that transpires through every line of this laboured pedigree. in this correspondence little that indicates any acquaintance with the learned languages, save here and there a hackneyed phrase, such as 'dulce est desipere' and non tali auxilio:' and there is one allu. Such is the preliminary absurdity of the biography of Mr. John Adams, whose real sion to Greek and Roman literature, and higher claims to consideration are which seems to negative any very famuch more simply and more honourably miliar acquaintance with either. He told. He-the son of a 'farmer and me- writes, February 3, 1777— chanic'-was one of the founders of the American nation; of which he and his son were successively chief magistrates, by the free selection of their fellow-citizens. "Can Bourbon or Nassau go higher?" the 'It was said of Ulysses, I think, that he saw i., 182. We think that he who penned this had Yet, with all this real illustration, Mrs. either never read or strangely forgotten Adams sighs-and her children record both Homer and Horace-two pretty conand, we suppose, participate her anxiety-siderable ingredients in a classical edufor a bit of lying parchment, which should cation. connect them with some old Front-de- The extent of the scholastic acquirebœuf Earl of Winchester. ments of Mr. Adams is of very little imThese trivial indications, however, are portance, nor would it lower-but indeed pregnant with important considerations. rather enhance-his personal merit, if it America is, we believe, in personal feel- were proved that he knew no more Greek ing, the most aristocratic country on the than Franklin, and no more Latin than his face of the earth-each man's rude asser- own Diana solus.' (Mrs. Adams's Lettion of equality is no better than a disguis- ters, vol. i., p. 7.) But biography, to ed assumption of superiority; and when- be worth anything, should be true in such ever the pressure of condensated society matters; and it would be satisfactory to shall force the more consistent particles know whether the parade of a high classi to the surface, there will emerge some cal education be not like the pride of 'anform of aristocracy, probably as decided cestry'-one of those pretensions which the and distinctive as anything which we have Americans laugh at in us, but value rather in Europe; and perhaps some future exorbitantly amongst themselves. Adams may shine in future red books, as But it is said that, 'while he was studyDuke of Massachusetts, Earl De Quincy, ing the law, from 1755 to 1758, he inViscount Braintree, and Baron Adam of the structed pupils.' This seems to be a form Garden of Eden! Let it not be supposed of words adapted to veil the fact, which we have always understood to be notorious ence to religion itself; but, on the other and admitted, of his having been a pro- hand, his language always was, and his fessed, and it has been said a severe, school- feelings appear to have been, respectful master-but the very next sentence states that he was long in doubt as to the choice of a profession, between the church and the law, but that towards the end of 1756 he decided for the law.' He was, therefore, not studying the law while he was instructing pupils in 1755. This inclination to sink the schoolmaster is another of those indications of the aristocratical suscepti. bility of our American cousins: but Air. Adams's biographer need not be ashamed of a circumstance which must so strongly remind his readers of one of the most remarkable and honourable traits in the eventful life of the king of the French. At this period of Mr. Adams's life he is said to have fallen into infidel opinions, and never to have recovered from the deplorable aberration. Dr. Allen opens this important matter rather ambiguously. At this early period he had imbibed a prejudice against the prevailing religious opinions of New England, and became attached to speculations hostile to those opinions. Nor were his views afterwards changed.' This might imply merely, and we heartily wish it did, that Mr. Adams was a dissenter from the prevailing sect of dissent ers-but from what follows it appears that Dr. Allen means that those speculations' were hostile to Christianity. Scepticism would, at first sight, surprise us in a person connected by so many ties with the Puritan churches; but on a closer view it seems natural enough that the Congregational system-which erects each congregation into an independent church, and subjects both doctrine and discipline to the choice--that is, the caprice-of a voluntary association, without any respect to authority, or any control on individual speculations should be very often found to produce schism, and to lead, particularly in warm and presumptuous tempers, to infidelity. But we are glad to say we do not find in these volumes any trace of such a rejection of Christianity as Dr. Allen hints at. We do not look for a confession of faith in familiar letters; and if our attention had not been directed to the sub ject by the previous suspicion, we should have seen nothing-and, as it is, we see but little--to excite any doubt that he was inwardly, as he certainly was outwardly, a Christian. He professes, indeed, a great indifference about what he calls sects, and this pretty generally implies an indiffer · and even reverential to religion in the abstract, and to Christianity in particular. A phrase in a letter of the 9th of February, 1793, which seems to put on an equality the consolations of stoicism and Christianity,' is evilently a mere familiar locution, which the sincerest Christian might have used on such an occasion. In his Thoughts on Government,' (1776,) after referring, foolishly enough, to the moral authorities of Confucius, Zoroaster, Socrates, and Mahomet,' he adds, not to mention authorities REALLY sacred.' So, also, in his inaugural address as President, 4th March, 1797, he asserts his humble reverence and veneration for the religion of a people that profess and call themselves Christians,' and pledges himself (with perhaps a sly allusion to the known infidelity of his antagonist Jefferson) to consider a devout respect for Christianity as one of the best recommendations for public employment. But what we consider more satisfactory than all the for mer, because it is purely accidental, is his allusion to the self-called philosophers: Philadelphia, 14th December, 1794.-1 fear the atheistical and theistical philosophers lately into receptacles of visionaries, enluminées, illuturned politicians, will drive the common people minées, &c. &c. &c., for the common people will undoubtedly insist upon the risk of being damned, rather than give up the hope of being sav ed, in a future state. The people will have a life to come, and so will I.'-vol. ii., p. 172. And on various other unpremeditated occasions he talks as a Christian would do of Christian' benevolence and 'Christian' virtues---though we do not recollect that he makes any direct profession of his own individual faith. He was constant, but somewhat promiscuous, in his attend. ance at public worship. 9th October, 1774.-This day I went to Dr. Allison's meeting in the forenoon, and heard the Doctor; a good discourse upon the Lord's sup per. This is a Presbyterian meeting. I confess I am not fond of the Presbyterian meetings in this town. I had rather go to Church. We have better sermons, better prayers, better speakers, softer, sweeter music, and genteeler company. And I must confess that the Episcopal church is quite as agreeable to my taste as the Presbyte rian. They are both slaves to the domination of the priesthood. I like the Congregational way best; next to that the Independent. -vol. i., pp. 34, 35. Congregational way! Congregational WAY! What important |