Tom's heart was grieved, to see his darling Kate When six or eight sat down to sip and clash, His tortured mind in cogitation wandered, While o'er their cups he heard his neighbours slandered--- Night seemed the time. Tom introduced the strain, Yet it were foolish, and far worse than vain, For tradesmen's wives to follow folks of quality."I loathe," said he, “your idling gossips' chatter! And beg, I may not hear so many tea-cups clatter." Tom's pedantry 'bout him of Lemnos isle, In Catherine's breast had anxious itching bred; By perseverance, and some private friends, Kate got the tale in full, prompt at her finger ends. Tom clos'd his counsel with a kiss most kind; ""Tis thus," thought Kate, "you would your wife cajole ! Though he must lightly prize a woman's mind, Who would her simple pleasures thus control; But, stingy Vulcan, you may come to find, Your Venus has an independent soul; Yes smile, or frown, kiss, counsel, or make speeches, Kate, thus resolved to stand upon her mettle, When brightly burnished was the copper kettle, If spouse should gloom, and look a little sulky, It was a warm and sultry afternoon, VOL. IX. The smith, half naked, o'er his furnace broiling; (For it was in the latter end of June,) And he was thirsty, o'er the anvil toiling; And from his temples sweat was pouring down, K k 258 Party Prejudice; Mr Roscoe, and the Quarterly Review. [Sept. So felt Tom Hood, in that eventful hour Did all his soul with deeds of vengeance fill. He's called-walks in-a poker in his hand, A splendid set of china graced the tray; Rich sweetmeats ranged around the phalanx stand, Then, to the ladies, made a blacksmith's bow, And with complacent smile, said, "Drink tea now, Kate Gow!" Some women would have screamed, and wept, and fainted, Kate forced a smile, then softly stole behind, And coolly ripped the roaring bellows round: Tom pulled and tugged, but still there came no wind- With calm composure Kate before him stood, And meekly smiling, said, "Now, puff and blow, Tom Hood!" The rumbling bellows having breathed their last, PARTY PREJUDICE; MR ROSCOE, AND THE QUARTERLY REVIEW. THE Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, as most of our readers know, contains an elegant and appropriate tribute to the literary merits and pri vate virtues of Mr Roscoe-a tribute, which every admirer of amiable and correct feelings, elegantly expressed, who has read once, will read again. A writer, however, in the last number of the Quarterly Review, from motives that may easily be guessed, 1821. Party Prejudice; Mr Roscoe, and the Quarterly Review. regards the admiration of this accomplished writer in a very different light. Here is his precious diatribe. "He (the author of the Sketch Book) lands at Liverpool, (from America,) and in the first fervour of a traveller's enthusiasm, breaking loose after the confinement of a tedious voyage, indites a long chapter upon Mr Roscoe! The name of Roscoe will always maintain a certain place in the calendar of literature; but is it not a little hyperbolical to talk of him as "one of those men whose voices have gone forth to the ends of the earth""who pass before our imaginations, like superior beings, radiant with the emanations of their own genius, and surrounded with a halo of literary glory?" We know not how it may be at the ends of the earth! but we suspect that there are a great many worthy people on this side of "the Land's End," who never heard of Leo and the Medici, and who are only acquainted with Mr Roscoe, as the weak est of all political writers and speakers, and the unsuccessful candidate for Liverpool!" Here is an attempt, with a vengeance, to measure the erect growth of genius by the standard of the dwarfish demon of politics. Perhaps CASTLES and OLIVER are two of the many worthy people who know not Ma RoscoE, "as the historian of the Medici," but only as the "weakest of all political writers and speakers, and the unsuccessful candidate for Liverpool!" The paragraph just quoted exhibits one of the many instances, in these times, of that blind devotion to party, which can see no faults and no virtues but through the medium of Whig or Tory optics.-But, independently of the perverse malignity exhibited in this paragraph, its premises are false. It is indeed true, that Mr Roscoe wrote and published some tracts on the late war, &c. and it is very possible that his ideas, therein stated, may not have coincided with those of the masked Treasury-hireling who here attempts to undervalue his talents. Still, we are quite safe in asserting, in direct contradiction to the Quarterly, that Mr Roscoe is very little known indeed as a political writer, and that it is bis literary reputation, conjoined with his private virtues, which has called forth the glow 259 ing eulogy in the Sketch Book-A eulogy which finds an echo in every mind conversant with his other writings. Had Roscoe never written a single line except his beautiful verses on Burns, his name would have deserved an association, through all after times, with the glory of that inimitable bard. But, as the elegant, learned, and faithful historian of Leo X. and of Lorenzo de Medici, his fame was firmly established on the other side of the Atlantic, as well as in his native country, and that long before the time-serving Quarterly Review had crawled into existence. In the present state of political feeling, it reflects no discredit on Mr Roscoe, that he was an 66 unsuccessful candidate for Liverpool." If we consider what is due to right feeling, the writer in the Quarterly pays him (not intentionally we believe) a well merited compliment. Mr Roscoe, in his private capacity, has been of infinitely more essential service to Liverpool, than if in its cause he had spent his last breath in unprofitable harangues addressed to the sinecurists, placemen, and borough-mongers of St Stephen's. 66 A prophet hath no honour in his own country," said a wiser man than the Crepidarian critic. We worship not Mr Roscoe either as a prophet, or as the son of a prophet, but close our remarks on the subject with the following extract, written by one who has (to use his own words) muned with Roscoe's mind in the wilds of America," his own being unfettered and unbiassed by the shackles and prejudices which seem daily subduing and enslaving every thing great, independent, and venerable in this once free and liberal country. com "It is difficult, however, to esti mate a man of genius properly, who is daily before our eyes. He becomes mingled and confounded with other men. His great qualities lose their novelty, and we become too familiar with the common materials which form the basis even of the loftiest character. Some of Mr Roscoe's townsmen may regard him merely as a man of business, others as a politician; all find him engaged, like themselves, in ordinary occupations, and surpassed, perhaps, by themselves on some points of worldly wisdom. Even that amiable and unostentatious sim plicity of character, which gives the nameless grace to real excellence, may cause him to be undervalued by some coarse minds, who do not know that true worth is always void of glare and pretension. But the man of letters who speaks of Liverpool, speaks of it as the residence of Roscoe. The intelligent traveller who visits it, inquires where Roscoe is to be seen. He is the literary land-mark of the place, indicating its existence to the distant scholar. He is, like Pompey's column at Alexandria, towering alone in classic dignity."-Sketch Book, Vol. I. REMARKS ON DR DAVY'S ACCOUNT OF THE INTERIOR OF CEYLON." THE author of this volume appears to us to possess many of the most important qualities of an accomplished traveller. The work contains much ori ginal information respecting the natural history of Ceylon, especially in the geological and mineralogical depart ments. This part of the book is remarkable for accuracy of observation, and attention to scientific arrange ment; and when the author treats of the government, religion, and manners, of the Cingalese, the highest praise is due to the acuteness of his remarks, and to the philosophical spirit of his opinions. Ceylon is situat ed in the tropic of Cancer, nearly between the parallels of 6° and 10° of north latitude, and between 80° and 82° of east longitude. Adam's Peak, the highest mountain in Ceylon, is about 6152 feet in perpendicular height, and Namana Cooli Kandy, the next in altitude, is about 5548 feet. There are no lakes in the interior, but every valley in the island has its stream. There are eight principal rivers, by four of which the mountainous district is drained, and the hilly and low country by the other four. The mean annual temperature on the coast of Ceylon may be stated at between 79° and 81° of Fahrenheit, the extreme range of the thermometer being between 68° and 90°, and the medium range between 75° and 85°. "The highest degree of atmospheric salubrity is enjoyed on the south-west 4to. Printed for Longman and Co. London. coast, and in the loftier grounds of the in terior; and nearly the extremes of insalubrity are felt in the low wooded country between the mountains and the sea, in all directions except the south-west coast." The population of Ceylon does not exceed eight hundred thousand souls, which is in the proportion of thirtyeight to the square mile. The Aborigines of Ceylon are the Cingalese, the almost exclusive inhabitants of the interior; the other inhabitants are Malabars and Moors. Of the Cingalese, Dr Davy says: "Like Indians in general, the Cinga. lese differ from Europeans less in features, than in the more trifling circumstances of colour, size, and form. The colour of their skin varies from light brown to black; black eyes are most common; their aver age height may be about five feet four or five inches; they are clean made, with neat muscle and small bone; the form of their head is generally good, perhaps longer than the European, a peculiarity, according to Dr Spurzheim, of the Asiatic; their features are commonly neat, and often handsome; their countenances are intelligent and animated."-"The Cingalese looking, and often handsome. women are generally well made and well Their countrymen, who are great connoisseurs of the charms of the sex, and who have books on the subject, and rules to aid the judg ment, would not allow a woman to be a perfect belle unless of the following character, the particulars of which I shall give in detail, as they were enumerated to me by a Kandyan courtier well versed and deeply read in such matters. Her hair peacock, long, reaching to the knees, and terminating in graceful curls; her eyebrows should resemble the rainbow, her eyes the blue sapphire and the petals of the blue manilla flower; her nose should be like the bill of the hawk; her lips should be bright and red, like coral or the young leaf of the iron-tree; her teeth should be small, regular, and closely set, like jessamine buds; her neck should be large and round, resembling the berigodea; her and conical, like the yellow cocoa nut: chest should be capacious; her breasts firm and her waist small, almost small enough to be clasped by the hand.'" p. 109. should be voluminous like the tail of the Our author informs us that the peculiar feature of Indian society, the distinction of Castes, prevails among than among the Hindoos, and with the Cingalese, though to a less extent less effect on the minds of the people. According to the best authorities, he found the four great castes admitted by the Cingalese to be the following; From our author's relation of the festivals of the Kandian Court, we shall content ourselves with extract ing an account of the royal marriage ceremony. "On the day fixed, the ladies of the court, the wives and daughters of the chiefs, and the chiefs themselves, assembled in the verandah of the queen's apartment to receive the king; who, having entered and seated himself, the chiefs presented him with flowers, and the ladies rubbed sandal powder and other perfumes on his arms; music, vocal and instrumental, not omitting tomtoms, playing all the while. On his majesty's departure, he was succeeded by the bride, who, taking a lower seat, experienced the same attentions as were before shown to the king. This ceremony was regularly repeated every day till the seventh, when the royal bridegroom and bride had to submit to have their nails cut, and all superfluous hair, includ ing the beard of the former, removed; his barber operating on his majesty, and a female on the lady. This was done in conformity to a custom of ancient times, according to which, neither the hair should be cut nor the nails paired before marriage. The barbers having completed the work, the royal couple bathed, and were clad in saffron robes, emblematic of purity and holiness. Having exchanged these for state dresses, they proceeded to the veran dah already mentioned, and seated themselves, the bride below the king, with a curtain between them. Now two necklaces were carried round on a gold plate, each of the company in turn blessing them, saying, May the pair enjoy long life and happiness.' Then the father, or the nearest male relation of the bride's present, stepped forward, and pouring water on betel leaves from a gold pot, declared he relinquished his daughter the king, who from that time might consider her his own. The mother was asked if she assented, and answering in the affirmative, the king took one of the necklaces from the gold · plate, and standing up, he stretched his arms over the curtain, put the necklace round the neck of the bride and clasped it, an event which was announced to the public by the firing of pingalls. The curtain bridegroom saw each other for the first was now removed, and the royal bride and time; their little fingers were joined, and the ends of their clothes were tied together. This part of the ceremony was repeated four successive days; on the night of the fourth day, at the fortunate hour determined by the astrologers, the king put the second necklace on the bride and clasped it, and thus completed the whole of the marriage rites." p. 165. In Ceylon, the judicial as well as the legislative and executive power centred in the king. The penal code larly humane; neither suicide nor of the Cingalese appears to be singumurder is common among these people, and whole reigns have been known to pass away without a single capital punishment. Our author gives the following account of the religious faith of this people: "The religious system of the Cingalese may be called the Boodhaical system. The Boodhists do not believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, self-existent and eternal, the Creator and Preserver of the universe: indeed, it is doubtful if they believe in the existence and operation of any cause besides fate and necessity. They appear to be Materialists in the strictest sense of the term, and to have no notion of pure spirit or mind. They believe that a man may become a god or a demon, or that a god may become a man or animalcule; that ordinary death is merely a change of form, and that this change is almost infinite, and bounded only by annihilation, which they esteem the acmé of happiness.-The term Boodhoo is a generic term, signifying wisdom, and applied to human beings of extraordinary faculties, attainments, and destiny, a certain number of whom is fated to appear in each Maha-kalpe (a period of time between one chaos and another) to reform mankind, and restore to its purity a religion which is compared by its followers to a tree not always in fruit, and sometimes even without leaves or indications of life.” p. 188. The last Boodhoo appears to have been an incarnate deity, whose history is religiously preserved by his followers, and minutely detailed by our author, who informs us, that this being is believed to have expired in the 85th year of his age, after having been Boodhoo 45 years, and accomplished the reformation of a great portion of the world and its conversion to |