tell how my feelings are excruciated when I am referred to or my opinion asked as an artist. I look at the girls in milliner's shops with envy, because their business and their genius are on a level.'-P. 129.

But habit made the life suit Jane so well, that she became morbidly afraid of change. Her family attachment, and especially to her brother Isaac, was tenacious and excessive, making her almost querulous, when he and another brother removed to London for a time. At the age when young women usually enter into society, these highly-cultivated girls were probably excluded by circumstances from much congenial intercourse, and learnt, perhaps in revenge upon fortune, to be exclusive. It is a curious picture of a Dissenting minister's family, too intellectually refined for their social position.

'Our family at this time was much secluded from extraneous society. The circle of my sister's early friends had been broken up by the death of several of those who formed it, and the removal of others; and an interval of two or three years elapsed before those friendships were formed, of which the letters soon to be introduced were the fruits. During this interval, the family turned to look within itself, almost entirely for social pleasures. This, while it tended, as has been mentioned, to cherish family affection, must be confessed to have produced a rather exclusive feeling, which was afterwards not easily broken up; and when, subsequently, distant friendships were formed, that were in the highest degree gratifying and exciting, an unfavourable feeling towards less congenial society nearer home, was, perhaps. increased. In Jane's mind this exclusive feeling was augmented by an extreme diffidence, and by a thousand nice sensibilities, which neither a wider intercourse with the world, nor the measure of public favour she attained, ever entirely overcame. To the last, she would always gladly retreat from general society to the bosom of her family, or to the circle of those few friends whom she intimately knew and loved. Yet, whatever feelings of reserve might belong to my sister's character, I think it will not be said by any who knew her, that her behaviour ever indicated intellectual arrogance, or supercilious indifference towards persons whose worth might want the embellishments of education. Her distaste for vulgarity of sentiment and manners was strong; but intrinsic goodness never suffered in her esteem from the mere deficiency of mental adornments. In explaining her conduct on some particular occasion, in a letter to her mother, she says :— "At any rate, my dear mother, do not accuse me of vanity and arrogance, which I from my very heart disclaim. If, in comparison with some of my friends, others of them may appear less pleasing or less intelligent, believe me, whenever I compare any with myself, the result is humiliating. And, perhaps, nothing is less likely to raise any one highly in my esteem than their "writing at the rate I do. My dear mother, do me the justice to believe that, at whatever crevice my vanity may endeavour to peep out, it will ever fly from the literary corner of my character. I am not indifferent to the opinion of any one, though I never expect to acquire that sort of philosophic serenity which shall enable me to regard the whole circle of my acquaintance with the same glow of affection, or smile of complacency.'"-P. 133.

Whatever of keen insight into character and motives we detect in Jane Taylor's more pretentious writings—and ‘Display' has some very good hits at the religious world-may be traced, we believe, to a lively mind finding itself without a congenial field

for its energies in society, and driven into reflection and speculation from the want, or rather in the absence of, active interests. There are some who would be writers whatever attractions life held out to them, but the number of these is comparatively few. We do not speak now of the infantile verses which really constitute these sisters' title to fame, but of graver efforts, undertaken with the purpose, Mr. Taylor dwells on so much. Whatever line a purpose takes, it involves labour that the mind would willingly evade if anything pleasanter offered, wherein it can allege a duty to employ itself. As for their verses-still in every child's mouth, because no successor in the same field has caught their pretty knack of expression-they convey their meaning and tell their story with such a happy simplicity of diction, that we cannot associate labour with them. The numbers came,' as it seems, easily enough, and called for no discipline of disappointment; they were, in fact, the refreshment of what many would call a life of drudgery.

'Nearly the whole of my sister's part in the "Original Poems," the nursery rhymes, and the rest of their early works were written in minutes, or in half hours, redeemed from other occupations, to which much more importance was attached in their own view, as well as in that of their parents.'-P. 138.

And again :

'Almost everything written by my sisters for some years after their first appearance in print, was composed either before the regular occupations of the day had commenced, or after they had been concluded. It was, for the most part, after a day of assiduous application that the pieces contained in the volumes of "Original Poems," and rhymes for the nursery were written; nor was it, I think, till a much later period that they ever permitted themselves the indulgence of an entire day given to the labour of the pen.'-P. 144.

6

These seem natural enough circumstances for the composition of the capital fable of the Greedy Duck, the Dialogue of the Ass and the Cow, or even Twinkle, twinkle, little Star.' But Mr. Taylor's massive style' is not the best fitted for giving the history of these little effusions. He cannot be otherwise than solemn, whatever his theme-and the smaller the subject the more weight he seems to have felt it his office to impart it to it. Thus he introduces his sister's first appearance in print, in her twenty-first year, by the following exordium :

'It is not always that a sphere or usefulness is chosen, and entered upon, by the deliberate determination of the agent; He who gives to all their worth, not only chooses who shall serve Him, but leads those whom He calls into His service in a path, of which, when they enter upon it, they know not the direction. Ambitious minds may devise schemes big with importance, which they imagine themselves destined to execute; but it is seldom that such schemes are borne onward by the prospering breath of heaven.'—P. 142.

This is as it may be. But not the less, every great work, involving a life's labour, must have been undertaken under

a sense of its importance. Many people have mistaken their powers; but the men who have achieved great things, have not therefore done it in the dark.

The lives of book writers, whether the books are large or small, do not often present much incident. Whether Jane Taylor's life was ever stirred by the excitement of any stronger emotions than belong to family affection, we are not told; but for a passing allusion in one of her letters-which may mean nothing-we should assume not. The recorded changes of place partake of the monotony of the removes from the blue bed to the brown; and it is a prominent incident, deserving a new chapter, when an alarm of a French invasion induces her parents to send her, with the younger children, to the country for a while; leaving escape from Colchester easy to the elders, should Buonaparte really make good his threats, and land on our Eastern coast, as a great many people expected him to do. The letters to her mother on this occasion contain nothing remarkable. They are those of a good, dutiful, managing girl, anxious under her new responsibilities, and so intent in keeping up the family industry, that she cannot spare time to take the children for a walk. We realize, however, something of a threatened invasion, and how it would affect the movements of ordinary people, in some of her letters; as when the alarm being almost over-it suddenly revived. The young people had been about to return, and she writes:

'Could you see us just now, I cannot tell whether you would most laugh at or pity us. I am sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded with beds, chairs, tables, boxes, &c., and every room is the same. But our brains are in still greater confusion-not knowing now what to do. Have you heard this new alarm? It is said the French are actually embarking. Mr. Heeleman strongly advises us not to move till we hear something more. We have at length resolved to wait, at least till Saturday; and if you write by return of post, we shall be able to act then according to your wishes; but in the mean while we shall be in a most delightful plight, for most of the things are packed up ready to go to-morrow; and then, if after all we must stay, it will be vexatious enough. If you find there is no foundation for the alarm, you will of course order us home directly. But do not fail to write, for we are quite deplorable.-P. 163.

The mother writes at the same time from the point of expected attack.

'And now for news: all here is perfectly quiet, and still no thinking people at all doubt our being invaded; but as to their success there are different opinions, the foolish and uninformed which you know in Colchester is much the greatest part, now laugh at the late alarm-laugh at those who have left the town-laugh at General Craig-laugh at everything, and think all as safe and secure as if they were in the Garden of Eden; sure this is not one of those awful still calms before a violent storm; certain it is that General Craig is still indefatigable in spite of all laughing; the Butter Market is nearly walled up and made a guard-house, and everything goes on with the utmost vigour.

Yesterday was the Fast, the volunteers, the Mayor, and all went to St. James' to hear Mr. Round, who preached from Maccabees. Your father entered for the first time in his life most seriously and earnestly into the spirit of the fast. He took one half round of toast at breakfast and no dinner; I took no breakfast save half a pint of water, and a very little dinner; no cloth laid, and Martin and Kitty were very compliant. Your father and Martin went to meeting in the morning, in the afternoon we read a prayer at home, and in the evening had a lecture at our own place. I chose the text, it was this, David's words to Goliath of Gath-" Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." It was a wonderful discourse. The people came about your father in the vestry, and begged him to have it printed, several of them saying they would be five shillings towards the expense. His comparison between Goliath of Gath and Buonaparte was ingenious, Goliath has three significations,-Revolution, Captivity, and Passing over; he dwelt some time on his armour, his target, his spear like a weaver's beam, compared to the amazing preparations now made to invade us, on the Lord as the God of Hosts, exhorting to trust on Him as such. He feared should they make an attempt many of our dear countrymen would wallow in their blood,' &c.— P. 160.

If strong-minded, rational people, took the alarm so seriously, we may imagine the panic in many a household; and be thankful that, so far at least, the nerves of our families are spared such trials; though we observe that the Fenians are becoming somewhat of a similar bugbear, even in quiet places.

Perhaps it is owing to the natural seriousness of Jane Taylor's mind, and a sincerity which made her jealous of adopting the phraseology of the religious people about her, that her religious history is not at all what might be expected from one accepted as a teacher by a large party. Her brother, in entering on this subject, testifies to the careful training of father and mother, resulting in strong impressions; but reverence withheld her from any such declaration of her convictions, as would be expected from her.

'Her imagination, susceptible as it was in the highest degree to impressions of fear, rendered her liable at times to those deep, painful emotions which belong to a conscience that has been aroused but not fully pacified; and these feelings, blended with the pensiveness of her tender heart, gave it for many years a tone of mournfulness and distress to her inward spiritual life. Religious principles when thus clouded with gloom, must always be less influential than when the mind is in a happier state; for the head cannot be favourably ruled by fear; yet they were not destitute of influence upon her conduct; and I find dated in her fourteenth year records of pious resolutions, and emphatic expressions of the sense she had of the supreme importance of the objects of Christian faith.'-P. 122.

But neither fear nor reverence were the only hindrances to a fluent religious profession. The brother touches on the friendships she was allowed to form in girlhood as unfavourable to a settled faith. Indeed we might gather from the following passage that there was painful disturbance

NO. CXXXIX.-N.S.

'A religious training meeting with feelings so highly excitable, and where at the same time a young person is exposed to many seductive influences, is likely to produce frequent and painful conflicts between opposing principles, before that settled calm is obtained that makes religion all that is joyous as well as all that is excellent in the character. Such was for a length of time the state of my sister's mind; but I believe that though often perplexed and distressed by seeming difficulties, her conviction of the truth of revealed religion was never materially shaken; and her habitual belief was full and firm; and in the latter years of her life I think it was never disturbed.'—P. 122.

It is startling to find at nearly the close of her memoir, and after all the works had been written to which such deep religious usefulness has been attributed, that up to her thirty-sixth year she had never made an open profession of Christian faith in Holy Communion; not, we mean, according to the rites of her own community. She could advise others on the subject, but herself held aloof. Nothing can show more distinctly the separation between the training and religious life of Dissent and the Church than this strange fact. We feel, especially in this case of a sincere, thoughtful, earnest mind seeking after truth, and never resting short of it, the infinite shortcomings of the religious system to which her birth, circumstances, and it must be added taste, allied her. It seems (but she explains that it was not) simultaneous with the appearance of the symptoms of a mortal disease which in her forty-second year proved fatal, that the clouds of doubt against which she had struggled, but which had overshadowed her life, cleared away before a sudden illumination. Her religious belief had long been settled, but she had failed to apprehend with comfort to herself her own part in the hope set before us in the Gospel.' At length, we are told, rather suddenly (in 1817) the long-standing doubts as to her own personal religion were dispelled, and she admitted joyfully the hope of salvation;' and at the same time it is explained that the extreme reserve of temper as well as want of religious comfort had up to this time withheld her from 'making an explicit pro'fession of her faith in Christ, and joining in the commemoration ' of His death. Now, however, the reluctance gave way.' It is in cases like this that we seem to feel to the utmost the fundamental differences which separate Dissent from the Church, and the injustice of the system of Dissent towards the class of minds that shrink morbidly from a formula, which, instead of owning itself for such, professes in each case to be an original personal declaration. In the instance of Jane Taylor we feel to be able to pronounce definitely that under the teaching, and enjoying the rites of the Church she would have been happier, as well as more really religious. Her system left her to grope her own way, choose her own times, and be the victim of scruples and states of feeling-not without a touch of cynicism towards those of her