at once subdued; the fleet set sail; and there never her internal foes by his rigour as a reformer, his irreagain was heard the whisper of discontent respecting concilable enmity to all abnses, and his resistless the painful disappointment to whieh the men were energy in putting them down. thus subjected.

It is hardly necessary to add, that of eloquence, or When the Addington ministry was formed, he was deba:ing power, Lord St. Vincent had nothing whatplaced at the head of the Admiralty; and now shone ever; nor to such accomplishments did he lay any forth in all its lustre that great capacity for affairs with claim. Indeed, he held the arts of rhetoric in supreme which he was endued by nature; and which ample ex. contempt; always contenting himself with delivering perience of men, habits of command, and an extended his own opinion when required, in the plainest lanlife of deep reflection had matured. He laid the foun- guage—and often expressing what he felt in sufficientdation of a system of economical administration ly unceremonious terms. Not that he had any thing which has since been extended from the navy to all at all of the roughness often found in the members of the departments of the state. But it was bottomed on the naval profession. On the contrary, his manners a searching scrutiny into the abuses of the existing were those of a highly polished gentleman; and no system. The celebrated Commission of Naval In- man had more of the finished courtier in all his quiry' was his own work, and it both led to number outward appearance and demeanour. His extreme less discoveries of abuse and extravagance, and gave courtesy, his admirable address in managing men, the example to all the similar inquiries which soon the delicacy with which he could convey his pleasure after followed. It did more: it introduced the whole to inferiors, or his dissent to equals, or his resubject of Economica] Reform, and made it become, monstrance to superiors, being the external coverboth in and out of Parliament, the principal object for ing of as firm a determination as ever guided a many years of all our patriotic statesmen;-an object human being, were truly remarkable; and gained for which alone they carried through in spite of those him with persons of superficial observation, or' imministerial majorities, omnipotent upon every other perfectly acquainted with his character, the reputacontroversy among the parties in Parliament. It is tion of being cunning and insincere; when, in truth, impossible to calculate what would have been the it only arose from a good-natured desire of giving

saving effected to the revenues of this country had as little needless uneasiness as possible, and raising • Lord St. Vincent presided over any great department as few difficulties as he could upon matters foreign to

of national affairs from the beginning of the war, in- his main purpose. When he went to the Tagus at stead of coming to our assistance after its close. But the head of the expedition and the commission in 1806, in proportion to his services in this line of reformation, the object being, in case Portugal proved indefensible was the clamour which his operations excited against against the threatened French invasion, to make the him. His unsparing rigour, his inflexible justice, his royal family and principal nobility transfer the seat of fised determination to expose delinquents how high government to the Brazils, the proceedings of this soever-to dispense with useless services, how many chief, in his twofold capacity of captain and statesman, bands soever might be flung out of the superfluous and were justly remarked for the great talents and address costly employment-raised against this great and which they exhibited. He began by cutting off all honest statesman a host of enemies, numerous in exact communication between his feet and the land; this 'he proportion to the magnitude of the objects he had in effected by proclaiming an eight days' quarantine. His view, and exasperated in proportion to the unjust gains colleagues in the Commission having joined him, he of which he was depriving them: in other words, the still prevented his officers and men from landing; but hostility to which he was exposed was in an exact threw open all his ships to the natives of the place, proportion to his merits. Nor did the gratitude of the whose multitudes never ceased pouring through those country, whom his courage and disinterestedness was gallant vessels, lost in admiration of their beauty, their thus serving so essentially, at all keep pace with the resistless force, and the discipline of the crews. With the great benefits which he bestowed. The spirit of party court his intercourse now began; and the terror of his interposed with its baleful influence; and when the name, even without his armament, would there have Pitt and the Fox parties combined to forget their ani- made him supreme. The reluctance to remove was, mosities, for the purpose of unseating Mr. Addington, of course, universal and deep-rooted; nor could any the ground chosen by the new allies upon which to arrangement the expected conqueror might offer prove celebrate their union, and to commence their joint ope- less palateable, than expatriation and banishment for rations, was an attack upon the naval administration life across the Atlantic to pampered voluptuaries; the of the only great man whom the ministers could boast extent of whose excursions had hitherto been the disof having among their number;—the illustrious war- tance between the town and country palaces. But he rior who, after defeating the enemies of his country by had arranged every thing for their voyage; and he was his arms, had waged a yet more successful war against quite ready to compel their embarkation. His plan

would have exposed his own person to some danger; most profound veneration. Nor was any thing ever but would have required no application of military more disgustful to his truly noble and generous naforce, if nothing was attempted against the fleet. It ture, than the attempts of that tribe, the worst kind of seemed to have been borrowed from the celebrated enemies, (pessimum inimicorum genus, laudatores, ) seizure by Cortez, of the Emperor Montezuma's per. the mean parasites who would pay their court to himson, in his capital of Mexico; and the very few to self by overrating his services at St. Vincent in 1797, whom he communicated it, while struck with the and ascribing to him the glory of that memorable day. boldness of the design, saw that it was as happy as it Their affection became thus grounded upon thorough was bold, and had no doubt whatever of its perfect knowledge of each other's merits, and the admiration success.

which these commanded was mutual; nor did the surAlthough we have noticed his contempt for the arti- vivor once omit an opportunity of testifying the love fices of oratory, it is remarkable that some of his most he bore his illustrious friend, and his grief for the blow intimate friends were those who chiefly owed their re- which took him from his country. On board his flagnown to its practice. Among these was Lord Erskine; ( ship, on all those great occasions when he entertained and he enjoyed the friendship of Mr. Fox and Lord his numerous followers, Nelson's Dirge was solemnly Grey. But he made a great difference between the performed while they yet surrounded the table; and it eloquence of the senate and the bar--a difference not was not difficult to perceive that the great warrior's perhaps marked by his accustomed sagacity and libe- usual contempt for displays of feeling here forsook ral views, yet sufliciently easy to account for. Par- him, and yielded to the impulse of nature and of friendliamentary speaking he regarded as mere 'talk.' He ship. saw the noblest exertions of the orator, and also the So little effect on exalted spirits have the grovelling speeches of longest duration (a circumstance much arts of little souls! He knew all the while, how alfitted to rouse his impatience) end, as he phrased it, in tempts had been made by Lord Nelson's flatterers to wind. The decision came, which he reckoned the re- set him up as the true hero of the fourteenth of Februasult of the battle, and he could trace no connexion be- ry; but never for an instant did the feelings towards tween that and the preceding debate. Hence, he deem- Nelson cross his mind, by which inferior natures ed the whole 'nonsense,' a 'farce,' a 'child's play;') would have been swayed. In spite of all these inviwithout reflecting that in the long run discussion pro- dious arts, he magnanimously sent him to Aboukir; duces, directly or indirectly, its effect; as he probably and, by unparalled exertions which Jervis alone could would have done had he viewed the scene from what he make, armed him with the means of eclipsing his own would call “a safe distance;'—that is, so far off as not fame. The mind of the historian, weary with recountto have his early hours interfered with, and his patience ing the deeds of human baseness, and mortified with assailed by length of speech. The trial of causes he contemplating the frailty of illustrious men, gathers a viewed with other eyes. That he considered as busi- soothing refreshment from such scenes as these; ness--as acting and not talking; and, having the high- where kindred genius, exciting only mutual admiraest admiration for the skill of an advocate, there was tion and honest rivalry, gives birth to no feeling of no society in which he delighted so much as in that jealousy or envy, and the character which stamps real of the bar. To hear his acute and even profound re- greatness is found in the genuine value of the mass, marks upon the conduct of a cause,--and the play of as well as in the outward splendour of the die; the adverse counsel, every point of which, to the most mi- highest talents sustained by the purest virtue; the canute and technical, he clearly comprehended and highly pacity of the statesman, and the valour of the hero, relished,was one of the things that impressed the outshone by the magnanimous heart, which beats only listener with the greatest opinion of his extraordinary to the measures of generosity and of justice. capacity. He viewed it as a fine operation of attack Nor let it be deemed any abatement of this praise if and defence; and he often said that there was nothing the undeniable truth be stated, that no two men in the which he ever more regretted than not having been same professional career, and both of consummate ex. able to attend the proceedings in the Queen's case. cellence, ever offered more points of marked diversity

In recounting the triumphs of his military genius, in all the particulars which distinguish character and we have not adverted to the extraordinary promptitude, signalize the kinds of human genius. Alike in courage, and powers of combination which be displayed, when except that the valour of the one was more buoyant, he equipped the finest expedition that ever was detach- more constitutional-of the other, more the steady reed from a fleet, and sent it under Nelson up the Medi- sult of reflection, and the produce of many great qualiterranean. That illustrious hero always acknowledged, ties combined, than the mere mode of temperament;with the most affectionate gratitude, how much his alike without any difference whatever in that far higher victory of the Nile was owing to this grand operation quality, moral courage, and political, which is the of his chief, for whom he felt and ever testified the highest pitch of it; alike in perfect nautical skill, the

result of talents matured by ample experience, and of have engaged his Spanish first-rates, had his flag off the sound judgment which never disdains the most St. Vincent's floated like Nelson's over a seventy-four; trifling details, but holds nothing trivial connected but Nelson could not have put to sea in time for inwith an important subject;-yet, even in their profes- tercepting the Spanish fleet; any more than he could sional abilities, these great captains differed: for the have cured or quelled the mutinous contagion which more stern mind of the one made him a severe dis- infected and distracted Jervis's crews on the eve of the ciplinarian, while the amiable nature of the other se- action. duced him into an habitual relaxation of rules whose If, even in a military view, these great warriors rigorous enforcement wounded, or at least galled his thus differed, in all other respects they are rather to be kindlier feelings. Not that either Jervis stooped to contrasted than compared. While it was hard to tell the fopperies by which some little minds render the whether Jervis excelled most in or out of his professervice entrusted to their hands as ridiculous as them- sion, Nelson was nothing on shore-nay, had weakselves; or that Nelson failed to exact strict compliance nesses, which made the sea air as necessary, if not to with rules, wherever their infraction would be mani- his mental condition, at least to his renown, as it is to festly hurtful; but the habits of the two men upon the bodily health of some invalids. The great mind ordinary occasions were opposite, and might be plainly of the one was the natural ally of pride; the simpler seen by an inspection of the ships that bore their flags. nature of the other became an easy prey to vanity. So, too, Nelson was less equal to the far-seeing pre- The latter felt so acutely the delight of being loved paration, and unshaken steadfastness of purpose required and admired by all-for to all he was kind himself,— to sustain a long-continued operation; and would, there- that he could not either indulge in it with moderation, fore, ill have borne the monotony of a blockade, such as or conceal it from others. Severely great, retiring that which kept Collingwood for years on shipboard, within himself, occupied with his own reflections, the or that which Jervis maintained off Brest with the former disregarded the opinion of those whom he felt Channel fleet. It is also undeniable, that, although destined to command; and only descended to gain nothing could exceed the beauty and perfect fitness of men's favour that he might avail himself of their cohis dispositions for action when the whole operations operation, which he swiftly converted into service. were reduced to their ultimate point, yet he could not, While Nelson thought aloud, Jervis's words were like Jervis, have formed the plan of a naval campaign; little apt to betray the feelings that ruled, or the medior combined all the operations over a large range of tations that occupied his mind. The one was great coast and sea, making each part support the other, only in action; the other combined in a rare, perhaps while all conduced to the main purpose. Thus, too, an unexampled manner, all the noble qualities which it may be doubted if St. Vincent would have displayed make counsel vigorous and comprehensive, with those that sudden, almost intuitive promptitude of decision, which render execution prompt and sure. In the difthe result more of an ardent soul than a penetrating ferent temper of the men's minds, you could easily sagacity, which led Nelson to his marvellous course tell that the one would be generally popular, from the from the old world to the new in 1805; when he in an devotion which the multitude always pay to brilliant instant discovered that the French fleet had sailed to valour, and the affection which a gentle, kind, and inthe West Indies, and having crossed the Atlantic in nocent nature is calculated to win; while the other, chase of them, again discovered that they had return- with courage as undaunted, though eclipsed by greater ed; and appeared in Europe almost as soon as the and rarer qualities, stood too far removed from the enemy arrived, whom the mere terror of his tremen- weaknesses of ordinary men to appear in such an amidous name had driven before him from hemisphere to able light; and by the extent of his capacity and his hemisphere. That the movements of his illustrious habits of command, secured the respectful submission master would have been as rapid, and his decision as of others more than he won their love. Yet, while of prompt, had the conjecture impressed itself on his Nelson it was justly said that no serious breach of mind with the same force, none can doubt; and it may discipline was ever overlooked by him; of Jervis it be further admitted, that such a peremptory will as the was as truly observed, that all good officers-all men latter showed, such a fixed resolution to be obeyed,-employed under him, whether in the civil or military such an obdurate, inflexible, unteachable ignorance of service-spoke of him as they felt, with admiration of the word "impossible," when any preparation was to his genius, approaching to enthusiasm; although the be made, formed no part of Nelson's character; although he showed his master's profound and crass ignorance of that word-the mother tongue of little souls-when any mighty feat was to be done, such as souls like these cannot rise to comprehend. He who fought the great fight with the Foudroyant, would

followers of his illustrious friend adored their idol with yet more fervent devotion. In his political opinions, this great commander was liberal and free, ever preferring the humane and enlightened side; and though loyally attached to the constitution of his country, yet careless what offence he might give to exist

a

a

ing rulers by the unrestrained openness of his senti- | number of years, did his appearance indicate a longer ments upon public affairs. Accordingly, he was even

continuance of his valuable life. He complained of less a favourite with George III. and his court, than

some slight disorder on Sunday, which appears to have

gone off in the course of that day. But on Monday, his great master, whose party was always opposed to while returning from his ordinary walk, his appearance that narrow-minded and bigotted prince.

was observed to be less regular and steady than usual. It is truly painful to fling in that shade, without He was able, however, to reach his own door, which which this comparative sketch would lose all likeness the arms of his servant and expired in a few minutes.*

had just been opened to receive him, when he fell into to its original. The conduct of Lord St. Vincent was

'In consequence of this public calamity, a meeting of always high and decorous; and although he had a sin-1 the Faculty of Advocates was held early on Tuesday gular aversion to cant of any kind, nor to any more morning, when, upon the motion of the Hon. Henry than that of an overdone and pharisaical morality, he Erskine, seconded by John Clerk, Esq., it was unaninever lowered, in his own person, the standard of pri- the court to adjourn till 'Thursday. The court having

mously resolved, that the Dean of Faculty should move vate any more than of public virtue; wisely holding soon after met, and the chair of the first division having all conspicuous men as trustees for the character of been taken by Lord Craig, as the senior judge, who the people, and in some sort representatives of the expressed in strong terms, his sense of this national people's virtues. Lord Nelson, in an unhappy mo- loss, both divisions of the court adjourned till Thursment, suffered himself to fall into the snares laid for afterwards resumed, when it was unanimously resolved

day. The meeting of the Faculty of Advocates was his honour by regal craft, and baited with fascinating to attend the funeral as a body. female charms. But for this, he might have defied "To those who had the happiness of intimately all the malice of his enemies, whether at sea or on

knowing the late Lord President Blair, and of seeing shore, in the navy or at the court; because nothing is him in the intercourse of private life, enjoying and promore true than that great merit is safe from all ene- it may seem unnecessary to dwell upon other causes of

moting all the innocent relaxations from severer duties, mies save one-safe and secure, so its possessor will regret. But the calamity which will be long and deeply only not join its foes. Unhappily, he formed this in- felt by the country, is the loss of that rare union of auspicious junction, and the alliance was fatal to his great qualities which, after calling him forth into early fame. Seduced by the profligate arts of one woman, fession, and exacted the palm of distinction from the

notice, conducted him to the highest honours of his proand the perilous fascinations of another, he lent him- common suffrages of his brethren, during the whole self to a proceeding disfigured by the blackest colours course of a long and unblemished life. Of the first of treachery and of murder. A temporary aberration years of that life, or of the course of severe study by of mind can explain though not excuse this dismal which he prepared himself to be what he became, little

is known beyond the circle of his private friends; but period of his history. The sacred interests of truth

never surely was there exhibited upon the great theatre and of virtue forbid us to leave the veil over these of public business a more profound erudition, greater afflicting scenes undrawn. But, having once lifted it power of discrimination, nor a more stern and invinciup, on seeing that it lays bare the failings of Nelson, ble rectitude, combined with a degree of personal digwe may be suffered to let it drop over a picture far too wity that commanded more than respect

, even from his

equals. If any one, indeed, were io be selected from sad to dwell upon, even for a moment!

many great features as peculiarly distinguishing his character, we should certainly be apt to fix upon that innate love of justice, and abhorrence of iniquity, without which, as he himself emphatically declared, when

he took the chair of the court, all other qualities avail After the foregoing was printed, we happened to

nothing, or rather they are worse than nothing; a sentilearn that a brief character of Lord President Blair, ment ihat seemed to govern the whole course of his written by the late Professor Playfair, who for many public duty. In the multiplicity of transactions, to years had lived much in his society; appeared in the which the extended commerce of the country gives rise,

cases must occur to illustrate the darker side of the newspapers immediately after his Lordship's death; and having succeeded in procuring a copy of it, we all his energy, and they who heard the great principles

human character. Such questions seemed to call forth here reprint it entire, as an appendix to the sketch of integrity vindicated and enforced, in a strain of incontained in the article; thinking that as the production dignant eloquence, could scarce resist the impression, of so very eminent a writer, and one devoted to such that they beheld, for a moment, the earthly delegate of

Eternal Justice. different pursuits, it could not but be viewed as both

•During the short period for which his Lordship fillinteresting and curious in no ordinary degree.

ed the chair of the court, it seemed to be his object to 'It is with the deepest regret that we perform the settle the law of Scotland upon great and permanent painful task of announcing to our readers the irrepara- foundations. Far from seeking to escape from the deble loss which the country has suffered by the death of cision of points of law under an affected delicacy, the Right Hon. Robert Blair of Avontoun, Lord Presi- which he well knew might be a cloak for ignorance, he dent of the Court of Session. His Lordship entered upon the duties of the present Session, with every * Lord President Blair died on Monday, the 20th of symptom of health and vigour, and at no time, for a May, 1811.

NOTE RESPECTING LORD PRESIDENT BLAIR.

anxiously dwelt upon such questions; and pointed them of Messrs. J. P. and W. P. Robertson; but we must out for discussion, that, by means of a deliberate judg- suspect, with all deference, that many of their pages ment, he might fix a certain rule for the guidance of future times. With all his knowledge of law, his are much too highly coloured. Baffled as they were opinions upon these subjects were formed with singular in their mercantile speculations, and expelled from the caution, and what was at first thrown out merely as a country where a fine field had opened to their prosdoubt, was found, upon examination, to be the result of pects, it is natural enough that their hatred of the profound research, matured by the deepest reflection. But to enter into the merits of such a character, to de- tyrant, who had persecuted them and their friends, scribe the high sense of decorum, and the opposition to should have survived even twenty or thirty years; but all affectation and insincerity, which carried him undoubtedly Mr. Rengger knew Francia much longer through the straight line of professional duty, not seek- and later than they did, and we incline to prefer his ing the applause of men, but consulting only the spot- more sober statement of facts, as well as of opinions. less rectitude of his own mind, would carry us far beThe territory of Paraguay, according to Arrowyond our present limits, even if it were possible. His true value is best estimated by the general gloom which smith's map, lies between 21° and 27° S. lat. and 54° his death has cast over the profession and the country. to 58° W. long.; or, roughly, is 400 English miles 'His Lordship was within a few months of 70 years from north to south and 200 from east to west. This of age. He was the son of the Rev. Mr. Blair, minis- fine tract of country is shut in by two magnificent ter of Athelstonford, author of the celebrated poem of "The Grave." He entered Advocate in 1764, and on rivers, the Paraguay on the west and the Paraná on the appointment of President Campbell to the Bench, the east, the latter of which, taking nearly a righthe succeeded the present Lord Chief-Baron* as Solici- angled turn at the southern extremity of the province, tor-General, in which office he continued till the year joins the former at Corrientes, whence the united 1806. On the promotion of Mr. Robert Dundas to be flood, continuing its course to the southward, under Lord Chief-Baron in 1801, he was unanimously chosen by the Faculty of Advocates to be their Dean, in which the name of Paraná, falls into the mighty Rio de la honourable station he continued till 1808, when he re- Plata: thus three of the sides of Paraguay are comceived the appointment of Lord President of the Court pletely inclosed by two noble and navigable rivers. of Session, on the resignation of Sir Islay Campbell, With respect to the northern frontier,' says Mr. Rengsisters of Lieutenant-Colonel John Halket, by whom ger, 'no one could attempt to pass in that direction he has one son and three daughters.' without being amply provided for the journey, for there is a desert of more than one hundred and fifty leagues to be crossed.' The course of the Paraguay, from its source in Matto Grosso, in Peru, to its confluence with the Paraná, is about 1200 miles; that of the united waters to the La Plata 750 miles-in all about 2000 miles. The numerous branches of the Paraná rise in

Bart. He married Miss Isabella Halket, one of the

From the Quarterly Review.

LETTERS ON PARAGUAY.

1. Letters on Paraguay, comprising a Four-Years' the mountains of Brazil. The Uruguay, to the eastResidence in that Republic, under the Government of ward of the Paraná, has also its sources in those mounthe Dictator Francia. By J. P. and W. P. Robert-tains; and it also falls into the La Plata, after a course son. 2 vols. London. 1838. about equal to that of the Paraná. These two rivers

2. Francia's Reign of Terror: Sequel to Letters on include the province immediately to the southward of Paraguay. By the Same. 1839. Paraguay, called Entre Rios, or the interfluvial country.

3. The Reign of Dr. Joseph Gaspardo Roderick de Francia in Paraguay; being an Account of a SixYears' Residence in that Republic, from July 1819, to May, 1825. By Messrs. Rengger and Longchamps. London. 1839.

Some fifty years ago, we happened to be acquainted with the captain of an East Indiaman-a keen, shrewd Scotchman-who, when any of his passengers had related something bordering on the marvellous, was in the habit of stopping the narrator short, exclaiming 'Show me the book; I won't believe it unless I see it in print!' If being in 'the book' were the test of truth now-a-days, even the old captain would have quite enough to believe.

It is far from our intention to impugn the veracity

The late Right Hon. Robert Dundas. VOL. XXXVI.-MAY, 1839.

5

The inhabitants of Paraguay, estimated by some at 200,000, but by others at 300,000, are composed of the old Spaniards, Creoles, and Indians. A very few of the latter are the descendants of those who formed the population of the Jesuit missions, which were dissolved, and the whole fraternity expelled from South America in 1767,-and whose place was supplied by Franciscan friars-a most unfortunate change for the Indians. But the Franciscans themselves were in their turn either secularised, or expelled the country, by Francia.

The soil of Paraguay is generally good-intersected by numberless tributaries of the great bounding rivers. The climate also is delightful, and would be still better if the people were to drain the swamps. The products are various, but commerce has nearly been annihilated, between the caprice of the Dictator and his just-enough