spectable, notwithstanding a slight tincture of pride and hypocrisy, mixed with christian lowliness. The pastor among them, holding his tenure upon the good pleasure of his congregation, must exert himself and shew some zeal; while the clergy of the established church being independent, have come, at least so I am told, to fulfil their functions merely as a professional duty, strictly perhaps, but coldly. Auricular confession, and all the practices of the Roman Catholick church, keep an habitual intercourse between the clergy and the people. There is comparatively none in the English church, and the episcopal clergy_are_little else than an aristocratical body in the state. Returning from Scotland, where the clergy are particularly grave and decorous, we are the more struck with the smart appearance of the English clergy. I observed a few days ago at the house of one of these reverend persons, a pair of sparring gloves; and the sight put me in mind of Dr. Moore's anecdote about the young man who thought he had a vocation for the church, because he liked field sports so much.' You meet in the best society a number of young clergymen, brought up in the expectancy of some good living, of which their families or friends have the presentation. Those young men have received an education, which sets any talents they may have off to the best advantage ;-they are idle enough to be amiable, and welcome every where like our abbés formerly. A well brushed suit of black forms the essential of their establishment; nobody inquires where they lodge, nor at what ordinary they eat their meal. We have in the upper part of the house where we lodge, one of these expectants of the good things of the church. From his garret he went the other day to Carleton house, to be presented-be dines out every day-is of all the parties and comes home at two o'clock in, the morning.' p. 132. vol. ii.

"Mr. Davy's lectures at the Royal Institution are still more crowded than they were the last year, and the lecturer himself more than ever sought after by the great and the fair. It would be a matter of great regret, if the allurements of science, should at last prove inferior to those of fashion, and if future fame should be sacrificed to ephemeral successes. The elocution of this celebrated chemist is very different from the usual tone of men of science in England; his lectures are frequently figurative and poetical; and he

is occasionally carried away by the natural tendency of his subject, and of his genius, into the depths of moral philosophy and religion. The peculiarities of great and original writers or speakers have often introduced a vicious affectation in the language of their numerous followers ;and English simplicity runs some such risk at the amphi theatre of the Royal Institution. The voice and manners of Mr. Davy are rather gentle than impressive and strong; he knows what nature has given him, and what it has withheld, and husbands his means accordingly. You may always foresee by a certain turning or pitching of the organ of speech to a graver key, thrusting his chin into his neck, and even pulling out his cravat, when Mr. Davy is going to be eloquent, for he rarely yields to the inspiration till he is duly prepared. It is impossible to study nature and penetrate into the secret of its proceedings, without discovering at every step such evidence of a plan, such fitness of things to a general purpose, and a purpose so benevolent, that conviction flashes at once on the mind of an omnipotent intelligence, and further hopes are inseparable from that conviction. If ordinary spectators experience an involuntary impulse of enthusiasm, what must be the feelings of him, who, penetrating the first into regions hitherto unknown, has raised the corner of the thick veil, and untied one of the last knots of the great tissue of wonders? I have heard the moral digressions of the illustrious naturalist, and his solemn appeals to the supreme wisdom severely criticised; but the greatest part of his audience hears them with delight and applause, and I think Mr. Davy would disarm criticism, if he abandoned himself more naturally to his spontaneous feelings, which are legitimately called forth by the occasion. I must say however, that I think the satisfaction of Mr. Davy's audience is sometimes expressed with more zeal than delicacy. Where clapping is allowed, hissing may follow.

"May 7. Although artists enjoy here very little personal consideration, and pride is a principal feature of English manners, yet we find a copartnership actually existing between certain persons of fashion and a company of public singers. The Dutchess of D. lady C. lady K. and lady S. B. allowed a concert for money to be performed in each of their houses successively. In return for the trouble, refreshments, wear and tear of the house, lights, &c. &c.

the ladies distribute a certain number of tickets on their respective nights, all given away I should hope :-but I would not answer for that-for shabbiness and gentility are often found together. The last night was lady S. B's night; constables and door keepers received the tickets at the door, just like any other public concert. The crowd was prodigious, (Bianchi, Bertinotti, Tramezani, &c.)—but music was not what they came for, and the true enjoyment does not in fact begin till the concert is over. The going away is the thing; that is, seeing other people go away, not going away one's self. Therefore, although there is a general heaving and rolling of the well-dressed mob towards the door, the tide returns many a timeloth to leave such scenes.' Meanwhile, as carriages drive successively to the door, the names are vociferated, but vociferated in vain ;none will go first :-they drive away empty to take their turn again: the footmen swear and scold, and speak rudely to the mob of masters; at last some of them depart but it is hours before the house is empty. The prime situation all that time is at the top of the stairs, whence you have a full view of all the heads-four fifths are wonen. Men have not the same keen relish for this sort of pleasure. The Bishop of B. and W. was distinguished among them, and see ned to enjoy it all, calling aloud, "well, well, only build churches."* p. 150. vol. ii.

"June. Albury. We have been here for some days, in a very pretty country, already described last year, and where the kind attention of other friends, and the virtue of strawberries are likely to complete my recovery. Before a stranger ventures to pass final sentence on the anti-social manners of the English, he should see them at home in the country. London is not their home; it is an encampment for business and pleasure, where every body thinks of himself. You might as well look for humanity in a field of battte, as for urbanity and attentions in a busy crowd.

"This is sheep-shearing time, which in England is a sort of festivity like the moisson in the north of France, and the vendange in the south, and the principal harvest in all countries. The sack of wool on which the Chancellor sits in Parliament is well known to be emblematick of the impor

* There is some subscription going on for building a church in this part of the town.

tance of this production. The mirth and festivity of the people here is quite calm, and a fete after their manner, might in Languedoc be mistaken for a funeral. If the country people dance, it is without elasticity, vivacity, or ardour; if they sing it is far worse; nothing ever was less musical than the indigenous English musick, with its jerks and starts, jolting along its rugged way, without either dignity, liveliness or tenderness :-so different from the Scotch musick, which possesses at least one of these modes of expression, and from the Italian musick which unites them all. Italian musick is now naturalized in England, but it will not supersede the old tavern musick so entirely, as it did in France, the old flat stye; and so far as it is connected with national enthusiasm, it is perhaps better it should be so. The native musick of the southern extremity of France, formed an exception to the dulness of the national musical taste, as that of North compared to South Britain."

221. vol. ii.

p.

"The pursuit of agriculture does not occupy so exclusively the minds of the people in the country, as not to admit of a very keen relish for town news. The Prince Regent has given a very magnificent fete, which was the object of general conversation for a fortnight. It was computed that 1600 persons invited, supposed at least 400 carriages; and that allowing two minutes for each, more than 13 hours would be required for the whole number to be delivered at the door; and that beginning at eleven o'clock at night, it takes till twelve the next day! His Majesty having heard of the intended fete, is said to have asked, whether he might not be permitted to go as a private gentleman. This raillery is in the same spirit with another bon mot of this august patient, "Here you see me," he said to a person who approached him, in a moment of personal restraint, indispensable in his situation, "checkmated." p. 224, vol. ii.

"The maid servant of our lodgings (a fisherman's cottage in the Isle of Wight) a simple, good natured, honest creature, who was born on this spot and was never out of sight of the landslip, has a child; but it turned out on inquiry, that she never had a husband; and I am informed, that the landlady, a very pretty young woman just married, has remarked on the occasion, that it was no uncommon case.She blamed the practice as unsafe, observing with great appearance of simplicity, that for her part she thought it was

better to secure a husband first. We had much the same information in Cumberland, and in other parts of the country; and I really think the facility of American manners, about which travellers have made ill-natured remarks, has a precedent here to go by." p. 244. vol. ii.

"America and the Americans take up very little of the attention of Europe; and even here, where there are so many points of contact with the people of the United States, they would be surprised to find their feelings of partiality or of hatred so faintly reciprocated. An official letter of the officer who had the late unfortunate rencontre with the Little Belt, as published in the newspapers, was however mentioned at a dinner where I happened to be lately; and the matter and style of that letter were given as an instance of the want of temper and manners, and the bad tone altogether, so conspicuous in most productions of that sort in America. A person who had been formerly in America observed, on the occasion, that the writer of this letter had many years before, published a still more objectionable account of an action between a French and an American Frigate. It was remarkable at the same time, that the narrator of the commonest incident in a newspaper, (nearly the only specimen of American literature known in Europe,) seemed to think it a fit opportunity to establish his claim to pathetick eloquence, or liveliness of wit, which was always so utterly manqué, and in such inveterate bad taste, as to excite the astonishment of European readers; and must necessarily lead them to suppose the state of manners in the United States, and general information, very inferiour to what it certainly is. Ample justice was done to the talent for abuse of the political writers of that country, the force, if not the originality of their invectives, shewing them to have profited by the long residence of Mr. Cobbett among them.

"A person who has lived many years in America, mentioned as an exception to this general prevalence of bad taste, the practice of the American bar, which he maintained was vastly more becoming the dignity of the law, and better fitted to the end of justice than the pert, flippant, and insolent mode of examining witnesses, and handling the reputation and character of adverse parties, which prevails in England to a disgusting degree, and may well afford to an American the opportunity of retorting the accusation of