1857.]

Important Recollections of Christopher North.

be recognised as fully as any other form of madness.*

Another of Mr. Warren's juridical papers is devoted to a minute account of Lord Cardigan's duel with Captain Tuckett, and of the solemn farce of that nobleman's trial before the House of Peers.

The last paper in Mr. Warren's volumes is entitled, A few Personal Recollections of Christopher North. Most of these recollections' are of little interest to the world at large, unless indeed the following important relation is to be depended on. Professor Wilson, while reading his lecture one memorable morning, had taken out his pocket-handkerchief, and after drawing it across his forehead, crushed it up, and placed it on the lefthand side of his paper, partly under a book. By and bye he required his handkerchief, and felt in one pocket, then in the other; then in his breast; then glanced hastily round, evidently in quest of his handkerchief. These efforts he renewed several times, but it was not till he had finished his lecture that he suddenly saw what he had been looking for. He uttered a loud 'oh! as he thrust it into his pocket, and withdrew. I have several times reminded him of this circumstance, and he ALWAYS laughed heartily !

Professor Wilson had a great flow of spirits, we know, but we think his politeness must have been severely taxed when he was required to smile (we have no doubt that was the extent of his hearty laughing') about the seventh or eighth time that Mr. Warren bored him with the repetition of this circumstance.' We presume most men have occasionally mislaid their pockethandkerchief, felt in their pocket for it, then looked about for it, finally discovered it, and then said

'oh!' But from Mr. Warren's so frequently and strongly insisting upon the fact that Christopher North once did so in his presence, we presume there must be esoteric meaning in the act, not apparent to ordinary capacities.

an

Mr. Warren's paper ends with
the following pathetic passage:-
Adieu, Christopher North! Adieu, John
Wilson!-SAMUEL WARREN.
We had intended to give a pretty

599

full criticism of a long and elaborate article in Mr. Warren's first volume, entitled The Duke of Marlborough ; but this paper has already extended to such a length that we must be content with a very few remarks upon it. Mr. Warren's article is a review, or rather a puff, of Sir Archibald Alison's Life of Marlborough, which he declares to be an enchaining romance, a romance equally exciting and instructive to both soldier and civilian.' In this work Alison 'preserves the ethereal essence of the romance, rendering it intense to readers for mere excitement (whose name, alas! is now legion), while irradiating the path of plodding inquirers after mere matter-of-fact.' It is a curious phenomenon of this age, the way in which the writers in Blackwood cry up one another's merits. We may remind our readers of the recent cases of Bothwell and The Sketcher. We do not know why Fraser should not take the hint; unless, indeed, such procedure is to be regarded as savouring too strongly of Professor Holloway's type of literature. As for Sheriff Alison, he appears to have taken a hint from Firmilian,

And made a contract with a kindred soul,

For mutual interchange of puffery.

Sir A. Alison's merits, however, are not our present subject; we pass to Mr. Warren's. We had marked several fine specimens of slip-shod English, and truly Alisonian philosophy; but we forbear to quote them, and only ask attention to two or three specimens of Mr. Warren's way of saying black and white at once. One of the most singular phenomena we have lately met with, is Mr. Warren's habit of self-contradiction. If he makes any strong assertion on one page, it is almost certain that he will say the opposite on the next. We never met with a parallel case. Is it that Mr. Warren has not perspicacity to see when one statement contradicts another? Or has he really forgotten, when writing page two, what he had written on page one? We have already had occasion to notice Mr. Warren's

* Oxford Essays, 1855, p. 179.

idiosyncrasy, but for greater clearness we shall give some specimens of contradictory statements made in the essay on Marlborough, in parallel columns.

1857.]

Mr. Warren Blowing Hot and Cold.

vindication of Marlborough had recently become a matter of mere justice, because of the blighting denunciations of his conduct and character which Mr. Macaulay has so recently exhibited.'

After these strictures on Marlborough's assailants, we naturally expect Alison, and Mr. Warren himself, to defend Marlborough out and out, and give a new view of things altogether. How far they do so, judge from the opposite column.

Now these last extracts from Mr. Warren quite confirm the accuracy of our sketch of the way in which Mr. Warren would have defended Palmer. He would say that the charges against him were cruel and wicked; abuse the people that brought these charges; and then turn about and say the very same things himself, even more strongly than the accusers had done. But, although what has been said may exhibit Mr. Warren's peculiar way of conducting a discussion, it is only by reading his criticism with care that one can fully realize the rigmarole nature of the thought, the extraordinary cumbrousness and inelegance of the style, the helplessness and paralysis of the logic, the childishness of the philosophy, and the poverty of the narrative.

Still, let us do Mr. Warren justice. His writings almost invariably possess one quality,-assuredly not the highest, yet perhaps the most indispensable of all the qualities which any writings can possess. They almost invariably possess interest; and sometimes to an exciting degree. Sydney Smith said that any style was good, except the tiresome:' and Mr. Warren is rarely tiresome. Viewed as the off-hand gossip of a clever and tolerably well-informed

601

one can be wicked enough to justify Marlborough's conduct towards James, in remaining in his service, apparently devoted to his interests,

those of one of the most confiding masters whom man ever had,-after irrevocably committing himself to that master's enemy, and effectually securing the downfall and destruction of one who had actually saved the life of his treacherous servant, and showered upon him every possible mark of affection and distinction.'

At p. 300 Mr. Warren says, "We are filled with as much wonder as lamentation at this instance of treachery, this temporary OBLIVION

OF ALL SENSE OF
LOYALTY.'

HONOUR AND

Really Marlborough stands much in need of being defended from his vindicators.

man, of no great profundity, almost
all the papers in these volumes
would more than pass muster. The
one-observation-deep reflections, the
lame logic, the inelegant style, might
all be excused as the results of haste
and want of revision. But we
confess it greatly surprises us to
find all these things characterizing
the mature and carefully-revised
writings of a man of unquestionable
ability. We can assure Mr. Warren
that it would have afforded us very
much greater satisfaction to have
pointed out the merits of his book
if we could have seen them, than
to have dwelt upon its defects.
we are pleased to think that Mr.
Warren's increasing duties in his
own profession have probably ren-
dered it impossible for him to give
his literary work the attention he
once gave it. We wish him a speedy
elevation to the judicial bench. We

But

are sure he would make a zealous and high-principled judge: and it will afford us a sympathetic happiness to think how happy that dignity will make him. No child was ever more enchanted with its new toy than Mr. Warren will be with the javelin men, the sheriff's state coach, the full-bottomed wig, and the ermine.

EXCURSIONS IN ARMENIA.

WITHOUT constant employ

ment of some sort, Erzeroum does not long continue to be an attractive place to a European; especially to an Englishman, whose acknowledged privilege it is to grumble, and who is but too apt at all times to find fault with every. thing that does not accord with his peculiar tastes, or that may be at variance with his national habits.

We had long since exhausted all the resources of the place. Its tortuous streets were now as familiar to us as to the natives themselves. We knew every tower and curtain of the old walls; nay, every embra sure and breach. The beautiful old medress, or college, had been explored over and over again. The bazaars no longer possessed any novelty in our eyes. And as to the works of defence, now that they were dismantled and deserted, we could no longer visit them with that lively interest which attached to them a few months before, when it was doubtful whether or not they were to be the scene of a new version of the Kars performances.

We had repeatedly traversed the vast plain of Erzeroum in its length and breadth, until we knew to a point every feature it possessed, and could tell the name and statistics of each one of the fourscore villages with which it is studded.

In a

word, we had little to do at head quarters; and as the spring was now well advanced, we resolved to avail ourselves of the opportunities we possessed of extending our know. ledge of the country, by making excursions in various directions, and visiting such places as could boast of any special interest or attrac

tion.

From these excursions we anticipated, not only agreeable pastime, but much instructive and interesting occupation; for Armenia, fallen and degraded as it now is, both morally and physically, still abounds in traces of its former high estate; and while the archæologist explores these with feelings of mournful interest, the geologist and naturalist will also find ample scope for his researches.

Impressed with some such views,

we arranged a small party; and after a few simple preparations, G―, Mr. E, and myself, with three or four attendants, started, on the 14th of May, at an early hour, in an easterly direction. We were all mounted; our horses were in high fettle, as brisk and playful as colts, neighing and prancing as they sniffed the morning air, and apparently as pleased as their riders with the prospect of a country ramble.

The weather was clear and warm. The roads, for Armenia, were in fair condition, that is to say, they were hard and dry. This, let me observe, is the most that can be said in their praise at any season or in any part of the country, as no steps are ever taken to keep them in repair; ruts are never filled, nor large stones removed, nor watercourses interfered with: in fact, what the natives proudly designate roads, are, with few exceptions, nothing more than the beaten tracks which custom and convenience have established for general use; and yet the very road I am now speaking of is the most important, not only in Armenia, but in Asia. I may even venture to say that, taken singly, it is one of the most important lines of road in the world, for it is the only communication between Trebizond and Persia via Erzeroum and Bayazid.

European manufactures to the value of £3,000,000, are annually conveyed on horses and mules over this road to Central Asia, and are met by numerous caravans bringing in exchange the rich produce of Persia.

The number of horses that perish in this tedious traffic is incredible. Between Trebizond and Erzeroum alone they are estimated at eight hundred per annum. But still the trade maintains its activity, in spite of every obstacle. And if it continues to flourish under such adverse circumstances, to what dimensions would it not expand if the necessary local facilities were provided?

Quitting the dirty streets of Erzeroum, our road lay for the first two miles across the plain which lies between the Palandoken (Slippingsaddle) Mountains, distant about two

Ruined Fountains-Geological Features.