as the shepherds and shepherdesses in Sir Philip Sydney's Arcadia. There is an intolerable caricature of a learned, romantic, loving lady of the name of Clarinda, so much overdone, that it becomes altogether absurd and tedious. Yet we have found some very clever passages even in the small part of the book that we have been able to read, and there may be various similar oases in the remaining volumes. We have met with several fantastic and laboured novels of this kind, quite heavy and uninteresting when taken as a whole, and yet evidently written by persons of great observation and intelligence. Whether we shall give our readers dose after dose of Glenfergus, as we are doing with Dante and some other eminent writers of old times, remains hereafter to be seen. There is no knowing what may happen, if its beauties dawn upon us, more and more, as we study them more thoroughly. Perhaps, we may be yet tempted, to place it above Waverley or Ivanhoe. At present, we shall satisfy ourselves with one extract, but it shall be a pretty long one. It is an historical description of a particular species of clerical character, and must be acknowledged to be written with no small humour and sarcastic talent.

ter.

"The Reverend Gideon Cymbal, minister of Knockfergus, was the son of Caleb Cymbal, a grazier of note, who had lived and died some thirty miles to the north of Glenfergus. Gideon's great-grandfather, Eliakim, was of the Upper Ward of La narkshire, and in early youth had been at the rout of Bothwell-bridge; but, having no ambition for the glory of martyrdom, or even for the minor praise of being lite rally a member of the church militant, he journeyed toward the north, and joined himself to one whose substance was cattle, and whose progeny was one only daughEliakim wooed and married the daughter, and, in the fulness of time, succeeded to the possessions. He had an only son, named Joseph, who was constrained, somewhat against his will, to accompany Argyle to Sheriff-moor. Caleb, the son of Joseph. had been persuaded of his father to ingratiate himself with Govern. ment, by turning out in the forty-five ;but, though it appears that he did gird on the Bothwell sword of his grandfather, there is no evidence that it ever was drawn. However, from the loyalty of his speech, if not from the valour of his arm, he found favour, especially in the eyes of the commissioners under the forfeiture, whereby

he had not only a cheap lease of an extensive grazing, but also got one son into the army, and another into the excise. These things, however, happened not till full thirty-five years after the battle of Culloden; so that the real cause is involved in obscurity, and one is left to waver between Caleb's loyalty and the well-hoarded wealth of his father.

"Gideon was, with the exception of one sister, (his junior by at least six years,) younger than any of the rest; and, being the son of Caleb's old age, he was rather a favourite.

The schoolmaster of the dis

trict naturally enough perceived this; and, as Caleb was among the most respectable of his employers, he failed not to pronounce deon, asserting, that he was calculated to win his bread with clean hands, and his coat on.' Children, as well as grown people, love praise; so Gideon was much fonder of the school, where he obtained it, than of tending the herds; and, if his abilities were not of a very high order, he was at least diligent in the application of them. By the time that he had accomplished his eleventh year, he was deep read in spelling-books, collections of lessons, and catechisms, and could write a whole page with

all due encomiums on the talents of Gi

out lines. Moreover, he had gone through the whole system of his teacher's arithmetic, and copied out a manuscript on mensuration, guaging, and the construction of dials.

"For the last two years his father and the schoolmaster had resolved that he should become a preacher; and, accordingly, he was already accosted by the name of the minister. This led him to observe carefully the deportment of the pastor of the parish: but, as he had not seen him except in the kirk,-at the examination of the school, (to which, though not parochial, he paid all due attention,)-or at sundry marriages and christenings,-his notion of a clergyman was, that he should be a most grave and demure personage; and he him. self began to assume the same solemnity of manner.

"The rural pedagogue being no linguist, Gideon was sent to the parochial school, distant about five miles, and thither his title preceded him. His grave deportment was a subject of merriment with his fellows; and the little poney, on whose unsaddled back he rode to school on bad days, was dignified with the name of the minister's mare.'

"In spite of jeers, however, and in spite of the still more fearful difficulties of penna and docco, Gideon toiled on; and when in his fourteenth year, was pronounced fit for the university. On a fine frosty morning in the end of October, having got introductions from the minister and schoolmaster, and being duly admonished by his father

on the cardinal points of economy, docility, and prudence, he set out for the university of Starvitout. There he competed or wrangled for a bursary of ten pounds ayear, but failed. Having, however, procured, through his letters of introduction, a cheap lodging to his mind, he began to break the ice of Greek and Logic. This he found a hard matter in itself; and the mockings of those young men who spoke the broad Doric of the South, at the shortness and sharpness of his northern accent, were harder still. But Gideon bent his eye and his car to the professors, rather than to his fellow-students; and, if he could not always profit by their instructions, he at least let slip no opportunity of letting them see how much he was pleased, and how anxious he was to learn. His solemn guise, his great attention, and his constant docility, rendered him a greater favourite than those who were possessed of higher

powers.

"He was of some use even in preserving the discipline of the class; for, regard ing himself as already part and parcel of the kirk-fabric,' he was always disposed to inform against breakers of the college rules. For this, indeed, he once or twice paid pretty severely; but, as opportunity offered, he took his revenge by fresh informations.

"When he came to the study of geometry he was much afflicted; for, though he could commit to memory any preposition, yet the cross-questionings of the professor annoyed him sorely. Besides, he could see no great use of mathematics, either in getting him a pulpit, or enabling him to act in it; and thus he made little progress in that department of study.

"The four years of the philosophy class, however, rolled away, and Gideon, whose docility had in the second year been rewarded by the gift of a fifteen pound bursary, entered on the study of divinity and church-history. By this time he was so much a favourite with one or two of the professors, as to be frequently invited by them to breakfast or tea; and he carefully treasured up their conversation on these occasions. One of the professors had a good deal to say in church-matters, and from him Gideon learned the favourite proposition, that

To win a patron is to win a kirk;

together with the two corollaries,-that patronage is divided between the Government and certain great men,-and that, therefore, the two ways of seeking it are, fierce loyalty and fawning adulation. Gideon resolved to have both strings to his bow; and, in consequence, his natural docility softened into downright obsequiousness, While his loyalty took an opposite direction, and rose to true legitimacy.

VOL. VI.

"Being in a great measure without books till he was fifteen, his reading was not very extensive; but, by offering to assist the librarian, he got into his good graces, and by this means he had, during the two years of his residing constantly at the divinity-hall, an opportunity of learning the title-pages and indexes of many volumes. Thus his learning made no mean figure; and the professors were sometimes astonished to find him mention the names and even the contents of volumes, the dust of which themselves had never thought of disturbing.

"As the whole stock of old Caleb's government patronage was expended on the ensign and the exciseman, Gideon was given to understand, that for church preferment he should have to depend entirely upon himself. He consulted the professors, and they recommended the situation of tutor, as the 'gradus' by which he was best fitted for climbing, mentioning, at the same time, Coldinghame of Aldtown, who was in want of an instructor for his sons; and who, though he had no church-living directly in his own gift, had yet influence sufficient to procure one. Gideon readily acceded to this proposal. In order to prepare him for it, he was in his twenty-first year admitted an out-student of the divinity hall, still retaining his bursary, and it was not long ere he entered upon that course of labour which was ultimately to reward him with a kirk.

"Viewing this reward as a matter of course, he entered into no prospective stipulation with his supposed patron, but began his labours with bed, board, and washing, and a salary of thirty pounds a-year. This made him abundantly rich; and, as his fifteen pounds of bursary served him in clothes and the few books which he purchased, he began to accumulate wealth.

At his

"Still his situation of tutor was far from being pleasant. He had two boys to teach, and he had to walk with them, and superintend their whole conduct. age, and under his circumstances, he had no great natural tact for the keeping of authority; and his being constantly with his pupils destroyed the little that he had. They were constantly mimicking his awk ward gait, scorning his authority, and playing him tricks. Mr Coldinghame,

too, was fond of jokes when he had company, and of talking when he had not, and, as occasion suited, made Gideon either his butt or auditor. This promotion at once galled and depressed him and deprived him of the greater part of that small stock of independence of mind which he might originally have possessed. But he bore all patiently, looking forward to the kirk; and heeded not for independence of mind in the mean time, provided he could ensure independence of fortune in the end

The patience with which he bore the jests of Mr Coldinghame, the attention which he apparently paid to that gentleman's observations, and the readiness with which he assented to the truth of all his positions, made Mr Coldinghame set him down as a paragon of good nature, if not of understanding. In this way his love of himself procured him, ere he had been twelve months a tutor, the good opinion of his employer. Children are apt to like and dislike with their parents; accordingly, as Mr Coldinghame began to treat Gideon with more favour, the boys began to show him a greater degree of respect. His business went on more smoothly, and, at the same time, his hopes were strengthened.

"As the pupils became docile, the tutor became indulgent; their tasks were shorter, and his assistance more frequent. The father's inquiries concerning their progress were always answered by commendations of their abilities and application, particularly in their own presence; and these were repaid by corresponding praises of his temper, learning, and attention. Thus the two years of out-studentship rolled on; and Gideon, having gone through the common forms of study, entered upon trials before the presbytery, preparatory to being licensed.

"As their reverences have a tenderness for one about to assume their own cloth, the trials were not over severe, and our candidate went through them, if with little commendation, at least with no censure. The important day which was finally to admit him to the ministry drew near-the presbytery had a meeting in the parish where he resided, and at that meeting he was to be licensed a preacher. For two days previous to this great event, he was so much agitated as not to be able to perform his functions tutorial. Mr Coldinghame could not help rallying him upon being thus overwhelmed by the prospect of official sanctity; and, though Gideon had got a considerable way into his good graces, he could not refrain from a small stroke of waggery."

This joke was no other than to persuade the simple Gideon, that when he appeared at the presbytery dinner, it would be expected that he should pronounce a long grace, and that this would be considered as a test of his clerical powers. We continue in the words of the narrative.

"Gideon, after many low bows and sincere and hearty thanks for this kind and important information, retired to his apart ment, where he spent full five hours, not in composing the necessary grace, but in piecing together such portions of the prayers, which he had compiled or copied, as

would suit his purpose. He then retired to rest; but he was labouring again at his grace early in the morning.

"After breakfast he set out for the scene of trial, taking the manuscript of the grace in his pocket; and as he slowly rode on his way, he conned it over and over, till he had committed the whole to memory.

"There neither was in the licensing, nor in the other doings of presbytery, any thing different from the ordinary routine. All was over by two o'clock; and, as some of the brethren had a long way to ride, they adjourned to the important work of dinner at half-past two. The moderator for the time being took his station at the head of the table, the clerk at the foot, the new brother on the moderator's right hand, and all the rest in due order. The landlord removed the covers from ample dishes of beef, and mutton, and ham, and fowl: there was a pause of one minute. Gideon turned up his eyes to the ceiling, spread out his hands, and led off the grace a full octave higher than the usual pitch of his voice. The whole company were amazed; but their amazement gave place to another feeling, when they found him go on from patch to patch, and from quotation to quotation, for the space of twenty minutes. Twice did the moderator thrust his fork into the sirloin, and much was muttered in low whispers; but the novelty and oddity of the scene prevented any direct interruption. At last, the grace came to an end; and the brethren, stifling their laughter the best way they could, sat down to dinner. The holder-forth bowed solemnly to all his seniors, and, looking as if he had acquitted himself well, took his seat. During dinner there were occasional titters and smotherings of laughter; but, in general, there was too constant an entering in at the mouth, for much finding its way out.

"When dinner was over, and while the landlord placed two huge bowls of whiskypunch on the table, the party broke out into repeated bursts of laughter, which lasted half as long as Gideon's grace. Even after the general volley, it was some time before order could be restored; as a running fire was kept up by almost every member of the company, except poor Gideon, (who, as he is now licensed, we will in future call Mr Cymbal ;) and he sat at once the conscious and wondering spectator, and the unconscious object of their mirth. The call for a bumper to his Majesty's health brought them, however, to some order; and after the usual routine of loyal toasts from the chair, a reverend brother proposed The health of the moderator and presbytery of Bandinnas.' The moderator now gave, The health of our new brother; a good wife, and a good kirk to him.'

offered to apologize in the most humble manner, but the squire would not listen; and the poor tutor had to depart sorrowing. There was, indeed, one consolation he had saved a hundred pounds, all in good notes of the Bank of Scotland; which he knew would support him while he was hunting for new patronage. He sent off his goods for the seat of learning, and taking a staff in his hand began to journey thitherward on foot.

"The distance was two days journey; and toward the close of the first, as he was walking mournfully along, the facetious brother who had made merry with him at the presbytery, met him at the turning of a hedge. Their future route lay the same way, and the minister tried the probationer upon many topics of conversation; but found him in a key so mo

nosyllabic and dismal, that he could not help inquiring into the cause. Mr Cymbal answered simply, fully, and categorically, and the minister proceeded in his humorous way to remove the load of Gi

deon's wo.

"No occasion for either hanging or drowning, lad,' said he; if you had asked me any time these four years, I could have told you, that if you depended on Aldtown you had little chance of getting a kirk till you were ready for a kirk-yard; and as for your love and nonsense, enough of that in your present circumstance. Never think of a wife, man, till you get a kirk,-unless it be such a wife as can either get one for you, or make one unnecessary. Look at me: I have had a pretty good living these ten years, and have some small thing of my own besides, and yet I never thought of involving myself in matrimony; and with so many disadvantages on your side, neither should you. Women are not fools; and any one who would marry you just now, would be unworthy of you when you come to your kingdom, or rather would prevent you from ever coming to it. I cannot, however, allow you to wander on in that mood, or we may find you drowned in the first pond, or lying at the bottom of the first quarry with your neck broken. You must go with me for a few days, only take care you do not fall in love with Bess, who is a first-rate beauty of some forty years and odds,-come of age, and with rather more at her own disposal than the lady for whom you are so nearly dead. Come along, look cheery, and defy the little god.'

"On they journeyed together, and soon reached the manse. It was more splendid than any building of the kind that Mr Cymbal had ever seen, and he could not help paying some compliments to the very liberal and laudable attention of the heritors to their minister.

"Tush!' said the minister, this is a little box of my own :-You sce the com

forts of a single life. Yonder is the manse, which in the mean time I have lent to the schoolmaster, in order that he may try to live by boarders, as by the school he could but starve.'

66

They entered, and had a kindly greeting from Bess, the sister of the parson,a full-grown lady, with some remaining beauty, and of much size and good nature.

"Here is a poor and disconsolate wanderer, whom I have preserved from suicide,' said the parson. 'He stays with us for a few weeks, and may occasionally relieve me. Allow me to introduce to you the Reverend Mr Cymbal; and if he and I preach on the same day, the good folks may say, if they choose, that they have heard a sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal."" Vol. I. pp. 138–142.

love with Bess, married her, and beMr Cymbal actually did fall in came possessed of her fortune of L. 1500. She did not long survive this event, but the disconsolate widower found occupation in turning a violent party man in a town where he was assistant to a clergyman.

"Tradition says, (whether truly or falsely no one can tell,) that, in those days, the men of power kept watchers in every town; and though Mr Cymbal was smooth and affable with all men, and though in the society of those who were accounted democrates he seldom said a word, yet the suspicion went that he was one of the watchmen. His brother-in-law wrote him on the subject, applauding his abstract loyalty, but speaking in terms of the most unqualified disapprobation of the watching system, as equally degrading to the character of a man and a Christian. He demanded a categorical explanation; declaring that, unless the espionage could be fully and frankly disclaimed, all intercourse between them must cease. Cymbal returned an equivocal reply, and his brother-in-law renounced him. This renunciation Gideon the less regretted, because he had now, as he thought, a claim to higher patronage, and because he had no legitimate title to any portion of his brother-in-law's wealth.

Mr

"Paine's Rights of Man' was at that time making no little noise; and, as the administration believed, spreading disloyalty over the country. In refutation of it, Mr Cymbal wrote a dainty' quarto; but as it contained a greater portion of incomprehensible matter than the pamphlet, and as it was twenty times as large, even the most loyal pronounced it to be useless, and the author lost two hundred pounds by the publication. Still, however, he had in the end no reason to complain, for it was not long ere he got a government-presentation to the living of Knockfergus.