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milk, butter, and curds, for sale, and followed the boat for some time. One of the women, from whom we received a vessel of milk, was offered a quantity of dates in return, by our servants. Not being satisfied with them, she desired to have her milk again. A piastre was thrown to her, which after taking up and examining, she ran off to a considerable distance, dancing and shouting with joy. Another very handsome young woman, with a child in her arms, asked for some cloth to cover her infant's head; we gave her a silk handkerchief, which so delighted her, that she approached the boat, and, with her right hand raised to Heaven, invoked every blessing on us in return. The handkerchief appeared to excite great curiosity, for a crowd collected round her, and it was held up and examined in every direction, seemingly with much delight.

"The behaviour of these females formed a striking contrast with the manners of the Indian women, and still more with those of the veiled dames of Bussorah. They came to our boat with the frankness of innocence, and there was a freedom in their manners, bordering perhaps on the masculine; nevertheless, their fine features, and well-turned limbs, presented a tout ensemble of beauty, not often surpassed, perhaps, even in the brilliant assemblies of civilized life. True it is, their complexions were of a gipsy brown; but, even on this point, there may be some who see

"A Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt.'

"The woman who was so grateful for the handkerchief, as she stood on the edge of the bank, her beautiful eyes beaming with gratitude, would have been a fine illustration of some of the striking passages in Scott's forcible delineations of female character.”Vol. i. p. 84.

"At the appointed hour, Meerza Abool Hassan Khan, Major Willock, Mr. Hamilton, and myself, set out for our interview with his majesty. The Persian was in his court-dress, we were in full uniform; and we all wore green slippers, and the court boots of red cloth, without which no one can approach his majesty.

"The king received us in a small palace in the middle of a garden, called the Gulestan -Rose Garden. When arrived at the top of the avenue which led to it, we imitated the motions of the Meerza, and bowed several times, our hands touching our knees at each reverence. We had, at this time, a good side-view of the king, who, apparently from established etiquette, took no notice of us. We repeated our bows at intervals. When within twenty yards of the palace, we left our slippers behind us, and the king, turning towards us for the first time, called out Bee-au-bala'-Ascend. A narrow flight of steps brought us to the presence-chamber. It is an elegant apartment, open at two opposite sides, where it is supported by spiral pillars painted white and red ; a large carpet is spread on the floor; the walls and ceiling are completely covered with looking-glass. One or two European clocks stand in different parts of the room; but the accumulation of dust upon them shows that they are considered useless lumber.

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"On entering this chamber, we walked sideways to the most remote corner from that which the king occupied. After the usual compliments of welcome, his majesty asked several questions respecting our journey, and surprised us not a little at his geographical knowledge, both with regard to the country we had quitted, and that which we purposed to visit. The audience lasted twenty minutes; his majesty was in high goodhumour, and conversed with unaffected ease on a variety of subjects. The titles used at the interview were Kubla-hi-Aulim and Shah-in-Shahi'-Attraction of the World, and King of Kings. He was seated on his heels on some doubled nummuds, the Persians priding themselves on this hard seat, in contradiction to their enemies the Turks, whom they charge with effeminacy for their use of cushions.

"The king had a variety of toys, which gave employment to his hands, and assisted his gestures in conversation. One of these trinkets was a Chinese ivory hand at the end of a thin stick, called by us in India a scratch-back, a name which faithfully denotes its office another was a crutch, three feet long, the shaft of ebony, and the head of crystal. His majesty has the appearance of a younger man than he really is, but his voice, which is hollow from the loss of teeth, is a better indication of his age. I should have known him from his strong resemblance to the prints I had seen of him in London. I think, however, they hardly do justice to his beard, which is so large that it conceals all the face but the forehead and eyes, and extends down to the girdle. He was very plainly dressed, wearing a cotton gown of a dark color, and the common sheep skin cap. In his girdle was a dagger, superbly studded with jewels of an extraordinary size. "The dress of the modern Persian has undergone so complete a change, that much 3 M

VOL. IT.

resemblance to the ancient costume is not to be expected; still there are some marks of decoration, which remind one of the ancient monarchs. The eyelids of the king, stained with surmeh, brought to our recollection the surprise of the young and hardy Cyrus, when he viewed for the first time a similar embellishment in his effeminate uncle, Astyages; and in that extraordinary chapter of Ezekiel, wherein Jerusalem is reproached for her imitation of Babylonian manners, the prophet alludes to this custom, when he says, Thou paintedst thine eyes.'

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'A bracelet, consisting of a ruby and emerald, worn by the king on his arm, is a mark of ancient sovereignty. It will be recollected that the Amalekites brought David the bracelet found on Saul's arm, as a proof of his rank; and Herodotus mentions a bracelet of gold as a present from Cambyses, King of Persia, to the King of Ethiopia.

"I must not omit the mention of a circumstance connected with our interview, as it illustrates a piece of etiquette at the court of a despotic monarch. A few minutes before we were presented, we observed two men carrying a long pole and a bundle of sticks towards the audience chamber. Curiosity led us to ask the Meerza what was the meaning of this. 'That machine,' said he,' is the bastinado; it is for you, if you misbehave. 'Those men are carrying it to the king, who never grants a private audience without having it by him, in case of accidents.' The pole we saw was about eight feet long: when the punishment is inflicted, the culprit is thrown on his back, his feet are secured by cords bound round the ankles, and made fast to the pole with the soles uppermost; the pole is held by a man at both ends, and two men, one on each side, armed with sticks, strike with such force that the toe-nails frequently drop off. This punishment is inflicted by order of the king upon men of the highest rank, generally for the purpose of extorting money. If Persia was not so fond of illustrating the use of this emblem of power, she would have as much right to the 'bastinado,' as we have to the Black Rod.'" -- Vol. ii. p. 142.

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Head-Pieces and Tail-Pieces. By a Travelling Artist. London: Charles Tilt. 1826. 12mo. pp. 256.

There is a deal of good sense and elegant writing scattered through this interesting little volume. The author appears to be a man possessed of a sensitive and pleasing fancy. The only fault that we have to find with the tales, is their barrenness of incident ;---a fault which good writing will scarcely excuse. However, on the whole, we may conscientiously recommend Head-Pieces and Tail-Pieces as an agreeable melange to wile away an idle hour.

Field Flowers: being a collection of Fugitive and other Poems. By the Author of "Odes," "Portland Isle," &c.

We should have felt happy in quoting a piece from this volume, had our limits permitted; as it is, we can only say,---that the author feels poetically, and frequently writes so. The "May-Morn of Life," contains several meritorious lines.

Reminiscenses of Charles Butler, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. Vol. ii. London Murray. 1827.

"Accipe, sed facilis," is the motto prefixed by Mr. Butler to the second volume of his Reminiscenses; and hard indeed must be that heart, which should receive or judge any thing proffered by a being so amiable as the author, with harshness or severity. But unless the taste of the public be very different from that we believe it to be, there is no occasion to apprehend but that the attraction of the work itself will make it very generally read and approved of. There are in this

* Ez. xxiii. 40.

volume less Reminiscenses" of persons, than of the Author's observations and opinions of books and studies; to that part of the reading public who can only be excited into amusement by anecdotes of individuals, there may possibly arise some disappointment, but we confess, that we, for our own parts, are perfectly satisfied with being conducted over the often traversed field of books with which we have been acquainted from our childhood, by a guide so amiable and intelligent as the Reminiscent. It is pleasant to observe the different ways in which a man of abilities, surpassed only by his virtues, has meditated, thought, and felt, upon productions on which we have ourselves meditated, thought, and felt. Gibbon's Journal of his Studies is, on this account, of the most delightful of publications, and the Reminiscenses of Mr. Butler, though they contained nothing beyond his reflections and criticisms on subjects so familiar to the public, as the auto-biographies of the Chancellor D'Aguesseau, the Cardinal de Retz, Gibbon, Madame de Staël, &c. will certainly be not the less chosen as a companion to Gibbon's Miscellaneous Works upon the shelves of our library. But this volume contains more than this, being interspersed with reminiscenses and sayings of men of fame and rank amongst the ornaments of human kind. Porson, Pitt, Fox, and Sheridan, and Dr. Parr, have all contributed something to the adornment and embellishment of the Reminiscent's work.

The second chapter or division is a review of some of the autobiographers of celebrated men, with very judicious extracts and criticisms, and new anecdotes of the Author's. The next is a short account of the Southey Controversy, which we particularly recommend to attention, on account of the strong contrast which it displays in the tone of feeling of such a mind as Mr. Butler's; and that of the O'Connells and Shiels, of whom we cannot either speak or think without indignation. Had the Catholics --the great body of them, been such as Mr. Butler is, they would not now have to be contending for release from their civil disabilities.

The third chapter contains some "Reminiscenses" relative to Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, and Burke, from which we give a few extracts.

"The Bishop of Winchester briefly mentions, in his Memoirs, Mr. Pitt's tour to France in September, 1783. During his stay in that country, he principally resided at Paris and Rheims. Great attention was shewn him by the archbishop of the latter city: he met, at the prelate's palace, the celebrated Talleyrand Perigord. When this distinguished personage was in England, he mentioned this circumstance to a friend of the Reminiscent; and, what many will be surprised to hear, he described Mr. Pitt as un grand adulateur. Talleyrand was asked, if he foresaw, at that time, Mr. Pitt's future eminence. 'Mais,' he replied, nous le trouvions tres amiable: et d'ailleurs, son pere nous avoit foudroyé.'

"Of the other parts of the Bishop's work, we shall say nothing, except to notice that, in his account of the bill, which was passed for the relief of the Catholics in 1791, he does not render justice to Mr. Pitt. From the first, Mr. Pitt declared himself explicitly in favor of the measure. In order to attract the attention of the public mind to it, and to prevent the effect of prejudice against it, he devised the plan of obtaining the opinions of the foreign universities upon the three points submitted to them. When the opinions were obtained, he readily declared that they satisfied him. An unfortunate division having taken place among the Roman Catholics, Mr. Pitt, so far from availing himself of it to impede, or even retard, the success of the bill, generously exerted himself to compose

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the difference; he watched over the bill during its passage through the House, with the greatest assiduity: sometimes by energy, sometimes by conciliation, he removed the obstacles which opposed it, and he unfeignedly participated in the joy of the Catholics, at its ultimate success. For this, they were indebted to none more than to him. The Catholic desires nothing more, than that all who glory in his name, should inherit his principles, and imitate his conduct in their regard.

"In 1793, an Act was passed for the relief of the Irish Catholics. It was principally owing to the exertions of the Irish delegates, Mr. Devereux, Mr. Edward Byrne, Mr. John Keogh, and two other gentlemen, who had been appointed to negociate with Mr. Pitt. They were directed chiefly to insist upon five objects :---the elective franchise, the admission of Catholics to grand juries, to county magistracies, to high shrievalties, and to the bar. Mr. Keogh was the soul of the delegation: he possessed a complete knowledge of the subject, uncommon strength of understanding, firmness of mind, and a solemn imposing manner, with an appearance of great humility. These obtained for him an ascendancy over almost every person with whom he conversed. On one occasion, he was introduced to the late Mr. Dundas, afterwards Lord Melville. That eminent statesman was surrounded by several persons of distinction, and received the delegates with great good humor. A long conference ensued, the result of it was unfavorable to the mission of Mr. Keogh. After a short silence, Mr. Keogh advanced towards Mr. Dundas, and, with great respect, and a very obsequious, but very solemn look, mentioned to him, that 'there was one thing which it was essential for Mr. Dundas to know, but of which he had not the slightest conception.' He remarked, that it was very extraordinary that a person of Mr. Dundas's high situation, and one of his own humble lot,'---(he was a tradesman in Dublin,)---' should be in the same room; yet, since it had so happened, and probably would not happen again, he wished to avail himself of the opportunity of making the important disclosure: but could not think of doing it without Mr. Dundas's express permission and express promise not to be offended.' Mr. Dundas gave him the permission and promise: still, Mr. Keogh was all humility and apology, and Mr. Dundas all condescension. After these had continued for some time, and the expectation of every person present was wound up to its highest pitch, Mr. Keogh approached Mr. Dundas in a very humble attitude, and said,---' Since you give me this permission, and your liberal promise not to be offended, I beg leave to repeat that there is one thing which you ought to know, but which you don't suspect :---You, Mr. Dundas, know ⚫ nothing of Ireland.' Mr Dundas, as may be supposed, was greatly surprised: but with perfect good humor told Mr. Keogh that he believed this was not the case: it was true that he never had been in Ireland, but he had conversed with many Irishmen. I have 'drunk,' he said, ' many a good bottle of wine with Lord Hillsborough, Lord Clare, and 'the Beresfords.'---' Yes, Sir,' said Mr. Keogh, I believe you have; and that you 'drank many a good bottle of wine with them, before you went to war with America.'”'

V. 2.
MR. Fox.

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"The public is still in total want of a good account of the life of this great man. Considering the space which he filled in the national history of our times, the number of illustrious persons who fought under his banner, their talents, and the warm attachment both to his principles and his memory which they still profess, it appears surprising that he has yet had no adequate biographer.

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"Mr. Fox thought that true genuine principles of civil and religious liberty were not very common. You will not,' he once said to the Reminiscent, meet with real ⚫ friends of freedom as frequently as you seem to expect? but you may always depend on Fitzwilliam and Petty.'

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"Mr. Fox's own principles of civil and religious liberty were of the most enlarged

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"On one occasion, be desired the Reminiscent to attend him, for the purpose of conferring, as he condescended to say, on Catholic emancipation. He asked the Reminiscent, What he thought was the best ground on which it could be advocated?' The Reminiscent suggested it to be, that it is both unjust and detrimental to the state, to deprive any portion of its subjects of their civil rights on account of their religious principles, if these are not inconsistent with moral or civil duty.' No, Sir! Mr. Fox said, with great animation, that is not the best ground; the best ground, and the only ground 'to be defended in all points is, that action, not principle, is the object of law and legis

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lation; with a person's principles no Government has any right to interfere.'---' Am I ⚫ then to understand,' said the Reminiscent, wishing to bring the matter at once to issue, by supposing an extreme case,--- that, in 1713, when the houses of Brunswick and Stuart were equally balanced, a person publishing a book, in which he attempted to prove that the house of Hanover unlawfully possessed the British throne, and that all who obeyed the reigning prince, were morally criminal, ought not to be punished by law ?'--'Government,' said Mr. Fox, 'should answer the book, but should not set its officers upon its author. No,' he continued with great energy, and rising from his seat, the 'more I think of the subject, the more I am convinced of the truth of my position: action, not principle, is the true object of Government.' In his excellent speech for the repeal of the test, Mr. Fox adopted this doctrine in its fullest extent; and enforced and illustrated it with an admirable union of argument and eloquence.

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"On a further occasion, the Reminiscent took the liberty,---he hopes his readers will believe he did it with the utmost respect,---to renew the conversation. 'Does not

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your doctrine,' he said to Mr. Fox, 'turn on the much agitated question of Matter and Spirit? If you impel the hand of a man, who holds in it a knife, into the side of another, and the knife enters it and kills him, you are guilty of murder; if you write a book, ⚫ which induces a man to thrust a knife into the side of another, are you not equally guilty?'---' You are,' replied Mr. Fox; but the jury must find,---first, that the act was done ;---2dly, that your book was written with an intention of inducing the person to do it ;---and, 3dly, that he did the act in consequence of your book.' "So far as civil and religious liberty are involved in the Catholic question, the Reminiscent has found the truest lovers of both. On one occasion, he went to Mr. Whitbread, to solicit his attendance on the Catholic Relief Bill, then in the House of Commons. You may always,' said Mr. Whitbread, depend on me: if Parliament should give you ⚫ a limited relief, I shall rejoice that they give you something; if they should grant it ⚫ without limitation, I shall rejoice that they give you all.'

"From Mr. Whitbread, the Reminiscent went, with the same request, to Mr. Windham. 'Give yourself no trouble,' said that amiable and informed statesman, 'to ⚫ call upon me on these occasions; I shall always be sure to be at my post.'

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"In 1807, Lord Grey, Lord Holland, Lord Grenville, Mr. Fox, Mr. Wyndham, and Mr. Whitbread, shewed the warmest and most uncompromising attachment to the Catholic cause. All repeatedly expressed to the Reminiscent, their wish, that at that 'critical time, the Catholics would not provoke a parliamentary discussion of the question:" all also declared explicitly, that if, contrary to their recommendation, the Catholics ⚫ should bring it forward, they would give it their cordial co-operation.' A conduct more honorable to themselves, or more kind towards the Catholics, they could not have adopted. That, in advocating the cause of the Catholics, they lost their official situations, no Catholic should ever forget."

We disagree with our "Reminiscent" in his opinion, that Sheridan would not have made a great poet; we are convinced that he would have made a great anything, which he attempted with assiduity and perseverance; and we maintain the (what some persons call heretical) opinion, that an individual of great powers of mind will, if he applies himself to study, obtain success as a poet, as well as in any other pursuit in which men raise themselves to the admiration of the world. One introduction relative to Sheridan, and we close our quotations.

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"On one occasion he and the late Mr. Sheldon, of Weston in Warwickshire, supped' with the Reminiscent. Mr. Sheldon was born of Catholic parents, and brought up a Catholic; he embraced the Protestant religion, and sate in two parliaments. The Catholic question being mentioned, Mr. Sheridan, supposing Mr. Sheldon to be a Catholic, told him, he was quite disgusted at the pitiful, lowly manner in which Catholics brought ⚫ forward their case: Why should not you, Mr. Sheldon, walk into our house, and say, • --- Here am I, Sheldon of Weston, entitled by birth and fortune to be among you: but, because I am a Catholic, you shut your door against me?' 'I beg your pardon,' said Mr. Sheldon, interrupting him, 'I thought it the duty of a subject to be of the religion of his country; and therefore---'' You quitted,' said Mr. Sheridan, interrupting

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