XXXVII. HOURS OF COMPOSITION.

WROTE the "Cafle of Otranto" in eight days, or rather eight nights; for my general hours of compofition are from ten o'clock at night till two in the morning, when I am fure not to be dif. turbed by vifitants. While I am writing I take feveral cups of coffee.

XXXVIII. HUME AND BURNET.

I am no admirer of Hume. In converfation he was very thick; and I do believe hardly understood a fubject till he had written upon it.

Burnet I like much. It is obfervable,

that none of his facts has been contro

verted, except his relation of the birth of the Pretender, in which he was certainly mistaken-but his very credulity is a proof of his honesty. Burnet's ftyle and manner are very interefting. It feems as if he had just come from the king's closet, or from the apartments of the men whom he defcribes, and was telling his reader, in plain honeft terms, what he had seen

and heard.

XXXIX. AUTHORS AND ARTISTS. I have always rather tried to escape the acquaintance, and converfation,of authors. An author talking of his own works, or cenfuring thofe of others, is to me a dofe of hypecacuana. I like only a few, who can in company forget their authorship, and remember plain fenfe.

The converfation of artifts is ftill worfe. Vanity and envy are the main ingredients. One detefts vanity, because it fhocks one's own vanity.

Had I listened to the cenfures of artists, there is not a good piece in my collection.. One blames one part of a picture, another attacks another. Sir Joshua is one of the moft candid; yet he blamed the tiff drapery of my Henry VII, in the ftate bed-chamber, as if good drapery could be expected in that age of painting.

XL. CAUTION TO YOUNG AUTHORS.

Youth is prone to cenfure. A young man of genius expects to make a world

for himself; as he gets older, he finds he muft take it as it is.

It is imprudent in a young author to make any enemies whatever. He fhould not attack any living perfon. Pope was, perhaps, too refined and jefuitic a profeffor of authorship; and his arts to eftablifh his reputation were infinite, and fometimes perhaps exceeded the bounds of fevere integrity. But in this he is an example of prudence, that he wrote no fatire till his fortune was made.

XLI. PUBLIC VIRTUE.

world, I was apt loudly to blame any When I first thruft my nofe into the defection from what I efteemed public virtue, or patriotifm. As I grew older, I found the times were more to blame than the men. We may cenfure places the pensioners are often intitled to our and penfions; while the placemen and efteem. One man has a numerous family to provide for, another is ruled by a vain tions would have overcome even Brutus. wife, &c. &c. I think fome temptaBut why talk of Brutus, while men not meatures are the object?

XLII. GEORGE THE FIRST.

the Firft. My father took me to St. I do remember fomething of George James's while I was a very little boy; after waiting fome time in an anti-room, a gentleman came in all dreffed in brown, ftar. He took me up in his arms, kiffed even his stockings; and with a ribbon and me, and chatted fome time.

XLIII. LIKENESS IN ANTIQUE POETRAITS.

On looking at the buft of Marcus Antoninus, in the gallery at Strawberry Hill, Mr. Walpole obferved that even the worft artifts among the ancients always hit the character and likeness; which the beft of ours feldom, or never, do.

This is a problem worthy of ample difcuffion, in a country fond of portraits. Had the ancients any particular mode, or machine; or was it the pure effect of lu perior genius?

. XLIV, POR

XLIV. PORTRAITS.

I prefer portraits, really interefting, not only to landscape-painting, but to hiftory. A landfcape is, we will fay, an exquifite diftribution of wood, and water, and buildings. It is excellent--we pafs on, and it leaves not one trace in the memory. In historical painting there may be fublime deception-but it not only always falls fhort of the idea, but is always falfe; that is, has the greatest blemish incidental to hiftory. It is commonly falfe in the coftume; generally in the portraits; always in the grouping and attitudes, which the painter, if not prefent, cannot poffibly delineate as they really were. Call it fabulous-painting, and I have no objection. But a real portrait we know is truth itfelf: and it calls up fo many collateral ideas, as to fill an intelligent mind more than any other species. XLV. AUTHORS IN FLOWER-MYSTE

RIOUS MOTHER.

At Strawberry Hill, 19th Sept. 1784, Mr. Walpole remarked that, at a certain time of their lives, men of genius feemed to be in flower. Gray was in flower three years, when he wrote his odes, &c. This ftarting the idea of the American aloe, fome kinds of which are faid to flower only once in a century, he obferved, laughing, that had Gray lived a hundred years longer, perhaps he would have been in flower again. Sir Charles Hanbury Williams bore only one blossom; he was in flower only for one ode.

Next evening, about eleven o'clock, Mr. Walpole gave me the Myfterious Mother to read, while he went to Mrs. Clive's for an hour or two. The date was remarkable, as the play hinges on an anniversary twentieth of September,

-but often as returns

The twentieth of September, &c. This odd circumftance confpired with the complete folitude of the Gothic apartments, to lend an additional impression to the fuperftitious parts of that tragedy. In point of language, and the true expreffion of paffion and feeling, the new and just delineation of monaftic fraud, tyranny, and cruelty; it deferves the greatest praife. But it is furprifing that a man of his tafte and judgment fhould have added to the improbability of the tale, inftead of mellowing it with fofter fhades. This might be cured by altering one page of the countefs's confeffion in the laft act. The ftory, as told in Luther's Table Talk, feems more ancient than that in the Tales of the Queen of Navarre.

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XLVI. GRAY'S POLITICS.

I never rightly underfood Mr. Gray's political opinions. Sometimes he feemed to incline to the fide of authority; fometimes to that of the people.

This is indeed natural to an ingenuous and candid mind. When a portion of the people fhews grofs vices, or idle fedition, arifing from mere ignorance or prejudice; one wishes it checked by authority. When the governors purfue wicked plans, or weak measures, one wishes a spirited oppofition by the people at large.

XLVII. DR. ROBERTSON. Dr. Robertfon called on me t'other day. We talked of fome political affairs; and he concluded his opinion with, "for you must know, fir, that I look upon myself as a moderate whig." My anfwer was, " yes, doctor, I look on you as a very moderate whig."

XLVIII. BRITISH EMPIRE.

We now talk of the British empire, and of Titus and Trajan, who were abfolute emperors. In my time it was the British monarchy. What is this mighty empire over ten or twelve millions of people, and a few trading colonies? People fhut up in an ifland have always pride enough-but this is too ridiculous even for flattery to invent, and the abfolute power of a Roman emperor to fwallow, along with an apotheofis.

XLIX. DON QUIXOTTE.

Don Quixotte is no favourite of mine. When a man is once fo mad, as to miftake a wind-mill for a giant, what more is to be faid, but an infipid repetition of from them? mistakes, or an uncharacteristic deviation

[This judgment was furely too harsh. It is the minute defcription of life and character, as they occur in Spain, that interests us in reading Don Quixotte, and make us pardon the extravagance of the chief character, and the infipidity of the paftoral fcenes. The epifodes are bad; except the tale of the Spanish captive and his Moorish miftrefs, which is wrought up with great truth and nature.]

L. VOL

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L. VOLTAIRE.

Soon after I had published my "Hiftoric Doubts on the reign of Richard III." Voltaire happening to fee and like the book, fent me a letter, mentioning how much the work answered his ideas concerning the uncertainty of history, as expreffed in his Hiftoire Generale. He added many praifes of my book; and concluded with entreating my amitié.

As I had, in the preface to the Castle of Otranto, ridiculed Voltaire's conduct towards Shakfpere, I thought it proper firft to fend Voltaire that book; and let him understand that, if after perufing it, he perfifted in offering me his amitié, I had no, objections, but should efteem myfelf honoured by the friendship of fo great a

man.

Sometime after I received from my acquaintance the Dutchels of Choifeul, at Paris, a letter, inclofing one from Voltaire to her, wherein he faid that I had fent him a book, in the preface to which he was loaded with reproaches, and all on acCount de fen Bouffon de Shakipere. He ftated nothing of the real traniaction, but only mentioned the fending of the Caftle of Otranto, as if this had been the very firft step.

LI. NEW IDEA OF A NOVEL.

I am firmly convinced that a story might be written, of which all the incidents fhould appear fupernatural, yet turn out natural.

[This remark was made in 1784.]

LII. COALS TO NEWCASTLE.

The chief apprehenfion of the Duke of Newcastle, (the minifter), was that of catching cold. Often in the heat of fummer the debates, in the Houfe of Lords, would ftand ftill, till fome window were fhut, in confequence of the Duke's orders. The Peers would all be melting in fweat, that the Duke might not catch

cold.

When fir Jofeph Yorke was ambassador at the Hague, a curious inftance happened of this idle apprehenfion. The late King going to Hanover, the Duke muft go with him, that his foes might not injure him in his abfence. The day they were to pafs the fea, a meffenger came, at five o'clock in the inorning, and drew fir Jofeph's bed curtains. Sir Jofeph ftarting, aiked what was the matter. The man faid he came from the Duke of Newcaftle. "For God's fake, exclaimed fir Jofeph, what is it? Is the King ill?" No. After feveral fruitless' queftions, the

Of his buffoon Shakspere.

meffenger at length faid, "the Duke fent me to fee you in bed, for in this bed he means to fleep."

LIII. TWO MINISTERS.

Mr. Pitt's plan, when he had the gout, was to have no fire in his room, but to load himself with bed-clothes. At his houfe at Hayes he fleeped in a long room; at one end of which was his bed, and his lady's at the other. His way was, when he thought the Duke of Newcastle had fallen into any mistake, to fend for him, and read him a lecture. The Duke was sent for once, and came, when Mr. Pitt was confined to bed by the gout. There was, as ufual, no fire in the room; the day was very chilly and the Duke, as ufual, afraid of catching cold. The Duke firft fat down on Mrs. Pitt's bed, as the warmest place; then drew up his legs into it, as he got colder. The lecture unluckily continuing a confiderable time, the Duke at length fairly lodged himfelf under Mrs. Pitt's bed-clothes. A perfon, from whom I had the story, fuddenly going in, faw the two minifters in bed, at the two ends of the room, while Pitt's long pofe, and black beard unshaved for fome days, added to the grotesque of

the scene.

LIV. DR. JOHNSON.

I cannot imagine that Dr. Johnson's reputation will be very lafting. His dictionary is a furprifing work for one man-but fufficient examples in foreign countries fhew that the task is too much alone pretend to publish a standard dic for one man, and that a fociety should tionary. In Johnfon's dictionary, I can full of words no where elfe to be found; hardly find any thing I look for. It is and wants numerous words occurring in good authors. In writing it is ufeful; as if one be doubtful in the choice of word, it difplays the authorities for its ufage.

of what I call triptology, or repeating the His effays I deteft. They are full fame thing thrice over, fo that three papers to the fame effect might be made out of any one paper in the Rambler. He mutt have had a bad heart-his ftory of the iflands of Scotland is a lamentable infacrilege in his voyage to the Western

ftance.

LVI. INDOLENCE.

When the Duke of Newcastle left the ministry, a whole closet of American difpatches was found unopened.

LVII. MILTON.

If Milton had written in Italian he would have been, in my opinion, the moft perfect poet in modern lanuages; for his own ftrength of thought would have condenied and hardened that speech to a proper degree.

LVIII. MARY QUEEN OF SCOT

LAND.

I cannot think that the letter from Mary Queen of Scotland to Elizabeth, about the amours of the latter, is genuine. I fuppofe it a forgery of Burleigh, to fhew Elizabeth, if she had refused to condemn Mary.

It was the intereft of Queen Elizabeth's minifters to put Mary to death, 1. as they had gone too far againit her, to hope for mercy; and 2. to fecure a proteftant fucceffion. The above letter was published by Haynes, among the Cecil Papers preferved at Hatfield Houle. His compilation is executed without judgment.

I have read the apologies for Mary; but ftill must believe her guilty of her hufband's death. So much of the advocate, fo many fuppositions, appear in thofe long apologies, that they thew of themfelves that plain truth can hardly be on that fide. Suppofe her guilty, and all is aly: there is no longer a labyrinth, and

359

a clue:-All is in the high-way of human affairs.

LIX. BRIBERY.

If you look into the laft volumes of the Memoires de Villars, you will find minutes of the French council, whence it appears that Fleury was accufed of taking money from England, at a time when it was alleged that my father was bribed by France. The origin of this mighty charge was, that fir Robert Walpole had indorfed a bill of 500l. to a linen draper in the Strand, with the fole view of ferving that linen draper.

LX. MINISTRIES OF GEORGE THE SECOND.

The miniftries of George the Second were all whig. The oppofition confifted of old whigs, fuch as Rufhout, and others; of Jacobites, fuch as fir William Wyndham, and Shippen.

Sir Robert Walpole faid, "fome are corrupt, but I will tell you of one who is not. Shippen is not." When Shippen came to take the oath of allegiance, fir Robert Walpole was at the board. Shippen had a trick of holding his glove to his mouth, and did fo when repeating the oath. Sir Robert pulled down his hand. Shippen faid, "Robin, that is not fair."

New whigs in the minority, because out of the ministry, were Pulteney, formerly joined in the adminiftration with fir Robert Walpole; Lyttelton, whose father was a true whig; and Pitt. [To be continued.]

ANECDOTES of CROMWELL, Collected by the late Profeffor Anderson, of Glaf

THE
Toliver Cromwell, I learned in con-
HE following anecdotes concerning

verfation, many years ago, from Mr. James Anderfon, who was long the manager of Stockwell-street fugar-house, in Glasgow, a man of veracity, and who died about thirty years ago, in a very advanced age. He faid that he had them from Mr. Danziel, fen, a merchant in the High-ftreet of Glasgow, who died in the beginning of this centory; and that his friend Danziel's account was confirmed to him by many concurring teftimonies.

A fhort time before the battle of Dunbars as Cromwell was viewing the ground, MONTHLY MAG, No. XXXI,

accompanied by a few cavalry, a foldier of the Scottish army, prompted by his own zeal, concealed himfelf behind a wall which inclofed a field, and fired his mufket at Cromwell. The ball did not take effe&t, but went near him. The cavalry feemed to be alarmed, but Cromwell, who was going at a round trot, never altered his pace, nor tightened his rein; and only looking over his fhoulder to the place from whence the fhot came, called out, “You lubberly rafcal, were one of my men to mifs fuch a mar, he should certainly be tied up to the halberts."

When Cromwell entered Glasgow, faid Danziel, at the head of his 'victorious army, I was ftanding in the street called Bell's-Wynd, at the end of it which joins 3 A

the