It was well known to be the habit of Geo. III. to write in various folios, for an hour after he rose in the morning. This practice was not obviously consistent with his want of facility and taste in any sort of composition; but his manuscripts were only registers of names, with notes annexed of the services, the offences, and the characters, as he judged them, of the respective persons. "In addition," says a publication of 1779 "to the numerous private registers always kept by the king, and written with his own hand, he has lately kept another, of all those Americans who have either left the country voluntarily rather than submit to the rebels, and also of such as have been driven out by force; with an account of their losses and services." It is somewhat cruel to lay bare "the bosomed secrets" of any man, even after the grave has closed upon his passions and weaknesses; but if these registers of George III. still exist, and should ever come to light, they will be as curious private memoirs as have ever appeared: they doubtless promoted the remembrance and compensation of losses and services; but they also produced his petty long-cherished resentments, less hurtful to their objects than injurious to his own character and torturing to his breast.—Ibid.

THE GATHERER

A snapper up of unconsidered trifles.

SHAKSPEARE.

SUPPOSED POSTHUMOUS WORK OF DR. JOHNSON'S

An Ode written April 15, 1786

St. Paul's deep bell, from stately tower, Had sounded once and twice the hour— Blue burnt the midnight taper; Hags their dark spells o'er cauldrons hewed, While Sons of Ink their work pursued, Printing "the Morning Paper." Say, Herald, Chronicle, or Post, Which then beheld great Johnson's ghost, Grim, horrible, and squalid? Compositors their letters dropt, Pressmen their printing engines stopt, And devils all grew pallid. Enough! the spectre cried, Enough! No more of your fugacious stuff, Trite anecdotes and stories! Rude martyrs of Sam. Johnson's name, You rob him of his honest fame, And tarnish all his glories. First in the fertile tribe is seen Tom Tyres, in the Magazine, That teazer of Apollo! With goose-quill he, like desperate knife, Slices, as Vauxhall beef, my life, And calls the town to swallow. The cry once up, the dogs of news, Who hunt for paragraphs the stews, Yelp out "Johnsoniana!" Their nauseous praise but moves my bile, Like tartar, carduus, camomile, Or ipecacuanha. Next Boswell comes, for 'twas my lot To find at last one honest Scot With constitutional veracity; Yet garrulous he tells too much, On fancied failings prone to touch With sedulous loquacity. At length, Job's patience it would try, Brewed on my lees comes "Thrale's Entrie," Straining to draw my picture; For she a common-place book kept, "Johnson at Streatluim dined and slept," And who shall contradict her? Thrale lost midst fiddles and sopranos, With them plays fortes and pianos, Adagio and allegro. I loved Thrale's widow and Thrale's wife But now, believe—to write my life! I'd rather trust my negro. I gave the public works of merit, Written with vigour, fraught with spirit, Applause crowned all my labours; But thy delusive pages speak My palsied powers, exhausted, weak, The scoff of friends and neighbours. They speak me insolent and rude, Light, trivial, puerile, and crude, The child of pride and vanity. Poor Tuscan-like improvisation Is but of English sense castration, And infantine inanity. Such idle rhymes, like Sybil's leaves, Kindly the scattering winds receive— The gatherer proves a scorner. But hold! I see the coming day! The spectre said—and stalked away, To sleep in Poet's Corner.

WORSE AND WORSE

Doctor Perne happening to call a clergyman a fool, who was not totally undeserving of the title, but who resented the indignity so highly, that he threatened to complain to his diocesan, the Bishop of Ely, "Do so," says the Doctor, "and he will confirm you."

J.G.B

UNPARALLELED RIDING

In 1603, one John Lepton, of Reprich, Esq., in the county of York, undertook to ride five several times betwixt London and York in six days, to be taken in one week, between Monday morning and Saturday night: he began his journey on Monday morning, and finished it on the Friday after, to the great admiration of all.—Old History.

T. GILL

1

We suspect this to be the burthen of a beautiful Quintett which we heard sung thrice the other evening at Covent Garden Theatre, in Mr. Planche's pleasing "Romance of a Day."—ED.

Back

2

Emperor of Austria.

Back

Страница 12 из 12

Назад 1…11 12Далее

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 478, February 26, 1831

AI-разбор доступен после входа

О книге

Читать онлайн

PRIVATE MEMOIRS OF GEORGE III

THE GATHERER

SUPPOSED POSTHUMOUS WORK OF DR. JOHNSON'S

An Ode written April 15, 1786

WORSE AND WORSE

J.G.B

UNPARALLELED RIDING

T. GILL

1

2

Вам также может понравиться

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 279, October 20, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 262, July 7, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 264, July 14, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 276, October 6, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 385, August 15, 1829

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 399, Supplementary Number

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 273, September 15, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 582, December 22, 1832

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 268, August 11, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 331, September 13, 1828

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 333, September 27, 1828

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13. Index to Volume 13