the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第15章

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　in　his　native　language；　except　the　eternal　pun　about　Laura　and　Daphne。　　None　of　these　works　would　have　placed　him　on　a　level　with　Vida　or　Buchanan。　　Yet；　when　we　compare　him　with　those　who　preceded　him；　when　we　consider　that　he　went　on　the　forlorn　hope　of　literature；　that　he　was　the　first　who　perceived；　and　the　first　who　attempted　to　revive；　the　finer　elegancies　of　the　ancient　language　of　the　world；　we　shall　perhaps　think　more　highly　of　him　than　of　those　who　could　never　have　surpassed　his　beauties　if　they　had　not　inherited　them。

He　has　aspired　to　emulate　the　philosophical　eloquence　of　Cicero；　as　well　as　the　poetical　majesty　of　Virgil。　　His　essay　on　the　Remedies　of　Good　and　Evil　Fortune　is　a　singular　work　in　a　colloquial　form；　and　a　most　scholastic　style。　　It　seems　to　be　framed　upon　the　model　of　the　Tusculan　Questions；with　what　success　those　who　have　read　it　may　easily　determine。　　It　consists　of　a　series　of　dialogues：　　in　each　of　these　a　person　is　introduced　who　has　experienced　some　happy　or　some　adverse　event：　he　gravely　states　his　case；　and　a　reasoner；　or　rather　Reason　personified；　confutes　him；　a　task　not　very　difficult；　since　the　disciple　defends　his　position　only　by　pertinaciously　repeating　it；　in　almost　the　same　words　at　the　end　of　every　argument　of　his　antagonist。　　In　this　manner　Petrarch　solves　an　immense　variety　of　cases。　　Indeed；　I　doubt　whether　it　would　be　possible　to　name　any　pleasure　or　any　calamity　which　does　not　find　a　place　in　this　dissertation。　　He　gives　excellent　advice　to　a　man　who　is　in　expectation　of　discovering　the　philosopher's　stone；to　another；　who　has　formed　a　fine　aviary；to　a　third；　who　is　delighted　with　the　tricks　of　a　favourite　monkey。　　His　lectures　to　the　unfortunate　are　equally　singular。　　He　seems　to　imagine　that　a　precedent　in　point　is　a　sufficient　consolation　for　every　form　of　suffering。　　〃Our　town　is　taken；〃　says　one　complainant；　〃So　was　Troy；〃　replies　his　comforter。　　〃My　wife　has　eloped；〃　says　another；　〃If　it　has　happened　to　you　once；　it　happened　to　Menelaus　twice。〃　　One　poor　fellow　is　in　great　distress　at　having　discovered　that　his　wife's　son　is　none　of　his。　　〃It　is　hard；〃　says　he；　〃that　I　should　have　had　the　expense　of　bringing　up　one　who　is　indifferent　to　me。〃　　〃You　are　a　man；〃　returns　his　monitor；　quoting　the　famous　line　of　Terence；　〃and　nothing　that　belongs　to　any　other　man　ought　to　be　indifferent　to　you。〃　　The　physical　calamities　of　life　are　not　omitted；　and　there　is　in　particular　a　disquisition　on　the　advantages　of　having　the　itch；　which；　if　not　convincing；　is　certainly　very　amusing。

The　invectives　on　an　unfortunate　physician；　or　rather　upon　the　medical　science；　have　more　spirit。　　Petrarch　was　thoroughly　in　earnest　on　this　subject。　　And　the　bitterness　of　his　feelings　occasionally　produces；　in　the　midst　of　his　classical　and　scholastic　pedantry；　a　sentence　worthy　of　the　second　Philippic。　Swift　himself　might　have　envied　the　chapter　on　the　causes　of　the　paleness　of　physicians。

Of　his　Latin　works　the　Epistles　are　the　most　generally　known　and　admired。　　As　compositions　they　are　certainly　superior　to　his　essays。　　But　their　excellence　is　only　comparative。　　From　so　large　a　collection　of　letters；　written　by　so　eminent　a　man；　during　so　varied　and　eventful　a　life；　we　should　have　expected　a　complete　and　spirited　view　of　the　literature；　the　manners；　and　the　politics　of　the　age。　　A　travellera　poeta　scholara　lovera　courtiera　reclusehe　might　have　perpetuated；　in　an　imperishable　record；　the　form　and　pressure　of　the　age　and　body　of　the　time。　　Those　who　read　his　correspondence；　in　the　hope　of　finding　such　information　as　this；　will　be　utterly　disappointed。　It　contains　nothing　characteristic　of　the　period　or　of　the　individual。　　It　is　a　series；　not　of　letters；　but　of　themes；　and；　as　it　is　not　generally　known；　might　be　very　safely　employed　at　public　schools　as　a　magazine　of　commonplaces。　　Whether　he　write　on　politics　to　the　Emperor　and　the　Doge；　or　send　advice　and　consolation　to　a　private　friend；　every　line　is　crowded　with　examples　and　quotations；　and　sounds　big　with　Anaxagoras　and　Scipio。　　Such　was　the　interest　excited　by　the　character　of　Petrarch；　and　such　the　admiration　which　was　felt　for　his　epistolary　style；　that　it　was　with　difficulty　that　his　letters　reached　the　place　of　their　destination。　　The　poet　describes；　with　pretended　regret　and　real　complacency；　the　importunity　of　the　curious；　who　often　opened；　and　sometimes　stole；　these　favourite　compositions。　　It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that；　of　all　his　epistles；　the　least　affected　are　those　which　are　addressed　to　the　dead　and　the　unborn。　　Nothing　can　be　more　absurd　than　his　whim　of　composing　grave　letters　of　expostulation　and　commendation　to　Cicero　and　Seneca；　yet　these　strange　performances　are　written　in　a　far　more　natural　manner　than　his　communications　to　his　living　correspondents。　　But　of　all　his　Latin　works　the　preference　must　be　given　to　the　Epistle　to　Posterity；　a　simple；　noble；　and　pathetic　composition；　most　honourable　both　to　his　taste　and　his　heart。　　If　we　can　make　allowance　for　some　of　the　affected　humility　of　an　author；　we　shall　perhaps　think　that　no　literary　man　has　left　a　more　pleasing　memorial　of　himself。

In　conclusion；　we　may　pronounce　that　the　works　of　Petrarch　were　below　both　his　genius　and　his　celebrity；　and　that　the　circumstances　under　which　he　wrote　were　as　adverse　to　the　development　of　his　powers　as　they　were　favourable　to　the　extension　of　his　fame。

。。。


SOME　ACCOUNT　OF　THE　GREAT　LAWSUIT　BETWEEN　THE　PARISHES　OF　ST　DENNIS　AND　ST　GEORGE　IN　THE　WATER。

（April　1824。）

PART　I。

The　parish　of　St　Dennis　is　one　of　the　most　pleasant　parts　of　the　county　in　which　it　is　situated。　　It　is　fertile；　well　wooded；　well　watered；　and　of　an　excellent　air。　　For　many　generations　the　manor　had　been　holden　in　tail…male　by　a　worshipful　family；　who　have　always　taken　precedence　of　their　neighbours　at　the　races　and　the　sessions。

In　ancient　times　the　affairs　of　this　parish　were　administered　by　a　Court…Baron；　in　which　the　freeholders　were　judges；　and　the　rates　were　levied　by　select　vestries　of　the　inhabitant　householders。　　But　at　length　these　good　customs　fell　into　disuse。　The　Lords　of　the　Manor；　indeed；　still　held　courts　for　form's　sake；　but　they　or　their　stewards　had　the　whole　management　of　affairs。　　They　demanded　services；　duties；　and　customs　to　which　they　had　no　just　title。　　Nay；　they　would　often　bring　actions　against　their　neighbours　for　their　own　private　advantage；　and　then　send　in　the　bill　to　the　parish。　　No　objection　was　made；　during　many　years；　to　these　proceedings；　so　that　the　rates　became　heavier　and　heavier：　　nor　was　any　person　exempted　from　these　demands；　except　the　footmen　and　gamekeepers　of　the　squire　and　the　rector　of　the　parish。　　They　indeed　were　never　checked　in　any　excess。　　They　would　come　to　an　honest　labourer's　cottage；　eat　his　pancakes；　tuck　his　fowls　into　their　pockets；　and　cane　the　poor　man　himself。　　If　he　went　up　to　the　great　house　to　complain；　it　was　hard　to　get　the　speech　of　Sir　Lewis；　and；　indeed；　his　only　chance　of　being　righted　was　to　coax　the　squire's　pretty　housekeeper；　who　could　do　what　she　pleased　with　her　master。　　If　he　ventured　to　intrude　upon　the　Lord　of　the　Manor　without　this　precaution；　he　gained　nothing　by　his　pains。　　Sir　Lewis；　indeed；　would　at　first　receive　him　with　a　civil　face；　for；　to　give　him　his　due；　he　could　be　a　fine　gentleman　when　he　pleased。　　〃Good　day；　my　friend；〃　he　would　say；　〃what　situation　have　you　in　my　family？〃　　〃Bless　your　honour！〃　says　the　poor　fellow；　〃I　am　not　one　of　your　honour's　servants；　I　rent　a　small　piece　of　ground；　your　honour。〃　　〃Then；　you　dog；〃　quoth　the　squire；　〃what　do　you　mean　by　coming　here？　　Has　a　gentleman　nothing　to　do　but　to　hear　the　complaints　of　clowns？　　Here！　Philip；　James；　Dick；　toss　this　fellow　in　a　blanket；　or　duck　him；　and　set　him　in　the　stocks　to　dry。〃

One　of　these　precious　Lords　of　the　Manor　enclosed　a　deer…park；　and；　in　order　to　stock　it；　he　seized　all　the　pretty　pet　fawns　that　his　tenants　had　brought　up；　without　paying　them　a　farthing；　or　asking　their　leave。　　It　was　a　sad　day　for　the　parish　of　St　Dennis。　　Indeed；　I　do　not　believe　that　all　his　oppressive　exactions　and　long　bills　enraged　the　poor　tenants　so　much　as　this　cruel　measure。

Yet　for　a　long　time；　in　spite　of　all　these　inconveniences；　St　Dennis's　was　a　very　pleasant　place。　　The　people　could　not　refrain　from　capering　if　they　heard　the　sound　of　a　fiddle。　　And；　if　they　were　inclined　to　be　riotous；　Sir　Lewis　had　only　to　send　for　Punch；　or　the　dancing　dogs；　and　all　was　quiet　again。　　But　this　could　not　last　forever；　they　began　to　think　more　and　more　of　their　condition；　and；　at　last；　a　club　of　foul…mouthed；　good…for…　nothing　rascals　was　held　at　the　sign　of　the　Devil；　for　the　purpose　of　abusing　the　squire　and　the　parson。　　The　doctor；　to　own　the　truth；　was　old　and　indolent；　extremely　fat　and　greedy。　　He　had　not　preached　a　tolerable　sermon　for　a　long　time。　　The　squire　was　still　worse；　so　that；　partly　by　truth　and　partly　by　falsehood；　the　club　set　the　whole　parish　against　their　superiors。　The　boys　scrawled　caricatures　of　the　clergyman　upon　the　church…　door；　and　shot　at　the　landlord　with　pop…guns　as　he　rode　a…　hunting。　　It　was　even　whispered　about　that　the　Lord　of　the　Manor　had　no　right　to　his　estate；　and　that；　if　he　were　compelled　to　produce　the　original　title…deeds；　it　would　be　found　that　he　only　held　the　estate　in　trust　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　parish。

In　the　meantime　the　squire　was　pressed　more　and　more　for　money。　The　parish　could　pay　no　more。　　The　rector　refused　to　lend　a　farthing。　　The　Jews　were　clamorous　for　their　money；　and　the　landlord　had　no　other　resource　than　to　call　together　the　inhabitants　of　the　parish；　and　to　request　their　assistance。　　They　now　attacked　him　furiously　about　their　grievances；　and　insisted　that　he　should　relinquish　his　oppressive　powers。　　They　insisted　that　his　footmen　should　be　kept　in　order；　that　the　parson　should　pay　his　share　of　the　rates；　that　the　children　of　the　parish　should　be　allowed　to　fish　in　the　trout…stream；　and　to　gather　blackberries　in　the　hedges。　　They　at　last　went　so　far　as　to　demand　that　he　should　acknowledge　that　he　held　his　estate　only　in　trust　for　them。　　His　distress　compelled　him　to　submit。　　They；　in　return；　agreed　to　set　him　free　from　his　pecuniary　difficulties；　and　to　suffer　him　to　inhabit　the　manor…house；　and　only　annoyed　him　from　time　to　time　by　singing　impudent　ballads　under　his　window。

The　neighbouring　gentlefolks　did　not　look　on　these　proceedings　with　much　complacency。　　It　is　true　that　Sir　Lewis　and　his　ancestors　had　plagued　them　with　law…suits；　and　affronted　them　at　county　meetings。　　Still　they　preferred　the　insolence　of　a　gentleman　to　that　of　the　rabble；　and　felt　some　uneasiness　lest　the　example　should　infect　their　own　tenants。

A　large　party　of　them　met　at　the　house　of　Lord　Caesar　Germain。　Lord　Caesar　was　the　proudest　man　in　the　county。　　His　family　was　very　ancient　and　illustrious；　though　not　particularly　opulent。　He　had　invited　most　of　his　wealthy　neighbours。　　There　was　Mrs　Kitty　North；　the　relict　of　poor　Squire　Peter；　respecting　whom　the　coroner's　jury　had　found　a　verdict　of　accidental　death；　but　whose　fate　had　nevertheless　excited　strange　whispers　in　the　neighbourhood。　　There　was　Squire　Don；　the　owner　of　the　great　West　Indian　property；　who　was　not　so　ri