Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

from their misrepresentations? And when the miner cannot find pure metal, can we blame him for putting crude ore into the smelting furnace? Supposing that in utter scepticism he had abandoned those writers, where else was he to seek for informants? And it would surely be rather a sweeping assertion to say, that they are always incredible. “When I find him, therefore, in his manual of history, departing from certain historical opinions, which I know he once entertained, I am rather inclined to suspend my judgment on the matter altogether, than for a moment to suspect his latter and changed opinion to have been formed undeliberately. I remember, for instance, that he was once a Walpolite in his faith as to the numerous crimes of the third Richard. I had the pleasure of seeing that monarch personated by Kean, at Drury Lane theatre, in the company of Madame de Staël and my illustrious friend. Sir James spoke at great length on the exaggerations of Richard's traditional character, and I recollect our laughing heartily at what we then conceived to be a true hypothesis started by Walpole; namely, that the bones found in the Tower, and supposed to be those of one of the princes, were really the bones of an old ape who had escaped from the menagerie. Poor fellow! if it was so, how little had he thought, amidst his mops and mows, that he should ever be mistaken for a prince of the blood royal! But Sir James Mackintosh, in his history of that period, comes back again nearer to the Shakspearian idea of Richard's character; and the opinion, whether right or wrong, must have been at least well weighed before he uttered it.' Ann. Biog. pp. 122–24.

From the volume before us, we shall extract a few paragraphs, as specimens of the philosophical spirit, the enlightened sentiment, and the copious information which characterize the history.

The acts by which the ecclesiastical revolution was accomplished, occupied the whole session of parliament, which continued from January to May.... Some documents purporting to be the speeches of the minority in parliament in these important debates are preserved. But they are considered as spurious or doubtful by the ecclesiastical historians of both parties. Those ascribed to Archbishop Heath, Bishop Scott, and Feckenham, abbot of Westminster, are summaries of the controversy on the Catholic side, and are not properly within the province of the civil historian. The speech of Lord Montague is more ingenious and seasonable; objecting to the severe penalties, and urging the ordinary arguments from the antiquity and universality of the Catholic Church, only as presumptions of the uncertainty of Protestantism, and as aggravations of the injustice of severely punishing adherents to a faith maintained for so many ages by their fathers.

The true hinge of the dispute was not touched by either party. The question was, whether the legislature had a right to alter the established and endowed religion, on condition of respecting the estates for life vested by law in certain ecclesiastics. The Protestants as well as the Catholics converted the debate into a theological discussion, because they justified their measures by the truth of their own religious opinions. No one then saw, that the legislature could not, without

usurping authority over conscience, consider religion otherwise than as it affected the outward interests of society; which alone were entrusted to their care, and submitted to their rule. Every other view of the subject, however arising from a wish to exalt religion, must in truth tend to degrade and enslave her.

Of the only two important deviations in the new Book of Common Prayer from the liturgy of Edward VI., the first, consisting in the omission of a prayer to be delivered from the "tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities," manifested a conciliatory temper towards the Roman Church; and the second, instead of the Zwinglian language, which spoke of the sacrament as being only a remembrance of the death of Christ, substituted words indicating some sort of real presence of a body, though not affirming the presence to be corporeal; coinciding with the phraseology of Calvin, which, if any meaning can be ascribed to the terms, might, it should seem, be used by Catholics, not indeed as adequately conveying their doctrine, but as containing nothing inconsistent with it.

When Cecil and Bacon had finally succeeded in overcoming his (Parker's) scruples, the consecration was delayed for some time, in order to take such precautions as might best secure its validity from being impugned. The Church of England then adopted, and has not yet renounced, the inconsistent and absurd opinion, that the Church of Rome, though idolatrous, is the only channel through which all lawful power of ordaining priests, of consecrating bishops, or validly performing any religious rite, flowed from Christ, through a succession of prelates, down to the latest age of the world. The ministers, therefore, first endeavoured to obtain the concurrence of the Catholic bishops in the consecration; which those prelates, who must have considered such an act as a profanation, conscientiously refused. They were at length obliged to issue a new commission for consecrating Parker, directed to Kitchen of Llandaff, to Ball, an Irish bishop, to Barlow, Scory, and Coverdale, deprived in the reign of Mary, and to two suffragans. Whoever considers it important at present to examine this list, will perceive the perplexities in which the English Church was involved by a zeal to preserve unbroken the chain of Episcopal succession. On account of this frivolous advantage, that church was led to prefer the common enemy of all reformation to those Protestant communions which had boldly snapped asunder that brittle chain a striking example of the evil that sometimes arises from the inconsistent respect paid by reformers to ancient establishments.

Parker, who had been elected on the 1st of August, was finally consecrated on the 17th of December. Four new bishops were consecrated three days after the primate; whose preferment, as they had been exiles for religion in the time of Mary, was a strong and irrevocable pledge of the queen's early determination to stand or fall with the reformed faith. This politic, as well as generous elevation of faithful adherents and patient sufferers, did not prevent the wise ministers from a general choice which none of their antagonists ventured to impugn. For some time, many of the Roman Catholics, unskilled in theological disputes, continued to frequent their parish churches, regardless of the differences which were to steep Europe in blood.

This unenquiring conformity appears not immediately to have yielded to the condemnation of it pronounced by the divines at Trent. The Anglican reformation was completed by the publication of the articles of religion, exhibiting the creed of that establishment, which, upon the whole, deserves commendation, in the only points where the authors could exercise any discretion; for treating the ancient church with considerable approaches to decency, and for preferring quiet, piety, and benevolence to precision and consistency: not pressing those doctrines to their utmost logical consequences, which, by such a mode of inference, lead only to hatred, to blood, and often to a corruption of moral principle.

A translation of the Scripture was published by authority, which, after passing through several emendations, became, in the succeeding reign, the basis of our present version. This was the work of translators not deeply versed in the opinions, languages, manners, and institutions of the ancient world, who were born before the existence of eastern learning in Europe, and whose education was completed before the mines of criticism had been opened, either as applied to the events of history, or to the reading, interpretation, and genuineness of ancient writings. On these accounts, as well as on account of the complete superannuation of some parts of its vocabulary, it undoubtedly requires revision and emendation. Such a task, however, should only be entrusted to hands skilful and tender, in the case of a translation which, to say nothing of the connection of its phraseology with the religious sensibilities of a people, forms the richest storehouse of the native beauties of our ancient tongue; and by frequent yet reverential perusal has, more than any other cause, contributed to the permanency of our language, and thereby to the unity of our literature. In waving the higher considerations of various kinds which render caution, in such a case, indispensable, it is hard to overvalue the literary importance of daily infusions from the "well of English undefiled" into our familiar converse. Nor should it be forgotten, if ever the revision be undertaken, that we derive an advantage, not to be hazarded for tasteless novelties, from a perfect model of a translation of works of the most remote antiquity, into that somewhat antique English, venerable without being obscure, which alone can faithfully represent their spirit and genius. pp. 12-18.

In addition to this history, its lamented Author contributed to Dr. Lardner's Biographical Series, a life of Sir Thomas More, given in vol. XXI., containing "Lives of eminent British Statesmen." In that volume, Sir James has finely discriminated the respective provinces of the historian and the biographer; and he has almost led us to think, that he would have found the more scope, and the more congenial field of inquiry, in the latter department of literature.

Besides these works and those already enumerated, including his contributions to the Edinburgh Review, the only work which he published is, the "General View of the Progress of Ethical Philosophy," which forms the second preliminary dissertation prefixed to the seventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Of this acute and masterly production, some account will be found in our Number for October, 1831. We then noticed, with regret, the flaw of error which, though not very obvious, runs like a vein through the beautiful formation of the Author's philosophy. In the article in the North American Review, already referred to, which comprises a critique upon the Dissertation, some de ficiencies of another kind are pointed out. The most remarkable is the absence of any notice of the ethical theories of the modern Germans: the French writers are also passed over almost without notice; and the work, besides being incomplete, bears throughout the marks of hasty preparation. Yet, adds the Writer,

It is

Notwithstanding these deficiencies, it will be read with deep interest by students of moral science, and by all who take an interest in the higher departments of intellectual research, or enjoy the beauties of elegant language applied to the illustration of " divine philosophy." It gives us, on an important branch of the most important of the sciences, the reflections of one of the few master minds that are fitted by original capacity and patient study to probe it to the bottom. It is highly interesting, whether we agree with him or not, to know the opinions of such a man, upon the character of the principal ethical writers, and upon the leading principles of the science These opinions are exhibited with every advantage of language and manner. difficult to imagine how the union of power, dignity, and grace, which may be supposed to constitute a finished style, can be carried further than it is in the writings of Sir James Mackintosh. The moral tone is also of the purest and most agreeable kind. The work breathes throughout, a temperate enthusiasm in the cause of humanity, and a spirit of perfect toleration for opposite opinions, even of an exceptionable cast . . He enlarges with an overflowing fullness of heart, we may say, even to exaggeration, upon the merits of contemporaries. Under the influence of this generous and amiable impulse, he has probably over-rated the deserts of Bentham, Brown, and Stewart. But how much more noble is an error of this kind, than the petty jealousy which can see nothing in living excellence of any kind, but an object of attack; as the wasp approaches the fairest fruits, only for the purpose of piercing them to the core! It is indeed refreshing and delightful, to find one of the most powerful minds of the age, uniting the best feelings with the highest gifts of intellect, and exemplifying in his own person the moral graces which he undertakes to teach.'

We transcribe with pleasure this encomium, honourable both to its subject and to the writer, and substantially just. A slight abatement, perhaps, from the unqualified commendation of Sir James's style, might be made in respect to an occasional want of perspicuity and finished accuracy. Nor should we agree with the Reviewer, in ranking among the excellencies of an ethical writer, the toleration of exceptionable opinions,' which is, assuredly, no proof of benevolence, whatever candour and charity may be due to the intentions and persons of those who differ from us on 'vital questions.' The distinction, one might think, is obvious

[ocr errors]

VOL. IX.-N.S.

enough; yet, how repeatedly are laxity of opinion or latitudinarianism of creed, and kindness of heart confounded! *

6

Although Sir James possessed so great aptitude for literary composition, the intellectual exercise in which he most delighted, and in which his fine powers and varied acquisitions were exhibited with most satisfaction to himself and most gratification to others, was, conversation. The companion of all the most distinguished men of his own time, Sheridan, Parr, Burke, Romilly; as intimately acquainted with all the great men of antiquity; with a mind replete with ancient lore and modern anecdote; equally ready on all subjects, philosophy, history, politics, personal narrative; eloquent without pomposity, learned without pedantry, gay, and even witty, without affectation; there never was a man possessed of more advantages for colloquial intercourse.' these fascinating displays of his moral qualities and intellectual powers, few traces, we fear, survive, except in the recollections of his friends; but some of his remarks, taken down at the time (in 1817), have been preserved by his American visiter, who was much struck with the copiousness, elegance, originality, and point of his conversation. As the journal in which they appear, is probably seen by few of our readers, we shall make room for the

[ocr errors]

[ocr errors]

Of

* We cannot refrain from observing, that the article from which we have cited this panegyric on Sir James Mackintosh, contains one of the most flagrant instances that we have ever met with, of that spurious tolerance which levels all creeds, places the essence of virtue in the intellect, and enthrones mind upon the ruins of every religious principle. The frigid, cheerless if, with which the following sentence opens, borrowed from a pagan historian, and worthy of the negative creed of a disciple of Priestley, is a fit introduction to the impiety with which it closes, and to the prostitution of language which would seem to make a blind, sinful, erring man the image of the invisible God.' If there be, as we all believe and hope,-another and a better world, where the wise and good repose together from the troubles of this, we cannot doubt that Mackintosh is now among its favoured tenants,enjoying the communion of the high and gifted minds whom he always so much loved and admired, the Platos, the Stewarts, the Burkes, the Ciceros, and dwelling in the nearer presence of that sublime Spirit, whose ineffable glories he has so eloquently though faintly shadowed forth in so many splendid passages of his writings.' It is but too evident, that" to be with Christ ", forms no element of this Writer's joyful anticipations of the heavenly society. Alas! that, in the city of the Pilgrims, such sentiments as these should pass for the eloquence of piety. The Si quis piorum manibus locus,-si, ut sapientibus placet, non cum corpore exstinguuntur magnæ anima'—of the classic Roman, affects us not more by its beauty, than by its approximation to Christian sentiment. In the American writer, the case is reversed: we are startled at the approximation to heathenism.

« ForrigeFortsett »