All the base and pernicious in- | feelings he sacrificed, in order to do by which those finer elements what he considered his duty to maned. Like the Puritans, he lived kind. It is the very struggle of the r in his great task-master's eye." noble Othello. His heart relents; but n, he kept his mind continu- his hand is firm. He does nought in on an Almighty Judge and hate, but all in honour. He kisses the l reward. And hence he beautiful deceiver before he destroys her. their contempt of external That from which the public character nces, their fortitude, their of Milton derives its great and peculiar ty, their inflexible resolution. splendour, still remains to be menhe coolest sceptic or the most tioned. If he exerted himself to overcoffer was more perfectly free throw a forsworn king and a persecontagion of their frantic de- cuting hierarchy, he exerted himself in their savage manners, their conjunction with others. But the glory jargon, their scorn of science, of the battle which he fought for the aversion to pleasure. Hating species of freedom which is the most with a perfect hatred, he had valuable, and which was then the least ess all the estimable and orna- understood, the freedom of the human qualities which were almost mind, is all his own. Thousands and monopolised by the party of tens of thousands among his contempo.. t. There was none who had raries raised their voices against Shiper sense of the value of litera- money and the Star-chamber. But finer relish for every elegant there were few indeed who discerned nt, or a more chivalrous de- the more fearful evils of moral and inhonour and love. Though tellectual slavery, and the benefits ons were democratic, his tastes which would result from the liberty of associations were such as har- the press and the unfettered exercise of best with monarchy and aristo- private judgment. These were the He was under the influence of objects which Milton justly conceived eelings by which the gallant to be the most important. He was dewere misled. But of those sirous that the people should think for he was the master and not the themselves as well as tax themselves, Like the hero of Homer, he en- and should be emancipated from the I the pleasures of fascination; dominion of prejudice as well as from as not fascinated. He listened that of Charles. He knew that those song of the Syrens; yet he who, with the best intentions, overy without being seduced to looked these schemes of reform, and al shore. He tasted the cup of contented themselves with pulling but he bore about him a sure down the King and imprisoning the against the effects of its be- malignants, acted like the heedless sweetness. The illusions brothers in his own poem, who, in their ptivated his imagination never eagerness to disperse the train of the his reasoning powers. The sorcerer, neglected the means of libsn was proof against the splen- rating the captive. They thought only e solemnity, and the romance of conquering when they should have chanted the poet. Any person thought of disenchanting. l contrast the sentiments exin his treatises on Prelacy with quisite lines on ecclesiastical ture and music in the Penwhich was published about the ne, will understand our meanhis is an inconsistency which, an any thing else, raises his er in our estimation, because it how many private tastes and

"Oh, ye mistook! Ye should have snatched his wand

And bound him fast. Without the rod reversed,

And backward mutters of dissevering power,

We cannot free the lady that sits here Bound in strong fetters fixed and motion. less."

To reverse the rod, to spell the charm backward, to break the ties which bound

ing him in his small lodging; that we | and to heal. They are power see him sitting at the old organ beneath only to delight, but to eleva the faded green hangings; that we can purify. Nor do we envy the m catch the quick twinkle of his eyes, can study either the life or the rolling in vain to find the day; that of the great poet and patriot, we are reading in the lines of his noble aspiring to emulate, not inde countenance the proud and mournful sublime works with which his history of his glory and his affliction. has enriched our literature, but We image to ourselves the breathless with which he laboured for the silence in which we should listen to his good, the fortitude with which slightest word, the passionate venera-dured every private calamity, t tion with which we should kneel to kiss his hand and weep upon it, the earnestness with which we should endeavour to console him, if indeed such a spirit could need consolation, for the neglect of an age unworthy of his talents and his virtues, the eagerness with which we should contest with his daughters, or with his Quaker friend Elwood, the privilege of reading Homer MACHIAVELLI. (March, to him, or of taking down the immortal accents which flowed from his lips.

These are perhaps foolish feelings. Yet we cannot be ashamed of them; nor shall we be sorry if what we have written shall in any degree excite them in other minds. We are not much in the habit of idolizing either the living or the dead. And we think that there is no more certain indication of a weak and ill-regulated intellect than that propensity which, for want of a better name, we will venture to christen Boswellism. But there are a few characters which have stood the closest scrutiny and the severest tests, which have been tried in the furnace and have proved pure, which have been weighed in the balance and have not been found wanting, which have been declared sterling by the general consent of mankind, and which are visibly stamped with the image and superscription of the Most High. These great men we trust that we know how to prize; and of these was Milton. The sight of his books, the sound of his name, are pleasant to us. His thoughts resemble those celestial fruits and flowers which the Virgin Martyr of Massinger sent down from the gardens of Paradise to the earth, and which were distinguished from the productions of other soils, not only by superior bloom and sweetness, but by miraculous efficacy to invigorate

disdain with which he looked c
temptations and dangers, the
hatred which he bore to big
tyrants, and th
the faith which
sternly kept with his country a
his fame.

Euvres complètes de MACHIAV

duites par J. V. PERIER. Paris THOSE who have attended to th tice of our literary tribunal a aware that, by means of certa fictions similar to those of West Hall, we are frequently enabled cognisance of cases lying bey sphere of our original juris We need hardly say, therefore, the present instance M. Périer i a Richard Roe, who will not tioned in any subsequent stag proceedings, and whose name for the sole purpose of bringing velli into court.

We doubt whether any n literary history be so generally as that of the man whose chara writings we now propose to c The terms in which he is co described would seem to import was the Tempter, the Evil P the discoverer of ambition and the original inventor of perju that, before the publication of Prince, there had never been crite, a tyrant, or a traitor, a si virtue, or a convenient crime writer gravely assures us that of Saxony learned all his fra policy from that execrable Another remarks that since translated into Turkish, the

his small lodging; that we and to heal. They are powerful, not ting at the old organ beneath only to delight, but to elevate and green hangings; that we can purify. Nor do we envy the man who quick twinkle of his eyes, can study either the life or the writings vain to find the day; that of the great poet and patriot, without ding in the lines of his noble aspiring to emulate, not indeed the e the proud and mournful sublime works with which his genius his glory and his affliction. has enriched our literature, but the zeal to ourselves the breathless with which he laboured for the public which we should listen to his good, the fortitude with which he enord, the passionate venera-dured every private calamity, the lofty which we should kneel to kiss disdain with which he looked down on and weep upon it, the ear- temptations and dangers, the deadly with which we should en-hatred which he bore to bigots and console him, if indeed such tyrants, and the faith which he so ald need consolation, for the sternly kept with his country and with an age unworthy of his his fame.

d his virtues, the eagerness 1 we should contest with his . or with his Quaker friend le privilege of reading Homer MACHIAVELLI. (March, 1827.) of taking down the immortal ich flowed from his lips. Euvres complètes de MACHIAVEL, traire perhaps foolish feelings. duites par J. V. PERIER. Paris: 1825. annot be ashamed of them; THOSE who have attended to the pracwe be sorry if what we have tice of our literary tribunal are well all in any degree excite them aware that, by means of certain legal minds. We are not much in fictions similar to those of Westminster of idolizing either the living Hall, we are frequently enabled to take d. And we think that there cognisance of cases lying beyond the certain indication of a weak sphere of our original jurisdiction. gulated intellect than that We need hardly say, therefore, that in which, for want of a better the present instance M. Périer is merely will venture to christen Bos- a Richard Roe, who will not be menBut there are a few charac- tioned in any subsequent stage of the have stood the closest scrutiny | proceedings, and whose name is used everest tests, which have been for the sole purpose of bringing Machiathe furnace and have proved velli into court. ch have been weighed in the We doubt whether any name in and have not been found literary history be so generally odious which have been declared as that of the man whose character and y the general consent of man- writings we now propose to consider 1 which are visibly stamped The terms in which he is commonly image and superscription of described would seem to import that he High. These great men we was the Tempter, the Evil Principle, we know how to prize; and the discoverer of ambition and revenge, vas Milton. The sight of his the original inventor of perjury, and e sound of his name, are plea- that, before the publication of his fatal us. His thoughts resemble Prince, there had never been a hypoestial fruits and flowers which crite, a tyrant, or a traitor, a simulated in Martyr of Massinger sent virtue, or a convenient crime. One m the gardens of Paradise to writer gravely assures us that Maurice , and which were distinguished of Saxony learned all his fraudulent productions of other soils, not policy from that execrable volume. superior bloom and sweetness, Another remarks that since it was niraculous efficacy to invigorate translated into Turkish, the Sultans

8

writings which exhibit so much tion of sentiment, so pure and zeal for the public good, or s view of the duties and rights of as those of Machiavelli. Yet s And even from The Prince it could select many passages in of this remark. To a reader age and country this inconsist at first, perfectly bewildering. whole man seems to be an eni grotesque assemblage of incor qualities, selfishness and gen cruelty and benevolence, craft a plicity, abject villany and r heroism. One sentence is su veteran diplomatist would write in cipher for the direction most confidential spy; the nex to be extracted from a theme co by an ardent schoolboy on the Leonidas. An act of dextero fidy, and an act of patriotic sel tion, call forth the same kind same degree of respectful adm The moral sensibility of the seems at once to be morbidly and morbidly acute. Two cha altogether dissimilar are united They are not merely joined, bu woven. They are the warp a woof of his mind; and their co tion, like that of the variegated in shot silk, gives to the whole a glancing and ever-changing a ance. The explanation migh been easy, if he had been a ver or a very affected man. But evidently neither the one nor the His works prove, beyond all con tion, that his understanding was his taste pure, and his sense ridiculous exquisitely keen.

This is strange and yet the st is behind. There is no reason w to think, that those amongst wh lived saw anything shocking or gruous in his writings. Ab proofs remain of the high esti in which both his works and his were held by the most resp among his contemporaries. C the Seventh patronised the publi of those very books which the C of Trent, in the following gene pronounced unfit for the per

which exhibit so much eleva- | Christians. Some members of the de-
Intiment, so pure and warm a mocratical party censured the Secretary
for dedicating The Prince to a patron
who bore the unpopular name of Medici.
But to those immoral doctrines which
have since called forth such severe re-
prehensions no exception appears to
have been taken. The cry against
them was first raised beyond the Alps,
and seems to have been heard with
amazement in Italy. The earliest as-
sailant, as far as we are aware, was a
countryman of our own, Cardinal Pole.
The author of the Anti-Machiavelli was
a French Protestant.

the public good, or so just a
he duties and rights of citizens,
of Machiavelli. Yet so it is.
n from The Prince itself we
ect many passages in support
emark. To a reader of our
country this inconsistency is,
perfectly bewildering. The
in seems to be an enigma, a
› assemblage of incongruous
selfishness and generosity,
nd benevolence, craft and sim-
bject villany and romantic
One sentence is such as a
diplomatist would scarcely
cipher for the direction of his
fidential spy; the next seems
racted from a theme composed
lent schoolboy on the death of
1. An act of dexterous per-
an act of patriotic self-devo-
forth the same kind and the
gree of respectful admiration.
ral sensibility of the writer During the gloomy and disastrous
once to be morbidly obtuse centuries which followed the downfal of
bidly acute. Two characters the Roman Empire, Italy had pre-
er dissimilar are united in him. served, in a far greater degree than
› not merely joined, but inter- any other part of Western Europe, the
They are the warp and the traces of ancient civilisation. The night
his mind; and their combina- which descended upon her was the
that of the variegated threads night of an Arctic summer. The dawn
ilk, gives to the whole texture began to reappear before the last re-
g and ever-changing appear-flection of the preceding sunset had
The explanation might have faded from the horizon. It was in the
y, if he had been a very weak time of the French Merovingians and
y affected man. But he was of the Saxon Heptarchy that ignorance
y neither the one nor the other. and ferocity seemed to have done their
ks prove, beyond all contradic- worst. Yet even then the Neapolitan
t his understanding was strong, provinces, recognising the authority of
e pure, and his sense of the the Eastern Empire, preserved some-
is exquisitely keen.
thing of Eastern knowledge and re-
s strange: and yet the strangest finement. Rome, protected by the
1. There is no reason whatever sacred character of her Pontiffs, enjoyed
that those amongst whom he at least comparative security and re-
v anything shocking or incon- pose. Even in those regions where the
in his writings. Abundant sanguinary Lombards had fixed their
remain of the high estimation monarchy, there was incomparably
both his works and his person more of wealth, of information, of phy-
eld by the most respectable sical comfort, and of social order, than
his contemporaries. Clement could be found in Gaul, Britain, or
enth patronised the publication Germany.
very books which the Council

It is, therefore, in the state of moral
feeling among the Italians of those
times that we must seek for the real
explanation of what seems most mys-
terious in the life and writings of this
remarkable man. As this is a subject
which suggests many interesting con-
siderations, both political and meta-
physical, we shall make no apology for
discussing it at some length.

That which most distinguished Italy t, in the following generation, from the neighbouring countries was ced unfit for the perusal of the importance which the population

of the towns, at a ve began to acquire. S been founded in wild a tions, by fugitives w from the rage of the b were Venice and Ge served their freedom b till they became able their power. Other ci retained, under all th nasties of invaders, un Theodoric, Narses and nicipal institutions whi ferred on them by the the Great Republic. which the central gov feeble either to prote these institutions gra stability and vigour. fended by their walls, their own magistrates by-laws, enjoyed a c of republican indeper strong democratic spir action. The Carlovi were too imbecile to generous policy of Oth It might perhaps have by a close coalition be and the Empire. It invigorated by their twelfth century it attain and, after a long and triumphed over the abi of the Swabian Prince The assistance of t power had greatly co success of the Guelfs would, however, have good, if its only effect stitute a moral for a p and to exalt the Pop of the Cæsars. На mind of Italy had lo seeds of free opinions, rapidly developed by ence of free institution that country had ob machinery of the chu its miracles, its lofty p splendid ceremonial, i ings and its harmless and too closely to b stood behind the scene were gazing with chil tercst. They witness