national courage, by some who are not butchers, but authors. riety of domestic animals, painted from the life by Ward,-an artist of This nobleman has successfully ex- the first eminence in that line. ercised his invention and practical Lord Somerville is in person rather knowledge upon some of the princi- tall, and previously to those unfortu pal implements used in agriculture. nate accidents already adverted to He invented a mould-plate for the was of athletic habits. He has not plough; and a friction-drag, to pre- yet been married. He has four brovent the too speedy descent down hill thers, and half brothers, and four half of loaded carts and waggons. His sisters. Three of his brothers at preimprovements also of the ancient sent bear arms in the service of their two-furrow plough, and of the single country. plough, have been acknowledged, We have already hinted at his lord. and the use of the implements adopt- ship's political opinions: he is tho. ed, by some of our most intelligent roughly attached to the constitution practical farmers. of the country, both in church and Lord Somerville is a constant at state, at the same time perfectly void! tendant at Woburn, Holkham, and of either religious or political bigotry. at the meetings of the Bath and West Not improbably, his natural circum.. of England Society, the presidency of spection has deterred him from taking which he lately declined. We always any share in political affairs, in which find his lordship's name among the he has witnessed the failure of so judges for the award of premiums. many able men. He has chosen to He was concerned with the late Duke serve his country in the profession of of Bedford, some years since, in agriculture, following the example founding the Smithfield Subscription of some of the most exalted and best Club, the object of which is an an- characters of antiquity; and the counnual prize show of cattle, immedi- try has sanctioned his choice, by a ately before Christmas; and shortly general and cordial approbation. His afterwards he instituted another an- fordship is a connoisseur in painting, nual show, to be held in the Spring, and a warm friend to the liberal and in Barbican, the premiums of which useful arts. To the politeness of the are at his own expence, as is also the courtier, he joins social and populat: dinner, which concludes the exhibi- manners, treating all men even te tion. It is necessary to observe in the lowest, with a condescending af this place, that there formerly existed fability, and as men; nor is his cha among our cattle improvers, and in- rity withheld from unfortunate and deed it still obtains to a considerable meritorious objects. In his domestic degree, a partiality for the excessive relations, he is most exemplary anct fattening of cattle, and for those affectionate, and the regularity ancl breeds which are capable of being economy of his conduct in life are converted into intire masses of fat. productive of the happiest conse Lord Somerville, we believe, was the first to set up a practical opposition to this wasteful system; such, as appears by the printed accounts of his premiums, was the purpose of his peers. exhibition, and to encourage an extension of the labouring breeds of " AM this (February 19th, 1800 oxen and of fine woolled sheep. Of day," says Mr. Cumberland, in these shows a correct annual account his Supplement to the Memoirs of may be found throughout the new Himself, " seventy-four years old, series of this miscellany. His lord- and having given to the world an ac ship is farther engaged in the super- count of what I have been' employe d intendance of the national cattle upon since I have belonged to it, I plate work, to be published in the present spring, by Messrs. Boydell, and Co. in which will be given engraved specimens of each leading va quences to himself and others. Facts, not the partiality of writers, constitute that of Lord Somerville, one cf the fairest characters upon our list of CUMBERLANDANA. thought I had said quite enough of an humble individual, and that I might have been acquitted of my task, and dismissed to my obscurity; but certain friends, upon whose judgment and YOUNG AUTHORS.-"My youngest sincerity I have all possible reliance, son, now a Post-Captain in the Royal tell me that I have disappointed their Navy, had a lazy, pilfering rascal in expectations in the narrative of what his ship, though all the while a prime I have been concerned in since I came seaman: when he had seized him up from Spain; a period, which being to the gun for some enormity, he lîmore within their own time, might, berated him without a stroke, and reas they conceive, have been made minding him of his capacity to permore interesting to them, and to the form his duty with credit to himself rest of my readers. and good service to his country, ap"It may be so; nay, I have reason pointed him at a word to be captain to believe it is so, for I am conscious of the fore-castle. Reformation inthat I was impatient to conclude my stantly took place in the man's mind; work, and was intimidated by the ap- promotion roused his pride; pride inprehension of offending against that spired honesty; and he thenceforth modesty of discourse, which becomes acquitted himself as an excellent and me to hold, when I have no better trust-worthy seaman, and was pointed subject to talk upon than myself." out to me from his quarter-deck as Such is the apology offered by Mr. such. Now according to the moral Cumberland for those pages, the con- of my story we may imagine a young tents of which require no prefatory beginner to set out lazily on his first excusations. We shall therefore lay start into authorship: he may, like before our readers some of the many the seaman, have good stores in his striking and valuable passages to be found in this interesting addition to our author's narrative of his own life. POSTHUMOUS FAME." If our resurrection-critics shall persist to rummage amongst the graves, and carry their eyes like the hare, who sees distinctly only what is behind her, they may probably spy out my shade in the back ground, and bring it into notice. It is naturally to be presumed that, if they would come manfully forward for a living author, the living author would be better pleased; but THE PRESENT ERA.-I seldom hear this he must not expect; the temple the present æra spoken of as I think of their praise is reared with dry bones it ought to be, for sure I am that it and skulls, and till he is a skeleton he has been brilliantly distinguished for cannot be their hero: in this how- a variety of characters great in science, ever they are more generous than the arts, and arms. Should I venture to legislature, who have given so short pronounce upon it as the most lumia date to the tenure of his copy-right, nous in the annals of our country, I that, till that is out, the circulation of am not sure that any man would be his works can scarce commence.- able to confute the assertion, but I Now although this mode of dealing will throw down no such gauntlet to may not exactly suit the living man's the champions of past times; yet aloccasions, yet there is a kind of post- though instances may not occur of inhumous justice in it, as it leads him dividual pre-eminence so striking as to expec a consideration for what he some, which record could supply, still does some time or other, notwith- the general diffusion of talents is so standing he shall have done it so much very much increased; that it operates the worse for the discouragement, as a leveller, which nothing less than which he met with whilst he was first-rate genius can surmount. about it. It also warns him what he is to expect from the company he lives with, and apprises him of the luxury he is to enjoy, when he is out of their society." own capacity, but through indolence, or something else, prefer the shorter process of plagiarism to the laborious efforts of invention. I humbly apprehend that his reviewing-officer, instead of flogging him round the fleet of critics, may come sooner to his point, if the object of correction be amendment, by copying the humane experiment of the gallant officer, whom I have taken the liberty to instance, and have the honour of being allied to." "I have lived to see Pitt, Nelson, and Cornwallis struck out of the number of the living, yet neither eloquence, valour, or integrity are buried in their ashes. t "I remember the time, when the my books and to my pen (those nevermalevolent personality of the public failing comforters and friends), which prints was truly diabolical; I have has enabled me to meet and patiently lived to see more just and manly prin- to endure many crosses and some ciples prevail upon the face of them: misfortunes of no common magnitude. this is a revolution to rejoice in; their How fortunate am I now in the winonly fault seems now to be that of ter of my age, that never in the suntantalizing us with too many good shine of my younger days, when the dinners, that we do not partake of; world comparatively smiled upon me, and I must think, if they would make did I sink into idleness, or surrender one grand and sweeping remove of the myself to any pleasures, that could whole, their publications would be rival those more temperate and perprofited by it. But if it better suits manent resources, which education them to record the splendor, in which and early habits of study had supplied our great men live, let us not be fas- me with. tidious readers, but let us recollect "There is no sure way of providing that every one of us without excep- against the natural ills, that flesh is tion is to a certain degree warmed heir to, but by the cultivation of the and enlightened by that effulgence, mind. The senses can do little for us, which a luminous and exalted cha- and nothing lasting. When they have racter, like a beacon on an eminence, for a time enjoyed every thing they scatters and disperses all around. If can wish for, they will ultimately be their information does not serve them to report how wittily these great men talk over their tables, let us hear at least how learnedly they eat; for I can give no better reason for the slight respect, in which I hold the science of cookery, except that I am too much of an Englishman to instance any one acquirement, in which the genius of our countrymen must truckle to the talents of the French. led to wish for what they can no longer enjoy. A man, who wants mental powers, wants every thing; for though Fortune were to heap su perfluities of every species upon him, the very overflowings of prosperity would destroy his peace, as an abun dance of things without can never compensate for a vacuity within." CAUSES OF METHODISM." I call to mind a conversation I held with "When the historians talk to us of my ever-kind and respected friend the dark ages, they certainly do not Primate Robinson upon one of his mean to insinuate that the sun was visits to Tunbridge Wells, soon after less bright, and the sky not so clear Mr. Benson's induction, respecting in those days as in certain others, but the numbers of seceders, who in times by a figure call that dark, which sci- of past laxity had fallen off from the ence and the human genius do not il- established worship, and gone astray luminate: surely, then, if we wish to after strange and whimsical teachers. live in the light, it is every man's in- Whilst I was describing to him some terest to cherish his neighbour's taper, of these motley congregations, and convinced that should he blow it out, the unwearied efforts of Mr. Benson his own will burn no brighter. I for reclaiming them, he said to me know I have said something to this in his plain and pointed way- If purpose nearly a hundred times over, you wish to get these people back but as I am nearly a hundred years again, you must sing them in: they old, I will say it once more, and per- won't come to your preaching; arguhaps not for the last time. Let me go ment will do nothing with them, but to my grave with the consciousness of they have itching ears, and will listen having succeeded in disposing my to a hymn or an anthem; and as you contemporaries to foster and encou- have an organ, such as it is, you must rage one another in the spirit of bro- set to work and assemble the best therly love and benevolence, and I singers, which your place affords-' have not lived in vain." I need not say this good advice was followed, for it was the very measure we had projected, and our rural choir soon became conspicuous and in credit. In the mean time Mr. Benson's ad CONSOLATIONS OF LITERATURE. What cause have I not had to bless my God for having endowed me with that untried attachment to friends, upon whose judgment and YOUNG AUTHORS." My youngest author would be better pleased; but THE PRESENT ERA.-I seldom hear in their ashes. "I remember the time, when the my books and to my pen (those nevermalevolent personality of the public failing comforters and friends), which prints was truly diabolical; I have has enabled me to meet and patiently lived to see more just and manly prin- to endure many crosses and some ciples prevail upon the face of them: misfortunes of no common magnitude. this is a revolution to rejoice in; their How fortunate am I now in the winonly fault seems now to be that of ter of my age, that never in the suntantalizing us with too many good shine of my younger days, when the dinners, that we do not partake of; world comparatively smiled upon me, and I must think, if they would make did I sink into idleness, or surrender one grand and sweeping remove of the myself to any pleasures, that could whole, their publications would be rival those more temperate and perprofited by it. But if it better suits manent resources, which education them to record the splendor, in which and early habits of study had supplied our great men live, let us not be fas- me with. tidious readers, but let us recollect "There is no sure way of providing that every one of us without excep- against the natural ills, that flesh is tion is to a certain degree warmed heir to, but by the cultivation of the and enlightened by that effulgence, mind. The senses can do little for us, which a luminous and exalted cha- and nothing lasting. When they have racter, like a beacon on an eminence, for a time enjoyed every thing they scatters and disperses all around. If can wish for, they will ultimately be their information does not serve them to report how wittily these great men talk over their tables, let us hear at least how learnedly they eat; for I can give no better reason for the slight respect, in which I hold the science of cookery, except that I am too much of an Englishman to instance any one acquirement, in which the genius of Our countrymen must truckle to the talents of the French. led to wish for what they can no longer enjoy. A man, who wants mental powers, wants every thing; for though Fortune were to heap su perfluities of every species upon him, the very overflowings of prosperity would destroy his peace, as an abundance of things without can never compensate for a vacuity within." CAUSES OF METHODISM.-"I call to mind a conversation I held with "When the historians talk to us of my ever-kind and respected friend the dark ages, they certainly do not Primate Robinson upon one of his mean to insinuate that the sun was visits to Tunbridge Wells, soon after less bright, and the sky not so clear Mr. Benson's induction, respecting in those days as in certain others, but the numbers of seceders, who in times by a figure call that dark, which sci- of past laxity had fallen off from the ence and the human genius do not il- established worship, and gone astray luminate: surely, then, if we wish to after strange and whimsical teachers. live in the light, it is every man's in- Whilst I was describing to him some terest to cherish his neighbour's taper, of these motley congregations, and convinced that should he blow it out, the unwearied efforts of Mr. Benson his own will burn no brighter. Í for reclaiming them, he said to me know I have said something to this in his plain and pointed way' If purpose nearly a hundred times over, you wish to get these people back but as I am nearly a hundred years again, you must sing them in: they old, I will say it once more, and per- won't come to your preaching; arguhaps not for the last time. Let me go ment will do nothing with them, but to my grave with the consciousness of they have itching ears, and will listen having succeeded in disposing my to a hymn or an anthem; and as you contemporaries to foster and encourage one another in the spirit of brotherly love and benevolence, and I have not lived in vain." CONSOLATIONS OF LITERATURE. "What cause have I not had to bless my God for having endowed me with that untried attachment to have an organ, such as it is, you must set to work and assemble the best singers, which your place affordsI need not say this good advice was followed, for it was the very measure we had projected, and our rural choir soon became conspicuous and in credit. In the mean time Mr. Benson's ad |