8。MR。HOME’SMIRACULOUSINFANT
　　"Onthe26thApril，oldstyle，or8thMay，accordingtoourstyle，atsevenintheevening，andasthesnowwasfastfalling，ourlittleboywasbornatthetownhouse，situateontheGagarinesQuay，inSt。Petersburg，wherewewerestillstaying。Afewhoursafterhisbirth，hismother，thenurse，andIheardforseveralhoursthewarblingofabirdasifsingingoverhim。Alsothatnight，andfortwoorthreenightsafterwards，abrightstarlikelight，whichwasclearlyvisiblefromthepartialdarknessoftheroom，inwhichtherewasonlyanight—lampburning，appearedseveraltimesdirectlyIoveritshead，whereitremainedforsomemoments，andthenslowlymovedinthedirectionofthedoor，whereitdisappeared。Thiswasalsoseenbyeachofusatthesametime。
　　Thelightwasmorecondensedthanthosewhichhavebeensooftenseeninmypresenceuponpreviousandsubsequentoccasions。Itwasbrighterandmoredistinctlyglobular。Idonotbelievethatitcamethroughmymediumship，butratherthroughthatofthechild，whohasmanifestedonseveraloccasionsthepresenceofthegift。I
　　donotliketoalludetosuchamatter，butastherearemorestrangethingsinHeavenandearththanaredreamtof，eveninmyphilosophy，Idonotfeelmyselfatlibertytoomitstating，thatduringthelatterpartofmywife’spregnancy，wethoughtitbetterthatsheshouldnotjoininSeances，becauseitwasfoundthatwhenevertherappingsoccurredintheroom，asimultaneousmovementofthechildwasdistinctlyfelt，perfectlyinunisonwiththesounds。Whentherewerethreesounds，threemovementswerefelt，andsoon，andwhenfivesoundswereheard，whichisgenerallythecallforthealphabet，shefeltthefiveinternalmovements，andshewouldfrequently，whenweweremistakeninthelatter，correctusfromwhatthechildindicated。"
　　Weshouldaskpardonofourreadersforsullyingourpaperwiththisnauseousmatter，ifwithoutittheycouldadequatelyunderstandwhatMr。Home’sbookis。
　　9。CAGLIOSTRO’SSPIRITCALLSONMR。HOME
　　Prudentlyavoidingthedisagreeablequestionofhisgivinghimself，bothinthisstateofexistenceandinhisspiritualcircle，anametowhichheneverhadanypretensionswhatever，andlikewiseprudentlysuppressinganyreferencetohisamiableweaknessasaswindlerandaninfamoustraffickerinhisownwife，theguilelessMr。Balsamodelivered，ina"distinctvoice"，thisdistinctcelestialutterance——unquestionablypunctuatedinasupernaturalmanner："Mypowerwasthatofamesmerist，butall—misunderstoodbythoseaboutme，mybiographershaveevendonemeinjustice，butI
　　carenotfortheuntruthsofearth"。
　　10。ORACULARSTATEOFMR。HOME
　　"Aftervariousmanifestations，Mr。Homewentintothetrance，andaddressingapersonpresent，said，’Youaskwhatgoodaresuchtrivialmanifestations，suchasrapping，table—moving，etc。？Godisabetterjudgethanwearewhatisfittedforhumanity，immenseresultsmayspringfromtrivialthings。Thesteamfromakettleisasmallthing，butlookatthelocomotive!Theelectricsparkfromthebackofacatisasmallthing，butseethewondersofelectricity!Therapsaresmallthings，buttheirresultswillleadyoutotheSpirit—World，andtoeternity!Whyshouldgreatresultsspringfromsuchsmallcauses？Christwasborninamanger，hewasnotbornaKing。Whenyoutellmewhyhewasborninamanger，I
　　willtellyouwhythesemanifestations，sotrivial，soundignifiedastheyappeartoyou，havebeenappointedtoconvincetheworldofthetruthofspiritualism。’"
　　Wonderful!ClearlydirectInspiration!——Andyet，perhaps，hardlyworththetroubleofgoing"intothetrance"for，either。Amazingastherevelationis，weseemtohaveheardsomethinglikeitfrommorethanonepersonagewhowaswideawake。Aquackdoctor，inanopenbarouche（attendedbyabarrel—organandtwofootmeninbrasshelmets），deliveredjustsuchanotheraddresswithinourhearing，outsideagateofParis，nottwomonthsago。
　　11。THETESTIMONYOFMR。HOME’SBOOTS
　　"Theladyofthehouseturnedtomeandsaidabruptly，’Why，youaresittingintheair’；andonlooking，wefoundthatthechairremainedinitsplace，butthatIwaselevatedtwoorthreeinchesaboveit，andmyfeetnottouchingthefloor。ThismayshowhowutterlyunconsciousIamattimestothesensationoflevitation。
　　Asisusual，whenIhadnotgotabovetheleveloftheheadsofthoseaboutme，andwhentheychangetheirpositionmuch——astheyfrequentlydoinlookingwistfullyatsuchaphenomenon——Icamedownagain，butnottillIhadremainedsoraisedabouthalfaminutefromthetimeofitsbeingfirstseen。Iwasnowimpressedtoleavethetable，andwassooncarriedtotheloftyceiling。TheCountdeB—lefthisplaceatthetable，andcomingunderwhereIwas，said，’Now，youngHome，comeandletmetouchyourfeet。’ItoldhimI
　　hadnovolitioninthematter，butperhapsthespiritswouldkindlyallowmetocomedowntohim。Theydidso，byfloatingmedowntohim，andmyfeetweresooninhisoutstretchedhands。Heseizedmyboots，andnowIwasagainelevated，heholdingtightly，andpullingatmyfeet，tillthebootsIwore，whichhadelasticsides，cameoffandremainedinhishands。"
　　12。THEUNCOMBATIVENATUREOFMR。HOME
　　Asthereisamaudlincomplaintinthisbook，aboutmenofSciencebeinghardupon"the’Orphan’Home"，andasthe"gentleanduncombativenature"ofthisMediuminamartyredpointofviewispatheticallycommentedonbytheanonymousliteraryfriendwhosupplieshimwithanintroductionandappendix——ratheratoddswithMr。Howitt，whoissomightilytriumphantaboutthesameMartyr’sreceptionbycrownedheads，andaboutthecompetencehehasbecomeendowedwith——wecullfromMr。Home’sbookoneortwolittleillustrativeflowers。SirDavidBrewster（apestilentunbeliever）
　　"hascomebeforethepublicinfewmatterswhichhavebroughtmoreshameuponhimthanhisconductandassertionsonthisoccasion，inwhichhemanifestednotonlyadisregardfortruth，butalsoadisloyaltytoscientificobservation，andtotheuseofhisowneyesightandnaturalfaculties"。ThesameunhappySirDavidBrewster’s"charactermaybethebetterknown，notonlyforhisuntruthfuldealingwiththissubject，butalsoinhisowndomainofscienceinwhichthesameunfaithfulnesstotruthwillbeseentobethecharacteristicofhismind"。Again，he"isreallynotamanoverwhomvictoryisanyhonour"。Again，"notonlyhe，butProfessorFaradayhavehadtimeandampleleisuretoregretthattheyshouldhavesofoolishlypledgedthemselves"，etc。AFaradayafoolinthesightofaHome!Thatunjustjudgeandwhitedwall，LordBrougham，hashisshareofthisMartyrMedium’suncombativeness。"InorderthathemightnotbecompelledtodenySirDavid’sstatements，hefounditnecessarythatheshouldbesilent，andIhavesomereasontocomplainthathisLordshippreferredsacrificingmetohisdesirenottoimmolatehisfriend。"
　　M。AragoalsocameoffwithverydoubtfulhonoursfromawrestlewiththeuncombativeMartyr；whoisperfectlyclear（andsoarewe，letusadd）thatscientificmenarenotthemenforhispurpose。Ofcourse，heisthebuttof"utterandacknowledgedignorance"，andof"themostgrossandfoolishstatements"，andof"theunjustanddishonest"，andof"thepress—gang"，andofcrowdsofotheralienandcombativeadjectives，participles，andsubstantives。
　　Nothingiswithoutitsuse，andeventhisodiousbookmaydosomeservice。NotbecauseitcoollyclaimsforthewriterandhisdisciplessuchpowersaswerewieldedbytheSaviourandtheApostles；notbecauseitseesnodifferencebetweentwelvetablerappersinthesedays，and"twelvefishermen"inthose；notbecauseitappealsforprecedentstostatementsextractedfromthemostignorantandwretchedofmankind，bycrueltorture，andconstantlywithdrawnwhenthetorturewaswithdrawn；notbecauseitsetsforthsuchastrangeconfusionofideasasispresentedbyoneofthefaithfulwhen，writingofacertainsprigofgeraniumhandedbyaninvisiblehand，headdsinecstasies，"WHICHWEHAVEPLANTEDANDIT
　　ISGROWING，SOTHATITISNODELUSION，NOFAIRYMONEYTURNEDINTO
　　DROSSORLEAVES"——asifitfollowedthattheconjuror’shalf—crownsreallydidbecomeinvisibleandinthatstatefly，becauseheafterwardscutsthemoutofarealorange；orasiftheconjuror’spigeon，beingafterthedischargeofhisgun，areallivepigeonflutteringonthetarget，mustthereforeconclusivelybeapigeon，fired，whole，livingandunshattered，outofthegun!——notbecauseoftheexposureofanyoftheseweaknesses，orathousandsuch，arethesemovingincidentsinthelifeoftheMartyrMedium，andsimilarproductions，likelytoproveuseful，butbecauseoftheiruniformabuseofthosewhogototesttherealityoftheseallegedphenomena，andwhocomeawayincredulous。Thereisanoldhomelyproverbconcerningpitchanditsadhesivecharacter，whichwehopethissignificantcircumstancemayimpressonmanyminds。Thewriteroftheselineshaslatelyheardovermuchtouchingyoungmenofpromiseintheimaginativearts，"towardswhom"MartyrMediumsassistingateveningpartiesfeelthemselves"drawn"。Itmaybeahinttosuchyoungmentosticktotheirowndrawing，asbeingofamuchbetterkind，andtoleaveMartyrMediumsaloneintheirglory。
　　Asthereisagooddealinthesebooksabout"lyingspirits"，wewillconcludebyputtingahypotheticalcase。SupposingthataMedium（Martyrorotherwise）wereestablishedforatimeinthehouseofanEnglishgentlemanabroad；say，somewhereinItaly。
　　SupposingthatthemoremarvelloustheMediumbecame，themoresuspiciousofhimtheladyofthehousebecame。Supposingthatthelady，herdistrustoncearoused，wereparticularlystruckbytheMedium’sexhibitingapersistentdesiretocommither，somehoworother，tothedisclosureofthemannerofthedeath，tohimunknown，ofacertainperson。SupposingthatsheatlengthresolvedtotesttheMediumonthishead，and，therefore，onacertaineveningmentionedawhollysupposititiousmannerofdeath（whichwasnottherealmannerofdeath，noranythingatalllikeit）withintherangeofhislisteningears。Andsupposingthataspiritpresentlyafterwardsrappedoutitspresence，claimingtobethespiritofthatdeceasedperson，andclaimingtohavedepartedthislifeinthatsupposititiousway。Wouldthatbealyingspirit？Orwoulditheasomethingelse，taintingallthatMedium’sstatementsandsuppressions，eveniftheywerenotinthemselvesofamanifestlyoutrageouscharacter？
　　THELATEMR。STANFIELD
　　EveryArtist，behewriter，painter，musician，oractor，mustbearhisprivatesorrowsashebestcan，andmustseparatethemfromtheexerciseofhispublicpursuit。Butitsometimeshappens，incompensation，thathisprivatelossofadearfriendrepresentsalossonthepartofthewholecommunity。Thenhemay，withoutobtrusionofhisindividuality，stepforthtolayhislittlewreathuponthatdearfriend’sgrave。
　　OnSaturday，theeighteenthofthispresentmonth，ClarksonStanfielddied。Ontheafternoonofthatday，Englandlostthegreatmarinepainterofwhomshewillbeboastfulageshence；theNationalHistorianofherspeciality，theSea；themanfamousinallcountriesforhismarvellousrenderingofthewavesthatbreakuponhershores，ofhershipsandseamen，ofhercoastsandskies，ofherstormsandsunshine，ofthemanymarvelsofthedeep。HewhoholdstheoceansinthehollowofHishandhadgiven，associatedwiththem，wonderfulgiftsintohiskeeping；hehadusedthemwellthroughthreescoreandfourteenyears；and，ontheafternoonofthatspringday，relinquishedthemforever。
　　Itissuperfluoustorecordthatthepainterof"TheBattleofTrafalgar"，ofthe"VictorybeingtowedintoGibraltarwiththebodyofNelsononBoard"，of"TheMorningaftertheWreck"，of"TheAbandoned"，offiftymoresuchworks，diedinhisseventy—fourthyear，"Mr。"Stanfield。——HewasanEnglishman。
　　Thosegrandpictureswillproclaimhispowerswhilepaintandcanvaslast。Butthewriterofthesewordshadbeenhisfriendforthirtyyears；andwhen，ashortweekortwobeforehisdeath，helaidthatoncesoskilfulhanduponthewriter’sbreastandtoldhimtheywouldmeetagain，"butnothere"，thethoughtsofthelatterturned，forthetime，solittletohisnoblegenius，andsomuchtohisnoblenature!
　　Hewasthesouloffrankness，generosity，andsimplicity。Themostgenial，themostaffectionate，themostloving，andthemostlovableofmen。Successhadneverforaninstantspoiledhim。HisinterestintheTheatreasanInstitution——thebestpicturesquenessofwhichmaybesaidtobewhollyduetohim——wasfaithfultothelast。HisbeliefinaPlay，hisdelightinone，theeasewithwhichitmovedhimtotearsortolaughter，weremostremarkableevidencesofthehearthemusthaveputintohisoldtheatricalwork，andofthethoroughpurposeandsinceritywithwhichitmusthavebeendone。
　　Thewriterwasveryintimatelyassociatedwithhiminsomeamateurplays；anddayafterday，andnightafternight，therewerethesameunquenchablefreshness，enthusiasm，andimpressibilityinhim，thoughbrokeninhealth，eventhen。
　　NoArtistcaneverhavestoodbyhisartwithaquieterdignitythanhealwaysdid。Nothingwouldhaveinducedhimtolayitatthefeetofanyhumancreature。Tofawn，ortotoady，ortodoundeservedhomagetoanyone，wasanabsoluteimpossibilitywithhim。Andyethischaracterwassonicelybalancedthathewasthelastmanintheworldtobesuspectedofself—assertion，andhismodestywasoneofhismostspecialqualities。
　　Hewasacharitable，religious，gentle，trulygoodman。Agenuineman，incapableofpretenceorofconcealment。Hehadbeenasailoronce；andallthebestcharacteristicsthatarepopularlyattributedtosailors，beinghis，andbeinginhimrefinedbytheinfluencesofhisArt，formedawholenotlikelytobeoftenseen。Thereisnosmilethatthewritercanrecall，likehis；nomannersonaturallyconfidingandsocheerfullyengaging。Whenthewritersawhimforthelasttimeonearth，thesmileandthemannershoneoutoncethroughtheweakness，still：thebrightunchangingSoulwithinthealteredfaceandform。
　　Nomanwaseverheldinhigherrespectbyhisfriends，andyethisintimatefriendsinvariablyaddressedhimandspokeofhimbyapetname。Itmayneed，perhaps，thewriter’smemoryandassociationstofindinthisatouchingexpressionofhiswinningcharacter，hisplayfulsmile，andpleasantways。"YouknowMrs。Inchbald’sstory，NatureandArt？"wroteThomasHood，once，inaletter："WhatafineEditionofNatureandArtisStanfield!"
　　Gone!Andmanyandmanyadearolddaygonewithhim!Buttheirmemoriesremain。Andhismemorywillnotsoonfadeout，forhehassethismarkupontherestlesswaters，andhisfamewilllongbesoundedintheroarofthesea。
　　ASLIGHTQUESTIONOFFACT
　　Itisneverwellforthepublicinterestthattheoriginatorofanysocialreformshouldbesoonforgotten。Further，itisneitherwholesomenorright（beingneithergenerousnorjust）thatthemeritofhisworkshouldbegraduallytransferredelsewhere。
　　Somefewweeksago，ourcontemporary，thePallMallGazette，incertainstricturesonourTheatreswhichweareveryfarindeedfromchallenging，remarkedonthefirsteffectualdiscouragementofanoutrageupondecencywhichthelobbiesandupper—boxesofevenourbestTheatreshabituallyparadedwithinthelasttwentyorthirtyyears。FromthoseremarksitmightappearasthoughnosuchManagerofCoventGardenorDruryLaneasMr。Macreadyhadeverexisted。
　　Itisafactbeyondallpossibilityofquestion，thatMr。Macready，onassumingthemanagementofCoventGardenTheatrein1837，didinstantlysethimself，regardlessofprecedentandcustomdowntothathourobtaining，rigidlytosuppressthisshamefulthing，anddidrigidlysuppressandcrushitduringhiswholemanagementofthattheatre，andduringhiswholesubsequentmanagementofDruryLane。Thathedidso，ascertainlywithoutfavouraswithoutfear；
　　thathedidso，againsthisownimmediateinterests；thathedidso，againstvexationsandoppositionswhichmighthavecooledtheardourofalessearnestman，oralessdevotedartist；canbebetterknowntonoonethanthewriterofthepresentwords，whosenamestandsattheheadofthesepages。
　　LANDOR’SLIFE
　　PrefixedtothesecondvolumeofMr。Forster’sadmirablebiographyofWalterSavageLandor，{1}isanengravingfromaportraitofthatremarkablemanwhenseventy—sevenyearsofage，byBoxall。Thewriteroftheselinescantestifythattheoriginalpictureisasingularlygoodlikeness，theresultofcloseandsubtleobservationonthepartofthepainter；but，forthisveryreason，theengravinggivesamostinadequateideaofthemeritofthepictureandthecharacteroftheman。
　　Fromtheengraving，thearmsandhandsareomitted。Inthepicture，theyare，astheywereinnature，indispensabletoacorrectreadingofthevigorousface。Thearmswereverypeculiar。Theywererathershort，andwerecuriouslyrestrainedandcheckedintheiractionattheelbows；intheactionofthehands，evenwhenseparatelyclenched，therewasthesamekindofpause，andanoticeabletendencytorelaxationonthepartofthethumb。Letthefacebeneversointenseorfierce，therewasacommentaryofgentlenessinthehands，essentialtobetakenalongwithit。LikeHamlet，Landorwouldspeakdaggers，butusenone。Intheexpressionofhishands，thoughangrilyclosed，therewasalwaysgentlenessandtenderness；justaswhentheywereopen，andthehandsomeoldgentlemanwouldwavethemwithalittlecourtlyflourishthatsatwelluponhim，asherecalledsomeclassiccomplimentthathehadrenderedtosomereigningBeauty，therewasachivalrousgraceaboutthemsuchaspervadeshissofterverses。ThusthefictitiousMr。
　　Boythorn（towhomwemayreferwithoutimproprietyinthisconnexion，asMr。Forsterdoes）declaims"withunimaginableenergy"
　　thewhilehisbirdis"percheduponhisthumb"，andhe"softlysmoothsitsfeatherswithhisforefinger"。
　　FromthespiritofMr。Forster’sBiographythesecharacteristichandsareneveromitted，andhence（apartfromitsliterarymerits）
　　itsgreatvalue。Asthesamemasterlywriter’sLifeandTimesofOliverGoldsmithisagenerousandyetconscientiouspictureofaperiod，sothisisanotlessgenerousandyetconscientiouspictureofonelife；ofalife，withallitsaspirations，achievements，anddisappointments；allitscapabilities，opportunities，andirretrievablemistakes。Itisessentiallyasadbook，andhereinliesproofofitstruthandworth。Thelifeofalmostanymanpossessinggreatgifts，wouldbeasadbooktohimself；andthisbookenablesusnotonlytoseeitssubject，buttobeitssubject，ifwewill。
　　Mr。Forsterisofopinionthat"Landor’sfameverysurelyawaitshim"。Thispointadmittedordoubted，thevalueofthebookremainsthesame。Itneedsnottoknowhisworks（otherwisethanthroughhisbiographer’sexposition），itneedsnottohaveknownhimself，tofindadeepinterestinthesepages。Moreorlessoftheirwarningisineveryconscience；andsomeadmirationofafinegenius，andofagreat，wild，generousnature，incapableofmeanself—extenuationordissimulation——ifunhappilyincapableofself—repressiontoo——
　　shouldbeineverybreast。"Theremaybestilllivingmanypersons"，WalterLandor’sbrother，Robert，writestoMr。Forsterofthisbook，"whowouldcontradictanynarrativeofyoursinwhichthebestqualitieswereremembered，theworstforgotten。"Mr。Forster’scommentis："Ihadnotwaitedforthisappealtoresolve，that，ifthismemoirwerewrittenatall，itshouldcontain，asfarasmightliewithinmypower，afairstatementofthetruth"。Andthiseloquentpassageoftruthimmediatelyfollows："Fewofhisinfirmitiesarewithoutsomethingkindlyorgenerousaboutthem；andwearenotlongindiscoveringthereisnothingsowildlyincrediblethathewillnothimselfinperfectgoodfaithbelieve。WhenhepublishedhisfirstbookofpoemsonquittingOxford，theprofitsweretobereservedforadistressedclergyman。WhenhepublishedhisLatinpoems，thepoorofLeipzigweretohavethesumtheyrealised。Whenhiscomedywasreadytobeacted，aSpaniardwhohadshelteredhimatCastrowastobemadericherbyit。WhenhecompetedfortheprizeoftheAcademyofStockholm，itwastogotothepoorofSweden。Ifnobodygotanythingfromanyoneoftheseenterprises，thefaultatalleventswasnothis。Withhisextraordinarypowerofforgettingdisappointments，hewaspreparedateachsuccessivefailuretostartafresh，asifeachhadbeenatriumph。Ishallhavetodelineatethispeculiarityasstronglyinthelasthalfasinthefirsthalfofhislife，anditwascertainlyanamiableone。Hewasreadyatalltimestosetaside，outofhisownpossessions，somethingforsomebodywhomightpleasehimforthetime；andwhenfrailtiesoftemperandtonguearenoted，thisothereccentricityshouldnotbeomitted。Hedesiredeagerlytheloveaswellasthegoodopinionofthosewhomforthetimeheesteemed，andnoonewasmoreaffectionatewhileundersuchinfluences。Itisnotasmallvirtuetofeelsuchgenuinepleasure，ashealwaysdidingivingandreceivingpleasure。Hisgenerosity，too，wasbestowedchieflyonthosewhocouldmakesmallacknowledgmentinthanksandnoreturninkind。"
　　Someofhisearliercontemporariesmayhavethoughthimavainman。
　　Mostassuredlyhewasnot，inthecommonacceptationoftheterm。A
　　vainmanhaslittleornoadmirationtobestowuponcompetitors。
　　Landorhadaninexhaustiblefund。Hethoughtwellofhiswritings，orhewouldnothavepreservedthem。Hesaidandwrotethathethoughtwellofthem，becausethatwashismindaboutthem，andhesaidandwrotehismind。Hewasoneofthefewmenofwhomyoumightalwaysknowthewhole：ofwhomyoumightalwaysknowtheworst，aswellasthebest。Hehadnoreservationsorduplicities。
　　"No，byHeaven!"hewouldsay（"withunimaginableenergy"），ifanygoodadjectivewerecoupledwithhimwhichhedidnotdeserve："I
　　amnothingofthekind。IwishIwere；butIdon’tdeservetheattribute，andIneverdid，andInevershall!"Hisintenseconsciousnessofhimselfneverledtohispoorlyexcusinghimself，andseldomtohisviolentlyassertinghimself。Whenhetoldsomelittlestoryofhisbygonesocialexperiences，inFlorence，orwherenot，ashewasfondofdoing，ittooktheinnocentformofmakingalltheinterlocutors，Landors。Itwasobservable，too，thattheyalwayscalledhim"Mr。Landor"——ratherceremoniouslyandsubmissively。Therewasacertain"CaroPedreAbeteMarina"——
　　invariablysoaddressedintheseanecdotes——whofiguredthroughagreatmanyofthem，andwhoalwaysexpressedhimselfinthisdeferentialtone。
　　Mr。ForsterwritesofLandor’scharacterthus：
　　"Amanmustbejudged，atfirst，bywhathesaysanddoes。ButwithhimsuchextravaganceasIhavereferredtowaslittlemorethanthehabitualindulgence（onsuchthemes）ofpassionatefeelingsandlanguage，indecentindeedbututterlypurposeless；themereexplosionofwrathprovokedbytyrannyorcruelty；theirregularitiesofanoverheatedsteam—enginetooweakforitsownvapour。ItisverycertainthatnoonecoulddetestoppressionmoretrulythanLandordidinallseasonsandtimes；andifnooneexpressedthatscorn，thatabhorrenceoftyrannyandfraud，morehastilyormoreintemperately，allhisfireandfurysignifiedreallylittleelsethanill—tempertooeasilyprovoked。Nottojustifyorexcusesuchlanguage，buttoexplainit，thisconsiderationisurged。Ifnotuniformlyplacable，Landorwasalwayscompassionate。Hewastender—heartedratherthanbloody—
　　mindedatalltimes，andupononlythemostpartialacquaintancewithhiswritingscouldotheropinionbeformed。Acompleterknowledgeofthemwouldsatisfyanyonethathehadaslittlerealdispositiontokillakingastokillamouse。Infactthereisnotamoremarkedpeculiarityinhisgeniusthantheunionwithitsstrengthofamostuncommongentleness，andinthepersonalwaysofthemanthiswasequallymanifest。"——Vol。i。p。496。
　　Ofhisworks，thus：
　　"Thoughhismindwascastintheantiquemould，ithadopeneditselftoeverykindofimpressionthroughalongandvariedlife；hehaswrittenwithequalexcellenceinbothpoetryandprose，whichcanhardlybesaidofanyofhiscontemporaries；andperhapsthesingleepithetbywhichhisbookswouldbebestdescribedisthatreservedexclusivelyforbooksnotcharacterisedonlybygenius，butalsobyspecialindividuality。Theyareunique。Havingpossessedthem，weshouldmissthem。Theirplacewouldbesuppliedbynoothers。Theyhavethataboutthem，moreover，whichrendersitalmostcertainthattheywillfrequentlyberesortedtoinfuturetime。Therearenoneinthelanguagemorequotable。Evenwhereimpulsivenessandwantofpatiencehaveleftthemmostfragmentary，thisrichcompensationisofferedtothereader。Thereishardlyaconceivablesubject，inlifeorliterature，whichtheydonotillustratebystrikingaphorisms，byconciseandprofoundobservations，bywisdomeverapplicabletothedeedsofmen，andbywitasavailablefortheirenjoyment。Nor，aboveall，willthereanywherebefoundamorepervadingpassionforliberty，afiercerhatredofthebase，awidersympathywiththewrongedandtheoppressed，orhelpmorereadyatalltimesforthosewhofightatoddsanddisadvantageagainstthepowerfulandthefortunate，thaninthewritingsofWalterSavageLandor。"——Lastpageofsecondvolume。
　　Theimpressionwasstronguponthepresentwriter’smind，asonMr。
　　Forster’s，duringyearsofclosefriendshipwiththesubjectofthisbiography，thathisanimositieswerechieflyreferabletothesingularinabilityinhimtodissociateotherpeople’swaysofthinkingfromhisown。Hehad，tothelast，aludicrousgrievance（bothMr。Forsterandthewriterhaveoftenamusedthemselveswithit）againstagood—naturednobleman，doubtlessperfectlyunconsciousofhavingevergivenhimoffence。Theoffencewas，thatontheoccasionofsomedinnerpartyinanothernobleman’shouse，manyyearsbefore，thisinnocentlord（thenacommoner）hadpassedintodinner，throughsomedoor，beforehim，ashehimselfwasabouttopassinthroughthatsamedoorwithaladyonhisarm。Now，Landorwasagentlemanofmostscrupulouspoliteness，andinhiscarriageofhimselftowardsladiestherewasacertainmixtureofstatelinessanddeference，belongingtoquiteanothertime，and，asMr。Pepyswouldobserve，"mightyprettytosee"。Ifhecouldbyanyeffortimaginehimselfcommittingsuchahighcrimeandmisdemeanourasthatinquestion，hecouldonlyimaginehimselfasdoingitofasetpurpose，underthestingofsomevastinjury，toinflictagreataffront。Adeliberatelydesignedaffrontonthepartofanotherman，itthereforeremainedtotheendofhisdays。Themannerinwhich，astimewenton，hepermeatedtheunfortunatelord’sancestrywiththisoffence，waswhimsicallycharacteristicofLandor。Thewriterremembersverywellwhenonlytheindividualhimselfwasheldresponsibleinthestoryforthebreachofgoodbreeding；butinanothertenyearsorso，itbegantoappearthathisfatherhadalwaysbeenremarkableforillmanners；andinyetanothertenyearsorso，hisgrandfatherdevelopedintoquiteaprodigyofcoarsebehaviour。
　　Mr。Boythorn——ifhemayagainbequoted——saidofhisadversary，SirLeicesterDedlock："Thatfellowis，ANDHISFATHERWAS，ANDHIS
　　GRANDFATHERWAS，themoststiff—necked，arrogant，imbecile，pig—
　　headednumskull，ever，bysomeinexplicablemistakeofNature，borninanystationoflifebutawalking—stick’s!"
　　ThestrengthofsomeofMr。Landor’smostcaptivatingkindqualitieswastraceabletothesamesource。Knowinghowkeenlyhehimselfwouldfeelthebeingatanysmallsocialdisadvantage，orthebeingunconsciouslyplacedinanyridiculouslight，hewaswonderfullyconsiderateofshypeople，orofsuchasmightbebelowthelevelofhisusualconversation，orotherwiseoutoftheirelement。Thewriteronceobservedhiminthekeenestdistressofmindinbehalfofamodestyoungstrangerwhocameintoadrawing—roomwithagloveonhishead。Anexpressivecommentaryonthissympatheticcondition，andonthedelicacywithwhichheadvancedtotheyoungstranger’srescue，wasafterwardsfurnishedbyhimselfatafriendlydinneratGoreHouse，whenitwasthemostdelightfulofhouses。
　　Hisdress——say，hiscravatorshirt—collar——hadbecomeslightlydisarrangedonahotevening，andCountD’Orsaylaughinglycalledhisattentiontothecircumstanceaswerosefromtable。Landorbecameflushed，andgreatlyagitated："MydearCountD’Orsay，I
　　thankyou!MydearCountD’Orsay，IthankyoufrommysoulforpointingouttometheabominableconditiontowhichIamreduced!
　　IfIhadenteredtheDrawing—room，andpresentedmyselfbeforeLadyBlessingtoninsoabsurdalight，Iwouldhaveinstantlygonehome，putapistoltomyhead，andblownmybrainsout!"
　　Mr。Forstertellsasimilarstoryofhiskeepingacompanywaitingdinner，throughlosinghisway；andofhisseeingnoremedyforthatbreachofpolitenessbutcuttinghisthroat，ordrowninghimself，unlessacountrymanwhomhemetcoulddirecthimbyashortroadtothehousewherethepartywereassembled。Surelytheseareexpressivenotesonthegravityandrealityofhisexplosiveinclinationstokillkings!
　　Hismannertowardsboyswascharming，andtheearnestnessofhiswishtobeonequaltermswiththemandtowintheirconfidencewasquitetouching。Few，readingMr。Forster’sbook，canfalltoseeinthis，hispensiveremembranceofthat"studiouswilfulboyatonceshyandimpetuous"，whohadnotmanyintimaciesatRugby，butwhowas"generallypopularandrespected，andusedhisinfluenceoftentosavetheyoungerboysfromundueharshnessorviolence"。Theimpulsiveyearningsofhispassionatehearttowardshisownboy，ontheirmeetingatBath，afteryearsofseparation，likewiseburnthroughthisphaseofhischaracter。
　　Butamorespiritual，softened，andunselfishaspectofit，wastoderivedfromhisrespectfulbeliefinhappinesswhichhehimselfhadmissed。Hismarriagehadnotbeenafelicitousone——itmaybefairlyassumedforeitherside——butnotraceofbitternessordistrustconcerningothermarriageswasinhismind。Hewasnevermoreserenethaninthemidstofadomesticcircle，andwasinvariablyremarkableforaperfectlybenignantinterestinyoungcouplesandyounglovers。That，inhisever—freshfancy，heconceivedinthisassociationinnumerablehistoriesofhimselfinvolvingfarmoreunlikelyeventsthatneverhappenedthanIsaacD’Israelieverimagined，ishardlytobedoubted；butastothispartofhisrealhistoryhewasmute，orrevealedhisnoblenessinanimpulsetobegenerouslyjust。Wevergeondelicateground，butaslightremembrancerisesinthewriterwhichcangratenowhere。
　　Mr。Forsterrelateshowacertainfriend，beinginFlorence，senthimhomealeaffromthegardenofhisoldhouseatFiesole。Thatfriendhadfirstaskedhimwhatheshouldsendhimhome，andhehadstipulatedforthisgift——foundbyMr。Forsteramonghispapersafterhisdeath。Thefriend，oncomingbacktoEngland，relatedtoLandorthathehadbeenmuchembarrassed，ongoinginsearchoftheleaf，byhisdriver’ssuddenlystoppinghishorsesinanarrowlane，andpresentinghim（thefriend）to"LaSignoraLandora"。TheladywaswalkingaloneonabrightItalian—winter—day；andtheman，havingbeentoldtodrivetotheVillaLandora，inferredthathemustbeconveyingaguestorvisitor。"Ipulledoffmyhat，"saidthefriend，"apologisedforthecoachman’smistake，anddroveon。
　　Theladywaswalkingwitharapidandfirmstep，hadbrighteyes，afinefreshcolour，andlookedanimatedandagreeable。"Landorcheckedoffeachclauseofthedescription，withastatelynodofmorethanreadyassent，andreplied，withallhistremendousenergyconcentratedintothesentence："AndtheLordforbidthatIshoulddootherwisethandeclarethatshealwaysWASagreeable——toeveryonebutME!"
　　Mr。Forsterstepbystepbuildsuptheevidenceonwhichhewritesthislifeandstatesthischaracter。Inlikemanner，hegivestheevidenceforhishighestimationofLandor’sworks，and——itmaybeadded——fortheirrecompenseagainstsomeneglect，infindingsosympathetic，acute，anddevotedachampion。NothinginthebookismoreremarkablethanhisexaminationofeachofLandor’ssuccessivepiecesofwriting，hisdelicatediscernmentoftheirbeauties，andhisstrongdesiretoimparthisownperceptionsinthiswisetothegreataudiencethatisyettocome。Itrarelybefallsanauthortohavesuchacommentator：tobecomethesubjectofsomuchartisticskillandknowledge，combinedwithsuchinfiniteandlovingpains。
　　AlikeasapieceofBiography，andasacommentaryuponthebeautiesofagreatwriter，thebookisamassivebook；asthemanandthewriterweremassivetoo。Sometimes，whenthebalanceheldbyMr。
　　Forsterhasseemedforamomenttoturnalittleheavilyagainsttheinfirmitiesoftemperamentofagrandoldfriend，wehavefeltsomethingofashock；butwehavenotoncebeenabletogainsaythejusticeofthescales。Thisfeeling，too，hasonlyflutteredoutofthedetail，hereorthere，andhasvanishedbeforethewhole。WefullyagreewithMr。Forsterthat"judgmenthasbeenpassed"——asitshouldbe——"withanequaldesiretobeonlyjustonallthequalitiesofhistemperamentwhichaffectednecessarilynothisownlifeonly。But，nowthatthestoryistold，noonewillhavedifficultyinstrikingthebalancebetweenitsgoodandill；andwhatwasreallyimperishableinLandor’sgeniuswillnotbetreasuredless，orlessunderstood，forthemoreperfectknowledgeofhischaracter"。
　　Mr。Forster’ssecondvolumegivesafacsimileofLandor’swritingatseventy—five。Itmaybeinterestingtothosewhoarecuriousincalligraphy，toknowthatitsresemblancetotherecenthandwritingofthatgreatgenius，M。VictorHugo，issingularlystrong。
　　Inamilitaryburial—groundinIndia，thenameofWalterLandorisassociatedwiththepresentwriter’soverthegraveofayoungofficer。Nonamecouldstandthere，moreinseparablyassociatedinthewriter’smindwiththedignityofgenerosity：withanoblescornofalllittleness，allcruelty，oppression，fraud，andfalsepretence。
　　ADDRESSWHICHAPPEAREDSHORTLYPREVIOUSTOTHECOMPLETIONOFTHE
　　TWENTIETHVOLUME（1868），INTIMATINGANEWSERIESOF"ALLTHEYEAR
　　ROUND"
　　IbegtoannouncetothereadersofthisJournal，thatonthecompletionoftheTwentiethVolumeontheTwenty—eighthofNovember，inthepresentyear，IshallcommenceanentirelyNewSeriesofAlltheYearRound。Thechangeisnotonlyduetotheconvenienceofthepublic（withwhichasetofsuchbooks，extendingbeyondtwentylargevolumes，wouldbequiteincompatible），butisalsoresolveduponforthepurposeofeffectingsomedesirableimprovementsinrespectoftype，paper，andsizeofpage，whichcouldnototherwisebemade。TotheLiteratureoftheNewSeriesitwouldnotbecomemetorefer，beyondglancingatthepagesofthisJournal，andofitspredecessor，throughascoreofyears；inasmuchasmyregularfellow—labourersandIwillbeatouroldposts，incompanywiththoseyoungercomrades，whomIhavehadthepleasureofenrollingfromtimetotime，andwhosenumberitisalwaysoneofmypleasantesteditorialdutiestoenlarge。
　　Asitisbetterthateverykindofworkhonestlyundertakenanddischarged，shouldspeakforitselfthanbespokenfor，IwillonlyremarkfurtherononeintendedomissionintheNewSeries。TheExtraChristmasNumberhasnowbeensoextensively，andregularly，andoftenimitated，thatitisinverygreatdangerofbecomingtiresome。Ihavethereforeresolved（thoughIcannotadd，willingly）toabolishit，atthehighesttideofitssuccess。
　　CHARLESDICKENS。
　　Footnotes：
　　{1}WalterSavageLandor：aBiography，byJohnForster，2vols。
　　ChapmanandHall。